The Avoidance of Love (The Daniels' Sisters Book 2)

The Avoidance of Love

The Daniels Sisters Series, Book 2

Copyright © 2015 by J.L. Monro

All rights reserved.

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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Formatting: Champagne Formats

Title Page

The Avoidance of Love

Prologue

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-One

Twenty-Two

Twenty-Three

Twenty-Four

Twenty-Five

Twenty-Six

Twenty-Seven

Twenty-Eight

Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Thirty-One

Thirty-Two

Epilogue

The Complications of Love

Acknowledgements

“NO, GRANDDAD, NOT
like that. You have to hold your pinky finger up, so you’re doing it right.” I like having tea parties with Granddad, but he doesn’t have very good table manners. It was my birthday last month and now that I’m six years old I know how to throw the best tea parties.

“Sorry, Mara, is that better?” Granddad’s finger looks a little funny, like a hook, but at least it’s up. I come here every Sunday and he still hasn’t perfected it. I wonder if he’s practicing like I taught him. I’ve been here all week, and we’ve had lots of princess parties. Tara and Lana sometimes have tea with us, but Lana wants to have coffee instead of tea. She doesn’t even know what coffee is. Silly girl! Tara doesn’t like tea or coffee, but she plays right.
She
knows how to lift her pinky. Dana stays with Grandma. She’s still a baby. I hope she’s good at tea parties when she’s old enough.

Mummy and Daddy have gone to Devon for the week to have some special time together for their anniversary. Mummy told me that when she goes away, I’m in charge; I have to look after my sisters because I’m the oldest, and I have to set a good example. It’s hard sometimes because when Lana is being silly, I really want to pinch her. I don’t though because that would be wrong.

When Mummy comes back, she said we could go to the big fabric store where she works. I can pick out any material I want, and she’ll make dresses for my sisters and me. She gets to go to lots of fabric stores around the world to make pretty furniture for people. When I’m older, she said she’s going to take me to Paris with her.

We’re all packed up and ready to go. I have school in the morning, so I have to go to bed early. Daddy says that little girls need their beauty sleep so they wake up not only beautiful, but really smart, too. At school, George Radford keeps saying I’m a cheater because I get the best marks. If he says it again this week, I’m going to make him eat mud. Again!

Grandma called upstairs. “Mara, have you picked up all your toys as I asked you to? Your Mum and Dad will be here soon to take you home.”

“Yes, Grandma. And I picked up Tara and Lana’s toys, too.” I always pick up their toys. I help them because they’re little.

The doorbell rang. Granddad got Grandma a doorbell that plays
Close To You
by The Carpenters. I don’t know who they are, but he says it’s one of her favorite songs. Mummy’s early, so I’m not ready yet, but I don’t care; I missed her and Daddy lots.

I run downstairs to jump into Daddy’s arms so he can swing me up in the air. He calls me ‘candy floss’ because I have pink cheeks, and when he tosses me up in the sky, he says I weigh as much as air. Then he tickles me until I can’t breathe.

It’s not Daddy at the door; it’s a Policeman and a Police lady. I wonder why they’re here.

“Good Evening, Mrs. Gordon. We need to speak with you if you don’t mind. Would you mind if we came in?” The Police lady is very big. I thought they all had to be slim so that they can chase bad people. She must not be able to run very far. She doesn’t look very nice either. Her face is all wrinkly, and she looks miserable, like Great-Aunt Mabel. Granddad says that she’s a miserable old cow, and that’s why she has four cats; they don’t understand what a bore she is. The Policeman is very tall and young. He looks even younger than Daddy does. He’s taken his hat off now. He has blond hair and very blue eyes, not green like mine. He sees me behind Grandma’s legs.

“I think it’s best if the little one goes to another room, Mrs. Gordon, while we talk.” I frowned at him. I might be small, but I’m not silly.

“Oh. All right then. Please, come in. If you’ll just go on into the living room, officer, I’ll just take Mara upstairs. I’ll be with you shortly.” Grandma shut the door and showed them to the living room then took my hand to lead me upstairs. She takes me into the bedroom with Granddad.

“Who was at the door, Anna?”

“Two police officers.” Grandma looked worried.

“It’s ok, Grandma. Don’t worry. You’re a good person; they won’t arrest you.” She smiled at me but Granddad’s not smiling.

“Mara, stay up here and keep an eye on your sisters. I’m going to go downstairs with your Grandma to talk to the officers. You be a good girl now, darling.” Granddad pulled my pigtail, took Grandma by the hand, and left the room.

I really wanted to be a good girl and stay upstairs, but I really, really wanted to know what the police officers wanted. Lana and Tara were playing very nicely. I could just sneak downstairs for a second just to have a quick listen and then come back upstairs. That would be very wrong though. Daddy says a princess never eavesdrops. I won’t listen in for long. Just long enough to know what it is they’re talking about.

I crept out on to the landing and down some of the stairs, making sure that I avoided the floorboards that creaked. I could see into the living room now. They all had their backs to me so they wouldn’t know I was there. The policeman was talking.

“I’m very sorry to inform you both that your daughter and Mr. Daniels were involved in a car crash this evening. It appears that the driver of the other vehicle, a truck, fell asleep at the wheel. We will know more when our investigation is complete. I am afraid they both died on impact. There was nothing anyone could do.”

I saw Grandma turn to Granddad, and she was crying very loudly. I didn’t feel very well and then I was sick. I wanted to call out for Mummy and Daddy but I knew they were never going to come.