Blink(28)

‘Who’s your teacher? Nanny said it’s not Miss Watson.’

‘Miss Watson isn’t my teacher.’ Evie frowned. ‘She just helps Miss Akhtar.’

It was puzzling. I felt sure Harriet Watson had told me she was Evie’s teacher. I must have misheard her.

‘I had to go with Miss Watson into the library with some other children,’ Evie said.

‘That’s good. Miss Watson already knows you,’ I beamed. ‘I bet you’re her favourite.’

‘I’m not.’

‘OK, so what did you do in the library?’

‘She made me talk,’ Evie scowled. ‘I didn’t want to talk to the other children.’

It sounded to me like Miss Watson was trying to get Evie to come out of her shell a bit, to mix with the other kids. As far as I was concerned, that could only be a good thing.

Evie needed to make some friends. Although she was chatty and confident at home, I’d noticed in the last few months that she could be stubbornly silent and a bit moody around new people.

‘It’s just a first-day thing, Evie,’ I reassured her. ‘Everyone has to do that when they’re new, I’ll have to do it tomorrow when I start my new job. It’ll be different tomorrow, you’ll see.’

‘I’m not going tomorrow,’ Evie said, her jaw firmly set. ‘Nanny said I don’t have to.’





25





Three Years Earlier





Toni





When I opened my eyes the next morning, my heavy heart told me there was something to worry about before my mind caught up with exactly what that was.

I was going to have a big problem in getting Evie to school.

Fortunately, I’d woken early – it was just six thirty. Plenty of time to get myself psyched up and organised, ready for the battle that undoubtedly lay before me. Evie might be small and endlessly cute, but she was a fearsome opponent when she dug her heels in. Any nerves about my first day in the new job melted into oblivion when I thought about the problems it would cause if every weekday became a battle with Evie. The stakes were high and I needed to try to sort things out before they escalated.

I’d already laid out my work clothes last night so I showered, washed my hair and got myself ready for the day ahead. That was the easy part.

Downstairs, I prepared a bowl of Evie’s favourite cereal, poured her a small glass of orange juice – without bits – and prepared to wake her at seven thirty, which was in five minutes time.

Last night when Evie was watching TV, I came into the kitchen and rang Mum to tell her that I thought I’d solved the mystery of what had upset her.

‘Miss Watson tried to get her to tell the others a bit about herself,’ I had explained. ‘Because she’s new to the area.’

‘Well, I’d be surprised if that’s all it was, Toni, she was so upset,’ Mum replied. ‘Anyway, Evie’s a sociable enough girl, she doesn’t need to be put on the spot like that.’

‘Evie isn’t as sociable as she used to be, Mum,’ I tried to reason. ‘Also, she said Nanny told her she doesn’t have to go to school tomorrow if she doesn’t want to. If that’s true, can you stop saying it? Because it really isn’t helpful.’

‘You didn’t see her sobbing outside the gates,’ Mum shot straight back. ‘I said what I could to calm her down after that Watton woman, or whatever her name is, upset the poor mite. The woman is overbearing.’

‘Her name’s Miss Watson, Mum, and as far as I’m concerned, being encouraged to talk to her classmates can only be a good thing. I’m sure it was just first-day nerves on Evie’s part, nothing more than that.’

‘Hmm, well we’ll soon see, won’t we?’ Mum was on her high horse now. ‘Because I’ll tell you now, if she’s in tears when I pick her up this afternoon, I’ll be going straight back inside and asking them why she’s so unhappy.’

‘Don’t get on the wrong side of the school, Mum,’ I said, trying to keep my voice level. ‘Evie doesn’t always know what’s best for her, she’s just five years old.’

I had almost felt Mum’s irritation trickling down the handset and dripping into my ear. She made some inane excuse and rang off.

I shook off the memory of last night’s conversation and checked the time. It was just gone seven-thirty now, so I was going to have to wake her, which wasn’t ideal.

I padded softly up the stairs and stood outside Evie’s door, listening to her soft, regular breaths. There had been a couple of nights where she’d come into my room and woken me, upset from a bad dream she’d had about me. It was only natural, after her Daddy had gone from her life so tragically and quickly, that she’d worry that I might leave her too.

I pushed the door open and crept into the room. Fortunately, the previous owners had left the curtains, but they were thin and barely kept out any light at all. Their choices would have to do for now, but I was going to make sure Evie had the princess bedroom she deserved once I had a regular wage coming in.

I stood for a moment and drank in the sight of my beautiful girl, her golden hair spilling across the pillow. She had Andrew’s lashes, long and dark.