Barbara Taylor Bradford - Emma’s Secret

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2003

Copyright © Barbara Taylor Bradford 2003

Cover design © HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2020

Barbara Taylor Bradford asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008365615

Ebook Edition © November 2019 ISBN: 9780007330638

Version: 2020-04-14

For Bob, as always, with my love

The Hartes shown in line of descent

Emma Harte:Matriarch: Founder of dynasty and business empire

HER CHILDREN

Edwina: Dowager Countess of Dunvale : Emma’s daughter by Edwin Fairley (illegitimate). First born

Christopher ‘Kit’ Lowther:Emma’s son by her first husband Joe Lowther. Second born

Robin Ainsley:Emma’s son by her second husband Arthur Ainsley. Third born

Elizabeth Ainsley:Emma’s daughter by her second husband Arthur Ainsley. Robin’s twin. Third born

Daisy (Ainsley):Emma’s daughter by Paul McGill (illegitimate). Fourth born

HER GRANDCHILDREN

Shown in line of descent

Anthony Standish: Earl of Dunvale , son of Edwina and Jeremy Standish, Earl of Dunvale

Sarah Lowther Pascal:Daughter of ‘Kit’ and June Lowther

Jonathan Ainsley:Son of Robin and Valerie Ainsley

Paula O’Neill:Daughter of Daisy and David Amory

Philip McGill Amory:Son of Daisy and David Amory; brother of Paula

Emily Barkstone Harte:Daughter of Elizabeth and Tony Barkstone; half-sister of Amanda

Amanda Linde:Daughter of Elizabeth and Derek Linde (Elizabeth’s second husband)

EMMA’S GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN

Tessa Fairley Longden:Daughter of Paula and Jim Fairley (Paula’s first husband)

Lorne Fairley:Tessa’s twin, son of Paula and Jim Fairley

Toby Harte:Son of Emily and Winston Harte II; brother of Gideon

Gideon Harte:Son of Emily and Winston Harte II

India Standish:Daughter of Anthony Standish and Sally Harte, Earl and Countess of Dunvale

Linnet O’Neill:Daughter of Paula and Shane O’Neill (Paula’s second husband)

Chloe Pascal:Daughter of Sarah and Yves Pascal

Fiona Amory:Daughter of Philip McGill Amory

Emsie O’Neill:Daughter of Paula and Shane O’Neill

Desmond O’Neill:Son of Paula and Shane O’Neill

THE HARTES continued

Winston Harte:Emma’s older brother and business partner

Randolph Harte:Son of Winston and Charlotte Harte

Winston Harte II:Son of Randolph and Georgina Harte

Toby Harte:Son of Winston and Emily Harte; Brother of Gideon

Gideon Harte:Son of Winston and Emily Harte

Frank Harte:Emma’s younger brother

Rosamunde Harte:Daughter of Frank and Natalie Harte

Simon Harte:Son of Frank and Natalie Harte; brother of Rosamunde

THE O’NEILLS

Shane Patrick Desmond O’Neill (‘Blackie’):Founding father of dynasty and business empire

Bryan O’Neill:Son of Blackie and Laura Spencer O’Neill

Shane O’Neill:Son of Bryan and Geraldine O’Neill

Linnet O’Neill:Daughter of Shane and Paula O’Neill

Emsie O’Neill:Daughter of Shane and Paula O’Neill

Desmond O’Neill:Son of Shane and Paula O’Neill

THE KALLINSKIS

David Kallinski:Founding father of dynasty and business empire

Sir Ronald Kallinski:Son of David and Rebecca Kallinski

Michael Kallinski:Son of Ronald and Helen ‘Posy’ Kallinski

Julian Kallinski:Son of Michael and Valentine Kallinski

COVER

TITLE PAGE

COPYRIGHT

DEDICATION

THE THREE CLANS

PROLOGUE: 2000

PART ONE

Dynasty: 2001

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

PART TWO

Legend: 1940

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

CHAPTER THIRTY

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

PART THREE

Legacy: 2001

CHAPTER FORTY

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

KEEP READING …

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

BOOKS BY BARBARA TAYLOR BRADFORD

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

Time present and time past

Are both perhaps present in time future,

And time future contained in time past.

T.S. ELIOT

Four Quartets: Burnt Norton

She sat very still in the chair next to the bed, holding her grandmother’s hand. It was so quiet in the hospital room she could hear her breathing, the breath coming in soft little intakes and exhalations.

The old woman’s face was relaxed, the tension gone from it as she dozed, and she appeared to be younger than her years, younger than she had looked in a very long time.

Perhaps she will get better, Evan thought, her eyes on her grandmother, the person whom she loved most in the whole world except for her father. She wished he would get here. He was driving into Manhattan from Connecticut and had left several hours ago; she couldn’t imagine what was making him this late. Evan glanced at her watch, and when she saw the time she realized he was probably snarled up in the late afternoon traffic of Manhattan … rush hour was imminent and Thanksgiving was next week. Too many cars in the city today, she decided, trying to relax. A moment later Evan focused on her grandmother once more, and a small sigh escaped her; she couldn’t imagine her life without her beloved Gran in it. The prospect was bleak.