Fanny s letter arrived quite out of the blue~<br > ". ~ ~ you ll remember this place，" it said~ "Those Sund~<br > afternoon drives~ Your father used to ask us where we d lil<br > to go and we d chant in unison， Past Sherringham Hal<br > Your mother scolded us for our morbid curiosity， said<br > ought to go to the Rake， or the beacon， or the nearest state<br > home~ But to get to the lake， or the beacon， or the neare<br > stately home we had to pass Sherr!ngham Hall anywa3<br > Funny， isn t it， when you think back?<br > Prophetic perhaps， but not funny， not funny at all. Lorn<br >turned over the page~<br > "... I d like to see you. Of course， if you feel you can t， I l<br >understand..."<br > Of course.<br > When Charley came in she showed him the letter， asked<br >him point blank: "Shall I go?"<br > "Whatever you hke.<br > Just so long as you don t involve me， was the unspoken<br >rider. He immersed himself in paperwork， switched off his<br >tttention.<br > ，， ， ，， .<br > I ll go on Thursday， she said.<br > From the back seat of her father s Bentley all that had been<br >risible of Sherringham Hall was a clock tower， a spire and a<br >himney. The house had been surrounded by trees~ In the<br >tinter there had been the occasional glimpse of late sun<br >linting on a window~ "Barred，" Fanny had said， with relish，<br >and all the rooms，padded." "It s changed a ~reat de ."<br >anny had written Or did we o " . . u al<br > ~ my ever Imagine all that?"<br > Probably. At that stage fantasy had played a large part in<br >leir lives: that one day they would play the piano on the<br >age of the Wigmore Hall， win Wimbledon， be desired by<br > 9<br >