Deadly Secrets
- Family secrets can lead to deadly consequences and lead to unwanted decisions.

For as long as she could remember Elissa ‘Elis’ Milosevic had been able to learn quickly and well. By the time she was fifteen, she had learned seven languages; knew how to embroider, crochet, paint, and ride, sang with a pleasantly mellow contralto, played the piano, the guitar, and the harp, and danced like a dream. Her father had been a gifted Polish violinist who had fallen in love with, and married, the younger sister of an English Duke. When her parents had died, Elis had only been five; so she had come to live with her mother’s family. Her older brother, Alexei, had been twelve, and was studying violin with the man who had taught their father, so he remained with that man with a nice allowance from their parents’ estate. Their sister, Natasha, had been sixteen and was newly wed and on her honeymoon trip at the time. The Duke treated Elis like one of his own children and he and his sons were fond of bringing her small gifts when they came to visit the lady Patricia at her late husband’s country estate. Her aunt Patricia, lady Kensington, and her two sons, were her guides and co-conspirators. She had a happy childhood as she was thoroughly spoiled but unspoiled by people who loved her. She was turning sixteen soon and plans had been made for her to have a ‘season’ in London. The whirl of parties, outings, and social events were calculated for just one thing, finding a husband for her. Elis was not certain she wanted to be looking for a husband at her age, but her family didn’t listen. As always they thought they knew what was best for her. She just did not see how could any husband love her any better than her uncle and aunts and cousins? She was coming down the main staircase three days before her birthday ball when the front door opened and her uncle Percival Stanley, Duke of Clarence, came in. At his sides and just behind him were four beautiful rottweilers. Like the prince Edward Lancaster, her uncle had a fondness for the breed. He usually only had two with him, however; so Elis knew something was going on. She hid her smile of delight and schooled her features into simple curiosity. She knew from the twinkle in his eye that her uncle was not fooled. “You’ve added to your entourage, Uncle,” Elis smiled as she went to kiss his cheek in welcome. “Hello Caesar, Brutus,” she greeted his usual companions. She turned to the other two. “And these are?” “Yours,” Percival said simply and saw the delight lighting her periwinkle blue eyes. “A gift from your other ‘uncle’, Prince Edward.” “This is too much, Uncle,” Elis said, even as she crouched down to throw her arms around the necks of two beautiful rottweilers his lordship had brought her for her birthday from his close friend, Prince Edward. “Aunt Patricia will not approve.” “Nonsense,” Lord Percival Stanley laughed and ruffled her hair. “His Highness believes every young lady should have a brace of guard dogs in this day and age. Keeps the suitors honest.” “No one is going to offer for me, Uncle,” Elis laughed. “I am nobody special.” “Who’s been filling your pretty head with such lies,” Percival asked the golden-haired beauty with her periwinkle blue eyes. “You are a very special young woman.” He heard the low growl coming from the throats of her new friends and turned to see a thin wraith of a man in the doorway. “Huntley. I should have known.” “Lord Stanley,” Milton Huntley, the family solicitor nodded his head. “I did not know we were expecting you.” He looked at the dogs and sniffed in disdain. “And you brought more of those monsters with you.” Percival wished he could tell his family the truth about this man. Far from being enemies, he and Milton had been friends since they were both in short pants. But it suited them both to let the family think the man was an officious prig. They listened to him and ignored him so much so that he was able to get information out of them Percival would never have heard. And he and the people he employed were also their unofficial protector when Percival was not visiting. At last notice, Percival had spotted at least twenty of them among his sister’s staff and groundskeepers. Knowing the way they were trained, Percival knew he was missing most of them. “These gentlemen are lady Elis’ new companions,” Percival replied. “Gunther and Fritz are from His Highness’ own kennels.” He ruffled their ears and they looked up at him happily. “Prince Edward was quite pleased to have them trained especially for Elissa.” He told the dogs in German that Elis was theirs now and they would stay with her and protect her. Elis smiled and looked up at him in gratitude. “Elis, darling,” the lady Patricia said as she came in from the conservatory. As always she was dressed in the proper fashion for a widowed noble woman in her forties. Her brother, as always, wanted to remind her that she was still a beautiful woman and shouldn’t be hiding behind her grays and blacks any longer. His brother-in-law had been dead for twenty years now and Patricia was wasting herself hiding in the country. “It is time for your music lessons.” “Hello, sister,” Percival bowed his head to his sister and wished just once he would visit and find her actually smiling. “What are those?” She stopped and her violet eyes narrowed as she saw the dogs. “Honestly, Percival. If the prince had to give the girl dogs for her birthday, couldn’t it have been something a little more manageable? How am I to make a young lady of the girl if you insist on giving her animals that a full grown man has difficulty handling?” She sighed as the dogs came to greet her. No man was going to bother her with these animals around. “Very well, Elis. Bring your brutes with you.” Percival watched as his stern-faced sister and their niece moved off to the Music Room with the rottweilers trailing behind them. A moment later, music floated out into the entry hall. He wondered if his darling sister was ever going to allow him to tell the girl the truth about all the reasons for taking the girl in. The child deserved to know the truth before someone actually tried something to cause her harm. He caught Huntley watching them, too; and he frowned. When Milton was in prig mode, he made even Percival’s skin crawl but he did not show it. “Anything I need to be aware of, Huntley?” Percival asked the man. “No, your lordship,” Huntley replied. “As usual, everything is in your tray on the desk in the Study.” He looked at the man closely. “There was not one refusal to the invitations to Miss Elissa’s birthday ball.” “Very good, Huntley,” Percival nodded absently. He went into his Study and smiled as his own dogs sat at attention by the desk. They were such sturdy animals, not at all like the yappy little beggars most people of the ton seemed to prefer. He could trust that his pretty niece would be safe with the pair Prince Edward had given her as a gift. He went through the mail Huntley had opened for him and smiled at the cryptic little notes on each piece. It helped to have a spy on one’s payroll, he thought to himself. Someone pounded on the doorframe and he looked up and smiled as he saw that it was his youngest son, Nicholas, who stood there. At twenty four, he was, like his older brother, a son that a father could be proud of. “Nicholas,” he smiled and sat back. “You’re early. The party isn’t for another two days yet.” “I needed to come apologize to Elis for having to miss it, sir,” Nicholas told him. “My regiment’s been called up, sir. We leave tomorrow.” “Rotten luck,” Percival frowned. He would have to see about that immediately. He had an uncomfortable feeling that the storm clouds were gathering. His niece was going to need all of her family around her. “For Elis, not you.” “She won’t miss me, sir,” Nicholas shrugged. “She’ll be too busy having all the local bucks paying court to her.” He saw his father’s frown and agreed with him There were several young lords he would wish never paid court to his cousin. He fell silent for several moments as he pondered how to approach a very delicate subject. “Are you really planning on giving her a season, Father?” “She’s sixteen now,” Percival replied. “Her father might not have been English nobility, but her mother was my sister. She is my niece and one of my heirs.” “I’m not faulting her lineage, sir,” Nicholas frowned at her father. “She’s such an innocent girl, I’m worried she’ll run afoul of someone like Dandridge or Marston.” Percival thought briefly of the two rakes his son had mentioned. They had a reputation for ruining young women and then casting them aside. They were handsome, they were rich, and they and the other young hotheads in their crowd thought they could do as they pleased. If they were interested in Elis then they were finally going to get their comeuppance. No one was going to tarry with his niece. “Then I trust your brother and I shall be able to dissuade them,” Percival replied. He saw Nicholas’ shock. He hadn’t expected his father to attend his own niece. “And your aunt and mother are certainly not going to let anyone like that near their little chick.” He frowned, as he saw that his son remained uneasy. That meant something definite had been heard, not just vague rumors such as he had been receiving for the past week. “What have you heard?” “They were making bets over their cups, sir,” Nicholas told him. “I happened to overhear them while I was having drinks with Southerton.” Percival nodded encouragement. “They were taking bets on who could get to her first, Father. When they saw me, they left at a near run.” He went to pour himself a drink. “They’ll be here for the ball, won’t they?” “She’ll be watched,” Percival replied. “My niece is not going to be some bored dandy’s toy.” He opened a folder, the sign that the conversation was over and other business had to be attended to. “Go take her riding or something, Nicholas. Such news should be given in private.” Nicholas grinned ruefully and went to find his cousin. He didn’t need to hunt long; the music coming from the piano was his clue. No one in their family could play a piano as well as his pretty cousin. He knocked on the door and heard barking. Elis called out a command in German and he smiled. His father had given her the birthday gift from the prince Edward. He opened the door and saw the dogs sitting by the piano, still as statues. “Hello, Monkey,” Nicholas said as he kissed Elis on the forehead. He went over to his aunt. “Hello, Aunt Beautiful.” “He’s got bad news,” Elis sighed. She put the cover down on the piano and looked up at her tall handsome cousin patiently. “Well?” “Come riding with me, Elis,” Nicholas replied, “and I’ll tell you.” He offered her his arm and she knew it was bad. She ran upstairs to change into her riding habit and he was already there watching their stallions being saddled. Much to the horror of her over-strict aunt, and the delight of her male cousins, Elis had quit riding mares when she was twelve. She was a fearless child and mares were too tame for her. She wanted an animal that would challenge her. Titan, her chestnut stallion, came rearing out of his stall and Elis grabbed his bridle and pulled his head down. The horse lifted her off of her feet and she hung on until he calmed. “Ye Gods, Monkey. You’re going to meet an animal you can’t handle one of these days and be stomped to death.” “Is that your clumsy way of alluding to my petite stature?” Elis said as she turned her head to look at him. She was five foot five, a respectable height for a young lady as Patricia had noted on more than one occasion, but compared to her cousins who were all past the six foot mark like all men of the Stanley bloodline, she was a midget. “Not in the least,” Nicholas laughed. “I was alluding to the size of that mountain giant currently masquerading as a horse.” “Titan would never hurt me,” Elis replied as she stroked the animal’s nose. The Stanley family had bred horses for generations; she had chosen and raised this stallion from a foal so he was like her pet. “He can’t help it if he’s a big bad brute.” She smiled and held out her hand with the sugar cubes in her palm. “Can you, darling?” She mounted and threw her arms around the stallion’s neck as he danced beneath her. “See how he dances?” She laughed at her cousin’s look. “Race you to the mill?” “Elis…” Nicholas’ call for her to slow down went unheeded as always. He mounted his own stallion and followed her. Titan was at the mill long before his own stallion, Challenger, was even clear of the copse of trees along the back road. When he arrived at the mill, Elis was nowhere to be seen. “Elis?” She had ridden up the mill and seen two handsome young lords looking the structure over. Gunther and Fritz moved over to the mill and began exploring, taking in all the new sights and sounds of their new home. They did not see the young men as they moved around the other side of the structure, and Elis did not know she was in need of them. She did not know the men on sight, so she wondered who they were and why they were here as they turned and came up to her. The taller one with his thick brown hair and cold blue eyes saw her and nodded his head to her. He saw the stallion she was riding and he could not help but be impressed. The girl was handling the monster as if he were a pony. He reached up to touch the magnificent horse and Titan side-stepped in irritation. “He doesn’t like to be touched there,” Elis told the stranger. “Are you lost, sir? I don’t recognize you from the area.” “We were invited to a birthday ball,” lord Marston, the shorter golden-haired man with deep green eyes bowed his head to her. “I am Lord Marston. This giant beside me is Lord Dandridge.” He smiled at her encouragingly. “From his descriptions of you, we are addressing the birthday girl herself, lady Elissa Milosevic.” “Who described me to you?” “Your cousin, Lord Nicholas,” Dandridge lied to her. They knew using the name of a relative always made young ladies calm down, and this one had all of the signs of becoming difficult if they spooked her. “Is he about?” “Give him another three minutes,” Elis laughed, the sound like silver bells on the morning air, “and he’ll be here on that old slug he rides.” They stepped closer and Titan did not like it. He reared and she slid around and hung on his bridle to pull him back down. “Easy, pet. Easy, darling. You’re all right. They didn’t mean to frighten you.” “I’d love to have her talk to me like that,” Marston smiled as he stepped towards closer; “wouldn’t you, Dandridge?” “Lovely thing like her?” Dandridge smiled as he moved up behind her. “You bet!” He smiled as he pulled on one of her golden curls. “Oh that’s right. We do have a bet.” “Take your hands off of me,” Elis demanded as she pulled her hair out of his hold. “You have no right to touch me! I don’t belong to you!” Marston laughed in delight. She was such a tiny thing, compared to them, and she was standing there facing them down; refusing to be afraid. She must be a true innocent if she didn’t realize the danger she was in from them. He took another step and Elis turned to run. One moment she was on the ground, the next that same ground was giving way under her feet. She screamed as she slid into the darkness but her tormentors were gone. She whistled for her dogs and saw them at the top of the hole a few moments later, whining and barking as they tried to understand why she was down below them. She told them to stay where they were and speak and they barked for all they were worth. Elis tried to pull free and felt something twist in her ankle. She closed her eyes a moment and prayed and then she began screaming again. “Monkey?” Nicholas called down several excruciating minutes later. Elis looked up to see him leaning over the edge. His eyes were filled with concern. “How the deuce did you get down there?” “Just get me out, Nicholas,” Elis pleaded with him. “I can’t move. It just makes me sink in deeper.” “Hold on,” he nodded and disappeared from sight. A moment later, a rope came snaking down to her and she tied it around her waist. She was pulled free and back up to the ground. She threw her arms around her cousin’s neck as he held her close while she shivered in reaction to her near demise. “I’m fine,” she said to his query. “I’m just glad Titan wasn’t caught in it. “We would never have gotten him out of there.” She threw her arms around Gunther and Fritz’ necks. “They showed you where I was, didn’t they?” Nicholas nodded. “You precious boys!” He set her down on her feet and cried out as her ankle buckled under her. “Ow!” “Can you ride back, Monkey?” “It’s only my ankle, Nicholas,” Elis frowned. “I’ve ruined our fun!” She stepped into his hands with her good foot and let him lift her up onto Titan. “Home, my friend. Home.” They rode back to the stables and Nicholas lifted her down and carried her up to her room. He turned her over to her maids and started to leave. “You never told me why you aren’t going to be at the Ball, Nicholas,” she winced as the maid pulled off her riding boots. “Ow, Charlotte! That hurt.” “As well it might, Miss,” Charlotte sniffed. “You’ve injured your ankle.” She saw Nicholas’ shocked look as he saw the bruising and swelling. “Someone should call Doctor Charles, lord Nicholas.” “I’ll get Mills to send a runner,” Nicholas nodded as he got to his feet, “and be right back.” Elis nodded and bit her lip as the shock wore off. It hurt like nothing she’d felt in a very, very long time. Given the fact that her entire childhood was a series of mishaps, that was saying something. While Patricia arrived and fussed over her, Elis’ maid Charlotte ran a bath for her and got her to bed. Her aunt had Charlotte elevate Elis’ ankle with a pillow while she gave the girl a small dose of laudanum for the pain. When the doctor arrived, she was nodding off. He shook his head at the maid and she did not defend herself as he went to examine Elis’ ankle. With Patricia, it was always wiser not to. He was happy to report that there were no broken bones. He wrapped her ankle and told her she wouldn’t be doing any dancing at her ball. “No dancing?” “You don’t to make the injury worse, my lady,” Charles said to her sternly “By rights you should stay off it completely for the next week but, knowing you, that would be asking too much.” He looked at her uncle and aunt and cousin. “Off the ankle as much as possible. If the pain grows too bad, a quarter teaspoon,” he looked over at Charlotte pointedly at this dosage and saw her nod at his knowing look, “of laudanum in some tea will suffice.” The doctor left and Elis fell asleep and dreamed about balls where no one could dance and the ground opened up and swallowed everyone whole. Marston and Dandridge stood on the edge dangling ropes just out of reach and laughing in fiendish delight. She came awake screaming and struggling as they sprouted horns and pulled her to them by her hair. Her terror became real as she realized someone real was holding her down. She opened her eyes and saw her oldest cousin Philip there, his eyes filled with concern. He bent down and kissed her on the forehead. “Only you, Elissa,” he sighed as he tugged gently on the curl falling against her pale cheek, “would injure yourself before your own birthday ball.” He helped her sit up and plumped the pillows up behind her back. Then he took a box out of his pocket and handed it to her. “I hope you like it.” She opened it and her eyes widened in delight. “I seem to remember I promised you a rainbow for your sixteenth birthday.” “It’s beautiful, Pip,” Elis smiled as she ran her fingers along the strands of gemstones that fashioned a rainbow. There was a pair of ear bobs with dangling gold holding smaller pieces of the gems and diamonds, as well as a bracelet. She set the box down and threw her arms around his neck to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.” The door opened as Philip put the necklace on her and carried her over to her vanity so she could see how it looked. “It’s perfect!” She put her hand to it. “I am never taking it off.” “Don’t be a goose,” Philip smiled down at her fondly. “You’ll get lots of necklaces before men are through giving you jewelry…” “But they won’t be the rainbow my beloved cousin had fashioned especially for me,” Elis smiled back at him. “Like Mama’s stars Pip! No one could ever give me anything more special.” She threw her arms around his waist and leaned against his side. “Ever!” Philip kissed the top of her head and extricated himself from her hold as graciously as he could. She let him put her back to bed and sat there stroking the necklace and smiling dopily. He got Charlotte when he saw the pain in his young cousin’s eyes and sat with her until she dozed off. When she did, he removed the necklace and put it back in the box. He put it into her jewel box and then went back to kiss her on the forehead. She was such a gorgeous child with her golden hair and rosy complexion. The only flaw was a slight scar along her left eyebrow that she had gotten from falling out of her nursery window waving at them as they had come to visit when she was seven. “She looks like an angel when she’s asleep,” his mother, lady Edwina Stanley, sighed as she came into the room. Unlike her sister-in-law, she dressed in fashion in colors designed to suit her coloring. Today it was a visiting gown of a rich burgundy with a short jacket of a patterned silk. She took off her hat and veil and set it aside then pulled off her gloves. “How is our little one doing?” “She was in pain, Mother,” Philip told her as he let her have his seat. “Charlotte just gave her something for it.” He got the gift he had brought and showed it to her. “Emile outdid himself,” he said as he showed it to her with a pleased smile on his face. “Elis was ecstatic.” He smiled. “She said she would never take it off.” “It is lovely,” the lady Edwina said softly. “That man is an artist.” She settled in with her embroidery and Philip left her to it. For the next four hours she worked happily with her silks and linen as the girl slept. But then Elis had the nightmare again and she came awake sobbing. Edwina put her work aside and put her arms around the girl, stroking her back and rocking her gently until she calmed. “It’s all right, Elissa darling. You’re safe now.” She made Elis look into her eyes. “You’re dreaming about falling into that hole, aren’t you?” “Will it stop?” Elis asked her aunt bluntly. “I don’t like being tormented by a fluke of nature.” “It will take a while for it to fade from your mind, Elissa,” Edwina told her truthfully. Elis had never liked to be coddled and it was no time to start now. “You are fortunate you only hurt your ankle.” “Doctor Charles says I am not to walk on it for a week, Aunt,” Elis sniffled. “How am I going to enjoy my birthday ball if I can’t dance?” “I am quite certain you will find a way, child,” Edwina patted her hand in commiseration. “Is it hurting you?” “Yes,” Elis told her honestly as she shifted her leg and pain surged up and hit her back, “but I don’t want to go back to sleep just yet,” she added as Edwina turned to find Charlotte. “Please, Aunt,” she said as Edwina looked at her with a frown. “Just a little while?” Edwina nodded and got up to ring the bell. “Have Cook prepare lady Elissa a light meal,” Edwina told the maid who came running, “and some tea.” The maid curtsied and moved off. “You’ll heal much better if we feed you, child.” “Thank you, Aunt,” Elis smiled and sank back against the pillows. She whistled and her dogs came running to her side. She pet them and they practically danced with joy. “Did Nicholas tell you my boys saved me?” “Those are dogs?” Edwina said in mock horror. She was only half joking. She adored the breed, as her husband did, but disagreed with him that they were suitable companions for a girl; even an irrepressible and fearless child like Elis. But then again this was Elis; the girl who rode horses the size of small buildings without fear. “They’re the size of ponies, Elissa. You can’t possibly want to keep them.” “How could I part with them now, Aunt?” Elis laughed. “If I had been without them, Nicholas might never have found me. I could be there still sinking slowly into the earth.” She shuddered at the thought and was quiet for a moment. Then, irrepressible as ever, she brightened. “They must sleep here with me! Could Jenkins not find someone to make them each a little bed of their own