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Beatrice Beecham's Ship of Shadows Chapter Eleven
CHAPTER ELEVENIn the library, Maud and Agnes were hunched over a large book. Its cover was a battered ring binder, and the pages were a mishmash of handwritten pages, photocopies, and typed sheets. Agnes had pulled the book from a drawer in the nearby desk, and Maud had watched with fascination as her friend carefully transferred the tome to the desk, the cover moving as though the pages were alive. Agnes was barely able to keep the contents secured within the binding.“Giddy goodness, Agnes, that book doesn’t seem to want to come to our aid without a fight,” Maud said.“Happen so,” Agnes chuckled. “Maybe I should split the pages into a few volumes, but it just doesn’t seem right separating them. History belongs in one place.”“So what’s the story in these here pages?’ Maud said as Agnes turned the sheets, the act creating thick crinkling sounds about them.Agnes rubbed at her nose.“I can’t lay any kind of claim to it,” she said. “I put the book together, added to it over time,
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Beatrice Beecham's Ship of Shadows Chapter Twelve
CHAPTER TWELVEThe day ofthe gala started out with the sun bright and brilliant. All day long, sightseers came to look upon the great yacht as it lay moored in the harbour, access to it manned by several burly security staff in high visibility jackets, and a portable access barrier consisting of a long, flat pole—striped in yellow and black—at the end of the jetty.Delivery vans pulled up in the dock and fresh, local produce was loaded onto pallets before being carried via gurney to the vessel’s loading bay.From across the harbour, Primrose, Alison, and Edward watched proceedings.“Please don’t scowl, Edward,” Primrose said. Her tone made sure it was clear this was not a request. “We are trying to blend into the moment.”Edward tried to put his face in neutral and ended up looking as though he had a severe case of wind. “Well, if you wanted people not to notice, maybe you shouldn’t be standing with two kids,” he griped.Primrose nodded. “Subterfuge is an art, Edward. Those
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Beatrice Beecham's Ship of Shadows Chapter Thirteen
CHAPTER THIRTEEN“You really didn’thave to do this, Mrs Beecham,” Claire said on the doorstep. She was clutching a rather large bouquet of flowers that Thomas had thrust at her as soon as the front door opened.“It’s the least we could do for being so generous,” Maureen said. “Though, perhaps you could’ve waited until Claire had stepped in through the door, Thomas.”Beatrice stood looking at Claire from the kitchen. There was no doubt in her mind that the TV presenter was beautiful. She wore a wine red, fitted dress that stopped just above her knees and a cream shawl covered her shoulders which matched the colour of her high-heeled shoes. Around her pale, slim neck was a delicate gold necklace that ended in a teardrop pendant.Claire’s eyes found Beatrice and she gave out a warm smile. “You must be Tom’s sister,” she said. “He’s told me a lot about you.”Beatrice returned the smile. “Well, I guess you’ll have to make up your own mind,” she said, hoping it didn’t come across
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Beatrice Beecham's Ship of Shadows Chapter Fourteen
CHAPTER FOURTEENThe ballroom wasa place of glass mirrors and tall, elegant pillars etched in gold leaf, interspersed with rich redwood and parquet flooring that was so highly polished it appeared slickened with grease. From chandeliers fashioned into images of glass gulls, light poured down upon the guests below. The whole room glittered like a magical prize.The gala was in full swing. There was over thirty celebrity guests, most of which Beatrice did not recognise. She only knew they held some prestige when either Claire or Thomas pointed them out.Despite her earlier reservations, Beatrice found Claire quite personable, she was always making jokes, and found the attention she gained from other celebrities amusing.“They’re looking into my eyes but can only see themselves,” she laughed after an encounter with a muscle-bound man with a high, bronzed forehead, and heavy Geordie accent. The guy had spent several seconds asking her about her latest show, and several minutes ta
