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CHAPTER ONE

CALLIE added jaetting ready soon, but lingering reluctantly over her breakfast,herself another cup of coffee After all, it wasn’t a long drive from London to Berkshire

She wished she didn’t have to go, that Jeff hadn’t put her in this position Hadn’t she gone through enough the last six months—her mother’s death, Jeff’s own death in a car accident, and now she had to meet his family, a family who hadn’t even wanted to speak to her theh a lawyer She had disliked Jaht

He had sat in that dusty-looking office, surrounded by rows and rows of huge official-looking books, the whole roo like awith the roo down his nose at her as he informed her she was the sole beneficiary of Jeff’s will

‘I aasped ‘Oh, but surely there must be some mistake,’ she protested

Jaht so too, and that Jeff, dear kind, loving Jeff, had made it! ‘I can assure you there is no hty voice ‘I was Mr Spencer’s lawyer for many years, did in fact draw up this will for him Caroline Day, 28, Hill Apartments, London That is you, isn’t it?’

‘Well…yes But I don’t want any of—of that,’ she pointed wildly at the will laid out in front of the lawyer

He looked at her as if she were slightly deranged ‘Three-quarters of a million pounds, seven hundred and sixty-three thousand pounds, to be exact—’

‘Oh, let’s be exact,’ she said shrilly, sure thisabout Jeff hadn’t been rich, not that rich anyway Three-quarters of a inable

Jalasses ‘I was being exact,’ he said stiffly ‘There is also the matter of thirty-seven and a half per cent of the shares of Spencer Plastics—’

‘Spencer Plastics?’ she questioned sharply

His et on a lot quicker, Miss Day, if you would refrain fro me’

‘Yes, but Spencer Plastics? Sorry,’ she old-rirey of the sea on a winter’s day

Had she gone mad? She had looked warily at the letter when it had arrived last week, should have guessed there was so when she had telephoned the office of Seymour, Seye the reason for requesting to see her over the telephone

‘If we could continue?’ James Seymour said woodenly

‘Go ahead Ilook

‘Mr Spencer, Mr Jeffrey Spencer, that is, left you his shares in the family company—’

‘You mean Jeff—I mean Jeffrey, was related to the Spencers of Spencer Plastics?’ Even she had heard of the powerful Spencer family, Sir Charles and Lady Spencer, and Sir Charles’ sister Cicely But surely the Charles and Cissy Jeff had sometimes spoken of couldn’t be them…?

‘Jeffrey Spencer was Sir Charles’ younger brother,’ she was informed distantly

It hat she had already guessed, what she had dreaded hiiven any indication—Dear God, that family would eat her alive if she dared to claim those shares!

‘I—Do they know about me?’ she asked nervously