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

I gave her a look over my shoulder. ‘Don’t let him leave,’ I said, and took the stairs two at a time, stepping onto the towel, tripping, and ending up on all fours, naked and frustrated.

Finally making it to the bedroom, I finished drying off, quickly brushed my hair into some sort of shape, sprayed a couple of puffs of perfume onto my chest, neck and wrists, and dragged my bluebell print dress over my head. Suddenly realising that I hadn’t put on any underwear, I cursed, turned around towards the dresser, decided I didn’t have time, and pulled a pair of shoes from the bottom of the wardrobe while staring up at the clock. I pulled them on as I hopped across the bedroom, checking myself in the mirror as I went.

Back in the kitchen Miriam was pouring the tea. I looked at her and held out the palms of my hands, a pleading look on my face.

‘You’ll do,’ she said softly, and went back to making the tea.

As I walked breezily into the living room, Godfrey got up from his seat and gave me an approving look.

‘Stunning, simply stunning,’ he said.

I blushed, as I tended to under Godfrey’s gaze. ‘Miriam’s bringing the tea,’ I said, still trying to regain my breath after the hectic ten minutes I’d just spent.

Godfrey gave me his best smile, and my heart skipped a beat. ‘I particularly like the odd shoes.’

I looked down and my heart sank. I had picked up one white Oxford heel and one black.

I felt myself reddening. ‘I was… I… I’ve got another pair like it upstairs.’ I turned and hurried out of the room giving Miriam a stare and pointing to my feet as I stomped past her.

Less than a minute later I was back, with matching feet. I walked back into the front room and bent forwards slightly, pointing at them.

‘I decided to wear matching shoes after all,’ I said.

Godfrey grinned. ‘I just thought I’d let you know.’

I rolled my eyes heavenwards, walked towards him and kissed him on the lips.

‘To what do I owe the honour?’ I asked.

‘I was hoping that we might have a ride out, to take advantage of the glorious weather. It’s the first decent day we’ve had since last autumn. I couldn’t bear to waste it sitting in a stuffy office.’

‘Forget the tea, Miriam,’ I shouted. ‘We’re going out.’

Back outside, Godfrey opened the passenger side door and waited for me to climb in before shutting it firmly and stepping around the back of the car to get to the driver’s side. I lifted my bottom off the seat and smoothed my dress. Suddenly remembering that I wasn’t wearing anything underneath, I screwed up my face and bit my lip.

Godfrey took his seat and turned towards me. ‘Something wrong?’ he asked, noticing my expression.

I shook my head. ‘No, it’s okay, I thought I’d forgotten something, but it doesn’t matter now.’ I smiled at him, then looked straight ahead, hoping against hope that the slight zephyr of a breeze that had been wafting around all morning, didn’t pick up during the afternoon.

‘Where do you fancy?’ he asked. ‘We could do a late lunch at the Café Blanc, or we could find a hostelry and have a drink or two.’

‘By hostelry, I assume you mean, pub?’ I replied.

‘Indeed,’ he said.

‘Well, I’m not going to the Old Bull,’ I said firmly. Going sans knickers in a strange pub garden is one thing, doing it in my local is another thing entirely.

‘What about the Green Man near Aylesford. Would that be far enough away?’

I’d never been anywhere near Aylesford in my life, but it seemed to be quite a distant place and no one would know me there, so I nodded.

‘That sounds perfect.’

As it happened, Aylesford was less then fifteen miles away and we arrived at the village pub about two miles outside of the town, half an hour later. The Green Man had a nice garden at the back and we sat amongst the early roses and hydrangea shrubs as we ate sandwiches and sipped at gin and tonic water.

After ordering my third gin (Godfrey only had two), and feeling utterly relaxed, I began to tell him about my life since we had last met back in October.

‘It seems such a long time,’ I said.

‘If only you knew what a struggle I’ve had, keeping away,’ he replied. ‘I’ve reached the top of your lane three or four times only to turn back. I didn’t know what your circumstances were, whether Frank had come back or not, so I thought it better to wait until you contacted me.’

‘Frank never came back,’ I lied, trying my best to keep the events of that dreadful Christmas Eve when he had attacked me and Amy, out of my thoughts.

‘I wish you’d have let me know. I’ve missed you, Alice.’ Godfrey leaned forward and took my hand across the table. ‘Missed you so much,’ he added.

I sighed audibly as my heart melted again under the influence of that smile.

‘I missed you too, Godfrey, but I thought it best to let things lie, your circumstances being what they are. We couldn’t allow ourselves to be seen together on a regular basis. We’d have been the talk of the town.’

Godfrey patted my hand. ‘I have thought about leaving her you know.’

‘Don’t, Godfrey.’ I pulled my hand away. ‘I’d never be able to live with myself if I thought I’d caused your wife and kids to suffer. Families need a father figure. I know, I still miss my dad.’

Dad had died an alcoholic almost a year before, leaving me to run the farm on my own.

‘I knew it could never work, Alice, not on a permanent basis, but it was nice to dream for a while.’

I reached out and took his hand again. ‘We have today,’ I whispered.

Twenty minutes later we had parked up at the edge of a small wood, just off