On his return to England, there was no war work available. Apparently, this was the end of his career in Secret Intelligence. He had been thinking about his spiritual and intellectual life through his correspondence with Uranda and Martin Cecil. He had developed an interest in education as a philosophical topic. A chance meeting with a Dr L. P. Jacks, then editor of the Hibbert Journal, a Quarterly Review of Religion, Theology and Philosophy, gave him an opportunity to follow this interest and he contributed a piece called “Spiritual basis for Educational Reconstruction” in October 1943. He also had a piece published in the Times Literary Supplement at about the same time. He met Crookie again and made an attempt to woo her but to no avail. It ended in laughter, and he says they both knew they would never take each other in earnest. He was living in Oxford and he was invited to a party by an acquaintance from Kitzbühel. On a rainy night he entered the house in St John’s Street. “Grouped around the fire were some young people, among whom one, in particular, Rosalie, stood out in relief, causing a dim-out of the others in my eyes.” (DM p. 237)

Conrad had fallen in love at first sight and, for her part, Rosalie reciprocated his feelings. They began meeting regularly in Oxford. It was October 1944 and the ‘shooting phase of the war was over.’ Allied troops had crossed into Germany. The winter, though, saw him fall ill again. He became worse and his landlady was unhappy to have an invalid in her house and suggested he go to a convalescent home of a friend of hers in the New Forest.  Rosalie went with him and nursed him back to health. The American boyfriend of the nurse who ran the home went back to America and the nurse decided to close the home and follow him. The charwoman was sent to pass on the news to Conrad and Rosalie. “Having croaked out her message to us she volunteered the advice, ‘Why don’t you marry ‘er and take ‘er back to Canada with you? . . . Rosalie and I looked at each other. We agreed she was right, and so that is exactly what we did.” (DM p. 242)

They stayed until 8 May –  VE day –  and saw Winston Churchill driving slowly down Piccadilly with his V sign and cigar, followed by cars full of returned POW’s amid tumultuous celebration by the crowds that lined the way. A few days later, the newlywed Mr and Mrs ffrench sailed for Canada and Arbutus Point.

Vancouver and Arbutus Point did not agree with Rosalie. It was full of retired old people and the dampness of the climate made her cough. Conrad had contacts in Alberta and they moved to Banff. Conrad taught watercolour painting at the Art College there. He had further plans, however, and  after five years’ negotiations with the National Park Authorities, he managed to get a prime spot within the park to build a home. What a home he built! Fairholme was a 60-foot log cabin – the largest in Canada at the time. He became a rancher and wrote on the topic. Rosalie had two children, Rollo and John, and they lived quite happily until 1954, when Conrad took her to the newly purchased centre of the Ministries, Sunrise Ranch in Loveland, Colorado. They stayed for 6 months and were involved in the founding of the Ranch and participated in an intensive course of study under Uranda and Martin Cecil. Unfortunately, seeing her marriage in the light of their teachings, Rosalie could not continue and the marriage disintegrated. This was hard for Conrad to take, and even harder for the children. But the marriage was over and Conrad returned to Fairholme alone.