Ann,

Thanks for a fabulous day yesterday. You looked great—it will be a tough decision. If it were me, I’d go for the Basia Zarzycka. It was so theatrical, and I loved the roses.

I’m dead tired from filming today. Alan had us up at 4 a.m. so that Peter and I could kiss as the sun rose over the Thames. As dramatic moments go, I’m sure it would have been splendid in the book (of course, the author didn’t actually write that scene!), but it was dreadful in reality. Peter reeked of gin, the boat we were in leaked, and a flock of pigeons kept swooping onto the set at the worst possible moment. As it turns out, one of the crew was eating something that attracted them. Alan was furious. He’s so masterful when he’s angry. I find it really quite exciting to be working with him.

After the sunrise, we had a whirlwind tour of London, kissing at every stop. I feel like we’re filming one of those American high-school dramas. I mean, in real life, surely someone like Reginald Winters would have at least touched a breast. But Alan insisted on keeping ‘just the suggestion’ of sexual tension as our focus rather than the lust that I’m sure Helena O’Rall, as a lonely old maid, felt vicariously as she wrote.

Would you mind terribly asking Frank to phone me tonight? I’m very keen to talk to him. He said to me that I should consider the rose. I’ve been thinking about this all day, and I must confess I’m just dying to know what he meant. You don’t know, do you?

Suzanne


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