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
Winston’s eyes dropped to the floor and Frank stood gazing at her vacantly, clutching his presents. Neither of them spoke.
‘What’s wrong? Why are you both so quiet? Where’s our dad?’ Emma asked again. Fear began to trickle through her veins.
She sat down and Winston lowered himself into the chair opposite her. He took her hand in his and held it tightly, watching her with concern and saying very gently, ‘He’s with our mam, Emma.’
Emma seemed uncomprehending. She looked from brother to brother, at their distressed faces and tear-filled eyes.
‘Our dad’s dead,’ Frank told her, with his usual childlike bluntness. His voice was leaden with sorrow. ‘He died five days after you left, last August.’
‘Dead,’ whispered Emma, choking back a sob. ‘He can’t be dead. It’s not possible. I would have known if he had died. I would have known inside. In my heart. I just know I would.’ And as she uttered these words, she realized from their grim expressions that it was true.
She stared into space and finally managed to ask, ‘How did he die?’ Her voice was drained.
‘There was an accident,’ Winston said. ‘We didn’t know where to find you, Emma. We kept thinking you’d be back in a few days …’
Emma was silent. She had no excuses. A sick dismay lodged in her stomach, and guilt mingled with her grief, which was absolute. ‘What kind of accident?’ she whispered.
‘Well, yer see, Emma, that Saturday yer left, there was a fire at the mill and me dad got burned. And he breathed a lot of smoke. He survived but me Aunty Lily said he didn’t want to live any more, he wanted to join our mam. He died peacefully in his sleep that night.’
Emma said, with a strangled sob, ‘Did he understand that I hadn’t returned from Bradford, and that’s why I wasn’t there, Winston?’
Her brother nodded. ‘Yes, and he wasn’t upset, Emma. He said he didn’t have to see you, because you were locked in his heart forever.’
Emma closed her burning eyes and leaned back against the chair. ‘Was anyone else injured?’ she asked eventually.
‘No, only me dad,’ Frank told her. ‘Me dad was crossing the yard and spotted Master Edwin going in ter the warehouse. Me dad ran after him, warning him it was ever so dangerous. A blazing bale was falling from the gantry, so me dad threw himself on top of Master Edwin, ter protect him. He saved Master Edwin’s life, and with selfless courage, so the Squire said.’