Wife After Wife, page 42
• • •
Fate intervened. On Monday morning, the news broke. The press had been talking to Darius Draper, estate manager at Kindrummon Castle.
The revelations about Harry Rose were shocking. Until now, apart from a wobble during the factory closures episode, the British public had held the man who’d become part of their tapestry in deep affection. There had been outpourings of sympathy for the tragedies he’d endured—four wives dead, all far too young. They’d been pleased for him when he married Clare, who seemed such a lovely lady, and horrified when they heard about the shooting accident in Scotland that had almost killed him.
Except, it wasn’t an accident. Monday’s Daily Mirror claimed it was a murder attempt by a former mistress, Miranda “Merry” McCarey, who also happened to be the sister of Harry’s second wife, Ana.
Merry’s close friend Darius Draper said: “I had no idea she was planning this, but she’s always said Harry Rose ruined her life. And recently she’d been acting very strangely, claiming he killed her sister. Percy North, who was engaged to Ana before she married Harry, came to see Merry and put all sorts of ideas in her head about a Russian assassin! When Merry found out Harry was coming up for a pheasant shoot, she got this look in her eye. I should have realized what she was planning.”
HARRY THE HYPOCRITE! screamed the Sun on Tuesday, reminding readers how Harry’s coldhearted behavior had driven lovely young Caitlyn Rose to throw herself off a bridge. She’d been friendless, with no family, in the grip of an evil drug dealer, and Harry had been her savior. Until he’d turned his back on her.
HARRY’S MOSCOW MURDERER? inquired the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday:
Harry Rose’s second wife, Ana, almost certainly didn’t die of natural causes, claims his ex-lawyer, Tom Cranwell. Although Cranwell has no evidence to back up his theory, he told the Daily Telegraph that he believes a Russian associate of Harry’s arranged her assassination after she demanded half of his empire as her divorce settlement. Cranwell, who was dismissed from Rose Corp. for sexual harassment, refused to name Harry’s alleged Russian accomplice, but at the time there was considerable Russian investment in the media giant . . .
On Thursday, Zara Lively, former face of Rose Air, took to Twitter: Harry Rose sexually harassed me #MeToo.
Harry sank back on his pillows. Surely it was only a matter of time before “Harry’s secret love child” made an appearance.
He was finished.
* * *
• • •
“I’ll ask you again, Harry,” said Clare. “Is it true—about your part in Ana’s death?”
They were sitting in the living room on Sunday morning, curtains drawn against the press pack outside. The day before, Clare and Eliza had fetched Harry from the hospital. This was the first time she’d raised the topic of the media revelations.
“There may be a few truths. I’m sorry you had to find out this way. But the press have twisted everything, as per.”
“These things they’re saying—I’m still processing them. I can’t take it all in.”
“Then don’t. I’ll tell you what really happened.”
Eliza came into the room. “Dad, have you seen the Sunday Times?”
“Funnily enough, I’m avoiding the papers today.”
“You need to read this,” she said, holding out her iPad.
The headline read: THE TRUTH ABOUT HARRY ROSE? He checked the byline: Terri.
“Go on, read it,” said Eliza. “And then I want to talk about Mum. Ana. Properly. None of your usual bullsh—spin.”
Harry processed Terri’s words. Clare and Eliza sat watching him.
Terri painted a picture of a brilliant but deeply flawed man, one who’d made terrible misjudgments when it came to the women in his life. Harry Rose loved women, but he’d “loved” them in ways that had harmed them, been deadly, even. In spite of his track record, he still insisted he’d always tried to do the right thing, even when what he’d convinced himself was right clearly wasn’t. And often that concerned how to off-load one woman so he could move on to the next.
Harry’s refusal to acknowledge the error of his ways, to confront his conscience, had led to mental-health issues and addictions. But Terri believed he was finally facing up to his mistakes, was serious about redeeming himself in the eyes of his family and the British public. Did he deserve a second chance? Or was it too late?
