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

cat, somewhere along the landing. The images from the dream were still with her as she walked, unsteadily, towards the small bedroom at the far end, where the noise seemed to be coming from. It was laying on the single bed in the room, the light from the hallway reflecting in its eyes, making it look malevolent, predatory even. Bella shivered again and, as she entered the room, the cat jumped off the bed and ran past her along the hallway then she turned and watched it as it disappeared down the stairs.

Chapter Nine

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Bella woke exhausted, feeling like she had only just gone to bed. There was an air of unreality about the morning, not unlike the sensation of waking up with a hangover. She seemed in some way detached from everything that had taken place in the past twenty-four hours. The accident, Kyle Lucas, the dream, it was as if it had all happened to someone else and she had just been a spectator, watching from the sidelines. A familiar sound clamoured for her attention and she recognised it as the front door bell. Bella tried to focus on the clock. What time was it? Five to eight! Who on earth would be calling at this hour? When she went to get out of bed, a spasm of pain, choreographed to her movements, scythed through her neck and lower back causing her to gasp. It quickly removed the last vestige of detachment from the events of yesterday. Proceeding in the manner of an octogenarian walking on broken glass, she manoeuvred her bruised and aching body towards the door, plucking her dressing gown from the bed, where she had left it. Whoever was at the door demonstrating their impatience was just going to have to wait until Bella had shuffled there in her own good time.

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Cora Flint stood there, grim-faced, arms folded, watching the door slowly open to reveal Bella’s face, and seeing the disbelief clearly etched into it.

“Cora….” She was absolutely lost for words but silently congratulated herself for remembering to use the woman’s christian name.

“I likes to start early!” Beside her, on the ground, was a bucket containing cleaning materials which she picked up, obviously in preparation for crossing the threshold to begin work. Bella couldn’t recall having asked for her help. Her hand went to her forehead as she tried to remember, as if smoothing it would make the answer suddenly appear, like the genie in the lamp. Surely Kyle had only asked her to come back and see if she was needed.

“Sorry, Cora, I’m not feeling too good, right now…”

“Sooner I gets started, the better, then!” She made to move forward and Bella had no option but to open the door wider and let her in.

“You takes yourself off to bed, if that’s what you wants. I’ll just get about my business. I knows where everything is.” Bella felt the need to say something, put the woman in her place, even, but she simply didn’t have the strength. The combined effects of the accident and her interrupted night had sapped her energy to the point where all she wanted to do was go back to bed. Telling herself that she’d take it up with the woman when she felt better, she watched the solid, black-clad figure head towards the kitchen. Bella lent against the door, for support, wishing that Kyle had been here to deal with her and send her on her way. Now that Cora Flint had got herself into Willow Cottage it wasn’t going to be easy to get her out. Was it even worth trying? She needed someone to do the housework and, perhaps, their relationship would improve in time. Who knows, she conjectured, under that cold, frosty exterior could beat a heart of gold. Somehow Bella doubted it.

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Bella lay and listened to the sound of the woman working downstairs, having decided that, for the time being at least, bed was the best place for her. In any event it would be impossible to attempt to work with Cora Flint around as her physical presence seemed to fill the cottage. The cat was nowhere to be seen. Probably took one look at Cora, Bella supposed, and that was it. Gone. And who could blame it? Less than twenty-four hours after the accident Bella had had enough of being incapacitated. At no time in her life, as a child or as an adult, had she been a good patient. Impatient was a better description. The noise of the vacuum cleaner being used drifted up the stairs and Bella started to become drowsy, tiredness beginning to overcome her. Memories of the dream came back to her, as she hovered on the verge of sleep and she remembered that the cries of her pursuers had become very close. So close that she thought she had heard their voices…

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She woke to peace and quiet, feeling very rested. Carefully, she sat up in bed then checked the time. It was nearly 2.30pm and she had slept for almost six hours, which quite surprised her. Moving this way and that, bending an arm, stretching a leg, she checked on her aches and pains and was pleased to find that there was further improvement. From the silence in the cottage it was obvious Cora Flint had gone Bella realised, with relief, and immediately thought to go and see what evidence there was of her work. As soon as she stepped out of her room, the cat came running from the bedroom, at the far end of the hallway, calling to her, noisily.

“Where have you been?” The cat hovered around her ankles, almost tripping Bella, in the process. “Careful! You’ll get yourself trodden on,” she said, admonishing the animal as she bent to give it a pat.

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“Frightened off by the Wicked Witch of the West, eh?” Together, they went downstairs and into the kitchen. A movement in the garden caught her eye and she saw the washing on the line