The Legacy: Trouble Comes Disguised As Family (Unspoken Book 2) by T. Belshaw (the best books to read .txt) 📗

they had made love on the oak desk. She felt herself flush as an almost video-like image of their coupling came to her mind. Her breathing quickened and her eyes closed.

‘So, if you have any questions?’ Bradley’s voice brought her quickly back to reality. She blew out a deep breath, wiped at her brow and willed herself to speak calmly.

‘No, I think you’ve covered everything,’ she said at last. ‘I’ll have a quick look through the documents when I get home.’

‘Excellent,’ said Bradley as Jess straightened in her chair. She pointed up to the photograph she had picked out.

‘Is that Godfrey?’

‘Yes, that is he. Sadly, I never met him, but I’ve heard so much about him over the years from my mother and grandmother. He was quite a character, it seems.’

‘That’s the impression I got too,’ replied Jess. ‘Alice was quite taken by—’ She stopped abruptly as she realised the connotations of her statement. ‘She mentions him in her diaries.’

‘I wondered why there were photographs of her hidden away in one of the files,’ he said.

‘Really! Pictures of Alice? Could I see them, please?’

Bradley got up quickly from his chair and rummaged about in one of the large green boxes. ‘Here we are,’ he said, holding a green file in the air.

Back at his desk he opened the file and pulled out three, large black and white photographs. He studied one before handing it to Jess.

‘She was very beautiful. She reminds me of that film actress from the wartime movies you see on TV, what was her name?’

‘Rita Hayworth,’ replied Jess. ‘Everyone commented on the resemblance.’

Bradley slid another picture across the desk. ‘You look so much like her in this one,’ he paused, looked from the picture to Jess, then back again. ‘Stunning,’ he said.

Jess felt herself blush.

The photograph was of Alice, leaning against an old Alvis car. She quickly understood why Alice had called it, Godfrey’s ‘Gangster Car’. She had seen similar ones herself in the old James Cagney movies.

‘Then there’s this one. Godfrey and Alice together. I think I understand why he hid them away.’ Bradley smiled as he slid the photo across the desk.

The picture was of Alice and Godfrey standing by the gate at the farm. Alice was wearing a bright, floral summer frock with white shoes whilst Godfrey was in rolled-up shirt sleeves, he had his arm around her shoulders and they were looking at each other with such loving expressions that Jess immediately felt a lump in her throat.

‘There’s a note on the back,’ Bradley said.

Jess turned the picture over.

1940. Gangster Godfrey and Alice Hussy, very much in love.

Taken by Amy Rowlings, the gooseberry.

Jess ran her finger over the photograph.

‘This is beautiful. Could I make a copy? She had such a hard time back then but she looks so happy here.’

‘Keep them,’ said Bradley. ‘I don’t think my family would want to see them and I’d hate them to be destroyed. He kept them hidden away in the old files for a reason. Maybe you are that reason.’

Jess looked at the photographs again and slipped all three into her bag.

‘Thank you so much,’ she said, croakily.

She pushed a hand across the desk, Bradley took it gently in his.

‘God bless them both,’ he said.

Ten minutes later, with a folder full of documents in her lap and two full sets of keys to the farmhouse in her bag. Jessica cleared her throat and began to get to her feet.

‘This is so emotional, forgive me if I burst into floods of tears.’

Bradley got to his feet and came around to the other side of the desk. ‘I fully understand. She was your favourite person on earth and now what was hers, is yours.’ He placed a hand on her arm as she stood. ‘I hope you’ll be very happy in the farmhouse. There will be improvements you will want to make, a new kitchen, bathroom, technology… Just call and Mr Beanney and I will sign off anything you ask for. We are here to serve you. We’re not here solely to protect the assets.

Jess looked into Bradley’s deep brown eyes. On impulse she leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek.

‘I hope that isn’t too familiar… I take after my great grandmother you see.’

Bradley grinned and looked at his watch. ‘Look, it’s four-thirty and I haven’t so much as offered you a cup of coffee. Could I possibly make up for it by buying you a late lunch… early tea?’

Jess tipped her head to one side and studied him. ‘Oh, I’m not sure I’d feel safe, out and about with the descendent of a gangster.’

‘Bradley grinned again. ‘I’ll leave my machine gun in the office,’ he said.

‘Then, a late lunch/early tea sounds like a great idea, I’m starving. Where shall we go? I don’t think they serve meals in the pub this late in the afternoon.’

‘There’s a hotel come restaurant along the road a bit. It’s been there forever. They’ll whip us something up, I’m sure.’

Bradley led Jess out of the office and across the reception. Melanie dropped her phone on the desk. Her eyes narrowed as they followed Jess across the room.

‘Lock up, when you finish please, Melanie,’ Bradley called over his shoulder as he opened the big glass door for Jess. ‘I won’t be back this afternoon.’

Chapter 8

In the car park, Bradley walked to a sleek, silver Mercedes, parked in his own personal space. ‘Shall we go together or do you want to follow me? It isn’t far.’

Jess thought for a moment. ‘I’ll follow you if that’s all right? I have to go back to my friend’s flat to pick a few things up before I go to the farm.’ She pressed a button on her key fob to unlock her car.

Bradley got into the Mercedes and pulled out onto the main road.

Jess hurriedly fired up her little Toyota and waited as a white van passed the entrance before pulling out herself. The van turned into an industrial unit about two hundred yards