Deadly Secrets by M J Marlow (good short books .txt) 📖

His eyes locked with hers and she was held fast. “Do it for those we have lost, Elissa. For Mama and Papa.” She nodded helplessly and he kissed her cheek. “That’s my little bear.” There was a knock on the door and the stagehand announced places. “Come then, Elissa. It is the first piece in this next section.” Elissa looked at her family helplessly but they were as dumbfounded as she was. They followed her into the wings and she stayed there as Alexei strode out onto the stage. He was like a king overseeing his kingdom. He owned that stage, she thought. He beat it into submission and it obeyed. She could feel the hysteria rising up in her and she stamped it down irritably. She could do this. She was her father’s daughter as well, was she not? “Ladies and gentlemen,” he smiled warmly, oozing charm and command, “a treat for us all. My younger sister, Lady Elissa Milosevic is here with us tonight. She has agreed to join me in a piece composed by our father.” He turned to her and it wasn’t Alexei standing there. It was Papa. She went to him smiling and forgot there was an audience. He led her to the piano and kissed her hand. “When you are ready, Ursa,” he purred as he leaned his cheek against hers; “let us remember family.” Elissa nodded and put her mind and her heart into the piece. She saw Mama and Papa with the three of them around the fireplace of the hotel suites that were their homes as they traveled. There was love there and laughter and it was there in Papa’s composition. There was no darkness to be found anywhere in the piece, so why did playing it terrify her so. She got to the last measures and she began to see the darkness creeping in. Alexei was standing over her with the poker from the fireplace. There was a dark look on his face and rage burned in his eyes; but it was not directed at her. Her hands ended the composition and she rose to her feet and curtsied. Alexei came towards her and she backed away from him and ran. He scowled as he saw her sobbing in the arms of one of her aunts. “My sister is shy,” he smiled at the audience, “but as you saw she is a talented and beautiful young woman. I hope London takes her to heart and loves her as much as I do.” “Take me home,” Elis said tightly as she pulled out of Edwina’s arms. “Please…” she was suddenly crashing towards the floor, accompanied by the cold realization that her brother was intent on killing her. She spent the rest of the night plagued by nightmarish images of her brother at various ages doing things to harm her. She woke up screaming and Charlotte gave her a small amount of laudanum to help her rest. When she finally woke the next morning, she was pale and shaking. “Elissa, my dear child,” Edwina was dumbstruck by the sight of her. “Please forgive me, child. If I had known seeing him again would affect you so negatively…” “You would have made me go anyway,” Elis broke in. She saw the shock on her aunt’s face, the censure on Patricia’s face. “You all knew he was not responsible for Papa’s death, and you let me think he was keeping himself away from me because he was busy.” She got to her feet and backed away from them. “Why would you let me think he would hurt me?” She burst into tears and ran out into the gardens. She heard a footfall behind her and saw Everett, Daniel’s younger brother. “Hello, Ev. Did you choose the losing straw?” “Whatever are you talking about, El?” Everett asked. He saw the pale face, the tears, and the anger and knew something very disturbing had happened. “Mother asked me to see how you were feeling. She said you were having a bad reaction to seeing your brother…” “Bad reaction?” Elis sniffed. “You could say that.” She sank down on a bench and Everett sat beside her. “I just want to know why they never told me he wasn’t the one who tried to kill me, Ev.” Elis looked at him and saw the stunned look on his face. “He was protecting me from someone. I saw him standing over me with the fireplace poker in his hands and he was glaring at someone I can’t see.” I was shaking as he took me in his arms. “I don’t remember anything after that, all I have is that image burned into my mind.” She looked up at him with tears flowing down her cheeks. “Why won’t he talk to me about it?” “You’d have to ask him that, El,” Everett said to her. “I was at the concert last night. You were brilliant. He was very angry at you for upstaging him as you did.” “I never…” “He played the piece to perfection,” Everett continued, “but his heart was not in it. He wasn’t living the piece as you were. And it showed.” He kissed her on the forehead. “All of my friends are demanding to be introduced to you now.” “Oh horrors!” “Some of them are actually very nice,” Everett laughed; “if a bit socially awkward.” He saw she was not appeased. “Mother has allowed me to call a party for Sunday afternoon. You’ll meet them all then.