‘Would you mind?’ she began, and I stared back at her, cow-eyed. ‘Would you mind watching my stuff while we head to the buffet carriage?’

‘Oh,’ I said, finding a sudden composure. ‘Not at all.’

She flashed an appreciative smile. ‘Thanks.’

The two of them headed off down the carriage chatting loudly, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I glanced around to check no one was looking before reaching an arm through the gap in the seat and lifting the lid of the laptop. It was probably password protected. Damn. Quickly I flipped it open and the screen whitened. To my relief, the PDF of the job application was there, right in front of me, and so I thrust my phone forward and took picture after picture of the screen. I scrolled up and down on the keypad, no longer really seeing what I was taking photos of, but snapping hastily at everything and anything to make sure I got it all.

‘Thank you so much!’

Sophie’s voice sounded, sending a javelin of fear right through me, and I sat back in my seat, sweat streaming down my back and my heart clanging in my chest. As Sophie and Seren tucked into their croissants and coffees I scrolled through my phone and zoomed in on the images I’d taken. Some were blurry, most were lopsided, but it didn’t matter. I’d got what I needed.

My name was now Sophie Hallerton, I had a brief CV detailing my nannying experience and email address for a reference, and a saccharine statement in florid prose about my passion for looking after children. In other words, I was set.

I set up an email account. [email protected]. I downloaded the form and copied out the answers and Sophie’s responses. If there was one thing I was good at, or at least something I used to do all day long in my last job, it was completing forms and setting up email accounts. Finally, I sent the application off from my new email address.

As the train pulled into Birmingham New Street three hours later, my phone bleeped with an email.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Re: job application

Dear Sophie

Many thanks for your application for the position of ‘Nanny’.

We would like to invite you to interview for this role as soon as possible.

Would you be available to meet with myself and Mr Faraday next Wednesday at 1 p.m.? The address is:

313 Rowan Gardens, London, NW3 5TD

We will contact the person(s) you have listed as employment references in the meantime, if that’s OK?

Kind regards

Maren Larsen

My heart leaped. I felt sick and excited at the same time, exactly the same feeling I had when I jumped off the top diving board at the swimming pool, or went on the Ferris wheel with the creaky carriages.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]