Corporation Wife

by Catherine Gaskin

  ‘It was an accident,’ Harriet said firmly.

  ‘You can believe that if you want. I think she was killed in the accident, but I think she died before that.’

  ‘I have to believe it was an accident.’

  He shrugged. ‘Maybe it was ‒ but whatever led up to it was no accident.’ He looked across at Harriet. ‘And damn it, you know I miss her. Yes, I miss her! I suppose I never spoke more than six words to her, but she was always a sight to see. I liked the way she moved. You know, Harriet, there’s too little style left in this world. I’m sorry when a piece of it goes.’

  ‘I wish Laura could have known a few things like that ‒ I mean, what Burnham Falls thought about her. It might have made her want to … stay.’

  He shook his head. ‘It wouldn’t have done any good. We were not what Laura was looking for. You can’t just tell people what’s good for them. They’ve got to know it.’

  There was silence between them for a while. He glanced at her, but she didn’t seem about to speak, so he broke the silence purposefully.

  ‘Well ‒ I suppose there will always be those who go, and those who stay.’

  They drove on without speaking again.

  Harriet looked at the dead winter landscape, and wondered where Mal was now, whether it was winter with him too. There was nothing left for her to do now ‒ except to wonder.

  Twenty-one

  The announcement of Steve Dexter’s appointment as President of Amtec Laboratories did not cause much surprise, either in the corporation, in the industry, or even in Burnham Falls. In the corporation it had been hinted and guessed at ever since he had taken over on a temporary basis when Ed Peters had gone on leave after his wife’s death; in the industry his original work on solid fuel was remembered, and it was recognised that Amtec might be trying to correct an earlier mistake by placing a scientist instead of a pure administrator at the head of the Laboratories ‒ the era of the Russian sputniks and rockets had suddenly made the scientist an important man. And in Burnham Falls it was regarded as a natural thing, an appointment that was long overdue to Joe Carpenter’s son-in-law.

  Clif Burrell was thinking of these things as he sat in the bar of the country club on the Saturday night after the announcement. He had been present at a dinner the heads of the departments at the Laboratories had given to Steve ‒ a relatively informal, sprawling affair which had seemed to include about half the staff of the Laboratories and their wives, as well as anyone else Steve and Harriet had wanted to invite. When the dancing had started Clif had headed for the bar; he sat over his whisky thinking that everyone had behaved with perfect composure ‒ there had been nothing at all to recall Laura’s death and Ed’s sudden departure.

  Ed was going back to the parent Amtec company as a special assistant to E. J. Harrison, and everyone knew that could lead anywhere.

  ‘That’s pretty close to the top,’ Clif mused to himself as he circled the whisky slowly round the ice in his glass. ‘There could be only one way left to go ‒ out!’

  And he thought that Steve himself would be staying only as long as skill and ingenuity and the ability to play politics would permit it. He hadn’t been handed a franchise along with the presidency of Amtec Laboratories. They were trying a man of science in place of a lawyer or an accountant; if he could get the product and the results out of his researchers, he would be given the lawyers and accountants with which to hedge himself about. If he didn’t, there was nothing. On the face of it, it seemed no more hazardous a game than many men played in their lives; only here the stakes were higher. It was a desperate game, but how did a man ‒ or a woman ‒ stay out of it? How was it possible to turn back? He pondered the question as he circled the whisky more and more slowly around the melting ice in his glass.

  Then the face of one of a small group farther along the bar suddenly stood out. It was a familiar face ‒ the face of a young woman both friendly and quizzical. She was staring at him, her eyebrows raised a little, inquiring, waiting for recognition. He reached back in his memory and brought out her name. It was Sally Redmond, and the time had been about two years ago in this same place.

  As she saw his expression change she broke away from the group and came towards him.

  He took her hand in his. ‘My dear,’ he said, ‘it’s nice to see you again.’

  ‘And you,’ she said, smiling. It was the same eager, warm smile he remembered. There was also something else he remembered particularly.

  ‘And how is the novel?’ he said. ‘Finished yet?’