at the foot of mine?” She got out her sketchbook and drew something as the image hit her mind. “Like this?” “I am certain Jenkins has other things to do with his time, dear, but there’s no harm in talking to the man,” Edwina said as she took the drawing. The delight in Elis’ eyes made the extra effort worthwhile. It always was a wonder how this darling child could not be spoiled. Everyone went overboard to make her happy; but it was not hard. It took so little to make Elis happy. Edwina got up and pulled the bell cord on the wall near the bed. “Margaret,” she said to the maid who came in. “Please send Jenkins up here to us. We must have a consultation on a construction project.” She had a sudden worrying thought. “Have you heard from your brother and sister, Elissa?” “Alexei and Natasha are in Prague,” Elis sighed as she remembered the letter she had received only that morning. Her brother, Alexei Milosevic, had inherited and surpassed their father’s talent with the violin. Natasha, now widowed and expecting the child of her late husband, traveled with him as his manager. “He says Natasha and he will try to get here for the ball, but he cannot promise. His last concert is tonight and travel is difficult these days with Tash being seven months along.” She smiled as she remembered his letter. “They will be home next month and he has asked Uncle if I might be allowed to visit with them while they await the birth of her child.” Edwina did not answer. If it were up to her, Elis’ brother would never be allowed near the girl again. He had a volatile temper that had led him to acts of violence against his sisters when they were younger. Her father had intervened by sending his son off to private schools. He had been home when intruders had broken into their suite to harm the family. The boy had been rendered mute for several years after the incident. He had decided then and there to devote his life to avenging his parents’ murderers and bringing down the people who had ordered it; and deliberately distancing himself from his beloved younger sister. His older sister would not allow him to pull the same maneuver with her, so she remained glued to his side. Unfortunately, Elis adored her older brother. She had no memory of the event that led to her father’s death. Her mother had died only days later of a broken heart. Elis had been told they had died of the flu going through Moscow at the time. “You’re looking far too serious, Aunt,” Elis said as she caught Edwina’s expression. “What are you thinking about?” “How to keep you entertained at your party,” Edwina lied. But it worked. For the next half hour as Elis ate and then was forced to take more pain killer, they discussed ways she could enjoy a ball where she could not dance. As always, most of the girl’s suggestions were geared to insuring her guests had a delightful time. “I guess there’s one good thing about not being able to dance,” Elis said as she drifted off to sleep later. “Lord Marston and Lord Dandridge won’t be able to touch me.” “Where did you meet them, Elissa?” Edwina snapped to attention. “They were out by the old mill,” Elis said softly, already half asleep. “They spooked Titan and I slipped off of him. That’s when the ground gave way.” She sighed. “They’re nasty people. I can’t see how Nicholas would have anything to do with them.” Edwina hadn’t the heart to wake the child up to scold her so she found her son instead. Nicholas was downstairs with his father and brother in the Study going over the estate records with Patricia. This was fortuitous, she thought as she stepped in and closed the doors. She told them what Elis had just told her about the accident and not one face was at peace. “Those bastards!” Nicholas hissed. “I wouldn’t introduce my cousin to them if my life depended on it. How dare they foist themselves on her like that.” “They were there when she fell,” Philip snarled, “and they just took off?” He slammed his fist into the wall and cursed. “Excuse me Mother, Aunt.” He was raging now. “If I see them at the ball, I am going to…” “Treat them with all due courtesy and unfailing politeness,” his mother broke in. “More flies with honey, remember my dears?” “For you, Mother,” Philip bowed his head, “and because I wouldn’t ruin the evening for Monkey for the world.” “Are you still calling her that?” Patricia shook her head. “Don’t you think you might consider addressing her like the young person she is instead of continuing to use that silly pet name?” The young men looked at each other and knew the answer to that. From the very first their young cousin had reminded them of an exotic. She was unlike any female they had ever known in their lives. Since she had shown a penchant for climbing, they had chosen the monkey as her animal. Philip nodded to his younger brother, always the more outspoken and Nicholas smiled at his aunt patiently. “No,” Nicholas answered her honestly. “Elis is always going to be Monkey to us, Aunt. It fit her when she was small and climbing trees and rooflines. It suits her now. It will fit her when she’s ninety.” “If she doesn’t break her neck during one of these incredible stunts of hers,” Percival sighed heavily. “Tell your cousins that Marston and Dandridge are not allowed anywhere near Elis at the ball. Do what you can with your ‘unfailing politeness’ and ‘due courtesy’,” he smiled at his wife lovingly as she frowned at his teasing, “to keep them out of her presence.” Elis woke up the morning of her birthday and smiled as the pain in her ankle was a twinge compared to the two days preceding it. She got up and put her foot down and burst into tears as pain lanced up through her leg and hit her spine. She was sitting on the edge of her bed sobbing when Charlotte came up with her breakfast tray. Elis refused to take the laudanum and Charlotte nodded before adding it to the tea behind her mistress’ back. When Elis woke up several hours later, Charlotte let her believe that she had just been tired. When it was time to get ready for the ball, Edwina and Patricia came into her room to help her. “You are very beautiful, Elis,” Patricia smiled as she looked the girl in a gown of nearly the same shade of blue as her eyes. The rainbow necklace was around her throat. She settled the white lace shawl around her shoulders just as there was a knock on the door. “I hear a young lady here is having a birthday,” Percival smiled as he stepped in. He looked puzzled and turned away from her. “But where is the child?” he teased. “All I see before me is an exquisitely beautiful young woman!” He was handsome in his evening clothes and Elis was enchanted. He was wearing his best for her ball and she was in tears. “Now, Elis; tears are not allowed on such an occasion.” He picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the room. “You are looking quite lovely tonight.” They came to the top of the main staircase and Jenkins stamped his staff on the marble floor. All noise ceased and everyone turned to look as Percival carried Elis down the stairs. He carried her into the ballroom and she smiled as she saw a high-backed chair set up like a throne before the wall of windows looking out into the gardens waiting there with a footstool for her to rest her ankle upon. “I charge you to take up a glass,” Percival said as he took a glass of champagne from the waiter circulating around the room, “and join me in a toast to my niece, lady Elissa Milosevic, on the occasion of her sixteenth birthday.” “I would like to join in that toast,” a familiar voice laughed. Everyone turned and Elis saw the prince Edward standing there with his wife and retinue. Her ‘adopted’ uncle looked quite handsome in his uniform. He and his retinue had outdone themselves. They were dressed as if they were attending a queen, not a family friend. She bowed her head as everyone else curtsied or bowed. A waiter handed him a glass and he raised it to Elis. He smiled as he saw Gunther and Fritz, one on either side of her throne. “To the lady Elissa,” he said in his warm voice; “a long and happy life.” The toast over, he approached her and took her hands in his as he bent over to kiss her on the cheek. “I was grieved to hear of your injury, my lovely little lady. I was looking forward to dancing with you at your birthday ball.” His eyes sparkled as he had an idea. He picked her up in his arms and looked over at the musicians. “A waltz, if you please.” Elis put her arms around his neck and he dropped her so that her feet were almost touching the floor. He held her firmly around the waist as they ‘danced’ to the strains of the waltz being played. Elis kissed him on the cheek and he kissed her on the forehead and carried her back to her throne. He had a chair brought for him and spent most of the ball seated at her side talking about those things they enjoyed in common. He had always been very kind to Elis and tonight was no exception. The only women he danced with were his wife or her aunts during the hour he was there. When he left to go he toasted the birthday girl once more and then was gone. “I still can’t believe that’s Milosevic’s sister,” lord Marston said to his friend Dandridge as they watched the angel hold court from her throne. “She’s the most exquisite creature I have ever seen in my life.” He saw her cousins scowling at him. “She has a veritable army of protectors, but I think Alexei can get through them for us.” “So I am to contact him,” Dandridge’s lazy smile made several young ladies nearby swoon, “and tell him his offer is acceptable?” “More than acceptable,” Marston replied. “Any child that can drop into a hole in the ground and come out looking like that is a worthy playmate for our brotherhood.” Elis looked up suddenly and saw them watching her closely. Something about the way they were eyeing her made her skin crawl. She beckoned to Philip and he leaned down so she could ask him his opinion of the pair. She was not surprised when he informed her that lord Marston and lord Dandridge were scum and she should ignore them completely. Elis looked at her bristling cousin and she was pleased to see him being so protective of her. But then all of her cousins were equally protective and she noted that all of them were watching the pair she had noted with expressions of disgust and wariness. If the four of them could agree on disliking this pair, then she would be wise to listen to them. She listened to the music a little longer and then found her uncle. He took her upstairs and she fell asleep with a happy smile on her face. Percival went back downstairs to rejoin the ball. “Remind me to thank Edward for what he did tonight,” he said to his wife. “She fell asleep smiling. Perhaps tonight she will dream happy dreams.” Elis survived having to spend the next four days off of her feet by becoming a little tyrant. She had everyone in the household jumping for her, but not one person would complain about it. Marston and Dandridge finally got fed up trying to get close to her again as one of her cousins, and even some of the household staff, ran interference for her. Jenkins, already swamped with work, found a ‘carpenter’ to make the beds for the little lady’s dogs. Patricia was seated in her room reading and Elis was trying her weight on her foot when the young man arrived. Patricia nearly fainted when she saw who the carpenter was but remained quiet as he shot her a warning look. She shrugged. If the Baron Everley wanted to play peasant, that was his choice. It was even more acceptable when she saw him take one look at the angel doing cautious pirouettes with a delighted smile on her pretty face and he was snared. From that moment on, there was nothing too good for her. The dog beds became a work of art any person would have been proud to claim as their own. “You have only to ask, my lady,” Peter Martin said as he and his man put the beds down at the foot of her bed, “and it is yours.” “They are beautiful, Mr. Martin,” Elis beamed at him. She did not know how to tone down her reactions. She called her dogs to her and pointed to the beds. “Yours, Gunther,” she said to the larger of the pair and pointed to the left one. “Yours, Fritz,” she pointed to the right one. The dogs got on the beds and circled once before settling down with twin grunts of pleasure. “My boys,” she giggled and crouched down to rub their ears. Peter nearly choked as the action pulled the fabric of her dress close to her slim yet curvaceous frame and accentuated every one of those delightful curves. He turned away to find his friend Philip watching him from the doorway. He gathered his tools, murmured something appropriate to Elis, and hurried from the room without another word. Philip followed him, finding him in the stables. “I asked you here to keep an eye on my cousin, Martin,” Philip said testily; “not to eye my cousin.” “Can I help it if she’s a sweet looking female, Pip?” Peter replied. He saw Philip’s dark scowl. “Honestly, Pip! I would never take advantage. It would be sacrilege for a mere mortal to touch that little angel.” He saw his old school friend’s relief. “I’ve been keeping my ear to the ground, as you suggested. Nicholas was right about the wager. Last I heard the bet was up to 2500 pounds.” “If either of those bastards come near my cousin again,” Philip said stiffly; “I’ll hand them their heads.” His frown deepened as he saw Huntley arriving. “Damnation. What does that prig want? Wait for me, Everley. I have something more to discuss with you.” He hurried to the house and arrived just in time to hear Huntley ordering Jenkins to call the lady and her niece to the Study. “I believe this is their house, Huntley.” “Lord Philip,” Huntley choked. “I was not aware that you were here.” “Obviously,” Philip snapped. “Jenkins,” he turned to the butler. “Please inform my aunt and my cousin that Mr. Huntley would like a moment of their time, if they are free. We will be in the Study.” He walked in and Huntley followed. Philip closed the door and sat down. “What is it, Huntley?” He held up his hand as the man started to argue. “Anything that happens in this home is my business now. My aunt has asked me to reside here with her and run the estate until my cousin Daniel can take up the reins himself.” He saw the man choke. “So you will run every business past me first before you bother either my aunt or my cousin with it. Is that clear?” “Of course, Lord Philip.” Huntley nodded. He pulled a file out of his briefcase. “Lady Kensington asked me to look into Lady Elissa’s inheritance. She was worried that your cousin was not receiving everything that was her due.” Philip nodded and he sighed. “It seems, sir, that your cousin was her parents’ sole heir. They left her brother and sister each a lump sum for continued schooling and that was it.” He looked uneasy. “Lady Natasha is fine; her husband’s estate is quite sufficient for her and the child’s needs. But the boy has come to the end of his monies and begun petitioning the firm handling his parents’ estates for funds.” “So has he been made aware of this arrangement?” Philip frowned. Like everyone else in the family, he was more than aware of Alexei’s treatment of his sisters. “Unfortunately, yes,” Huntley replied. “Your aunt has decided that your cousin should be made aware of the situation.” “No,” Philip told him bluntly. Huntley looked at him stunned. “Elissa is not to hear one word about this.” He held his hand up and Huntley quieted. “You will contact the firm and tell them if Milosevic contacts them again, they are to direct him to you. And this is what you are to tell him, Huntley.” He laid out his directions and Huntley was impressed. He had known the Duke’s heir could be heavy handed but this was sheer torture he was proposing be done to the temperamental artist. “Can you handle this for us, Huntley.” “With great pleasure, Lord Philip,” Huntley told him. “I have never liked that insufferable prig.” “Huntley!” Philip smiled at him. “I have been mistaken in you all these years. I was convinced that you were the insufferable prig.” He saw the man nod and realized what was going on. “You were assigned to her, weren’t you?” “Yes, lord Philip,” the man nodded, letting his usual manner slip so the younger man could get a glimpse at the real man underneath. “My superiors have learned that young Milosevic has involved himself with some very nasty people to earn pocket money. We believe he is working as a courier of information and supplies. His benefactors are the kind of people…” “Who would not think twice about using either of his sisters as leverage against him?” Philip finished. He was not pleased when Huntley nodded. There was a knock on the door. “I am trusting you not to tell Elissa about her being the sole heir. If she asks about her brother’s circumstances, tell her he is well off and leave it at that.” “Lord Philip,” Huntley nodded stiffly. “Any man who would deliberately involve that pretty child in such nastiness should be strung up by their privates. Pardon my bluntness, my lord.” “You would not be the only one of us who feels that way, Huntley,” Philip nodded. He opened the door and his aunt and cousin came into the room. “Aunt, I believe Huntley has that information you wanted on Elissa’s inheritance.” He saw the irritation flash in her dark eyes and wondered why he was trying to keep secrets. Something is up with her, he thought as he nodded to the man. “I’ll just sit in on this interview, if you don’t mind, Huntley.” Huntley nodded and then waited for the ladies to sit. Then Philip sat down and he sat. He pulled out the file again and handed it to Elissa. She looked it over and her eyes grew round as she saw exactly how much the inheritance she had been given by her parents had grown over the past ten years. She looked at the man in confusion. Her father had been a concert violinist, how was it possible for him to have that kind of money set aside. “Your mother had her inheritance from our parents and grandparents, Elissa,” Patricia told her, “and your father was well paid for his work.” She saw the sum and smiled. “You are a young lady of means.” “And Alexei?” Elissa looked at the solicitor. “Your parents saw to your brother,” Huntley told the girl. He hated lying to her but she was not to know, if he could see to it. She looked relieved and nodded. “These funds are in a trust and the firm that handles it has agreed to transfer it to our firm. Your uncle has asked your cousin Philip to be your trustee,” he saw Philip’s quick flash of astonishment. “Until you are twenty five, or married to a man your cousin approves of, he will be in charge of your inheritance.” “That’s all right,” Elis said with a smile over at her cousin. “Pip knows I am not a spendthrift.” She thought of something. “Papa had his collection of violins, and Mama her jewels. Are they safe?” “I will inquire into that matter for you, Lady Elissa,” Huntley nodded briskly. He got to his feet. “If you will excuse me, I have another meeting in my office in London and I would not wish to miss the post-chaise.” “I’ll see you out, Huntley,” Philip said to the man. They went to the stables where Martin was still saddling his horse. The three men discussed the matter of the collections Elis had mentioned and Martin elected to visit the firm in Prague as a ‘representative’ of the lady Elissa’s solicitors. Huntley would give him letters of introduction and any other papers he would need to play this role. “You don’t know how relieved I am to have you involved, Everley,” Philip said to his friend. “Are you certain you can take time from your own estates…” “Like your aunt,” Everley broke in as he finished adjusting the cinch, “I have a very capable man of business.” He thought of her then and knew he had no choice. “You can consider it my birthday gift to your delightful cousin.” “I don’t like this, gentlemen,” Philip said as he hid his delight at the realization that his cousin had made a conquest. He couldn’t have asked for a better match. “Such collections should have been handled when my uncle and aunt died. Someone has been playing fast and loose with what belongs to my cousin.” He turned to the stable master. “Clarkson,” the man snapped to attention, “have the carriage take Mr. Huntley to the inn to catch the post-chaise to London.” “Yes, my lord.” He turned at Martin’s imperceptible signal and saw his cousin standing in the doorway behind them. She turned on her heel and ran back to the house. Philip sighed and followed her to her room, praying she had not heard anything they had been discussing. Unfortunately for him, she had heard it all. Elis was not at all pleased to think that her father’s precious violins had been lost, much less her mother’s jewels. She wanted to go to Prague with Martin and was incensed when Philip told her no in most definite terms. “It is bad enough you setting that man on me without my knowledge, Pip,” she snapped as she watched Martin riding off with the carriage from her bedroom window, “but now you expect me to sit here with my hands folded and let him handle my personal business.” She turned from the window and her hands went to her hips. “It is not to be born!” “You are a child, Elissa,” Philip replied sternly when he really wanted to laugh in delight. She was such an amazingly fierce little minx at times. “Just sixteen now. There is no way you can travel and have it appear proper.” He saw her slow impish grin and sighed. “I know that look. What are you planning?” “You could go with me,” Elis said to him. “As my trustee, it would be expected that you would look into the matter for me. As my cousin, you would make the perfect traveling companion.” “And I suppose we will take your brutes with us?” Philip asked in amusement. He liked her when she had the bit between her teeth. She nodded and he made her sit down. Then he sat down near her and took her hands in his. “Elissa,” he said firmly, “as much as I would love to go gallivanting across Europe with you it cannot be done. This business is what we hire men like Huntley for, and Everley is doing it as a personal favor out of his friendship for us. They are both trustworthy and can be counted on to find out the truth of this matter. Besides,” he added as he looked at her with affection, “who would look after Aunt Patricia if we were both gone?” She looked down. “I see you hadn’t thought that far ahead, my pretty monkey.” He raised her eyes to his. “Trust me, cousin. I know what I’m doing.” “Papa loved those violins, Pip,” Elissa whimpered, even as she nodded her agreement. “He always called them his ‘other family’. He would die all over again if anything happened to them.” She had a brief flash of memory. “And Mama’s jewels. Papa always said they were the only stars he could bring to her and not rob the skies of their glory.” She was in tears as the memory of her parents brought a familiar ache to her heart. “You have to find out what happened to them, Pip. Please!” “Don’t worry, monkey,” Philip said as he held her while she cried. “Our men will find out what happened to your Papa’s other family and your Mama’s pretty jewels.” He had a thought. He remembered his aunt very well and there was one thing he could count on; her organizational skills. “Your Mama was very organized. She had a notebook where she kept a list of things.” He looked into Elissa’s eyes. “Do you know where the notebook is, Elissa?” He was not surprised when she nodded. Elis and her older sister, Natasha, had inherited their mother’s organizational gifts. She went to the trunk her sister had sent to her recently that was along the wall and opened it. She pressed a catch on the inner lid and he was surprised to see a hidden compartment. The notebook and several other documents fell out. There was a stack of letters inside as well bound in a burgundy ribbon. “What are those, monkey?” “Love letters,” Elis told him. “Whenever Papa had to go on tour without us, he and Mama would write to each other. Do you think I’m old enough to read them now? Mama always told me I was too little when I asked.” “Let me look them over first,” Philip offered. “If there is anything in the letters a young girl should not read I will let you know.” “Thank you, Pip,” Elis smiled up at him trustingly. She frowned as she saw something she had never noticed before. “That wasn’t there before,” she said as she picked up a small notebook and opened it. “Just dates and locations and amounts,” she shrugged. “Probably Papa’s concerts.” She lifted out her clothing and pressed another