And she wanted to see Flora and Myles.
With renewed purpose, she showered and dressed, and collected some things in an overnight bag and left for the train to Leeds. She had two and a bit hours’ uninterrupted reading time, she thought gleefully, and picked up her copy ofFive Children and Itand the first book in the Narnia series to take on the trip.
Soon, with a coffee and a croissant in hand, she was settled in her seat and she turned her phone on silent and opened her book.
The city disappeared and the countryside began, but Eve was faraway in the countryside of Kent with the children and It, making wishes and causing ruckus.
After an hour, Eve checked her phone, hoping Serena had still avoided texting her, especially now she had been fired from Henshaw and Carlson. But there was a call from her mum and a text and one from Hilditch.
Why would Hilditch call her? she thought as she dialled her mum back.
‘Hi, Mum. Is something wrong?’
Donna paused. ‘Where are you, pet?’
‘On the train to you,’ she said. ‘About halfway. Nearly at Grantham.’
‘Okay, love, I’ll meet you at the station.’
‘Mum, what’s happened?’ she asked. ‘Hilditch from Cranberry Cross called me also.’
‘I’ll tell you when I pick you up,’ said Donna.
‘Mum, I’d rather hear it from you than from Hil, whatever it is that’s happened. Is it the children? Edward?’
Donna took a breath that to Eve felt like it went forever.
‘Please, Mum,’ she said.
‘There’s been a fire at Cranberry Cross.’
‘Oh no, thank God the children were with you.’
Donna didn’t say anything.
‘And Edward? Is he okay?’
‘Oh, lovey, he’s been taken to hospital, that’s all I know but it’s bad, Hil said when she called me. Really bad. Amber was there also. They think she started it.’
‘Jesus Christ,’ Eve said, feeling her mouth become dry. Her head was throbbing with an intense headache she hadn’t experienced before. She felt like she couldn’t breathe and was being suffocated.
‘Is he alive?’
‘Hil said yes,’ Donna said. ‘But Amber didn’t make it.’
‘No, God, no, that’s terrible. Those poor children.’
‘They don’t know yet. I was hoping you could come and talk to them with me.’
‘Of course,’ said Eve as she stared unseeingly at the passing landscape.
‘I was coming to tell him that I understand now, why I ran away, why I didn’t want to believe he was telling the truth.’ She thought for a moment. ‘That I love him.’
‘And you will tell him,’ Donna said firmly. ‘I’ll pick you up and then we will go to the hospital and see how he is and then we can tell the children the whole story.’
‘Thanks, Mum,’ Eve said, thinking of Amber and her pain and anguish. ‘I’m lucky to have you. Thanks for looking after the kids – they’re lucky to have you also.’
‘Shh now, just get here safely.’
