And Penny wanted to keep the diaries and this precious insight into her mother’s life to herself for the moment. As it was, they represented an outlet to her mother, a comfort of sorts, and for her at least, helped fill up the huge void Anna had left in all of their lives.

Much later that night, when everyone was in bed and the hotel was silent, Ned went into the ballroom and switched on the chandelier. He couldn’t say why he felt like being in that room in particular, but he was still having trouble sleeping, and he’d been wandering through the rooms each night, reliving the memories associated with each one.

Of course, most of his memories contained Anna, which was painful to him, but he didn’t want to forget the little moments they had shared over the years.

In the majority of his memories were images of her working here at the hotel: on top of a ladder, polishing a side-board, laughing with guests, stuffing a turkey. Just ordinary old domestic moments that most couples had. He hadn’t known at the time that he would come to treasure those seemingly everyday moments like jewels.

The ballroom had once been the gleaming diamond of the hotel. Its high vaulted ceiling, huge chandelier and gilded wallpaper had all spoken to the beauty and mystique of another time. Now the floor was scarred by sharp stiletto heels, the wallpaper faded and ripped in places, the chandelier dim and dusty.

It was no surprise that it was so worn: it had seen its fair share of celebrations. He remembered a wedding when Anna had been persuaded away from her work and out onto the dance floor. He could still see her skirt flaring, her skin like gold under the light.

There were memories of the girls, too, from the days when they made their hotel their playground. Elle and Penny playing ladies and gentlemen, dancing with their dolls beneath the chandelier. Elle, having somehow found her way onto the roof, waving down at her frantic parents below. The girls having a midnight feast in the kitchen, taking advantage of how soundly Anna slept.

He wondered about what Rob Callahan had suggested earlier. It was great that the town was behind them, but realistically what could anyone do to save it? No, Ned had to seriously consider his options. What could he do, at his age? It had been so long since he’d done anything else but mosey around this place, while Anna kept everything going.

Ned left the ballroom and turned out the light, his heart heavy with regret that he hadn’t done more. Perhaps if he’d paid more attention, understood more about the financial side of things, he could have helped.

But now it was too late; his Anna, the centre of his universe, the very axis around which the family circled was gone.