catch. Her eyes went wide as she saw what was hidden inside. “Mama’s stars, Pip!” she gasped as she lifted out one piece after another. “They were here the whole time!” She picked up the note included with them and opened it. “Mama always wanted her stars to belong to you, Elissa. Your sister, Natasha.” “She was the one who packed my things for me,” Elis said softly as she sat with the jewels in her lap and ran her fingers along each item lovingly, “when I came here to live with Aunt Patricia. But we had all the clothing and toys given to the local orphanage so she kept the trunk until just recently.” She went to her closet and pulled out a box. “All that was in the trunk were these old files.” “I’ll go through those as well,” Philip said as he took the box, notebooks, and letters from her. “Don’t worry, monkey. I’ll let you know what’s in them.” He stroked her cheek and smiled at her fondly. “Why don’t you put your Mama’s stars in your jewel box and we’ll ride into town for some ices. If you’re feeling up to it, that is. I think we could both use a treat.” Elis nodded and he kissed her on the forehead and left her alone. He looked up from the files he’d been reading ten minutes later and saw her standing there in her riding habit. He put the files in his lockbox and they got their horses. Half an hour later they rode into the nearby town with her dogs shadowing them. The townspeople greeted them both warmly. The family was well loved by the people they cared for and there were several people who were quick to ask Elis how she was feeling. Philip and Elis settled down at a table along the main street and enjoyed ices together unaware of the fact that they were being watched by a pair of strangers from across the street. “So that’s Milosevic’s sister,” the shorter rounder one with a scar over his left dead eye nodded. “She’s grown up to be a right pretty piece.” “We’re not to touch, Garner,” his companion, as thin as his companion was round, replied tightly. “We are here to find out if she has any knowledge of those missing files. That’s all.” “Pity,” Garner frowned. “I wouldn’t mind being the one to introduce that one to the pleasures of…” He trailed off as he saw his partner’s dark look. “Don’t worry, Morgan. I don’t fancy angering our employers by overstepping their instructions. A quick snatch and interview and then she’s returned home none the worse for the experience.” He touched his fingers gently to his injury. “Although I owe her brother for giving me this.” “It’s not going to be easy,” Morgan frowned. “Everyone in this town knows that pair.” He sighed heavily. “We’re going to have to ambush them on the road.” He thought over the land they’d been surveying for the past month. “There’s that patch of trees near the river. Let’s go.” Elis was tired as they rode back home. It had been a strange morning with the discoveries they had made and this had been the first time she had been out of the house in a week. So she was nodding off, letting Titan have his head when she heard something whiz by her head. She heard Philip cry out in pain and opened her eyes to see him sliding to the ground. She got off Titan and knelt down beside her cousin. Her cousin had a big bruise on the side of his head and he was bleeding. She went to her horse and leaned her face against his neck. “Home, Titan,” she cried as she slapped him hard on the haunches. “Quick home.” She watched the stallion race off and turned as the dogs began growling. Two men with handkerchiefs over their faces stepped out of the shadows. She picked up a branch and stood between them and Philip. “Don’t you touch him!” she ordered them. “I’ll hurt you if you try!” She looked at her dog and was about to order them when a third person stepped out of hiding and clamped a foul smelling rag over her nose and mouth. “Gunther! Fritz! Sitten zie!” Hans Zeller, the man who had trained the dogs snapped and the dogs went silent and sat on their haunches. “Good boys.” He pointed to Philip. “Protect!” Then he picked Elis up in his arms and turned away with the other two men following him. They went down to the boat waiting on the river and he took her hat and dropped it on the bank. “Just a little something to keep them guessing,” he laughed as his companions looked confused. He cut Elis’ arm and wiped her blood on a branch along the bank. Then he yanked a few of her hairs out and let them drop among the grass. “In case we have to make her disappear.” “Is that an option?” Morgan asked the man. “I thought she was untouchable.” “She is,” Zeller replied as he looked down at her, “but that never meant she could not be kept hostage now, did it?” He frowned. “Her brother is becoming something of a problem. He may need to be reminded what the consequences are for stepping out of line.” He looked down at the pretty girl in his arms. “And his little sister would make a perfect messenger.” Philip struggled to his knees and looked around groggily. There was no sign of Titan or Elis, so he assumed she had ridden ahead to get help. He found the rock with his blood on it and wondered who would throw that at him. There were no people in town who would harm him or any other member of his family. He pulled himself up and leaned against his horses side, shaking in pain. So why was he attacked? He had a horrible thought then and prayed he was wrong. But when the stable hands came riding down to get him, he knew he’d been right. Titan had arrived without Elis and the dogs were here with him. That meant she was in trouble. “Start a search,” he ordered Huntley as the doctor arrived to tend to his injury. “Every last building, every last inch of ground. They are not to stop until they find my cousin.” She was sitting in a chair tied down into it when she woke up. Elis could see nothing and realized from the strange feeling around her eyes that she had been blindfolded. She was not gagged, however; so she screamed and started trying to loosen her bonds. She froze as she heard a door open. A large hand clamped down on her throat and she quieted and waited for them to tell her what was going on. This was not right, her mind screamed. People didn’t do things like this to her! “That’s a smart little girl,” an unfamiliar voice spoke in her ear. He was so close she could feel his breath on her skin and she shivered and tried to pull away. “You have no reason to be afraid, lady Elissa,” the stranger told her. “All you have to do is answer a few questions for us and then we’ll let you go home. Your family is very anxious to have you back.” “Where am I?” “You don’t need to know,” the stranger laughed at her. Elis pulled on the ropes holding her down and his hand came back to her throat. She whimpered as his fingers dug in and choked off her air a moment. “Stay calm, little lady. I’d hate to have to hurt you after all.” “You hurt Pip!” Elis snapped at him. “Why should I believe you would not hurt me?” She hated being this frightened. It was not her! She wanted to hurt these men for making her feel this way! “Because we have no reason to hurt you, girl,” another man spoke up from nearby. Elis froze. She was in the hands of more than one stranger. For the first time in her life, she began to truly feel fear and she didn’t like it. “Your cousin is home nursing a sore head. He’s fine.” “You could be lying,” Elis replied tightly. “Men who would kidnap a child would lie about hurting her cousin.” “Very smart child,” a third man’s voice sounded from behind her. Elis began to shiver then as the fear she had kept at bay reared its ugly head. “I want to go home!” Elis shrieked and started to struggle against the ropes holding her down desperate to be free of these men. All manner of evil acts they could be planning against her flooded into her mind, fueled by the Gothic novels she was not supposed to be reading. “Please,” she sobbed as the hand was back at her throat. “Let me go home!” “We’re going to have to give our little guest some medicine,” the third voice spoke up. “She is not behaving.” Elis heard him moving around behind her and then someone grabbed her and forced her mouth open. Something vile tasting was poured down her throat and she tried to spit it out, but they had her mouth closed and she had to swallow. She could feel the tears of anger flowing down her face. “Don’t cry, little one. It’s better this way.” She felt a hand at her cheek and she pulled away, whimpering. “We won’t have to hurt you now.” The hand stroked her hair and held on as she tried to move. “You don’t want us to hurt you, do you, little one?” Elis shook her head and she heard laughter. “Then sit there very, very still and quiet, and answer our questions.” There was a pause. “First question: Did you receive a trunk from your brother recently?” “No,” Elis shook her head. “Alexei never sends me anything.” She started to cry. “I don’t think he cares about me anymore. He’s always making excuses why he can’t come see me.” “Who sent you the trunk then, little one?” “Natasha,” Elis smiled warmly. “She always remembers me.” “Was there anything strange in the trunk, little one?” the man asked her as he looked at his companions. “Anything you don’t think you should have gotten?” “She sent me Mama’s stars,” Elis said softly. “Mama always said those were to be mine.” She was feeling very funny all of the sudden and she didn’t like it. “My head feels funny.” Her stomach was cramping up and she whimpered as the pain struck full force. “It hurts!” She sobbed and tried to get up. “Please let me go. I’m going to be sick!” She threw up and heard the sound of her stomach contents hitting the interior of a metal basin. Since she had next to nothing inside her stomach, it was over relatively quickly. “I don’t feel well.” The world began to spin around in her head and she felt herself falling. She passed out cold and the men looked at each other in shock. They had never had anyone react to that drug in this manner. Zeller checked her over and was relieved to find she was undamaged. He untied her and carried her over to the bed. After he had her down, he tied her wrists and ankles together and covered her with a blanket. He put in the gag and they left her locked in the attic room of the old mill to recover from the illness their drug had caused. They could resume their questions later. “She doesn’t know anything,” Morgan frowned as they went downstairs to the main room and sat by the fire with their whiskey. “Taking the girl was a waste of time.” “We can’t be certain of that,” Zeller replied. “She got sick before we learned anything useful.” He thought about it. “It’s probably wiser to cut her loose for now. She’s not some village maid with no family. We’ll take her down to the riverbank after dark and dump her in.” “I’ll get the drug ready,” Morgan nodded. “She’ll be nearly awake by the time she hits the water; the shock will wake her completely so we can’t have her remembering us.” Elis was coming back to awareness as she heard their footsteps on the stairs. She tried to get free of the ropes holding her wrists but all she did was chafe her skin. The door opened and they gave her another drink of something vile. She could not fight as they untied her and carried her away. She felt the night air hit her skin and heard the water nearby. What were they going to do to her? Her mind was a fog as they set her down and she couldn’t see anything but blurs and the impression of people. Then she was flying backwards. She hit the cold water and she came up screaming. She was in the river! She looked around and there was no one in sight. Elis swam towards the shore but she was so tired she could hardly move. She caught a branch near the shore and it cut into her palms as she tried to hold on. She screamed as she slid under the water again and came up nearer the shore. She could see a cave and she swam for it, pulling herself inside and leaning against the solid wall, sobbing in relief. She waited until the worst of the shaking was over and then she stumbled out of the cave and looked around. She didn’t know where she was! Elissa climbed up the embankment and ripped her skirts as she did so. She stumbled through the bushes and the branches and brambles scratched her face and hands. Elis had lost her shoes in the river and her feet were bruised and bleeding as she came out onto the road directly in front of the post-chaise. She passed out as the driver cried out in alarm and managed to stop the horses inches from the fallen girl. Huntley got out and saw who the road block was. “Lady Elissa!” He had someone get him a cloak or blanket and wrapped her in it tight. She looked up at him weakly and burst into tears. “Hold on, my lady. We’ll have you at the inn soon.” He got her into the carriage and they continued on to the inn. He carried her up to his rooms and laid her down on the bed. Then he turned to face the anxious innkeeper. “Have a man run up to Kensington Place and tell Lord Philip his cousin has been found. Then call a doctor!” He did not like the way the girl was looking. “Hurry man!” He left Elis in the care of the innkeeper’s daughters and was in the main room when Philip came charging in with Elis’ dogs at his heel four hours later. It was obvious from the lather on the dogs that they had ridden hard to get here. He saw Huntley and the men went upstairs. Elis had been put into a warm dry nightgown but she was pale and shaking and running a fever. The doctor was just finishing his examination. “She’s suffering from hypothermia and exposure,” he told Philip bluntly. “I don’t know how, but it appears your cousin fell in the river and pulled herself out by sheer force of will.” He looked at the bruises and scratches on Elis’ face. “That doesn’t explain the bruises on her throat, however.” “You think she had some help falling into the river?” Philip was shocked. “She wasn’t… I mean…” His worst fears flooded his mind and he couldn’t think straight. “Your cousin is still a virgin, lord Philip,” the Doctor told him. “Whoever had her was interested in something other than her body.” He saw the relief on the man’s face. “Murder attempt?” “Very possible,” Philip said tightly. “My cousin inherited a large sum of money and property from her parents. She is unaware that her brother was cut off completely, but he knows.” He looked over at Huntley. “Have we heard from Everley?” “He confirms the sales that were listed in the notebook,” Huntley replied. “Her father’s collection was sold, in its entirety, to an anonymous buyer.” He was frowning. “He delivered your instructions to the solicitors’ firm. One hour later, Milosevic was at his rooms demanding an explanation.” “And four hours after that his little sister has a near fatal accident,” Philip frowned. “Damn, Huntley! This is getting far too dangerous for her!” He sat down and held Elis’ hand in his. “I am locking her in her room,” he said more to himself than anyone else. “She is going to have an armed guard wherever she goes.” He looked at the dogs and realized something. “Whoever attacked her knew how to get around Gunther and Fritz, Huntley. I want a covert investigation into anyone who had access to them.” “Including your uncle Edward?” “I sincerely doubt Prince Edward had a reason to want Elissa dead, Huntley,” he said to the man irritably. “But every other person who had a chance to be around these dogs is a suspect until your men say otherwise.” Huntley nodded and left the inn to get the orders out. Philip stayed at Elis’ side as the fever hit and held for nearly two days. He nearly died with her when she started struggling for breath, more as a panic reaction than any sign of congestion in her lungs the doctor assured him. When the fever finally broke, she was too weak to be moved. It was nearly a week before she was strong enough to go anywhere. He sent a runner for the carriage and was bringing in a breakfast tray when he saw her stirring. He moved to the side of the bed and smiled down at her fondly. “Elis,” he said softly as she tried not to cry, “if you wanted to go swimming; there are better ways to go about it.” “Pip!” Elis sobbed and threw her arms around his neck. She saw the ugly bruise on the side of his face and touched it gently. “You’re alive!” “Of course I’m alive, monkey,” Philip laughed at her. The other people left and closed the door. “Why would you think otherwise?” “I remember something flying past my face and saw you fall,” Elis said weakly; even the act of speaking tiring her out. “I sent Titan home at a gallop so the stable hands would know something had happened. “You were bleeding, Pip, and I couldn’t wake you. Two men with handkerchiefs over their faces came out at me and I picked up a branch and told them not to hurt you.” She saw his look of disbelief and color flooded her cheeks at her indignation. “You would have done the same for me!” “But I’m a grown man, monkey,” Philip said tenderly. “Do you remember what happened after that?” “They started coming at me,” Elis frowned, “and I remember backing away; but then …” She struggled to remember and it was eluding her. “I woke up in the river, Pip, and all I could think about then was getting to shore.” She shuddered and he held her close. “I’m glad Uncle Percival insisted I learn how to swim or I’d be…” She looked up at him and he saw how lost and terrified she had felt; how she was still feeling. “I’ve never been so frightened in my life,” she whimpered. “I didn’t like it one bit!” “That’s my monkey!” Philip smiled and kissed her on the forehead. “Once you’ve eaten your breakfast, we’ll go home. The carriage is waiting outside for us.” He saw her frown. “What’s wrong, monkey?” “This has something to do with Alexei, doesn’t it?” she asked bluntly. “I don’t know how I know that, but it seems true somehow.” “We’ll talk about it at home,” Philip told her; “when you are safe in your own bed. Nicholas has brought four of his friends home with him. They are going to be watching over you when you go to London with my father.” “He’s really going to let Aunt Patricia make me have a season?” Elis cried out in dismay. “I don’t want to be put on display, Pip.” “Eat,” he said in response to her complaint. He had heard it all before and her arguments had not changed his father’s or his aunt’s mind one bit. Patricia was determined to give her niece every advantage in life. It was as if she were feeling responsible somehow for the deaths of the girl’s parents, Philip thought. But that was ridiculous. None of them could have known Janos would be targeted for assassination. He was just a concert violinist; there was no reason for it. He was only glad that Alexei had managed to keep them from taking Elis’ life as well as their father’s. He sat back to enjoy his own share of the breakfast and opened the paper. He hissed and closed it fast. “Bad news?” “Eat,” Philip said to her. She did not need to know that her brother was going to be in London the same time she was. There was something very unnerving about the timing. If he had his way, she would never see that cold-hearted bastard again. He didn’t deserve to have a sister like Elis. Philip knew Alexei was distancing himself on purpose to keep her safe; but Alexei didn’t have to see the hurt she suffered every time her brother made some excuse that kept them apart. Elis made a face at him and did as she was told. When she had finally finished, the innkeepers’ daughters came in to help her dress in a gown Huntley had sent up from the house. She joined him outside, shaking from the effort of walking downstairs on her own. He settled her on the seat and wrapped a blanket around her. His look warned her not to argue and she settled back and closed her eyes. As the horses trotted out smartly, she fell asleep; her dogs curled up at her feet. Nicholas was waiting at the doors with the other members of his squad. His four ‘friends’ were all tall powerful looking young men with stern faces. He picked her up out of the carriage and held her as she let the men introduce themselves to her dogs. Andrew, Braden, Connor, and Douglas MacGregor were four brothers Nicholas had befriended when they had all joined the military. They had become fast friends over the past five years and were well known to Elis and the rest of the family. There wasn’t anything these five men would not do for each other, and she realized that babysitting Nicholas’ young cousin was now on their list. “How am I supposed to meet an eligible man,” she teased her cousins later at dinner, “if I have these four gargoyles hanging around?” “You’ll meet the right sort of man,” Andrew tweaked her nose from where he sat next to her. “If they can get past us, they have the kind of courage that will be a match for yours and the determination to see you safe.” “What if I’d rather have a milksop?” I asked him bluntly. He laughed then and I was struck by the way his delight made his deep green eyes sparkle. There wasn’t an ugly one among the lot, Elis thought as she smiled at them fondly, in appearance or in manner. “You’d eat a boy like that alive,” Braden spoke up from across the table. “You are a fierce bairn, little Elis. You need a warrior, not a poet.” “I see you’ve all put your heads together,” Elis laughed, “and drawn up the qualities you think I need in a mate. What else? I suppose you’ll want him to be able to beat you all at swordplay and fisticuffs?” “Elis,” Patricia said sharply. “You are being quite ridiculous.” “Am I, Aunt?” Elis asked her. “I’m sure you have some qualities you wouldn’t mind seeing in a man deemed worthy to woo me.” “Someone who could keep you quiet for longer than a minute at a time,” an amused voice sounded from the doorway, “might not go amiss.” “Daniel!” Elis squealed and launched herself from her seat. She threw her arms around her cousin’s neck. “Aunt Patricia didn’t tell me you were coming home.” “That’s because I didn’t know,” Patricia said stiffly. “Elis, please quit strangling my son and return to your seat. Such behavior is unbecoming in a young lady.” She looked at her eldest son and saw his smile dim at her censure. “I suppose Everett stayed back in London?” “He had some finals he needed to take, Mother,” Daniel Kensington smiled as he kissed her on the cheek and looked around the table. “Are we at war, cousin?” he asked his same-aged cousin with a twinkle in his eye. “You’ve brought the entire squad with you.” “Your cousin Elis is leaving tomorrow to begin her first season in London,” Patricia informed him. “You are exposing the ton to our monkey? They won’t know what hit them!” Daniel said as he got a stricken look on his face. Elis giggled and he smiled at his young cousin. “Don’t encourage her, Daniel,” Patricia sighed. “We’re having enough trouble with her attitude without you making light…” “Oh never that, Mother dear,” Daniel broke in as he sat down in an empty seat. “Elis is about to go to war.” He smiled then as he realized why the MacGregor brothers were really here at the house. “I see why they’re here now. These esteemable soldiers are meant to keep the riff raff away from our darling El.” He laughed and met his mother’s stern expression easily. “Oh Mother! I do applaud you. I would love to be there to see these five in action.” “You will be,” Patricia told him bluntly and watched his face fall. “It is high time we found you a wife, Daniel Kensington. A suitable young woman from a good family who will make you want to behave and take up your responsibilities.” Daniel rolled his eyes and she was livid. “You are twenty two, son. It’s past time you started paying attention to your duties and let your cousin Philip resume his own.” “Good old Pip,” Daniel sighed dramatically. “Why isn’t he here among the virgin guard?” “He is interrogating a man we think tried to kill me,” Elis said matter-of-factly. She saw Daniel choke on his wine and frowned. “You didn’t know?” “Someone tried to kill El?” Daniel turned to his mother. “You didn’t think I might want to know that?” He was on his feet. “Oh right! Good old Pip is handling it. Why should we bother to let Daniel and Everett know their angel is in peril?” He came over to kiss Elis on the forehead and looked over at the Butler. “I’ll be in my room, Jenkins. Please have a tray sent up.” “Elissa,” Patricia said stiffly, her tone freezing Elis in mid-rise. “Sit down and finish your supper. Let your cousin alone for a while.” Elis did as she was told, and wondered yet again why her cousins had to be angry at each other. Philip was just as condescending to Daniel as Daniel was jealous of Philip. There was no need for it that she could see. So the minute she finished her dessert, she excused herself from the after dinner entertainments and went to find her cousin. She found him out on the balcony of his room training his telescope on the stars. He stepped back to let her look. “So tell me, my little damsel,” Daniel said as he poured himself another glass of wine, “how you were in peril.” He was ashen by the time she finished. “They dumped you in the river! If I could get my hands on them…” He choked. “Oh wait! I don’t have to. Good old Pip is handling all of that!” “Why do you hate him, Daniel,” Elis asked him bluntly. “He’s your cousin.” “He is the family paragon, Elis,” Daniel replied as he leaned against the railing and watched her lovely face bathed in moonlight. It wasn’t the first time he wished that they were not blood relatives. As it was, she was the person he held all other females up against. When he married, it would be to a young woman who was as full of life as his beloved little cousin. “All my life I have heard nothing but ‘Pip did that better’ and ‘Why can’t you be more like Pip. He would never…” He ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t hate him, El. I adore my cousin, but trying to live up to his example is taxing on a mere mortal.” “Then quit trying,” Philip said from behind them. “Because I am as tired of being set up as a paragon as you are of being reminded you aren’t one.” He held out his hand. “Hello cousin. It’s good to see you home.” They shook hands and he went to the wine bottle. He held it up. “Mind?” “Go right ahead,” Elis said before Daniel could. “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!” 