‘I wasn’t impressed by her attitude and I went to find a towel. When I returned to pass it to her, she reached out and pulled on my shoelace, untying the bow. I was furious and about to give her a piece of my mind, but she lifted my foot and took off my shoe. I was so astonished, I just let it happen.
‘She was much younger than me, twenty years and more. I had three daughters at university, and my wife and I were on the verge of divorce.’ He smiled and shook his head, as if reliving the surprising experience. ‘There are few moments in life when the earth seems to stop spinning, and you have a split second to decide to walk away or take a leap into the unknown. I’m usually a man of strategy and routine. I polish my shoes each night and have dedicated suits for each day of the week.Yet there was something about Essie that made me take off my other shoe, too. I tossed my socks onto the lawn, hitched up my trouser legs and sat down beside her. We sipped champagne from the same glass and Essie told me I should publish her next book.’
Liv smiled to herself at this bold, playful version of Essie. Where had it disappeared to?
She couldn’t help feeling envious, too. When she was a similar age, she had been busy washing baby sick out of her hair. Mack had a habit of projectile vomiting if he drank too much milk. If she ever received an invitation to a party, it was at a soft play centre with lukewarm sandwiches made with ham so thin you could see through it.
‘Didn’t she already have a publisher?’ she said.
‘Yes, but the success ofThe Moon on the Waterwas far greater than originally expected. Essie was like a piece of sea glass on the beach among all the grey pebbles. She just needed a little polish to shine like a jewel. Soon after the party, and to my great surprise and delight, we became a couple. I advised her on how to fit into the literary world better, and introduced her to people who could help her career.’
‘And you also decided to get married?’
He broke into a surprised cough. ‘Yes, that, too. One night we went to dinner and Essie claimed I was impolite to a waiter. She never could stand people who looked down on others. She was right, of course, and I apologized… and somehow I found myself proposing.’ He stared out of the window and thought for a long time. ‘I think I knew, even then, that she didn’t love me. Not in the way I loved her. She admired the writers I published, my age and experience, living with me in London. But it wasn’t enough. There was always a part of her locked away that I couldn’t reach.I wondered if there was someone else.’ His eyes glinted with sadness. ‘We drifted apart and divorced on our sixth anniversary. Essie claimed I stifled her. We had differing ideas about the direction of her career.’
‘About Georgia Rory?’
‘Ah, yes, Ms Rory,’ he said with a sniff. ‘Essie was more than capable of pushing her boundaries as a writer but refused to expand her horizons. She said readers saw themselves in Georgia, and she did, too. I admit it was something I kept pressing her to reconsider. One day I arrived home and she’d gone.’ He pursed his lips and looked out of the window again before continuing. ‘She always had a strange habit of vanishing, and this time it was for good.’
She did it even back then?Liv thought.Where did she go to?
‘When Essie makes up her mind to pursue something there’s no going back,’ Ted said. ‘I hoped we could keep our professional relationship going, but then she signed up with an agent and Peregrine. At the time, I thought she was extremely ungrateful. Our relationship was difficult for a long time afterwards. She didn’t appreciate that without me there would be no Essie Starling.’
The car hit a bump in the road and Liv’s teeth clanked together.
Up until his last sentence, she had been warming to Ted. He was a little pompous and stilted, but taking the credit for Essie’s work wasn’t fair. Liv couldn’t keep her feelings to herself, no matter who he was. ‘Essie got her first publishing deal without you,’ she said fiercely. ‘Her talent shone through. You said it yourself. You tried to stop her writing what she loved.’
Ted looked rather shocked. He resettled himself in his seat,took off his scarf and folded it. ‘I suppose you’re right,’ he said eventually. ‘Essie has always been her own woman, and that’s why I adored her. If she wants something she goes for it and no one can stop her. It’s been ten years since we last spoke and I miss her greatly. I often wonder how she is.’
Liv hadn’t imagined the great Ted Mason could appear so vulnerable. When the news about Essie’s death eventually reached him, she could tell it would hit him hard. She pursed her lips at having to keep it from him.
‘I’ll never meet anyone again with her spirit and impetuousness, not in my lifetime. If Essie’s part of your life, make sure you cherish and learn from her, not try to shape her, like I did,’ he said. When he jerked his head away, he suddenly looked incredibly old.
‘I have a couple more questions…’ Liv said cautiously. ‘Did Essie ever buy you cufflinks, shaped like bees?’
‘No,’ he said with weariness in his voice. ‘Next?’
Liv spoke hurriedly, sensing she was about to be ejected from the car. ‘Do you know what happened to Essie at the Constellation Prize afterparty? I saw footage of you at the ceremony.’
Ted sniffed. ‘I was delighted she won. It was well deserved. I stood in line to shake her hand. We were pleasant to each other, and I left.’
‘And that’s all?’ Liv felt a slide of disappointment. She’d hoped he could tell her something more revelatory.
‘I’m afraid so. Now, please give your address to my driver and we’ll take you home.’
Liv stared ahead. She told the driver where she lived and set her jaw. If she wanted to know more about Essie’s past it looked like she’d have to speak to others, too. Perhaps she could somehow track down Hank to see what he knew, or even the bearded blond man with the rose-tattooed hand.She hoped Chloe wasn’t on their trails, too.
When the Rolls-Royce stopped outside her house, Liv saw a curtain twitching and a glimpse of Jake behind it.
‘I’m sorry again for stealing your meeting,’ Liv said, as she unfastened her seat belt.
Ted smiled tightly. ‘It’s exactly the kind of thing Essie would have done,’ he said. ‘Don’t let anyone stifle your spirit, Liv. It’s a rare thing.’
There was something in his words that made Liv think of her dad. If he were still alive, he’d be a similar age to Ted. Perhaps shehadsquashed her spirit into a little box when he died. Now it was emerging the longer she worked on Essie’s manuscript and connected with Georgia. She held back the sting of tears as she reached out and slipped her hand into his. ‘Thank you.’
Ted looked taken aback before giving it a squeeze. ‘You’re more than welcome. Please pass on my well-wishes to Essie.’
Liv opened the car door before looking back over her shoulder. ‘One last question,’ she said.