What now for Rose Corp.? she asked. Harry’s position at the top was surely untenable in light of the recent revelations. His daughters, Maria and Eliza, were heirs to the Rose crown and showed great promise. Maria was breaking new ground with her ethics policies at Rose, while Eliza had all her father’s charm and brilliance, and none of his obsession with the opposite sex. In fact, reported Terri, she’d resolved to remain a virgin for the foreseeable!
Perhaps it was time for Harry to take a back seat.
Harry put down the iPad.
“Dad,” said Eliza. “I want to know the truth. Did you know Mum was going to die?”
“No, Eliza. Truthfully, I didn’t. Andre made a remark about Russians knowing how to deal with troublesome wives, but I didn’t take him seriously. Obviously I should have done.”
“Is that all he said?”
Harry didn’t meet her eye.
“Well, Dad?”
“He offered to make ‘my problem’ go away. I never said I wanted that.”
“But you never said you didn’t.”
“I don’t remember the exact conversation. It was so long ago.”
She balled her fists and shut her eyes, then made them all jump with a short, loud scream. “Dad! Will you listen to yourself? Still not taking responsibility!”
“Steady on.”
“No, I won’t. Right, this is what’s going to happen. You took what I loved most from me, so maybe I should do the same to you. Terri’s right. You truly want redemption? Then retire. Take yourself away from temptation, give up your power. Maria and I will take over, with Terri’s help. Rose will be run by women.”
Clare was nodding. “You may not have killed Ana,” she said, “but you must accept some responsibility for her death. And Caitlyn’s. And Terri filled me in on your treatment of Merry, and how you cheated on Katie throughout your marriage to her. Then there was Janette, who you were carrying on with just after poor Ana had lost her baby, maybe before. I’m trying to come to terms with all this, Harry. I’m not at all sure I can.”
Eliza looked stricken. “Mum, please . . . don’t leave. Eddie and I love you. We’ve lost too many mums.”
“Darling, you know I love you and Eddie. I’ll always be part of your lives. And I love Harry. But he hasn’t been honest with me, he’s kept so much hidden. I’d have to live with that. I’ll need time to think.”
“Clare . . .” said Harry. “I can change. I already have. Thanks to you.”
“If you want redemption, you’re going to have to prove that,” she said. “And Terri’s right. You can’t possibly carry on as head of Rose Corp. after all these revelations. You should do as Eliza says—give up your power, step down. Let Rose be run by women.”
* * *
• • •
Harry lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The space beside him was empty.
How had it come to this? He’d lost everything. The British media had brought him down. Hoist with his own petard.
Clare had exiled him to the spare room and was talking about spending time by herself in the Lakes while she considered their future.
Eliza didn’t know what to believe about his involvement in Ana’s death; he’d lost her trust.
Maria—well, Maria had hated him ever since he left Katie.
Eddie was back at school, wondering if he was about to lose another stepmother.
And to have any chance of regaining what he’d lost, Harry was going to have to step down from Rose. Give up his raison d’être, his life’s work, his father’s legacy.
But if that was what it would take, then so be it. He’d win back their love, their trust. And he’d earn the right to return to Rose.
The redemption of Harry Rose starts here.
EPILOGUE
Eliza
July 2018
Thanks, Rob,” said Eliza as the intern handed out lattes in compostable cups. Still a prototype, they quickly broke down to become food for the roses in the Ana Rose Atrium.
The cups were one of the products being tested under the new Green Rose brand Eliza was setting up before returning to Oxford in the autumn. She would work at Rose during her university breaks, and Maria would be acting CEO until Eliza finished her degree.
Terri was mentoring the sisters while they settled into their new roles, and the three were holding their usual morning briefing meeting.
“He’s cute!” said Terri, winking at Eliza as Rob left the room.
“Terri . . .” warned Maria, drawing her thick brows together.
“Joke, Maria. Where’s bloody Aleesha?”
“She’s dropping her son off upstairs,” said Eliza.
Since Harry’s retirement, they’d turned his vast top-floor office suite into a crèche. Staff could head up there whenever they needed to, and studies were already showing increased productivity and retention of female staff.
“Have you seen today’s Guardian?” asked Terri.