  She looked startled. ‘The novel? You mean I told you about it? I must have been more excited than I thought, that day. Tom’s the only one who’s supposed to have known …’

  ‘I assure you I regarded it as a secret. And I felt privileged you’d shared it with me. Is it finished?’

  She shook her head. ‘No ‒ and it won’t be.’

  ‘Oh …?’

  She shrugged. ‘Perhaps it never was worth finishing. It was starting to get in the way of the things I should have been doing to help Tom along ‒ you know the kind of things a wife can do for her family, Mr. Burrell.’

  He nodded. ‘I can imagine …’

  ‘You know, Mr. Burrell, you can’t be half-committed. As in everything else, the half-way people never make it. If there’s any help I can give Tom, he’s got it. All of it.’ Pushing her glass towards him then, she said, ‘Would you order me a stinger, Mr. Burrell?’

  Clif visualised the forces at work. The pattern of the corporation life was there if you wanted to see it. He thought of Laura, who had come to it unwillingly, and had left it; of Harriet who had had it thrust upon her, and who would live with it gracefully and you might never suspect that she might have wanted anything different. And then there was Sally. She saw and accepted the challenge of the corporation; she knew the rules of the game and played them with intelligence and skill. If it were left to Sally she would one day have Harriet’s position ‒ but not unwillingly or half-heartedly. Perhaps not in this town, or with this corporation. But somewhere ‒ sometime.

  The Property of a Gentleman by Catherine Gaskin

  The Property of a Gentleman … a poignant and thrilling tale of intrigue, mystery and romance, set in the dramatic landscape of England’s Lake District. From the internationally bestselling author Catherine Gaskin.

  Shortly after her mother’s death in a Swiss plane crash, Jo Roswell is sent from the London auction house where she works to the remote and mysterious Thirlbeck – stately home of the Earl of Askew. Jo’s task is to evaluate the house’s contents for a sale, but she soon finds herself drawn into the complex lives of Thirlbeck’s past and present inhabitants, each with their own secrets and desires.

  Robert Birkett, the Earl of Askew, has returned to Thirlbeck after many years abroad. A decorated war hero, he has also spent time in prison after a fatal car accident for which he was blamed. Carlota, the Spanish Condesa, is the Earl’s sophisticated yet possessive companion.

  Meanwhile, Nat Birkett, a distant cousin of the earl, is the reluctant heir to Thirlbeck. A local farmer, his passion is for the land rather than titles and possessions. Following his wife’s mysterious demise at Thirlbeck, he is also the single father of two young boys.

  George Tolson is Thirlbeck’s brooding keeper, who jealously guards the property from unwelcome strangers. By Tolson’s side is Jessica, his intelligent but fragile granddaughter, who must be protected from herself.

  During her stay, Jo is absorbed by the tragic story of The Spanish Lady, whose young life was cut short at Thirlbeck many centuries before. She also encounters La Española, the brilliant diamond which, according to legend, brings disaster to all who try to possess it. And she is shocked to learn of her own mother’s connection to Thirlbeck.

  Jo will struggle with difficult discoveries as she unlocks the puzzles which link Thirlbeck’s past and present residents.

  Read The Property of a Gentleman now from Amazon UK

  Read The Property
of a Gentleman now from Amazon.com

  Read The Property of a Gentleman now from Amazon AUS

  Learn more about Catherine Gaskin and her other novels at www.catherinegaskin.com

  Sara Dane by Catherine Gaskin

  The international bestseller available as an ebook for the first time

  Sara Dane is the story of an eighteenth-century young Englishwoman who is sentenced for a crime she did not commit and transported to Australia. The novel follows Sara’s struggle to raise herself from the status of a convict to a position of wealth and power. She faces many challenges, from the savage voyage aboard a convict ship to the corruption and prejudice rife in New South Wales. Life in the Colony is harsh, and Sara has to contend with natural disasters and convict outbreaks, as well as the snobbery of the high society she wishes to enter.

