The Making of a Princess. by Lorrie Mae.

A FAMILY REUNION. Part 9

Grant and Delvine de Muir were pacing back and forth in the main room, their daughters were out in the garden walking and talking together happily , they were waiting until their sister came home, they were so small when she was taken away, their parents had told them she was sent away to school, but she never came home and when they asked their parents where she was they were told to be quiet .and so it was just the two of them, but they missed their sister terribly, now it won't be long before they were all together.

A beautiful dark horse was pulling a beautifully carved coach through the gates, and both girls came running up to the house from the side entrance of the garden, they were so excited, the coach stopped at the front door, just as the girls stood next to their parents, all looking toward the open door to see who was the first out, as they watched a pair of highly polished pair of boots stepped out, and an elegantly dressed man turned his back on them and held his hand out for the beautiful lady dressed in a light blue dress and cape, and pretty white shoes, she seemed to be a mite frightened, but the gentleman led her forward he stopped in front of Grant and Delvine de Muir, and said " Here is your daughter Daphne, she turned to face her parents whom she had not seen in so long, and with tears streaming down her face she cuddled her mother, and then her father, it had been along time and all had their own faults and thoughts, Daphne was joined by her sisters who she had loved all of her life and she never thought that she would see them again.

Anthony and Callum stood back and waited until all the fuss was over, he only wanted to see Daphne happy, she had told him of all that happened with her father's gambling and all that was owed to that horrible man, as the two men stood looking around they spotted a small person wrapped in a cloak that hid her, even her face, who was she and what was she up to, she was so interested in all that was going on, that she didn't hear Anthony and Callum standing behind her, "What is it that you are so interested in?" she got he fright of her life, when she turned and saw who was standing behind her, she looked at the both of them and went to scurry off like a frightened little mouse, but Anthony grabbed ahold of her, as he did so her robe untangled and there stood the young girl that had accompanied both of them in the residence of Mr. Aspen's residence, where she lived with all of the other children.

A the girl went to turn around she dropped what she had been hiding, it was a small sharp knife with a nasty looking blade on it, Anthony lunged forward as Callum grabbed the girl to stop her from fleeing " What are you doing carrying such a nasty weapon with you," Anthony asked her, but she gave no reply, she just stood there looking at both men, she was furious with herself, she just wanted to wound her intended victim, as she was told to by her master, Mr. Aspen. she was disappointed that she had let him down, she didn't know that he was already dead, as she had been hiding down in the cell that her master had escaped from with her help, the last thing she was told to do was, "Was stay here until I return," and she did, but when he didn't return she started to emerge from her hiding place, but returned each time just in case he had returned. Today she had thought she would do what her minder had previously told her to do, "If I do not return in a few days I want you to scar that girl's face, who does miss high and mighty thinks she is, you make sure you do what I ask and you will be a rich girl my little lady." and so she found herself in he position she was now in.

Anthony and Callum were not sure what to do with this person who was willing to hurt Daphne, "I think we will take her with us down to see the family, and let them make up their minds what to do about this person," said Callum, "That's a good idea, let's do that,"" said Anthony, and so they headed toward the family who were all chatting together happily, Callum was looking at the beautiful Daphne and wondered should he tell her his true feelings toward herself, but he was frightened that she would flee from him and so he kept quiet about it, Anthony on the other hand was eyeing off Daphne's sister Grace, he studied her closely, she was as stunning as her sister, with her dark rich hair and her bright shining eyes, as she watched him walking down with his friend, they both smiled at each other, and Anthony felt a small warm feeling toward her. As they all approached the family, Daphne's father turned and on seeing the group heading toward them, he asked "What have we here, who is this person you seem to have captured," he could tell by the way the young girl was being held , that she wasn't here of her own accord, "Tell everyone what you were going to do to Daphne here," spoke Anthony, and he turned her toward Daphne, and once Daphne realised who it was she let out a gasp, "Please tell me what is going on here," she turned and asked the person she was seeing here right in front of her, "You were with Mr. Aspen, I saw you from my window when you were scurrying around near the kitchen, what do you want with me," you don't even like me, do you." and she started to walk toward the girl, Callum quickly walked toward where they were standing, he took ahold of Daphne's hand and said, "We saw her hiding and walked around behind her to find out what she was doing there, and then we saw the knife, I had a suspicion that she wanted to hurt you," Daphne couldn't understand why a girl that had been living in the same house as her for years would want to hurt her, "What have you been offered by that terrible man to make you still come after me," and when the girl answered she went into shock, "He offered me that if I sliced your face, I would be a rich lady, and I believed him, I deserve something after all the things I have done for him," she muttered to herself, "Don't you know what happened to Mr. Aspen," Callum asked her, "No" she answered, "Where is he and what happened," she asked quietly. "He is dead and you are lucky that he is, because beside what you think he would pay you, he would have killed you, after you had done a terrible deed to someone who doesn't deserve it, this beautiful girl is a lady with a title , beside what you think and know, that is why Mr. Aspen wanted her, he was trying his hardest to kill her."