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

was full of character with a polished wood floor, low ceiling and exposed beams. The first thought to flash through Bella’s mind was to sell the flat and move in here. She loved it.

“Wow!” was all she said, before taking off to explore the rest of the cottage. The kitchen and laundry area were reached by means of a short hallway leading off the dining area, at the rear and to the left of the living room. At the far right-hand side, diagonally opposite the lobby, was the staircase leading to the upper floor, underneath which was the door leading to the games room. Upstairs, on the first floor, were two double bedrooms at the front and, across the hallway, a single bedroom at the far end then the toilet and a huge bathroom with a big, modern bath and separate shower unit. Bella was simply lost for words and, in the rush to look round the cottage, had forgotten the fact that Ben was with her. Her biggest surprise came after mounting the stairs that led to the room in the roof. It turned out be one long gallery that stretched the whole length and breadth of the house and she knew immediately that this is where she would work.

“Ben!” she yelled. “You must come and see this!” Her voice reverberated around the big empty space as she walked towards one of the windows that looked out on the garden at the rear. To her delight, there was a small pond about a third of the way down and beyond that what was obviously once a vegetable patch and further back still a number of fruit trees. A line of taller, evergreen trees marked the end of the garden which would have been around twenty metres from the cottage. And it’s all mine, she thought.

“Uncle Foxy,” if you’re listening,” she murmured, “you’re a honey.”

Suddenly, she realised that Ben hadn’t appeared and wondered if he was alright.

“Ben?” she called, once more, as she walked towards the staircase. “Ben, are you there?” She found him, eventually, sitting on the sofa in the living room. “What happened to you? I thought you’d be with me, on the grand tour. You ok?” He could tell from the excitement in her voice that she’d fallen in love with the place and when he turned to look at her, she was grinning from ear to ear.

“It’s your inheritance, Bella. I didn’t want to get in your way or spoil your fun, that’s all.”

“Oh, come on, Ben, you wouldn’t do that.” She looked around the room slowly, in disbelief, like a little girl let loose in a chocolate factory, still unable to take it all in. “D’you know something?” she said, as if having come to a decision.

“What’s that? Ben asked, innocently.

“I’m in shock. I need a drink. Come on, let’s find the local, then we can come back and have a good look round later.”

Ben felt a sense of relief as they drove away, back towards the village. At least, that was the only way he could describe it. Although he hadn’t mentioned it to Bella, he had been to the cottage once before, with Rupert, and something about the place had made him feel distinctly uncomfortable. Nothing he could put his finger on, or describe in a manner that he wouldn’t be laughed at, but it made it difficult for him to share her enthusiasm. The feeling wasn’t new to him either. He had experienced it once before on one of Tina’s endless forays into the property market, when they had inspected an old house in Matching Tye, just north of Harlow. Tina, of course, had fallen in love with it as it was way above what they could afford but he had known, instantly, that he didn’t want to live there. Couldn’t live there. And then the rows had started, with Tina accusing him of being ridiculous because he couldn’t explain what it was that had put him off the place. Matching Tye! He smiled at the memory. How could anyone, except for a menswear retailer, maybe, want to live in a place called Matching Tye?

“What’s so funny?” Bella asked, seeing him smile.

“Oh, just an old memory, that’s all. Nothing important. I was thinking back to when Tina and I had been looking at properties.”

“You look even younger when you smile, you know,” she said. “It gives you dimples. You should do it more often.”

“I’ll try and remember,” he grinned. “We turn right here, don’t we?” They were at the end of Spinney Lane.

“There’s a signpost right in front of you, look. I thought we could have lunch at the pub then go back to the cottage and I could look round the house and garden and make some notes. You can sit in the car while I do that, if you like.”

“Why do you say that?” He looked left and right before pulling out and turning in the direction of Knapthorne.

“I got the feeling you weren’t too interested, that’s all,” Bella replied.

“Must be the husband in me,” Ben said, putting on a gloomy face. “I’ve been round so many properties, with Tina, over the years that my enthusiasm for that sort of thing has been blunted. I hope you understand.”

Of course!” she replied, breezily. “But I am glad you’re here though. I’m enjoying your company.”

“Likewise.” Not willing to lose the opportunity, Ben said what was on his mind. “Perhaps we should do something like this again?” Bella gave the idea some thought, briefly, then flashed him a provocative look.

“I’m not sure about you yet, Ben. I’ll have to think about it.”

“What kind of an answer’s that, for God’s sake?”

“The only one you’re going to get, right now,” she replied, leaning across and giving him a light kiss on the cheek. “So, it’ll have to do.” She was rescued by the first houses along the main street of the village, very similar to the style of her own, coming into