A Raven's Calling: Ghosts from the fortress of Louisbourg

By Ginette Therrien

This story begins in the small village of Louisbourg, Nova-Scotia and finds its way to the village of Perce, Quebec, where Celine brings the truth to light.

We have a man, Tomas, found dead, washed up on a lonely beach and a woman, Celine, who comes from afar to begin a new life miles away in the historical village of Louisbourg. What do these two lives have in common? When Celine leaves her life of over fifty years in Ontario, to start a new chapter for herself she finds the truth about Tomas and how and why he was found, dead, on a beach many miles away from Louisbourg where he worked as a night watchman at the fortress of Louisbourg. Celine, his replacement, finishes what Tomas had begun until his mysterious death. Now the truth is in the hands of two countries. What will come from this new truth? Will history be rewritten? Was a life given up for love or truth?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Apr 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9781398490475

Ginette Therrien

Ginette is a French-Canadian woman who lives in a small coastal town in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, with her cock-a-poo, Bijou. This is Ginette’s third book, in which she shares her passion for words that can easily touch your heart. She believes that words come easily from the heart when you live so close to paradise.

Book preview

About the Author

Ginette is a French-Canadian woman who is past middle age by a few years but very young at heart. She sees beauty all around her with a love of animals which surpasses her tolerance of people at most times. Ginette lives along the rugged Atlantic coast in a small Acadian village in Nova-Scotia. She is also the author of the book, Three Titles: A Trifecta of Novellas.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my totally black cockapoo, Bijou, whose sincere love has melted many hearts including mine.

Copyright Information ©

Ginette Therrien 2023

The right of Ginette Therrien to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398490451 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398490475 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Prologue

Tomas (Tom) was always a bit of a loner, a nice and gentle man with a quiet kindness. Since his wife of 16 years committed suicide, Tom had become more distant and aloof. It was a shock to all when Tom’s dead body washed up on Point Michaud beach, miles away from his home in Louisbourg. He was dressed in 18-century clothing, which had been taken from the costume department at the Fortress of Louisbourg, where he worked as a night watchman. Many questioned the timing and reasons for his demise and contemplated the mystery: What was he clutching in his waterlogged fist, and where did it come from?

The mysteries begin to unravel soon after an anti-social nighthawk named Celine takes over Tom’s position as night watchman. She finds Tom’s diaries which explain his peculiar behaviours during the last months of his life, which as it turned out, were the best weeks of his heart.

Who was Tomas Kennard? To his family, he was an example of responsibility, loyalty, and honesty, and to his friends, he was simply Tom, steady and dependable, a respected man. Tom became an adult at a very young age. The oldest of 11 children, Tom helped his mother raise his siblings which resulted in him possessing a maturity beyond his years. Out of the love and respect he held for his grandfather, whose namesake he bore, he learned, by observation, the qualities that shaped his core. Absorbing the old-fashioned values of honesty, hard work and respect, which were exercised in front of his eyes, Tom learned how to direct his own path and stand tall and strong amidst the trials and harshness of the world.

Tom had a difficult time taking on the responsibilities of a man, imposed on him at the young age of ten, watching his father drink away his health and livelihood. Still, a son loves his dad even though respect was a struggle. They lived on the dark side of town, or the other side of the tracks as they often referred to it. Families in Old Town were not accepted much by the villagers. There was a distinct line drawn between the two communities and many prejudices existed on both sides. Tears and trauma scarred Tom when the government expropriated all the families from his beloved Old Town in the name of historical significance and preservation. His family, friends, and neighbours were all uprooted and dispersed by this forced displacement to try and rebuild their lives and homes among the unwelcoming glares of strangers.

Tom could only stand by and watch the man he loved, his grandfather, sob at the loss of his farm, his precious home. This also played a role in Tom’s development. He felt he had more to prove and carried an invisible chip on his shoulder, put there by the injustice of a heartless and faceless government. Something broke inside Tom during that time, but despite his wounds, he was a caring and compassionate man.

He was a hard worker and was driven to achieve. Success, in his own eyes, would mean the defeat of those who made his life difficult. He taught himself the skills of woodworking, with the ultimate goal of joining the Carpenters Union and becoming a master carpenter.

In the beginning, many menial jobs served to put food on the table and pay the bills for Tom’s new family. He was a dad by the age of 17, holding down two jobs to make ends meet. He didn’t seem to mind, because now he was raising his own children and with the experience of helping rear his siblings, he was going to be the best dad he could.

