Prudence Sinclair had to be the most stoic woman Harry knew. For a start, when she was just twenty years old she had moved thousands of miles from her home in Texas after falling in love with his father, Max, who was working out there on the family cattle ranch one summer. Harry had never heard her once complain about her life in the UK, and to the outside world Max and Pru Sinclair had had it all – a wonderful life, consisting of a grand family estate and four sons, until tragedy had stepped in with the death of Elliot, the youngest of the boys, who had died at three months old from cot death. A turning point in their lives where nothing was ever quite the same. Not that the outside world would know, but inwardly, behind the imposing gates and high walls of Conmere House, the dynamics had shifted, and the once solid foundations had begun to subside. It was only Pru’s underpinning that had saved them. According to Pru, Max had never got over the loss of their youngest son and had carried his heartbreak to the grave, although Harry had always been sceptical of this and privately assigned his mother’s thoughts to wishful thinking on her part. Harry remembered his father as someone who was hard to please, someone around whom he and his brothers had tiptoed for fear of upsetting him. Max was someone who believed in strong discipline and especially so where his sons were concerned. Harry had long since replaced the ‘strong discipline’ mentality with that of a bully.

‘Does Owen know?’ asked Harry, his thoughts turning to his younger brother.

‘Not yet. Mum doesn’t want to tell him. She’s worried he’ll start drinking again.’

‘He’s been sober for a good eighteen months,’ said Harry. ‘Do you think he would?’

‘Who knows? Owen and Natalie are going through a bit of a rough patch, from what I can tell.’

‘That’s a shame. Anything in particular?’

‘I don’t know the details – he doesn’t say much to me – but reading between the lines, three-year-old twins and a five-year-old are putting a bit of a strain on their marriage. Natalie wants to move back to Norfolk to be near her mum. Owen doesn’t.’

‘Not if he’s going to be part of the business,’ said Harry. ‘I mean, what else could he do? And Mum, she’d be heartbroken.’

‘Exactly. Although that didn’t stop you.’

‘It’s different. I’m a widower. I haven’t got any kids. I’ve never wanted to be part of the business.’

‘Mum was still heartbroken.’

‘No, she wasn’t. She was just sad about me going, but not heartbroken,’ said Harry. ‘Is Mum aware you’re telling me?’

‘No. She was adamant she didn’t want anyone to know, including you.’