Anthony

Dear Valeria,

What I did not realise is that I was so naïve politically that I was not justified in committing myself to any political action of this kind. The atmosphere in Cambridge was so intense, the enthusiasm for any anti-fascist activity was so great, that I made the biggest mistake of my life.

All best,

Anthony Blunt

Margaretha

Dear Valeria,

My international connections are due to my work as a dancer, nothing else. Because I really did not spy, it is terrible that I cannot defend myself.

Yours,

Margaretha Geertruida Zelle
(stage name "Mata Hari")

Gertrude

Dear Valeria,

Have I ever told you what the river is like on a hot summer night? At dusk the mist hangs in long white bands over the water; the twilight fades and the lights of the town shine out on either bank, with the river, dark and smooth and full of mysterious reflections, like a road of triumph through the midst.

love from Baghdad,

Gertrude Bell