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
Turning away swiftly, Angela began to serve the food to him.
TWENTY-ONE
After supper, Blackie let himself be led into the library by Angela.
The fire had been lit, lamps turned on, and Angela directed him to the sofa. She sat in a chair, and said swiftly, ‘Claudie is bringing us cups of tea. We can relax here and let our food digest.’
He nodded, leaned towards the fire, and then swivelled his head as he spoke to her. ‘I do like a fire,’ he admitted. ‘’Tis cooler now anyway.’
‘There’s a bit of a chill in the air, I agree. I hope you enjoyed Claudie’s food.’
‘The best,’ he answered, with a small chuckle. ‘Never tasted rhubarb tart like that before. Her flavours are … unique.’
‘She has a secret recipe. It was a pleasure to prepare supper for someone. It’s clear you enjoy your food.’
‘I do, ’tis true. Perhaps because I often went hungry as a child.’
Angela nodded. ‘I guess it was a hard life in Ireland, from what other Irish friends have told me about their early years. Hunger and poverty.’
‘Sure and it was tough, and what food I could get was a preoccupation. I was lucky. I had good friends who were happy to share what they had with me.’
‘Where do you come from?’
‘A little hamlet in North Kerry. It doesn’t really even have a proper name. I was born there and left when I was thirteen.’
At this moment, Claudie entered the library carrying a tray, which she put down on the desk. ‘Shall I pour?’ she asked, looking over at Angela.
‘Oh no, that’s all right,’ Angela responded genially. ‘I can do it.’
Claudie smiled at them both and left.
‘How do you like your tea? With milk? Sugar?’ Angela asked Blackie.
‘Milk and sugar, please.’
A moment later, Angela placed the cup of tea on a small table, bending down to do so. She was so close to him, he could smell her perfume, a floral scent, and her gleaming white breasts were directly in front of him. Her closeness made his heart flutter. How he wanted her. He took tight control of himself.
Now Angela moved across the floor and poured herself a cup of tea and went to her chair, moving as gracefully as always.
Blackie tried to distract himself. ‘I must admit I am a little confused. Ye see, ye said ye grew up in Harrogate, but then mentioned ye lived in Upper Armley ’til ye got married.’
‘Oh, sorry, Blackie, that does sound odd, I suppose. I did grow up in Harrogate, and I did come back here to live with Mam and Sarah for a few months before I married Anthony. You see, he was a bit older than me, was in the Royal Navy, and he knew I might be lonely in Harrogate once he was at sea for months on end—’