  Sara’s life is also influenced in often surprising ways by the men who love her, childhood sweetheart Richard Barwell, ship’s officer-turned-landowner Andrew Maclay, Frenchman Louis de Bourget and the Irish political prisoner Jeremy Hogan. Sara Dane is a sweeping historical novel full of adventure, romance, rivalries, double-dealing and murder.

  During her lifetime Catherine Gaskin’s books sold over 40 million copies worldwide, and she was known as ‘The Queen of Storytellers’. Sara Dane is arguably her best known work, an international bestseller, it was also made into a popular TV mini-series. This is the first digital edition of Sara Dane, published to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the novel’s début.

  ‘A fine sweep of urgent vitality.’ The Times

  ‘Most readable. A big book with a sustained dramatic power.’ London Evening Standard

  ‘A grand story.’ Yorkshire Evening Post

  ‘A magnificent piece of evocative writing.’ Glasgow Herald

  ‘Rarely a story of the lands down under has this quality.’ Kirkus Reviews

  ‘An extremely readable novel.’ Argus (Melbourne)

  Now available as an ebook on Amazon (all territories excluding USA).

  Read Sara Dane now from Amazon UK

  Read Sara Dane now from Amazon.com

  Read Sara Dane now from Amazon AUS

  Learn more about Catherine Gaskin and her other novels at www.catherinegaskin.com

  The Lynmara Legacy by Catherine Gaskin

  The sweeping saga of two remarkable women, their courage, ambitions, and the men they love ‒ from New York in the Great Depression to England during the Second World War. By the bestselling author of The Property of a Gentleman and Sara Dane.

  ANNA ‒ the proud, determined Russian nightclub pianist. She was humiliated and rejected by the English aristocracy, and the man she loved. Anna must make a terrible sacrifice so that her daughter can have the life she herself was denied.

  NICOLE ‒ the talented young American who seems destined only to fulfil other people’s ambitions. She plays a celebrated, but reluctant, role in London’s high society. Yet Nicole must keep her family secrets from the one she loves most.

  LYNMARA ‒ the ancestral home of Lord Manstone and his dashing son, David. They form the link between past and present, mother and daughter.

  A compelling tale of passion and ambition, war and death, and the legacy of a mother’s love.

  Praise for The Lynmara Legacy:

  ‘She tells her story remarkably well.’ Daily Telegraph

  ‘A compulsive heroine and family saga.’ She

  Read The Lynmara Legacy now from Amazon UK

  Read The Lynmara Legacy now from Amazon.com

  Read The Lynmara Legacy now from Amazon AUS

  Learn more about Catherine Gaskin and her other novels at www.catherinegaskin.com

  The Summer of the Spanish Woman by Catherine Gaskin

  The dramatic blockbuster that takes you from the windy shores of Ireland to the sun-baked earth of Spain; this is a gripping story of family pride, forbidden love, secrets and lies. Beginning at the turn of the last century and spanning the First World War and the Spanish Civil War, The Summer of the Spanish Woman is another spellbinding page-turner from the pen of the bestselling author of The Property of a Gentleman and Sara Dane.

  When her grandfather dies without leaving a male heir, Charlotte Drummond and her mother are forced to leave their family home, Clonmara. A distant cousin, Richard Selwin, inherits her grandfather’s estate and the title of Lord Blodmore. He also claims Charlotte’s heart, but a cruel twist of fate prevents them from being together.

  Charlotte and her mother begin a new life in the Spanish town of Jerez among the families and vineyards of the great Spanish sherry dynasties. There she discovers the surprising secrets of her grandfather’s younger life, and the mystery surrounding ‘the Summer of the Spanish Woman’ many decades before. As Charlotte learns more about the events of that long-ago summer she realises that its far-reaching consequences stretch into the present. Drawn into a web of deceit and vengeance, her destiny is shaped by both her enemies and her allies in this foreign land. And she must confront Isabel, Marquesa de Pontevedra, whose presence casts light or shadow over those whose lives she seeks to control.

  A brilliant family saga which paints a vivid picture of life among the sherry makers of early twentieth century Spain and the turmoil of the Spanish Civil War.

