Chapters (71)
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- Part One
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Part Two
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Part Three
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Part Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Part Five
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Books by Barbara Taylor Bradford
- About the Author
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And now, in the middle of the night, as devastated as he was about Angela’s illness, he knew one thing. And it was this: Angela had been emotionally involved with him, as he had been with her. And somehow this bit of knowledge gave him a little solace, something to cling to always.
Part Three
CHANCES WITH CHALLENGES
YORKSHIRE & LONDON
1903
Thirty-Three
He sat at his Georgian desk in his library in the house he owned and loved in Grosvenor Square, at the heart of Mayfair.
His attention was focused on his own name on the contract he was about to sign: Robert Marmaduke Allenwood Lassiter.
Lifting his sleek dark head, he looked across at his closest friend, Lord Adrian Fraser, and said, “I wonder what my parents were thinking when they burdened me with such a long name?”
Adrian chuckled. “Family tradition, old chap. Marmaduke’s been one of your male names for centuries, and, of course, your great-grandmother’s maiden name was Allenwood, from which—”
“Our fortune sprang,” Robert cut in, also chuckling, his very blue eyes fixed on his friend.
“Correct. And don’t forget, you’ve gone and burdened your eldest son with the same middle names.”
“Poor chap! I have done that, but Quentin doesn’t mind. Anyway, here goes; I’d better sign it, get it done.” As he spoke, he picked up his pen, signed the contract and put the pen back in the inkstand.
Sitting back in the chair, he said, “You asked me earlier why I was so intent on coming to town so quickly, to close the deal on these warehouses on the docks in the East End, when I’d only just arrived in Yorkshire. So, now, let me explain. I know that the docks are growing by leaps and bounds. England has become the great export country in the world. Our country is powerful, and shipping is on the increase—”
“So you’re banking on the need for extra storage,” Adrian interjected.
“No, not really. I’m buying the warehouses to tear them down. It’s the land they’re standing on I want. To build on.”
Adrian looked taken aback. “Will you build new warehouses? Is that your plan?”
“No. A large office building. Companies in the shipping business will need to be on the docks in permanent buildings. Some already are, but the need will rapidly increase.”
Shaking his head, Adrian exclaimed, “I’ve got to give it to you, Robert, you’re ahead of the game! As usual. You’ve made Allenwood and Sloane the most important property company in London. Congratulations.”
“Thank you, Adrian, you’re too generous.” He laughed. “Not bad for the snot-nosed lad you made fun of when we were at prep school.”