Secrets of the Night

By Rebekah McClew

While Laila found herself blending in with the town, my obsession led me to the McAllister estate. Despite the warnings I was told about the estate my curiosity grew and I became obsessed with the home as well as the inhabitants inside.

In the end it took two idiots to bite me and one to dig me up. I had no idea what was going to happen to me from this point on but I did know there wasn't a choice; it was inevitably going to happen.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Center One Books
• Release date: Jan 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781939985224

Rebekah McClew

Currently published with Center One Books, Rebekah McClew is slowly moving over to self published books. She is an American author.

Book preview

Family Secrets Book One

Secrets of the Night

Rebekah McClew

***~~~***

Secrets of the Night - Center One Books

Kingsley, Michigan - All rights reserved.

Copyright 2010 Rebekah McClew

Smashwords Edition

This book is dedicated to all the voices in my head and of course Brenton, Kalista, and Justin for being insane with me.

Books by

Rebekah McClew

FAMILY SECRETS SERIES:

Secrets of the Night

Obscured Darkness

Phantom Mist

Hailstorm

STAND ALONES:

Mortal

For a complete and up to date list of books by Rebekah McClew please visit her at Center One Books.

Table of Contents

Title

Dedication

Bibliography

Chapter One - The Midnight Madam

Chapter Two - The Picnic

Chapter Three - Overnight

Chapter Four - The Response

Chapter Five - Ultimatum

Chapter Six - Little One

Chapter Seven - Death Sort of Came

Chapter Eight - New Opportunity at Life

Chapter Nine - Nichole's Short Childhood

Chapter Ten - The Hired Man

Chapter Eleven - Uncomfortable Introductions

Chapter Twelve - Just Business

Chapter Thirteen - Party With Anthony

Chapter Fourteen - Room Invaded

Chapter Fifteen - Dealing With Stewart

Chapter Sixteen - The Search For Family

Chapter Seventeen - The Wedding

Chapter Eighteen - Stewart's End

Chapter Nineteen - Her Father and a Surprise

Chapter Twenty - Good Bye For Now

Thank You

License Agreement

The Midnight Madam

Everyone in town had heard of the midnight madam, all have talked about her except only in secrecy, otherwise in the privacy of their own homes. In the small town there were people who either loved or hated her, no one could argue what an impact she had on everyone. Around seventeen hundred the town had been founded by Jamison Leroy McAllister. Having a large family of thirteen children, he and his wife were rather well known. Others had wondered why he had built a town next to a large swamp rather than the nearby lake; some had considered him a bit strange and eccentric.

The midnight madam always followed where he and his family traveled. His wife Julie was one that hated the madam. She had thought they could move away from her. Eventually she would find they would never leave her behind for long. Her draw was too powerful and strong. It would be inevitable that she would join the family once again. Unknown to the family the madam had her own deceptive reasons for sticking so close.

The glorious home that was in the center of town known as the McAllister estate had quite a reputation. Anyone strolling by at night would see a woman all alone dressed completely in black, she would be ducking in and out at all hours of the night. Coming and going from the servant’s quarters. Except no one was ever coming and going with her, she was always alone. The town as small as it was didn’t have very much to it. Much changed once Jamison’s wife died. Some thought she died from child birth, others thought she might have died from small pox or even worse been killed by her own husband. Some even thought she might have committed suicide because of losing one of her children, which brought some to thinking she might not have been able to handle it.

Either way, around the time the family retreated into itself came at the same time that most of the town burned down, both with very poor timing. The fire began very early one morning from a barn, reasons unknown being uncontrollable until it finally burned itself out as it reached the tips of the swamp. The original town had been laid out a bit strange. Most of the store buildings were built on the side of the swamp along with many of the homes from those who first settled there. Many of the newer ones preferred building on the other side between the lake and swamp wanting to view the lake rather than the swamp. All of the homes and stores survived on the side of the swamp, while the winds further blew the fire wilder on the side of the lake destroying everything in its path, wiping out the homes and stores that had been built there. No one really understood how it happened. With solid evidence proving how the fire was started some felt it had been placed there to cover up a more sinister plan. Some even blamed the midnight madam for the fire calling it her revenge on the town for building it there. Something she had made clear she didn’t want.