“Yes. Go, us!” said Eliza. The piece—HARRY’S DAUGHTERS PIONEER NEW ERA AT ROSE—highlighted the recent policy changes at the company, which were focused on equality and ethics. The article hinted at the dawning of a golden age for women in media.
Eliza’s phone buzzed; Harry’s name flashed up on the screen.
“Hi, Dad.”
“How’s the virgin queen?”
“Stop it.” Harry still teased Eliza remorselessly about the quote in Terri’s article. “Are you still in the Lakes?” she said.
“I am, yes.”
Eliza switched her phone to speaker so Maria could hear.
“And is Clare with you?”
“Right here.”
“And . . . will she be coming home with you this time?”
It was Harry’s third trip to the north; on the first two Clare had told him she needed more time. Eliza’s heart was in her mouth as she waited for his reply. They all missed Clare terribly.
Harry’s words were unintelligible as a strong gust of wind obliterated his voice. It sounded as if he was en route to the South Pole.
“What, Dad? I can’t hear you.”
“I said, yes,” Harry shouted. “Clare’s coming home at last.”
“Thank God!” Eliza replied. There was another blast of wind. “That’s wonderful news. Where on earth are you?”
“On a hill. Fell. Great Cockup, actually. A metaphor for my life?”
“Honestly, Dad,” said Eliza.
“Fuck’s sake,” said Terri.
Cast of Characters
(continued)
ART ROSE [Arthur, Prince of Wales]
Harry’s older brother. Thoughtful and quiet. Dated Katie. Died while still a teenager.
MARGOT JAMES (née ROSE) [Princess Margaret; married King James of Scotland]
Harry’s older sister; married to a Scottish laird. No sense of humor. Harry never sees her.
MEGAN ROSE [Princess Mary; queen of France before her marriage to Charles Brandon]
Harry’s beloved little sister. In love with Harry’s (married) best friend, Charles.
MARIA ROSE [Queen Mary I; “Bloody Mary”]
Daughter of Harry and Katie. Intense, serious, deeply religious. Terrifies people.
ELIZA ROSE [Queen Elizabeth I]
Daughter of Harry and Ana. Vivacious and exceptionally bright; gets on with everyone.
EDDIE ROSE [King Edward VI]
Cute son of Harry and Janette.
HENRY BLUNT [Henry FitzRoy]
Son of Harry and Bennie.
HENRY ROSE [King Henry VII]
Harry’s father. Died while Harry was still at school.
ELIZABETH ROSE [Elizabeth of York]
Harry’s mother. Also died while Harry was at school.
GERMAINE [Germaine of Foix]
Katie’s stepmother. Formidable.
SIR THOMAS LYEBON and LADY ELIZABETH LYEBON [Sir Thomas and Lady Boleyn]
Ana’s parents. Live near Hever Castle, Kent.
“HOWIE” HOWE [Lord Edmund Howard]
Caitlyn’s father. Useless. Ran away to Thailand to avoid his creditors.
BENNIE BLUNT [Bessie Blount]
Harry’s first mistress. Barmaid in a Soho pub. Lively London girl. Looks like Madonna.
MIRANDA “MERRY” MCCAREY (née LYEBON) [Mary Boleyn]
Harry’s second mistress. Blond sex kitten. Ana’s sister. Married to gay whisky heir Will; lives in a Scottish castle.
CHARLES LISLE [Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk]
Harry’s best friend. Old Etonian; merchant banker. Womanizer.
CASSANDRA LISLE [no direct Tudor equivalent]
Wife of Charles Lisle. Good sort. Enjoys a tipple.
TERRI “BASKIN-” ROBBINS-MORE [Sir Thomas More]
Voice of Harry’s conscience. Left-wing northerner with strong sense of social justice. Editor of Rose Corp. magazine the Rack.
TOM WOLSTON [Thomas Wolsey]
Harry’s lawyer. Old-school.
TOM CRANWELL [Thomas Cromwell]
Tom Wolston’s ruthless replacement. A lech.