  Read The Summer of the Spanish Woman now from Amazon UK

  Read The Summer of the Spanish Woman now from Amazon.com

  Read The Summer of the Spanish Woman now from Amazon AUS

  Learn more about Catherine Gaskin and her other novels at www.catherinegaskin.com

  A Falcon for a Queen by Catherine Gaskin

  A gripping story of romance and mystery set in Victorian Scotland.

  After the death of her father, Kirsty Howard leaves their home in China and travels to be with her mother’s family in the Scottish Highlands. It is here that her brother William has also recently died ‒ after a hunting accident. With her Kirsty carries a scroll sent by William from his deathbed, with a cryptic message ‘She has killed …’

  Arriving at Cluain, the old house and whisky distillery owned by her grandfather, Kirsty is drawn to the mysterious and moody Callum Sinclair, who roams the moors with his majestic falcon. She also meets the other people who had known William ‒ the forbidding housekeeper, Mairi Sinclair; the friendly young maid, Morag; and Sir Gavin Campbell and his beautiful wife, Margaret. Over time, Kirsty learns the parts these strangers played in her brother’s life, and how her own fate is bound up by the places and people of this remote land. But nothing can prepare her for the truth that must be revealed.

  An atmospheric story of secrets, passion and family duty.

  Read A Falcon for a Queen now from Amazon UK

  Read A Falcon for a Queen now from Amazon.com

  Read A Falcon for a Queen now from Amazon AUS

  Learn more about Catherine Gaskin and her other novels at www.catherinegaskin.com

  The Edge of Glass by Catherine Gaskin

  A haunting story of passion, greed and family secrets from the No.1 bestselling author of The Property of a Gentleman. Over 40 million Catherine Gaskin books sold worldwide.

  1967, London Fashion model Maura D’Arcy is on the verge of fame and success. But when a handsome stranger enters her late mother’s antiques shop, his revelations change the course of Maura’s life.

  Cloncath, Ireland Maura journeys to the home of her estranged family, the Sheridans, where she finds herself in the middle of a bitter feud over the decaying glassworks which once made the family’s fortune. The rivalry between her formidable grandmother, Lady Maude, and distant cousin, Connor Sheridan, will have far reaching consequences.

  As Maura is drawn into a dangerous atmosphere of guilty secrets and suspicion, is there anyone she can really trust? What are her grandmother’s true motives? Who was responsible for the death of Connor’s headstrong wife, Lotti? And what lengths will Connor go to, in order to gain what he believes is his rightful inheritance?

  Read The Edge of Glass now from Amazo
n UK

  Read The Edge of Glass now from Amazon.com

  Read The Edge of Glass now from Amazon AUS

  Learn more about Catherine Gaskin and her other novels at www.catherinegaskin.com

  The Wine Widow by Tessa Barclay

  A gripping family saga – the first in the captivating Wine Widow trilogy. A compelling tale of one woman’s triumphs and tragedies which you will not be able to put down.

  Young peasant girl Nicole Berthois works hard to support her family in a wine-making village in Champagne. Her life changes forever when she falls in love with handsome aristocrat Philippe de Tramont. The young lovers marry despite his mother’s objections, and Nicole’s strength and determination help her husband to follow his dreams. But then tragedy strikes; Philippe is killed and Nicole must struggle to raise their two small children as a young widow. She faces many challenges as she tries to win her mother-in-law’s approval, and build her husband’s legacy into a great champagne dynasty. But will illicit passions, war and a shocking family secret destroy all she has worked to achieve?

  ‘Tessa Barclay always spins a fine yarn. Her novels are gripping and entertaining.’ Wendy Craig

  ‘Filled with fascinating historical detail and teeming with human passions.’ Marie Joseph

  ‘A red hot contender for the Romantic Novelist of the Year Award.’ Daily Mirror

  Read The Wine Widow now from Amazon UK

  Read The Wine Widow now from Amazon.com

  Read The Wine Widow now from Amazon AUS

  Lily’s Daughter by Diana Raymond

  A poignant coming of age story set in 1930s England, told with warmth and wit.