My novella – The
Second Wife – is, essentially, a scary ghost story. As its title implies,
the story revolves around the frightening experiences of a newly married second
wife Chrissie, her husband Joe, and his first wife Emily. The first two
sentences of the story tell you what’s in store for Chrissie from that quarter:
‘Emily
Marchant died on Valentine’s Day. If only she’d stayed dead, how different my
life would have been.’
Chrissie’s harrowing tale is not the first time second
wives have had a raw deal; in real life or in fiction. Starting with the
latter, remember this famous first line from Daphne du Maurier’s unforgettable Rebecca? ‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again’. Poor Mrs
DeWinter, scared half to death by the glowering housekeeper, Mrs Danvers, who
uses every type of psychological manipulation to undermine and frighten off the
vulnerable bride. And Max DeWinter, her husband, hardly helps matters as he
battles with his guilt over Rebecca’s death. As for Rebecca herself – well, in
case you haven’t read the book, suffice it to say that she isn’t the saint Mrs
Danvers would have you believe!
Not that second
wives are all as innocent as Mrs DeWinter. Turning to history, we find one of
the most notorious: Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn. Blessed with a quick
mind and a passionate nature, she is said to have ‘bewitched’ the King who was,
at the time, married to Queen Catherine of Aragon. Some say she was a great
beauty with her dark, flashing eyes and gleaming chestnut hair. Others point to
contemporary portraits of her which show her as rather plain. She was certainly
far from the pale, blonde ideal of womanly perfection so highly prized in Tudor
times.
Then there are
the fabled imperfections, such as the ‘wart’ on her neck and the ‘extra’ finger
– both of which she artfully concealed through cleverly designed necklaces and
sleeves.
Having fallen
headlong in love (or more likely – lust - with her), Henry divorced his Queen
and married Anne but then, not three years later, the old rogue found it rather
convenient to accuse her of witchcraft, when she failed to provide him with the
promised son.
These
accusations were usurped by the far greater one of treason. Anne, it was
alleged, had committed adultery with a number of lovers – including her own
brother. She was beheaded – by a French swordsman – on 19th May
1536. Her predecessor, who had been so unceremoniously cast aside, had died
just four months earlier. Anne is said to haunt a number of locations including
Hever Castle and Rochford in Kent where she lived, the Tower of London where
she was beheaded, Windsor Castle and the church of St Peter ad Vincula where
she is buried. Henry gained no real measure of happiness. His next wife died
following childbirth, his fourth marriage was most likely never consummated,
his fifth wife also preferred the company of other men and paid for it with her
life and only Katharine Parr, his sixth wife, seems to have afforded him any
real companionship. By then, he was sick and almost certainly impotent anyway!
(
Finally, ancient
tradition has it that Eve was not Adam’s real first wife. According to a number
of sources, including the Babylonian Talmud and Jewish mythological tradition,
God created Adam and a woman called Lilith to be his equal. She was created,
like him, from the dust of the earth. But Lilith proved headstrong and willful.
She wasn’t going to be Adam’s inferior and obey his orders. Not only that, she
refused to return to the Garden of Eden after mating with the Archangel Sameal.
From then on, she went off to become a she-demon, leading husbands astray from
their wives and killing their children. Over time, Lilith was blamed for
everything from turning wine sour to rendering men impotent and women barren.
All Adam’s
second wife Eve did was eat the wrong type of apple! Of course, there is the
little matter of original sin…
So there we have
it. Being a second wife can be a pretty scary affair – but being the first wife
isn’t all strawberries and cream either.
Here’s what to
expect from The Second Wife:
Emily Marchant died on Valentine’s Day. If only she’d stayed dead…
When Chrissie Marchant first sets eyes on Barton Grove, she feels as if the house doesn’t want her. But it’s her new husband’s home, so now it’s her home as well. Sumptuous and exquisitely appointed, the house is filled with treasures that had belonged to Joe’s first wife, the perfect Emily, whom the villagers still consider the real mistress of Barton Grove.
A stunning photograph of the first Mrs. Marchant hangs in the living room, an unblemished rose in her hand. There’s something unnerving and impossibly alive about that portrait, but it’s not the only piece of Emily still in the house. And as Chrissie’s marriage unravels around her, she learns that Emily never intended for Joe to take a second wife…
The Second Wife is available from:
About the Author
Following a varied career
in sales, advertising and career guidance, Catherine Cavendish is now the
full-time author of a number of paranormal, ghostly and Gothic horror novels,
novellas and short stories. Cat’s novels include the Nemesis of the Gods trilogy -
Wrath of the Ancients, Waking the Ancients and Damned by the Ancients, plus
The Devil’s Serenade, The Pendle
Curse and Saving Grace Devine.
Her novellas, Cold Revenge, Miss Abigail’s Room,, The
Demons of Cambian Street, The Devil Inside Her, and The Second Wife have now been released in new editions by
Crossroad Press.
She lives with her
long-suffering husband, and a black cat who has never forgotten that her
species used to be worshipped in ancient Egypt. She sees no reason why that
practice should not continue. Cat and her family divide their time between
Liverpool and a 260-year-old haunted apartment in North Wales.
You can connect with Cat
here:
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