ANDRE SOKOLOV [no Tudor equivalent]
Russian billionaire oligarch. Football mad. Murky background.
OTHER ROSE STAFF
Richard York—board member and ex-chairman of Rose Corp.
Lesley—human resources. Best friend of Janette Morrissey.
Colin Hale—financial director.
Ben, Tina, and Aleesha—Harry’s PAs.
Nate Romano—art director, the Rack.
Lizzie—art editor, the Rack.
Mia Fox—editor, Hooray!
Jake—photographer, Hooray!
PERCY NORTH [Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland]
Ana Lyebon’s fiancé. Account director for ad agency BWG. Good-natured; bit of a poseur.
WILL “GORDON” MCCAREY [William Carey]
Gay husband of Merry Lyebon. Owner of whisky distillery and Scottish castle. A lovely chap.
DARIUS DRAPER
Interior designer and estate manager of Kindrummon Castle. Partner of Will McCarey.
DOC BUTTS [Henry VIII’s physician Dr. Butts]
Harry’s doctor.
MILLY and ARABELLA LISLE [Mary and Anne Brandon]
Daughters of Charles and Cassandra Lisle. Nicknames Thing One and Thing Two.
FRANCESCA and HELENA LISLE [Frances and Eleanor Brandon]
Daughters of Charles and Megan Lisle.
FRANKIE DENHAM [Francis Dereham]
On-again, off-again boyfriend of Caitlyn Howe. Manager of indie band Chaos; small-time drug dealer. A parasite.
TOMMY CULTRANE [Thomas Culpeper]
Pop idol; fellow judge with Caitlyn on TV talent show Rock God.
FLORENCE WELLS [no Tudor equivalent]
Caitlyn’s boss at Limelight PR.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Sincere thanks to my fabulous agents, Vicki Marsdon and Nadine Rubin Nathan at High Spot Literary, for their wise guidance and for being my sounding boards. Ladies, you are such a joy to work (and drink coffee) with!
Thanks to the teams at Little, Brown UK and Penguin Random House in the US, especially Emma Beswetherick and Amanda Bergeron. Your insight, expertise, and enthusiasm for this book made the editing process a real pleasure.
To my two reader crews, for valuable feedback on the first draft. In New Zealand: Jane Bloomfield (particularly knowledgeable on aftershave), Suzanne Main, Catherine Robertson, Julie Scott, and Penny Yates; and in the UK: Sue Anders, Alison Rose, Alice Snowdon, and the Reynolds sisters—Ailsa, Ali, Fiona, and Kath. This book is dedicated to the fifth sister we all miss so much.
Thanks as ever to my wonderfully supportive (redheaded) family—Michael, James, and Helena—who put up with my vagueness and dereliction of duty while my mind was full of that other redhead.
A final thanks to the New Zealand Society of Authors, who kicked off Harry’s epic journey from New Zealand to the UK and on to the USA.
A Conversation with Olivia Hayfield
What made you decide to undertake a modern-day retelling of Henry VIII and his wives?
I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Henry VIII and his wives. I remember going to see Anne of the Thousand Days when I was a girl, and being outraged at Henry’s treatment of Anne Boleyn. It stayed with me for years. I wanted to take that man down!
More recently, with certain powerful men in the spotlight regarding their attitudes toward women, I was reminded of Henry (something to do with the hair?). I started to wonder, what if Henry VIII lived today—were reincarnated, maybe? How would it play out? Supposing he’d grown up in the sixties and seventies, when feminism was blazing a path. And now, with the #MeToo movement. Perhaps it was time for me to give him his comeuppance by pitching him against modern-day versions of the women in his life, who wouldn’t stand for his behavior this time around.
So that’s what set me off. Except things didn’t play out quite as I’d expected . . .
Henry was a notorious philanderer and tyrant—how did you handle these traits when developing Harry into your hero?
Once I started researching properly, I was surprised to learn that in the context of the times, Henry wasn’t considered much of a philanderer at all (and I think it’s always important to view things in historical context). His French counterpart, François I, was far, far worse (good grief, that man!), as were most of the European rulers. Henry was quite restrained, in his kingly way.
