Belinda shook her head. ‘Nothing. Mum would never talk to me about it and I never got the chance to ask Dad. Mum died three years ago, but it was only recently that I finally went through the last of her papers. When she was dying, she said sorry and told me to visit and lay the ghosts to rest. I had no idea what ghosts she was talking about.’ Belinda rubbed her face distractedly. ‘It was the final box of papers that really made me realise there were things I did not know about. There were certain things missing that should have been there. Like a marriage certificate and divorce papers.’

Anouk nodded and sighed. ‘I went to your father’s wedding, you know.’

‘You did? So they were married, even though I didn’t find a marriage certificate.’ Belinda’s voice died away as Anouk shook her head.

‘Not his wedding to your mother – Jean, wasn’t it?’

Belinda nodded miserably.

‘This was his first marriage. Helena Colbert was a local girl, in fact she’s a distant relation of mine through my father’s family. Younger than me, but we’d see each other at family get-togethers. Enzo and Helena grew up together and from an early age it was understood by everyone that they would end up marrying each other.’ Anouk sighed. ‘They were both so young, still teenagers. It was a beautiful day, Helena looked like a picture-book bride and Enzo couldn’t take his eyes off her. Three months later, Helena was pregnant.’

Belinda caught her breath. Did that mean she had a sibling, or even siblings, somewhere?

‘The two of them were apparently giddy with excitement at the thought of being a family. Sadly, the child was stillborn.’ Anouk paused for a few seconds. ‘And the bubble that ’ad encased their love and their lives burst. Helena went to pieces and then one day she just disappeared. No one heard anything about her for years. Her parents were devastated. Blamed Enzo, of course. They died still not knowing where Helena was.’

‘That must have been very difficult for them,’ Belinda said, trying to get her head around everything Anouk was telling her.

Anouk nodded. ‘Enzo too was beside ’imself. His parents were good to him though and understood when he said he ’ad to get away. It was nearly six years before he came back, with a woman we all assumed was his new wife and you.’

‘Had anyone heard from Helena in the meantime?’ Belinda asked.

‘No. Her parents were dead, there were no brothers or sisters.’