‘Oh come on, Alice, surely you saw that coming. She deserved it. She killed Hugh – my mother’s brother – your father. She needed to be punished.’ She pauses for a moment, letting her words sink in. ‘The news report you saw in the TV lounge, I’d recorded earlier. I was waiting for an opportunity for you to see it. I had thought you’d be pleased.’

Alice rakes her fingers through her hair, catching a tangle and wincing.

‘Though I was grateful to Tegan for revealing your father’s true identity. If she hadn’t, I guess we wouldn’t be sitting here together now.’

‘Tegan told the media?’ It doesn’t come as a surprise; Alice expected as much.

Faith nods. ‘Another little nugget I overheard that evening.’ She looks down at the plates, each with a fairy cake. ‘Eat your cake,’ she says. ‘Christine made it specially.’

‘Christine?’

‘Yes, though they were instructions from Cameron, of course. For someone who doesn’t exist, he was one bossy man.’ She laughs. ‘Kept Christine busy.’

‘Cameron isn’t real?’

‘Of course not. Think about it, Alice – I was the only one who saw the mysterious owner of Flynn Hotel. I made the website, the Instagram account, grabbed a few photographs from stock pictures to invent the man and his wife. It was easy really.’ She pauses, looks once more at the cake. ‘Eat up, Rosie. Don’t let the cake go dry.’

‘My name is Alice,’ she whispers.

‘No!’ Faith yells, startling Alice, and then much softer. ‘Your name is Rosie, and if you don’t eat some cake, I’m going to have to force you to.’

Alice tries to get up, but Faith darts forward, holds the blade against Alice’s throat. ‘Take a bite,’ she says pressing the sponge against Alice’s lips with her free hand.

Alice’s heart races as she opens her mouth, tears filling her eyes once more as the sweet taste of the pink icing makes her choke.

Chapter 40

1994

Hugh

‘Daddy, please stop,’ Tiger cried, and Hugh released his grip on his sister’s neck.

Verity bent over, holding her throat, choking. ‘Look closely at the kid, Hugh,’ she said. ‘She’s your child. Yours and Pippa’s.’

He froze for a moment. ‘What?’

‘It’s a long story,’ she said, straightening. ‘But yes, the girl is yours.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘She’s your daughter, Hugh.’ Verity puts both arms around Tiger, and pulled her close once more.

Hugh shook his head, his body twitching with anxiety. ‘No, Tiger’s my daughter.’

Verity shook her head. ‘You don’t get it do you?’