The Legacy Read Online Free

to get the ordeal over. She had made it sound simple. ‘Alan won’t be here long … He’ll be out of our lives soon …’ If only she could believe that.
    Humfrey Stone stood up when she and Belinda came in; so did Rolf Wallberg. Stone went to meet her and shook hands. ‘Hello, Mrs Farrington. Hello, Lindy. I’ll try to get it over with as soon as possible—it’s not complicated. You said Mr Wallberg could sit in; he’s over there.’
    â€˜Yes, that’s perfectly all right. You don’t know my two stepsons.’ Alan Farrington had followed her in, his wife Fay and his brother James close behind. He ignored Stone’s outstretched hand. ‘Who’s this?’ he demanded. ‘Where’s Paul Fairfax?’
    Christina faced him. ‘Your father decided to use a different firm of solicitors. This is Mr Stone of Harvey & Stone.’
    Alan didn’t even turn and look at Humfrey. Suspicion twisted his face. ‘You mean he dumped our old family solicitors, the Fairfaxes, and went to some smart-assed shyster in London? What have you been playing at?’
    â€˜Alan,’ his wife pulled his sleeve. ‘Alan, wait.… come and sit down.’ He jerked away from her. Humfrey stepped between him and Christina.
    â€˜Mr Farrington, why don’t you take your wife’s advice? Otherwise I shall defer reading the will to another day. It’s within my right, and if you are going to be abusive to my client, or to me, that’s what I will do.’
    Good for you, little Humfrey, Rolf conceded. He was a small slight man with a gentle manner, but he knew how to handle bullies. And he won, because Alan Farrington turned away and sat down; his wife and James taking chairs either side of him.
    â€˜Mrs Farrington,’ Humfrey asked, ‘do you want me to continue?’ She had instinctively caught hold of her daughter’s hand as her stepson confronted them.
    â€˜Yes,’ Christina said firmly, ‘we have guests waiting. Please get on with it, Mr Stone.’
    â€˜I won’t worry you with the preliminaries; it’s the usual: the last will and testament of Richard Rowley Farrington, dated 15 February 1995. Revoked all other wills etc. I’ll read from the document now.’ He cleared his throat and began. ‘I leave all monies, shares and personal possessions, and everything not held in trust, to my beloved wife Christina Ingrid, who has given me perfect happiness throughout our marriage, and has cared for me in my last illness with absolute love and devotion. I cannot express what I owe to her. Her greatest gift among so many is my daughter, Belinda Mary. I have decided after much thought, and without any outside influence, to break with my family’s long tradition and alter the Farrington trust, naming my daughter Belinda Mary as beneficiary. RussMore will, therefore, pass directly to her on my death, subject to the following provisions made for my said wife, Christina Ingrid.’
    Rolf Wallberg had seen the explosion coming. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Alan Farrington. Listening to the tributes paid to his stepmother, he had openly sneered. Now his dark face turned a dull red and he jumped to his feet.
    â€˜He can’t do that! I’m his eldest son. RussMore can’t be taken away from me! I know the terms of that trust—he couldn’t break it, nobody ever has …’
    Stone said coldly, ‘He could and he did. He’s left RussMore to his daughter with his wife as principal trustee and guardian. There’s more; why don’t you wait till the will’s been read, Mr Farrington? You can make your objections later.’
    For a moment Alan stayed on his feet. He spoke to Christina. ‘You won’t get away with this.’ Then he sat down.
    â€˜I’ll continue,’ Humfrey said and cleared his throat again. ‘My sons, Alan and James, were beneficiaries of their