"Alfred and William Bloom, I presume?"A tall, dignified figure had risen from a deep leather armchair in front of a fire that burned with a green flame."It's just Alfie, not Alfred," Alfie replied before he could stop himself."I will ensure that our records are amended accordingly," said the man in a crisp tone. "Now, if I may introduce myself, I am Caspian Bone, senior partner at this firm. I have been expecting this meeting for longer than you might imagine."Alfie took in Caspian Bone's quirky appearance as he shook his hand. His sharp pale face was framed by shining shoulder length ebony hair. The irises of his eyes were almost completely black. He didn't look much older than his mid thirties but wore an old fashioned, tailored black suit giving him the appearance of a Victorian gentleman. "These deeds were entrusted to this firm quite some time ago with the instruction that they pass to you on your twelfth birthday. However, in light of yesterday's . . . event, we deemed it necessary to set into motion the early transference of your inheritance."Alfie scanned the pages of legal text and a familiar name caught his eye. A name linked to the village where his mum's family still lived. He looked up in amazement. "These papers... they're about Hexbridge Castle?" "Your castle," asserted Caspian."You're kidding?" Alfie searched Caspian's face for the slightest sign that this was a joke. He found none. Excerpted from The Secrets of Hexbridge Castle by Gabrielle Kent All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
