The letter, before he copied it out
Martin wrote it four times. This is the draft before the one Nora read in the loft, with everything he crossed out.
Beacon Hill
Tuesday, late
Dear Nora,
I have started this letter four times.
On the phone last month you mentioned Harvard. You said it like a joke, the way people mention things they’re afraid to want. I’ve thought about it every day since. I recognised the voice. It’s the one I used, at your age, about everything I actually wanted.