Chapters (73)
- Cover
- 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
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- Keep Reading …
- About the Author
- Also by Barbara Taylor Bradford
- About the Publisher
Clearing her throat, she said, ‘I told Blackie we’d not be here this weekend because Angela, that’s my sister, had to be in Harrogate, where she has to do some work for Lady Lassiter. Then everything changed. Unexpectedly. Angela’s solicitor needed some documents, which were here. We came here last night to get them, and we’re leaving soon, going back there. Blackie thinks we lied to him, about being in Harrogate, I mean.’
Patrick was silent. He stared intently at Sarah, who looked troubled, and he noticed she was twisting a handkerchief in her hands, and somewhat nervously so.
Carefully, Patrick said quietly, ‘My nephew is involved with one of you. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so emotional. I suspect it’s you, Sarah, isn’t it?’
‘Oh yes, yes, of course!’ she exclaimed quickly, almost stumbling over her words, and then nodding vehemently.
Yet all of her gestures made Patrick wonder if she was speaking the truth. But would Blackie be of interest to Angela? After all, she looked to be the older of the two, presumably a married woman if this was her own house and she didn’t live with Sarah. On the other hand, he had only seen her from a distance. So why had Blackie taken her into the house?
After a moment’s reflection, Patrick gave Sarah a puzzled stare. ‘I’m not sure I believe you, Sarah. What is Blackie doing talking to Angela? And whose house is this?’
Quickly seizing on the last question, Sarah explained, almost breathlessly, ‘It belongs to Angela. She’s lived here since she got married.’ As these words left her mouth, Sarah felt like biting her tongue off.
Patrick picked it up at once. ‘She’s a married woman who—’
‘No, no, she’s a widow,’ Sarah shot back, interrupting him. ‘Her husband was in the Royal Navy and he was killed in the Boer War.’
‘I see,’ Patrick answered in a quieter voice. ‘However, there is something going on here, and I aim to get to the bottom of it.’
When Blackie saw Angela cowering against the desk in the small library, with tears on her face, every ounce of his anger disappeared in an instant.
He knew not to make a move towards her, but instead to keep quiet for a moment, and to allow her to accept his presence. He felt foolish for acting up.
She stared at him with intensity and finally spoke. ‘You called me a liar, and I didn’t like that. I’ve never told a lie. Ever.’ Her voice was soft and even.