Baghdad Dec 10 Darling Father. Your most Belloved letter of Nov 26 didn't reach me till Tuesday, the mail having been held up by violent storms in the Mediterranean. I was glad to have it - it made me feel quite warm inside. I'm perfectly aware that I don't merit so much love, but the nicest thing about love is that you can have it without merit. You mustn't bother, darling, about my health. You are not reckoning with the immense elasticity which comes of being everywhere sound. Sinbad says that I have the most surprising powers of sudden recovery so much so that he sometimes feels inclined to accuse me of having been shamming! I know I was very much run down when Elsa first came, but in the ten days she was here I had recovered and I am now perfectly well. I shall always be thin - that's the nature of the beast, an inherited characteristic I would have you observe; and I would rather anyhow. I don't like fat people. I really did have a very hard and lonely summer and I suppose it temporarily sapped my powers of withstanding heat, which I usually do very well. But now all my own friends are back it's very different and if we get out shooting at Xmas I shall walk eight hours a day without turning a hair.
Yes, I'll be sure to catch you with a letter at Port Said and if I come home next year, I will join you on your way back. But I can't yet be quite sure of my plans. They depend on so many things that are as yet problematical. We are, as usual, in the melting pot, what with finance and the boundary commission and the elections. It may have all cleared up before the spring; if it hasn't we shall by then be finding ourselves in a pretty tight place. I have got a sort of buoyant feeling that we shan't but I won't undertake to say that it is strictly dictated by facts. Anyhow in two or three months we shall see more clearly I hope.

Even our immediate plans are regrettably doubtful. The King is going to Mosul [Mawsil, Al] on Friday, taking Ken. They are supposed to get back on the 22nd but today it has begun to rain and it looks as if we were in for a deluge which may delay their going and consequently their return. Ken, in that case, wouldn't be here for the Xmas shoot which to me would knock the bottom out of it. It is we two who really enjoy ourselves far the most and it is the only time in the winter when we can ever get four days off. I'm feeling, therefore, rather gloomy, though it may work out right after all.

The Loraines came back from Ahvaz this morning. They too are feeling gloomy about the weather for they want to start off motoring to Tehran [(Teheran)] tomorrow and it looks very doubtful whether they will be able to go. They are afraid of any further delay which may land them into snow on the passes. Percy has made an incredible success. He has patched up matters between the Shaikh and Riza Khan and they've sworn friendship on the Quran. It's the greatest relief and I'm so glad of his triumph. He is very modest about it, but he has in fact been amazingly skilful. We none of us thought a catastrophe could be avoided, nor did he. Riza Khan is coming here just before Xmas on his way back to Persia. I shall be much interested to meet him. I'm dining at the Residency tonight, a family party, supposed to be a farewell to the Loraines, but I don't think it will be farewell.

The worst of the overland mail is that it is frequented by unattached females all of whom bring letters of introduction to me - I'm not very fond of stray women anyhow and I don't know what to do with them. I had one to lunch last Saturday; I must say that she is a very nice little thing, a Mrs Keeling - Domnul gave her a letter to me. Mr Cooke is a tower of strength on these occasions. He loves coming to lunch to meet them and taking them about. Now there are two more, with a letter from Sir John Salmond. I shall have them to lunch next Saturday - and Mr Cooke.

After lunch last Saturday I went to tea with the little Amir Ghazi and his director, Taha Beg (brother of Yasin Pasha) and his governess, Miss Fairley. Iltyd joined me there. He is a dear little boy, Ghazi, full of life and spirits. I've got some beautiful toys for him from Harrods which I'm going to give him when he comes to tea with me next Sunday. Miss Fairley is the daughter of a man in the railways here. Sinbad found her and she is being a great success. Ghazi is picking up English very quickly. You didn't send me Zaid's letter, by the bye, nor Aunt Maisie's - I was very sorry not to have the second as I wanted to hear about Venetia.

It's most tiresome that the Dorman ordinary shares still don't pay. I wonder if you've got any of the big railway orders which I read about in Reuter's today. I have been very economical and I haven't had a new gown for 18 months. I am feeling a little dingy this winter but I hope my bank book looks brighter.

To go on with my doings. On Sunday afternoon Ken and I took our two spaniels out shooting - mine is the son of his and his is an adorable little dog who lived with me while he was away. It was the most delicious afternoon, Ken got some birds and we enjoyed ourselves very much.

I had a very merry dinner party in the evening, the Sinbads, Ken and Iltyd and Mr Edmonds (Administrative Inspector, Kirkuk, and a dear). We were all extremely foolish and gay - Sinbad is excellent at being both. I'm so glad when I see my dear Ken laugh and forget that he has been so unhappy. I think the work and being with people he is so fond of and who are so fond of him are doing him good already.

I have been very busy this week; there is a great deal of work in the office on mail weeks. Monday was a very rushing morning; I shut myself up as much as I could to write the fortnightly report, but all the Euphrates shaikhs chose the opportunity to come in and pay their respects, with assurances of good behaviour in the elections and I had to see them and take them to see Sir Henry. He was also very busy, having only got back from Mosul on Saturday.

I had a nice man from Kenya to tea, and Iltyd. Dickson is the Kenya man's name; he is on his way back from leave and trying to study how we do things with Arabs. I'm glad I don't belong to Kenya. He is dining with me tomorrow to meet Lionel.

On Tuesday I went to a tennis party at the Palace - rather a scrubby selection of people, except Ken who brought me back. We had a great deal to talk over about elections and parties and our general impression of how things are going. The King was very cheerful. All his women folk arrive in about 10 days. I think he is a good deal oppressed at that thought, however.

And so here's today and another very busy morning. Sir Henry is spending the day in conference with Ministers and everybody about the Turkish Petroleum Co. I wish him success but at lunch time they hadn't come to agreement on the first of 21 points of disagreement!

He has sent an admirable cable to H.M.G. about the economic situation. If it doesn't open their eyes I don't know what will.

There's a special Xmas mail on the 15th by which I shall write, but if by any chance it misses this letter also takes you the best of Xmas wishes. Ever, dearest, your very devoted daughter Gertrude.

Dec. 11. [11 December 1924] The rain has all gone - it only lasted an hour - and the Loraines have got off.
I haven't heard from Elsa yet, except a telegram giving me an address to which to write to in India, which I immediately did, bless her.