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 said to him. “You just keep my sister and her baby safe. Understand?” At five minutes to six, Elis stood in the library and wondered why she felt like she was going to the guillotine. Going to live with her brother was worrying enough, but it was the fact that he was friends with the men who had abandoned her so callously when she had fallen into the sink hole that made her uneasy. She was moving into a world she did not understand and she could only hope she would learn the ropes quickly. It was only dinner. What harm could he do to her during a dinner surrounded by other people? She reminded herself who she was doing this for and then jumped as someone knocked on the door. Percival stuck his head in and she smiled at him briefly. They had all made their way to her one at a time since tea time to talk her out of this exchange, but she would not listen. Someone had to help him and she was the obvious choice. Besides, she missed her brother and she wanted to be with him. “You’re sacrificing everything for this woman and her child, Elis,” Percival said simply. She waited for his censure, his anger, and his disappointment. Instead he held his arms out to her and smiled. “I am very, very proud of you.” “Just promise me it won’t be long, Uncle,” Elis asked as she let him hold her, “and that when its over I’ll have a home here with you.” “Do you really need to ask?” Percival held her so tight she could barely breathe. He was the one who flinched when there was a knock on the door. “Yes, Jenkins,” he sighed as he stepped away from his niece. “Mister Milosevic is here for his sister,” Jenkins said. He looked at the girl and she was surprised to see tears in his eyes. “Her luggage has already been loaded on the carriage.” “Thank you, Jenkins,” Elis nodded. She went up on tiptoe to kiss her Uncle on the cheek. “I love you, Uncle Percival. Always.” “You are coming back, Elis,” Percival smiled back at her. “If I don’t,” Elis said simply, “make certain Titan and my boys are taken care of.” She left him then and saw her brother waiting in the foyer for her. He looked her over and had to admit that she was a vision in her periwinkle blue silk gown. She did him credit and that was what was needed. He held his arm out to her and they went out to the carriage. He helped her in and she sat quiet for a moment as she pondered what she was about to do. “How are we to play this, brother?” Elis asked him. “I am at a loss when it comes to men like lord Marston.” She told him about the sink hole and her nightmares and saw the anger in his eyes. She laid her hand on his and he patted it. “I’ll do my best, Ori.” “I would expect nothing less,” Alexei smiled and touched her cheek briefly. “Trust your instincts and follow my lead.” He was astounded by how fierce she had become. He had never expected her to be like him in temperament. It was a pleasant surprise. “To the world, I am an arrogant and hot-tempered man. You must prepare yourself to be treated harshly by me.” She nodded but he noted that she looked a little apprehensive. “We have been apart for ten years, so if we argue and rage at each other, it will not be unexpected.” He kissed her on the forehead as the couch started to slow down. His calm and loving demeanor vanished as if it had never been and Elis was impressed and a bit fearful of the hard-eyed man sitting across from her. “Ready, Ursa?” “Let’s face the snakes,” Elis said softly and nodded. She put on a petulant expression as he got out to open the door. “I don’t want to be here, Alexei,” her voice could be heard quite clearly. “Go to dinner with Marston, if you want, but I will not associate with him!” “I do not appreciate your attitude, little one,” he said as he reached in and pulled her out, setting her down on her feet. “You will hold your tongue or I will ask a friend of mine for drugs that will do this for you.” He shoved her back. “I trust we understand each other?” He handed her his handkerchief. “Don’t cry, Ursa,” he said cruelly. “People will think you’re not happy to be back with your loving brother. We can’t have that now, can we?” Elis dried her eyes and he looked her over. He reached over to straighten a curl and she flinched away from him. She was so brilliant in her performance of a petulant child that he wanted to hug her. Instead, he frowned and looked at her in annoyance. It would have been so much better if she had not remembered that he was not the bastard he appeared to be, but that was life. He would deal with this. If he hadn’t known how she truly felt, he would have been completely taken in by her. Add acting to her list of talents then, Alexei smiled to himself. He did not have to fake the pride he felt at having his sister on his arm. She had charm like all the Milosevic, but it was unconscious and innate; making it that much more potent. “Monsieur Alexei Milosevic,” the butler intoned as he clamped her hand on his arm and held it there tightly, “and his sister, the Lady Elissa Milosevic.” Elis saw the five men and their dinner companions rise from the lounges and turn. Predators, she saw in them. They looked stunned and then pleased to see her and her brother there. Marston came over and took her hand in his, smiling as he bowed over it. He looked at Alexei and smiled. “I am pleased to see you managed to convince your lovely sister to join us, Alexei,” he said to his friend. He led her into the lounge. For some odd reason, Elis felt like a virgin being led to sacrifice as he guided her into the room. “Come, my dear. Let me introduce you to your new best friends.” “Alexei,” she pleaded with her brother after an interminable hour listening to people she did not like talk on and on about things that made her skin crawl. “Please let me go home.” “And deny them the pleasure of hearing you perform, little one?” Alexei said coldly. He clamped his hand on her elbow and led her to the piano in the music room. “Sit. Play them something that shows your talent.” He stood behind her, arms crossed, and waited. “Now, Ursa,” he hissed as he leaned down cheek to cheek. “Or I will grow angry.” He turned her eyes to his. “You do not want to make me angry, do you?” “No,” Elis choked and hung her head, the very image of a frightened child. She began to play a sonata filled with pain and darkness as she struggled to hold back the tears she was producing for effect. When it was done, she sat there the very picture of dejection. “I see you have your sister trained, Milosevic,” lord Thaxton laughed as he looked at the pretty girl. “Women in my family learn their place,” Alexei stated. He pulled Elis to her feet now. “We go.” “But this was just starting to get interesting,” a lazy drawl from the doorway brought Elis’ head snapping up. “Hello there, my lady,” Peter Martin smiled at her hungrily. “I am so glad you decided to join us.” He came towards her and his expression was nasty. Elis backed away from him, instinctively seeking the protection of her older brother. But Alexei moved aside and let Martin approach. He brought his hand up to her cheek. “I have been dreaming of having you like this for a very long time.” “Take your filthy hand away from me,” Elis did not have to feign her anger. She slapped the man across the face and stormed out of the room. Alexei followed her and yanked her back. “You will apologize to Baron Everley for your behavior, sister,” he snarled at her. “I will not!” Elis snapped back. “I will have dinner with your nasty friends, Alexei, but I will not – NOT – allow them to paw me like I was a common slut!” She slapped him across the face and he let go in shock. She was really angry, he realized then. “I’m going home!” She went outside and started walking, tears flowing down her face. Martin was one of this pack of animals? How could she have misjudged him so completely? She had actually thought of him as a friend. Alexei caught up with her and they walked a while as she calmed down. “Is he really one of them, Ori?” He looked confused. “Everley?” she went on. “He – he can’t be like them. I can’t have been that wrong about him.” “You like Everley?” Alexei didn’t know whether to be pleased or angry. When had she met the man? He put her hand on his arm and stroked it absently. “Don’t let any of them see that, sister, or his life will be forfeit.” He saw a cab and hailed it. Once they were inside and alone he hugged her and laughed. “You were brilliant, Ursa! You had them completely fooled.” “I wasn’t acting, Ori,” Elis told him. He looked shocked. “I do not like those people. They are vain, selfish, and vapid individuals who think they can have whatever they want without consequences. Those type do far too much damage and should be stopped!” The cab started to slow down and the door opened. Martin stepped inside and sat down across from her, tipping his invisible hat to her. “Everley?” “I am asking you one last time, Alexei,” Martin said as he looked at her brother. “Don’t include her in this. She is too young!” “How did we leave it?” Alexei asked him, ignoring his pleas. “They were enchanted by her,” Martin sighed, knowing he was not going to be listened to. He turned to Elis then. “I will run interference as I can but they will not be put off long, little lady.” He put on his dark, hungry look and she moved closer to her brother. “Thankfully, they acknowledged that I have a priority claim on you.” “What does that mean?” Elis asked him, though she had a pretty good idea what he was talking about. “You will find out,” Martin said simply. “Unfortunately.” He knocked on the roof and the cab stopped. He kissed Elis on the hand, nodded to Alexei, and got out. Elis spent the rest of the cab ride home trying to figure out what he could have meant. She had a feeling she had just included herself in something that she might have been better off leaving alone. “I don’t care, Ori,” she said when they got home and were having tea in the sitting room together discussing the evening. “I have been out of your life too long because of this. If I am going to be in danger, I want to know why and be able to prepare myself for it.” Elis was in the dress shop with her aunts two days later when Martin came to find her. She was modeling a new ball gown and she looked up to see him leaning against a door frame eyeing her in a way that made her skin crawl. He was good at making her feel uncertain, she fumed as she went to change. When she came back, he was charming her aunts in his harmless manner. Who was this man, that he could be threatening and then harmless so easily. “Elissa,” Patricia smiled over at her. “You didn’t tell us you had an engagement with Baron Everley today.” “Did I?” Elis asked as she looked at the man. “Your brother must have forgotten to mention it to you, Lady Elissa,” Martin smiled at her warmly, sending a strange chill up her spine. “His practice is running late, so he asked me to come for you. We are joining him at the museum.” He saw her frowning and wondered what excuse she would come up with. As she opened her mouth, her own aunt shot her down. “You are dressed suitably for an outing to the museum, Elissa,” Edwina smiled and patted her hand. “You children run along. We’ll see you tomorrow for dinner?” “I’ll remind Alexei,” Elis nodded and felt as if she had been abandoned. When had her aunts decided Martin was a suitable companion for her. She sighed and put her hand on his arm. They went out to the waiting carriage and she sat as far from him as she could manage. He came to sit next to her. “If you touch me,” Elis said stiffly, “I will hurt you!” “I am looking forward to seeing that,” Martin laughed at her. He took her hand in his and she slapped him with her free hand. He caught that hand before it landed and he now hand her by the wrists. “You chose to do this, little lady. It’s time for you to understand just what you are getting into.” He yanked her close and kissed her. All the air went out of her lungs with her shock. She tried to pull free and he merely followed her until she was pressed against the wall of the carriage, trying to make him stop. When he was through with his kiss, he pulled away and saw the shock on her face. But it didn’t last long. Before he could react, she had her hand free and his face was stinging from her blow. If he were any of the others, she would be on her knees now, having her clothing ripped off of her. “You bastard!” Elis hissed. “How dare you force yourself on me like that! You have no right!” “I have every right,” Martin told her. “You gave it to me.” Elis shook her head in denial and he laughed. “Are you ready to run yet?” “Run?” Elis shoved him away and moved to the other bench. “You really think I am going to be scared off by a kiss?” He came towards her then and she could see something in his eyes that warned her a kiss was the least of her worries. She tried to open the door and he yanked her back and pressed her down on the floor, his body straddling hers and she kicked and struggled beneath him. “Let me go!” she shrieked as he began to trail kisses along her throat. He did not stop and terror blossomed within her. “Please let me go!” “This is nothing, Elissa,” Martin said as he leaned his cheek against hers. “If you continue what you’re doing, you could find yourself ruined by these bastards. Is that what you want?” His eyes went warm as they met the anger in hers. He wanted her so badly now he could taste it. “Do you realize how beautiful you are when your eyes snap with anger?” He stroked her cheek and smiled at her gently. “Please listen to me, child. This is not a world you want to get involved with. Go home while you’re still whole.” He pulled away with intense regret and watched as she scrambled back to the bench and pulled herself together. She was such an innocent, he thought as she glared at him. Marston and his friends would destroy her. He could not let that happen, so he made a decision he knew would probably end up with the loss of his friendship with Philip Stanley. He could live with that if it meant Elis would be safe from Marston and his bastard friends. “I have decided something, child,” he said and watched her eye him warily. “I can’t let the others get close to you, so you and I are going to be engaged.” Elis looked at him as though he had just told her he was going to strip and run naked through the streets. She shook her head in refusal. “If you do not agree,” he said as he leaned towards her and she backed away; “I will have you shipped to your cousin, Everett, with instructions to lock you in a cell under sedation until this is over. Is that what you want?” “You bastard!” Elis snapped at him. She tried to leave and he pulled her back and held her as he knocked on the roof. His man looked in and nodded. “Take us to Anton’s, Evans,” he said as he clamped his hand over her mouth and held her to his side tight as she struggled. “Lady Elissa and I have an appointment with him to look at engagement rings.” “Congratulations, sir,” Evans smiled and closed the hatch. “It will be all over London in two hours,” Martin smiled as he released her. He caught her hand as she started to slap him. “Thank me, Elissa. I have just had you declared off limits to Marston and his friends. They will not bother you again as long as you are mine.” “I don’t want to be yours,” Elis sobbed. He shrugged and went to sit across from her. “You’re really serious, aren’t you?” Weeks passed and Elis attended all the social functions her brother arranged for her with Martin at her side. News of their engagement was all over England by the end of the first week. Her family was quiet about how they felt about her decision but she could see them watching her and Martin closely whenever their paths crossed. Martin took her all over town, and she felt as if she were on display. Marston and his friends were now polite and mannered around her. Every once in a while, however; she would catch one of them watching her with that frightening hunger in their eyes and she would move closer to her brother or Martin and do her best to ignore them. She saw her other family on the periphery of the circle she now traveled in. From time to time one of her cousins or their friends would manage to get her alone at a dance and she would share what was happening with them so they knew how to act. Alexei insisted she become his pianist of choice and she found some peace in those moments when the music was something they could share. His friends were every bit as vile and pushy as she had been told they would be. Alexei and Martin managed to keep them off of her more or less and she was too determined to bring them down to argue that their definition of harm and hers were completely different. She was alone in the house her inheritance was paying for when Thomas Marston came to call. “Lady Elissa,” the butler, Peters, said as he came into the sitting room where she was enjoying a moment of solitude; “Lord Marston is here.” “I was not aware that he was calling,” Elis frowned. She sighed as he came into the room and she rose to curtsy briefly. “Lord Marston. My brother is not home.” “I know,” Marston smiled nastily. “I arranged that so we could have a private conversation.” “There is nothing we have to say to each other,” Elis said stiffly. She saw him closing and locking the door. “This is not your home, Lord Marston. Unlock that door immediately.” “Or you’ll scream?” Marston laughed. “Go ahead, you pretty thing. Your butler is even now being distracted by a crisis in your kitchen. Everyone is on the other side of the house now or out on errands. We are quite alone and there is no one to interfere now.” Elis turned to run for the doors out into the gardens and he yanked her back. He rammed his fist into her abdomen and she collapsed to her knees. “I want you, Elissa. Now!” He clamped his lips on hers and Elis stomped on his foot. He pulled back and she slapped him. “You little bitch!” He slugged her in the ribs and she quit breathing for a split second. “I’ll make you pay for that, Elissa.” He pulled a length of silk out of his pocket and bound her wrists behind her back with it. He shoved her into her chair and another length of silk was used to secure her ankles. He ran his hand up her leg and she kicked him and sent him flying. He slugged her in the abdomen again and the pain caused her to black out. When she came to, he had her in her cloak and was carrying her to his carriage. “Your brother and Everley are far too protective of you, sweet Elissa.” Marston said as he pulled her between his legs. “That ends tonight!” “He is going to kill you if you hurt me,” Elis snapped at him. She sobbed as Marston drove his fist into her ribs again. “Among our circle,” Marston said as he used his legs to keep her in place; “there are five of us who want you. We do not appreciate Everley monopolizing you as he is, so we have decided that whoever wins at cards tonight will take you as his mistress.” “You would not dare!” Elissa hissed at him. Again he slugged her in the side and she was sobbing from the pain. “My uncle is a Duke, my adopted uncle is Prince Edward himself! You can’t use me like a common whore and not face retribution for it! You can’t!” “We are taking you, Elissa,” Marston replied. “Even now we are on our way to the others. Your family is receiving a little note in your hand, forged of course, saying that you are too eager to be a bride to wait and are eloping. By the time any of them find us, you will be a bride!” He ran his fingers along her jaw line and she bit him. He laughed. “It was that fire of yours that sealed your fate, sweet lady.” “Let me go!” Elis sobbed, horrified by what this man was telling her. He had no right to force her into such a life. It was not right. He slugged her in the side again and she moaned and collapsed to the floor. He yanked her up and used his handkerchief to gag her. Then he left her where she had collapsed and sat back to enjoy his triumph. Alexei Milosevic was an upstart; he deserved to see what his uppity ways led to. His sister was being given a singular honor and she was acting like she was being soiled. She was going to be a wife, but she was also going to belong to all of them. She would spend the rest of her life playing bedroom roulette. He looked down at the gorgeous creature lying at his feet and could not wait to see who won her. Alexei crumpled the note in his hand and cursed. He had trusted those bastards and they had abducted his sister. His little innocent bear of a sister! He went to Stanley Hall and stormed into the lounge where they were all gathered. He looked so broken and enraged at the same time: they knew he had received a similar note. He told them what he knew of their plans and Daniel ran for the authorities. Alexei broke then and he was practically wailing with the grief over his wasted life and the people he had hurt when the officers arrived. He was more than ready to confess his crimes. He knew the Stanleys would get Elissa back safely. “I thought I could keep her safe,” he said softly as he was led off. “Get her back before they go through with their foul plot. They won’t touch her until the game is won and she is forced to marry one of them.” “You want to make amends, Alexei?” Percival asked his nephew bluntly. The younger man nodded. “Then you’re coming with us. We will use you as the diversionary force while the others go in and get your sister out. Is this agreeable to you?” “May I hurt them, Uncle?” Alexei growled as the cuffs were removed. “Because I want to hurt them very badly for what they are putting Elissa through.” “No one here is going to stop you,” Philip said before any of the others could. “Let’s hurry gentlemen. We have a marriage to prevent.” Elis was yanked out of the carriage and carried inside an estate out in the country miles away from everything and everyone else. Marston took her upstairs to the master suite and the other four were waiting for them. They untied her and she fought them as they stripped her and left her in just her chemise, loosened so it hung off of her shoulders. They freed her hair and left it hanging around her struggling body like a cloak. Then they sat her down on the bed and fastened her wrists back behind her around the post she was pressed up against to wait for whichever of them won their card game. A woman came and gave her something to drink. It made her feel very odd as her body began to ache for something she had never experienced before. “Bring in the bridegroom,” Marston laughed. The doors opened and Martin was shoved inside. He had been beaten bloody and could barely stand on his feet. His ‘friends’ tied him in to a chair and Marston yanked his head up and crouched down to look in his eyes. “See, Everley. There is your pretty bride-to-be,” Martin cursed