He plunged on. ‘Ellen—look at yourself. You’ve let your anger and resentment eat into you. For years and years. You never gave Pauline and Chloe a chance—you never wanted them to be part of your family. You were fixated on your father—understandably, because of the loss of your mother—but now you’ve become obsessed with punishing them by hanging on to Haughton.’

She thrust him away, lurching backwards. Her eyes were wide and distended. Emotion battered at her. Stress, weariness and anger rushed up in her.

‘It’s my home, Max! Why should I sell it so that someone like you can turn it into a hotel? Or sell it on to...