Sidney Sheldon - Mistress of the Game

May God curse you and your children, as He cursed me and mine.

Good-bye, Alexandra.

Your loving aunt,

Eve

With the letter still in her hands, fluttering in the tropical breeze, Lexi hitched up her skirt and waded into the ocean. She walked far enough for the water to reach the top of her thighs. Then slowly, deliberately, she began tearing the paper into tiny pieces, scattering them on the waves like confetti.

Good-bye, Aunt Eve.

Good riddance.

I may not have won the game. Not yet. But I’m still here. Still playing.

For Eve Blackwell, it was all over.

But for Lexi Templeton, the game went on.

I have been a huge fan of Sidney Sheldon’s writing since I first read If Tomorrow Comes at the age of fourteen. When I wrote my first novel, Adored , I actually sent Sidney a copy of it along with a letter telling him how much his work had inspired me. He wrote me a very kind and generous reply, which now hangs above my desk in London. Little did I imagine then that five years later I would have the honor of being approached to write a sequel to Master of the Game, Sheldon’s epic family saga.

Sidney Sheldon was always known as the Master of the Unexpected. The hallmarks of his writing are suspense, excitement and, above all, a gripping and compelling story. His heroines are all strong, unforgettable women-I would go so far as to describe Sidney as a feminist, another of the factors that drew me and millions of women like me to his books. But Sidney’s books do not appeal only to women. During his lifetime, he received hundreds of thousands of letters from men and women, from all walks of life, who felt compelled to let him know how much his books meant to them. Sheldon readers are as diverse as Sheldon characters: princesses and paupers, Mafia bosses and death-row prisoners, cancer patients and Greek shipping magnates. All were drawn to his storytelling. And those stories live on.

Writing Mistress of the Game has been more fun than any job has a right to be. It is my sincere hope that Sheldon fans everywhere will enjoy the book as much as they have enjoyed all of Sidney ’s wonderful stories, and that perhaps a new generation of readers will now be lucky enough to discover the magic of the incomparable Sidney Sheldon.

T. B., 2009

My sincere thanks are due to everyone who has worked so hard to make this book a reality. First and foremost, to the entire Sheldon family for their trust in me and their generosity. Also to Mort and Luke Janklow, without whom none of this would have happened-I owe you both so much-and to everyone at HarperCollins in New York and London, especially my editors Wayne Brookes and Carrie Feron. To my own family for their love and support, especially my parents and my husband, Robin. Finally, I would like to thank the late, great Sidney Sheldon for being an inspiration to me and to so many others. It’s been an honor to follow in his footsteps.

Novelist and screenwriter SIDNEY SHELDON remains one of the world’s top bestselling authors. His books have sold more than 300 million copies and have been published in dozens of languages. Guinness World Records heralds him as one of the most translated authors in the world. He is also the only writer to have won an Oscar, a Tony, and an Edgar.

TILLY BAGSHAWE is a New York Times bestselling author. She lives in Los Angeles, California, and London with her husband and children.