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Beatrice Beecham's Ship of Shadows Chapter Fifteen
CHAPTER FIFTEENIn Lucas’ bedroom, Emily was sitting in a big armchair, finishing off her fourth jumbo cookie, eyes transfixed on the nautical map on the screen of her laptop. She chewed thoughtfully as a ship-shaped cursor—indicating The Spirit of the Ocean—blinked lazily on the coastline.Across the room, Elmo and Lucas were sitting on the bed eating pistachio nuts from a bag. The shells were in a bowl, a myriad of tiny, gaping mouths that evidenced just how many had been gorged in the time Beatrice had been on the boat.The two boys were facing Emily so she could lip read them, and also signed when relaying any important information Elmo found on the ship or its owners.So far, Elmo had found out the background of Redfern’s company and a biography of the current owner. One of the things that had caught Elmo’s attention was the mention of the owner’s penchant for maritime antiquities, and his inclination to display these in most of the vessels that his company built.“Got an ide
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Beatrice Beecham's Ship of Shadows Chapter Sixteen
CHAPTER SIXTEENBefore the worldchanged, Lucas was thinking about Beatrice, his face screwed up with concern when Elmo presented his theory about Elizabeth and her quest for some relic on the yacht.Lucas had been battling against waves of love and fear, admiration and tension, when he heard the lone, rolling toll of a bell. At the same time, he felt the sudden pulse in the back pocket of his cargo pants. Puzzled he scanned around for his phone, the vibration in his pocket continuing without apparent end.It didn’t help when he immediately noticed that his phone was where he left it, innocuous and silent on his bedside table. He shuffled forward and snuck his hand into his back pocket, almost letting go of the object as it thrummed against his fingers. Yet this rejection was fleeting, with the contact came a connection and all thoughts of what was going on around him seemed irrelevant as he pulled the token free of his pocket and looked down upon it.The button was glimmering
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Beatrice Beecham's Ship of Shadows Chapter Seventeen
CHAPTER SEVENTEENBeatrice’s eyes neverleft the creatures lurking in the shadows. She took meagre comfort from the contact of Claire’s back against hers, both braced and ready for any pending attack. But the nagging thought that Lucas was lost to her mind’s eye was difficult to push aside.Until the thump, thump, thump of something rolling across the deck brought her back to the here and now.“That’s weird,” Claire said behind her.Beatrice couldn’t think of anything that could top the creatures in the ballroom, but she went with Claire’s assessment.“What was it?”“A girl appeared out of nowhere and landed on the deck,” Claire said.Beatrice thought this met the standard. “Yeah, okay, that’s pretty weird.”She risked taking a peek over Claire’s shoulder. The malformed figure prowled the deck, green eyes glaring, and then to Beatrice’s surprise, Emily jumped up and stood up to face the creature as it lunged.Beatrice moved fast, circumventing Claire, and reached out to g
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Beatrice Beecham's Ship of Shadows Chapter Eighteen
CHAPTER EIGHTEENThe oak tree was huge and from where Lucas stood, its shape reminded him of a piece of broccoli. The great trunk was thick and gnarled, the leaves spreading like a vast canopy of deep jade. This magnificent symbol of nature sat alone in a green field, an azure, cloudless sky as a backdrop. Lucas ambled up the hill. There was no such thing as urgency in a place such as this. His heart maintained the sense of peace he had carried since ...When?He wasn’t sure, and when he thought about it he realised the matter was not important. He stalled and looked back down the hill, his journey marked by the path he’d trampled into the deep, emerald grass.At the bottom of the hill, the fields went on for as far as the eye could see, a writhing mass, making it difficult to focus. For some reason the image of a house with a patched roof and a small boy sitting on a wall came to mind but it drifted away before he could grasp at it.He shook his head, a smile spreadin