Tom became the carpenter he set out to be. The detail and pride put into his work eventually earned him the reputation of Master Carpenter. He was a sensation before long. His life was coming together beautifully until his wife was diagnosed with paranoid-schizophrenia. Tom worked long hours at his job and took care of his children and wife when at home. It was a challenge and a fulltime endeavour. The spark left his eyes, but he never lost his determination, not until his wife took her life. He felt the loss, not only for himself but also for his two children, Diane, and John.

After the kids were grown up and living on their own, Tom retreated inside himself even deeper. He kept busy at his trade and went for long walks in the woods. Even though his name was respected in the workplace, he was still very much alone in his personal life. When Tom was not at work or in the bush, he was off somewhere within the solace of his solitude, like always. That’s why, years later, when he was offered employment as night watchman at the fortress, he accepted. The position suited him perfectly. He loved the fortress and it brought him back to Old Town where his heart first felt the beats of life. He was home again, at least in his memories.

So, what happened to Tom and why was his body washed on Point Michaud beach, miles away from his home in Louisbourg? The mysteries reveal themselves shortly after Celine Corriveau, a single woman from Ontario and very much a loner, replaces Tom as night watch person at the fortress of Louisbourg. What she finds, soon after she’s there, are Tom’s last written words which will rewrite parts of history for two countries an ocean apart.

Chapter 1

Before I take you with me on this discovery, I will introduce myself; my name is Celine Corriveau and I have an important story to tell which proves that love transcends obstacles, and neither the present nor the past can silence it. A story which will give a voice to the spirits of the past and their quest to bring forth truths which will rewrite history without interfering with it. A story you will have trouble believing but your heart will know it’s true.

My first night at the Fortress was uneventful. I had been hired by Parks National, to fill the position that Tom held, until they found him washed up on a beach miles from Louisbourg. I jumped at the chance to work at the fortress of Louisbourg when the job was offered to me after I had put in for a transfer to the Maritimes. I fell in love with that place ten years prior while on vacation. We weren’t even planning on going to Louisbourg but ended up there by necessity, or was it fate? Thank God we did. It truly is the Jewel in the Crown of Parks National. A place so magically inviting, walking you through history, breathing in an atmosphere of the 18th century like no other. It’s a magical place for your mind, your heart, and your imagination.

I left a life of 50 years behind to start afresh in Nova-Scotia in the hopes of finding a new solitude and freedom from my own personal demons. This new job offered me both. A new start with no familiar faces.

I had accepted the night-watch position, which had become available, after they found the previous watchman’s body washed up on a public beach. His demise remains a mystery and has baffled many. I saw this as an opportunity to find myself and lose others.

The man who was to show me the ropes, so to speak, was Sam MacDonald, who spent my first night shift with me explaining my responsibilities and how to perform them properly. He and Tom were the only two full time watchmen since they had downsized the staff two years ago. After one night’s training, I was to be on my own, though Human Resource did give me a fist-full of literature to read and some even to memorise. I had to laugh when Sam referred to the book titled ‘Unforgettable Louisbourg’, as Parks’ bible. It is huge!

I said to myself, What a cushy job! I’m being paid to enjoy my own company during my favourite time of day. Night! Certainly, a blessing from God!

The nights went by so fast that I couldn’t believe I had been the night watchman for over a month already. My shifts were spent reading and listening to my music on my MP3. I had finished reading all the information I could on the history and operations of the fortress and Parks National, and was now reading books from my personal library, which I had promised myself to read years ago. It felt good catching up on my reading and slowing my life to a crawl. I even started meditation and yoga as a new way to take better care of myself. The only interruptions to my personal entertainment were my walk-about on the grounds to make sure all was locked and secured. Some evenings, I walked around the grounds just for the ambiance and exercise when the weather permitted. It got windy and cold this time of year. Most evenings I had to wear my boot grips to be safe on the ice. Even though I couldn’t imagine a more fitting job to my anti-social character.

Sam would arrive to relieve me just a few minutes before his workday started. He didn’t believe in giving Parks a minute more than he had to. There was a time when he loved his job and respected his employer, but those days were gone for good. He had shared a few stories of discontent with me the first night I had started this new position. He definitely held no love for management. I could see that he had been disillusioned and hurt by the parade of new bosses over the past five years. He said that the better days were all behind him and he was putting in his time until his retirement; ‘Freedom 64’ he called it.

Chapter 2

It was the first Tuesday of April. I had been there three months and this particular night, the moon was brighter than I had ever noticed and full, blood red, and shadowed by the most beautiful cloud pattern I had ever seen. I couldn’t take my eyes off the happenings in the sky, not until I