After France surrendered, Britain stood alone for a year. And then, because of Winston Churchill’s pleas to President Roosevelt, Lend-Lease was created, and America began to send food and ammunitions to Britain. After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and destroyed three-quarters of America’s Pacific Fleet, President Roosevelt declared war on Japan, and then on Germany. They had joined Britain in the fight, and if America had not become Britain’s ally I’m not sure what would have happened. As we know we won the war together.
I owe thanks to a number of people who were involved in the writing of this book. Lonnie Ostrow of Bradford Enterprises helps in many different ways. Most especially, he is a whiz at the computer and somehow manages to get all of my changes and edits onto the manuscript with good humor and usually under a lot of pressure. I would like to thank Linda Sullivan of WordSmart for producing a perfectly typed script, without typos!
My editor at St. Martin’s Press, Sr. Vice President and Publisher Jennifer Enderlin, is a great sounding board, and I appreciate her ideas and her enormous enthusiasm for my books. Many thanks to Jennifer; her assistant, Caitlin Dareff; and the rest of Jennifer’s team. Thanks are also due to Sally Richardson, President and Publisher of St. Martin’s Press.
I am always thanking my husband last when really I should be thanking him first. Bob is the mainstay of my life and has never stopped encouraging me to write and given me the space to do so. He is wonderful the way he puts up with a wife constantly sitting alone in a room writing and he does so with humor and love. But when he feels it’s necessary, he comes in and makes me close shop, and I do. I am lucky to have such an understanding husband.
My female friends are always telling me that, and I now realize I must thank all of them for being so nice when I won’t make dates or cancel lunches and dinners because of my deadlines. You all know who you are and that I love you.
BOOKS BY BARBARA TAYLOR BRADFORD
Series
THE CAVENDON CHRONICLES
Cavendon Hall
The Cavendon Women
The Cavendon Luck
THE EMMA HARTE SAGA
A Woman of Substance
Hold the Dream
To Be the Best
Emma’s Secret
Unexpected Blessings
Just Rewards
Breaking the Rules
THE RAVENSCAR TRILOGY
The Ravenscar Dynasty
The Heir
Being Elizabeth
OTHERS
Voice of the Heart
Act of Will
The Women in His Life
Remember
Angel
Everything to Gain
Dangerous to Know
Love in Another Town
Her Own Rules
A Secret Affair
Power of a Woman
A Sudden Change of Heart
Where You Belong
The Triumph of Katie Byrne
Three Weeks in Paris
Playing the Game
Letter from a Stranger
Secrets from the Past
About the Author
BARBARA TAYLOR BRADFORD was born and brought up in England and started her writing career as a journalist. She has written thirty international bestsellers. The Cavendon Luck is her thirty-first novel. 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. Visit www.barbarataylorbradford.com. Or sign up for email updates here.
Thank you for buying this
St. Martin’s Press ebook.
To receive special offers, bonus content,
and info on new releases and other great reads,
sign up for our newsletters.
Or visit us online at
us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup
For email updates on the author, click here.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
PART ONE: The Inghams & The Swanns: 1938
Predictions
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Foreign Intrigue
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Eighteen
Games of Chance
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-one
Twenty-two
Twenty-three
Twenty-four
Love in Many Guises
Twenty-five
Twenty-six
Twenty-seven
Twenty-eight
Twenty-nine
Thirty
Thirty-one
Thirty-two
Thirty-three
Thirty-four
Thirty-five
Thirty-six
Thirty-seven
Thirty-eight
Thirty-nine
Forty
No Good-Bye
Forty-one
Forty-two
Forty-three
Forty-four
Forty-five
PART TWO: Women & War: 1939–1945
Against All Odds
Forty-six
Forty-seven
Forty-eight
Forty-nine
Land of Hope and Glory
Fifty
Fifty-one
Fifty-two
Fifty-three
Fifty-four
Fifty-five
Fifty-six
Fifty-seven
Blitz
Fifty-eight
Fifty-nine
Standing Tall
Sixty
Sixty-one
Sixty-two
Sixty-three
Acknowledgments
Books by Barbara Taylor Bradford
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE CAVENDON LUCK. Copyright © 2016 by Beaji Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Cover design by Danielle Christopher
Cover photograph © Elisabeth Ansley/Trevillion Images
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-09127-7 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-250-09129-1 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781250091291
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
First Edition: June 2016