to Chinchón. After a brief rest, the XII Brigade was ordered to the University City of Madrid, the city's university campus, which had fallen into rebel hands. For most of the next few weeks, Romilly and the English group were involved in heavy fighting on the edges of the campus, much of it concentrated around a farm complex known as the White House. The buildings passed several times between Republican and Nationalist forces. During a brief rest period in Chinchón, the group was visited by English journalists, who reported Romilly's presence, his family's first news of his whereabouts since his departure in October. In mid-December, Romilly's unit was sent to Boadilla del Monte, where a strong rebel offensive was under way. In the ensuing battle, nearly all of Romilly's British companions, including Birch, were killed. Romilly survived the fighting, but contracted dysentery and was invalided back to England early in January 1937. Elopement At the end of January 1937, while he was recuperating from his Spanish experiences at the home of his distant cousin Dorothy Althusen (widow of the Conservative MP Augustus Henry Eden Allhusen), Romilly met his second cousin Jessica Mitford. According to Mary Lovell's account, Esmond had learned from his brother Giles that Jessica was interested in going to Spain and suggested to Dorothy that the "pink" Mitford sister would be a suitable house guest. She was the second-youngest of the renowned Mitford sisters, daughters of the 2nd Baron Redesdale. Despite the family relationship, the two had not previously met, but according to Mitford's own account, "I had been in love with Esmond for years, ever since I first heard of him". She was herself a rebel against the restrictions of her upbringing and family life and hoped that Romilly would help her get to Spain. The two found an instant rapport and began immediately to make plans. Romilly had acquired a press card and a contract from the News Chronicle to report on the war and had thus obtained a visa. The plan was that Mitford would travel as his secretary. Mitford had for years accumulated her small savings in what she called her "Running-away account", which now stood at around £50. That, Romilly announced, would make things much easier. As a cover story to explain her departure, Mitford invented an invitation to visit friends in Austria. The pair departed from England on 8 February. They reached