Sir Tristan’s Estate: Legends Unleashed, #1

By Heather Beck

Skye, a magazine photographer, is sent to the Sir Tristan Estate to capture the sadness behind the historical landmark. Guided by Tom, an estate worker, she learns about the devastating civil war which tore Tristan’s family apart. However, Skye’s waking nightmares reveal Sir Tristan on a much more personal level...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Diamond Dust Books
• Release date: Oct 13, 2015
• ISBN: 9781516382989

Heather Beck

Heather Beck is a Canadian Author and Screenwriter who began writing professionally at the age of sixteen. Since then she has written eleven well-reviewed books, including the best-selling series, The Horror Diaries, which has sold in six continents. Heather received an Honors Bachelor of Arts degree from university where she specialized in English and studied an array of disciplines. Currently, she is working on the Frostbitten series and has two anthologies slated for publication. As a screenwriter, Heather has multiple television shows and movies in development. Her short films include: Young Eyes, The Rarity, Too Sensible For Love, Circular, and the forthcoming Witch’s Brew. Besides writing, Heather’s greatest passion is the outdoors. She is an award-winning fisherwoman and a regular hiker. Her hobbies include swimming, playing badminton and volunteering with non-profit organizations.

Book preview

Twenty-year-old Skye Huntington gazed out the airplane’s window as it descended towards the ground. Her view of the tree covered hills was obscured by the settling dusk. She turned her eyes towards the brightly lit runway and watched as the neon orange line simultaneously grew closer and lost momentum.

Skye grasped the sides of her chair as the airplane shook. To supersede her nervousness, she thought about the reason for her trip.

She was assigned to capture the sadness behind the Sir Tristan Estate. Honored that the editor of America’s Amazing Architectures Magazine would choose a photographer who had only been working professionally for a year, Skye enthusiastically accepted the assignment. She knew very little about the estate; however, what she did know intrigued her.

The estate was built in the late eighteenth century by the Tristans. It had ten acres of cotton fields, worked by slaves. The decline of the estate was partly due to the loss of the slaves, which occurred before the civil war and President Lincoln’s declaration of human rights. Since Sir Tristan was responsible for freeing the slaves, the government of Virginia honored him by renaming the estate. The government’s decision to do so wasn’t a difficult one. Sir Tristan was, quite literally, a martyr with ambitions to free all the slaves of the South and gain equality for women. Although he achieved many of his goals, they came with a price – his happiness. 

Sir Tristan, an only child, died alone at the estate on October 28, 1860. He was unmarried and left no heirs. After his death, the estate became the property of the government, who turned it into a profitable tourist attraction and bed and breakfast one hundred years later.

That was the extent of Skye’s knowledge of the estate. Perhaps that’s why the editor of America’s Amazing Architectures Magazine had requested the presence of a historical interpreter.

Skye watched as the conveyer belt turned round and round. Her eyes scanned the surplus of luggage until the familiar dark green suitcase appeared. She grabbed the suitcase before it could make its second trip around the belt. Although her eyes were alert, her mind was foggy.

She whistled down a taxi and watched as the driver exited the vehicle to help her put the luggage into the trunk.

Thank you.

My pleasure, the taxi driver, who was a young man of about twenty five years, replied. Where to?

The Sir Tristan Estate, please.

The driver turned to cast Skye a curious glance. Excuse me, miss?

The - Sir - Tristan - Estate, Skye repeated slowly.

"Are you sure you want to go there?"

Of course. Skye was annoyed at the driver’s uncertainty. Is there any reason why I wouldn’t want to go to the estate?

Yes.

Skye looked at the roof of the taxi, as if seeking unknown help. And why is that?

It’s been closed for a week.

Skye’s eyes widened in