Fate intervened. On Monday morning, the news broke. The press had been talking to Darius Draper, estate manager at Kindrummon Castle.
The revelations about Harry Rose were shocking. Until now, apart from a wobble during the factory closures episode, the British public had held the man who’d become part of their tapestry in deep affection. There had been outpourings of sympathy for the tragedies he’d endured—four wives dead, all far too young. They’d been pleased for him when he married Clare, who seemed such a lovely lady, and horrified when they heard about the shooting accident in Scotland that had almost killed him.
Except, it wasn’t an accident. Monday’s Daily Mirror claimed it was a murder attempt by a former mistress, Miranda “Merry” McCarey, who also happened to be the sister of Harry’s second wife, Ana.
Merry’s close friend Darius Draper said: “I had no idea she was planning this, but she’s always said Harry Rose ruined her life. And recently she’d been acting very strangely, claiming he killed her sister. Percy North, who was engaged to Ana before she married Harry, came to see Merry and put all sorts of ideas in her head about a Russian assassin! When Merry found out Harry was coming up for a pheasant shoot, she got this look in her eye. I should have realized what she was planning.”
HARRY THE HYPOCRITE! screamed the Sun on Tuesday, reminding readers how Harry’s coldhearted behavior had driven lovely young Caitlyn Rose to throw herself off a bridge. She’d been friendless, with no family, in the grip of an evil drug dealer, and Harry had been her savior. Until he’d turned his back on her.
HARRY’S MOSCOW MURDERER? inquired the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday:
Harry Rose’s second wife, Ana, almost certainly didn’t die of natural causes, claims his ex-lawyer, Tom Cranwell. Although Cranwell has no evidence to back up his theory, he told the Daily Telegraph that he believes a Russian associate of Harry’s arranged her assassination after she demanded half of his empire as her divorce settlement. Cranwell, who was dismissed from Rose Corp. for sexual harassment, refused to name Harry’s alleged Russian accomplice, but at the time there was considerable Russian investment in the media giant . . .
On Thursday, Zara Lively, former face of Rose Air, took to Twitter: Harry Rose sexually harassed me #MeToo.
Harry sank back on his pillows. Surely it was only a matter of time before “Harry’s secret love child” made an appearance.
He was finished.
* * *
• • •
“I’ll ask you again, Harry,” said Clare. “Is it true—about your part in Ana’s death?”
They were sitting in the living room on Sunday morning, curtains drawn against the press pack outside. The day before, Clare and Eliza had fetched Harry from the hospital. This was the first time she’d raised the topic of the media revelations.
“There may be a few truths. I’m sorry you had to find out this way. But the press have twisted everything, as per.”
“These things they’re saying—I’m still processing them. I can’t take it all in.”
“Then don’t. I’ll tell you what really happened.”
Eliza came into the room. “Dad, have you seen the Sunday Times?”
“Funnily enough, I’m avoiding the papers today.”
“You need to read this,” she said, holding out her iPad.
The headline read: THE TRUTH ABOUT HARRY ROSE? He checked the byline: Terri.
“Go on, read it,” said Eliza. “And then I want to talk about Mum. Ana. Properly. None of your usual bullsh—spin.”
Harry processed Terri’s words. Clare and Eliza sat watching him.
Terri painted a picture of a brilliant but deeply flawed man, one who’d made terrible misjudgments when it came to the women in his life. Harry Rose loved women, but he’d “loved” them in ways that had harmed them, been deadly, even. In spite of his track record, he still insisted he’d always tried to do the right thing, even when what he’d convinced himself was right clearly wasn’t. And often that concerned how to off-load one woman so he could move on to the next.
Harry’s refusal to acknowledge the error of his ways, to confront his conscience, had led to mental-health issues and addictions. But Terri believed he was finally facing up to his mistakes, was serious about redeeming himself in the eyes of his family and the British public. Did he deserve a second chance? Or was it too late?
