The Baronesses - Rachel Watkyn | Claire Hornby

'Under my bed you will find something that I want you to only open once I die,' he said. 'It's a box. The padlock key is with some other items in the safe. You know the code. But remember, only after my death must it be opened.'

I waited expectantly for more information, but Dad just closed his eyes and turned his head away from my gaze... that was all I was getting.'

To the outside world, Rachel and her half-sister Claire led a privileged life - educated in private schools, raised in grand country houses, they moved in elite circles. Their father, the formidable Count De Lengham, came from an ancient noble line with its own coat of arms and centuries of prestige.

But privilege can be the perfect disguise...

Behind closed doors, Rachel and Claire's childhood was marked by chaos, neglect and abuse as they tried to navigate a complex, unpredictable family dynamic, in between entertaining aristocratic visitors and attending high-society gatherings.

The strain put upon them by their parents would have lifelong repercussions but even so, when the Count lay dying, they were there. In that moment, a shocking confession and a hidden 'box of secrets' exposed a dark truth that shattered their family and challenged everything they thought they knew.

Co-written with highly respected journalist and author Hamish MacBain, The Baronesses is the shocking true story of how two sisters navigated the most absurd of upbringings and an emotional exploration of family ties, identity, and the concept of truth.