The Witches of Time: THE WITCHES OF TIME, #1

By Michelle Meah

How could Joshua have turned so cold overrnight.  Malena distraught and fearful for her life and that of her unborn child.  She runs to the forest where she feels safe.   Meeting up with Alarine in the forest, the old witch agrees to help her.  What would happen when the baby was born, Malena did not know.  Almost eighteen years have passed, what magic is possessed in the blood red rosebush, and who is Madeleine?  Meeting Father Time and the old witch, Madeleine seeks the lies that have been told, and the truth she must uncover. 

A novel filled with mystery, intrigue, deception and romance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michelle Meah
• Release date: Oct 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393032588

Book preview

THE WITCHES

OF TIME

MICHELLE MEAH

Copyright © 2012 Michelle Meah

All rights reserved.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

OF MISS MICHELLE MEAH

DEDICATION

To my one and only, Jimmy.  I dedicate this book to you.  If it wasn’t for you I would still be working as a store assistant in a discount retail shop! 

You were the one who put pen and paper in my hand, urged me to sit at my desk to edit, and and edit, and edit some more!

Your insistence, I hope has paid off.  I believe in me and in this book.  You support all my crazy ideas and notions.  For that you have my love and eternal devotion.

AUTHORS MESSAGE

WRITING THIS BOOK GAVE ME FREEDOM, THE CHARACTERS FOR ME, FLOWED EASILY, AND I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE TIME I SPENT WITH THE MAIN CHARACTERS.

FINISHING THE BOOK WAS ALMOST LIKE LOSING TOUCH WITH BEST FRIENDS, THEY HAD ESSENTIALLY BEEN A PART OF MY LIFE FOR THE PAST 6 MONTHS.

MY NAME IS MICHELLE.

AFTER RAISING A FAMILY, AND BLESSED WITH GRANDCHIDREN, MY LIFE WAS SOMEWHAT QUIET, MOVING TO A LITTLE VILLAGE WEST OF BRADFORD GAVE ME SO MUCH INSPIRATION FOR THIS BOOK.  SURROUNDED BY GREEN FIELDS AND LARGE TREES, WILDLIFE AND CATTLE. LISTENING TO THE CHORUS OF THE BIRDS ON AN EVENING, I WAS TRANSPORTED BACK TO A TIME FORGOTTEN.

I DO HOPE WITH ALL MY HEART THAT YOU ENJOY THIS BOOK, AS IT WAS MY PLEASURE TO WRITE IT

.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE................................9

CHAPTER TWO...............................18

CHAPTER THREE.............................22

CHAPTER FOUR..............................29

CHAPTER FIVE...............................32

CHAPTER SIX................................47

CHAPTER SEVEN.............................52

CHAPTER EIGHT.............................59

CHAPTER NINE..............................65

CHAPTER TEN...............................78

CHAPTER ELEVEN...........................89

CHAPTER TWELVE...........................96

CHAPTER THIRTEEN........................100

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.......................109

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.........................119

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.........................124

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN......................134

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN........................139

CHAPTER NINETEEN.......................147

CHAPTER TWENTY..........................153

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.....................156

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.....................168

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE..................177

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR...................184

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.....................188

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX......................198

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN..................202

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT...................205

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE....................210

THANK YOU................................216

CHAPTER ONE

‘I will not be silenced Sir.’Her eyes were bulging, trying to control her breathing, her arms and legs starting to tremble, as he grabbed her by the arm she winced in pain. At that moment she knew he hadn’t loved her, had only used her. She felt betrayed, but she couldn’t bring herself to hate him. He glared at her now, with bulging eyes, gone was all the light, all that remained was darkness. He moved closer to her, she tried to free herself from him but he was too strong and held

‘You will not speak my name, do you hear me.’  She could feel his breath on her neck, he grabbed both her arms and started to shake her to make her understand.  She could feel him stumble as his foot hit the uneven ground, as he did so he lost his footing and slipped.  She fought to rid herself of him, his hard grip loosened to steady himself.  In that instant she knew it was her only chance. She freed herself from him and ran, ran all the way up to the woods waiting for her.  As she ran through the entrance she hoped he hadn’t followed her, breathless she carried on until she came to an opening where the old hut stood.

