[Angela du Maurier, actress and novelist, sister of Daphne du Maurier.] Two chatty Autograph Letters Signed to Eileen Cond, autograph collector, discussing among other things her ‘Pekes’, and with reference to her sister ‘Jeanne’.

For information about Angela and her sister Jean, one must turn to Michael Williams, ‘The Three du Maurier Sisters’ (2012), as neither are even named in their father’s and sister’s entries in the Oxford DNB. The recipient Eileen Margaret Cond (1911-1984), was an enthusiastic autograph collector. The two items are in good condition, lightly aged and creased. On light-blue paper with the same design of letterhead. Both addressed to ‘Dear Miss Cond’ and both signed ‘Angela du Maurier’. ONE (5 March): 2pp, 4to. She apologizes for writing badly: ‘my writing is big & I find a small space difficult!’ She saw that Cond had ‘given up the Deer Park, [i.e. the Deer Park Hotel, Honiton] & felt v. sorry, as altho’ I’ve not been for a long time I always hope to return’. She now has ‘2 enchanting Pekes [i.e. Pekinese dogs], a brother & sister: AnTONY [sic] & Cleopatra. Am besotted about them!’ She ends in the hope that Cond has ‘a great success’ with her shop. TWO (11 May): 2pp, 12mo. She is sorry that Cond has ‘had to wait so long for this answer, but I only got home from the Holy Land 2 days ago, & had had no mail forwarded. A wonderful trip.’ She is ‘mad about’ (i.e. enthusiastic) the ‘snap’ of Cond’s own ‘Pekes, they both look bliss’. If Cond should be going to the Devon County Show, she suggests she ‘look out for my sister Jeanne who is showing a beautiful great mare, & has Pekes & pugs but I don’t think is showing any of these.’ She ends ‘As you will realise from my new book I still have my precious Tony & Cleo, tho’ they’re 10 this year.’