What now for Rose Corp.? she asked. Harry’s position at the top was surely untenable in light of the recent revelations. His daughters, Maria and Eliza, were heirs to the Rose crown and showed great promise. Maria was breaking new ground with her ethics policies at Rose, while Eliza had all her father’s charm and brilliance, and none of his obsession with the opposite sex. In fact, reported Terri, she’d resolved to remain a virgin for the foreseeable!
Perhaps it was time for Harry to take a back seat.
Harry put down the iPad.
“Dad,” said Eliza. “I want to know the truth. Did you know Mum was going to die?”
“No, Eliza. Truthfully, I didn’t. Andre made a remark about Russians knowing how to deal with troublesome wives, but I didn’t take him seriously. Obviously I should have done.”
“Is that all he said?”
Harry didn’t meet her eye.
“Well, Dad?”
“He offered to make ‘my problem’ go away. I never said I wanted that.”
“But you never said you didn’t.”
“I don’t remember the exact conversation. It was so long ago.”
She balled her fists and shut her eyes, then made them all jump with a short, loud scream. “Dad! Will you listen to yourself? Still not taking responsibility!”
“Steady on.”
“No, I won’t. Right, this is what’s going to happen. You took what I loved most from me, so maybe I should do the same to you. Terri’s right. You truly want redemption? Then retire. Take yourself away from temptation, give up your power. Maria and I will take over, with Terri’s help. Rose will be run by women.”
Clare was nodding. “You may not have killed Ana,” she said, “but you must accept some responsibility for her death. And Caitlyn’s. And Terri filled me in on your treatment of Merry, and how you cheated on Katie throughout your marriage to her. Then there was Janette, who you were carrying on with just after poor Ana had lost her baby, maybe before. I’m trying to come to terms with all this, Harry. I’m not at all sure I can.”
Eliza looked stricken. “Mum, please . . . don’t leave. Eddie and I love you. We’ve lost too many mums.”
“Darling, you know I love you and Eddie. I’ll always be part of your lives. And I love Harry. But he hasn’t been honest with me, he’s kept so much hidden. I’d have to live with that. I’ll need time to think.”
“Clare . . .” said Harry. “I can change. I already have. Thanks to you.”
“If you want redemption, you’re going to have to prove that,” she said. “And Terri’s right. You can’t possibly carry on as head of Rose Corp. after all these revelations. You should do as Eliza says—give up your power, step down. Let Rose be run by women.”
* * *
• • •
Harry lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The space beside him was empty.
How had it come to this? He’d lost everything. The British media had brought him down. Hoist with his own petard.
Clare had exiled him to the spare room and was talking about spending time by herself in the Lakes while she considered their future.
Eliza didn’t know what to believe about his involvement in Ana’s death; he’d lost her trust.
Maria—well, Maria had hated him ever since he left Katie.
Eddie was back at school, wondering if he was about to lose another stepmother.
And to have any chance of regaining what he’d lost, Harry was going to have to step down from Rose. Give up his raison d’être, his life’s work, his father’s legacy.
But if that was what it would take, then so be it. He’d win back their love, their trust. And he’d earn the right to return to Rose.
The redemption of Harry Rose starts here.
EPILOGUE
Eliza
July 2018
Thanks, Rob,” said Eliza as the intern handed out lattes in compostable cups. Still a prototype, they quickly broke down to become food for the roses in the Ana Rose Atrium.
The cups were one of the products being tested under the new Green Rose brand Eliza was setting up before returning to Oxford in the autumn. She would work at Rose during her university breaks, and Maria would be acting CEO until Eliza finished her degree.
Terri was mentoring the sisters while they settled into their new roles, and the three were holding their usual morning briefing meeting.
“He’s cute!” said Terri, winking at Eliza as Rob left the room.
“Terri . . .” warned Maria, drawing her thick brows together.
“Joke, Maria. Where’s bloody Aleesha?”
“She’s dropping her son off upstairs,” said Eliza.
Since Harry’s retirement, they’d turned his vast top-floor office suite into a crèche. Staff could head up there whenever they needed to, and studies were already showing increased productivity and retention of female staff.
“Have you seen today’s Guardian?” asked Terri.