as he saw her tied to the bedpost. “We have decided to warm her up for you.” “Let her go, Marston!” Martin snarled at him. “This is not right!” “I thought you understood about us, Everley,” Marston laughed and moved away. “We have our own definition for what is ‘right’.” He looked over at Elis who was trying to understand what was going on. “She’s far too fine a woman for just one of us. Once we have all had a chance with her, you can have her back.” “You bastard!” Martin hissed and pulled on the bonds holding him to the chair. “I will see you dead for this!” He was gagged and fell into a sullen silence as he tried to undo the knots holding him prisoner. He was not going to let them do this to his Elis! He would murder them all for daring to lay their hands on her. He looked over at Elis and saw the fear in her eyes. She should not have to go through this! He had warned Alexei this could happen and the bastard had ignored him. “Look at the way her eyes glow,” Dandridge sighed as he looked over at Elis. He ran his hand up under the chemise and her skin felt like it was on fire. “This card game is taking up time we could be using to bed the wench.” “So what do you want to do, Dandridge,” Marston asked, “cut cards? Toss a coin? Engage in fisticuffs?” “I’d certainly beat you all bloody,” Thaxton smiled as he shuffled the cards, “to get first crack at that angel.” He saw the confusion in her eyes. “Poor little mite. She doesn’t understand what’s happening to her.” “Is she ready for us?” Everton asked as he walked around the table and crouched down next to Elis. She looked up at him terrified at what was happening. His hand moved to lower the chemise and they all watched in awe as it fell to her waist. He blew on her breasts and she moaned as her entire body responded to this. “What a glorious creature we’ve selected, brothers. I can’t wait,” he cried his hands itching to touch, his tongue longing to taste what he saw before him. “Does it matter which of us takes her first? We’re all going to have a chance with her.” He cupped her chin in his hand and he ran his tongue along her lips. She gasped in shock and his tongue slid inside her mouth. She moaned as her body responded with a force that left her breathless. “Pick one of us, Elissa.” Elissa looked around the room at the eager faces and she was horrified to think that she actually wanted what they were going to do to her. The door behind them opened and she saw her brother standing there with a gun in his hand and a murderous look on his face. “Alexei!” she sobbed in relief. “Thank God…” “I did not befriend you,” Alexei snarled at the five men facing him, “so you could abuse my little sister.” He pointed the gun at Everton. “Untie her, Everton.” The man hesitated, so Alexei put a bullet in his shoulder. “Untie her!” Everton untied Elis and pulled the chemise up with a look of intense regret on his face. Elis looked away from him, sobbing as the reaction set in. “Come here to me, Ursa.” Elis started towards him but the drugs had left her weak and she was shaking. She could only cling to the bedpost and look at him for help. Alexei knew if he stepped further into the room, he would be done for. He pointed the gun at Thaxton and the man set the cards down and moved to help Elis. Instead, he got behind her and his hand slid under the chemise to caress her breast. Elis moaned and her body moved closer to his. She looked at her brother in shock. “You’ve already lost her, Milosevic,” Thaxton laughed coldly. “Look at how willing the little beauty is to be bedded.” “Bastard!” Alexei roared. Distracted by the sight of his sister practically panting with need, the others got in and disarmed him. “Alexei!” Elis screamed and tried to get to him. Thaxton held her back as the others tied Alexei into a chair they set next to the one holding Martin. “What are you going to do to him?” “Nothing much,” Everton said as he picked up the gun and shot Alexei in the shoulder. “He and your loving fiancé are going to be a witness to your bedding now.” He looked at the others as he tied Alexei’s wrists behind his back. “I’m out for a while. It’s between you three now.” Alexei cursed in Polish and he struck the man across the jaw with the gun. “Pick one of them, Elissa,” he ordered her as he pressed the muzzle of the gun against her brother’s head, “or your brother dies.” Elissa knew they would do it. These men were a law unto themselves. She looked at Marston, Dandridge, and Thaxton and shuddered. The thought of any of those men putting their hands on her was more than she could bear. She met her brother’s eyes and saw him willing her to be strong. So she glared at the three of them, standing there eager to defile her. “No.” “Well done, Ursa!’ Alexei laughed in delight. “Stand your ground, little sister. These bastards will not have you!” “Be quiet, Milosevic,” Marston laughed as he backhanded their prisoner, “you’ve lost. Your sister belongs to us now. Dandridge will be her first, but we all will get to play with her soon enough. Think of that as you bleed to death.” He pulled out a knife. “It doesn’t work like that, Marston,” Martin snarled as Alexei came up with a roar and sent Everton flying. Martin pulled free of his bonds and grabbed the gun and shot the knife out of Marston’s hand. The signal brought men rushing in from all directions. Martin caught Elis as she collapsed and carried her out to her uncle. He wrapped her in a cloak and carried her away, as she sobbed in relief at her near escape. Marston and the others were bound and taken away by the authorities. Martin went to Alexei and untied him. “That was one hell of a brave thing you did, Milosevic.” “It was nothing,” Alexei shook his head. “It was my fault she was in this danger to begin with. If she never speaks to me again, it will not be enough punishment for all the pain I have caused her.” “Do you really mean that? Elis asked softly. Alexei turned and she was standing there, shaking with weariness and pain and fear, but needing to hear his answer desperately. He fell to his knees and buried his face against her. She sank down and they held each other. “I’ll be staying with you, Alexei,” she said simply. “You will need someone to help you until your shoulder heals. Natasha and Elizabeth will be joining us only if that is what she wants.” She looked at him seriously. “But you,” she said as she turned to Martin, ripping off the ring he had forced her to wear and throwing it at him; “if you so much as look at me again I will bury you. Is this understood?” “Yes, my lady,” Martin nodded. He had done what he set out to do. She was safe now and it would be her family’s role to see she remained that way. He watched as she laid her hand on her brother’s arm. “Let’s go home, Ori.” Weeks passed as Elis and her brother got reacquainted. He had tried a few times to talk to her about Martin, but she would not listen. As far as she was concerned, he had gone too far and she would not forgive him for that. Natasha, having had time to think about the matter, had decided she wanted to be free of the intrigue and build a life for herself and her child where they were safe. Alexei and Elis could not blame her for that; and Patricia now had a willing woman and a great-niece to guide. So the pair settled into a life where she would play the piano for him as he practiced. Although he coaxed and pleaded, she refused to get on stage again. That was not her life; that was her brother’s life. They were in Vienna and she was out walking with Gunther and Fritz in a nearby park when Hans Zeller approached her. She did not know this man, but something about his voice bothered her. “Lady Elissa,” he bowed to her. “I am an acquaintance of your brother. My name is Hans Zeller.” “Zeller?” Elis was puzzled. But then a smile crossed her face and he was stunned that she was favoring him with it. “Not the same Hans Zeller who trained my boys for me?” She held out her hand and he took it smiling. “I must think you for that, sir. They saved my life.” “Literally or figuratively?” Hans asked her, entranced by the way joy made her pretty eyes sparkle. If only he were free to pursue her, he would love to see what passion did to those beautiful eyes. He was impressed. “Good boys!” he said and the dogs almost appeared to be smiling. He saw Alexei coming. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Lady Elissa.” “Ursa,” Alexei came towards her, oblivious to all but her; which meant he was composing in his head. “I just had the most brilliant…” His smile died as he saw who was standing near his sister. “Herr Zeller.” “Hello, Alexei.” “Ursa,” Alexei said, his voice deadly calm, “go back to our suite and remain there until I return.” “Ori…” “Now, Ursa,” Alexei snapped. When she had left, he turned to the man. “I would prefer you stay away from my sister, Herr Zeller,” he said tightly. “She is not involved in our business and I would prefer it remain that way.” “She could be, Alexei,” Zeller said on a note that held warning. “Ask her about her swim in the river sometime if you don’t believe we are serious.” Elis watched her brother and Zeller arguing. Alexei was trying so hard to keep his temper in check, but Zeller finally said something to make him snap. Alexei slugged him across the jaw and came storming back in her direction. He clamped his hand on her wrist and yanked her along after him. Only when they were in the suite and he had a drink in his hand and half imbibed did he calm down. Elis waited for him to say something. “It’s about those files and the notebook, isn’t it?” she asked softly. He looked up at her in shock. “What are you doing with these people, Ori? You’re a gifted violinist…” “Who until recently was impoverished,” Alexei reminded her with a tinge of bitterness in his voice; “until his angel of a sister came back into his life and took over his finances.” “Flattery is not going to distract me, Ori,” Elis said to him. “You’ve let these people talk you into something stupid, haven’t you?” She laid her hand on her shoulder. “Tell me, Ori; please.” He thought about it for several moments and Elis wasn’t certain he would tell her. But then he nodded and went to sit on the couch. He motioned her over and she could see he was struggling with the right words. What he was going to tell her was not something he had ever wanted to share with her. “It wasn’t anything major at first,” Alexei said as she sank down at his feet to listen. “They gave me letters to carry across international borders during my tours. In return, they paid my bills and gave me money. But I am not like Mama or Natasha or you when it comes to money, and it was soon gone.” He put his head in his hands and sighed. “Then the letters became packages smuggled in the instruments and crates. When buildings began to blow up and people were harmed, I guessed what they were making me do…” “So you started keeping detailed records of the shipments and dates of attacks in the cities you were touring?” Elis asked. He nodded and she hugged him. “You are a very brave man, my brother. I am quite proud of you.” She got up and kissed his cheek. “So all we have to do now is get those files to the right people…” “I can’t do that, Ursa,” Alexei said to her. “Zeller told me today that if I did not turn those files over to them he would be joining our family as your husband. He is a cruel man, Ursa; I could never allow that to occur.” He put his hand to her cheek. “We have only just found each other again, sister. I could not bear to lose you because of my weakness.” Elis sank down on the couch near him and put her arms around him. He was broken, she realized then. He had done so much damage to other people in hi life he was afraid to make a move for fear he would be the cause of more. She had no idea he was playing her. He was far more gifted at manipulation than she was and he had her believing he was a hapless artist in need of rescue. He could not afford for her to learn the real truth; his life and hers depended on his keeping her ignorant. She cupped his chin in her hand and looked at him sternly. He paid attention as he recognized the look that meant she was plotting something. “I have an idea, brother,” she said softly, “but it is going to require you to be strong and unafraid.” He nodded and she smiled. “You and I are going to have a fight; a very public fight with yelling and slapping and me storming out. I will pack and go back to England. You will wait for one day for me to come back with my head hanging in defeat, and then you will follow me. You will go to Uncle Percival and you will tell him everything you have told me. More,” she nodded, as he appeared to balk, “if you know what is good for you. It is the only way for you to be free of them, Ori. It is not just you and me here; we have a very large and loving family you need to start trusting.” He looked hesitant. “I need to know you can do this, Ori, or I will forget the whole thing and confront Zeller myself.” “No, Ursa!” Alexei shook his head. He looked at her determined face and nodded. “Very well. I will follow this plan of yours. Is there more?” “You will not believe anyone who tells you they are holding me hostage,” Elis said to him. He could see she was determined to keep him safe, and he nearly broke. But he held on and let her continue with her plan. “If anyone approaches you and says this is so, you will leave for England immediately. You must go to Uncle Percival.” She laid her hand on his shoulder. “That is what matters now, Ori. Do you understand me?” She got to her feet and started pacing. “We have practice in an hour. Are you ready to move?” Alexei nodded. “Then that is where we shall have our fight.” They went to the theater and had practice. Near the end Alexei criticized the way she had played and Elis snapped at him and told him she was going home to England. He could starve for all she cared. He did not deserve to have a family; if he didn’t know how to treat them. He slapped her across the face and Elis stood there stunned for a moment. Then she burst into tears and ran out of the theater. Elis heard the orchestra playing again and hid her smile. Her triumph at a well-executed ruse died quickly as she entered the suite and found Zeller waiting for her. He stood to his feet and clapped his hands. “What a performance, Lady Elissa,” he said as he raised his gun and pointed it at her. He looked at her with respect in his eyes. “We were dealing with the wrong Milosevic. You have the courage and determination your brother is lacking.” He waved her to a seat. “Please make yourself comfortable, child. We will wait for your brother.” “I am leaving to return home,” Elis replied and tried to get to her room. She was caught by one of the other men and forced into a chair. He bound her wrists behind her back. “Why are you doing this?” She tried to pull free and her wrists protested the chafing. She looked over her shoulder to see a man with one dead eye and an ugly scar on his face. Something about that face stirred a memory, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. Zeller sat down across from her and smiled as he watched her mind spinning. This child was fearless. “You received something in England,” he said simply, “that you were not meant to receive, lady Elissa. You could make things a whole lot simpler if you would just tell us where the files are.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Elis snapped at him. A third man came around the chair and slapped her across the face. “You can beat me all you want. I can’t tell you something I don’t know.” “We don’t believe you, little lady,” Zeller told her bluntly. “We know your brother shipped the trunk to you. We know he hid the files inside of that trunk.” He looked at his confederate. “Slap her around a little, Morgan. We need to set the stage for our little drama anyway.” Morgan slapped her until her head was spinning from the pain. Elis could feel herself sliding out of the chair and she was yanked back and held in place as Morgan hit her a few more times. Then they gave her a shot and her head was spinning for a completely different reason. There was the sound of a key in the lock and she felt her wrists being freed. She slid to the floor and the men hid. Alexei walked in and saw his sister beaten and he picked her up and carried her to the couch. “Ori,” Elis tried to talk but it hurt so bad now she couldn’t think straight. Her eyes widened as the door opened and the men came out. “Trap!” “How could you hit your sister like that, Alexei?” Zeller said sadly. “We know she made you mad at practice today, but this is too much.” He nodded to his men and they tried to grab Alexei. He slugged one and took off like a bat out of hell. The men took after him and lost him in the twists and turns of the street. “It doesn’t matter,” Zeller shrugged as he looked over at Elis, who was glaring at him in defiance even through the haze of pain. “We have the girl and we can still set up the lie. Alexei won’t get far before the police arrest him for attacking his sister.” The police arrived and Elis listened in mounting horror as her captors told them the lie. The drug they had given her left her momentarily mute, so she could only sit there as they told the officers how they had been coming to speak to Mister Milosevic about a business matter. They had walked in on an argument and seen him beating his sister while she begged him to stop. They had tried to subdue him and he had run. The police got Elis to a hospital and she was in a private room when Zeller arrived. He leaned close and whispered something in her ear. She burst into tears and he looked at her sadly. Elis shook her head in disbelief. “It’s not true!” Elis cried in disbelief. “Why are you lying to me, Herr Zeller?” She turned her back on him and continued to cry. The police lieutenant came in and saw the grieving look on Zeller’s face and Elis in tears and frowned. “You were to let us tell her, Herr Zeller,” the man said stiffly. He took a chair and set it by the bed. “Lady Elissa,” he said gently as he took her hand in his. “I regret that I must bring you this news. We were trying to apprehend your brother and he fell into the river. We have been searching for him all night and now believe he is dead.” “No,” Elis shook her head and looked at him coldly. “It is not true! I don’t know why all of you are lying to me. It’s cruel!” She looked at Zeller. “Tell him the truth, Herr Zeller.” Zeller just stood there. “He did it! He lied about my brother beating me. My brother would never have hit me.” She saw Zeller coming towards her with a needle. She winced as the needle bit into her vein. “I want my brother!” she sobbed as the sedative took effect. “Please,” she sobbed as she gripped the lieutenant’s arm, “he’s not dead…” “The poor child,” Zeller said as his two friends arrived wearing white orderly uniforms. “Her brother was a sadistic bastard but she could never see it.” He stroked Elis’ hair and missed the lieutenant’s look of censure. “We’re taking her back to her family in England. They’ll help her come to terms with her brother’s death.” He helped Elis sit up and she tried to pull away from him, but she was too weakened by the beating and the sedative to fight to effect. “We’re going home now, lady Elissa. Your family is waiting for you.” “You’re not taking me home,” Elis whimpered. “You’re taking me someplace where you can keep lying to me!” She tried to pull free and ended up on her knees, shaking and sobbing. The lieutenant helped her up before Zeller could touch her. “Please,” she looked at him in desperation, “find my brother. He’ll tell you the truth!” She backed away from Zeller as he came towards her. She passed out unable to fight the horror of what was happening any longer. The lieutenant followed the doctor and his men and their pretty patient wanting to rip their heads off for what they were doing to the girl. He sensed the man stepping up next to him a second after he was already there. A look of outright respect appeared on the lieutenant’s face. This was the master spy he had been dealing with all of these months. “Your sister is very brave to allow herself to be subjected to such torture,” he said simply without taking his eyes off the retreating carriage. “Are you certain this was necessary?” “I needed someone close to them they would underestimate,” Alexei replied, his eyes hard with anger as they followed the carriage. “It’s not over yet, Franz,” he said with some regret. “They’ll take her to England and force her to turn over the files.” A hunter’s smile appeared on his face. “I have a boat to catch.” Elis was kept just aware enough to be guided from one point to another and feed herself. She could not fight what Zeller was doing to her but that was not important. He was supposed to think he was winning. It was the only way she was going to escape from him. She looked down at her dogs and wished she could help them break their training. Since Zeller had been their initial trainer, they were quite willing to do as he asked and keep her protected or herd her along to wherever he wanted her to go. She was at dinner with Zeller when the next phase of Alexei’s plan began; one she was completely unaware of. She saw her brother and she screamed. “Alexei!” she sobbed as Zeller came running. She pointed out the porthole, whimpering in fear. “Out there!” She tried to go to him. “He’s not dead! I told you he wasn’t dead!” She shoved him away and tried to open the door. “I have to go to him!” Elis was out of the cabin and running along the gangway as the other passengers watched in horror. She climbed up on the railing. Zeller yanked her back and she struggled and struck out at him. “Let me go! I have to go to him!” She looked at him in desperation. “Don’t you see? He needs me with him!” His men arrived and they held Elis as he gave her the sedative. They carried Elis back to the cabin, locking the door and standing guard on it. The other passengers commiserated with him over the little lady’s fragile state of mind. Zeller wasn’t so certain she was as fragile as she wanted him to think. He went to the cabin and sat with her. When she began to come back to lucidity, he gave her another drug. “You’ve been playing games with me, lady Elissa,” he said as she looked at him in confusion. “Haven’t you?” “Yes,” Elis nodded, telling him only what little she knew. “I needed you to think you were winning so I could escape.” She glared at him. “I need to find someone who will believe me,” she sobbed. “My brother is dead because of your lies!” She turned her back on him and her grief was real. As far as Elis was aware her brother was dead. “You killed my brother!” Zeller gave her a sedative and removed the straightjacket, then went to the bar. He had damaged that glorious child. He drank a half bottle of Scotch before he stopped and he didn’t feel any better. When this was over, he was going to make certain the child was put into the hands of a competent psychiatrist; someone who could help her find her way home. Elis woke up while Zeller was drinking himself stupid and she got up slowly. She was still in a great deal of pain from the beating she’d been subjected to. She saw the dogs and they raised their heads and watched her. She tried to open the door and it was locked. Elis looked around for some other way out of the cabin and saw the connecting door. She opened it and saw that it was Zeller’s cabin. She pulled on her robe and slipped through quickly and locked the door before the dogs could stop her. She went to the door as the dogs started barking. She watched the two men enter her cabin and locked the door with the key she found on Zeller’s dresser. Then she ran. She had no idea where she should go; her only thought was that she had to get away from the man. He was going to break her mind for real with his drugs and she did not want to lose herself. She had already lost her brother because of him. She hurried towards the bridge. She got to the radio room and was relieved to see he had stepped out. She went into the cabin and locked the door and sent a wire. Short and to the point and repeated over and over again until a reply came through. She confirmed that the message was genuine and then sank down in the corner and held the pillow from the operator’s bed in her arms, rocking back and forth slowly. If that didn’t bring her help, she was never going to be free. “Lady Elissa!” Elis jumped as she heard her name called and