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'Cheryl Tyson is a very good

violinist in her own right, as well as being a very experienced teacher,' she said, setting the tray on the coffee-table, trying to reh before she and Tie and she'd rather spend it reasonably ainia had the decency not to involve Tim directly in their 'discussions', as she called theivable

'Tiood teacher, he needs the best He's not just gifted, Clare, he's blessed He's…he's a wunderkind He could be another Heifetz! Did you know that Heifetz played the Mendelssohn Concerto when he was only six?'

Of course Clare knew Virginia never passed up the opportunity to thrust another ifted children on her daughter-in-law Clare had long ago faced the fact that her son was exceptional, but she was a inia— she absorbed the cons as well as the pros of childhood exploitation Her first consideration must always be Tim's health and happiness, not her own or her mother-in-law's ambitions for him

'Let's just agree to disagree, shall we? I'm Tim's mother, and ultimately I make the decisions—about where we live and what sort of education he has If you can't accept that, I' the way you did today If you do, then I'm afraid Tim and I won't be able to come and stay any arded, however strongly you feel you have a valid motive'

Virginia's face was stiff with offended pride, but she didn't hter-in-law's quietness It hen she was quiet that Clare was at her most serious In fact, she was very well-named—there was a cool clarity, a stillness about Clare thatthat she was easy to read But, like a clear pond of water, she had an uncanny knack of reflecting one's own thoughts and feelings without revealing her own And yet with some people—Tim for one—she possessed a passionate war subtly deprived It was an aggravating feeling, and one that Virginia had to strive not to resent Whatever their differences of opinion, there was no arguing that Clare was a conscientious and loving mother

'I thought that Tily

'I' tickets to attend a Master Class is one thing, participating is quite another,' Clare pointed out drily 'Itto achieve… since the students for these things are usually selected weeks in advance, and are supposedly all from the University School of Music'

Virginia shook her head, 'This was one of a series for all ages and levels that Deverenko has been holding around the country It was Just a '

'But Tim didn't audition!'

'I gave Mrs Car the Fantasie Pastorale,' Virginia ad the secret she had been nursing for ahim to Deverenko's notice, and as she's a violin tutor at the School of Music, her recoht'

'I see' Clare inia would have to keep up with Tiress on the violin second-hand, by letter, rather than the tape recordings that Clare had been obligingly posting off every month

'No, you don't see, Clare If only you had been there!' Virginia conveniently forgot that that had been the last thing she had wanted when she'd made her furtive plans 'Deverenko was really i You should have seen the way he watched him, the way Tim blossomed under the attention! And he talked with us…Mrs Car while afterwards He thinks that he has a place for Tim at his school!'

'I told you, I'ress—'

'But this is so else He'd be one of the faés! Think of the doors that would open to Tim His school is very select—he only has about twenty-five children there—and ireatest violinists!'