VROLOK by Nolene-Patricia Dougan Read Free Book Online Page A

listening.
    “Alexei once told me never to tell you how beautiful you were, but I am telling you now!” Nicolae held Isabella in front of him and stared into her eyes and continued, “You are beautiful Isabella. I could never look at anyone else or think of marrying anyone else.” Nicolae took Isabella’s face in his hands and kissed her tenderly.
    “Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Isabella asked. She was completely relieved and overjoyed by this revelation.
    “I always assumed you knew. I’m flattered really that you were jealous of Natasha. But she could never compare to you.”
    Natasha then made them aware that she had arrived. Isabella looked superciliously at her sister and started to speak to her in a disdainful tone: “Wonderful news, Natasha…Nicolae and I are going to be married.”
    Nicolae would usually object to this sort of behaviour from Isabella, but today he would let her have her little moment.
    “I am happy for you,” Natasha said, her face twisted in a sneer.
    “I can see you are,” Isabella responded with irony.
    “I think it’s time for my lesson,” Natasha said.
    “Alexei’s not here,” Isabella answered.
    “You usually teach me, anyway.”
    “I’ll leave you to it,” said Nicolae as he left the room. Natasha went over to get a book. Isabella just watched her sister. Isabella was enjoying her little triumph. She never got the better of her sister and she was revelling in this moment. Natasha looked up at her.
    “What are you smiling at?” Natasha asked her sister. “You’re enjoying this.”
    “Enjoying what?” asked Isabella calmly. Natasha put the book back on the shelf and went over to sit beside the fire. She lifted a poker and started stabbing at the hot embers.
    “So, Nicolae does not think I am as beautiful as you.”
    “I think his words were that you could not be compared to me.”
    “My parents think I am just as attractive as you are.”
    “Have they ever said that to you? Have they ever looked at you and said you are just a beautiful as I am?” Isabella asked. She turned around and sat down. “I would not worry about it, Natasha. I am sure your graciousness, charm and wit will see you through. I am sure you will find quite a…decent husband.”
    Natasha did not know what graciousness meant but she knew her sister was insulting her and at this final remark. Natasha took the now red-hot poker and leaped towards Isabella with it.
    “I wonder how attractive Nicolae will think you are with a scar across your beautiful face!” Natasha shouted.
    Isabella was not expecting this sudden outburst, but she managed to spring up out of the way so that the poker only hit her shoulder. At first she felt no pain, but as the poker struck her skin a maddening rage swept over her. This rage had built up in Isabella over the years. Natasha had continually tormented Isabella by rubbing her father’s affections towards her in Isabella’s face; every gift Natasha had received from their father she would parade in front of Isabella. Now, just because of Nicolae’s rejection, Natasha wanted to disfigure her sister for life. The hatred that Isabella had suppressed for seventeen years, since Natasha had been born, finally welled up into a raging fury.
    Isabella snatched the poker from her sister’s hand and was about to strike her back with it when she suddenly stopped, not because she had regained her senses but because Nicolae had put his arms around her waist and pulled her back. Isabella was now wrestling, trying to loosen herself from Nicolae’s strong grip.
    “Go home and don’t ever come back!” Nicolae shouted at Natasha. Natasha just sat there staring at her sister, afraid to move. “Get out of here or I will set her loose on you.”
    With this, Natasha ran for her life. Isabella struggled to get free but she soon realised that Nicolae would not let her go until she had calmed down. The pain from Isabella’s wound started to reach her. Nicolae loosened