After his wife’s death, Jamison built a huge iron gate around the home. The celebrations that were once held there were put to an end. The outdoors no longer decorated, leaving the family and the midnight madam being the only ones who were coming and going from the home.

Many believed she still haunted the home. Either way it was safer to stay away from what you did not know or fear of joining the late wife in death. The town had believed far too deeply in superstitions and rumors. The McAllister children had always been privately tutored in their home; no one ever had much of a reason for contact with the father and especially not the children.

Many years later after several families had moved in and out of the town, the estate soon began to be forgotten. Other than an eerie reminder up from the hill which could be seen no matter where you went in the town itself, it almost seemed as though it loomed over everything.

Early one morning Sophie was preparing for the early customers. The only reason her friend agreed to give her a job, besides the obvious fact that he never bothered hiding that he was interested in her, he knew he would be able to see her more often if she were to work with him. Besides this way Sophie would open the store for Sam, he never did like waking up so early in the morning.

Lining up a few products in front of the window as usual looking across the street, I had the view of the old McAllister estate in the distance. I couldn’t make a move past the window without taking a look at the old mansion. It was so huge and stood out so much just from its size alone. The architecture alone took my breath away, a place I could picture myself living in.

As curious as I had been I never seemed to get the information I wanted about the place. From the moment we arrived in a thunderstorm we had moved into our little cottage home. No matter how long we seem to live here or how comfortable others were with our family, no one ever seemed to be comfortable talking about the place. Once I made a few friends they had told me the little they knew.

One of the last parties held at the old estate had been for the McAllister anniversary. The midnight madam had decided to make an appearance even though it had been against Julie’s wishes. Graceful and beautiful she caught the attention of the guests. She had momentarily gone up the stairs with Julie McAllister following behind her. Losing sight of her for a while she finally reappeared on the top of the steps. According to the rumors some say that Julie, out of anger or jealousy pushed who she thought was the madam down the steps killing the woman from the fall. Others say she simply slipped on the step and never regained her hold, calling it an accident. The woman who died had been one of Julie’s best friends. Some even blamed the midnight madam for the death.

The rumors spread like wild fire after that. Only two days later there had been a body unclaimed and unknown lying outside the gate that had bled out. No color and only two odd markings on the neck. Some assumed he was killed and others feared vampires were in the area. Some who called themselves sensible thinkers simply said the person was killed by an animal of some kind. Sadly the body had been found outside the McAllister estate. This is where they started the rumors about the family. Then from these rumors they spun out of control.

Giving into a shiver, I looked away and finished what I had been working on and finally opened the store for the customers. After being opened for a while and very slow this morning Sam had finished his usual routine early.

Looking at Sam I asked, Do you think they’re really in that house anymore? For the past year only one son has been living in town and he’s not even at the estate anymore. He lives not too far from here.

Best not to even think of that old place, rumors alone should scare anyone from even looking at it, I must admit, it had been a magnificent estate and at one time the parties were incredibly impressive not that I was ever at one, however now it’s so depressing and dilapidated I would only fear the worst and assume it’s the same way inside.

Looking away he continued to stock. Sophie, are you planning on going to the town picnic that is just in a couple days? If so it would be an honor for me to escort you.

Yes, I was planning on going, I’m not sure how long we will be there, my sister and her fiancée Gregory are going and I was to going serve as their chaperone, I appreciate the offer though.

With a smile I walked to the back of the store, happy to be able to have a way out of his invite, as nice as he is he could put a moth to sleep. It would just be unbearable.

One customer who had started coming in the day I started working had already entered the store this morning. Instead of picking up a bunch of the supplies he would pick out one or two items and keep coming in everyday at the same time. Personally I had just assumed he was lonely or maybe had nothing else to do. It would make some nervous the way he looked but then it didn’t take much to make Sam nervous.

It was hard seeing who he was, his dark black hair swept across his face just right that it obscured most of his face. Wearing a long black leather coat he was rather tall with a muscular frame, I had to stop myself from examining his shirt from a distance as I noticed the curved muscle under his collar of his coat.

