Secrets of Cavendon: A gripping historical saga full of intrigue and drama. Barbara Taylor Bradford

and visit at weekends. They are Alicia, 35; Charles, 31; the twins Thomas and Andrew, 28; and Annabel, 25.

      Lady Dulcie Ingham, youngest sister of the Earl, aged 41. She lives in London and at Skelldale Manor at Cavendon. She is married to Sir James Brentwood, 56, one of England’s greatest actors, who was knighted by King George VI. They have three children: twins Rosalind and Juliet, 20, and a son, Henry, 17.

      The three sisters of the Earl are now referred to affectionately as the Three Dees by the staff.

      BETWEEN STAIRS

      THE SECOND FAMILY: THE SWANNS

      The Swann family has been in service to the Ingham family for almost two hundred years. Consequently, their lives have been intertwined in many different ways. Generations of Swanns have lived in Little Skell village, adjoining Cavendon Park, and still do. The present-day Swanns are as devoted and loyal to the Inghams as their forebears were, and would defend any member of the family with their lives. The Inghams trust them implicitly, and vice versa.

      THE SWANNS IN 1949

      Walter Swann, aged 71; father of Cecily and Harry. Head of the Swann family, and in charge of security at Cavendon Hall.

      Alice Swann, his wife, aged 68, the mother of Cecily and Harry. Alice runs most of the village events and helps to run the Women’s Institute alongside the Dowager Countess.

      Harry, son, aged 51, a former apprentice landscape gardener at Cavendon Hall. He is now running the estate. He has also created beautiful gardens which draw the public.

      Cecily, daughter, aged 48. She is married to Miles and is a world-renowned fashion designer.

      Paloma Swann, 38, wife of Harry, and mother of their children: Edward, 10; Patricia, 8; and Charles, 6. She is a well-known photographer.

      OTHER SWANNS

      Percy, younger brother of Walter, aged 68. Head gamekeeper at Cavendon.

      Edna, wife of Percy, aged 69. Does occasional work at Cavendon.

      Joe, their son, aged 48. Works with his father as assistant head gamekeeper.

      Bill, first cousin of Walter, aged 63. Head landscape gardener at Cavendon. He is widowed.

      Ted, first cousin of Walter, aged 74. Head of interior maintenance and carpentry at Cavendon. Widowed.

      Paul, son of Ted, aged 50, working with his father as an interior designer and carpenter at Cavendon. Single.

      Eric, brother of Ted, first cousin of Walter, aged 69. Head butler at Cavendon Hall. Single.

      Charlotte, aunt of Walter and Percy, aged 81. Now Dowager Countess of Mowbray. Charlotte is the matriarch of the Swann and Ingham families. She is treated with great love and respect by everyone. Charlotte was the secretary and personal assistant to David Ingham, the 5th Earl, until his death. She married the 6th Earl in 1926, who predeceased her during World War II.

      Dorothy Pinkerton, née Swann, aged 66, cousin of Charlotte. She lives in London and is married to Howard Pinkerton, 66, a Scotland Yard detective. She works with Cecily at Cecily Swann Couture in London.

      CHARACTERS BELOW STAIRS

      Mr Eric Swann, Head butler

      Mrs Peggy Swift Lane, Housekeeper

      Mrs Lois Waters, Cook

      Miss Mary Lowden, Head housemaid

      Miss Vera Gower, Second housemaid

      Mr Philip Carlton, Chauffeur

      OTHER EMPLOYEES

      Miss Angela Chambers, nanny for Cecily’s daughter Gwen, addressed as Nanny or Nan.

      THE OUTDOOR WORKERS

      A stately home such as Cavendon Hall, with thousands of acres of land, and a huge grouse moor, employs local people. This is its purpose for being, as well as providing a private home for a great family. It offers employment to the local villagers, and also land for local tenant farmers. The villages surrounding Cavendon were built by various earls of Mowbray to provide housing for their workers; churches and schools were also built, as well as post offices and small shops at later dates. The villages around Cavendon are Little Skell, Mowbray and High Clough.

      There are a number of outside workers: a head gamekeeper and five additional gamekeepers; beaters and flankers who work when the grouse season starts and the Guns arrive at Cavendon to shoot. Other outdoor workers include woodsmen, who take care of the surrounding woods for shooting in the lowlands at certain times of the year. The gardens are cared for by a head landscape gardener, and five other gardeners working under him.

      The grouse season starts in August, on the Glorious Twelfth, as it is called. It finishes in December. The partridge season begins in September. Duck and wild fowl are shot at this time. Pheasant shooting starts on the 1 November and goes on until December. The men who come to shoot, usually aristocrats, are always referred to as the Guns, i.e., the men using the gun.

       PART ONE

       A Rip in the Fabric 1949

      Yesterday’s weaving is as irrevocable

      as yesterday.

      I may not draw out the threads, but I

      may change my shuttle.

      Muriel Strode-Lieberman,

      My Little Book of Life

       ONE

      Cecily Swann Ingham, the 7th Countess of Mowbray, was on the steps of the office annexe, looking out across the stable block, her eyes focused on Cavendon Hall perched high on the hill in front of her.

      It was a lovely June morning, and the luminous light particular to the north of England cast a sheen across the soaring roof and chimney tops, which appeared to shimmer under the clear, bright sky.

      How glorious the house looks today, she thought: stately, grand, strong and safe. She smiled wryly to herself. It wasn’t safe at all, in her opinion. Not in reality.

      Sadly, as grand as the house looked this morning, it was facing serious trouble once more in its long life, and she was genuinely worried about its future, the future of the entire estate, including the grouse moor, as well as the Ingham family itself.

      Cecily sighed, closed her eyes, shutting out the view. Cavendon had bled them dry for years, and taken an enormous amount of their time. They had each made huge sacrifices for it, and all of them had at one time or another poured money into the bottomless pit it had become, particularly Cecily herself.

      Opening her eyes, straightening, she wondered how on earth they would manage to stave off the encroaching trouble, which was slowly but steadily moving forward to engulf them. If she was truthful with herself, she had to admit she had no idea. For once in her life she felt entirely helpless, unable to create a foolproof plan of action.

      The clatter of hooves cut into her worrisome thoughts, and she opened her eyes. Her brother, Harry, was crossing the cobbled stable yard, accompanied by Miles, who walked alongside the horse.

      Her husband spotted her, raised his hand in greeting, smiled at her – that special smile reserved for her alone. Her heart tightened at the delighted look that crossed his face, because he had seen her unexpectedly.

      Harry waved; she waved back, and watched her brother leave the yard. He was off on his Saturday morning