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “None of them are expecting you to apologize, El. They know they were in the wrong and they are all in there planning little excursions and gifts to make you forgive them.” “I know they kept it from me for my own protection, Ev,” Elis told him. “But I am not a child any longer.” She ignored his chuckle at that statement and went on. “I think it’s time I got to know my family again.” “That’s my girl,” Everett smiled and squeezed her shoulders. “Now that you’re out of battle mode, perhaps you can come to breakfast and let people treat you like a queen?” Elis went back into the dining room and they were all waiting for her. She knew they were the ones in the wrong but she had spoken far too harshly to them. So when they started to apologize, she shook her head and held up her hand. They quieted and waited for her to set the direction. “I know you meant to protect me,” she said simply, “but it hurt that you kept this from me. I was reacting out of that hurt. And so, I apologize to you for my harsh words and hope we can forgive each other.” “That’s our girl!” the MacGregor brothers applauded as Edwina pulled Elis into her arms and held her tight. Andrew raised his juice glass. “I need to talk to him,” Elis told them. “He needs to tell me the truth!” She saw the shock on her family’s faces. “He thinks to protect me, as you all do; but it didn’t’ stop me from being taken, did it?” She was adamant. “He is going to have to explain himself to me before I agree to this distance he insists on.” “She’ll do it whether we help or not,” Daniel said as he came into the room. He came over to kiss Elis on the cheek. “Everyone in town is talking about how you outmastered your brother at the concert last night, El. He’s going to be livid.” “I’m counting on it,” Elis nodded and went to get one of her cards. She scribbled a note on the back and sent a runner to her sister-in-law. Then she waited. At half past three her brother arrived with Natasha and her daughter in tow. “Meda!” she squealed and went to throw her arms around her sister as carefully as she could. “She’s so beautiful!” Elis looked at the pretty dark-haired girl her sister placed in her lap and smiled happily. A new generation of family, she sighed as the tiny child grabbed her finger and clung to it. A fierce protectiveness rose up in her and she knew now why Alexei was keeping his distance. She looked over at him and saw the longing on his face. She gave Elizabeth to Patricia, ignoring the woman’s stunned gasp, and went out into the gardens with him. “You’re not to play these games with me, Elissa,” he said softly, able to relax and tell the truth in this place. “Too many people would use you as a hostage to stop me.” “They’ve already tried once, Ori,” Elis reminded him. He flinched and she laid her hand on his arm. “I have an idea…” “You look just like Papa,” Alexei choked as he saw her impish grin, “when you plot, Ursa.” He pulled her into his arms and held her. “I should tell you no, but I am lonely for you.” He made her look at him. “If you do this, there is no going back. You will make yourself an even larger target then you are now.” She looked even more serious then and he was pleased. “Are you ready for that?” She nodded and he kissed her on the forehead. “Then let us begin the play.” He rose to his feet and glared at her. “You have no right to question me, little sister!” he snarled at her in a voice that could be heard into the house. “You were given everything while I must scratch out a living with my bow!” “I will give you access to everything, Alexei,” Elissa replied, her voice tight with anger, “on one condition.” He looked at her and waited. “You have to let Natasha and Elizabeth go,” she said bluntly. She could see putting herself in harm’s way, but there was no way she was going to let harm come to their sister and her niece. She saw his imperceptible nod and knew he agreed. “I will come live with you while she stays with aunt Patricia and you will be able to spend my inheritance as if it were your own, within reason.” “You have inherited Mama’s business sense I see,” Alexei eyed his sister with grudging respect. He let her go and looked in at their sister. “Very well, Elissa. I will let them go as long as you come to me in their place.” He kissed her on the forehead. “You will be ready at six p.m. We are invited to dinner at lord Marston’s place.” He left then and Elis felt like a sacrificial lamb. But she was determined to do this for her family. Her brother needed her, whether he wanted to admit it. She went to Natasha and sat down to tell her in Polish what she had just done for her and Elizabeth. Natasha shook her head and told her point blank she was not worth the sacrifice. “You know better than that, sister,” Elis said to her sternly. “We Milosevic protect our own!” She picked Elizabeth up and cuddled her. “I don’t want to hear that this beautiful child had an ‘accident’ one day, Tasha. Do this for her if you can’t do it for yourself.” She saw the woman fold and kissed her on the cheek. “You were there for me when I was a frightened child, Tasha. Let me be there for you now.” She beckoned to Everett. “This is my cousin, lord Everett Kensington. He will be your personal protector.” “My lady,” Everett smiled at the pretty dark-haired woman gently. “I am your ardent champion. I will do my utmost to see to it you and your lovely daughter are safe and happy from this moment on.” He looked over at Elis and frowned. “I still think you’re going too far, El.” “Let me worry about my part in this intrigue, Ev,” Elis