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
‘Lawrence has a violent streak. He’s like his father, Lord Andrew Chandler. I lived through many of his rants with Mother. Anyway, when I mentioned your name again he told me you were all ashamed of me because I was illegitimate. He called me Mother’s bastard, and that none of her cousins wanted anything to do with me, that you wanted me out of the family.’
Moira paused, and realized her eyes were moist. She brushed her hand against her face. In a low voice, Moira said, ‘Lawrence told me that it was my misconception that anyone in Mother’s family cared about me. He added that you didn’t, that you couldn’t stand me, and I was now alone in the world.’
Robert’s face changed. Again a look of rage crossed it, and he exclaimed, ‘I can’t believe this. He lied! Henrietta loved you more than anyone in this world, except for your father, of course. It was unbearable to us all that she was already married to Andrew, then tragic when your father was killed. Lawrence knew how special you were to them. But I’ve always sensed hatred emanating from him. Lawrence has the air of evil around him, and I’m afraid he resented your place alongside him in the family.’
‘You are right. The night he attacked me, and locked me up, I knew I had to leave. I was terrified he would bring the constables to arrest me. So I packed a bag during the night and left at dawn, climbing out of my window. Tommy, the son of one of our grooms, helped me – he was taking the boat to Liverpool.’
‘Why didn’t you come to me? Or to one of your mother’s other cousins?’ Robert asked, a troubled expression in his blue eyes.
‘Because I believed Lawrence. I felt that, without Mother, I was an outcast, a stain on the family honour.’ Moira’s eyes had filled with tears. ‘And I had almost no money, only a few pounds left after I paid the boat passage. It was much more expensive than I realized to come here. I was scared.’
Robert shook his head, sorrow floating across his face. He had always loved his cousin Henrietta, had watched this daughter of hers grow up, and he had promised his cousin he would look after her, knowing that her place in society was fragile and insecure, owing to the open secret of her illegitimacy. After a moment, he asked, ‘Where on earth did you go?’