He now felt ashamed at even having thought of the idea of South America, and also he felt bad that he had to accept without any answer the full logic of Fred’s poition. There
was no alternative but to apologise then and there for the thought he had expressed, and to be a big enough man to accept that he had committed a serious error of judgement which was a slur on himself and his father Alfred.
“ I am extremely sorry for the thought. Yes of course we owe you this debt of gratitude especially for what you have done for me personally. As soon as I have returned to England and have got demobilised, of course I will return and look after Luckyland Estate for you”. With that they shook hands, and he caught the boat back to England. He travelled first to Marseilles and then by train to Paris for a couple of weeks enjoyment, as he had been given an introduction to meet up with the famous French Actress Mistinguet. They got on like a house on fire and had a brief whirlwind romance, a pleasant diversion after the long hard war. Then it was back to England and the final demobilization in December 1919.
It was now possible to once again resume contact with the two Chasseaud daughters and to hear at first hand all their news. They had been corresponding fairly regularly all the time that he was away in the trenches, Salonika and in Turkey after the war. Now after his clear intention of having to return to Ceylon, he was determined that this was the occasion to have the companionship of a wife to accompany him to his new home at Luckyland. The problem was that he was equally friendly with both sisters, and so it was a question of choice.

During the war Helen had become a nurse, and was very involved in hospital life particularly tending the many wounded soldiers with horriffic injuries. Helen had a rounded face, an extremely quick repartee and a very sound earthy practical common sense that she had learnt from the Greek maids in her father’s household. Madeleine on the other hand had the most beautiful face with the most classic features. In every way she shone from her intellectual brilliance, from her golden hair, her looks, her commonsense and her wide circle of contacts. However she did have a more difficult manner and was not nearly so down to earth as her sister. She had been engaged to be married to Goodwin Yarrow, but he became just one of the many casualties of the war. She found life at home difficult as she was irritated by her Mother who had very domineering and exacting in her Austrian way.
There were constant arguments, and this was exacerbated by her Mother not allowing her to join up, as she said that she required some company and help at home particularly as her father the doctor was working so hard. During the first part of the War he was based at the Greenwich Seaman’s Hospital where he performed almost non stop operations. Barges and ships would draw up at the Hospital entrance on the River Thames, and disgorge their loads of poor wounded souls for treatment. It was a never ending task for all the surgeons like himself, who worked and worked with very little in the way of respite. For the latter part of the war, with his knowledge of languages he was transferred to Egypt where he joined the staff of General
(later Field Marshall) Edmund Allenby. The only photograph we have surviving from the First World War is one taken at Jerusalem of my Grandfather Major Henry Chasseaud RAMC, General Edmund Allenby, and Brigadier A.P. Wavell ( later to be Field Marshall and Viceroy of India). Father after many deliberations decided eventually to propose marriage to Madeleine. He was enamoured by her beauty and quieter character as opposed to Helen’s greater vivaciousness which he felt would possibly overpower him. Some thirty five years later he was to confess to me his son, when I too was choosing a wife, that the choice he made was the biggest mistake of his life! Madeleine for her part was just one of just so many girls after the war who had little chance of finding the right man due to a million young casualties from the trenches. The scale of the loss of young blood is hard to comprehend today, but one only has to go to any small country town to see their local memorial to their sons that fell so tragically and uselessly. She knew little of Fred when she accepted his offer. He was good looking, intensely ambitious, had a very distinguished war record, and without any formal education had carved a good position for himself. She was absolutely desperate to leave home and the domineering clutches of her Mother, and although she had been warned that the Charnaud family were fairly eccentric, she felt that she could handle this well. The thought of going out to the colonies did not initially pose too much of a problem, in spite of her very sophisticated background, as she always felt she could order such books etc. as she wanted to be sent abroad. So with all these contrary thoughts, some nice, some a bit apprehensive, but above all the release to the freedom of her spirit, she accepted his offer.
The Doctor and his wife Helen , and Madeleine at the beginning of 1920 journeyed back to Smyrna.. Sister Helen meanwhile was still nursing, and likewise found the difficulty of meeting the right man. She eventually just after the War met a New Zealander who had come to join the Royal Flying Corps. His name was Frank Harris who came originally from a distinguished old English family from the Cotswolds. After the War he studied Architecture eventually qualifying in his profession. He too was a difficult character. On the one hand he was most charming, and amusing at a party and also most convivial. But on the other hand he was one of those rare people who are intelligent yet have the innate ability to rub their colleagues and seniors up the wrong way.
At the beginning of 1920 Father took the train to Trieste where in the most severe winter weather he caught the boat for Smyrna where he was to get married.

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Letters From Macedonia