Liv had a boulder-sized lump in her throat. “Can we talk?” she said.

“Of course. Let’s get a cuppa.”

When Liv followed her mum into the kitchen, she used the wall to steady herself.

Carol made two cups of tea and Liv’s hand shook when she picked hers up. “Did you know that Dad taught Essie?” she said.

Her mum frowned at her, taking this in. “No. Did she tell you that?”

“Yes, in her own way...”

“I don’t understand.”

“Essie was in love with Dad, while she was at university.”

Carol smiled. “I’m sure lots of other students felt that way about him, too. He was well-liked and handsome.”

“No, I mean, she really loved him.”

Carol set her cup down. She pulled at a button on her cardigan. “Do you mean that they...?”

Liv shook her head. “No, nothing like that happened. But she did fall for him very hard. He was always on her mind then, and throughout her life.”

“And she’s told you all this?” Carol’s chin quavered. “What is she thinking of?”

Liv held her hand, not sure what to say next.

Carol drew a deep breath. “I know there was one student your dad grew particularly close to. He started to stay late at work for various functions and presentations. It was all part of his job.” She paused. “One day I found some cuff links hidden in his sock drawer...”

“Shaped like bees?” Liv said.

“How do you know?”

“Essie has them.”

Carol’s face fell. “Grant said they were a present, from the university. But I could tell they were expensive. I wanted to believe him, but...” Her words trailed away. “I began to wonder...

“I waited for him to arrive home one day and showed them to him. I asked him if there was someone else. When he hesitated, I threw them at him. He picked them up and I never saw them again after that. Later that evening, after you’d gone to bed, he admitted a student had been giving him lots of attention, and he was flattered. I didn’t want to know her name, or see her face. I just told him to stop it.” Carol clutched her hands together. “Are you telling me it was Essie?”

Liv nodded. “I didn’t know until recently. It made me feel sick. But, I know Dad loved us. He was only human.”

Carol looked frail, like a baby bird who’d fallen out of its nest. “There’s always been a part of me in limbo, wondering if he had an affair with this student.”

“Dad rejected Essie. He wanted a life with us.” She squeezed her mum’s fingers and hesitated. “There’s something else I need to tell you.”

Carol looked at her fearfully.