1. Only Time Will Tell
Harry Clifton grows up in the dockside streets of Bristol believing that his father died in the First World War. His singing voice wins him a place at a prestigious school, where he becomes friends with Giles Barrington and comes into contact with the wealthy family…
2. The Sins of the Father
In 1939 Harry Clifton joins the Merchant Navy and sails across the Atlantic, attempting to leave behind the dispute over his identity and his forbidden relationship with Emma Barrington. When his ship is sunk by a German U-boat, he survives alongside an American officer, Tom Bradshaw.…
3. Best Kept Secret
In 1945 the House of Lords must determine whether Giles Barrington or Harry Clifton is the lawful heir to the Barrington title and estate. The ruling reshapes both families as Britain enters the post-war period. Giles begins a parliamentary career, Harry establishes himself as a writer,…
4. Be Careful What You Wish For
A road accident leaves Sebastian Clifton’s future uncertain and intensifies the conflict between the Clifton family and the Martinezes. At Barrington Shipping, Emma Clifton’s attempt to modernise and protect the company brings her into a boardroom struggle with men willing to use political pressure, financial manipulation…
5. Mightier Than the Sword
An IRA bomb placed aboard the MV Buckingham threatens the passengers, the Barrington shipping company and Emma Clifton’s position as its chairman. The attack connects a family business dispute to the violence of the Troubles, while political and legal enemies continue trying to force Emma from…
6. Cometh the Hour
Giles Barrington’s relationship with Karin Brandt draws him into an intelligence struggle across the Iron Curtain, where affection and political allegiance cannot easily be separated. Harry Clifton continues campaigning for the imprisoned Soviet author Anatoly Babakov, whose book about Joseph Stalin has made him a target…
7. This Was a Man
The final volume resolves the intelligence operation surrounding Karin Barrington and follows the older generation as careers built over several decades approach their conclusions. Emma Clifton is invited by Margaret Thatcher to take on a public role, while Giles remains involved in politics and Harry faces…