tantewillemijn

It wasn’t a dark and stormy night. The wind wasn’t howling through the trees. None of all the spooky stuff.
There was a bright moon lighting the path though. It was late October, and it had been a lovely day. Bethany had spent most of her day in the garden, getting it ready for winter.
She’d swept the leaves together and put the wood she could use for her fire in the woodshed. She loved the Fall. Especially these crisp, almost summery days. Everything slowed down. Soon it would be Halloween. Summer’s last spat, taking them from the light, into the darkness.
Holidays didn’t mean much to her since she lived alone. For the kids venturing that far out of town, she tried to make a feast of it. Lanterns on the path to the door. A few pumpkins, carving them was on the program for the weekend. The odd broom parked here and there. The spiders generally took care of themselves. And, of course, the best candy. Her mother had always made a big deal out of the night. Costumes, candy, nothing was too much trouble.

Eric had a different day. Last night, after his sister had picked him up from Bethany’s house, she’d given him an earful about his kind host. “She’s trouble, Eric. How could you even…? I mean…”
“Why? She was perfectly nice. What has she done?”
“There are stories. You’d better not take any chances.”
The stories were about rituals, gatherings up at the house. Even people going missing. There was no evidence to sustain it, but people talked. “Clearly it’s haunted. I know someone who dated her, and he told me he always felt watched when he was at her house. And she won’t move out.”
“Why would she, it’s her home?” He remembered the draft, and the lock of hair waving up. These were hysteric times though. People wanted to believe anything supernatural and evil. Even if the place was haunted, he didn’t think it would be malicious. He’d been at places that housed dark energies. The last hotel he’d worked at being one of them. Her house wasn’t anything like it. He had felt most welcome.For his sister’s peace of mind though, he refrained from contradicting. He should count himself lucky that she would pick him up and take him in. There it was again. Luck.

The pathway looked truly gorgeous, Bethany thought to herself. The pumpkins were in place with the lanterns inside to emit their eerie orange light. The brooms were stacked beside the house. A string of lights hung on the fence and near the door. Needing to get her mind off of things and to wear her body out, she’d outdone herself.
She’d not properly slept since she more or less kicked Eric out of the house. He had scared the crap out of her, and nothing good could come of it.
Yet the card he’d given her started showing creases of being held and stared at. The kitchen didn’t feel the same safe place it had always been. Even the draft that had been there seemed to have disappeared as if it held its breath. If the weather had turned, it would have felt appropriate to Bethany, but it hadn’t. A few showers here and there, but no substantial Fall weather to speak of.
It was going to be perfect Halloween weather. Chilly, dry, with a few clouds passing by the moon.
Bethany had made another trip to her sister’s, and Emily had wondered what was wrong with her sister.
“Maybe I should sell the house after all.”

Happily, Bethany watched him drive off into the night, ran back to her house, and slammed the door shut behind her. “Guys, let’s not mess this up, okay?” She said to the house at large.
Seeing him stand at her door had startled her. It had also told her she could avoid fate all she wanted, but it was always going to catch up with her. Singing along to the radio she packed up the candy for distributing the next day. Three baskets at the ready. She could refill in between, she hoped. She expected a big turn out the next night.
When she finally crawled into bed, she didn’t get more than a few minutes to dwell on her new found happiness. She fell asleep almost immediately.
Dreams were plentiful. Bethany’s dreams were never sedated. Nightmares were a usual occurrence for her, especially if she’d been amongst people. Although there were a few messy dreams, most were pretty good.

L'Heure Bleue (aka Present Day)

Abigail Ingram reluctantly ran the mansion her parents left her. She simply couldn't sell it when it was the only home her brother knew and could come home to. These days the estate was used as a wedding venue or other events. Although she loved seeing all those dressed up people pass by, she tried to keep as far away from it herself as she could.

Inappropriate (aka Back Then)

Again Lord Iain Dashwood found himself having to fire a valet for stealing. Good staff was just so hard to get these days. As a single man of large fortune, he needed a household staff he could blindly rely on. Especially if it came to someone who spent so much time so close to him.
He had not expected to find a replacement so soon. And even less, that he found it in the person of the widow Jane Eliott. Fired by Lord Dashwood's sister for not putting up with her violent temper.

Jane Eliott had never been scared of hard work. Raised close to her four brothers, she'd learned to fight, to hunt, and to take care of herself. Despite her low position in life, she'd counted herself blessed to have been able to marry for love.
After the love of her life had passed away, she was dead set on making her own way in life. Despite her tough nature, that proved a lot less simple than she'd hoped for.