The Moors: Some secrets are better left buried Read Online Free

Margaret’s voice brought Reuben out from behind the curtain. He ran behind Margaret and used her as a protective shield as he stole curious glimpses of the stranger.
    Amanda recognised Margaret. The woman had once taken care of her in a care home called Saint Matthews. At the time, she was going through something of a rebellious stage, only wearing black clothes and eye shadow as she worked through a host of internal issues. She desperately hoped Margaret wouldn’t connect the stroppy, black-haired teenager to the woman she had become.
    ‘I’m so sorry,’ apologised Amanda.
    ‘No-no. It’s alright,’ Margaret assured her. ‘You shouldn’t have been left alone. I didn’t hear you come in, that’s all. Kids, this is Amanda. She’s come to help us look after you. That’ll be nice, won’t it?’
    Margaret’s voice was full of encouragement, but the children seemed uncertain.
    ‘Amanda, this is Reuben and Georgina.’
    Amanda painted on her best smile.
    ‘Both wonderful names!’ she gushed.
    Without warning, Margaret turned her head and yelled out into the corridor.
    ‘Christian? Christian!’ she shouted.
    ‘What?’ asked a pre-occupied voice from an unknown crevice of the house.
    ‘Don’t yell. Get in here! I didn’t raise you to be lazy!’
    Christian’s mother . Amanda noted.
    ‘Ha! He hates it when I say that, doesn’t he?’ Margaret said to the children, who chuckled in delight.
    Indeed, her personality was so infectious that even Amanda’s lips broke into a crescent of a smile.
    Christian emerged in the middle of a complaint as he wiped what looked like oil from his forearm.
    ‘I’m not the one who was…’
    Upon seeing Amanda, his posture became immdediately more authoritative .
    ‘Hi!’ was the greeting he eventually pushed out.
    ‘Hello,’ she replied, accompanied with the kind of smile that very few men would be able to resist.
    ‘This is Amanda,’ chimed Margaret.
    ‘I know who she is, Mother!’ he scoffed.
    As a people-watcher, Amanda always found it amusing that no matter how old a person became, their mannerisms and expressions often reverted back to childhood when talking to a parent.
    ‘If you’re gonna be stroppy you should go to bed earlier,’ teased Margaret, further supporting Amanda’s observation. ‘He’s not too old for a smacked bum, is he?’ Margaret asked the children.
    They both giggled as Margaret guided them towards Christian.
    ‘I need you to keep these two out of trouble while I show Amanda to her room. Think you can manage that?’ she jested.
    ‘Oh! I don’t know,’ responded Christian, who had finally given up resisting his mother’s banter. ‘They’ll probably get bored. I was just going to get some ice-cream.’
    ‘I like ice-cream,’ Georgina informed him in a stroppy tone.
    ‘You do?’ asked Christian as he feigned surprise.
    ‘Yah! That’s not boring!’ insisted Reuben.
    ‘Well in that case, I guess you better come with me!’ he enthused.
    ‘Don’t give them too much or you’ll spoil their appetite,’ said Margaret.
    ‘No he won’t,’ claimed Georgina, rather feebly.
    ‘Oh yeah? We’ll see if you’re as optimistic when I ask you to eat your greens later!’
    ‘What are greens?’ she asked.
    ‘Vegetables,’ Margaret replied.
    Georgina immediately screwed up her face.
    ‘That’s what I thought,’ said Margaret as she rolled her eyes at  Amanda. ‘But if you don’t promise to eat them, no ice-cream!’
    ‘Isn’t that blackmail?’ questioned Georgina.
    ‘Call it what you want!’ said Margaret, unaffected, as she ushered them out of the room.
    ‘It was nice to meet you,’ called Amanda, her eyes locked on Christian, who smiled before leading the children away through the dining room, which also led out into the kitchen. Amanda noticed Reuben whispering something into Georgina’s ear, which made her stare directly back at Amanda. Something about those plain white eyes sent a shiver down her spine.
    ‘Come