Carol yawned and pecked her on the cheek. “I’m usually in bed by now.” She headed toward the hallway and disappeared, before sticking her head back around the door. “It’s nice to have you home, love.”

After calling Jake, Liv wasn’t sure how long she sat on the sofa, thinking about Essie. Whatever had happened, she had something the author never had, a family who supported and loved her. And she was all the richer for it.

When midnight arrived, the dining room chilled and the lights went off in the surrounding houses. Liv headed for her old bedroom and saw her mum’s bedside lamp was still on. Through the gap in the door, she saw her sitting up in bed, reading. With her face in the shadows, she looked young, just like she used to. Liv opened it a little farther. “I thought you’d gone to sleep,” she said.

Carol lowered her book. “I couldn’t drop off. Reading helps.”

“What’s the book?”

Carol held up The River After Midnight. “I want to know how it ends.”

“There’s a really bad guy in that one.”

“I can’t remember.” Carol shrugged. “And the thing is with baddies, you can’t help admiring them a bit sometimes,” she said. “They do things you never would.”

Liv suddenly had a flashback to being a girl and reading in bed with her mum while her dad was shaving in the bathroom. “Can I get in next to you?” she said.

Carol nodded. She flipped back her covers and shuffled across the mattress to make room.

Liv climbed in and rearranged the bedsheets over their legs.

Carol picked up the book again. “Want to join me?”

Liv hesitated for a moment before nodding.

They read together until an owl hooted outside and they reached the last few pages. As Georgia prepared to ride off into the sunset, Carol’s breathing grew shallow and her head fell against Liv’s shoulder.

Liv eased the book from her fingers. “Let’s finish it tomorrow.”

“I want to know how it ends,” Carol said sleepily.

“Essie’s books always have happy endings.” Liv slid out of the bed and helped her mum to lie down. She pulled the covers up to her chin and kissed her on the forehead. “Night, Mum.”

“Good night, love.”

Liv slipped quietly away and into her old bedroom. She gazed at a photo of her dad on the wall for a long time before her eyes began to shut. She could understand why Essie had fallen for him so deeply and, in time, she thought she might be able to forgive her. But she knew she would never forget.

“Night, Dad,” she said and turned off the light.

BESTSELLER ESSIE STARLING HAS DIED

Sheen Magazine

Essie Starling, the bestselling novelist, who entertained millions of readers with her adventurous stories and daring characters, died on November 1 2019. The cause of her death remains unreported at present.