saw the door opening. She stayed in the corner and watched as Zeller walked in. He sank down on the bed and looked at her rocking. “What are you doing in here, child?” She nodded at the wireless and he cursed. “You sent a wire?” She nodded and he yanked her up to her feet. She looked at him numbly. “What did you send, my lady?” Elis just looked at him and didn’t say a word. She wasn’t going to tell him. He’d just do something to make sure help never arrived, and she needed help. He slapped her across the face and she looked at him and remained silent. He couldn’t hurt her any worse; only dead was worse. Alexei would know. “I want my brother!” she finally broke. She pushed him away and ran out the door and directly into his companions. “Let me go! I want my brother! He’ll make you stop hurting me!” Zeller took out his handkerchief and pressed it over her nose and mouth until she passed out. Then he picked her up in his arms and turned to find himself looking into the muzzle of a gun. “We’ll take the little lady to the Infirmary, sir,” the ship’s steward said stiffly. “Now.” Zeller did as he was told and he found himself and his men being escorted to the Brig. “You’ll be staying here until the frigate arrives.” Elis woke up and looked around the Infirmary in confusion. She’d been in the Radio Room and Zeller had found her there. She heard someone moving around in the other part of the cabin and got up slowly and cautiously. She saw a man in a white uniform seated at a desk reading the paper. He closed it and got up slowly, smiling at her gently. “Feeling better, little lady?” he asked her kindly. “The crew put Zeller and his men in the Brig, so you’re safe now.” He saw the wariness in her eyes. “I don’t blame you for being wary, child. From all accounts you’ve been through hell the past several months. He nodded to someone sitting in the corner behind her. “I’m Captain Leonard. I’ve been having a very interesting talk with your brother.” “Alexei?” Elis shook her head and backed away from him. “No,” she said softly as the darkness came to claim her again. “You’re not here. You’re dead!” She wailed as she collapsed. “Why can’t I be dead, too?” “Ursa,” Alexei cried as he caught her before she hit the deck. He held her to his chest and stroked her cheek. “Wake up, little bear.” She remained immobile and he sat down with her in his lap, rocking her and crooning to her in Polish. “What have I done to her?” he cursed and prayed and pleaded. He laid her down on the bed then he leaned close and began to hum the family song. She sighed and a slow smile warmed her face. “Be strong my Ursa.” She whimpered as the sedative was given to her. “We’ll be together again one day.” “You’re not staying, Major?” the Captain asked in surprise. “I need to stay dead just a bit longer,” Alexei told him. He stroked her cheek and smiled down at her. “My fierce little sister is going to be just fine now.” Elis was out on Titan when she saw a familiar silhouette. She was off the horse and running. She could hear his laughter, as she got closer and feel his strong arms around her as they clung to each other and held on for dear life. But then she looked up and it wasn’t her brother who was holding her; it was Zeller, or Marston, or Thaxton, or any of the other men who had hurt her over the past year. She would wake up screaming and sobbing and Charlotte would have to give her the laudanum. She wanted it to stop but her mind would not let it go and she didn’t know why. “I know he’s out there somewhere,” she said to her cousin, Daniel, while they were out riding one morning two months after she had been rescued from Zeller. “Why won’t he send word just to let me know he’s all right?” “He probably can’t, Monkey,” Daniel said to her and laid his hand on hers. She looked up at him with such pain in her eyes, he wished they would let him tell her the truth. Her brother was so deep in the organization he had dedicated his adult life to bringing down even his contacts didn’t know half the time if he was alive or not. “You know he wouldn’t want you worrying about him like this.” “He’s my brother,” Elis replied. “I’m going to worry whether he likes it or not.” “Now that sounds more like our girl,” Nicholas laughed as he rode up to join them. “How are you today, Monkey?” “Ready to hit the next person who asks me that question,” Elis snapped. He looked wounded and she was instantly contrite. “I’m sorry, Nicholas.” She sighed. “I need to do something to take me out of myself,” she suddenly decided. “How about riding down to town with me?” “You’re supposed to be having a fitting, aren’t you?” Daniel reminded her. “Oh God!” Elis choked. “Aunt Patricia is going to have a fit!” She pressed her knee to a certain spot and Titan turned and took off at a full gallop. She was nearly to the ground before the horse came to a complete stop and on her way into the house. Natasha was in the conservatory with Elizabeth. “Tasha…” “Don’t worry about everything so, little sister,” Natasha smiled at her gently “Your dress does not require much alteration.” She picked Elizabeth up and handed her to Elis. “Here. Use your niece to deflect her anger. You know how much Patricia adores the child.” Elis balanced her four month old niece on her hip and jogged upstairs. She entered her bedroom to find her aunt Patricia and the dressmaker. Elis handed the child over to Patricia and took the dress into her changing room. She came out to stand on the little dais so the dressmaker could make alterations. The woman threw up her hands. “I don’t know how you always manage this, my lady,” the woman smiled and shook her head; “but the fit is perfect as always.” “Good,” Elis smiled and went to take the offensive thing off. It was much too revealing for her tastes, but it was what Natasha wanted her to wear at her birthday ball, and Elis would do anything to make her older sister happy. She came back wearing a plain blue riding habit that hung on her like a sack. She saw their looks and looked down. “I’ve lost a little weight since I wore it last,” she shrugged. She held her hands out for her niece and Patricia shook her head. “Leave the little one here,” her aunt smiled at her great-niece gently. “Go out and get some sunshine.” Elis didn’t argue. She went back out to the stables and Titan nuzzled her pocket. She reached inside and brought out the apple she had picked up as she passed through the kitchen and let him take it off her palm. She put her hands on either side of his bridle and leaned against him as the tears came again. If she could just stop crying, she thought to herself as she mounted her stallion, she would be just fine. She headed for town and was just tying Titan’s reins to a hitching post outside of the church when Martin came out. He was standing with two girls a few years younger than herself who were obviously related to him. “Hello, Lady Elissa,” Martin nodded his head to her. Elis did not speak to him. She walked past him without a word and went into the church. “She is still quite angry with you, Uncle,” Sylvia Lawrence frowned as she saw the hurt in his eyes. “Doesn’t she understand you were only trying to keep her safe?” “Maybe she will one day,” Martin replied. He looked down at his nieces and smiled. “I promised you some ices, I believe.” He held his arms out and his nieces allowed him to escort them to the nearby restaurant. They sat down and exchanged twin looks. They had a purpose now. They were going to do everything in their power to see to it that Elissa Milosevic forgave their uncle and took him back. It was obvious to them that he loved the girl. All they needed to know now was whether she felt the same way. Elisa felt like such a coward for not even talking to the man. She had been inexcusably rude to the girls he was with. Both situations were wrong and so she left the church after praying for several moments for strength and went to speak to them. “Baron,” Elis nodded to Martin coldly as he rose to his feet. “I find myself having to apologize to you. I was inexcusably rude to you all just then.” “You have cause, Lady Elissa…” “No,” Elis shook her head. “There is never an excuse for poor manners.” She turned to the girls and held out her hand. “It is obvious you are related to the Baron,” she smiled at the girls. “I am Lady Elissa Milosevic. I am visiting with my aunt, Lady Patricia Kensington, and her family at Clearview.” “We are Sylvia and Sabina Lawrence,” Sylvia spoke up for the pair. “Baron Everley is our uncle.” She was smiling with a warmth that melted some of the chill on Elis’ heart. “We will be here all summer, Lady Elissa. We would love to get better acquainted…” She saw her uncle flinch. “Well just because she’s mad at you, Uncle; that doesn’t mean we can’t become friends, does it?” She looked at Elis pointedly “Does it?” “I would love to get to know you both better,” Elis smiled at her. “If you’d like, why don’t you both come to tea tomorrow? I will introduce you to the family.” She looked at Martin and he knew the invitation was not including him. At least, that is what he thought she was about to say. He nearly fainted when she smiled at him. “If you have the time, you may escort them, Baron Everley.” He watched as she went to her horse and mounted. He was still standing there stricken to silence as she disappeared from view in the trees lining the road along the hill. He sank down as Sabina pulled on his hand and sat there in silence as he tried to process what had just happened. Elis, on the other hand, was cursing herself for making the offer. Why had she included him in the invitation? She was angry at him, so why had she just asked him and his pretty nieces to tea? She was still trying to puzzle that out when she walked into the house and froze in the middle of the entry hall. “Elis?” her aunt’s voice cut through the fog. Elis looked up at Patricia numbly. “Is something wrong, child?” “I just invited Baron Everley and his nieces to tea tomorrow, Aunt,” Elis said as she sank down on a chair in the entry hall. She looked at her aunt in despair. “Why would I do that? I hate him.” “No you don’t,” Daniel said as he came out of the Study. He was looking weary and her heart went out to him. He had taken over the reins of his estate while she had been with her brother and was proving to be a natural at management, but he tended to push himself. She knew why; he was avoiding a certain young lady with eyes like emeralds and hair the color of polished mahogany. He kissed her cheek. “So Everley is in residence with his nieces.” He smiled briefly. “Nice girls. Just a year younger than you, monkey.” He looked over at his mother. “Lady Margaret Spencer will be joining us for tea tomorrow with her mother.” He saw his mother’s hopeful look. “They’re stopping on their way to Bath.” “I’ll see Cook prepares something special for tomorrow’s tea then,” Patricia nodded. She looked at the two pale-faced children and shook her head. She was going to have to take a hand in matters. These two were far too stubborn for their own good. She smiled at Elis. “A letter arrived from Natasha and Everett. I thought you’d like to see it, dear, so I left it in your room on the writing desk.” “Thank you, Aunt,” Elis nodded and remained where she was. She waited until her aunt was gone and then she looked at Daniel. “You know she’s going to get involved in your courtship now, Daniel.” “I’m counting on it,” Daniel said to her. She looked at him in shock. “Maybe if Margaret and her insufferably pushy mother get a dose of my mother, they’ll back off.” “Is that what you really want?” Elis asked him bluntly. He looked at her in surprise. “I like Margaret, Daniel. She would make you an excellent wife.” She held up her hand. “She’s only quiet because it’s what her mother expects of her. Get her away from her mother and you’ll see the real woman.” She lit up as she saw a purpose. “I’ll help!” She was on her feet and hugging him. “I know just what to do and I think Everley’s nieces will be a big help.” “Monkey…” “You’ll thank me, Daniel,” Elis smiled and ran for the stairs, leaving her stunned cousin frozen in place. That’s what she’d do, all right. Margaret’s mother wouldn’t know what hit her when those two and their uncle hit her. She liked lady Margaret and she knew Daniel’s only reason for not offering for her was because he thought she had no backbone. He didn’t want a quiet rabbit for a wife Well, Margaret’s days as a rabbit were over! Elis would see to that! Daniel shook his head a moment after she vanished and smiled. Cheeky thing! She really thought she could stick her nose into his love life? Well two could play at that game. He would have to enlist the help of Everley’s nieces and see to it that his young cousin and Martin were thrown together at every possible moment tomorrow. Yes, he nodded and smiled at his decision. He would see her down the aisle before he ever made an offer. Sylvia and Sabina were even more determined to help their Uncle after the tea. Elis had sat there stiff and unresponsive as he had tried to talk to her, but they could see she wanted him. In their great wisdom at the advanced age of fifteen, they could recognize people who belonged together. So they hatched a plan. Elis received a note from them asking her to join them in town for shopping. She rode down into town and saw them talking to a strange young man standing by a gypsy wagon. They did not see the other wagons coming towards them, but she did. She watched in horror as they were forced inside. Elis turned Titan towards home and froze as a dark-haired, dark-eyed man mounted on an immense black stallion cut her off. “I’m afraid we can’t have you spoiling out game, little one,” he said to her bluntly. He whistled and four other men came riding out of the trees. “You understand?” Elis pressed Titan’s sensitive spot and he reared, his hoof catching the man on the shoulder. Then she was riding for home, pressed against his neck. She could hear the men riding after her, but Titan was swift. He would not fail her. She heard a crack and Titan screamed in pain. She cried out as a blossom of red appeared on his neck. He dropped to the ground, dead long before he hit and she knelt beside him, sobbing in grief. “He was my friend,” Elis sobbed as the man yanked her to her feet. She slapped him across the face. “You monster! How could you do that to him?” He started to force her away and she whirled on him and drove her fist into his nose. He cursed and let her go, watching as she went back to her horse. “I’m sorry, Titan,” she sobbed as she threw her arms around his huge neck. “I’m so sorry.” She heard him and she looked around for something to hurt him with. She clamped her hand around a rock and rose to her feet, her eyes flashing fire. “I was there the night he was born. I had hoped it would be years yet before I would have to watch him die!” She waited until he was in range and then she threw the rock. He cried out in pain as it hit the arm he threw up to protect his face. When he lowered it, she was running. He got on his stallion and rode her down, yanking her up by her hair and holding her across his lap as she kicked and struggled. They joined the wagons and he dumped her inside with the other girls, amazed that such a tiny thing could be so fierce. He had been meaning to make this just a simple abduction, but this golden-haired she-cat was never leaving again. She was going to be his! “We go,” he snapped as he locked the door fast. “It is a long way to Plymouth. We must get there to meet the boats.” “Elis!” Sylvia sobbed as their friend collapsed to her knees. Elis was as white as a sheet and unresponsive. “Oh God, Sabina. What did they do to her?” “He was my friend,” Elis said softly, her voice filled with pain. “They murdered my friend!” She burst into tears and Sylvia threw her arms around her as Sabina looked for something to wrap around her. Elis looked up at them in confusion. “Why would he kill my friend, Sylvia? There was no need.” “Sabina? Sylvia sobbed as she looked at Elis just sitting there, frozen in place. She waved her hand in front of the girl’s eyes and Elis did not respond. “What did he do to her?” “Be quiet, Sylvia,” Sabina frowned as she sat down on the other bunk. “I need to think.” Sylvia helped Elis over to one of the bunks and sat down beside her, stroking her back and rocking her. Sabina saw the built in desk and smiled. As the wagon moved off, she went to it and opened the lid. She pulled out a pen and a sheet of paper and wrote ten notes. She folded the first and went to the door, opening the little window. Then she tossed the note out, smiling. “They think we’re helpless children, Sylvia,” she said as she sat down on a nearby trunk. “But they’re going to learn different.” The wagon kept moving through the rest of the day. When they finally stopped for the night, the girls were yanked out and held as the leader came towards them. He held out a piece of paper and looked at them coldly. “Which one of you is responsible for this?” he asked them. “Speak and the other two will not be harmed.” “I did,” Elis said as she glared at him coldly. She looked at the sisters and they knew to stay quiet. “You really think you can steal children and they will sit quiet for you?” she snapped as she met his eyes. “Well, that is not going to happen, you murderer!” He slapped her across the face and she didn’t flinch. “Is that all?” she laughed at him, letting herself rage. “I’ve been beat by stronger men than you. I will not tremble in terror or break down and whimper for any man ever again!” Someone in the shadows began clapping and everyone turned to see a tall, dark-haired bearded man stepping out. His sharp eyes swept over the people in disdain and Elis watched as they all went to their knees before him. But her eyes did not remain long on the older man who looked like her Papa. Alexei was standing at the man’s shoulder, looking at her captors coldly. She ran to him, and he held her as she struggled not to cry. Somehow she had the feeling it was not the right emotion to display at the moment. “Ivanev!” The man she had been facing got to his feet and went to the old man. This stranger slapped him across the face and said something in a language Elis did not understand. The man went to his knees and lowered his head, his face pale. Whatever had been said, it had cowed the man completely. A chair was brought and he sat down and held his hand out to her. Elis went to him at Alexei’s nod and he smiled as he held her hand, lovingly and with great pride. “Granddaughter, you have our fire! I am quite proud of you.” He looked over at Rafael. “That one will not bother you again.” He let her go. “Bring chairs for my grandchildren and their friends!” he barked and people went into action. “We will eat before we judge this clan.” For the next several hours, they ate with the people who had kidnapped them and Elis wondered what was going on. Her grandfather was definitely the man in charge here. People jumped as he gave orders and did so with an eagerness that intrigued her. Papa had never spoken to her about his parents so she knew nothing about this enigmatic man. When the meal was over, he clapped his hands and the people were on their knees again. “In deference to my granddaughter and her lovely friends,” he said harshly, “the trial will be in English.” He looked up as he heard someone riding in. “That will be your cousins, Elissa.” He nodded as Philip, Nicholas, Daniel, Martin, and the MacGregor brothers rode in and dismounted. They smiled briefly as they saw that Elissa and the girls were well and then bowed to her grandfather. “Seats for our guests!” When the chairs had been brought, he clapped his hands. “We sit here in judgment on the clan Ivanev.” He looked at Rafael in anger. “You stole our granddaughter, Ivanev, and murdered one who was dear to her to do so. What possible defense could you give for such an action?” Rafael could only hang his head. Anton turned to Elis. “Did he lay hands on you, girl?” “Only to control, Grandfather,” Elis told him. “He said he was going to make me marry him when Alexei arrived.” “Do you realize what this means, Ivanev?” her Grandfather hissed. “By law and custom, a marriage of the High King’s female relatives must be approved. By attempting to force her, you have stripped yourself and your clan of all protection.” He looked over at Philip and the others. “He can stand to your English laws, gentlemen, for his actions.” “MacGregor,” Philip looked over at Andrew. “Take him into custody. Martin, go with them and see your nieces safely home.” “That one stays,” Anton stated coldly. “Send another, Lord Philip. We have questions for Baron Everley.” Philip nodded to Nicholas and his brother balked a moment. He did as he was told and the five men rode off with Sabina and Sylvia without a word. Elis looked at the stern look on her grandfather’s face and wondered what he wanted with Baron Everley. She looked at Alexei and guessed from her brother’s look what this was about. Her grandfather would kill him! She could not allow that to happen to him. He had only wanted to keep her safe from the others. He did not deserve to be harmed for that. Everley stepped forward and bowed to her grandfather again. “Your Majesty,” he said simply. “I am ready to answer any questions you have for me.” He looked at Elis briefly and saw her concern and he was heartened. She really did care about him. “You and my grandson involved my granddaughter in an intrigue,” Anton said coldly as he glanced over at Alexei, who hung his head and remained silent, “that nearly led to the loss of her innocence. Is this correct?” “Yes, sir,” Everley nodded. He did not explain. As far as he was concerned, Alexei had been wrong to involve his sister in that action. “And is it also correct that you forced my granddaughter into an engagement with you,” Anton’s voice grew even colder and harder, “with the lie that it would protect her from the bastards you were hunting?” “She would not go home, sir,” Everley told him, “so it was the only thing I could think to do.” He lowered his eyes as he saw the older man’s censure. “I failed to take into consideration the depths of their depravity and believed they would honor that bond.” “Were you Rom, Baron Everley,” Anton said in a deadly calm voice, “you would lose your hand at the very least for daring to dishonor my granddaughter in such a fashion.” He softened just a bit. “Your attempt to keep her from harm speak in your favor.” He looked over at his granddaughter and saw her concern. “Your petition for courtship is approved,” he said after long moments of silence, “but if you ever treat her with such disrespect again, I will slit your throat!” “What?” Elis could not prevent the cry of anger that was ripped from her throat. She looked at Everley and then at her grandfather, both of whom were stunned by her outbreak. “Perhaps I might be asked if I want him to court me, Grandfather?” “That is your right, of course,” Anton nodded, amused by her fierceness. One minute all concern for the man, the next hissing and spitting and demanding her rights. Yes, she was quite definitely his grandchild. “How say you then, Elissa. This man’s defense for his earlier decision was that he sought only to protect you…” “Not true,” Elissa said as she moved to Everley and looked up at him. “Tell the truth, Baron Everley. You had other reasons for wanting the engagement.” She saw it in his eyes and she took a step back, shaking her head in fright. “You couldn’t! You are practically a stranger to me.” He smiled and she was angry. “Fine! Do whatever you want!” She moved even further away. “But you will be an old man before you ever see me coming down the aisle to you!” She turned her back on him and heard her grandfather’s pleased laugh. “Then the courtship begins, young lord,” Anton chuckled. “I wish you well of her. She is Rom and you will find the way to her heart filled with obstacles.” He clapped his hands. “The clan is in need of a prince,” he said as everyone turned to him, “or a princess,” he added as he saw Magda. “Magda, step forward.” She did so and went to her knees before him. “Your brother dishonored your line with his actions. Did you condone them?” “My brother did not discuss his decisions with mere females, my lord king,” Magda told him bluntly. “If he had, I would have reminded him that he was risking dishonor.” She glanced over at Alexei and the longing Elis saw in her eyes was echoed