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

a narrow country lane on the outskirts of the village. We climbed into the back seat, and without even a hint of small talk, threw ourselves at each other. Godfrey smothered my neck and face in kisses and after fumbling away at his trousers, slipped his hands under my dress.

‘My goodness,’ he gasped, eyes wide.

‘I came prepared,’ I said with a husky laugh.

He kissed me again, I hastily unbuttoned the front of my dress and spread myself across the back seat. Godfrey lay on top of me and with his hot breath on my neck and one hand on my breast he guided himself into me.

Our lovemaking was urgent, hurried and over all too soon, but I loved every brief moment of it. I had missed the closeness of his body, the musky smell it gave off as he began to sweat. When he was finished, he withdrew and, still panting, leant on one elbow and looked into my eyes.

‘Alice, I love you. Did I ever tell you that?’

Chapter 14

On the Thursday morning, Jess got up early as Sky had promised their installer would arrive at any time between 7 AM and 1 PM. To her surprise, two engineers arrived in two different vans at ten-thirty. One to install the broadband and one to install the satellite dish.

Wade was in his mid-twenties with a broad chest, a thick neck and mop of red hair. He flexed the muscles in his arms as he smiled. He was obviously proud of his gym physique. Gordon was older, in his late thirties; he sported a paunch, his hair had grey flecks around the temples.

Jess set them both up with coffee and biscuits before they started work. While the installers were having a chat about recent difficult jobs, a large van pulled up and two more men arrived on her doorstep with the new bed, mattress and free, bonus bedding. With the aid of a twenty-pound note, Jess persuaded them to carry Alice’s old, rusty-spring, bed and mattress down the stairs and dump them at the side of the house where she covered them in the plastic that the new items had arrived in. Making a mental note to ring the council and have them disposed of, she went back into the house just as her mobile rang.

‘Jess? It’s Bradley Wilson.’

‘Hello, Bradley, is there a problem?’

‘No, no, nothing like that,’ he replied. ‘I was, erm, well, I was wondering if you would like to have a run out for lunch on Saturday. My treat… only if you have time that is, I know you must be frightfully busy, I just thought…’

‘Thank you, I’d love to come for lunch,’ said Jess. ‘It’s a good job the offer wasn’t for today, I’m up to my neck in installers, deliveries and kitchen quotes.’ She looked out of the front window as she heard a vehicle pull up. ‘Speak of the devil, the Robin’s man is here. I’ll have to go.’

‘Would twelve o’clock be too early? I have a surprise for you. I’ll come to get you at the farm.’

‘Twelve is fine… bye, Bradley, sorry, got to rush.’

The Robin’s Kitchen rep’s name was Harry, a forty something man wearing jeans and a thick striped shirt. He stepped into the kitchen armed with an armful of brochures and designs. Dropping them onto the huge oak table, he looked around in wonderment.

‘Blimey, this is a blast from the past.’ He turned a full 360 degrees taking in the old 1930s cabinets and work surfaces. ‘If you still had the old range in here you could open it as a museum.’

‘I know,’ replied Jess. ‘I feel a bit guilty about ripping it all out if I’m honest.’

Harry opened a cupboard door, sniffed inside, then closed it again.

‘You have got a bit of worm in the units, so it’s probably a good thing to let them go.’ He bit his lip. ‘I think I have just the thing to replace it with.’ He selected a brochure and opened it to a retro style kitchen with white units and solid oak worktops. There was even a double width range with a grill, two large ovens and a six-burner hob.

Jess looked at the brochure, then around the kitchen. ‘It is beautiful. But it looks very expensive too.’

‘It’s not the cheapest on offer, but…’ he did the full 360 turn again, ‘this kitchen deserves it.’

Before he could go into full sales mode, Jess laid a hand on his arm.

‘Could you measure up for it. I’ll have a word with my financial advisor and see what I can afford.’

Harry pulled out his tape measure and Jess walked back through to the lounge where Wade was testing the new router with a program on his work computer.

‘Almost done,’ he said brightly. ‘Would you like me to log you onto the router before I go? I always like to test the customer’s computer is working before I sign off.’

‘That’s very kind of you,’ said Jess, picking up her laptop and handing it to him. ‘My ex teaches I.T. at Uni but I’m hopeless. I can use the programs I need, but that’s about it.’

Wade looked around.

‘You mean you live in a big old place like this, all alone? That must be a bit scary at times. The creaking of timber in the middle of the night and all that.’

‘Oh, I’ve only just moved in,’ replied Jess with a laugh. ‘I’m hoping for less by way of nocturnal noises now my new bed has been delivered, the old one used to pop springs all night.’

‘Really?’ Wade gave her a leer.

Jess decided to leave the comment hanging in the air and looked over his shoulder at her laptop screen. ‘It’s logged on. My email just updated.’

Wade got to his feet and began to wander around the room holding the laptop in front of him. ‘I’ll check you can get a good signal everywhere before I go, save you having to order a Wi-Fi booster later. I’ve got one