As devastated as she felt over the death of her wonderful mother, the discovery that their family home and Anna’s great passion seemed to also be suffering a horrible and painful death by deterioration, troubled Elle. And another part of her – the high performing business woman in her – wanted to know exactly why that was the case. And worse, if this ‘stress’ had contributed to her mother’s demise.

She could see Ned now, sitting at a table nodding dumbly as the Italian owner of the fish and chip shop in town spoke to him. Fondly nicknamed ‘Johnny Chips’ by everyone in Mulberry Bay for as long as Elle could remember, she wasn’t even sure what the man’s real name was. His younger brother Luca, who ran the Bay’s ice-cream parlour Scoops, had, fortunately for him, managed to keep his given Italian name.

Penny came up beside her. ‘I can’t wait for today to be over,’ she sighed.

‘Me neither,’ Elle replied. ‘It doesn’t seem real. I feel like it’s going to take so long to sink in. I keep thinking, Oh, I must tell Mum about this . . . or she’d really enjoy hearing that.’

‘I know . . .’ Penny’s voice broke and she looked like she might cry again. ‘She did love a big party though. It’s the biggest crowd this place has seen in years.’

Elle bit her lip. It wasn’t exactly the time or the place but she felt she needed to ask, if for no other reason than to keep her sister from breaking down again. ‘Do you know anything?’ she asked, indicating the tea room’s worn wallpaper, ‘about . . . how this place is doing?’

Penny looked a bit taken aback. ‘Not much about the financial stuff to be honest. We weren’t doing well though, anyone can see that. The upkeep alone was crippling, and the dogs on the street know the place needs an overhaul.’ She sniffed. ‘Let’s talk about all that later OK? Today is about Mum.’

She seemed annoyed and Elle felt duly chagrined for bringing the matter up but it was just how her brain worked, had always worked. In times of emotion, always try to look for equilibrium by seeking out the practical.

‘Of course,’ she said. ‘It’s just that so many people are talking about Mum and the hotel, and what it means to them. All those life-defining moments, right here.’ She shook her head. ‘It’s hard to believe it’s not doing well.’

‘Yes, this place – our home – means something to people,’ Penny said proudly. ‘It’s beautiful and I know you might not think so, but it’s also something even more than that. It represents something to this community, milestones in people’s lives.’

‘I do know that,’ said Elle, annoyed at herself for raising hackles when it really wasn’t her intention.