in her brother’s eyes. “You have no other brothers,” Anton said as he caught the look and hid his amusement; “and your cousins are not of an age to lead. Until they are, Magda, you are elevated in rank. Rise, Princess Ivanev and answer the question our grandson has neglected to ask for far too long.” Alexei stepped forward and bowed his head to his grandfather. Then he took the ring off of his finger and turned to Magda. They stood looking at each other for several moments in total silence and then she nodded and raised her hand to his. He slid the ring on her finger and everyone cheered and clapped as they kissed. “Among the Rom,” Anton smiled broadly, “are you now promised to each other.” He looked at Magda’s cousins and saw the eldest, a young boy of fourteen. “Stefan Ivanev. Study hard and well. When you are able to pass the ritual, you shall be the new prince of the Ivanev and your cousin may wed.” He saw Magda’s and Alexei’s displeasure. “I am certain your cousin and her intended will be quite willing to help you.” He turned to one of the men hovering near him and the man leaned down and listened. Elis realized the twelve men around him were his guard and wondered again just who her grandfather was. He was looking at her as the man moved off. “The former Ivanev prince robbed you of a friend, granddaughter; a treasured companion. Please accept from my hand, a new friend and companion.” The man he had sent away came back, struggling to hold down a silver gray stallion. “His name is Shadows Dance.” Elis was delighted. She moved towards the horse as everyone watched in horror and raised her hand to its nose. The horse froze and came down on its hooves an inch from her feet. No one spoke as she grabbed the bridle and pulled its head down so she could whisper something in its ear. The stallion seemed to nod in agreement. It did not move as she walked around him and examined him, running her hands gently over his body. He was nearly as large as Titan had been, she thought sadly. His body was shivering with the energy he held in check and she knew he would be fast. She threw her arms around his neck and smiled as he leaned against her. Her eyes were shining as she turned to her grandfather, who had risen to his feet. “It would appear he is agreeable to the friendship,” she told him with a pleased smile on her face. Her head was aching now and she felt the exhaustion of trying to stay strong hit her. “I need rest now. May I be allowed to retire, Grandfather?” Anton snapped to attention and barked out orders in his strange language. Elis found herself being escorted to a wagon by several women and put to bed. She was too tired to argue with them as they saw her bathed and put into a night slip. She slid into the darkness and let herself rest. Tomorrow was soon enough for her to deal with what had happened to her life. “Did you see that, Your Majesty?” the man who had brought the stallion out said in amazement. “She handled the stallion as if it were a kitten. The princess has the touch.” He looked at his liege in confusion. “You would let her wed that Englishman?” “I said he could court her,” Anton reminded his man. “I did not say he could have her.” He chuckled with pleasure. “We are going to see to it that he is balked at every turn. He will give up and she can then be wed to a Rom who is worthy of her.” His eyes went dark with remembered pain. “My son made the mistake of marrying out of our kind and he lost his wife, his life, and very nearly his children. I will not allow that to happen to his daughter.” “She will fight you…” “She is Rom,” Anton said proudly. “Of course she will fight me.” He looked over to where his grandson and Magda were walking off hand in hand. “Her brother has accepted his place among us; she will as well.” He turned and beckoned to the youngest man in his retinue. “Our granddaughter Natasha is yours if you can win her, Barnabas.” He handed him one of the rings off his hand. “You will ride ahead and inform the lady Patricia that we are coming and remain there to begin your own courtship.” “As you will, Your Majesty,” Barnabas Havlicek bowed his head. He ran for his horse and took off without another word. Anton nodded in satisfaction. Soon all of his heirs would be in one place where he could keep them safe from those who would end his line. He thought of them then: Natasha, quiet and commanding as his mother had been; Alexei, arrogant and assured, as he himself was; and darling little Elissa, who was the fiery one with a generous heart and a fearless nature. Yes, those three would see the people safely into the future. Elis came awake as a sound disturbed her sleep. A shadow near the door moved closer and she saw the man with his dead eye. She could not move as he approached the bed. As he got nearer his eye changed and the scar vanished. She was not in a bed now but pressed down on the floor while her father and brother struggled to help her. But they could not and she was being touched in ways that terrified her. She did not like being frightened, it meant she was not in control. She bit him and kicked out at him and he slapped her so hard her ears were ringing. And then he ripped off her clothing and came at her. Before he could hurt her, he was flying. Alexei stood over her, his eyes blazing with rage as he held the poker. “You will not hurt my sister!” the twelve year old boy hissed as he dared them to come closer. Elis tried to cry out in warning but she was in too much pain and her voice was a mere whisper. She watched as another man hit her brother and Alexei fell to his knees with a cry of pain. Then they gave him something to drink while their father cursed and tried to get to them. Alexei’s eyes went blank and he dropped the poker. The man he had hurt picked it up and snarled at him. “Foul brat!” he said coldly as he held on to it and glared at the helpless boy. “You spoiled my fun! Well,” he laughed as he looked over at Janos, “we can return to it in a moment. Once you and your insufferable father have been dealt with.” He whirled and the poker hit Papa in the head. Elis screamed as she saw all the blood, watched her father crumple to the floor. “What have you done?” the cold man demanded from where he was watching out the window. He turned on the man and slapped him across the face. “We needed him alive, Garner!” He looked at Elis. “We’ll have to make do with the girl now.” He came towards Elis and she whimpered as he yanked her up onto her feet. “You are coming with me, Elissa. My wife shall make a lady out of you and you will be the woman your mother should have been.” “NO!” Elis screamed and found enough strength to scratch him across the face. He slapped her and shoved her to the third man. “Hold her Morgan while I get the sedative.” He looked over at Alexei. “Put the poker in the boy’s hand. Make it look like he murdered his father. He’ll spend the rest of his life in a sanitarium trying to convince the doctors he was innocent.” “No!” Elis sobbed as she sat up on the bunk, shaken by the nightmare. That was the most she had ever remembered of that night and still she could not see the face of the man who had been giving the orders. She wrapped her arms around her shivering body as the door opened and Magda came in. She took one look at Elis’ pale face and shaking body and knew what had happened. She got out the brandy and poured some into a small glass. “I still can’t see his face, Magda, but I saw everything else.” She took a sip and let the warmth calm her. “He was so angry when the man who was hurting me killed Papa. He said he needed Papa alive.” “How did the man hurt you, Elissa?” Magda asked gently as the door opened and Anton stepped in. He waited out of sight, listening. “He – he was touching me, Magda,” Elis shuddered; “like I saw Mama and Papa touching once before they realized I was there and sent me away. Alexei made him stop before her could…” She lowered her head to her knees and sobbed. “He was raping me, Magda, and I was too young to realize what he was doing to me. But Alexei knew and he made him stop!” Magda stroked her back and crooned to her in the Romany tongue and she calmed down. “He hit the man with the fireplace poker and the man killed Papa because of it.” She was sobbing now. He should have let the man hurt me if it meant Papa would be alive!” “You don’t mean that, Princess…” “My Papa is dead because Alexei stopped the man from hurting me, Magda,” Elis broke in, looking up at the woman with tears streaming down her face. “How could I not mean it? He took my Papa instead of my virginity. He meant more to me than something I can only lose once.” “Magda,” Anton said as he stepped into sight. “Why don’t you see to your clan? We’ll be leaving in an hour.” Magda bowed her head and left the wagon. Elis watched her grandfather as he came to sit next to her. “You have suffered far more than a child your age should ever have to, Elissa, but it is almost over. We will know the truth soon.” “The truth?” “The man who was in charge of the attack,” he said as he put his arms around her shoulders and rested his chin on top of her head; “what did he say to you after your Papa was killed.” “He said his wife would make me the woman my mother was meant to be,” she said to him. She was shaking again. “He was going to leave Alexei standing over Papa with that poker so people would think… He only wanted Papa. He didn’t care what happened to Mama, or Alexei, or I.” She shook her head and leaned against her grandfather. “How can people be so vile, Grandfather?” “Come ride with me, Elissa,” Anton said as he got up and pulled her to her feet. “You have yet to ride the wind with Shadows Dance as your companion, and I am in need of some air.” He realized she was not dressed. “I will be waiting outside for you.” Twenty minutes later she was on the back of her new stallion. He shivered with excitement at the thought of being allowed to run, and she could not blame him. She loved being on the back of a fast horse and she had a feeling this one was going to be magnificent. She and her grandfather rode to the front of the line of wagons where her brother and Magda were waiting on matching chestnut stallions. Magda bowed her head and then raised her arm and called out an order. They headed out and an hour later, Elis recognized her aunt’s property from the crest of a hill. Anton nodded to her and Alexei and they rode off with just his entourage following. The clan would remain where they were to wait. “If anything happens,” Anton said as he helped Elis down a half hour later, “they are there to help you. Remember that, child.” He held his arm out to her and she placed her hand there and looked up at him a moment. He was looking very angry and she wondered what he was up to. “Elissa!” Patricia cried as she came out of the conservatory with Natasha and Elizabeth. Elis had only a brief flash of anguish at the sight of her pretty sister in a wheelchair before she was being enveloped in Patricia’s embrace. Something was wrong. Patricia never ever did anything this demonstrative. “You’re home!” She held Elis back and looked at the men with her. Elis saw her eyes go cold. “Your Majesty,” she said in a voice dripping with disdain. “I had no idea you would be here.” She smiled a bit at Alexei. “Nephew. It has been a long time since we’ve seen you here.” “Lady Kensington,” Anton said stiffly. “Charming as ever I see.” He looked over at Natasha. “What has happened to my grandchild?” “She was very ill recently,” Patricia lied. “It has left her weak. We’ve had to hire a nanny for the child.” A woman was coming down the stairs wearing a dark dress and an apron and cap. She took Elizabeth out of Natasha’s arms and carried the child away. Natasha looked as if her life was ending and Elis went to her and put her arms around her sister. “Having Elissa here will cheer her up, I’m certain.” “Lies,” Natasha whispered into Elis’ ear as she clung to her younger sister. “She is going to hurt…” “Natasha, darling,” Patricia said as she came over to the girls. “It’s time for your nap now. Say goodbye to your sister and go with Gentry.” Elis started to follow as another maid came to take Natasha away and Patricia held her back. “You’ll see her later, Elissa. Your sister needs her rest and you and I need to talk.” Elis looked at the hand on her arm and knew her aunt was dangerous. She was acting completely unlike herself. “Come to the Music Room. We’ll leave the men to their talk.” Elis looked past her and realized that her Grandfather and Alexei were being held under guard. And not by just any men; her blood turned to ice as she recognized Marston and his friends. “Aunt!” Elis cried in dismay as she was forced away. “What have you done?” Patricia didn’t say a word. She forced Elis into the Music Room and made her sit down. “Please tell me what’s going on!” Patricia slapped her across the face and Elis looked at her in shock. Her aunt had never hit her before! She put her hand to her cheek and saw the hatred in the woman’s eyes. “It was you all along!” “You always have been far too perceptive, Elissa,” Patricia spat at her. The door opened and Elis saw Marston coming inside. “I am giving you to a man who will teach you how to be a proper wife. He will beat the Rom out of you if he has to.” She reached out to touch Elissa’s hair and Elis backed away from her. “You’re such a pretty child, Elissa. I have ever only wanted what was best for you.” “By having my parents killed?” Elissa snapped. She saw the hurt in Patricia’s eyes quickly replaced by rage and the cold calculating hatred. “Mama was your sister! How could you let them kill her?” “She was tainted, Elissa,” Patricia said softly. She pulled a length of silk cord out of her pocket and held it out to Marston. “It was too late for her then.” She kept coming towards Elis and the girl looked around for some way to escape them. “But you and your sister can be salvaged, Elissa. You can still be the women she was meant to be before your foul gypsy father took her away from us.” She clapped her hands as Marston got her into the corner and bound her wrists. “It will be a double wedding,” she laughed as the man clamped his lips on Elis’ as she struggled for release. “You will marry Marston and Natasha will become Dandridge’s bride.” “If you refuse,” Marston spoke up as he clamped his hand on her throat, “your grandfather and your brother will die; your sister will be sent to a brothel, and your darling little niece will be on her way to an orphan asylum. Your family’s lives and futures are in your lovely little hands, Elissa.” He raised Elis’ eyes to his. “Did you really think you could beat us, Elissa?” He laughed and ran his hand down under the bodice of her gown. “I have promised your aunt that you will remain a virgin until we wed, but there are things I can do to you that do not strip you of that status.” He clamped his hand on her elbow and yanked her towards the door. “Let us retire to your bedroom so I can show you what those are.” Elis looked to her aunt for assistance but the look on Patricia’s face told her that she would get nowhere with her pleas. Marston forced her upstairs and Elis heard her sister’s scream. She was being hurt, Elis knew. She yanked her arm out of Marston’s hold and ran towards the sound of Natasha’s cries. She got the door open and saw her sister bound to a bedpost. Her chemise was down around her feet and Dandridge was whipping her like an animal. “You leave my sister alone, you foul thing!” Elis screamed. She saw a letter opener and grabbed it. Marston caught her as she started to plunge it into Dandridge’s back. He slugged her and she blacked out. She came back to awareness to the sound of angry voices. She was lying on her side on the floor and Natasha was on her knees beside her, shaking in anger and pain. “Meda?” “Oh thank God!” Natasha cried as she pulled Elis to her. “I thought he’d killed you!” She looked into Elis’ eyes grateful to see no real damage had been done. “We can’t let this happen, Ursa. Somehow we have to get out of this place.” “Where are they holding Grandfather and the other men,” Elis asked her. Natasha did not know and Elis had to guess. There were only so many places a person could be held on the estate grounds. One of them leapt to her mind and her blood ran cold as she remembered. “The mill. It’s where I was held by Zeller and his friends.” She struggled to her feet and saw the door closed. So she turned to the windows. “Do you trust me, Meda?” Her sister nodded. “Hold on. I’ll be back with help.” Natasha watched as her fearless sister climbed out the window and edged her way along the wall. She saw her slip into the nursery and prayed Elis knew what she was doing. Elis prayed she knew what she was doing as well, as she landed softly on the floor and attacked the nanny. She bundled her niece up and fashioned a pack to tie the baby to her chest. Then she swung out again and crept down the wall as she used to when she was eight. She hit the ground and snuck around to the stables. She got her stallion and led him out as quietly and quickly as she could And then she was off. She was flying along over the ground at a speed that exhilarated her. Titan had never been this fast or this smooth of gait. Shadows Dance was like riding the wind itself. She got to the clan and handed the baby over to Magda. “My aunt,” she spat out the term in rage, “has taken Grandfather, my brother, and my sister hostage. She means to force marriages on Natasha and myself to men of dishonor.” She turned to the clan. “There are only two places her men could be holding our family; an old mill where I was once held prisoner myself, and the old ruined church.” She pointed off in the directions. “I do not know how many people she has, or who is on her side, so we must be careful.” They all nodded and she knew they would do their part. “I have to go back now,” she told them as she mounted her stallion again. “My sister needs me.” They did not argue with her and she was stunned. Her cousins would have tried to talk her out of her plan, her brother would even have tried to do so. But these people listened to her and did as she suggested. She could not know that in the absence of grandfather and brother she was their voice. So she rode back to the estate, put her stallion back in the stall they had placed him in, and then slipped back into the house the way she had come. She had just entered the bedroom when the door opened. Men separated her from her sister and held them as Patricia came inside, her eyes blazing. “Where is the child?” she asked them bluntly. “My baby?” Natasha choked and tried to pull free. “Someone has taken my baby?” She struggled violently. “Let me go! I need to find my baby!” “Take her to the nursery and keep her there,” Patricia told the men. “Tie Elissa’s wrists and help her sit down.” The men did so and Elis looked up at her enraged aunt calmly. “What did you do, Elissa?” “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Aunt,” Elis said softly. “How could you think I would do anything to harm my own niece?” She was angry now. “My family does not harm its own, Aunt Patricia. That is what you do!” Patricia slapped her and Elis looked up at her calmly. “Bring the drug,” Patricia told one of the men. “She won’t be able to lie to us.” She stroked Elis’ hair and she pulled away. “I had hoped not to have to damage your mind, Elis. You are such a delightful child; but it is obvious we are going to have to take drastic measures to keep you under control.” She looked over at Marston who had just come in. “I am sorry, Lord Marston, but your bride-to-be will be left with the mind of a child. As long as you give her pretty things, you will have complete control over her.” “I am not marrying her for her mind, Lady Kensington,” Marston shrugged. He saw the girl’s eyes snap with fire. “I’m going to miss her fire, but I’ll make do.” “You have one chance to save your mind, Elissa,” Patricia said as the man came back with a bottle in his hand. “Tell me what you did with the baby.” Elis clamped her mouth shut and refused to speak. “Pity.” She nodded to her men and they held the struggling girl as Patricia poured the drug into her and made her swallow it down. “Let her go. She’ll quiet down in a moment.” Elis could feel her body going warm and her head spinning. The room began to dance around her and rainbows sparked behind her eyelids. She opened her eyes and wondered when her aunt had become a horned demon. She had always been such a nice woman. Patricia sprouted wings and a halo and Elis giggled. She knew she was losing her ability to concentrate and focus. They would ask her to betray her family and she wouldn’t be able to fight them. She couldn’t let that happen. She tried to get up and her body was limp and unresponsive. She hit the floor and made her sit back down. “She’s ready,” Patricia nodded. She cupped Elis’ chin in her hand and looked at her kindly. “Elissa, you have to tell us where the baby is. She could get hurt…” “She’s with family, Aunt Patricia,” Elis shook her head. “They won’t hurt her. They’ll take her where you can never touch her and give her a happy life.” “Elissa…” “No,” Elis broke in, shaking her head. “She’ll be safe. She’ll be happy. That’s how it should be.” She nearly choked as Patricia gave her more of the drug. “Won’t tell!” she giggled as Patricia repeated her question. “Baby’s safe!” Marston yanked her up to her feet and she looked into his eyes and continued to giggle. “Baby’s safe!” she said once more. She sighed and slid into the darkness. “Take her away, Marston,” Patricia hissed. “See if you can’t convince her to tell you where she took the child.” She looked down at her helpless niece and her eyes were cold. “Amory, go to town and bring back the Vicar. In an hour, she will be your wife, Marston, and you will do whatever you must to make her tell you where the child is.” Marston smiled and picked Elis up in his arms. He could already think of several things he would do to the little angel. He wasn’t really interested in whether she ever told them where the baby had gone. He carried her over to the bed and laid her down gently. The others left the room and he sat next to her, stroking her hair, her cheeks, her lips, and her body slowly. Soon she would be his to do with as he chose. He fell asleep with his arm over her body and woke up to see her looking around in confusion. Someone knocked on the door as he helped her to her feet. “It’s time, Lord Marston,” Amory stuck his head in. “The Vicar is waiting in the Conservatory for you and your bride.” “Bride?” Elis looked at Marston in confusion. She couldn’t think past the word. “Is someone getting married?” “We are, sweet Elissa,” Marston said as he took her to the door. He kissed her on the lips very gently. “You are going to be my wife.” “Why?” Elis frowned and looked to him for some explanation. “I don’t understand.” He was watching her quite closely. “Why?” “Because I adore you, Elissa Milosevic,” Marston said to her and watched her eyes. She was locked into a state of confusion and couldn’t seem to pull out of it. He was going to enjoy having her as his wife. “I will be a loving and considerate husband for you.” Elis looked up at him and just could not get past the confusion. She knew there was something wrong with what was happening, but she couldn’t remember what that could be. Marston turned her over to her aunt and she was put into a wedding gown. Twenty minutes later, she was led into the Conservatory where she was married to lord Marston. She was still trying to understand what was going on as the carriage pulled away from the estate. Marston kissed her and she just sat there until she felt his hands at the bodice of her gown. “No,” she shook her head as his hand caressed her breast. She began to whimper as the memory of what had happened when she was five came crashing through the confusion. “Please don’t hurt me,” she sobbed. Marston looked at her in shock. He had never had a woman react to his touch in terror. He pulled her into his lap and just held her as she cried. He kissed her hair, and then her cheek and she turned and looked at him in confusion. “You’re not going to hurt me?” “No, my pretty wife,” Marston choked as he held her closer, “I am never going to hurt you.” He kissed her very gently and pulled the blanket up around her. “Sleep now, my angel. When we get to my estate, we will talk.” Elis nodded and closed her eyes and Marston cursed Patricia Kensington. How could she have damaged her own niece like this? A lovely child like Elissa should not be terrified of being loved. He was going to do his utmost to see to it that the girl knew what it was to be loved and appreciated by a man who adored her. If Elis wanted her niece to stay out of lady Kensington’s hands, then he was going to do his best to see that happen. In fact, he thought as an impish grin lit his face; he was going to make it his business to make the woman pay for what she had done to damage this innocent child. They arrived at his estate as the sun set and she was still sleeping. He carried her inside and told his staff his wife and he were not to be disturbed until morning. He asked the cook to send them up a light supper and continued walking. He could feel their shock as he went up the stairs. He knew everyone had believed he would never marry. He had been convinced there would never be a woman worthy of him; but he knew that was no longer true. He laid his bride on the bed and knew he was not worthy of her. “Am I really your wife?” she asked as he was coming out of the bath. There was still a twinge of confusion in her eyes but he could see it clearing. “Yes, Elissa,” he told her honestly. He was never going to lie to her. “You are my wife.” He saw her frown. “If you do not wish to be my wife, I will release you. I will go sleep in the other bedroom and in the morning we will have the marriage annulled.” “Is that what you want?” Elis asked him as she met his eyes without fear. “What I want is to love you, my dear wife,” Marston told her plainly. “I want to help you forget the terror of your childhood and learn to love and be loved as you should be. And,” he said as he sank down on the bed next to her, “I want to make your aunt suffer for the hell she had put you and your family through.” “I don’t love you, lord Marston,” Elis said honestly as she continued to look into his eyes, “but we are married. I will try to be a good wife for you if you promise me you will never hurt me or mine again.” “I can promise all that and more, my angel,” Marston sighed in relief. He took her hands in his and kissed her palms one at a time. He felt her shiver and saw a flash of fear in her eyes. “I can still sleep in the other room,” he said as he stopped. “I do not want to do anything to cause you fear.” “You are a good man, lord Marston,” Elis choked. “Why were you pretending otherwise?” She leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips. “If all we can ever be is loving friends, is that enough?” “If I can have you in my arms, my angel?” Marston smiled as he moved closer to her, “I will be quite content.