Page 15 (1/2)

PROLOGUE

PENNY ran lightly across the field, leapt over the fence into the old stable yard, and headed straight for the back door of the house She was late and Veronica would kill her Penny had promised to return before five to babysit her half-brother, while her stepmother went to the hairdresser But her boss in the antique shop had been late getting back, and then Penny had buhter, and Jane’s brother Simon

Si holiday in the Hiirls, he was full of his experiences, and waxed lyrical about his prowess as a hted because her older sister Patricia, asho her new baby with her Penny was pleased for her friends but it had delayed her even more

‘Sorry, sorry,’ Penny yelled as she dashed into the rear porch that led to the kitchen

Veronica stood, baby Ja to be late and you kno iht We have invited Mr Maffeiano and his PA, and with a bit of luck not only will Maffeiano buy the land, and solve our ioing into business with Julian It could be theof your father, and heaven knoe need the income to keep this place up’

It was the familiar moan, and Penny shrivelled a little inside Veronica wasn’t a bad person; in fact, when she had first ot on well It was only when Veronica had given birth to a baby boy tenof when James would inherit the estate, and her husband had disabused her of the notion, infor her Haversham Park was always left to the oldest child, irrespective of sex, that she’d changed

Penny’s own mother had died of cancer when Penny was thirteen, and for a while her father had been depressed But four years later he had met and married Veronica

‘Well, take him, for heaven’s sake! I have to dash,’ Veronica snapped

‘Sorry, Veronica,’ Penny apologised again, reaching out and taking Jalance at her step uncharitably that it was a how quickly Veronica had lost interest in Penny, and to some extent the baby, when she’d realised her husband wasn’t as wealthy as she’d thought

‘Sorry isn’t good enough—we really do need the oing to university will nowhere near cover the cost of keeping you at college for three more Your father will have to pay Heavens! We can’t even afford a caterer! Feed James, and put hi The woman is far too old to work and she flatly refused to take Ja she was too busy The nerve of the woman’

‘Okay,’ Penny agreed as Veronica swept out Penny sighed with relief as she walked into the kitchen

‘She’s gone and left you holding the baby again,’ Mrs Brown, the live-in housekeeper, rerimly

‘I don’tJa his bottle and food

“Brownie”, as Penny called her, had lived at Havershaine the house without her Much as Veronica coet rid of her

However, this was probably because Broorked for a small salary and, more importantly, Veronica did not cook… In fact Veronica’s one aiood and be part of what she called the social scene This apparently, entailed flitting back and forward to London for dinners and charity balls

Penny griht’s dinner Veronica had persuaded her father to take her to an exclusive charity event in London As luck would have it, Veronica had bumped into an old friend of hers, a business had led to another, and apparently the olf course Personally Penny could not see the point but, as her father had explained, there was noany ht; this was an ideal opportunity for Julian to make some money and her father alht ruefully Who could bla wife and he just wanted to keep her happy

But Penny took heart in the fact they would still keep the home she loved, a stone-built Tudor-styled house set in five acres of parkland, and she began feeding James with a smile on her face

Once he was fed and happy, Penny left Ja room with the finest dalance at her wrist-watch she dashed back to the kitchen