Deadly Secrets by M J Marlow (best novels for teenagers .TXT) 📕

members who would kill to see that never happens, especially now that they know she is carrying a child.” He saw Alexei’s frown. “Your Grandfather is hoping to get her to leave England behind, isn’t he?” Alexei nodded. “I don’t blame him for that, but isn’t the decision up to Elissa?” “She’s only seventeen, Geoff,” Alexei said to him. “Grandfather feels she is too young to be left without family support. He does not trust the Stanley family and he is adamant that all three of his grandchildren join him among the Rom.” He frowned. “That is no problem for Natasha and I, we have met our mates among them and are happy with such a life. But Elissa is not like us. She will not have anyone telling her what her life should be.” He looked up to see her standing in the doorway. He had known she was there for the past several moments, but left her to say something. He was not going to apologize for anything he had said; she knew how their grandfather felt. She came to sit on the couch and he could tell she was thinking hard about what she had heard. Her hand was on her abdomen and he knew she was worried about her child. That was the crux of the matter for her now, he realized. She would do what she had to do for his child. “You’re staying, aren’t you?” he asked her bluntly. “You realize we won’t be here to help you after next month, Ursa.” “I have to grow up and fight my own battles some time, Ori,” Elis replied. “I am carrying Thomas’ child. He or she is a part of this place and I will not rob our child of their heritage. I would be no better than Aunt Patricia.” She saw Natasha coming in with Elizabeth. “I’ll miss you, but I think I’m making the right decision for the child.” She sat back as Natasha pulled the bell cord. “It’s not like we can’t visit, is it?” “Of course not, Ursa,” Natasha said as she asked the maid to have the Cook prepare a light meal. “But we have been without you so long, we are feeling very selfish. That witch took you from us for ten years! She had Mama and Papa murdered because of her prejudice. Those are the kind of people you want to stay among…” “I don’t want to argue, Meda,” Elis sighed. She held her arms out to Elizabeth and the child came to her readily. “Please let me do what is best for my child?” She leaned her cheek against the child’s and Elizabeth grabbed her curls and pulled. “Bring Elizabeth over before you leave so she can choose a puppy.” “Puppy!” Elizabeth beamed and looked around for them. She looked upset when she didn’t see them anywhere. “Where?” “You’ve done it now, Ursa,” Natasha sighed. “We’re going to have to go to the kennels to play with the puppies.” She got up and held her arms out to her daughter. “Come along, little one. Let’s go see the puppies.” “I’ll take her, Meda,” Alexei said. He picked Elizabeth up under one arm and the child giggled in delight. “Come with Ori, Stella.” He caught the flash of pain on both of his sisters’ faces and hurried out with the giggling child. “Geoff, I could use some help with the little monster.” Natasha closed the door behind the men and turned to face her sister. Elis knew what she wanted to say but she wasn’t ready for another lecture. Natasha sat down and took Elis’ hands in hers. They just sat there and held on to each other for several moments. Then Natasha reached over to stroke her sister’s hair, a look of profound regret on her face. “I had just turned eleven when you were born,” she smiled as she remembered. “Mama was very weak so I got to help out. I felt like you were my baby for a long time.” She held up her hand. “No, I need to tell you this so you will understand why I will never come back here again.” Elis nodded and let her sister speak. “When those men hurt you, little sister, I wanted to hunt them down and kill them. Mikhael and his brothers went instead.” She reached out to move a fallen curl out of Elis’ eyes. “He lost two of them and ended up paralyzed on his left side while those bastards got away. They had been warned that Mikhael and the others were coming.” She let her tears fall. “All this time it was our own Aunt who was pulling their strings!” She looked at her sister. “You are the only part of England that I will miss, Ursa. Please be careful.” There was a knock on the door and Natasha went to answer it. Elis watched in shock as a man she had believed was in prison slugged her and watched her fall to the floor. He walked into the room and took the seat on the couch Natasha had vacated. Garner and Morgan followed him in, each taking a door to keep an eye out for Alexei and Geoffrey. How were these men walking free? “Hello, Elissa,” Zeller smiled as he saw the anger in her eyes. “I hear you’ve been very busy while I’ve been enjoying the cell you put me in.” “Your actions put you in that cell, Zeller,” Elissa snapped back at him. “Why risk prison again?” “There are members of your late husband’s family who wished us to deliver a message to you,” Zeller told her bluntly. He took a paper out of his pocket and forced it into her hand. “You will sign over whatever your late husband left you, and leave England with your family. This document is a Quit Claim that states you and your child have no wish to