Last Updated : 2024-10-29
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Beatrice Beecham's Ship of Shadows Connect with CLP
Hi, readers. It makes our day to know you reached the end of our book. Thank you so much. This is why we do what we do every single day.Whether you found the book good or great, we’d love to hear what you thought. Please take a moment to leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or anywhere else readers visit. Reviews go a long way to helping a book sell, and will help us to continue publishing quality books. You can also share a photo of yourself holding this book with the hashtag #IGotMyCLPBook!Thank you again for taking the time to journey with Crystal Lake Publishing.We are also on . . .WebsiteBe sure to sign up for our newsletter and receive two free eBooksBooksTwitterFacebookPinterestInstagramPatreonYouTubeWe’d love to hear from you.Or check out other Crystal Lake Publishing books for your Dark Fiction, Horror, Suspense, and Thriller needs.With unmatched success since 2012, Crystal Lake Publishing has quickly become one of the world’s leading indie publis
Beatrice Beecham's Ship of Shadows Beatrice Beecham’s Cryptic Crypt
BEATRICE BEECHAM’S CRYPTIC CRYPT©2016 Dave JefferyPROLOGUEUnlocking EvilThe shop has been in existence for over thirty years, its huge plate glass window a lidless eye gazing out upon an ever changing street. The window has watched a country turn into something quite unrecognisable—quite incomprehensible. Where there had once been chaos, there is now order. Where there had once been civilisation, there is now only brutality. This is a country that has lost its soul in a quest to find a heart. This is a country in the cold, unyielding grip of Nazi doctrine: cruelty in the name of order.This is Vienna, Austria, 1941.Vienna is now an extension of Nazi Germany, since its annexation by the German army in 1938. A climate of oppression is symbolised all around the plaza; the quiet streets, citizens exiled by the evening curfew. Huge flags are draped from the third floor window of the Heldenplatz; bent, black crosses encircled in white, and languishing on a field of blood red.Swa
Beatrice Beecham's Ship of Shadows The end?
THE END?Not quite ... Have you tried Beatrice Beecham’s Cryptic Crypt: A Supernatural Adventure/Mystery Novelby Dave Jeffery? We included an excerpt from the book if you keep paging.Or dive into more Tales from the Darkest Depths:Novels:The Mourner’s Cradle: A Widow’s Journeyby Tommy B. SmithHouse of Sighs(with sequel novella) by Aaron DriesBeyond Night by Eric S. Brown and Steven L. ShrewsburyThe Third Twin: A Dark Psychological Thrillerby Darren SpeegleAletheia: A Supernatural Thrillerby J.S. BreukelaarWhere the Dead Go to Dieby Mark Allan Gunnells and Aaron DriesSarah Killian: Serial Killer (For Hire!)by Mark SheldonThe Final Cut by Jasper BarkBlackwater Valby William GormanPretty Little Dead Girls: A Novel of Murder and Whimsy by Mercedes M. YardleyNameless: The Darkness Comes by Mercedes M. YardleyNovellas:A Season in Hellby Kenneth W. CainQuiet Places: A Novella of Cosmic Folk Ho
Beatrice Beecham's Ship of Shadows About the Author
ABOUT THE AUTHORDave Jeffery is author of 12 novels, two collections and numerous short stories. His Necropolis Rising series and yeti adventure Frostbite have both featured on the Amazon #1 bestseller list. His YA work features critically acclaimed Beatrice Beecham series and Finding Jericho, a contemporary mental health novel which has featured on the BBC Health and the Independent Schools Entrance Examination Board’s recommended reading lists. Jeffery is a member of the Society of Authors, British Fantasy Society (where he is a regular book reviewer), and the Horror Writers Association. He is also a registered mental health professional with a BSc (Hons) in Mental Health Studies and a Master’s Degree in Health Studies. Jeffery is married with two children and lives in Worcestershire, UK.
