The Knapthorne Conspiracy by Malcolm Ballard (best english novels for beginners txt) 📕

startled and disorientated. The first thing she did, even before answering the phone was check the time. Just after twenty past four. Surely it couldn’t be Kyle already, she wondered, beginning to panic. She hadn’t had a shower or anything and she felt terrible.

“Hello, Bella Foxton,” she said, tentatively.

“Kyle Lucas,” a familiar male voice answered. “How are you? Looking forward to the weekend?” Bella chose to avoid answering the question.

“Kyle. Hi. Where are you? Not ten minutes away, I hope?” She could imagine the look on his face.

“Why, what’s the matter?”

“I’ve just woken up, that’s what’s the matter. I sat down to put my feet up for ten minutes and promptly fell asleep!” Her confession was greeted with a laugh.

“Is that all? Well, don’t worry, you can doze off again because I’m calling to say that I’m not likely to be there until at least 7.30, maybe eight-o-clock.”

“Phew! Thank goodness for that. It’s not a problem because….”

“Look, sorry to interrupt, but I’ve just managed to call during a break in filming and I’ve got to go. I just wanted to say I’ve found out something else which I think you’re going to find very interesting. See you as soon as I can get there.” His revelation served to shake her out of her lassitude instantly but he was gone before she could question him.

“How dare you, Kyle Lucas!” she yelled at the redundant instrument in her hand. “How could you say something like that, then ring off?” Fuming at her caller because she knew he’d done it on purpose, Bella put the phone down and took herself upstairs to get ready, talking to herself in an animated fashion as she berated Kyle Lucas. A shower was out of the question now, she knew. Only a long soak in the bath would serve to pacify her and soothe away the feeling of exasperation.

“Men!” The word exploded from her, echoing round the confines of the bathroom, as she turned the taps on. “Makes you wonder if they really are necessary!”

Fortunately she had calmed down considerably by the time he arrived and the large bouquet of flowers he was holding insured that anything she had been tempted to say was conveniently forgotten.

“By way of an apology,” he explained, as he handed them to her on the doorstep. Kyle had forgotten how attractive she was. No. Attractive was the wrong word. It was much more than simply attractive. She was one of the most sensual women he had ever come across. Even at the time of her accident when she was in so much distress it had struck him but tonight even more so. Her face, her hair, her body, her perfume. Everything about her combined to stimulate his libido in a way that he had rarely experienced and the thought of taking her to bed consumed him.

“An apology for what?” Having been anxiously waiting for him to arrive for the best part of an hour she found it difficult to appear poised and cool let alone look as though his arrival had taken her by surprise. His closeness brought home to her the sheer physicality of him. His solid, muscular body with its aura of suppressed energy. She forced herself to close her mind to the effect it was having on her, as he answered her question.

“For being late when you must be dying to know what it is that I’ve found out…” His reply was cut short.

“You’re kidding!” she teased. “Hadn’t even given it another thought. Well I suppose you’d better come in,” she added, holding the door open for him. Stepping forward, he kissed her lightly on the cheek before continuing on into the lounge.

“Can I get you a beer,” she asked, as she went in search of a vase.

“When you’re ready. No rush. It’s just good to finally be here and have the chance to unwind.”

“Ok, be with you in a minute.” Bella returned shortly with a can of beer and a glass, for Kyle, and a glass of wine for herself.

“Cheers!” Kyle raised his glass.

“Here’s to a nice weekend,” Bella proposed. “The meal’s ready whenever you are. Just let me know.” He smiled in acknowledgement and took a long drink from his glass.

“I shouldn’t really be telling you this but I can’t remember the last time that something like this happened….” She had to stop, feeling the colour come to her cheeks. Kyle chose to ignore the comment, unable to handle displays of emotion or sentimentality by any female but Bella took his reaction as an attempt to rescue her from her embarrassment.

“Don’t you want to know what else it was I’ve found out for you then?” Regaining her composure but unsure why she had even started to tell him such a thing, Bella responded with a smile and a nod.

“I don’t know whether it’s of any significance or not but has anyone here ever spoken of any other members of the Flint family?” The look on Bella’s face gave him the answer so he carried on.

“Cora’s never mentioned her sister when she’s talked about Alfie?”

“Her sister?” He gathered by the tone of her reply that Cora hadn’t.

“Ruth Flint was born, in Knapthorne, on the twenty-fourth of April 1968.” Kyle looked very pleased with himself as Bella studied his face. Maybe she was missing something but it didn’t seem that startling a revelation to her.

“That’s a big deal then, Kyle, is it? The fact that Alfie & Cora have got a sister?”

Bella’s comment was obviously not what he had been expecting and she could tell that he appeared to be quite put out by it.

“Given that you didn’t know about her,” Kyle retorted, “I thought your reaction to the discovery might have been a bit different. Surprise? Excitement, maybe?” She didn’t reply immediately, looking thoughtful for a moment instead. When she spoke there was an earnest sincerity in her voice, not wishing to disappoint him or get their weekend off on the wrong foot.

“I’ve been thinking about the