‘Bess?’ Her daughter used her name, and this was usually a clue that Bess was in trouble with her child – what had she done now? Certainly not smoked – not that Natalie knew of anyhow. She smiled, happy that her darling girl, an auntie now, had made it home safe, knowing this would enable her to settle.

‘Hello, love, all okay?’

‘H— hello?’

‘Nats, are you all right?’ Her daughter’s tone was odd – tentative, faltering. She wondered what was wrong and her heart gave a little skip.

‘Bessie?’

And hearing her name for the second time, she realised the voice was at once strange to her and yet familiar, a voice with the same quality and pitch as Natalie’s, but not quite. A voice like Natalie’s, but older. Ten years older, to be precise.

‘Bessie, erm . . . this is a strange call for me to make and I’m sure a strange call for you to receive. You don’t know me but, erm . . .’

I do know you! I do know you! I do, I do, I do . . . ! You’re the missing piece . . . You are my baby – my baby girl. My oldest child, my daughter . . .

Bess slumped over the countertop, the room spinning around her. Her voice failed and she could only squeak a small reply.

‘Yes . . . this is me. I’m Bessie.’

‘Oh! Hi, Bessie.’ There was the sound of a girl taking a sharp breath. ‘It’s me. It’s Ellory.’

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amanda Prowse is an international bestselling author of twenty-seven novels published in dozens of languages. Her chart-topping titles What Have I Done?, Perfect Daughter, My Husband’s Wife, The Coordinates of Loss, The Girl in the Corner and The Things I Know have sold millions of copies around the world.

Other novels by Amanda Prowse include A Mother’s Story, which won the coveted Sainsbury’s eBook of the Year Award. Perfect Daughter was selected as a World Book Night title in 2016. She has been described by the Daily Mail as ‘the queen of family drama’.

Amanda is the most prolific writer of bestselling contemporary fiction in the UK today. Her titles consistently score the highest online review approval ratings across several genres.

A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda is a regular panellist on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine show, as well as featuring on numerous daytime ITV programmes. She also makes countless guest appearances on national and independent radio stations, including LBC and talkRADIO, where she is well known for her insightful observations and infectious humour.

Amanda’s ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning off the bedside lamp at night, that ensure you walk every step with her great characters, and tales that fill your head so you can’t possibly read another book until the memory fades . . .

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