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

“He asked me about you, if you were his. I think he must have known but I told him. Told him that I was in love with Rupert and that you were his child and then he hit me. Slapped me so hard across the face it nearly knocked me over.” Recalling the memory, she rubbed her cheek softly as Bella slipped an arm around her mother’s shoulder and they stopped walking. Maria lay her head against her daughter and continued, in a soft voice.

“For a moment, I thought he would hit me once more, perhaps even kill me. His face was red like it would burst and he was spitting like a madman.”

“Spluttering.”

“Is that the word?” Bella nodded. “Si, spluttering. Then he says he is going to kill Rupert, and dashes out. It is the last time I ever see him.” Having never been exposed to such violence, Bella couldn’t begin to imagine what must have been going through her mother’s mind at the time.”

“Maria, how terrible! I had no idea…” Lost for words, her voice fell away.

“I cannot remember ever feeling so bad in my whole life before. Your sister found me on the floor, crying.” Maria pulled away. “Come, let us walk again.” They set off along the track, each wrapped up in their own private thoughts. It was Bella who spoke first.

“When did you find out about his death?” Maria knew where this was leading but there was nothing she could do about it. Bella would find out sooner or later.

“It was three, maybe four days later, I think. Rupert came to see me.”

“Rupert?”

“Si. They had been having a shoot for pheasants on the estate and one of the beaters came across Patrick’s body. He had been shot.” The revelation stopped Bella in her tracks. Slowly she turned to her mother, her face the colour of chalk.

“Which estate are you talking about, mama?”

“The one which was in this place, in Dorset.” Automatically she took Bella’s hand. “Patrick was killed here, in Knapthorne.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Out of the blue, Bella’s whole world had been turned upside down. Everything that she had come to appreciate about her new lifestyle had suddenly become tainted by a spectre from the past.

“Patrick was killed here, in Knapthorne?”  In her shocked state, Bella repeated the words to her mother, trying to grasp the significance of what she’d just heard. Her mouth hung open as she stared at Maria.

“Si, bellissima. I’m sorry but it is the truth.”

“You mean he was murdered?” she said, in disbelief.

"We never know. The police came to see me, of course. There were many guns involved in shoot. Guns provided by Estate. Every gun same. Also same......” she paused, unable to bring the word to mind.

"Ammunition," Bella murmured, her face suddenly pale.

"That is word, si. Ammunition. Nothing was ever proved." Bella was struggling to find words with her emotions in freefall.

Nobody saw anything? Heard anything?" she asked, in a small voice, and watched in amazement as Maria shook her head. As the full realisation of what had happened to Patrick set in Bella pursed her lips in an unsuccessful attempt to hold back the tears. Feeling suddenly faint she grasped her mother’s shoulder for support and Maria took Bella in her arms, embracing her, as her daughter wept silently.

“Whereabouts, exactly, was his body found do you know?” Bella asked when she had recovered sufficiently to speak. Maria shook her head.

“I have no idea. Rupert did the…” Maria gave an exasperated sigh. “What is the word I want? I am getting old and I begin to forget too much.

“Identification.” Bella said, helpfully.

“Ah! Identification. For a short time I think he was under suspicion also.” Bella looked horrified but Maria patted her hand.

“Do not worry, cara mia, there was nothing they could prove but I had told police of the argument and of what Patrick had said he would do.” Bella’s mind was spinning, her thoughts going in every direction. What had Rupert been thinking of, bequeathing her Willow Cottage, when he had known that Patrick had been murdered in the area? And what had Patrick been doing in Knapthorne, even? More to the point, who had shot him?” For one of the very few times in her life, Bella felt angry at her mother and turned on her.

“Why have you never told me any of this before?” she asked, hotly. Maria had been expecting such a reaction and tried to remain calm.

 “Why should you need to know such things? Rupert and I have always tried to protect you. You hardly knew Patrick, Arabella. It seemed for the best not to rock the ship.”

“Boat, mother,” Bella said, angrily. She stamped her foot down on the hard earth, seeking an outlet for her anger and frustration.

“God, why is it when I just seem to be getting my life in order something turns up to jumble up all the pieces. Aaaaaggghhhh!,” she yelled, at the top of her voice, and a flock of startled birds rose from the trees as Maria covered her ears. Bella stood, hands on hips, breathing heavily and looking down on Willow Cottage.

“I can’t believe it! In the space of twenty-four hours I find out that my uncle is my father and, not only that, but the man who I had thought was my father was shot and killed in the very village I’m living in!”

By the time the two of them had got back to Willow Cottage, Bella had her emotions under some sort of control although it felt like what she had learned had, in some way, ignited a slow-burning fuse within her. They hadn’t spoken much on the way back, Bella content to rifle through the storehouse of her memories examining them in the light of her new knowledge. Maria, realising that her daughter was having to come to terms with a major wind-shift in her life, let her have her own space and left her to it. When the time was