Book excerpt: Shakespeare's legacy lives on in a novel of secrets, illicit love and yearning, brought to us by master storyteller Richard B. Wright. Shakespeare's legacy lives on in a novel of secrets, illicit love and yearning, brought to us by master storyteller Richard B. Wright.In failing health, Aerlene Ward, an elderly housekeeper in an Oxfordshire manor, feels compelled to confess the incredible secret that has shaped her life: she is the illegitimate daughter of William Shakespeare, England's most famous playwright. But will anyone believe her? Even Charlotte, the young mistress of the house, who is writing down Aerlene's words, seems doubtful. Enchanted by the power and rhythm of words that she considers her birthright, coupled with her own imaginative mind, Aerlene draws back the curtain on her life and that of her mother, the sensual Elizabeth, who allowed herself to be seduced by a poor but ambitious writer from Stratford. As her tale unfolds, secrets are revealed, mysteries are uncovered, and lives are changed in the most unexpected of ways. MR. SHAKESPEARE'S BAStARD interweaves an engaging blend of invention and historical detail, with echoes of the Bard himself. Richard B. Wright, master storyteller, brings the teeming streets of Elizabethan London to life in a novel about love, daring, beauty and play that will delight the senses and touch the heart of every reader.