Yesterday’s Promise
“…And what had suddenly annulled his concern over the betrayal of Lord Bancroft’s abandoned daughter? Power and money. They were Julien’s life’s blood; like Rhodes and many others in the Company, Julien worshiped at the temple of diamonds and gold.” The lust for wealth, land, and supremacy transformed multiple lives as South Africa’s riches were discovered and claimed in the late 1800s. Cecil Rhodes, who eventually became Prime Minister of Capetown, initially dreamed of building an empire for Great Britain. He and other visionary antagonists are portrayed by their ruthless deeds of exploitation in this sequel to Chaikin’s Tomorrow’s Treasure.
Eva Varley and Rogan Chantry, the protagonists, seek success without sacrificing their integrity. Initially they provoke each other yet draw closer over the years, a closeness that must remain dormant because of their supposed different social and economic backgrounds. But there’s a mystery lurking behind Eva’s identity that has to do with a stolen and missing gem, the famous Black Diamond. It has caused the murder of Henry Chantry, Rogan’s uncle, and Rogan is determined to discover both the murderer and the undiscovered wealth on the map Henry has willed to Rogan.
Eva’s engagement to Derwent, son of the parson of Grimston’s Way, England, is broken and she is educated to open her own music school. But someone is also still searching for both the Black Diamond and the map that will guarantee more than a lifetime of riches. Chaikin presents this highly credible conflict at a flawless, rapid, and heart-rending pace, adding a lovely, romantic story that delightfully softens yet embellishes the building tension and mystery in this engaging novel.
