The Baronesses : A true story of sisterhood, survival and a secret that rewrote their past - Claire Hornby

The Box Of Secrets, he said weakly, was under his bed. It had a padlock. The padlock key was with some other items in the safe. We were under strict instructions not to open the box until after his death. He said I knew what the safe code was. I wasn't entirely sure that I did... To the outside world Rachel and her half-sister Claire had a privileged upbringing. The offspring of a complex, but free-spirited mother and two wealthy men, they spent their childhood in private schools and stately homes. Rachel's father, Count De Lengham, descended from a long and ancient line of aristocrats and boasted his own coat of arms. Most would never question what happened behind the doors of the grand houses they inhabited. But, in truth, life was abhorrently chaotic for the girls who endured extreme neglect and abuse. As she grew older, Rachel was called upon by her father to attend elite events. She was every inch the baroness to the glittering cast of people she encountered. As they grew older, Rachel and Claire's relationship with their parents became increasingly strained, but when Count De Lengham grew ill and neared death, Rachel was by his side. In that moment, the Count made a mind-blowing confession. Rachel was directed to a 'box of secrets' - the contents of which would change the course of her family's lives forever... This is the shocking story of how two sisters navigated the most absurd of upbringings and an emotional exploration of family-ties, identity, and the concept of truth.