‘Hang on a minute,’ Jo had said as she’d walked back to the bedroom to change out of her new suit. She’d called through the open door, ‘We don’t know what he wants to talk to me about. He might want to break bad news to my face.’

She’d heard both Erin and Libby let out a groan and stuck her head around the door.

Erin spoke first. ‘Jo, I love you very much. But he won’t want to break bad news to you. He’ll love it. And if he doesn’t love it, then he’s wrong. You have talent. I know that. Libby knows that. Everyone knows that. When are you going to start believing it?’

Jo was still asking herself that question as she rinsed her hair. Maybe it was time to just start believing in herself. She took in her reflection in the bathroom mirror and nodded. She was going to own her meeting with Ewan.

‘Jojo!’ Clara's voice rang out loud and clear.

Jo turned and walked back to her room.

‘If you are having the thing about writing the story tomorrow, that’s not good.’

‘No?’ Jo asked.

‘It’s Clara and Jojo night! Mammy goes out and me and you stay in and read books and have hot chocolate and cuddles. Who is going to look after me? I don’t want to be here on my own.’

Jo could see Clara's lip start to wobble. ‘Oh, sweetheart, you won’t be on your own. Mammy is going to stay home to look after you. You can still sleep in my bed and I won’t be late home. So we can have big cuddles. I promise!’ Jo took Clara’s hand in hers and gave it squeeze.

‘Are you sure?’ Clara asked, and Jo could feel that every muscle in her little body was tensing. ‘Because I don’t like being alone.’

‘Of course I’m sure, sweetheart. We’d never leave you alone. I promise.’ Jo’s heart cracked at the sad expression on Clara’s face, knowing that there were times when this beautiful little child in front of her had been left alone in the past – before she came to live with the Campbells permanently.

‘Promise with all your heart?’

‘I promise with all my heart. We’re friends forever, remember? Red hair, don’t care!’

Clara did her best to smile, but Jo could see she was unsettled and she wanted to make it all better as quickly as she could.

‘Tell you what,’ she said, ‘since I can’t be there tomorrow night, how about we have hot chocolate, just you and me, tonight?’

‘Are we allowed?’ Clara asked.

‘This time? Yes.’ Jo offered a reassuring smile, which seemed to placate Clara.