13 November

13 November 1920

Villa Isola Bella, Menton, France

My darling Bogey
Did I tell you yesterday that Jinnie has accepted my offer for this villa? So its mine until May 1922. I hope when you have seen it you will be happy to think that its our pied-a-terre. I cant expect you to feel about it as I do. For me its for some reason the place to work in. Found at last. Its the writing table. But I only want to sit & write here until May 1922. Ive a horror of people or distractions - the time is more than ripe. And here at long last Life seems to have adjusted itself so that work is possible. Even if our finances went down & down we could live here more cheaply than anywhere else. I want you to plant veg. if you will at Christmas. Très important. Even if we had no maid we could live here tho' God forbid). We should just eat bread & lettuce on the Terrace & dust once a fortnight. I really feel it may not be notwendig even to go up into the Mountains. We'll have the whole garden of the Louise for ourselves after May (when Jinnie & Connie go) and as Jinnie points out the fruit & veg. Thats bonzer cherries, oranges, tomates, pimentos, figs, grapes. The garden is simply divine with grass in it and trees. Its romantic, too, and very big with lemon groves. Their villa and ours always seem to me to be on an island. You see weve no neighbours. Only, out of sight up the hill a chateau which belongs to some Spaniards' & that garden we can wander in too, for they never come & la guardienne is a friend of Marie's. It takes the ultimate biscuit.
[Letter to J. M. Murry in Collected Letters]