Free The Morrow Secrets by Susan McNally

you this...’
Tallitha just kept mouthing the words ‘please, please’ to Cissie in a desperate way.
‘I don’t know Miss. If the Grand Morrow should find out I said anything...’
‘Tell me Cissie, come on.’
‘Promise me you won’t tell where you ’eard it from,’ she said finally.
‘I promise, cross my heart and hope to die!’ she said dramatically.
Cissie shook her head at Tallitha’s antics and continued.
‘This... girl was called Asenathe, and she disappeared some time ago. Went off, or maybe she was taken, one night it was. No one knows for sure.’
Tallitha grabbed hold of Cissie’s hand.
‘Asenathe, what a strange name? But there must be more. How old was she? What was she like? Was she pretty? What did she like doing? Tell me,’ pleaded Tallitha.
Cissie held up her hands for Tallitha to stop her barrage of questions. ‘Oh Miss, do stop goin’ on so. No one talks about it downstairs anymore. Mrs Armitage has given strict instructions not to gossip about the family.’
‘But this isn’t gossiping, is it Cissie? It’s what really happened,’ replied Tallitha looking pleased with herself.
‘Eh Miss, if you’re not fishing for summat, you’re mending your nets, plotting and planning, you’ve always been the same. You don’t let a body rest.’
Tallitha just kept mouthing ‘please’ at her exasperated nurse. Cissie shook her head, sighed and eventually gave in.
‘I think, but mind, I don’t know for sure, that she was about your age. Fourteen or fifteen, maybe a bit older, but not by that much.’
‘What else do you know?’
‘Now this is it, ’tis all I know. I don’t know no more Miss, so you ’ave to stop pestering me if I tell you, promise me now,’ insisted Cissie at the end of her tether.
‘OK, if you’re sure this is all you know. When you’ve told me I’ll stop, I promise.’
Cissie folded her arms and looked out of the window taking a moment to consider what to tell Tallitha and what not to tell her. She was a persistent child and no mistake. But Cissie knew she would have to tell her something to shut her up. She smoothed her apron and folded her hands in her lap.
‘I ’eard tell that before Miss Asenathe went missing, there was trouble. Things weren’t right between the girl and her mother. Some fallin’ out I think but it’s probably just a rumour. People like to make up stories if they don’t know the truth so don’t put too much store by it and for goodness sake don’t tell any of the sisters or your mother what I told you, or I’ll be for the high jump and no mistake.’
Tallitha let out an excited scream and pummelled the bed.
‘I promise Cissie, I’ve already said I won’t tell and thank you!’
Tallitha kissed her nurse on her warm plump cheek. It was true then. There was a daughter and she was the heir to the Morrow family, not her. Now Tallitha just had to find the missing girl.
‘Perhaps you were right about the holed stones protecting us at night. Is that because of Asenathe going missing?’
Cissie bit her lip and looked sadly towards the dark mountains. Then she rallied and patted Tallitha’s hand reassuringly. ‘Well, you may laugh at old Cissie, but I know a thing or two. The holed stones are special and will keep you safe from the dooerlins.’
Tallitha flopped back on the bed and let out a huge sigh. She was satisfied for the moment but she could tell there were more secrets to be unearthed.
She waited for Cissie to finish her chores then she went into her study and picked up the small leather book from the sisters’ library. It had curious lettering unlike any alphabet she had ever seen before and the twisted shapes were strangely like the stitches in the sampler.
Tallitha had to find out what all the clues meant.
Strange things about her peculiar family were beginning to fall into place.
Chapter Seven
Toads, Whisperings and Wanderings
    The next morning Tyaas gobbled down his breakfast. He would begin by searching the library on the