Jasper stood up. “Thanks for your help, Sam. I really appreciate it.”

“Anytime,” said Sam.

Jasper caught the Tube home. The more he thought about interviewing Evie, the more excited he became.

Jasper knew the truth about Evie and Hank. They were not just dating, they were having a passionate affair. Her parents knew she went out with Hank two or three evenings a week, and came home at midnight on Saturdays. But Jasper and Dave also knew that most days after school Evie went to Hank’s flat in Chelsea and had sex with him. Hank had already written a song about her, “Too Young to Smoke.”

But would she give Jasper an interview?

When he got home to the house in Great Peter Street, Evie was in the red-tiled kitchen, learning lines. Her hair was pinned up untidily, and she wore a faded old shirt, but she still looked fabulous. Jasper’s relationship with her was warm. Throughout her girlish crush on him, he had always been kind, though never encouraging. His motive for being so careful was that he did not want a crisis that would cause a rift between him and her generously hospitable parents. Now he was even more glad he had kept her goodwill. “How’s it going?” he said with a nod at her script.

She shrugged. “The part isn’t difficult, but film will be a new challenge.”

“Maybe I should interview you.”

She looked troubled. “I’m supposed to do only the publicity arranged by the studio.”

Jasper felt a mild panic. What kind of journalist would he make if he failed to secure an interview with Evie even though he lived in her house? “It’s only for the student paper,” he said.

“I suppose that doesn’t really count.”

His hopes rose. “I’m sure not. And it might help you get accepted by the Irving drama school.”

She put down the script. “All right. What do you want to know?”

Jasper suppressed his feeling of triumph. Coolly he said: “How did you get the part in All Around Miranda?”

“I went to an audition.”

“Tell me about that.” Jasper took out a notebook and started writing.

He was careful not to mention her nude scene in Hamlet. He feared she would tell him not to mention it. Fortunately he did not need to question her about it, for he had seen it himself. Instead he asked her about the stars of the movie, and other famous people she had met, and gradually worked around to Hank Remington.

When Jasper mentioned Hank, Evie’s eyes lit up with a characteristic intensity of feeling. “Hank is the most courageous and dedicated person I know,” she said. “I admire him so much.”

“But you don’t just admire him.”

“I adore him.”

“And you are dating.”

“Yes, but I don’t want to say too much about that.”

“Of course, no problem.” She had said “Yes,” and that was enough.

Dave came in from school and made instant coffee with boiling milk. “I thought you weren’t supposed to do publicity,” he said to Evie.