A place she remembered from her childhood. She would play here for hours until her father would come looking for her, he would not come looking for her now.  She had been gone too long, fighting for breath she sat on the old stone steps that led up to the river. Malena sat for the longest time. Still had on her maids’ uniform.  Malena had been working as a maid at the big house since the fight with her mother and father, now she was alone.

With a child on the way, it all seemed so hopeless for one so young. At just eighteen years of age, she thought she knew best. That she had a handle on her life, how wrong she had been. With a heavy heart she sat for what seemed like forever. 

Her head dropped down to her knees and there she sobbed.  Cried for her mother and father. Cried because she wanted them now, needed them. How could she have ever found him charming, he was a brute of the worst kind.  What would her mother and father say about her predicament.  She wept and wept until there were no more tears to cry.  Just then she heard a noise, a twig breaking, it was Alarine the old witch who lived in the cottage behind her parents home.  Malena rose to her feet to run on but Alarine spoke to her then. 'Don’t go child, let me help you, if I can, whatever it is please let me help you."As Malena turned around, Alarine could see instantly she was with child.  Malena looked down to the growing mound. Glancing up, she looked into Alarines’ kind face.  This woman she had known all her life, a friend of her mother and fathers’, growing up Alarine had been a constant in Malenas’ life.  Malena loved this woman. ‘Are you going to tell them?’Malena waited for a response from the old witch. Alarine cleared her throat as she went to Malena. 'They are very worried about you, I should take you back this instant, and the man who is responsible for this, this person.’ Alarine was finding it difficult to call him something other than what he clearly was. ‘I trust he wants no part of it.’Alarine knew he didn’t. Why else would the child be in the middle of the woods heartbroken and crying if he had wanted her or the unborn child ‘Please, I beg of you, don’t tell them.’Malena paused. ‘Not yet, I will do anything you ask of me, please give me your word.’Her eyes pleading with the old womans’.  Stinging and puffy with all the tears she had shed, feeling drained her head ached but not as much as her heart. Malena felt like someone had squeezed it into tiny little pieces.

Alarine took pity on the young girl she had known since birth.  Malenas’ parents and Alarine had been friends from such a young age. 'I will not share your news, that is for you to tell.’  Malena breathed a sigh of relief.

‘However, I will have to tell them that you are well so they don’t worry so.’ Alarine paused before going on. 

‘I will not tell them where you are, only that I have seen you.’  Malena smiled. They both sat down by the big oak tree  'What shall I do, I have nowhere to go Alarine, this is hopeless.’ Alarine took the girls’ hand in hers.

‘Now hush child, quieten your mind, it will be as it should be.’With these words, Alarine rose from her seating position and held out her hand for Malena. 'Walk with me now, I know of a place, it’s far from fancy mind, it’s been empty for years.  It has bare essentials in it. A cot to lie your pretty head down, a fire and a kitchen.’ Malena looked horrified, she wasn’t used to run down buildings, she wanted to go home, but how could she. 

‘But we can make it a home, at least until we think of what to do next, and you’ll be safe there which is all that matters at this point, agreed.’ 

Malena nodded.  Malena ran to the  old woman then, and threw her arms around her tightly. 

'Thank you so much Alarine.’ 

The old lady almost fell over, the hug came with such force, she held on tightly.  If only Malena would go home, Alarine was sure Jacob and Felicia would understand.  As the hug was broken Malena just stood there, the poor girl looked so unhappy. ‘Now, now child, let us go, for I do not want to be walking back in the dead of night, there are things in this wood that even scare me.’Alarine hurried Malena along the route of the pebbled path. They had walked a good twenty minutes or so when they came to a clearing. To the right was a makeshift path where horses had been ridden by their riders to get to the next village.  To the left there were bramble and hawthorn bushes, the gap made by the children playing adventure games long ago were still evident.  Alarine pointed to the gap, they made their way through the prickly brambles which led onto a dirt path, large faded drooping willow trees grew on either side of the path. 'This is where we need to be, Winnie’s old cottage. Malena couldn’t see any kind of cottage, old or otherwise. All she saw were more trees and hawthorn bushes. They walked a little further and there in the distance she saw a cottage, as they stood outside Malena smiled. 'Oh it is lovely and very well hidden. This will do fine.’

