[click] July 11. [click] Need to do some more research for the paper so I'm here at the home of Ann Simmons, beautiful biographer of the life of Fanny Blake discussing her life, Fanny Blake’s that is. So Ann, though Fanny has been portrayed by some as a vile villain, do you think she was a bad person?

[Ann] Well Simon, I suppose what she did was unconscionable. She killed her husband and aborted her child. Though I'm not sure she meant that to happen, she certainly took a risk that it could. But I think she acted to take control of her life. She was a possession to her husband, who she believed had killed her only son. I think that by modern standards her husband may have also raped her. I actually admire her in a way. I think she acted with a lot of courage.

[Simon] So she did what she had to do?

[Ann] Yeah, to some extent she did. But I’m not sure we know the full story. Emma found an obituary for Edward Morcombe, the fiancé of Fanny's daughter Mary. Fanny seemed to indicate that he had threatened to reveal all when Mary told him about her mother. I think he was going to blackmail them.

[Simon] When did he die?

[Ann] Well that’s an interesting coincidence. it was around about the time Fanny left. Read it.

[Simon] So Mary did him in. Nice family!

[Ann] But if Mary poisoned him, where did she get the poison? What did she know about poisoning? I think she knew what was going on, she was complicit, but I think Fanny did it. Morcombe is the other man on Fanny’s grave. I think she was asking to be judged by her husband, her child and Morcombe, the three people whose death she caused.

[Simon] Don't fancy her chances!

[Ann] I'm not sure I'm the one to judge. I'm feeling bad about Frank right now.  I feel awful knowing that while we're here he's so unhappy.

[Simon]  Well, we're not here forever, are we? 

[Ann]  For awhile anyway.  Remember the house?

[Simon] Oh, yeah, the house.

[Ann] You don't want to stay, do you? Simon, turn that stupid thing off.

[click] [click]

[click] It's OK, Ann it's OK. I love you. Look I'll stay here. We'll get the lawyers to sort out the house. Maybe Dad can move here or something, goodness knows he complains about the cold enough in England and he’ll get to see some decent cricket. We'll work it out. It's all getting a bit much for me anyway. Shirley pushing John's rights to the place, Emma pushing Frank's inheritance as a direct heir, though what he would do with it is an interesting thought. Arlette thinks that we owe it to Winston, because of past injustice. Really, I wonder why we own Stoney Grove?

[Ann] I’ve wondered that too, but we did buy it. We took on responsibility for the property and though we thought that just meant the bricks and the grounds, it doesn’t. It means the past and the people connected to the place now. Anyway, let's be honest here, we're the people with the money to run it.

[Simon] You’ve been away from the day to day of it for awhile, but it’s not getting any easier. We're got some huge restoration bills coming, we can't get grants or public funds to help, can't even get a tax break with this Government. I can't believe I said that. I'm becoming a Tory! Anyway if you want we can give it up. I can give it up. We can be beach combers, live in your house and drink rum and watch cricket.

[Ann] No, that's not what I want. I mean, thank you Simon--it’s great that you’d stay here. But this isn’t really my home either. It's not the real world. I don't want to become like Doug spending the day half drunk in idleness. Maybe England isn’t my home yet either. But buying the lottery ticket was the first decision we made together-- I'd just like it to mean something.

[Simon] What it did was bring us together. That's all that's important. Not Stoney Grove. If the choice is Stoney Grove or you  then it's easy to make.

[Ann] That's really sweet of you. I think you should have both.

[Simon] Yeah? You sure? I was getting to like the idea of a house near the beach.

[Ann] Just knowing you’d stay makes it easier for me. Anyway, are you crazy? Who said anything about giving up the house here? We can afford it, and I think that England in winter with your Dad and Shirley’s cooking might make us desperate for a little island hideaway. Come on, let’s go home.

[Simon] Now?

[Ann] Maybe we should sleep on it?

[Simon] Righty-oh! [click]