peace.’ Her smile suddenly turned to a frown.
‘Oh don’t worry, it’s absolutely free. I can tell when someone’s in dire need of healing, and when that someone looks as frightened as you do, well . . .’ She looked
away and began fiddling with the woven-leather bracelet she wore on her wrist. ‘I suppose you remind me of myself not so long ago.’ Jo didn’t know what to say to that, so she just
stared back, then Eve started telling her all about how she’d discovered the amazing healing powers, not only of crystals but of aromatherapy oils, of meditation, and of course, of a healthy,
nutritious diet. She was reading up on crystal healing, she said, and was making a little money selling crystals for their healing powers as well as in jewellery. ‘Come to think of it, maybe
you should look into getting hold of some lapis lazuli, especially if you’re thinking of starting a new life.’ She looked right into Jo’s eyes. ‘Are you?’ she said,
and she brushed another strand of hair from Jo’s face. She’d taken her mitten off this time and her hand felt dry and warm. ‘Are you trying to start a new life?’
Jo nodded dumbly for a few seconds, like one of those stupid dogs they have in the back of car windows, then she burst into tears like an idiot. She felt Eve’s arms go around her and then
Eve began to rock her, and she was transported back through the years to when she was little, when she woke up with tummy-ache, or a nightmare, and her mum would rock her and stroke her hair until
she felt better and was able to go back to sleep. She could feel the silkiness of Eve’s velvet coat and the slightly damp coldness of the fibres against her ear, but there was a warmth too,
almost tangible, that seemed to seep through Eve’s clothing. It made her feel – she tried to pin down the feeling – soothed.
‘Come on,’ Eve said. ‘I’ll buy you a cup of tea.’
As they sat in a café near Charing Cross station, Jo admitted she’d come to London without giving any proper thought to what she was going to do and where she was going to stay. She
told Eve about not being able to find any work, and about Tina stealing her money and the cameo brooch, and about how she’d ended up sleeping in a doorway last night.
Eve listened closely and nodded sympathetically.
‘And I know it seems stupid,’ Jo continued, ‘and I really don’t want to go back there, but the noise and the fumes from the traffic are really making me miss the sea.’
Eve smiled. ‘I love the sea,’ she said. ‘Especially when the weather’s windy and stormy and the waves get really high. I grew up here in London, but I hated it, so now I
live quite near the sea with my boyfriend. I only come up here now and again to buy the bits and pieces I need for the jewellery. I can get crystals and beads and things locally, but not the clasps
and settings. We’re in Hastings, on the south coast. Do you know it?’
Jo shook her head. ‘I’m from Cornwall – Newquay.
‘Ooh, lucky you,’ Eve said. ‘I went to Cornwall when I was little, with my mum and dad. They’re dead now.’ A dark cloud floated across her face. ‘Are your
parents still there?’
‘They’re both dead, too,’ Jo said. It didn’t feel like a lie – she wanted nothing to do with her father, and she felt like an orphan, anyway. ‘My mum . .
.’ She felt her throat tighten and the tears beginning to gather behind her eyes. It was the first time she’d actually had to tell someone. She took a breath. ‘My mum died three
weeks ago. She had . . . something wrong with her liver.’
Eve’s eyes widened. ‘Just three weeks ago! Oh my goodness, you poor, poor thing. It’s so awful to lose your mum. And your dad, of course, but . . .’ She sighed. ‘I
was ten when my mum died. It was so’ – she looked away and then back – ‘so
unfair.
And then it was only a year later when my dad . . .’ She shook her head.
‘Sorry. I shouldn’t be going
‘Oh don’t worry, it’s absolutely free. I can tell when someone’s in dire need of healing, and when that someone looks as frightened as you do, well . . .’ She looked
away and began fiddling with the woven-leather bracelet she wore on her wrist. ‘I suppose you remind me of myself not so long ago.’ Jo didn’t know what to say to that, so she just
stared back, then Eve started telling her all about how she’d discovered the amazing healing powers, not only of crystals but of aromatherapy oils, of meditation, and of course, of a healthy,
nutritious diet. She was reading up on crystal healing, she said, and was making a little money selling crystals for their healing powers as well as in jewellery. ‘Come to think of it, maybe
you should look into getting hold of some lapis lazuli, especially if you’re thinking of starting a new life.’ She looked right into Jo’s eyes. ‘Are you?’ she said,
and she brushed another strand of hair from Jo’s face. She’d taken her mitten off this time and her hand felt dry and warm. ‘Are you trying to start a new life?’
Jo nodded dumbly for a few seconds, like one of those stupid dogs they have in the back of car windows, then she burst into tears like an idiot. She felt Eve’s arms go around her and then
Eve began to rock her, and she was transported back through the years to when she was little, when she woke up with tummy-ache, or a nightmare, and her mum would rock her and stroke her hair until
she felt better and was able to go back to sleep. She could feel the silkiness of Eve’s velvet coat and the slightly damp coldness of the fibres against her ear, but there was a warmth too,
almost tangible, that seemed to seep through Eve’s clothing. It made her feel – she tried to pin down the feeling – soothed.
‘Come on,’ Eve said. ‘I’ll buy you a cup of tea.’
As they sat in a café near Charing Cross station, Jo admitted she’d come to London without giving any proper thought to what she was going to do and where she was going to stay. She
told Eve about not being able to find any work, and about Tina stealing her money and the cameo brooch, and about how she’d ended up sleeping in a doorway last night.
Eve listened closely and nodded sympathetically.
‘And I know it seems stupid,’ Jo continued, ‘and I really don’t want to go back there, but the noise and the fumes from the traffic are really making me miss the sea.’
Eve smiled. ‘I love the sea,’ she said. ‘Especially when the weather’s windy and stormy and the waves get really high. I grew up here in London, but I hated it, so now I
live quite near the sea with my boyfriend. I only come up here now and again to buy the bits and pieces I need for the jewellery. I can get crystals and beads and things locally, but not the clasps
and settings. We’re in Hastings, on the south coast. Do you know it?’
Jo shook her head. ‘I’m from Cornwall – Newquay.
‘Ooh, lucky you,’ Eve said. ‘I went to Cornwall when I was little, with my mum and dad. They’re dead now.’ A dark cloud floated across her face. ‘Are your
parents still there?’
‘They’re both dead, too,’ Jo said. It didn’t feel like a lie – she wanted nothing to do with her father, and she felt like an orphan, anyway. ‘My mum . .
.’ She felt her throat tighten and the tears beginning to gather behind her eyes. It was the first time she’d actually had to tell someone. She took a breath. ‘My mum died three
weeks ago. She had . . . something wrong with her liver.’
Eve’s eyes widened. ‘Just three weeks ago! Oh my goodness, you poor, poor thing. It’s so awful to lose your mum. And your dad, of course, but . . .’ She sighed. ‘I
was ten when my mum died. It was so’ – she looked away and then back – ‘so
unfair.
And then it was only a year later when my dad . . .’ She shook her head.
‘Sorry. I shouldn’t be going
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