Being Elizabeth (Ravenscar Series, 3) - Softcover

Bradford, Barbara Taylor

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1250157897 ISBN 13: 9781250157898

Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks, 2009

Synopsis

The number-one bestselling author delivers her most provocative, sizzling novel yet―a story of money, power, love, and betrayal that only Barbara Taylor Bradford could write.

At age twenty-five, Elizabeth Deravenel finds herself in a position few women her age could image: the head of Deravenels, a business empire that spans the globe. It's a company whose reach is wide and whose secrets are deep. Deravenels has roots that go far back in her family's history, and she knows the price that many had to pay to see it reach the success it is today. And Elizabeth is the youngest executive in the company she now leads. Surrounded by rumors and disloyalty, she knows that there are many people who would give anything to take down the company―and her with it. With her enemies circling, she finds herself at a crossroad of choices involving her mind, her heart, and her destiny. As scandal surrounds the one man she's ever loved, Elizabeth discovers how the next move she makes could have deadly and final consequences. Being Elizabeth is Barbara Taylor Bradford at her storytelling best.

"Rife with dastardly internecine struggles, smoldering illicit passion, and cowardly insidious betrayals...packs as much intrigue as any Shakespearean royal drama."

---Booklist on The Heir

About this title

About the Author:

Barbara Taylor Bradford was born and brought up in England and started her writing career as a journalist. She has written more than thirty international bestsellers, including The Cavendon Luck. 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.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Chapter One  She’s dead!"

Cecil Williams made this announcement from the entrance to the dining room at Ravenscar, the great Elizabethan house in Yorkshire. Then closing the door behind him, he walked across to the table in a few quick strides. It was 1996, and this news was momentous.

Against her own volition, Elizabeth Turner jumped up. "When?" she asked in a voice full of sudden tension, her eyes riveted on his face.

"This morning, very early. Just before dawn, to be exact."

There was a silence.

Elizabeth took tight control of a rush of emotion; even though this news had been long expected, deep down she had not believed she would ever hear those words. She took a moment to absorb them, then said, "There’s nothing much to say, is there, Cecil? Nothing at all, actually, and anyway, what would be the point? I’m not a hypocrite, I’m not going to pretend I mourn my sister’s death."

"Nor am I. I understand your feelings perfectly, Elizabeth." He put an arm around her shoulder, kissed her cheek, and drawing back, looked deeply into her luminous gray-black eyes. At once he noticed they were glistening with tears and knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that the tears were not for the deceased woman. They were, in fact, tears of genuine relief.

"It’s over, Elizabeth," he said, very softly. "Finally. Your torment is at an end, and you’re safe, secure. No one can tell you what to do, not ever again. You’re your own woman, and in control of your own destiny."

The tense expression on her pale face instantly lifted, and she exclaimed, "Yes, I am free. Free at last! Oh, Cecil, how wonderful that thought is! Yet, do you know, I can hardly grasp it." A quavery smile flickered around her mouth and was immediately gone, as if she was not quite convinced of her new status.

He smiled at her. "I believe it’s going to take a few days to sink in."

She looked at him intently, her eyes narrowing slightly. He knew her well, truly understood her, and he was correct, it would take a few days for her to truly believe that everything had changed. She took a moment to steady herself before saying, "I’m being rude, Cecil. Let me get you some breakfast, you must be famished. Lucas has brought in enough food to feed an army, so what do you fancy?"

"I am hungry, I must admit. But I’ll help myself. Go and sit down, drink your coffee and relax. You have every reason to do so today of all days."

Elizabeth did as he suggested, glad to sit down in the comfortable chair. She was shaking inside and her legs felt weak and unsteady. As she settled back, endeavoring to relax, she experienced instead an unexpected sense of dread. The future loomed up in front of her; it was an unknown future. Overwhelming. A wave of nausea swept over her at the prospect of leaving her old life behind, grasping her destiny with both hands. All those years of sleepless nights, early risings, often before dawn. Constantly worrying, always fearful, numb with anxiety, forever apprehensive. About her sister. Never knowing...never knowing what tricks Mary would pull, what accusations the woman would level at her. She had been living on the edge, on the edge of danger, living on her nerves for as long as she could remember. Mary had tormented her since childhood.

A moment later, Cecil returned with a plate of food and sat down next to her. After eating a few mouthfuls of scrambled eggs, he remarked, "You must have been up when it was still dark outside. I was surprised when I found your door open and the bedroom empty at six thirty this morning."

"I couldn’t sleep, so I finally got up. This past week has been, horrendous, and I’m afraid my feelings did get the better of me.... It was the endless waiting and waiting, I suppose. Cancer is unpredictable like that."

He glanced at her, his steady gray eyes searching her face. He had worried about her for years, and he would always worry about her, he was well aware of that. His devotion to her was absolute, and his one thought at the moment was to protect her at all cost. But he made no comment, merely went on calmly eating his breakfast. He was a steady, careful man, and his plans were in place.

After finishing her cup of coffee, Elizabeth ran a hand over her mouth and confided, "I never worried about her being ill, you know. I didn’t. What was the point? And, after all, we knew she was dying, that the cancer was eating away at her, that she was deluded about being pregnant. But last week...well, I couldn’t help remembering things from the past. The good things. And the bad. From our girlhood mostly...the time when our father disowned us both. Well, we were close then, if only for a short while. And the rest of the time I spent with her—" Elizabeth broke off, shook her head. "The rest of the time was extremely difficult. She was impossible. I was the enemy in her eyes. She was so very possessive of our father. My mother had usurped hers, and I had usurped her, my father, of course, being the great prize, that great bull of a man, to be cozied up to and adored. Unconditionally. She was competitive, and as everyone knows, she always believed I was plotting against her." Elizabeth let out a long sigh. "No matter what, I was in the wrong with Mary from the day I was born."

"All that’s over, don’t dwell on it. You’re starting a new life ...this is a new beginning for you," he said reassuringly.

"And I aim to live my new life well," she answered, mustering a positive tone, and stood up, crossed to the sideboard, poured herself another cup of coffee. A few seconds later, between sips, she asked, "Who knows about Mary’s death? Everyone, I suppose?"

"Not quite, not yet." Cecil looked across at the grandfather clock standing in a corner of the dining room. "It’s not yet eight, and it is Sunday, so I’ve kept my phone calls to a minimum. For the moment. Nicholas Throckman was the first one to phone, to tell me Mary was dead, and then immediately afterwards I heard from Charles Broakes, who announced the same thing."

Staring at him with a frown, Elizabeth exclaimed, "Your famous mobile! That’s how everyone got in touch. No wonder I didn’t hear any phones ringing."

"I asked Nicholas and Charles to call me on the mobile. Why should the whole household be awakened at six in the morning?" He shook his head. "Like you, I hardly slept last night. I knew she couldn’t last much longer."

"I assume Nicholas is on his way here. With the black box."

"He is. Actually, he’s had possession of the box since Friday. Mary’s people sent it to him that afternoon, so that he could bring it to you immediately. They thought she was about to die that day, but it was a false alarm. This morning, within half an hour of hearing the news, he set off. He’s driving up here right now, and he asked me to tell you he looks forward to joining us for Sunday lunch."

She smiled for the first time in days. "I’m glad to hear it."

"Sidney Payne also phoned. He was all for hightailing it up here, but I told him not to, explained we would be in London later in the week and I would be in touch then. He told me three people had called him already, so the news of Mary’s death is spreading fast." Cecil grimaced. "Everyone loves to gossip, to speculate, so important news sp

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1250157897
• ISBN 13: 9781250157898
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432