‘Maybe. I thought, at first, she just needed plenty of love and attention. It was a tragedy that she lost her mother so young, but I’ve tried so hard to give her that …’ Her voice cracked.

Amelia touched her arm. ‘It can’t be easy taking on someone else’s child – especially a teen.’

‘It’s not. But, as I say, I’m trying my best.’

They reached the others, and Rosamund sat back down, and Amelia dropped onto the sand once more. She didn’t attempt to make the moat around her sandcastle. Instead she rolled up her scarf, laid it on the beach, flopped her head down onto it, and closed her eyes.

The low chatter around her was oddly soothing.

‘I used to come here a lot with my parents,’ her mum was saying. ‘I loved it. In fact, I remember Ruth from when we came camping here in the Seventies, would you believe? I’m not sure she remembers me though.’

Amelia opened her eyes, and pulled herself to a sitting position. Her mum hadn’t mentioned knowing Ruth.

‘Hers was quite a sad story really,’ her mum continued. ‘Ruth was in love with Michael Collis back then, and he loved her too. But their parents disapproved – a real Romeo and Juliet situation. Michael’s father was angry that Ruth’s mother owned some of the estate’s land. His grandfather had lost it in a poker game, or something like that.’

‘Who are Ruth and Michael Collis?’ Rosamund asked.

‘Michael owns the estate now, and Ruth you met on reception.’

‘Ah, the strange woman.’

‘A little eccentric perhaps.’

Amelia shuffled onto her elbows. The sea was calm, the sun flashing on the blue making her squint. Waves ruffled pebbles as they travelled up the beach. She turned to look at her mum – who was smiling and still talking, seeming content – and felt some of that contentment absorb into her. But beautiful moments in life are fragile. This moment wouldn’t last. She knew that. How could it? She couldn’t stop time. She couldn’t stop her mother from dying.

‘I’m going for a paddle,’ Rosamund said, rising and breaking the spell. ‘Anyone else?’

Amelia jumped to her feet, suppressing tears. ‘I’ll come.’

Jackson rose too, and she wanted to sit back down again, but knew it would hurt her mum if she did, so, when nobody else got up, the three strolled down the beach towards the sea.

Amelia veered away from them as soon as they reached the shoreline, and started looking for shells and pebbles, picking one up that shone all shades of green.