‘You’ve lost a lot of blood,’ the nurse says gently when I open my eyes. ‘You’ve been sedated, so you’ll feel a bit groggy.

She’s holding a tiny white cup and a glass of water. ‘It’s important you stay calm. No getting excitable.’

I take the tablets obediently and settle back on my pillow. I still feel so very tired.

‘If you’re up to it, you have a visitor.’

Joanne walks into the room and sits on the hard plastic chair at the side of the bed. The nurse smiles at her and leaves the room.

‘Shaun told me… you know about what happened on the boat,’ Joanne says.

‘I’m sorry,’ I whisper, feeling ashamed at the scratch mark and bruise on her cheek. ‘Sorry I hit you and accused you.’

‘It’s OK,’ she says, reaching for my hand. ‘I should’ve faced up to all the stuff that happened to me, instead of trying to bury the guilt and pain.’

I nod. I know how that feels.

‘You did me a favour, Emma. Forced me to face up to it.’ She looks down at her hands. ‘I know what the locals thought happened, but it was an accident. And that was the official verdict.’

‘I know.’ This woman was trying to protect my daughter when I last saw her. If she wanted rid of Maisie, then she could have just walked away.

‘The other partners at the firm have been fine with me. They’ve carried out an internal inquiry into the accident just for the record, but it’s cleared me. There’s not really much they could do even if they wanted to; there’s no evidence I did anything wrong.’

She seems to be labouring the point and it’s a strange thing to say, I think.

She holds up her left hand and shows off a sparkling diamond ring.

‘Shaun and I got engaged,’ she says simply. ‘He’s been worried about telling you, but I hope you’ll be happy for us.’

‘Congratulations,’ I say faintly. She saved me from the madwoman, hit her with a chair and called the police and ambulance, so I can hardly be trite about it.

‘Just before the police arrived, Diane told me she was the one who sent you the note and did all those mean little things at the house. Simply to unnerve you, torture you for revenge.’

I shake my head slowly, hardly believing it.

‘She’s waited all this time?’

‘Set the dance school up especially to manoeuvre herself into a position to destroy you.’ Joanne confirms. ‘She said she knew it was time for her to act when the rumours started about you and Shaun breaking up because you’d be more vulnerable.’

All this time I’ve blamed myself for Damian’s death, as Diane obviously has too.

But now, it’s as though someone has shone a bright light of truth on what happened, and I understand that his decision to end his life was his own.

I did the right thing, and his tragic actions were not my fault.

‘Where’s Maisie?’ I say hoarsely, keen to get off the subject. I’m embarrassed that I got it all wrong, and somehow I have to build a relationship with this woman who is soon going to become Maisie’s stepmother.

‘She and Shaun are outside, but I asked him to let me just have a few minutes with you first.’

I look at her. She looks thin and pale and there’s a manic quality about her eyes today.

‘I care about Maisie, you know. I promised you at the beginning that I’d look after her, and I’ve stuck to my word. It’s been difficult, because in some ways you’ve tried to set her against me.’

‘I know.’ I stare at the ceiling. ‘And truly, I’m sorry.’

‘Are you feeling OK now? You had a pretty impressive meltdown earlier.’

I nod.

‘I can’t really remember much… just a lot of shouting.’

Joanne glances at the door. ‘The nurse told me they sedated you, so you’ll be confused. I won’t keep you long, I just wanted to make sure we’re cool now. No more silly fall-outs. Our aim has got to be getting Maisie back to her former self.’

I’m encouraged at the thought of my daughter regaining full strength.

My mind returns to Damian.

‘He told me he’d make me pay for what I did one day, you know. When I least expected it.’

Joanne nods. ‘And Diane carried out his threat. She wanted to drive you into a mental breakdown through worrying about your daughter. She told me she was abused as a child herself, forced to endure an eating disorder by her own mother. In her own twisted way, it seems like she actually thought she was helping Maisie.’

I close my eyes, unable to process such skewed logic.

‘But the doctors say Maisie’s making great progress now, and you can rest assured we’ll look after her until you’re strong enough to come home.’

‘Thank you.’ I reach for her hand and squeeze it.

Joanne bends forward and smiles. It’s a strange smile. I think the sedatives are still making me woozy. All her teeth look sharp and small.

‘I know… that you know,’ she whispers in my ear.

I look at her, unsure what she means, and shake my head.

‘I pushed my husband’s daughter that day on the boat. Sent Bethany flying to her death.’ Her face is close enough to mine that I can feel her hot breath against my cheek. ‘She was a nuisance, making our lives difficult. Just like Maisie does now.’

I drift a little, red and black colours swirling before my eyes, then jump as a tall figure looms to my right. It’s Shaun.

‘Mum!’ Maisie rushes in and sits on the bed to hug me.

‘Are you OK, Emma? You look as white as a sheet.’ Shaun frowns.

‘She’s sedated,’ Joanne says lightly. ‘A bit confused, too.’

‘She just said… I… take Maisie…’

‘Hush, Em, you need to rest,’ Shaun says softly. ‘You’ve had a terrible shock, no wonder you’re feeling confused.’

‘No! I don’t want…’ Their faces are fading.

‘Mum! We’re going to the coast,’ Maisie squeaks with excitement, pressing her face close to mine. Her eyes twinkle just a touch, and although her face is pale, she looks more like her old self. ‘Joanne is going to take me and Piper out… on a boat!’

‘No!’ They’re all merging into one, in and out, like the ebb of the tide around me. My own voice sounds strange, sort of far away.

‘Don’t worry, Emma.’ Joanne’s face hovers above mine as she bends down and kisses my forehead. ‘Maisie and I are much closer now. I’ll look after her, I promise.’