LeRoux Manor

by Liz Butcher

  “My goodness, child. You startled me...” The woman lowered her hand from her mouth as she looked Camille up and down.

  “What on earth has happened to you? Is that blood?” She rushed toward Camille. “Oh, you poor thing. Were you attacked too? How did you manage to escape?” She grasped Camille’s shoulders and looked into the girl’s eyes.

  Camille tried to speak, but no sound came out. She tried again, but there was nothing; after everything she could have said, it seemed as if her mind had shut her off from that ability as well, just to keep her safe. Tears wells in her eyes, and her heart pounded against her chest as the reality of what had happened hit her.

  The maid clicked her tongue in sympathy. “You must come with me. The woods aren’t safe. The master was found murdered, and the young mistress is missing. I hate to think what kind of monster could be responsible for this travesty. And on such a jubilant day. You’re lucky I found you when I did. The whole town is out in these woods, trying to find Miss Mena.” The woman held her hands out and helped Camille to her feet. “You can come back to the house with me. I will keep you safe there until you can tell me who you are and we can get you home safely. There are so many new staff members at the manor now that it’s finished. No one will notice another new face....” She paused and turned to Camille. “Please excuse me. The traumatic events of this afternoon seem to have robbed me of my manners. I’m Anne. Anne McNally.”

  Camille opened her mouth and closed it again, her eyes brimming with tears as she pointed to her throat.

  “Oh, you poor lass. A mute! No wonder no one heard you scream. Oh, what you must have endured! Can you write?”

  Camille hesitated before shaking her head. There was no point. Who would believe her? She'd already seen the way her life would play out; she'd already had visions of the past, which were now her memories of the future. All she could do was wait for Mena.

  Anne patted her hand. “For now, I will call you Catherine.”

  EPILOGUE

  T

  HE TOWN OF Woodville is reeling with the news from LeRoux Manor. On Sunday, authorities revealed a body had been found in the Woodville Forest by a group of local teenagers: Grace Harker, Jayne West, Lachlan River, Jonathan Glasser, and Camille LeRoux. The teens had spent the night at the manor, where Miss LeRoux and her parents moved in earlier this month. Her father, Phillipe LeRoux, inherited the family estate after the passing of his uncle, Charles LeRoux, in September of last year.

  Authorities have reason to believe the body belongs to that of Professor Robert Rivers, who went missing back in 1999, though no official comment on the victim’s identity or the nature of his death has been provided to the press. However, there is some speculation as to what he could have been doing in the woods, which have been private property of the LeRoux estate since the early 1800s.

  Less than twenty-four hours later, Phillipe and Allysha LeRoux reported their daughter, Camille, missing after she was thought to have returned to the woods on her own. Concern for the young woman’s safety are heightened by the fact she was thought to be unwell at the time. Despite an extensive search of both the manor and the woods, as of yet, there has been no sign of her.

  There is a sense of history repeating itself for the LeRoux family, as six-year-old Mena LeRoux also vanished without a trace in 1817, while the body of her father and town founder, Caleb LeRoux, was found in the woods.

  The family have declined to speak to us other than to request privacy during this difficult time.

  If you have any information, please contact the Woodville Police...

  Lachlan reached toward his phone in the middle of the dinner table. And shut it off.

  Jonathan, sitting opposite him, leaned back against the booth and sighed.

  “We shouldn’t have left her there. After everything we saw that night, how could we just leave her there?” Lachlan rested his head against clenched fists.

  “I think we were all scared,” Grace said softly, “between what we saw and then finding your uncle... But you’re right. We shouldn’t have left her there. Not when her parents didn’t know what was happening.”

  Amy skated up to their table at and unloaded a tray of shakes and a basket of fries. “On the house, guys,” she said with a sad smile and skated off again before they had the chance to say anything. Jonathan absently grabbed a chip, then dropped it back into the basket.

  “Where do you think she went?” Jayne asked, gazing at her hands clasped in her lap.

  “All I know is she found a map showing a tunnel at the back of her wardrobe. But when I mentioned it to her parents, they told me they had moved the wardrobe and there was no tunnel. So, I have no idea. I just hope... I hope...” Lachlan’s voice broke.

  “She’ll be okay. They’ll find her.” Grace reached across the table to grab his arm.

  Lachlan shook her hand away and looked up at his friends. “You don’t believe that any more than I do.”

  “IT WAS RIGHT HERE, wasn’t it?” Allysha asked, her voice unsteady from crying. “We didn’t imagine it?”

  Phillipe cleared his throat as he looked around the now empty clearing, “We couldn’t have imagined it. The cottage was here. We were here.”

  “Then where is it, Phil? I mean, we walked through the tunnel, just like we did before, so how can it just not be here now? Cottages don’t just vanish into thin air!”

  “We should never have come here. This is all my fault. We should have just stayed in Australia, and none of this would have happened.” Phillipe covered his eyes with his hand as the last of his resolve gave away.

  Allysha turned to her husband and pulled his hand away “This is not your fault. We made the decision to come here together. I just want to know what happened to our daughter.”

  He placed a kiss on this wife’s head, then something in the grass caught his eye.

  “What?”

  He walked around her for a closer look, then bent down and picked up the photo they’d found in the cottage. “Do you still think this is here?” Phillipe asked softly.

  “Look at her eyes,” she replied sadly. “I would know them anywhere.”

  “I don’t understand what the hell’s happening.”

  Allysha didn’t reply as she gazed at the photo.

  “Do you think we’ll ever see her again?”

  A sob overcome her as she tried to form the words. “I hope so.”

  MARGARET MCALLISTER STARED out the window. The night was dark, with only the smallest sliver of a moon in the sky. Yet she could still see the trees at the edge of the grounds. The manor was silent around her, but it also felt lighter—as though a heavy blanket of secrets had been yanked from atop it. She couldn’t recall it ever feeling this way before. It was almost ... peaceful.

  Margaret didn’t jump when the hand grasped her shoulder. She patted it gently and turned to look at her brother. He looked past her briefly, out toward the trees, before glancing back at her. With a slight nod, she followed her brother back into the shadows of the manor.

  THE END

  About the Author

  LIZ BUTCHER RESIDES in Brisbane, Australia, with her husband, daughter, and two cats, Pandora and Zeus. While writing is her passion, her numerous interests include history, astronomy, the paranormal, mythology, reading, art, knitting and music—all of which fuel her imagination. She also loves being out in nature, especially amongst the trees or near the water.

  Liz’s previous works include numerous short stories published in various anthologies and her own short story collection, After Dark. Her first novel, Fates’ Fury, released in 2019.

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizbutcherauthor/ Website: http://lizbutcherauthor.wixsite.com/lizbutcher Twitter: @lunaloveliz

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  Did you love LeRoux Manor? Then you should read Fates' Fury by Liz Butcher!

  The last thing Jonah Sands expected on his thirtieth birthday was to have his life thrust into the hands of a dangerous, red-haired woman—or to be the only person in the world to survive an encounter with her.

  As the death toll skyrockets, Jonah and his two best friends, the siblings Tristan and Ava Carter, find themselves at the epicentre of inexplicable phenomena—a stranded ferry transforms into a barge headed for the Underworld; young girls levitate to whisper ancient riddles; technology across the globe is controlled by some unseen hand. And it all seems to lead back to the woman with red hair. When a stranger finds them in the midst of a thunder storm and offers his otherworldly assistance, Jonah finally unravels the truth about who he really is. And what it means for the rest of humanity.

  Also by Liz Butcher

  After Dark

  Fates' Fury

  LeRoux Manor (Coming Soon)