The Secret Wife: A captivating story of romance, passion and mystery

AVON

A division of HarperCollinsPublishers

1 London Bridge Street,

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2016

Copyright © Gill Paul 2016

Gill Paul asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

Image of the Romanov family used in the Historical Afterward courtesy of the Library of Congress

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008102142

Ebook Edition © June 2016 ISBN: 9780008102159

Version: 2018-06-05

‘Meticulously researched and evocatively written, this sweeping story will keep a tight hold on your heartstrings until the final page’ Iona Grey

‘A marvellous story: gripping, romantic and evocative of a turbulent and fascinating time’ Lulu Taylor

‘Just magical. At the last line, tears rolled down my cheeks. Highly recommended’ Louise Beech

‘A heart-warming affirmation of the tenacity of human love’ Liz Trenow

‘Gill Paul has clearly done her research in this absorbing story that cleverly blends imagination with historical fact. The closeted and ultimately doomed Romanov family have always fascinated, especially the four grand duchesses, and the older strand of this dual narrative story is told by one of the girls’ secret loves. Tragic, touching and authentic-feeling’ Kate Riordan

‘This is an intriguing and involving book that explores a really fascinating period in time in a clever and highly enjoyable way. I was hooked into both timelines from the start’ Joanna Courtney

‘A beautiful and moving story, beautifully and movingly told. I read it in just two sittings … I enjoyed every page’ John Julius Norwich

Praise for Gill Paul’s other novels

‘A marvellous moving adventure, full of vivid colour and atmospheric detail’ Lulu Taylor

‘A stunning epic’ Claudia Carroll

‘A terrific adventure story, full of romance and atmospheric detail – a great escapist read’ Liz Trenow

‘A gripping historical read … with an ending which is at once uplifting and heartbreaking. I couldn’t put it down’ Julia Williams

‘A wonderful story of love, romance, bravery’ One More Page

‘A love story that will squeeze your heart tight – this is the perfect all-consuming summer read’ Random Things Through My Letterbox

‘I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book … Brilliantly written, with great descriptions about places and events’ Boon’s Bookshelf

‘It is full of emotions and so many details, but the details are described in a wonderfully colourful, engaging way … Brutally honest, and I can only imagine how much thorough research went into writing this book’ I Heart Chick Lit

‘A wonderfully imagined peek into the fabulous excesses of the Burton-Taylor relationship, from booze-fuelled spats to their intoxicating chemistry’ Hello magazine

‘A stunning new voice – I was hooked from the first sentence of the prologue. With beautifully drawn characters and sensitive detail – The Affair draws you in and you won’t want it to end. An accomplished, energetic, original new voice in fiction’ Kate Kerrigan

‘Loved Women and Children First. Interestingly it deals with the aftermath/guilt/angst of surviving Titanic – gripping read’ Chrissy Iley

‘A warm-hearted and engaging novel that breathes fresh life into the well-known tragedy of the Titanic’ Amanda Brookfield

‘Paul keeps the narrative up, making a virtue of pace’ Guardian

‘A sexy, pacy, thoroughly modern novel’ Ham & High

‘Enough twists and turns to keep even the most devious plotmaster turning the pages as rapidly as possible’ Middlesborough Evening Gazette

For Richard, with love

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Praise for The Secret Wife

Dedication

The Romanov Family’s Connections

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three