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

Jessica thought for a moment.

‘Well, the farm used to own a few cottages that were let to the labourers. They belong to the trust now. I can have a look to see if any of those are empty or if the tenant lease is coming up for renewal.’

‘Oh, isn’t that just dandy!’ spat Martha. ‘The old soak gets to live rent free for the rest of her life and all I get is a bloody boat trip.’

Marjorie waved her glass in the air. ‘A bloody boat trip,’ she echoed.

‘It’s a bit more than a boat trip, it’s a three-week cruise,’ said Jessica quietly.

‘Semantics,’ replied Martha.

‘I had an idea of how we could get you some money the other night,’ said Jessica.

Martha’s ears pricked up.

‘Well?’

‘I thought… Well, why don’t you release some equity from your house?’

‘MORTGAGE IT!’ Martha was furious. ‘Do you know how long it took me to pay off the last one?’

‘I gave you some money to help, didn’t I?’ slurred Marjorie.

‘Shut up!’ Martha shouted, red faced.

Jessica tried to calm the situation.

‘It was only an idea, Grandma. The money is no good to you after you’re gone. I just thought you might want some of it now.’

‘What I want,’ Martha banged the table with her hand. ‘Is what I’m owed. My birth right. My share of the farm.’

‘I can’t give you that,’ said Jess quietly.

Martha’s face became a deeper shade of red. ‘Young Lady, I—’

Before she could vent, they were interrupted by a loud, male voice coming from the restaurant floor.

‘Jessica. My darling daughter. How wonderful it is to see you.’

Jessica closed her eyes as the voice got nearer.

‘I heard you were having a celebration. Fancy not inviting your old dad.’

When Jessica looked up, he was standing at her shoulder. He threw his arms around her and leaned in so that his mouth was next to her ear.

‘Jess, I need some money and I need it quickly,’ he hissed.

Chapter 16

‘Hello, Dad.’

As her father pulled back from his embrace, Jessica looked him over. Physically, he had changed a little since she’d seen him last, some four years ago. His face was thinner, his hair a little greyer and he had definitely lost weight. His clothes seemed to hang on him and the stubble on his cheeks along with the deep bags under his eyes gave him a haunted look.

Nicola got unsteadily to her feet and reached out to hug him.

‘Owen, I’ve missed you so mu—’

He looked quickly over his shoulder like a hunted spy.

‘It’s Bill, now,’ he hissed. ‘Bill Stevens. I changed my name by deed poll, remember?’

‘Oh, we remember all right,’ said Martha, looking at him with distaste. She picked up her glass, sipped the wine and then pulled a face. ‘So… BILL… What brings you back after all this time? As if we didn’t know.’

‘I came to see my daughter. I’ve missed her.’

‘You heard about her inheritance you mean.’ Martha wasn’t to be taken in.

‘My reasons for coming back are no business of yours.’ Bill tried to hold Martha’s steely glare, but looked away after only a few seconds. He almost pushed Nicola back into her seat, looked around again and seeing only the restaurant host taking any notice of him, he pulled a seat from the next table and dragged it across to sit next to his daughter.

Nicola put a hand on his arm. ‘I’ve missed you, Ow… Bill.’

‘So you said.’ Bill shuffled his chair closer to Jessica. ‘Jess, I need a private word.’

‘Not here, Dad… Please. This isn’t the time or place.’

‘Where then, and when? Come on, Jess, I’m desperate. I can’t hang around here too long. You know that.’

‘Are they still looking for you after all this time?’ Martha was listening in. She might be almost eighty but her hearing was as sharp as it had ever been.

‘Keep out of it, Martha. I told you, my business is no concern of yours.’

‘No concern of mine. Hmmm. So, the fact that I lent you money to help pay off your gambling debts and you gambled it away and created fresh debt, is nothing to do with me. The fact that because of the despicable way you treated her, my daughter is now an alcoholic, has nothing to do with me. The fact that you fully intend to drag my granddaughter into your poisonous world, is nothing to do with me. Well, think again… BILL… Those issues have a lot to do with me.’

Jess tried to calm the situation before the restaurant management became involved.

‘Grandma, it’s all right. I know what he’s after.’ She looked into her father’s dark eyes. ‘Dad, I can’t give you any of Nana’s money because it’s locked away in a trust and I can’t access any of it without the backing of the other two trustees.’

Bill rubbed his stubbly chin and narrowed his eyes. ‘Who are these trustees?’

‘My solicitor, Bradley Wilson and his practice partner,’ replied Jess, calmly.

‘You’re telling me that Alice left you everything but you can’t get your hands on any money? I don’t believe a word of it.’

‘It’s true nonetheless,’ said Jess. ‘I do get an annual allowance and I get to live at the farm, rent free, but that’s it. Nana made it clear what can and can’t be done without all three trustees agreeing.’

‘That evil bitch. She’s still laughing at us.’

‘Dad, there’s no need for that.’

‘Jess, I’m desperate. I can’t tell you how desperate. You don’t mess around with the people who are chasing me for money. They make this lot up here look like a credit union.’

‘I’m sorry, Dad, but as I said—’

‘There must be a way, there’s always a way.’ Bill looked pleadingly at Jess. ‘Come on, love. You wouldn’t want to see me hurt, would you?’

He picked up the bottle of wine from the table and took a deep swig. Wiping his mouth on his sleeve he took another drink, then rested the bottle on his lap.

Nicola reached across the table to pick up the bottle of white