The Secret Heiress

  I’m a bowerbird when it comes to historical research, plucking nuggets of facts from sources and throwing them into the messy nest that somehow becomes a book. My earlier drafts had more evidence of this before the needs of plotting and pace forced me to be brutal. I hope enough of the glitter remains, however, for the reader to realise, as I did, that the Australian character was set in stone long before the modern age. Our insolent optimism in the face of adversity, our good-natured dismissal of authority figures, and our steadfast love of humour as the weapon of choice are all to be found in our past. These things aren’t new, as any Aboriginal Australian will tell you without having to read any book. When the first Europeans found themselves beached here they simply sniffed the prevailing wind.

  The works of two historians proved particularly gem laden for me: Michael Cannon’s fascinating ‘Australia in the Victorian Age’ histories, Life in the Cities and Life in the Country; and Geoffrey Blainey’s wonderfully eclectic Black Kettle and Full Moon: Daily Life in a Vanished Australia.

  Luke Devenish

  February 2016

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Luke Devenish has written plays and historical fiction, and worked as a writer and script producer for much-loved, long running Australian television dramas. His first two novels, Den of Wolves and Nest of Vipers, about the women behind the men of Ancient Rome, were translated into five languages, earning him a passionate international readership. A film and television academic at the University of Melbourne’s Victorian College of the Arts, Luke is as fervent about teaching as he is about writing, and is enjoyed for his lively, inspiring classes. Luke lives with his partner and pets in historic Castlemaine, Central Victoria.

  Visit www.lukedevenish.com

  THE SECRET HEIRESS

  First published in Australia in 2016 by

  Simon & Schuster (Australia) Pty Limited

  Suite 19A, Level 1, 450 Miller Street, Cammeray, NSW 2062

  A CBS Company

  Sydney New York London Toronto New Delhi

  Visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.au

  © Luke Devenish 2016

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher.

  National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

  Creator:  Devenish, Luke, 1966- author.

  Title:  The secret heiress/Luke Devenish.

  ISBN:  9781922052155 (paperback)

       9781922052179 (ebook)

  Subjects: Historical fiction.

  Dewey Number: A823.4

  Cover design: Blue Cork

  Cover image: Joana Kruse/Arcangel

  Typeset by Midland Typesetters, Australia