Scarf wrapped tight around his neck and gloves covering every inch of his hands. The only small amount of skin that showed had been near his face. Sam didn’t care to deal with him but then he hated it even more so when I would wait on him. He walked rather slowly; it was hard to tell if he was injured or if it was deliberate. Sam felt it was odd for a person to wear so much clothing in the summer when most were happy not to wear winter clothing.

The only time I had actually heard him speak had been to thank me for picking up an item he had dropped, otherwise when asking if we had an item he had ordered. His voice was so soft spoken it didn’t seem as though it fit the body. Out of the blue one day he had noticed I was looking at the estate. Most ignored me when I looked not wanting to draw attention to it or encourage my curiosity.

What is it about the estate that catches your attention? Are you not familiar with the rumors? At that moment I could have sworn I had seen a bit of a smile from the side of his face. His voice sounded so angelic. Not even thinking about the fact that most will not even talk about the estate, I was excited someone was finally saying something.

I can’t help but imagine how beautiful the place must have looked when it had been taken care of. The rose bush out front must have been magnificent. Too bad it was allowed to wither. I’ve only heard a few rumors but personally I don’t like to base my decisions on those. I just can’t seem to stop looking at the place. Just feels like I should be there. Don’t know why, it’s just a feeling.

Not long after we had that short conversation I had noticed the rose bush by the entrance to the estate had started coming back to life, blooming once again. It did look magnificent bringing color to the old place. Someone was pruning and caring for it. Not that I had ever seen anyone come out and take care of it. At times I had wondered if Sam did it since he heard how much I wished I could have seen how they looked. I knew he had a crush on me and was almost willing to do anything, except thinking about it more I didn’t think it could be him; he was just as superstitious and would never do something like that because it would mean his having to be closer to the estate.

Today the hours flew by and before long I was heading out of the store, Sam was closing tonight. He closed every night. He was happy not to be up so early in the morning and I was happy not to need an escort home late at night. Not that my sister cared for my traveling even during the day hours alone.

Arriving home this afternoon I found a note on my bed. My sister had found a little information about the estate that I had asked her to try and get. No one here wanted to discuss or talk about the rumors that were supposed to scare everyone. My sister and I had moved here with our father after our mother died from small pox, sadly a disease that affected so many families during this time. Soon our father remarried and moved into a home with his new wife just a few miles from our old home. We had not grown up in the town with all the secrets it held. Especially since no one seemed to want to part with any information they knew. On the other hand, as my guess had been that they might have simply forgotten the truth or just did not really know.

My sister apparently went to bed early probably to wake early for the next day. I could see that she had been doodling her name with her soon to be husband’s last name. Then there was a simple one with her name and her own family name of Lawrence. I couldn’t help smiling since I knew how happy Laila had been with Gregory. He seemed like her perfect match. No other woman existed to him and he treated her like a queen.

I absolutely loved mysteries, haunting’s and tales of old towns. Eager to read the note, I tossed my bonnet on the end of the bed and sat in my favorite chair. Folding open the paper it read:

This was all of the information I could retrieve, no one wanted to discuss the home as usual. There were so many rumors so I wasn’t sure if the midnight madam was a daughter or a mistress? Nevertheless, for as long as she has been around she should be really old. Hard to believe she would be alive at this age. Some guessed she would be around the age of 180. Except the math doesn’t add up, no one could be that old. It could be a daughter to the midnight madam or just one of the McAllister children. Perhaps the town has combined a few older ancestors with younger groups of the family since no one really communicates with them. Below is a list of the family members that could be confirmed with birthdates. I do have two listed but some might be from prior family members, certainly interesting that they kept the same names. There have been at least four generations rumored to have lived at the estate. Not sure if it helps at all but here is the list with both dates.