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Do you think you could call me Thomas, my sweet?” “Thomas,” Elis nodded and put her arms around his neck. “Show me what it is to be loved as a person should be loved.” Patricia was quite pleased with herself as she came out of the Study one morning three months later. She and Natasha had left England the morning after Elissa and Marston had been wed, following them on their honeymoon trip. Natasha was so deep in worry over her lost child that she was giving her no trouble. And the foul peasants who had dared to marry into their illustrious family were dead. All she needed now was to find the child and have her returned to the house, and everything would be perfect. So she was shocked when the front door burst open and her brother stormed in, his eyes blazing with anger. Behind him was his wife, their sons, and Patricia’s sons. And behind them was Anton Milosevic and his son and future daughter-in-law, who was holding a familiar infant in her arms. She went white as she saw them; they were supposed to be on their way to slaughter by now. “What have you done, Patricia?” Percival demanded as he made her sit down on the couch in the front room. “What is this I hear about Elissa being married to lord Marston.” “They were married here three months ago,” Patricia nodded. She saw his look of rage. “He is a man of rank and he is giving her everything she could ever want.” “Except a life of her own choosing!” Anton hissed. He stood as far away from the woman as he could, his fists clenched in anger. “How dare you make such a decision for my granddaughter.” “I wasn’t going to let you marry her off to one of your foul breed!” Patricia snapped at him. “Marston is quite happy with her. He will treat her as a lady of her rank should be treated.” She could see they didn’t understand. “I love my niece. I want her to have the life that Elizabeth should have had, not live out her days with a man who can’t hold his head up among our peers!” “If she loved a man,” Percival snapped at her, “he would always be welcome in my home. Damn, Patricia. How could you be so hateful! Elissa was damaged by what happened to her as a child. Do you think Marston is going to care enough to treat her with the care she needs?” He was white with anger. “It is probably far too late to have the union annulled.” He turned to Huntley, who had materialized in the doorway. “Go to the man, Huntley, and find out what it will cost for him to divorce her. I will not have her married to a man who would abuse her.” He turned to his nephews. “Take your mother upstairs and sedate her, Everett. I will talk to her later when I have calmed down enough so I do not strangle her.” “I only did what was best for her,” Patricia protested as her younger son led her away; “for our family.” They were not listening. “You would pollute our family blood line with these mongrels! I could not let it continue!” Percival sank down on the couch with a curse. For several moments there wasn’t a sound in the room as the men came to terms with what had happened. Elis had been married to a man they had all one their best to keep her away from. They had been unable to prevent it and they were stunned by this fact. Natasha came downstairs and her grandfather held her as she cried and blamed herself. When the storm was over, she pulled her child into her arms and sank down rocking her in relief. Everyone was safe, except for Elissa. “They did that to her,” she whimpered; “because she wouldn’t tell them where she’d hidden my daughter.” Her eyes lit up for a moment. “You should have seen her! She climbed out the window and down the side of the house with Elizabeth tied to her.” The image of her determined little sister carrying Natasha’s daughter to safety only made her loss more painful. “It’s all my fault!” She looked at her uncle. “How could Aunt Patricia be so hateful? Ursa never did anything to deserve such a fate.” “Ursa?” Percival asked her. “Papa called her that first,” Alexei smiled softly as he remembered. “He loved the stars, so each of us had a pet name after a star or constellation. I was Orion, the hunter.” He saw Daniel nodding his understanding. “Natasha was Andromeda, his princess, and Elissa was Ursa Minor; the little bear. So we grew up calling each other Ori, Meda, and Ursa.” “And we just call her Monkey,” Philip said softly. He saw her grandfather and siblings look at him. “Elissa loved to climb when she was little: trees, buildings, rooflines; it didn’t matter, she would scale them all. She used to give Father heart attacks when we would ride up to visit and he would see her dancing along the roofline or dangling from a tree branch.” For the next half hour they all shared their favorite memory of Elissa. Anton, who had never had a chance to know her as a child, was enchanted by the stories. It just made him more determined to see to it that she was removed from a marriage that had not been her choice. He was the first to notice the shift in the feeling in the room. Suddenly there was a sparkle that had been missing, dispelling her anger and grief. “Is this a wake?” Elis’ voice sounded from the doorway. Her family looked up to see her standing there, holding hands with the monster they had been discussing. “You make it sound like I’m dead.” She saw the anger in their eyes and she tightened her hold on Marston’s hand. “Our wedding may have been unconventional, but we are married and you will accept him. I do not want to lose you all over this, but I have chosen to remain with Marston.” “It does not have to be that way, Elis…” “Yes, it does,” Elis told them, looking very shy and uncertain for a moment as her hand went to her abdomen; “because Thomas and I are having a baby.” She looked around the room. “Where is Aunt Patricia? We wanted to give her the happy news.” “Your aunt is being held under lock and key,” Percival told his niece, “for her own protection.” Elis nodded and went to sit next to her sister. She smiled and played with her niece and they were all astounded. This was not a child who was locked into a loveless and unhappy marriage. Marston stood behind the couch and watched her with an expression of utter contentment and adoration. Something had happened to the man since he had married Elis. He was not the same person they all knew and abhorred. So, for Elis’ sake, they grudgingly welcomed him into the family. Elis turned to smile up at her husband and he left the room and returned with a basket. Inside were six squirming bundles of black and tan. “You will need to tell Prince Edward,” Elis laughed as she picked one up and held it to her cheek, “that his trainers should check their hounds’ sex better. Fritz turned out to be a Fritzie.” She held the puppy out for Elizabeth to touch and laughed as the child practically yanked the puppy out of her hands. “It appears rottweilers will be a favored breed for the next generation, as well.” “Elissa,” Edwina warned. “Be careful. That puppy is nearly as big as Elizabeth.” She came over and picked up the puppy and Elizabeth burst into tears. “You’re right, Elissa,” she laughed as the child only quieted when the puppy was put back where she could touch it. “See what you’ve done, Percy?” “The child is intelligent,” Percival shrugged and watched his great niece proudly. “All of our children are intelligent.” He looked at Marston. “Thomas, I would like a word with you.” Marston nodded and bent down to kiss Elis on the forehead as she looked up at him in fear. He leaned his cheek against hers and said something that calmed her. She nodded and watched him leave with her uncle, cousins, brother, and grandfather. Natasha laid her hand on her younger sister’s knee and smiled encouragingly. “If they were going to hurt him, Ursa,” she said gently; “they would have taken him out the moment you arrived.” She searched Elis’ face curiously. “You are content with him. He has been good for you.” “He has been very good for me, Meda,” Elis said softly. “He has shown me how to make the nightmares go away.” She put her hand on her abdomen. “And he has shown me how to accept a man’s love as a gift and not a punishment.” She smiled and nodded. “I am very content. He is not at all the man he presented himself to be.” There was a sharp noise from outside and Elis was on her feet. She knew that noise. It had killed Titan once. Fear was clutching her heart as she ran, she knew that it had taken someone she cared for again. Philip held her back as she approached the garden entrance. He looked as stricken as she felt and she was convinced someone was gone. “I’m sorry, Monkey,” he choked as he pulled her against his chest. “So sorry.” “No,” Elis wailed as she watched her family carry Marston out. One bullet wound to the center of his forehead said it all. She felt the darkness rise up to swallow her but she fought it. She followed them to the library where they set him down. She clung to her husband’s hand tightly and did not sob. She didn’t fight the tears either. They flowed down her face freely as she sat there with him, silent and unmoving. People tried to make her leave and she refused to be moved. He was her husband and he had loved her. He had not deserved this! She felt a hand on her shoulder and glanced up at her grandfather. “He mattered to me, Grandfather. He was my friend, my healer, and my comfort these past three months. I want to know who did this to him and I want them dead!” That was when the dam broke. She began to sob as she threw her arms around his neck and clung to him a moment. “I want to know how they could think they had the right to murder my husband, and then I want them dead!” The darkness rose up and claimed her then and Anton carried her upstairs to her old bedroom. He sat at her side as she slept, as she woke from nightmares screaming, and was the one who coaxed her to eat. For three days, as her husband was readied for burial, Anton was the only person she would allow near her. The day of the funeral found her once more silent and unresponsive. She clung to her grandfather’s arm and he supported her through the church service and the readings at the mausoleum in the church graveyard in the village on Marston’s estate. A reception had been planned at the estate house but she did not attend it. She went up to the room she had shared with her husband and sat on the bed, clasping his pillow to her chest and sobbing. She listened to them pounding on the door she had locked, heard their pleas for her to come out, but she ignored them. She wanted to be close to him just a little longer before she let him go forever. Geoffrey Marston had watched his older brother’s widow carefully during the funeral. She had obviously loved his brother and he was stunned at the thought. Thomas had not been the kind of person who would instill that kind of devotion in another person. He certainly had not loved his brother. Their entire life had been one of competition and hatred. But seeing the golden-haired girl standing still as a statue grief-stricken had altered his thinking slightly. Perhaps there had been more to his brother than he had ever seen. When she locked herself in Thomas’ room and refused to come out, he grew concerned. So he went through the hidden passages he and Thomas had used when they were children to torment their nannies and each other and entered the master bedroom. She was sitting in the middle of the bed with a pillow clutched to her slim frame, sobbing her beautiful blue eyes out. “He must have changed since I talked to him last,” he said softly. Her head snapped up and she looked at him warily. This girl had known abuse in her life, he realized and he hated to do anything to add to it. “I hear you are expecting a child, Elissa. You need to eat for their sake, if not your own.” He went to the door and unlocked it, holding his hands out to the maid. “Tell her family, Lady Marston will be down later,” he said to the stunned woman; “or not, as she chooses.” He locked the door again and carried the tray to the bed. “Finger foods, I’m afraid.” He nodded to the tray. “Eat.” “Are you always so bossy?” “What did Thomas tell you about me?” Geoffrey asked her as she took a seat away from her. She gave him the impression of a skittish horse, harshly treated and needing a gentle hand. He suddenly understood. Thomas had always been quite expert at handling wounded animals. “You used to torment each other,” Elis replied as she picked up a slice of apple and chewed on it, “and terrorize your nannies.” She looked at the wall. “There really are hidden passages in this house?” “I’ll show them to you when you’re feeling better,” Geoffrey said to her and saw her brief smile. It was like seeing the sun peek out from behind a cloud. He wanted to see it again. She fell silent and continued to eat the food he had asked the Cook to prepare for her. He wanted to hear her sweet voice again, but she was silent. “So, Elissa,” he said when he couldn’t stand the silence any longer. She looked up at him and waited politely. “Did you have my brother murdered?” “How dare you!” Elis hissed at him. “Why would you think such a horrible thing?” She shoved the tray aside. “Is that why you were kind to me? So you could accuse me of…of…” She suddenly went green and ran for the bathroom. He tried to follow, but she had locked the door. He could hear her being sick and then sobbing. Her grief, he now knew, was no act. This beautiful child had loved his brother. “Elissa,” he said as he tapped on the door, “I’m sorry. I needed to know the truth about how things stood between you and my brother.” “You could have asked,” Elis said stiffly as she came out. She looked up at him and saw his likeness to his brother. But Geoffrey was taller and broader chested and his eyes were a deeper green. She walked past him and went to stand at the windows. “Now that you’ve satisfied your morbid curiosity, you can leave.” He nodded and went to unlock the door. “No,” her voice stopped him and he turned. “Out the way you came. I’m not ready to talk to anyone yet.” She looked at the tray. “Thank you for thinking of the child, Geoffrey Marston.” Geoffrey slipped out through the passage and shook his head as he heard her moving things in the room behind him. He knew without seeing that she had now booby-trapped the passage. He would not be slipping through it without alerting her to his presence. He couldn’t blame her. She wanted to be alone and he had intruded on her privacy. He entered the sitting room where her family was gathered. “She ate,” he said simply. Their relief was very touching. Their family was very close-knit; unlike his own. “But she has locked herself in again and says she isn’t ready to talk to anyone yet.” “How did you get in?” Nicholas asked the man. “Hidden passage we used to take when we wanted to torment our father and mother,” Geoffrey told him. “She booby-trapped it as I was leaving.” He couldn’t help but smile. “Your cousin is a very determined young woman.” “She’s going to make herself ill being ‘determined’,” Natasha frowned. She turned to Alexei. “Ori, we can’t let her do this to herself. We need to take her home with us.” “She’s not ready for the clans yet, Meda,” Alexei shook his head. “Give her another couple of days. Ursa will rebound. She has a child to think of now.” “I will give her one,” Natasha replied, becoming the concerned older sister. “If she does not unlock that door by tomorrow afternoon, I am taking a ram to it.” She nodded to Geoffrey and left the room. “I see ‘determination’ runs in your family, Prince Alexei,” Geoffrey smiled. “Our women are not shrinking violets, Geoff,” Alexei nodded. “But you have spent time among the Rom; you know this.” He sipped at his drink. “So, do you have any idea who had your brother murdered and why?” “The ‘why’ is obvious,” Geoffrey answered him. “Someone did not approve of the marriage. The ‘who’,” he shrugged. “That’s a long list. My brother was not well-liked.” “So you find it surprising that my sister was in love with him,” Alexei spoke the man’s thoughts aloud for him. Geoffrey nodded. “We all were, Geoff. As you say,” he continued as Geoffrey looked at him in surprise; “he was not well-liked.” He took another sip of his drink. “Will they come after my sister?” “That depends a great deal on the ‘who’?” Geoffrey said honestly. “The Marston estates are quite extensive, and quite lucrative. If she inherits, she will be a very rich young widow. There are family 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 any nonsense from them. She treated them with a maturity that was surprising in a girl of seventeen; but then most girls of seventeen had not gone through what his young sister-in-law had endured over her lifetime. Her family had left and she only had him and the two silent, stone-faced men following her like shadows, to keep the rest of the family from pulling their tricks on her. He locked all the entrances to the passages and kept the keys on his person. The solicitors arrived after three days of this dance and Geoffrey noted that the Rom were no more ready to relax their guard then he was. “Is everyone here?” the thin pale man asked as he sat in a chair in the sitting room with the twelve people who stood to benefit from Thomas’ death. He looked at Elis and smiled. “We are here to hear the will of Lord Thomas Marston, Earl of Dunstan. It is a short will, one he wrote out in my office the day after he married.” He looked at the other members of the family. “He left everything to his wife, now widow, Princess Elissa Milosevic, Lady Marston; to be held in trust for their child.” He pulled out twelve envelopes. “He has left each of you a lump sum with the advice that you learn how to be useful members of society.” He looked over at Geoffrey. “Your brother has named you as Executor of his will, Lord Geoffrey. You will understand why when you read his letter to you.” He eyed the others sternly. “Lady Marston wishes you all to quit this estate at your earliest convenience. In her delicate condition, she finds having to see to the needs of so many guests very exhausting.” Huntley was rising to his feet when the door was kicked open. Zeller strode in with five armed men. The armed men took positions around the room as he went to Elis and bowed his head to her. She rose to her feet and met his gaze calmly. He smiled and shoved Huntley aside, taking his seat behind the desk. “Please sit down everyone,” Zeller smiled as he looked around the room. “You have heard Lord Marston’s will; now you will hear mine.” He looked at Elis. “Lady Marston is coming with me. As long as you do not do anything to interfere in my plans for her, you will receive all the money you need from the estate. If any of you,” he looked pointedly at Geoffrey, “try to stop me, all of you will be cut off.” He looked at Stefan and Karel. “You will go to her Grandfather and tell him that he is about to have a new grandson-in-law, and that it is neither of you.” “You can’t just walk in here and make demands!” one of the younger cousins protested as he sprang to his feet. He was shot down in cold blood. “Leave them alone!” Elis cried in protest. “This is between you and me, Herr Zeller. There is no need to spill any more blood.” “This was not our deal, Zeller!” one of the older cousins snapped. He pointed at Elis. “You were supposed to make her sign the Quit Claim document. You were not to come in here and shoot family members down like dogs.” He glared at Elis. “My cousin had no right to leave our family holdings to a creature like you! Gypsy blood! Our family has been nobility since the Conqueror’s time. We cannot allow you to pollute our line!” Zeller saw the slow smile cross Elis’ face and he hissed. “You fool! They set us up!” He moved around the desk and came at Elis. Her companions caught and held him and she rose to her feet, smiling at him calmly. “You should have stopped, Herr Zeller,” she said simply, “when you had the chance” She turned to the men and they removed their masks. Her cousins and the MacGregor sons stood there. “We knew you would try to pull something. We’ve been waiting.” Zeller was taken away and Huntley resumed his seat. “Now that the drama is over, Huntley, could we read the real will, please?” “Very well, Lady Marston,” Huntley nodded to her. “We will begin with Lord Marston’s brother, Geoffrey…” He finished with the bequests and pulled out the envelopes. “Inside each of these is evidence of your criminal activities. If anything happens to Lady Marston or her child, it will be sent to the authorities. Is this clear?” They nodded and he smiled. “Very well, then. Everyone is free to leave except Lord Wellesley.” He looked at the man who had hired Zeller. “Unfortunately for you, sir, there is no reprieve. You are under arrest by my authority as an agent of His Royal Highness’ Security Agency.” “Are you certain this is what you want, Elissa?” Geoffrey asked an hour later as they stood at the gates watching a man bring her stallion to her. “You could stay here.” “I’ve lost eleven years that I could have been getting to know my Grandfather and his people, Lord Geoffrey. It is time I knew about that part of my heritage.” She looked over at the two men bringing their own stallions and a wagon up to the gate. “I want to know before I make my choice. And my choice,” she said adamantly as she laid her hand on her abdomen, “is not my child’s choice. You may be seeing us both back sooner than you think.” “I will be looking forward to it, Elissa,” Geoffrey smiled. He watched her mount and ride off with her guard and the wagon. “I am really looking forward to it.”

Impressum

Texte: M J Marlow
Bildmaterialien: Bookrix
Lektorat: M J Marlow
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 11.01.2010

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