84
DIDCOT WALSH
312 High Road London N2 1AG
2 April 2005
Dear Toby,
I am writing to confirm the offer received this morning for the asking price of £995,000. The buyer is chain-free and hoping to exchange within six weeks. Hopefully it should be a smooth process. I don’t foresee any problems. I will be in touch shortly.
Yours faithfully,
Walter Didcot
Dear Toby,
Wow! Thanks! I’ve just got my balance and the money’s gone in! Fuck – I thought it was a typo at first. Couldn’t believe all those zeros! Thanks a lot, mate. It’s the most decent thing anyone’s ever done for me and I won’t let you down. I promise not a penny of it will go on beer (or clothes!).
Sorry I haven’t been in touch much. I’ve been really busy. Flight school starts next week and I’ve been looking for somewhere to live. I’ll be sharing with some other guys, students from the school. The flat’s not that great (I miss number 31!), but it’ll be fine for a year or so. I’ll be glad to move out of Daisy’s place, too. It was really nice and everything, but I don’t like to freeload. It’s good to be paying rent again and I won’t miss their stupid dog breaking into my room every night to eat my socks! They had to take him to the vet’s the other day with half a flannel in his stomach!
Things are going great with Daisy. She’s on really good form and you can tell just by looking at her that the country air is better for her than being in London. She’s waitressing at her mate’s restaurant in the village. I’ve been helping out there, too, washing dishes and stuff, just to tide me over. She’s thinking about doing a cookery course, setting up a catering thing. I reckon she’ll be brilliant. And cooking’s something you can do anywhere, isn’t it, anywhere in the world.
Her mum taught me how to do her physio. It’s really easy, actually. And she’s doing so well at the moment that it doesn’t even take that long. I won’t be able to do it any more when I move out, but at least I know how to do it now, if we ever end up living together. As for how I feel about her illness, I’m doing what you said, just acting like I don’t know the truth, just having fun with her. I’m a strong bloke. Whatever happens in the future, I can take it. Well, I’ll have to …
I quite like it out here, in the sticks. I miss my mates, of course, and my mum, but I don’t really miss London. How are you, anyway? Have you moved yet? Maybe you’re in the country, too. Weird, eh?!
Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks a lot for the money. And for everything. I’ll write again when I’m settled at the school. And watch your post. You’ll be getting an unexpected invitation any day now!
All the best,
Melinda and Jack are engaged!
Please come and help us celebrate at
41 Cranmore Gardens, London, N10 5TY
on Saturday 23rd June 2005
VISSER SCHOENMAKER SMIT
Literary Agency
The Estate of Augustus Veldtman
c/o Toby DobbsDear Mr Dobbs,
Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lucia Schoen-maker and I represent Mr Veldtman at his agency. I was very saddened to hear of his death. Although I never met him, I feel he is someone close to me, having personally represented his wonderful book for so many years (more than I care to admit!).
I am writing for two reasons. First, I enclose Mr Veldtman’s royalty statement and payment for the period covering June 2004 to December 2004. This amounts to the princely sum of £3.78, which is about standard.
My second reason for writing is to tell you about an interesting proposal we have had from a TV production company here in Holland. Mr Veldtman was in the habit of posting us his personal journals with the instructions that they be kept untouched until his death, at which time we could use them however we saw fit. This company is interested in making a documentary about Mr Veldtman, about his extraordinary life, his career as a film actor, his love affairs and, of course, his marvellous book. They have offered us an option of €6,000 for the rights to the journals, which they will extend to €60,000 should the project proceed to production.
I think this is a very generous offer and I would suggest that we accept it.
There is one other point, however. The last journal Mr Veldtman sent us is from 1992 and I wondered if you had come upon any further journals after his death. If so, the production company would love to have them, just to complete the picture. I understand that Mr Veldtman lived in your house for the final years of his life and this was a very interesting period in his life, I’m sure.
Please let me know what you think about these matters. I will look forward to hearing from you in due course. And maybe if you were ever to find yourself in The Hague we could meet for a coffee and a chat.
Yours, most sincerely,
Lucia Schoenmaker