Jamison Leroy McAllister (father) 1690/1460

Julie McAllister (mother) 1695/1465-1501

Dreana (daughter) 1713/1483

Mark (son) 1714/1484

Aidelle (daughter) 1716/1486

Anna & Faith (twin daughters) 1718/1488

Aiden (son) 1720/1490-1500-Deceased

Kurtis & Drezin (twin sons) 1722/1492

Charlie (son) 1724/1494

Lorah (daughter) 1726/1496

Dinah (daughter) 1728/1498

Bethany (daughter) 1730/1500

Evangeline (Daughter) 1731/1501-1501

Looking at the paper I guessed the oldest was about 36 years old and the youngest about 19. I had wondered with so many children why I hadn’t seen any of them. It seems like at some point they would have outgrown their estate. Were they deformed or monstrous? Not only that, but there were huge gaps in the birthdates. No one could assume they were alive for that long. I even wondered if most of them were still around. I knew about Mark but others never showed up and were never talked about.

I had even heard they had their own family cemetery so if one of their family members had passed on, would anyone really have known? This would explain for the discrepancies in the dates as well as for the names. Most towns left keeping track of births and deaths to either the churches or their local cemeteries.

Hoping for more than just names and birthdates, I was hoping there might be something more about the family of who they were. The most I knew had been that I was expected to stay away from the estate that looked so over grown, that it was haunted, and no one sees the ones who live there come out anymore. Not wanting to be given a speech about staying away I kept it quiet that I had walked around the outside of the estate recently, even though it looks like it’s in shambles from the outside, I was still interested in the house. The home was so impressive and breathtaking to look at, how could a person not notice it?

Looking at it as often as I had, even once seeing someone look out the window, although not well enough to see the person, however well enough to know someone was there, the curtains had shut very quickly. Wishing I had known more, I would have to put it off for now. With only an hour left, light would be scarce other than by candle light. Turning down the covers, making sure to take out the heating pot that had been warming my bed sheets and covers, I slipped into the very warm bed, blew out the light and went to sleep.

As morning came I let myself sleep in a little. At least today I didn’t have to work. Taking out brush and paints putting them in a bag and bringing paper, I had let Laila know that I would be at the park for most of the day. She always worried when I was on my own. It was never safe for a lady to be alone except around here so many kept an eye on me that I never felt that I was truly alone.

On my days off I would choose different places to paint. This time I wanted to make another painting of the estate. Riding my horse in, I had tied him up behind the store. The park was close enough to walk to. It was easier leaving the horse here at work that way he didn’t attract attention to me being there alone. Besides it drew less attention to how long I was there.

Walking up to the gazebo where I would normally paint, I had seen the same stranger who would shop in the store on a regular basis. Sam had told me once that the days I did not work he did not come in. He had become a regular customer the very same day I started working there and oddly enough chose to only come in when I was there. Still completely covered with so much clothing, even though it was such a warm sunny day he sat under the gazebo reading a paper he had in front of him.

Hoping I would not bother him I set up at the far end of the gazebo and started to paint. Having only half of the painting finished he started talking to me. Even though most felt uncomfortable around him I just felt he was a very private person, perhaps a little shy and never bothered me once.

I see you’re more than just obsessed about the estate. Remember when we talked about the rose bush? The rose bush has finally filled out. He had made a nod towards the rose bush at the entrance.

I noticed when the roses started coming back. I’m glad whoever is taking care of them is doing a wonderful job, they look beautiful. I like painting the old place, it has so much character. Even though I’m not sure how it looked when it was thriving, I usually paint it the way it looks now or how I think it might have looked. Standing up he walked over and looked the picture over scrutinizing it a bit. Still unable to see his face he never tried to move the hair away from his eyes.

I would have to say it’s rather close. I figured you would be here so I brought something I knew you would like. My family is rather artistic. My sister drew these years ago when the house was still cared for on the outside. Pulling out a piece of paper that had been folded in half in his pocket he handed it to me, careful not to actually touch my hand.

Taking the picture from him I could see my own picture really hadn’t been that far off from the original. It had the gates opened and everything was fresh looking with people either standing around or strolling through the garden. It looked so peaceful that I wondered how people could possibly fear a place like this.

