Naomi could remember taking the picture, it was when Martha and Willow were ten and seven, and when they were happy to pose for the camera, their open grinning faces full of carefree joy, and not yet burdened with the adolescent need to hide from the camera.

As happy as they looked, Naomi also remembered the ugly row that followed. Colin had insisted that he take the girls out in the boat. Willow hadn’t wanted to go; the poor girl was not a natural sailor, but Colin had brooked no argument. The only way Willow would go was if Naomi went too. They sailed out of the harbour towards West Wittering and not long after, the wind had sprung up, sending white horses racing across the surface of the churning water. Martha had been exhilarated, sensing adventure, and maybe danger too. But Willow had clung to Naomi, petrified that the Marlow would capsize. It really wasn’t that rough, but to a young child with a vivid imagination who regularly suffered nightmares after watching anything with a hint of tension to it on the television, the thought that a huge wave could smash the boat to matchwood was all too possible, if not inevitable. It didn’t help that she suffered from seasickness and long before they’d reached the safety of Tilsham Harbour, she had thrown up, and not over the side of the boat, as Colin instructed, but in it.

Colin made no attempt to conceal his anger, even saying that Willow should be made to clean up the mess. When Naomi said that wasn’t going to happen, that she was taking Willow straight home to put her in the bath, he had been furious. Somehow, he’d contained his anger and unleashed it later when he arrived back at Anchor House, having cleaned the boat himself. He’d let rip, claiming, amongst many things, that Naomi pandered to Willow.

‘She’ll never learn to grow up if you keep treating her as a baby!’ he’d shouted. ‘It’s your fault she’s such a timid thing, you selfishly refuse to let her go so she can be more adventurous like Martha.’

‘You can’t expect her to be just like Martha, they’re chalk and cheese,’ Naomi had told him.

‘And whose fault is that?’ he’d demanded.

He’d been deaf to any form of reason, unable to accept that his youngest daughter could not live up to his expectations.

His vehement accusations made Naomi wonder if perhaps she was holding Willow back, that subconsciously she wanted to keep her youngest daughter as her forever-baby. The truth was, she had treated Willow differently to Martha. Just as Colin had treated Martha differently to Willow. Parents always liked to think they treated their children identically and with equal fairness, but rarely was that true.

‘Brian and I knew that Colin had a temper,’ said Geraldine, breaking into her thoughts. ‘That he was one of those men who had to work at controlling it. You know, it probably drove him crazy that you didn’t ever lose your temper with him. I bet he would have liked you doing that, if only so he could justify losing control.’