Rejection Runs Deep (The Canleigh Series, book 1: A chilling psychological family drama), Carole Williams [ebook reader 8 inch .TXT] 📗

   REJECTION RUNS DEEP 

 CAROLE WILLIAMS

 Amazon Kindle Edition

Copyright 2017 Carole Williams

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the prior permission in writing of the author, except for brief quotations used for promotion or in reviews.

This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places and incidents are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any persons, businesses, locales or events is entirely coincidental.

To the reader:

Thank you so much for choosing to read Rejection Runs Deep, a novel that has taken me a long time to write.  From the reviews and feedback since publication in October 2017, and the enthusiasm for Delia’s Daughter and Katrina, the remainder of the Canleigh series, I am pleased to discover that a large number of people are enjoying my writing and I hope you do too.

If you do enjoy it, I would be extremely grateful if you could visit Amazon and leave a review.  Reviews are very important to authors as they help us sell more books and place us higher up in Amazon’s rankings, so each one is exceedingly precious.  If you are not sure how to do this, please clink one of the links below and then scroll down to the reviews, where you will see ‘write a review’.  Just a sentence or two and a star rating will be gratefully received.

US:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B076YZQW57/

UK:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076YZQW57/

THE SECRET, the FREE, shocking, dramatic prequel to the Canleigh series is now available too.  Just go to

 www.carolewilliamsbooks.com/sign-up to receive it, along with other freebies such as my thriller short story, YES DEAR.

Happy reading!!

Carole Williams.

FOREWORD BY LADY DELIA CANLEIGH

When Carole Williams informed me that she was going to write the story of what had happened with my family and my beloved Canleigh over the last fifty odd years, I was appalled.  Then I thought about it in more depth.  Perhaps it wasn’t such a bad idea to allow anyone who was interested, to read a correct record of what occurred.  After all, we all know newspaper coverage is often exaggerated or not even true, don’t we?

So, as you embark on hearing about our dysfunctional family and more to the point, the somewhat dreadful things I did because I was jealous, angry and rejected time and time again, please keep in mind that I am only human … and I feel pain too.

It all started the day I discovered at a very young age, that I was not to inherit Canleigh.   I was devastated but my father was adamant that I should never have it.  I hated him for that … and I hated my mother too … the Duchess of Canleigh, or more to the point, the whore of Canleigh.  She was a complete and utter slag of a woman but you will find out more in the next few chapters.  Thank God for Granny, the Dowager Duchess of Canleigh.  She was my rock and I loved her unconditionally … then she died … hurried to her grave by my mother … and yes, my father … and my life took a different turn from that moment on.

But, I am giving too much away.  If your interest is piqued, you should read on to find out what Canleigh was like, what we were like, what we did and how, more importantly, instead of marrying some damned Earl or other and producing a brood of aristocratic children, I ended up full of hate and became a notorious villain with my name known far and wide.  Enjoy!

PROLOGUE SEPTEMBER 1950

As she clasped him to her firmly and felt the joy of him entering her, she knew she shouldn’t be here with him now … only a week before her wedding …  but couldn’t help herself. Jimmy, the exceedingly desirable, self-professed gambler and cheat, always made her feel this way … utterly uncaring of her reputation, craving his attention and the feel of his hands on her body and all the delicious sensations he aroused in her.  God, it was heaven … but it was the last time … it had to be … more’s the pity.  She had nearly ruined her reputation dallying with him last year.  It had been touch and go and only by a massive effort on the part of her relatives, had she been saved, and could go on to enjoy a tarnished free life as the future Duchess of Canleigh.  She might not be so lucky again and now, on the brink of her new, exciting muchly improved status, she was risking utter ruin.  No-one would help her if she messed up again.  So, it had to stop and today.

Following another shuddering, intense orgasm, Margaret uncurled herself from his long and lanky body, pulled herself upright in the bed and lit a cigarette.  He put out a hand to take it from her.  She gave it to him and lit another.

“As much as that was sensational,” she said, exhaling the smoke at the same time as him.  “And it was … as it always is … you know this has to stop now.  This is the last time.  The wedding is next week and as much as I loathe the idea of having children, I need to get pregnant by my husband as soon as possible so that I have my feet well and truly under the Canleigh table, so to speak.”

“Ah, yes, the Duchess of Canleigh,” he grinned.  “I take it mere peasants, such as myself, will have to bow to you once you take up your new position in society?”

“Don’t be daft.  That’s only for royalty, as well you know … and as eminent as Charles is, he is not royalty.”

“How long then … a couple of years … until you produce the much-needed heirs?”

“A couple of years for what?”

“Before you can sneak away to see me again?