Kym didn’t really mind, she supposed, even though there were times when she wished her mum didn’t look so – appealing. She had fallen pregnant when she was sixteen and on a good day she still looked as though she was barely in her twenties.

Kym pulled out a chair and sat down. ‘What are you reading?’

Kate held the paperback up, The Valley of the Dolls. ‘I found it in a charity shop,’ she said. ‘Bargain.’

‘I’m shocked, Mother. Shocked, I tell you.’

‘You can borrow it when I’m done, if you like. School all right?’

‘Yeah, fine.’

‘And your gran?’ Her mum didn’t much approve of Gina, and she was always making a big deal about not bothering her, as if she was some old lady, frail and easily confused.

‘She’s OK. Sends her love’

Kate snorted softly. ‘If you say so.’

‘Mum?’

‘Yes?’

‘You wouldn’t mind if I did a bit of baby-sitting, would you?’

‘Who for?’

‘Some visitors – in the yard.’ She didn’t need to say which yard.

Kate put her book down. ‘Is this Gina’s idea?’

‘No, I met this woman, and I just offered. She didn’t seem too sure, really, she said she’d have to check with her husband. It might not come to anything, but you know – if it did.’ She tried to sound as if she didn’t much care, one way or the other.

‘As long as it doesn’t interfere with your exams, then.’

‘As if.’ It was weird, the way everyone was going on about the exams, AS levels, because she knew – they all knew at school – there was always next year, and they were going to get rid of them anyway.

‘Right. Well. If you really want to.’ She picked up her book again. It wasn’t that she wasn’t interested, Kym knew, it was that she wasn’t willing to push. Her own mother had pushed and look where that had led. And there was no need for Kate to know which particular house the visitors were renting.

‘Tea?’ Kym said. She’d make them both a drink and then take herself off to her room, maybe get out her notes on the yard, on the house; just in case.

‘Yes, please.’ Her mum was already lost in her reading, and what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.

Chapter 10

10

Nell worked outside until the sun began to sink below the rooftops, and the afternoon air began to chill. She had a few ideas she was pleased with, collars and cuffs of beaten silver, inset with sea glass, and she felt calmer now, more herself.

It was simply a case of finding the right piece of glass for each design. She picked one up, ran her thumb over its slightly pitted surface, then held it to her eye; it was almost too opaque to see through, and rendered the world a watery green.