Ransom Read Online Free PDF Page A

night when her father died were firmly locked inside the child’s mind. Because of her tender years, it was difficult for her to separate truth from imagination, but she did remember fighting over the sparkling jeweled box and trying to grab it out of her sister’s hands so she could have a turn holding it, then plunging down the stone steps that led to the tunnels underneath the castle. The jagged scar under her chin was proof she hadn’t imagined it. She remembered Christen screaming. She also remembered the blood. In her hazy, confused memories, both she and Christen were covered in it. The nightmares that haunted her during the dark hours of the night were always the same. Faceless monsters with red glowing eyes and long, whiplike tails were chasing her and Christen down a dark tunnel, but in those terrifying dreams, she never killed her sister. The monsters did.
    It was on one such night during a terrible thunderstorm that Gillian finally spoke. Liese awakened her from her nightmare, and then, as was her ritual, wrapped her in one of her uncle’s soft Scottish plaid blankets and carried her across the room to sit by the fire.
    The heavyset woman cuddled the little girl in her arms and crooned to her. “It ain’t right the way you carry on, Gillian. You don’t say a word during the day and then youhowl like a lone wolf all night long. Is it because you’ve got the pain all stored up inside you and you need to get it out? Is that the way of it, my little angel? Talk to me, child. Tell me what’s in your heart.”
    Liese didn’t expect an answer and very nearly dropped the little girl on her head when she heard her whisper.
    â€œWhat did you say?” she asked, a bit more sharply than she intended.
    â€œI didn’t mean to kill Christen. I didn’t mean to.”
    Liese burst into tears. “Oh, Gillian, you didn’t kill Christen. I’ve told you so over and over again. I heard what Baron Alford said to you. Don’t you remember that, as soon as I carried you outside, I told you he was lying. Why won’t you believe me? Baron Alford was just being cruel to you.”
    â€œShe’s dead.”
    â€œNo, she isn’t dead.”
    Gillian looked up at Liese to see from her expression if she was telling the truth or not. She desperately wanted, and needed, to believe her.
    â€œChristen’s alive,” Liese insisted with a nod. “You listen to me. No matter how terrible the truth might be, I will never, ever lie to you.”
    â€œI remember the blood.”
    â€œIn your nightmares?”
    Gillian nodded. “I pushed Christen down the steps. Papa was holding my hand, but then he let go. Ector was there too.”
    â€œYou’ve got it all mixed up inside your head. Neither your father nor Ector was there.”
    Gillian put her head down on Liese’s shoulder. “Ector’s daft.”
    â€œAye, he is that,” she agreed.
    â€œWere you in the tunnel with me?” she asked.
    â€œNo, but I know what happened. While Maude was sewing you back together, one of the soldiers who was in the tunnel with you told her. You and your sister were awakened and carried to your father’s chamber.”
    â€œWilliam carried me.”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œIt was dark outside.”
    Liese felt Gillian shiver and hugged her. “Yes, it was the middle of the night, and Alford and his soldiers had already breached the inner walls.”
    â€œI remember the wall opened in Papa’s room.”
    â€œThe secret passage led to the steps down to the tunnel. There were four soldiers with your father, four men he trusted with your welfare. You know them, Gillian. Tom was there, and Spencer and Lawrence and William. Spencer’s the one who told Maude what happened. They led the way down the secret corridor and carried torches to light the way.”
    â€œI’m not supposed to tell about my secret door.”
    Liese