‘And she said that as I am back now in this life, so is he, and that I must find him.’ I filled them in on the rest of what Saranya Ji had said, because I knew that Marcia wouldn’t let it go until I’d told her everything.

‘Wow,’ said Marcia when I’d finished. ‘That’s quite a story.’

‘Exactly, a story, a big load of tosh, though it would be just my luck that my soulmate is dead … but I don’t believe any of it for a second. OK, I’ll acknowledge that Saranya Ji has some sort of spooky antenna for tuning into people, and she did pick up on a few aspects about my life that are true, but a past life as a Grace Harris? I don’t think so.’

‘I wouldn’t dismiss it,’ said Marcia. ‘I’ve met a few people I believe I’ve known before. Pete, and you. I bet we’ve known each other before.’

‘You were probably her mother,’ said Pete. ‘You’re always bossing her around.’

‘Yes, that’s a very likely possibility,’ said Marcia.

I put my fingers in my ears. ‘Not listening. You really are bonkers sometimes, away with the fairies.’

Marcia laughed. ‘That’s no way to talk to your mother.’

I sighed. ‘Honestly, I’ve never heard such nonsense.’

‘I’d take on board what she told you if I were you.’

‘Marcia, you know I love you dearly, and I am quite prepared to believe that Saranya Ji passed on a message from your father, but what she told me, I think not. I bet she gives loads of people the same spiel. I reckon she clocked that I was single because I don’t wear a wedding ring then she made it all up from there. I can’t be the only woman of my age who hasn’t known lasting joy, as she put it, in my relationships.’

‘But what if she didn’t make it up? She said nothing to either of us about past lives,’ said Pete. ‘What she told me was very much about the present and about life’s purpose and lessons to be learnt.’

‘For me too,’ said Marcia. ‘But more importantly, what are you going to do about it?’

‘Do?’

‘About Billy and whoever he is this time round. What are you going to do to find him.’