Looking up I wanted to thank him for giving this to me except as I had he was already gone. I never saw him leave or the direction he left in. I had wondered where he lived, if he knew I would be making frequent visits, I would have asked him questions, especially how much his sister knew about the place, he had been the first willing to talk about it at all. It was just odd that I never noticed exactly when he had left. I didn’t think I was that distracted by the estate but then who knows maybe he was right; I was obsessed and not just interested?

Looking back at the bench he had been sitting at I noticed he left a little bag there. Walking over to it figuring I would give it to him when I saw him at the store next. Picking it up I saw my name on the outside of the bag. It was never mine so it was odd that it had my name on it and that he had it. It was strange he knew my full name. Sophia Rose Lawrence. Opening up the bag just to peak in I saw a paper inside with writing. Taking it out I read over the letter.

I heard you are rather unique, that you enjoy mysteries and adventure. Therefore, I have made this little scavenger hunt for you. In addition, each time you find one of the three spots you will find a reward waiting for you. Best of luck, your night time guide.

Interesting way of referring to himself, wonder what he meant by night time guide? Reading over the rest of the letter, he was right I did like an adventure and the clues seemed simple enough. Reading the rest of it, the clues had been written in a poem of sorts, I just had to decipher it.

Making notes to each one, I wrote down what my guesses had been. I had never had anyone give me such an explicit poem before but then I never really looked for the harm in others. In ways I knew I had always been far too trusting but so far thankfully I had never been wrong. The free verse style poem itself seemed a little strange but also rather intriguing. I couldn’t help but get excited when I read each verse. It almost felt as if I was being flirted with very deliberately. However if my sister had known a man wrote a poem this way for me she would have figured it out that he had intended on more than just a treasure hunt.

"I’ve had just enough

Of just watching you from a distance

Losing all my self-control

Its time I’ve asked you out

Even though I might just have to take it to my grave

(Graveyard)

Flaunting yourself in front of me like that

How can you expect me not to react?

Don’t you know what you do?

I’m losing control of my mind

You’re my one vice

You’re my bad luck

You’re the one who’s going to break me down

You’re a criminal master mind

(Jail)

You won’t quit until you control or have mine

I’ve been broken in two

So now it’s time that I ask you

Is it alright if I just breathe?

Soak you in for a minute or two

I can’t quite exhale

I’m fully intoxicated by you

So much for love

When you wield your power over me

I can’t stop desiring you

Be careful I may just have to devour you"

(Restaurant)

Gathering my things and the bag I walked over to the store. Careful not to look like I was in a hurry since Sam was already looking out the window. He must have seen me talk to our regular customer. Odd it hadn’t occurred to me until then that he never once introduced himself but he knew my full name? All the places were public ones so I didn’t have to worry about anything strange from it. Sam would have been upset if he knew what I was about to do. I was more curious what rewards that had been left?

Getting up on my horse I didn’t bother watching the expressions of others when they saw I wasn’t riding side saddle as usual. By now you would think after a year they would be used to seeing me ride this way. Taking off at a controlled speed so that I would attract less attention, I headed off to the public cemetery which was behind the McAllister estate.

Only a few of the graves had flowers lying next to them, other than me no one was in the graveyard. The fog no matter what time of day or for that matter what the weather had been like, it always seemed to occupy the graveyard day and night. Then it also rolled in as far as the forest behind. Most of it had come from the swamp which was always cool or cold.

Walking around I wasn’t really sure what I had been looking for. Walking down the main dirt road down the center I soon came to the very center of the cemetery where the caretaker’s building was located. On the door it had a small black satin sack hanging from it with letters. Hoping I wasn’t looking at something that didn’t belong to me. I first looked around to make sure that no one was looking. From where I was standing I could see the back of the estate. I had seen movement from the second floor window but then wind could have moved it.

My name again was beautifully written on the outside of it. Untying it from the door I opened it up. Inside there had been a small doll with dark brown hair, real human hair. She had been hand stitched with a lace pink dress. There also had been a picture of a mother and a daughter standing in front of the estate. Just the two of them looking at the estate, as I examined the picture I looked at the little girl standing in front of the gate, she had her mother’s hand in one and in her other hand had been what looked like a little doll, just like the one I had