Battle of wills for last lover of a tycoon
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
Published: 23rd February 2009 Source: Daily Mail
He was the wealthy banker who boasted a 2,000-acre Hampshire estate, while she was the attractive divorcee whose head for figures made her his perfect finance director. So when twice-married Robin Kelton head-hunted Marilyn Nash to help him run his new City venture, it was perhaps unsurprising they fell in love. Within a year of meeting, he was divorced and the pair began a decade of unwedded bliss sharing his country estate as well as homes in Belgravia, Barbados and South Carolina, where they planned to retire.
Alas, all this ended in 2007 when Robin - whose investment bank Fox-Pitt Kelton was sold for £120 million in 1998 – had a heart attack and died at the age of 72. And as well as causing her huge grief, Robin’s death heralded a deep froideur between her and his family - beginning with his sons giving her ten days to leave his Hampshire home and even removing the couple’s two beloved springer spaniels. Now I learn Marilyn is suing Robin’s family for failing to honour the provisions he made for her in his will. His estate was worth more than £13 million, but Marilyn, 58, has not seen a penny. ‘He left her £1million, plus their £2.9 million house in Belgravia,’ says a friend. ‘He always told her he wanted to make sure she was provided for and she can’t understand why the family are being so unkind. ‘Robin kept proposing marriage, but she said they didn’t need to. In hindsight, that was a huge mistake.’
Marilyn’s writ names the executors of Robin’s will, his sons with his second wife Zena - investment fund manager Oliver, 29, and quantity surveyor Rupert, 27 - as well as his brother Michael, 75, a retired banker. Robin also had two children from his first marriage and five grandchildren, all of whom have been provided for, I am told. But the friend tells me: ‘Marilyn adored Robin and he adored her. When she went to his funeral at Putney and his memorial a few days later, she was shocked because his family refused to speak to her. ‘The day afterwards, his sons arrived at the Hampshire home - Longparish House - and announced she had to leave in ten days. ‘Rupert even took away Marilyn and Robin’s springer spaniels, Thunder and Lightning. He took them when she was out shopping and the housekeeper let him in. She threatened to sue and the dogs were returned.’
What do the sons have to say? Says one, who declines to identify himself: ‘I don’t know anything about a writ and I am not going to comment.’
