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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

Lady Lassiter had been born to English parents, herself the daughter of an earl. Her maiden name had been Lucinda Harley, with the honour title of Lady. Her parents, who had been staying in Ireland when she was born, were Lord and Lady Harley, the Earl and Countess of Carlton. They lived in Skipton most of the time.

Drawn to their daughter’s birthplace, Lady Lucinda’s parents had brought her often to the Emerald Isle. One day she had been introduced to Lord Robert, and a glittering match was made, though Mrs O’Malley didn’t think there had been much love involved. Now they divided their time between England and Ireland, with Lady Lucinda seeming to prefer the Irish mansion.

‘What are ye thinking about?’ Blackie said, touching Martha’s arm.

Startled, she jumped slightly, and then gave him a loving look. ‘I was brooding a bit, my lad, thinking how much I would miss ye once ye’d gone off to join your Uncle Pat.’

‘I’ll miss ye,’ he answered, and looked at her intently. ‘Mam always said ye were like a second mother to us all, faith and she did, and ye were. ’Tis the truth, Mrs O’Malley.’

‘Well, your mam is always your mam, but I did enjoy looking after ye all, sure and I did, and I’m proud of ye, Blackie. What a grand lad ye’ve become, and handsome.’

A blush spread across his face and he mumbled, ‘Oh, I don’t know about that.’

Martha O’Malley said in a low voice, ‘Has Lady Lassiter given Michael any cast-offs for ye, lad?’ Her eyes were on his.

He nodded. ‘I’m getting an old overcoat, a jacket and another pair of trousers, so Michael told me. I’m grateful, sure and I am.’

A smile spread across Mrs O’Malley’s face. ‘I have a surprise for ye. I’ve knitted two jumpers for ye and I found a bag of Dennis’s socks that will do ye well.’

Blackie laughed and exclaimed, ‘I’ll be the best-dressed lad in Leeds, won’t I?’

Mrs O’Malley laughed with him, and then glanced at the small clock on the mantelpiece as it struck twelve. ‘Goodness me, it’s already dinnertime. I hope ye’ll stay and have a bite with me, Blackie, sure and I would enjoy that.’

‘If ye’re sure that’s all right,’ he said quietly, knowing it was. They often had dinner together, and she always invited him if she ran into him. With his cousins at the big house all day, she knew he’d go hungry otherwise.

‘’Tis indeed,’ she answered, the Irish lilt in her voice apparent. ‘It’s always been all right with me, sure it has … I love ye like my own lad, Shane Patrick Desmond O’Neill, known as Blackie to the whole wide world.’

THREE