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
She remembered her swift retort, ‘Mine will, if yours doesn’t,’ and she had reeled slightly, as disappointment, apprehension and fear for her future rushed through her. Looking back only a few days, she recalled leaning against a garden seat, wanting to sit down, her legs weak. But she didn’t. Never display weakness, never show fear, she thought. That became her motto for the rest of her life.
As she had watched Edwin dithering and continuing to rail on about his father disowning him, she had suddenly realized she was filled with hurt and grief, and she was trembling.
Suddenly, he had pulled himself together and had asked in a slightly calmer tone, ‘What will you do?’
Instantly furious, she had shouted, ‘Don’t you mean we?’ He had gazed at her dumbly, remained silent, and had then suggested he would help her find a doctor, the kind that could get rid of an unwanted baby. And he would sell his watch to pay for the operation.
Her fury knew no bounds, and her grief turned to hatred as she accused him of betrayal, of being willing to put her in the hands of a quack, who might butcher her to death. ‘You’re to blame for this as much as I am,’ she had shrilled, drawing herself to her full height.
She had known she had to get out of the rose garden at that moment; the sweet scent of the flowers filled her with nausea, overwhelmed her.
Moving away from the garden seat, she had stared at him, and said in a chilling tone, ‘I will never set eyes on you again, Edwin Fairley. Never, as long as I live.’ And as she had walked away, gone out of the rose garden, her heart had hardened, had turned to stone.
She had heard him calling her name, begging her to come back, but she had paid no attention and walked on with dignity.
Although she had no way of knowing it, a terrible feeling of hollowness had settled inside Edwin Fairley. And neither did he know, at seventeen years old, that this wretched hollowness would stay with him always, until the day he died. In denying Emma, leaving her to her fate, Edwin Fairley had ruined his life, for he never stopped loving her, forever filled with genuine regret. Even his last words to his grandson would be for Emma.
Suddenly pushing thoughts of the last few days away from herself, Emma got off the bed, took the suitcase and put it deep inside the wardrobe, where it was hardly visible. Pushing it behind the clothes, she said under her breath, ‘I will ruin the Fairleys, do whatever it takes to destroy them, to have my revenge.’ Her green eyes were glittering with icy hatred.
FIFTY-SIX
Every morning Emma went out early. Her plan for each day was to visit the arcades and hopefully find a job in one of the ladies’ clothes shops.