“Yes. Go, us!” said Eliza. The piece—HARRY’S DAUGHTERS PIONEER NEW ERA AT ROSE—highlighted the recent policy changes at the company, which were focused on equality and ethics. The article hinted at the dawning of a golden age for women in media.
Eliza’s phone buzzed; Harry’s name flashed up on the screen.
“Hi, Dad.”
“How’s the virgin queen?”
“Stop it.” Harry still teased Eliza remorselessly about the quote in Terri’s article. “Are you still in the Lakes?” she said.
“I am, yes.”
Eliza switched her phone to speaker so Maria could hear.
“And is Clare with you?”
“Right here.”
“And . . . will she be coming home with you this time?”
It was Harry’s third trip to the north; on the first two Clare had told him she needed more time. Eliza’s heart was in her mouth as she waited for his reply. They all missed Clare terribly.
Harry’s words were unintelligible as a strong gust of wind obliterated his voice. It sounded as if he was en route to the South Pole.
“What, Dad? I can’t hear you.”
“I said, yes,” Harry shouted. “Clare’s coming home at last.”
“Thank God!” Eliza replied. There was another blast of wind. “That’s wonderful news. Where on earth are you?”
“On a hill. Fell. Great Cockup, actually. A metaphor for my life?”
“Honestly, Dad,” said Eliza.
“Fuck’s sake,” said Terri.
Cast of Characters
(continued)
ART ROSE [Arthur, Prince of Wales]
Harry’s older brother. Thoughtful and quiet. Dated Katie. Died while still a teenager.
MARGOT JAMES (née ROSE) [Princess Margaret; married King James of Scotland]
Harry’s older sister; married to a Scottish laird. No sense of humor. Harry never sees her.
MEGAN ROSE [Princess Mary; queen of France before her marriage to Charles Brandon]
Harry’s beloved little sister. In love with Harry’s (married) best friend, Charles.
MARIA ROSE [Queen Mary I; “Bloody Mary”]
Daughter of Harry and Katie. Intense, serious, deeply religious. Terrifies people.
ELIZA ROSE [Queen Elizabeth I]
Daughter of Harry and Ana. Vivacious and exceptionally bright; gets on with everyone.
EDDIE ROSE [King Edward VI]
Cute son of Harry and Janette.
HENRY BLUNT [Henry FitzRoy]
Son of Harry and Bennie.
HENRY ROSE [King Henry VII]
Harry’s father. Died while Harry was still at school.
ELIZABETH ROSE [Elizabeth of York]
Harry’s mother. Also died while Harry was at school.
GERMAINE [Germaine of Foix]
Katie’s stepmother. Formidable.
SIR THOMAS LYEBON and LADY ELIZABETH LYEBON [Sir Thomas and Lady Boleyn]
Ana’s parents. Live near Hever Castle, Kent.
“HOWIE” HOWE [Lord Edmund Howard]
Caitlyn’s father. Useless. Ran away to Thailand to avoid his creditors.
BENNIE BLUNT [Bessie Blount]
Harry’s first mistress. Barmaid in a Soho pub. Lively London girl. Looks like Madonna.
MIRANDA “MERRY” MCCAREY (née LYEBON) [Mary Boleyn]
Harry’s second mistress. Blond sex kitten. Ana’s sister. Married to gay whisky heir Will; lives in a Scottish castle.
CHARLES LISLE [Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk]
Harry’s best friend. Old Etonian; merchant banker. Womanizer.
CASSANDRA LISLE [no direct Tudor equivalent]
Wife of Charles Lisle. Good sort. Enjoys a tipple.
TERRI “BASKIN-” ROBBINS-MORE [Sir Thomas More]
Voice of Harry’s conscience. Left-wing northerner with strong sense of social justice. Editor of Rose Corp. magazine the Rack.
TOM WOLSTON [Thomas Wolsey]
Harry’s lawyer. Old-school.
TOM CRANWELL [Thomas Cromwell]
Tom Wolston’s ruthless replacement. A lech.
ANDRE SOKOLOV [no Tudor equivalent]
Russian billionaire oligarch. Football mad. Murky background.
