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

“He’s had enough.” “You are still the cheekiest little monkey I have ever met,” Daniel laughed and gave her a hug. “And it’s past your bedtime. You want to be all rested for our journey into the marriage market, don’t you?” “I’d rather pass,” Elis told him honestly. She was terrified at the thought of having to be among all those strangers. They would be like Patricia, and judge her every action. “I can see you having to go through it; you’re getting old, but I’m just a little girl!” “I’m what?” Daniel choked on his wine and Philip had to pound his back. He set his glass down. “For that, monkey, I am going to paddle your behind. Old indeed!” “You would not dare!” Elis protested as he came towards her. “Daniel Kensington,” she shrieked as he got her over his knee; “I’m going to tell your Mother on you.” He swatted her twice and set her back on her feet. “You brute!” “Go to bed, monkey,” Philip laughed at the good-natured play. The happiest day in their life had been when Elis had come to live with them. “Us grownups have some serious talking to do.” Elis made a face that told them what she thought of that and they both laughed. The door closed and Philip’s amused look faded. Daniel’s face lost the smile and he was instantly at attention. This was serious time now. No more pretend fights or silly memories. They were at war and it was time to go to battle. “Milosevic?” “Someone thinking to pressure him,” Philip nodded. “Although it can’t be sitting well with him to realize he is dependent on his baby sister for his livelihood now.” “He always was an arrogant bastard,” Daniel nodded. “She couldn’t remember anything about the men who attacked her?” He poured himself another glass of wine and held out the bottle. Philip held out his glass. “Only that they wore handkerchiefs over their faces?” “Not one thing else,” Philip frowned. “She was gone almost an entire night, Daniel. She was not in the river that long or she would have been much sicker. So these men took her somewhere and held her prisoner. I’m going to need your help.” “You don’t need to ask, cousin,” Daniel replied. “You want me to check every empty building in the area where she was found for signs of imprisonment.” He shuddered. He had personal experience with such matters so he knew he was the obvious choice to do this. He steeled himself to get past the wave of terror and reminded himself this was for their angel. “I’ll have to ask Jon to start the survey.” Philip raised an eyebrow. “Mother informed me at supper that she expects me to dance attendance on Monkey and find myself a suitable wife while I do.” “Elissa already has Nicholas and his man mountains,” Philip frowned; “as well as my father and mother and your mother. How many more people does she need to run interference for her?” He laughed. “I’m forgetting who we’re talking about here. An army wouldn’t be enough if she took it into her head to fall for some rake.” “Like Dandridge or Marston?” Daniel asked. He saw Philip’s jaw clench. “The rumors and betting pool are all the way down to Oxford, cousin. Someone asked me if I didn’t want to chip in and I broke his jaw. He didn’t know Elis is my cousin.” He sipped his wine and fell silent for a moment. “So tell me, Pip.” His cousin looked at him and nodded. “How is it that you don’t have a wife yet? If twenty two is old, then twenty four must be practically decrepit, by our pretty monkey’s standards.” “I’m very good at finding little ways to discourage the mothers while treating them with ‘unfailing politeness’,” Philip told him. Daniel choked as he recognized his aunt’s favorite phrase. “I’ll teach you a few before I’m finally roped and tied.” He frowned. “Father has made up a list for Nicholas and myself. We are to meet each and every one of the young ladies he has noted and find ourselves wives from among their number.” He raised his glass. “Our parents are starting to close ranks on us, cousin. It looks as if we will all be mourning the loss of bachelorhood soon, Daniel.” “I’m not going down without a fight, Pip,” Daniel said softly; “I can tell you that.” “Amen to that, cousin,” Nicholas said from where he stood in the doorway. He had another bottle in his hand and another glass. “Everett was smart to stay at school,” he said as he opened the bottle and poured himself a glass. He sank down on the windowsill, scowling. “Father actually called in favors to keep me from joining my regiment to attend this execution.” “Everett was warned,” Daniel told his cousins. They looked at him in confusion. “He is better at reading between the lines of Mother’s little communiqués than we are. He tried to warn me,” he sighed dramatically, ‘but I wouldn’t listen.” “We’ll have to get him to teach us how he does that,” Philip said as he went to the telescope. “I am at a loss as to how to read your mother.” He trained it on the grounds below and frowned as he caught movement in the tree line. No one should be out there at this hour. Danger was still lurking. He turned back and nodded to his cousin. “So we are agreed?” They nodded as he held out his arm, hand palm down. “We go into battle unified; sharing our knowledge and protecting each other from sneak attacks.” “Sneak attacks?” Nicholas choked. He actually went pale. “They wouldn’t!” “Brother dear,” Philip shook his head and looked at him sagely. “These are our parents we’re talking about. Do