Her grandmother’s mouth fell open and stayed that way. Despite what seemed like another gasp, she was gone. In that moment, Lottie knew what Mrs Hoskine had meant. Lottie blinked then looked up. Gramps sat still holding Gran’s hand. She couldn’t watch. His pain, his loss, it hurt too much. He loved Gran so much and now he was alone.

‘Gramps?’

He looked up. ‘It’s OK.’ His cheeks were damp. ‘It’s OK.’

Lottie shook her head. It was anything but OK. She went to him and rested her cheek against his.

‘It’s fine. She went with love.’

Lottie frowned but didn’t ask him what he meant. He cleared his throat. ‘I’m just going to sit here for a while.’

‘Do you want me to stay too?’

He shook his head and gave her hand a squeeze. ‘No, my darling girl.’

She kissed him, and Alex appeared at her side. He took her hand and together they walked down the stairs. The sound of Nat King Cole’s voice followed them as he led her into the drawing room and poured her a brandy. ‘You might need this.’

She nodded taking the glass from him. Her hands were steadier than she expected. She knocked it back, flinching. Placing the glass down, she closed her eyes and she let the music from upstairs sooth her. Alex wrapped his arms around her, singing along to ‘Just the Way You Look Tonight’. They had danced to this. Her heart broke again, picturing Gran and Gramps moving across this floor and their laughter.

‘Thank you.’ She pulled away.

He gave her a searching look.

‘I need to find Mum and tell her,’ she said.

He nodded. ‘Do you want help?’

‘I think I’d better do this myself.’

‘I’ll be here and checking on George.’

‘Thank you.’ She gave him a wobbly smile and set out into the garden. The day could not have been more beautiful and somehow that made it hurt all the more. But she wouldn’t cry. Tears wouldn’t help anything. Lottie needed to be in control to tell her mother. She just didn’t know how she would take the news.

80. Diana

80

Diana

5 August 2018, 1.00 p.m.

Diana sat on the platform of the watchtower, staring out onto the bay and letting the sound of the sea soothe her. Her mother killed her father. Her first response had been anger as she marched into the bedroom where she stopped, seeing her mother on the bed. Rage still flooded through her. She had stood there asking, ‘How could you do that? How could you kill him? I loved him?’

Her mother had opened her eyes and sorrow filled them.

‘How could you ask me to forgive you? You killed him.’ Diana had stood there with her stomach in knots. ‘How can you say you loved me? How could you?’ Her mother had closed her eyes and that was it.