OTHER ROSE STAFF
Richard York—board member and ex-chairman of Rose Corp.
Lesley—human resources. Best friend of Janette Morrissey.
Colin Hale—financial director.
Ben, Tina, and Aleesha—Harry’s PAs.
Nate Romano—art director, the Rack.
Lizzie—art editor, the Rack.
Mia Fox—editor, Hooray!
Jake—photographer, Hooray!
PERCY NORTH [Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland]
Ana Lyebon’s fiancé. Account director for ad agency BWG. Good-natured; bit of a poseur.
WILL “GORDON” MCCAREY [William Carey]
Gay husband of Merry Lyebon. Owner of whisky distillery and Scottish castle. A lovely chap.
DARIUS DRAPER
Interior designer and estate manager of Kindrummon Castle. Partner of Will McCarey.
DOC BUTTS [Henry VIII’s physician Dr. Butts]
Harry’s doctor.
MILLY and ARABELLA LISLE [Mary and Anne Brandon]
Daughters of Charles and Cassandra Lisle. Nicknames Thing One and Thing Two.
FRANCESCA and HELENA LISLE [Frances and Eleanor Brandon]
Daughters of Charles and Megan Lisle.
FRANKIE DENHAM [Francis Dereham]
On-again, off-again boyfriend of Caitlyn Howe. Manager of indie band Chaos; small-time drug dealer. A parasite.
TOMMY CULTRANE [Thomas Culpeper]
Pop idol; fellow judge with Caitlyn on TV talent show Rock God.
FLORENCE WELLS [no Tudor equivalent]
Caitlyn’s boss at Limelight PR.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Sincere thanks to my fabulous agents, Vicki Marsdon and Nadine Rubin Nathan at High Spot Literary, for their wise guidance and for being my sounding boards. Ladies, you are such a joy to work (and drink coffee) with!
Thanks to the teams at Little, Brown UK and Penguin Random House in the US, especially Emma Beswetherick and Amanda Bergeron. Your insight, expertise, and enthusiasm for this book made the editing process a real pleasure.
To my two reader crews, for valuable feedback on the first draft. In New Zealand: Jane Bloomfield (particularly knowledgeable on aftershave), Suzanne Main, Catherine Robertson, Julie Scott, and Penny Yates; and in the UK: Sue Anders, Alison Rose, Alice Snowdon, and the Reynolds sisters—Ailsa, Ali, Fiona, and Kath. This book is dedicated to the fifth sister we all miss so much.
Thanks as ever to my wonderfully supportive (redheaded) family—Michael, James, and Helena—who put up with my vagueness and dereliction of duty while my mind was full of that other redhead.
A final thanks to the New Zealand Society of Authors, who kicked off Harry’s epic journey from New Zealand to the UK and on to the USA.
A Conversation with Olivia Hayfield
What made you decide to undertake a modern-day retelling of Henry VIII and his wives?
I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Henry VIII and his wives. I remember going to see Anne of the Thousand Days when I was a girl, and being outraged at Henry’s treatment of Anne Boleyn. It stayed with me for years. I wanted to take that man down!
More recently, with certain powerful men in the spotlight regarding their attitudes toward women, I was reminded of Henry (something to do with the hair?). I started to wonder, what if Henry VIII lived today—were reincarnated, maybe? How would it play out? Supposing he’d grown up in the sixties and seventies, when feminism was blazing a path. And now, with the #MeToo movement. Perhaps it was time for me to give him his comeuppance by pitching him against modern-day versions of the women in his life, who wouldn’t stand for his behavior this time around.
So that’s what set me off. Except things didn’t play out quite as I’d expected . . .
Henry was a notorious philanderer and tyrant—how did you handle these traits when developing Harry into your hero?
Once I started researching properly, I was surprised to learn that in the context of the times, Henry wasn’t considered much of a philanderer at all (and I think it’s always important to view things in historical context). His French counterpart, François I, was far, far worse (good grief, that man!), as were most of the European rulers. Henry was quite restrained, in his kingly way.
