‘I am An … ya,’ the girl stammered.
Her English was halting, lacking in confidence. Riva put an arm around her shuddering shoulders, which were so thin she looked as if a gust of wind would blow her away.
‘Those are pretty,’ Riva said, pointing at a row of wooden dolls on the windowsill.
The girl’s eyes lit up. ‘Matryoshkadolls. Mother has child inside and child has child inside. Many. All fit together. It is life.’
‘Inside each other?’
‘Yes.’
‘How many?’
‘Eight.’
Riva went across to the window and picked up the largest doll, a woman holding a black rooster beneath her arm. Clearly handmade and hand-painted, the yellow and pink looked a little faded in places but beautiful all the same.
Anya smiled. ‘She is mother. My grandmother gave me. Is very old and valuable. I take everywhere.’
‘But there are only seven.’
‘I hide last one.’
‘Why?’
The girl shrugged and looked sad. ‘I do … not want to come here. I do not know where my family is. They made me come.’
‘Your family made you come?’
‘Maybe. I don’t know. I am think … ing my father and brother are dead.’
‘And now you are a hostess.’
Anya glanced sideways at her from under her lashes as if she were trying to work out how much was safe to say. ‘That is what they say. I do not like.’
‘How old are you?’
‘I cannot say.’
‘Who told you not to say?’
‘Please … no more questions.’
‘Will you come for tea with me later today? I know a nice café. It’s perfectly safe.’
‘I am sacred, no, I amscared… the men will come. Take me away again.’
‘Don’t worry. I’ll be with you. Just rest today and I’ll come back later this afternoon. You know the bathroom is the next door along from you?’
Anya nodded.
‘Mind if I just nip in first? I’ll be quick. I’ll tap on your door to let you know when I’m done, but you take as long as you need.’
Riva ran up to her room for her towel and then back to the bathroom before someone else got in. When she’d finished, she let Anya know it was free and then went back to her own room to dress. She had managed to order a few cotton dresses run up cheaply by a local seamstress and chose one in green then brushed her hair. No matter how hard she brushed, the curls always bounced back. She had also managed to dye her hair dark again, but the colour faded too quickly and she wasn’t sure how long she could keep it up.
On her way to Lottie’s she told herself it wasn’t with the hope of seeing Bobby and in a way it was true. She’d be terribly embarrassed about how she’d reacted at the beach if she saw him. Besides, although it was all over with him now, that shouldn’t stop her from seeing Lottie who, after all, was her only real friend here.
‘Oh, I’m so pleased to see you,’ Lottie said, standing in the doorway. ‘Come on up.’
