The Cavendon Women (53 page)

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Authors: Barbara Taylor Bradford

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“Are we wiped out?” Miles asked sharply, fearing the worst.

“Not exactly. But, well, a big portion of our investments have gone.”

“What does that mean to us?” Cecily asked again. “Are we ruined? Is the House of Ingham about to fall?”

“I sincerely hope not,” Charles answered in a strained tone. “But things are going to be very difficult. We will have to stop the restorations at once. And make sure we can pay our taxes, maintain the estate, pay the staff.”

“But what about the money I gave you for the jewels?”

“That has been used up. New roofing, acres and acres of it. New floors. The work on the foundation of the house. You know what's been happening. Plus income taxes.”

“Are we broke, Papa?” Miles asked.

“Not quite. Because Cecily has been buying the Ingham jewelry. And Dulcie has been selling off our paintings at the gallery. But we will have to tighten our belts. And trim, and trim and trim. And sell more possessions.”

Charles sounded so depressed, Cecily was wondering if he was telling them the truth. Suddenly, a feeling of enormous indignation came over her, and then immediately dissipated. In its place came a sense of determination, of being in control of her own destiny. She jumped up, took the baby out of his little cradle, ran down the steps and out onto the lawn. She stood in front of the house, staring up at it.

Miles had raced after her. “What are you doing?” he cried, looking perplexed, worried about her strange behavior.

She did not answer Miles. She turned the baby around to face the house, showing it to him.

“This will be yours one day,” she cried. “You will reign here. The first Swann to sit on top of the house of Ingham. It
is
going to be yours, I promise you that. Whatever it takes. Cavendon will be yours to rule. It is meant to be. Your heritage. It is a prediction. And it is not just this great stately home, it is so much more.”

Cecily paused, looking around the park, then turning the baby to face her. She went on in her strong, purposeful tone. “It is thousands of acres of land, a famous grouse moor, three villages with villagers whom you must care for and protect, who depend on you. It is a title dating back for almost two hundred years. You will be one of the premier earls of England. The Eighth Earl of Mowbray, following on after your father. It is a dynasty you must protect with your life.”

Miles, who had listened to her words, was stunned, yet impressed. He saw she was white, noticed her implacability, the determination in her strange lavender-gray eyes, the hint of ruthlessness in her, fleeting though it was. He was awed by her strength, her sense of duty.

Settling the baby comfortably in her arms, cradling him, Cecily turned to Miles. “I meant everything I said, Miles. We are going to fight and work. And keep Cavendon safe. We must. For you and for this boyÂ â¦ the heir whom you've longed for.”

Cecily paused, moved closer to him. “You are my husband at long last. I've given you this boy, your heir. Will you stand beside me and fight for all this?”

Miles put his arms around his wife and his child, and held them tightly against him, filled with love and gratitude. They were his family.

“I will,” he said.

And he did.

Acknowledgments

My husband, a film producer, believes that the public should never know anything about the nitty-gritty that goes on behind the scenes in the making of a movie. He thinks it spoils the magic. And I suspect he feels the same way about all the nitty-gritty behind the writing of a book. I agree. However, I would like to thank those people who have been involved in my creation of this new novel.

The first person I must thank is Jennifer Enderlin, Senior Vice President and Publisher, St. Martin's Press and St. Martin's Paperbacks, who is my editor and a great sounding board. Jen always comes up with fresh ideas and suggestions, and her caring and enthusiasm are important to me. Thanks are owed to Caitlin Dareff, Jen's editorial assistant, and the rest of Jen's team in copy editing, the art department, production, and marketing. My thanks to Sally Richardson, President and Publisher, for her continuing enthusiasm for my work.

Wendy Jeffrey, my editor at Doubleday many years ago, left publishing and started a new career. We have remained friends for thirty-five years, and she still continues to read my manuscripts for her own pleasure but also at my request. Her comments are invaluable to me, and I thank her for her continuing support. Thanks to Lonnie Ostrow of Bradford Enterprises, a whiz at the computer who helps with the preparation of the manuscript and areas of research. Thanks also to Linda Sullivan of WordSmart for her work on the manuscript, which is always perfect.

I can never thank my husband enough for his loving and enduring support in every way, and his understanding of my continuing need to write my novels. Not only that, he is my best critic because he always reads my manuscripts in an objective way and says what he thinks. Along with my editors, Bob is one of the first readers, and his quick response is invaluable before I start the editing. A true partner in every sense, it is Bob who guides my career and manages it with the skill of a businessman and the creative mind of a film producer. He also makes the movies of my novels and with stars in the leading roles. Aside from all this he manages to make me laugh every day of the year.

Last, but by no means least, I must thank my personal publicist, Maria Boyle, of Maria Boyle Communications, who handles my publicity on an international basis. She is the very best at what she does, and has my love and gratitude.

About the Author

BARBARA TAYLOR BRADFORD
was born and brought up in England and started her writing career as a journalist. She has written twenty-nine international bestsellers.
The Cavendon Women
is her thirtieth novel. In 2007, Queen Elizabeth awarded her the OBE (Order of the British Empire) for her literary achievements. She lives in New York with her husband, TV and film producer Robert Bradford. Visit
www.barbarataylorbradford.com
or sign up for email updates
here
.

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