“I don’t think so,” she replied. “Not just yet. I have another semester of study on my scholarship. I figured I could stick around.”
Charlie grinned. “Admit it, babe. You can’t bear the thought of leaving me.”
She laughed. “Please. No, I just was thinking . . . I don’t know what I’m going to do next. I’ve spent so long focused on my mom, on this, that I never really considered my future.”
“And now?”
“Now I guess I’ll find out.” Cassie squeezed his hand. They stepped onto the sidewalk, and into the flow of people passing by. Tourists, pedestrians, and the surge of students. The bells rang out above them, and the spires loomed bright in the sky.
It was springtime in Oxford, and everything was in bloom.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
This books contains a mix of historical fact and fiction, and locations both real and imagined in Oxford, inspired by my time spent studying at the university. Although Sir Walter Raleigh attended the University briefly, Raleigh College does not exist, but I picture it situated in much the same location as Magdalen College, on the banks of the river Cherwell. While Raleigh was a contemporary of Shakespeare and known to have associated with other prominent thinkers of the era, the existence of a “School of Night” has never been proven. The famed quote from Love’s Labour’s Lost is open to many interpretations, and has been debated by scholars and historians with far more knowledge of the era than I.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A huge thanks to everyone who made this book possible, it really was a team effort. To Richard Abate for all his guidance and tireless enthusiasm; Gary Ungar, and Rebecca Friedman. Thanks to the amazing team at William Morrow: Katherine Nintzel, Marguerite Weisman, Jessie Edwards, Molly Waxman, and Stephanie Vallejo.
A big thanks to my former Magdalen classmates, who donated their old essays to jog my memory of our syllabus. Thanks also to the staff, and my professors, Dr. Christopher Brooke, Dr. Lizzie Fricker, and Dr. Krister Bykvist among them, who made my time at Oxford so memorable—and inspiring.
Finally, thanks to the friends and family who offered me such support and enthusiasm: to Elisabeth Donnelly, Brandy Colbert, Lane Shadgett, and Elizabeth Little. To my mother, Ann, thank you as always for everything.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A native of Sussex, England, ANN A. MCDONALD studied Philosophy, Politics & Economics at Oxford University before working as a music journalist and entertainment critic. She is now a full-time novelist and screenwriter in Los Angeles, California.
www.abbymcdonald.com
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
CREDITS
COVER DESIGN BY AMANDA KAIN
COVER PHOTOGRAPHS: © JOANA KRUSE / ARCANGEL; © SHUTTERSTOCK (FRAME)
COPYRIGHT
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
THE OXFORD INHERITANCE. Copyright © 2016 by 3 Arts Entertainment. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, 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 hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
EPub Edition February 2016 ISBN 9780062400871
ISBN 978-0-06-220367-0
16 17 18 19 20 OV/RRD 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor
Toronto, ON M4W 1A8, Canada
www.harpercollins.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand
Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive
Rosedale 0632
Auckland, New Zealand
www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF, UK
www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
www.harpercollins.com
The Oxford Inheritance Page 33
