BooksBarbecue
Back A Man of Honour Save as PDF
Chapters (73)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. PART ONE
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. PART TWO
  16. TWELVE
  17. THIRTEEN
  18. FOURTEEN
  19. FIFTEEN
  20. SIXTEEN
  21. SEVENTEEN
  22. EIGHTEEN
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. PART THREE
  38. THIRTY-THREE
  39. THIRTY-FOUR
  40. THIRTY-FIVE
  41. THIRTY-SIX
  42. THIRTY-SEVEN
  43. THIRTY-EIGHT
  44. THIRTY-NINE
  45. FORTY
  46. FORTY-ONE
  47. FORTY-TWO
  48. FORTY-THREE
  49. FORTY-FOUR
  50. PART FOUR
  51. FORTY-FIVE
  52. FORTY-SIX
  53. FORTY-SEVEN
  54. FORTY-EIGHT
  55. FORTY-NINE
  56. FIFTY
  57. FIFTY-ONE
  58. FIFTY-TWO
  59. FIFTY-THREE
  60. PART FIVE
  61. FIFTY-FOUR
  62. FIFTY-FIVE
  63. FIFTY-SIX
  64. FIFTY-SEVEN
  65. FIFTY-EIGHT
  66. FIFTY-NINE
  67. SIXTY
  68. SIXTY-ONE
  69. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  70. Keep Reading …
  71. About the Author
  72. Also by Barbara Taylor Bradford
  73. About the Publisher

‘I know what you mean. It was a bit horrific.’

Adrian glanced at his dearest friend, and murmured, ‘I’m sure it was better in the garden, wasn’t it?’

‘Yes. But I was only outside a couple of minutes, having a quick smoke.’ He changed the subject. ‘I noticed Caroline’s bowl of donations was filled to the brim with envelopes and promises. I bet you she made quite a lot of money, enough to get her charity started in a proper way, certain of that.’

‘I agree. She’s always been quite enterprising, for as long as I’ve known her. I like her for her independent traits, her drive and ambition. She’s what I call a modern woman, perhaps a bit before her time, in fact.’

Robert nodded, then asked, ‘Are you going to invite her out again? You said you enjoyed your evening with her last week?’

‘I am. I’m taking her to the opera on Saturday. I have a box, and I was wondering if you would like to join us.’

‘Two’s company, three’s a crowd,’ Robert said with a chuckle. ‘Thank you, though.’

‘You know a sackful of women, you can pick from a dozen. There must be one of them you could invite. It would be great to have you.’

‘Thank you, Adrian, but I think I have to beat it back up north to Yorkshire. I haven’t been there much this year. I have a lot of work to do with the new estate manager, Colin Wilson. Lucinda is only staying there briefly with the boys, then going on to her parents.’ He tried to keep his mind off Vanessa Stratton.

‘How’s Wilson working out?’

‘He’s turned out to be absolutely bloody marvellous. Clever, hard-working and full of innovative ideas for Bolton Manor. I wish I’d found him years ago. Much as I love it, the estate has been a bit of a burden, as I just can’t be there enough, and he’s brought me some relief.’

The hansom came to an abrupt stop, and the cabbie said, ‘White’s, me lords.’

Robert, then Adrian, jumped out; Adrian paid the cabbie, and together, in step as usual, they entered one of the oldest gentlemen’s private clubs in London. First opened in 1693, its membership was aristocratic and Tory, and was considered the best amongst many others.

The steward greeted them both by name in the entrance foyer, and escorted them to the dining room and their preferred table. They had chatted with the steward, Smythson, politely. He had responded in kind and then departed once they were settled.

‘I want a proper drink,’ Adrian said, once they were alone. ‘A Scotch and soda. I don’t enjoy too much champagne.’