Page 87

Julie looked at her for a moment, then smiled. ‘Hang on,’ she said. ‘Let me show you something. She got up and went out of the room, returning a few minutes later with an old shoebox.

‘Jacob doesn’t know I have this,’ she said, putting it down on the table. ‘I’d appreciate if you didn’t tell him. He won’t understand. The thing is, Colin and I were happy, despite everything. And I did consider James to be my son, even after what he did. Until I realised the depth of their deceptions and lies, I supported his career. I sometimes wish….’ She shook her head. ‘No. It’s too late, but despite everything, I still wish James all the best.’

She opened the box and began shuffling through documents and booklets. Charlotte caught a glimpse of magic show fliers, promotional postcards, tour programmes. Julie found one near the bottom and pulled it out.

‘There you go,’ she said. ‘I think this is the earliest one that I have. James was just sixteen, I think. It was his first club show, in Exeter.’

Charlotte stared at the picture of the gangly teenager, holding a dove in one hand, a magic wand in the other. He was grinning at the camera, a top hat tilted to cover one eye.

‘This is him?’

‘That’s right.’

‘But it says….’

‘Beavis Boswell, Magician Extraordinaire.’

‘I don’t … oh. I do. Jacob told me that Steamblack was a stage name, but James isn’t his real name either, is it?’

‘Partly. Beavis James Boswell. He always went by James.’

‘Oh dear. What was that, some kind of a joke?’

‘Believe it or not, no. Beavis is actually from an old French name, Beauvais, I think. Forgive my pronunciation. His mother was French, so Colin told me, and he was named after a great grandfather who was famous in some minor way. I think he was a philosopher, or something. I’m not quite sure what the correct pronunciation was supposed to be, maybe “Boh-vwa”, something like that, but since he had always gone by James, we didn’t worry about it. He thought it sounded catchy as a stage name, though, and used it in his early shows. However, after the court case, bad press basically ruined it, and he went for James Steamblack instead. He always had a chip on his shoulder about his name, though. It was all right for a stage personality, but you would never dare call him that to his face.’

‘He picked on a boy in my class with an unusual name,’ Charlotte said.

‘Sounds like James. What he could never understand is that you have to love yourself no matter what cards life deals you. We can’t all be perfect or good-looking, or talented, or have Hollywood actor names. Huh, most of those are fake anyway. You have to take what you’re given and own it.’

‘That’s what I try to tell my class. Children are like glass, though. So easily broken, so difficult to fix.’

Julie chuckled and patted her on the arm. ‘Oh, my dear. I’m so pleased to know that you’re interested in my son.’

Charlotte shrugged. ‘I like shoes too much,’ she said. ‘That’s bound to annoy him.’

‘He’ll get used to it.’

‘And I … and I think Father Christmas is real.’

Julie rocked back in her chair and laughed. ‘So does Jacob.’

‘Really?’

‘Well, to a certain extent. For children, at least. I think he’s on the fence about it. And why not? With all the problems in the world, shouldn’t we allow space for a little bit of magic? It can only make things better, after all.’

Charlotte felt a tear roll down her cheek. ‘I really should be getting home,’ she said.

‘How about one more cup of tea?’

Charlotte smiled. ‘Okay, go on then.’