Pip suddenly sounded very childish. Rose is my middle name so about three weeks into the course I decided to switch. It felt more polished, more suited to the person I was trying to be . . .’ Pip paused, and looked towards Evelyn sheepishly. ‘It sounds so silly now,’ she confessed. ‘Superficial and . . . Well, anyway, at the time it felt very important.’ Evelyn’s expression altered minutely, and Pip had the impression that she was with her, that she understood. ‘You were reinventing yourself,’ Evelyn said, and Pip nodded urgently. That was exactly it. Evelyn had hit the nail on the head.
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