you think they mean to leave anything to chance?” He raised his glass. “In this war, gentlemen, the bachelors must be united.” “Amen!” Daniel and Nicholas nodded and raised their own glasses. “United!” The family arrived at the Stanley family town house in London and settled in. Since they arrived late they shared a cold supper and went to bed rather early. The next morning Patricia and Edwina took Elis to the dressmakers and she stood for fittings. She came out of it pricked to within an inch of her life but ready for gowns to be made. The designer had been quite pleased to see her and promised to design dresses that would have every eligible bachelor on his knees to her. Elis would rather she designed something that would frighten them off. She was sharing ices with her aunts near the salon when she saw a dark-haired girl smiling at her. Elis felt a kindred spirit in the girl and she turned to her aunts to ask who the girl was. “Her name is Elizabeth Dandridge,” Patricia told her. “If her brother were not such a rake, she would be an acceptable companion for you.” “You can’t blame her for her brother’s behavior, Aunt,” Elis replied. “Aren’t you the one who is always telling me to judge a person on their own merits?” “She has you there, Patricia,” Edwina laughed at her sister-in-law’s tight look. “Lighten up, dear. Surely you remember what your first season was like. Elissa should have some friends her own age to share this with.” She turned to her maid after she scribbled something on the back of her card. “Kindly deliver this to Miss Dandridge, Newton.” “What did you say, Aunt?” Elis asked as she saw the girl take the card, read it, and smiled happily. “You and your mother are invited to a ‘ladies only’ tea at Stanley Hall,” Edwina smiled, “tomorrow at four p.m.” She picked up a newspaper and saw the advertisement. “Elissa, darling. Did you know your brother was giving a concert tonight?” “How – nice for him,” Elis frowned. She looked at her aunt and saw expectation there. “You can’t seriously expect me to attend, Aunt. I haven’t spoken more than two words to him since I was five.” “It will look bad for the both of you,” Patricia spoke up, “if you do not attend, Elis. We have a box there. I will have Jenkins inform the manager that we will be in attendance.” “Enjoy yourselves,” Elis replied tightly. “I am not going!” She saw the set expressions on her aunts’ faces and knew she was in for a fight. She didn’t care. She had no intention of going anywhere near her brother. She was still mad at him for not coming to her birthday ball or even bothering to send her happy wishes for the day. “I mean it,” she told them firmly. “I will lock myself in my room before I go see his concert!” She kept saying it for the rest of the day, all through dinner, while she was being dressed and in the carriage on the way to the theater. She sat in the box surrounded by her family and friends and could not shake the feeling that she was in danger. She had to admit that her brother was talented, his technique was flawless and there was some passion in his delivery, but there was something intangible missing that should have been there. Papa had given the piece Alexei was playing life. She remembered him playing it for them the night he… She put her hands to her head and whimpered as pain shot through her head. She couldn’t do this! It was too painful. Patricia made her sit still and when Intermission was called, they took her down to his dressing room. Her brother, he looked so much like Papa that it hurt even worse to see it, rose to his feet and smiled to her. He held his hands out to her and she went to him hoping she was smiling. “My little sister!” he enthused as he kissed her on both cheeks and gave her a quick hug. “How very beautiful you have grown, my Ursa,” he continued as he spun her around. The use of his pet name for her threw her for a moment. How could she be afraid of him? He stood there looking just like Papa with that loving smile on his face and he was her beloved brother once more, not an enemy. “You look so much like Mama!” He saw her flinch and knew why. He really couldn’t blame her for being frightened of him. He had certainly made the first five years of her life hell. “You must come to our home soon and meet your niece. Natasha has named her Elisabeth, after Mama.” “Natasha is well?” Elis asked in true concern. She might adore her older brother, but Natasha was a second mother to her. “She is only just off bed rest, little one,” Alexei smiled at her. “But you do not know of such things. You are still an innocent.” He greeted the others then and left her to examine the dressing room. He came up behind her and put his hand under her chin. “I was cruel to you, Elissa, when we were young. I can never make up for that. Shall we try to begin anew? It grieves me to have such distance between us.” “I’d – like that,” Elis choked and found herself enveloped in his embrace once more. “I’ve missed you, Ori.” “Then shall we celebrate by playing Papa’s sonata?” he asked her. “You remember it, Elissa. He wrote it as a celebration of family love. It would be most fitting if you were to play it with me tonight.” “In concert?” Elis looked at him in shock. He nodded and she shook her head. “I couldn’t, Alexei. I’d be too frightened.” “You, my little bear? My Ursa?” Alexei laughed at her and stroked her arm. “You have never been frightened in your life!”