Beatrice Beecham's Ship of Shadows Chapter Twenty-four
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURIn the followingdays, the town of Dorsal Finn did what it did best, it healed. Part of this process involved embracing the nuances that came with living in the town, whilst on another level it meant denying a fair few things too.Some things were hard to deny, the tragedy of the many lives lost on the night The Spirit of the Oceanwas claimed by the sea. The reasons for its loss were compiled by Trevor, the only surviving crew member, and supported by his adamant witnesses, that for reasons unknown, a great explosion occurred in the lower decks, sinking the vessel within minutes.In claiming ignorance, Trevor was able to fudge the detail, and while he was never able to return to the sea as a crewman, he did have more adventures, thanks to his friendship with Claire, and a new TV show called ‘Perils of the Sea’ where he acted as a consultant, and her co-presenter. Before she left town, Claire had made Thomas a promise to return once a year and they woul
Beatrice Beecham's Ship of Shadows Chapter Twenty-three
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREEAgnes wrinkled hernose despite the heavy scarf wrapped around her face.“Just when I thought we couldn’t sink any lower,” she said. Even though her voice was muffled, it bounced around the sewer tunnel, a narrow passageway of red bricks that stretched off into a seemingly infinite gloom.“I dunno,” said Dennis. He was up ahead, a handkerchief tied around his face, which made him look like a cowboy from an old movie. “I’ve drunk in worse places than this.”“You’re aware that fact surprises no one?” Albert said from in front of Dennis. He had his own mask, a heavy towel draped over his head and around his mouth like some flannel balaclava.“Let’s keep goin’,” Maud said from behind Agnes. The hideous wheeze of a gas mask respirator punctuated her words. “I ain’t sure if what’s niffin’ out there can be worse than the smell of rubber in this here headpiece.”Albert rubbed at his face. “Believe me, Maud, what’s out here is worse.”He had used the paraffin la
Beatrice Beecham's Ship of Shadows Chapter Twenty-two
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWOThe fog inthe streets made the drive to the library slow going, the density reflecting the headlamps to such a degree that Albert turned them off and used only sidelights.Sitting forward, he peered through the windscreen.“This isn’t normal,” he muttered.“Damn right,” said Dennis. “Normal is a night in the Salty Sailor drinkin’ pints of Cinder’s Cider until ye can’t tell difference between the landlord and a coat stand.”“How did we ever become friends?” Albert said.Before Dennis could reply, a shadow crossed in front of the car, forcing Albert to stamp on the brakes. Dennis whacked his head off the windscreen and cursed profusely as he rubbed his forehead.“Another piece of drivin’ like that an’ we ain’t goin’ to be friends much long after,” he grumbled.“I almost hit someone,” Albert said. His hands were gripping the wheel, and he’d stalled the engine. “Guess I’d fail if this was my driving test.”“That’s assumin’ ye ever took a test in the first
Beatrice Beecham's Ship of Shadows Chapter Twenty-one
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONEThe man by the fire watched as a despondent Beatrice paced the sitting room. Twice she had appeared as though she intended to stomp out of the house, but the internal battle to go or remain always brought her back into the room where she would loudly air her frustrations.“I have to get out of here,” she said. “Surely I can’t be expected to do nothing?”“If you leave and Lucas finds this place, he will die,” the man said. “You will have to live with the fact that your actions were to blame.”Beatrice stopped pacing. She eyed the man with contempt. “He’s as good as dead now, though, right? I’ll never be with him. He’ll be gone forever.”The man offered her a forlorn smile. “The smallest of things can bring the greatest joys,” he said. “Objects of desire are made so by what we ascribe to them.”He looked down at his coat, and plucked a button from it as though it were a berry from a burgeoning fruit bush.He put it in his palm and held it out to her, and in the
Beatrice Beecham's Ship of Shadows Chapter Twenty
CHAPTER TWENTYFalling, the sensationin her stomach was akin to going over the world’s largest speed bump. Beatrice had no concept of time or place, no affiliation with the laws of normality. There was just the sensation of a hundred butterflies in her belly.No sooner had she cleared the boat when the terrible rage that had consumed her vanished. The distance between her and Emily acted as a fire blanket, smothering the flames and leaving behind serenity, and the sensation of flight. She did not question it; she merely welcomed the innate, pervading peace.As she fell, she began to see a change in the fabric of darkness, as though a distant light was somehow eating into the blackness. She made out shapes below her, structures that seemed both familiar and alien in the same instant. They also appeared to have symmetry, either lined or blocked. As these shapes came into view she found herself looking down on an ancient town, the buildings in ruins, the streets nothing but strip
