Elements of Chance

Elements of Chance
Barbara Wilkins

A woman of desire, a legacy of deceit, a fortune worth killing for. An opulent intricate, sizzling novel, Elements of Chance fulfils ever woman’s fantasy.Hauntingly beautiful, talented pianist Valerie Penn is one of the world’s wealthiest women, the pampered wife of banker Victor Penn, and the mother of their two children. Her life is a whirl of private jets; charity balls; mansions in London, New York, Paris and Beverly Hills; priceless antiques; endless passionate love; and gifts beyond imagining … a stunning diamond necklace “just because it’s Tuesday and I love you.”But the mystery of her past continues to haunt Valerie. who is she and who are her real parents? A shy, silver-haired child, she was lovingly raised by a couple in Hollywood. But her real mother, the beautiful starlet, remains a mystery. Why did she leave Valerie, and is she still alive?Anything Valerie wants is hers for the asking until Victor disappears in a mysterious plane crash. Suddenly torn from her privileged world, Valerie faces the hostility of the Penn family and finds herself caught in a web of rivalries, betrayal and murder. Alone for the first time, she brilliantly creates her own business and, once again, is part of the glittering world of the influential and famous, this time on her own terms … through her own effort. Finally believing Victor to be dead, Valerie is about to remarry when her fiancé is murdered and her son is kidnapped, driving her to find the answers to the mysteries still clouding her life.As she unravels the intrigues of the powerful Penn family, Valerie’s search brings her to the steaming jungles of South America, where she faces her past and opens the door to a new future.

ELEMENTSof CHANCE

A Novel by Barbara Wilkins

Copyright (#ulink_5b640f3d-715b-5de8-8e10-2c72d99aff8c)

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.

Harper

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd. 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/)

Copyright © 1989 by Barbara Wilkins.

First published by Contemporary Books, Inc. 1989

Published simultaneously in Canada by Beaverbooks, Ltd.

Barbara Wilkins asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

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HarperCollinsPublishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication

Source ISBN: 9780006472773

Ebook Edition © APRIL 2017 ISBN: 9780008258030

Version: 2017-04-19

Dedication (#ulink_08775e1c-5fd2-551a-b06c-4ce7f7dc9ed5)

For David Marriott,

with my love and gratitude

Contents

Cover (#uac4546a5-3b93-5961-abe5-9edbd9ad4fb9)

Title Page (#ud35c3c2f-bbc2-5211-9879-6e41b82f92e5)

Copyright (#ulink_6bb0b57b-220d-5cfb-9731-0dc1b78c8e7e)

Dedication (#ulink_c2181f51-46fe-502f-aaf3-0d8e35e25aa6)

Chapter 1 (#ulink_7111fee5-1775-5756-a7ea-13a616970d9a)

Chapter 2 (#ulink_c4b60f67-61ce-5e82-bc28-9fee7f57c39d)

Chapter 3 (#ulink_70ebd6cb-1299-5e52-9ee4-51e31b86102f)

Chapter 4 (#ulink_77b3c56a-6a3b-546e-a2f5-3923cabea0fc)

Chapter 5 (#ulink_3c12301f-c202-5309-a1a4-caeda9691c55)

Chapter 6 (#ulink_69f67487-1b4f-52c5-814c-2c6c008e25a1)

Chapter 7 (#ulink_b55c83f2-f0f5-51ef-be68-855751a4a416)

Chapter 8 (#ulink_ef4a9f93-99c0-5b79-8c99-0f1a7451e161)

Chapter 9 (#ulink_e176b10e-1879-58b9-bbd6-9d3561d87a94)

Chapter 10 (#ulink_692c8524-894f-5f3c-8ce8-de8d0ee0bc41)

Chapter 11 (#ulink_6b16e565-fdeb-5a57-a0f6-533e27fcacd7)

Chapter 12 (#ulink_e70f7c42-91ad-5cd2-8118-d63d9b79b96d)

Chapter 13 (#ulink_cc6fa950-8ecb-5f67-b363-0e2fee812505)

Chapter 14 (#ulink_6f272cf3-d9b0-598f-8eff-5b4ce0613eac)

Chapter 15 (#ulink_b0da923f-f2ac-5e35-aa5b-05df993649cf)

Chapter 16 (#ulink_6dbc7134-3bcb-56c8-ac3d-b511ed89a409)

Chapter 17 (#ulink_ff008c49-793a-530a-a115-4a23a83475fd)

Chapter 18 (#ulink_2960dca2-d10a-5b6c-92b5-f2de7c72d8e9)

Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 23 (#litres_trial_promo)