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

in Bella’s opinion, made it seem like an extension of the funeral service itself. She had never attended the reading of a will before and to her mind there was something very Agatha Christie about the whole thing. If Hercule Poirot himself had suddenly appeared, declaring that Rupert’s body had been exhumed and his death was now being treated as murder, she would not have been at all surprised. Ben Hollingsworth had been a revelation not in the least for his sense of humour, unexpected in a solicitor who specialised in matters of taxation and probate. Over the phone, she had imagined him to be on the short side, with a round, fleshy face and thinning, blond hair. Perhaps fifty, or older, and a tad overweight. In reality, he looked like an ex-Guards officer, tall, slim and very fit-looking without an ounce of spare flesh. Probably mid-forties, she guessed. He had a boyish, clean-shaven face, with laughter lines around the eyes. She was willing to put money on the fact that he was probably a good tennis player or excelled at squash. In response to the receptionist’s message, he had come to meet Bella at reception, appearing genuinely delighted to see her, and had taken her up to the boardroom indulging in light-hearted conversation on the way. As he opened the door, to show her in, she was greeted by the sound of muted voices very much like the low key conversations in a church, before a wedding. The moment she entered, silence descended on the room as heads turned to discover the identity of the latest arrival. With a quick glance around she took in the dark, wooden panelling on the walls, crystal chandeliers and deep pile carpet before acknowledging several people in the gathering. Her sister, Laura, was there, seated in the middle of a row next to someone Bella didn’t recognise. It came as no surprise to Bella that, even though Laura had obviously seen her, her sister didn’t attempt so much as a smile or a nod by way of a greeting. In fact, there was a look of hostility on her face as if she was querying the right for Bella to be there at all. The polished walnut boardroom table had been taken to the back of the room and placed against the wall. Rows of chairs had been arranged facing a solid-looking mahogany desk at the other end of the room. Bella took an empty seat close by, as Ben Hollingsworth followed her into the room and made his way behind the desk. Gradually, the sound of voices died away and there was an unmistakeable air of expectancy among the mainly family members there as he opened the folder he had brought with him. Absolute silence descended over the gathering as he prepared to speak.

In his opening address, the solicitor had apologised for the delay between the funeral and the reading of the will which he put down to some legal complication affecting the probate procedure.  Those members of the family closest to the deceased, he stated, would be aware of the circumstances of which he spoke. As a quick aside, he reminded those present to please switch off their cell phones then began to read the standard preamble from the document in front of him before arriving at the quite lengthy list of arrangements that had been made for family and friends.

"Now we come to the part of the proceedings that has brought us all together in this room." The statement was followed by a general shuffling of bodies and muted coughing. Bella was infused with a sense of mounting excitement, like waiting for the lottery results. Then she caught Laura staring at her, obviously unsettled by her presence, and wondered exactly what was going through her sister’s mind as silence descended and the serious part of the business got under way.

As the details of the will were being read out, it became clear to Bella that she’d had no idea of the extent of Rupert’s wealth and realised how little she had really known about him, prompting a sudden feeling of sadness at his loss. It was the small things that she remembered him for most. The fact that he never forgot her birthday, for one thing, and the way he had of making her feel important, as though he truly cared about her. She couldn’t help but smile at the recollection of how she had, on more than one occasion, used him as the example of her ideal man when weighing up the qualities of a current boyfriend.

“To Laura Foxton, the elder of my two nieces, I bequeath the diamond and sapphire necklace which she has always admired.” Preoccupied with her memories, Bella had not been paying close attention for several minutes but she looked up at the mention of her sister’s name. “There is one proviso to the bequest and that is the necklace must stay in the family, for perpetuity, and not be sold for pecuniary advantage.”

“Why can’t they say it in English?” the youth in front asked the girl next to him as Bella felt compelled to look towards her sister and found Laura looking smugly over her shoulder, in her direction. To Bella’s embarrassment, Laura had made no secret of the fact that she had wanted the necklace, a family heirloom, ever since she had found out that Rupert’s wife, Claire, had no wish to wear it. With Claire having passed away eighteen months previously, after suffering a stroke, Laura had got her wish. To the best of Bella’s knowledge, it was worth in the region of eighty thousand pounds. Ben Hollingsworth’s eyes sought out Bella among the people seated in front of him before he continued reading.

“To Arabella Foxton, my youngest niece, I bequeath the ownership and title of the property known as Willow Cottage, in the county of Dorset.” The words hung in the air, momentarily, before their full meaning hit Bella.