Alarine laughed. 

'Save your praise until you've seen inside, it’s been empty since old Winnie passed away.’ 

As they walked into the yard and onto the wooden pathway, either side of the path were two squares of earth, dried out by the sun. 

‘You could work the land and grow veggies and the like.  you’ll have a few visitors mind.’ 

Alarine smiled. 

Malena stopped dead in her tracks.  Visitors, what kind of visitors, Malena stood there refusing to move another step. 

'NO! Alarine, I can’t have visitors, I can’t stay here, he can’t find me.’ 

Alarine looked at her then, she was worried for Malena. 

Who was this man Malena was clearly frightened of.  Alarine waited. 

'What do you mean he can’t know where you are, who is he Malena?.’ 

Malena threatened to cry again.  Alarine took Malena by the hand and led her inside the cottage. 

‘Come now child it will be fine, you will see, the visitors you'll receive aren’t the human kind, do not worry so.’  Once inside the cottage Alarine busied herself with cleaning the place up, and building a fire in the grate.  She had cleaned the hearth and the stove in the kitchen.  Malena went upstairs, there was a cot for her to sleep in.  She had found spare covers in brown paper, they smelt a little foisty but they would do until tomorrow when she would wash them. Malena went downstairs to find Alarine in the back garden. Alarine was collecting berries and vegetables from the garden, there was a good supply of fruit and vegetables growing. Nature would take care of Malena.  Malena had found a copper pot.  Once cleaned she put clean water in and put it on the stove to make a cup of tea. Alarine brought in some chamomile herbs and liquorice root, of which Malena blended with her hands and put it in the teapot for tea.  They both sat on the two bulky chairs in front of the fire. Alarine brought candles out of a cupbaord and lit them, the room was in disrepair as was the whole cottage, but with a few personal touches they could make it a home for Malena.  Silence enveloped them both. Lost in their thoughts Alarine looked at Malena.  The child she had known had gone and in her place was this sad creature who seemed to have the world on her shoulders.  ‘The cottage used to belong to a friend of mine, Winnie Brown. Lovely lady. Her husband had persished in a fire, she spent most of her time here alone.  They were not gifted with children, but she was happy enough, grew herbs and the like out back.  We used to take them to the villages to sell.’Malena looked up, she was saddened by the tale of

Winnie Brown.Not much for a life spent in solitude.  ‘The poor woman, she must have been so sad and lonely.’  Malena ponderd what it must have been like.  To have loved a man and have him love you back only to have him taken away.'Nonsense child.’Alarine interrupted Malena’s thoughts. ‘Winnie loved it here.’Silence again. ‘She wrote stories for the young folk. She would go into the villages, sit in the town squares and just recite her made up tales.  Flocks of children would sit at her feet enthralled, their faces animated with each word.. They all loved her, and mothers and fathers would pay her for entertaining the children.  One year she took ill, by the time I got here she was too far gone and nothing could be done.’  Alarine sniffed at the memory.  It had been such a long time since Alarine had thought about her friend.  ‘I stayed with her until the end, we buried her at the top of the hill, so she could look down on us and go on telling her tales.’Malena was silent. Alarine boke the the silence once more. 'There is everything you need here, it’s not been cleaned out and I never had the heart to throw Winnies’stuff away.  There are spare blankets in the cupboards at the top of the stairs.’ Malena wasn’t moving but Alarine couldn’t just sit here all day.  She was never one to sit still.

‘I will go cook up a soup for you. I’ve left berries in a basket for you, tomorrow I will bring some supplies so you can bake bread. You will be fine here tonight.’  It was more of a question than a statement. 

Alarine would have been happier taking the young girl to her cottage but to do that they had to go through Jacob and Felicias’ back yard. The girl was as headstrong as her parents so she wasn’t going to win that battle. 'Yes Alarine, I will be fine, oh did you