inherit anything from Marston.” “They would have me deny his child its inheritance?” Elis looked at the man in disbelief. Zeller grabbed her wrists and yanked her close. “I’m supposed to cower in terror now?” She laughed at him and he looked shocked. “I’m not the same little girl your depraved companion molested at five. Or the girl you abducted and threw in the river four months ago.” She tried to pull free but he held on tightly. “I could scream, Herr Zeller, but I think I will do something else.” She whistled and the dogs that had been lying behind the couch came around, growling and snarling. “Let me introduce you to Caesar and Brutus, Herr Zeller. Since you had no hand in training them, I can be assured they won’t let you hurt me.” She nodded as he let her go and backed off. She took the document he had given her and tore it in two. “You may tell your employers that my child will have what its father wished him or her to have. If they come after me or mine again, they will regret it.” She got to her feet and took a step closer to the snarling dogs. “Now leave.” Zeller bowed his head to her in respect. He had come expecting a frightened child and come face to face with a confident and determined woman. He would have to rethink his strategy if her was going to come after her again. Elis did not move until she heard the front door close and then she went to her sister, who was beginning to stir again. She helped Natasha to the couch and rang for the maid. “Bring the Lady Natasha some ice,” she told the woman, “she’s had an accident and bruised her jaw.” The maid moved off and Natasha looked at her sister in disbelief. “I am not a helpless child any longer, Meda. Do you see that now?” “That was Zeller you faced down, Ursa!” Natasha said with respect in her voice. “You stood there and told him and his friends to leave like you were ordering a servant!” She shook her head and laid her hand on Elis’ cheek. “Don’t get complacent, little sister. He will only think of a different way to come at you.” Elis nodded and leaned over to kiss her sister on the jaw gently. They were called to dinner and Alexei saw the bruise. He asked but they did not answer. He knew something had happened and he decided to speak to their Grandfather about it. When he came back, he had two very large dark-eyed, dark-haired men with him. They found Elis in the garden with her embroidery. She looked at the two men and then listened as Alexei explained what they were there for. “No,” she said. “I have only been a widow a few days, Ori. I am not ready to think about a new husband.” “It is Grandfather’s condition, Ursa,” he told her firmly. “If you are not coming with us where Prince Stefan and Prince Karel can court you according to Rom custom, then they remain here. You will allow them to act as your guard. You will not go anywhere without them in your company.” He saw her stubborn expression. “If you break this agreement, they will pack you up and bring you to us.” “You can tell Grandfather…” Elis started to argue and then she sighed. “No you won’t. You agree with him.” She looked at the tall handsome men and they met her anger calmly. Their silence angered her more than words could have. She could feel the challenge they were throwing at her and she wasn’t ready to accept it. “They can stay as guards, if that is what Grandfather wants, but I will not accept courtship. It is too soon.” Alexei nodded and looked at the men. They nodded as well but Elis could tell they were up to something already. She was going to have to be on guard with these men. They were not going to be bested by a child. She had a feeling they were both quite experienced in flirtation and seduction and she was about to get an education she wasn’t certain she was ready for. She looked over at her brother and he was looking away from her. Yes, she sighed, she was being set up. “Zeller was here with his friends, Garner and Morgan, Ori,” she said as a means to change the subject. His head snapped around and she nodded. “He came to deliver a document to me from one of the Marston family. They want me to sign a quit claim on behalf of myself and my unborn child.” She looked at the men. “I will not let anyone take away what Thomas wanted for his child.” She left the room and the two men followed her out to the stables. She was leaning against her stallion, shaking. Stefan and Karel each laid a hand on her shoulder and she let them have that simple touch. When she was over the spell of fear, she nodded and went to see her dogs and their family. The men watched her with the animals and they were quite pleased. The princess had a way about her that would make her a real treasure among their people. All they needed to do was find a way to convince her that she belonged with them and to them in a way that made the decision to leave England appear to be hers. The other members of the Marston family began to arrive and Elis was kept busy finding rooms for them and getting the staff to accept their residence. Most of them were an odious lot. They were a vain and selfish family, with only a few exceptions. Geoffrey watched Elis handle them and wondered if she had been a lion tamer in a former life. She was diplomatic and firm and she did not accept