“Well, thank you, Jos, I’m so happy you brought me my brooch.” Evelyn found herself quite captivated. Jos’s nearly black hair was short cropped and sat close to her head, but with a natural curl which shone in the light. Her blue eyes were vivid beneath thick dark eyebrows and fringed with long lashes. Her complexion was almost Mediterranean, although there were a few freckles scattered over her nose. Now that Jos was standing right in front of her, Evelyn could see her whole outfit. She wore a light tweed double-breasted waistcoat fitted close to the curve of her body, at once masculine but showing her womanly curves more than any fashionable gown. Her trousers were wide Oxford bags in the same tweed as the waistcoat. The white shirt was a striking contrast with the rich colour of her skin, and the blue of her loosely tied cravat brought out that of her eyes. She wore her clothes easily, without affectation, and yet they seemed well-considered to show her form and colouring to their best. She looked a lot like her brother, Evelyn reflected, yet her expression was more open, with less of his assumed sneer.
“And might I ask your name?”
Jos’s question made Evelyn realise she was staring and hadn’t yet introduced herself. “Of course. Evelyn Hopkins.” She held out a hand. Jos took it and squeezed her fingers gently. Her hand was warm, her fingers rougher and with drier skin than Evelyn expected. She found she wanted to hold on to the hand that was so quickly withdrawn. There was undeniably something compelling about Jos.
“I’ve not seen you before, have I? Not that I’m here often, but it seems like most people are regular patrons.”
“No, I’ve not been here before. In fact, this is my first day in London. I’m from Devon.”
“You’ve come a long way to visit the Yellow Orchid. Vernon must be doing something right.” Jos smiled. “Sorry, Vernon, the proprietor, he’s my brother. We’re twins, actually.”
“I’ve met Vernon. In fact, he’s probably still at our table—that’s where I left him.”
Jos’s smile faded briefly. “You’re here with Lilian and James Grainger?”
“Yes. It’s an awfully long story but I brought a letter to them, from their brother who died in the war. And they’ve been kind enough to allow me to stay with them while I’m in London.”
“Oh, so you’re not an old friend of theirs?”
Evelyn thought this an odd question and still sensed an edge of hostility in Jos’s tone. “Not at all. I only met them today. It seems odd now, to be here with them and not to have known them this morning. And Lilian’s friend, Dorothy, I only met this evening.”
“Oh, Dorothy’s swell, she’ll be a good friend.” Evelyn wondered why Jos had not said the same of Lilian, beginning to feel uneasy. “So will you be in London long?”
“I’m really not sure. Like I said, it’s a long story and I don’t have specific plans. I’m rather relying on Lilian and James’s kindness, you see.”
“I hope you’ll be here long enough to tell me that story. It sounds like it could be interesting.” Jos smiled now, the tension dissolving.
“I don’t know about that. I’m not terribly interesting myself.” Evelyn shrugged and laughed awkwardly.
“I think you seem interesting.” Jos held Evelyn’s eye contact for a long time and Evelyn found she could not look away. Then a thought seemed to distract Jos and she looked down at the floor, then at Evelyn’s drying skirt. “It doesn’t look like that will stain, anyway.”
Evelyn looked down. “No, I hope not.” The silence between them was not entirely comfortable. “I should probably go back out there, or they’ll be coming in to find me.”
“Of course.” Jos turned to open the door for Evelyn, who hastily returned the towel to its rail. To leave the quiet of the washroom to enter the smoke- and sound-filled chaos of the cafe seemed jarring and yet enticing at the same time. She passed through the door Jos held open for her and looked back to take her leave properly.
“Thank you again for returning my brooch.”
Jos smiled. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Hopkins.”
“Evie. I hope we’ll meet again.”
“Jos Singleton, you must introduce us!” A loud, accented voice came from close by.
Jos grinned at someone over Evelyn’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Evie, how impolite of me.”
Evelyn turned to see the women she knew to be Clara and Courtney looking at her with no little intrigue in their expressions. Apparently, it had been the American, Courtney, who had demanded the introduction.
“Clara Bridgford and Courtney Craig, this is Evie Hopkins. I can’t tell you much else about her, except that she’s from Devon.”
“Then you’ve shown a dreadful lack of curiosity, Jos.” Clara held out a hand and Evelyn took it. “Good to meet you.” Clara’s voice was rich and deep. “What brings you to London?”
“I’m pleased to meet you too. It really is a long story though.”
“Leave her be, Clara.” Courtney placed a silencing finger on Clara’s lips, then held her own hand out to Evelyn. “I’m also pleased to meet you. And might I say what a pretty brooch that is. I’m so glad we noticed it fall off and sent Jos in after you.”
Evelyn could not help but wonder why Jos had returned her brooch, not Clara or Courtney. Perhaps they were simply unable to be apart from each other for a moment. Even now, they sat so closely their arms were touching. Evelyn shook Courtney’s hand. “Thank you. The brooch is a family heirloom and I would’ve hated to have lost it, especially on my very first day in London.”
“Isn’t it quite a place?” Courtney clearly loved the city.
“Yes, it certainly is.”
“I came all the way from New York City to be here.”
“I thought that was to be with me?” Clara interjected.
“That too, obviously, darling.” Courtney planted a small kiss on Clara’s cheek, leaving a faint smear of lip colour.
“I only came from
