Clifton Chronicles #4
In the previous book, Harry and Emma (Barrington) Clifton’s son, Sebastian, was roped into a scheme to bring a statue from Argentina to England for Don Pedro Martinez, not knowing the statue is full of counterfeit money. The scheme is discovered, and the money destroyed. Don Pedro tries to have Sebastian killed in a car wreck, but is unaware his son Bruno is also in the car.
BEWYWF opens with us learning that Sebastian was killed. But then we quickly learn that the police misidentified the body and it was actually Bruno who was killed. Don Pedro vows revenge on the entire Clifton/Barrington families. He buys up shares of Barrington Shipping and puts Major Alex Fisher (Giles Barrington and Harry’s old nemesis) on the board. At that time, Barrington Shipping decides to add a very expensive luxury liner to its flight. The current Chairman, Ross Buchanan, thinks this is a bad idea and resigns. The board elects Emma to the position, causing Alex Fisher to lose by one vote, a vote that should have been cast by his wife, who voted for Emma. Susan Fisher goes on to divorce Major Fisher and tries to screw him in any way possible. Don Pedro meets with people in the IRA who can make sure the ship’s construction is sabotaged at every level.
While in the hospital recovering from the accident, Sebastic meets Cedric Hardcastle, who is the chairman of a large and successful bank. He is impressed buy Seb and offers him a position as his personal assistant. At the same time, he also buys up shares and joins the board at Barrington’s.
Meanwhile, Jessica Clifton (the adopted daughter who is actually the child of Emma’s philandering father) is off to art school. She doesn’t know her parentage. At school, she demonstrates amazing talent, and falls in love. While visiting her fiancee’s family, the Binghams (who own a very successful fish paste factory), Jessica overhears Lady Virginia (Gile’s vindictive ex) telling Mrs Bingham about Jessica’s parentage. Distraught, Jessica goes home to discover that Don Pedro’s son has destroyed her paintings. She kills herself.
At this point, Cedric Hardcastle deciders revenge is in order. Don Pedro, meanwhile, has decided to drop his final bombshell: he will sell off all his shares, and at the same time Alex Fisher will publically resign, claiming he’s not confident in the company. This will cause Barrington’s to fail and go bankrupt. Hardcastle figures out the scheme and through some complicated finagling, manages to have Mr Bingham buy all the shares that Don Pedro sells. In the end, Don Pedro is bankrupt, his sons are arrested for various crimes commited during this scheming, and his right hand man Karl is deported to Israel where he will be tried for Nazi war crimes.
The new ship, the Buckingham, prepares to set out on its maiden voyage. Harry and Emma, Giles (but not his wife Gwynneth who has just had a baby), Sebastian and his new girlfriend Sam are all on board. Don Pedro has once again conspired with the IRA and has managed to get a bomb on board the ship. The book ends with the bomb going off.