A Secret In A Haunted Mansion: Chapter 1

A Secret In a Haunted Mansion
By: Cassie Little

Chapter One: The Big Mistake

Elizabeth looked around the hall and saw absolutely no one that looked even remotely interesting to her. Her Mother had arranged for this stupid ball a couple months ago and sent invitations all over the kingdom. As much as Elizabeth protested, she still had to come. The long red ball gown that itched and stuck to her shoulders was beginning to irritate her. Fifteen Dukes and Princes had already asked her to dance and she refused each time. Each time she slumped down in her chair a little more.
Being a Princess wasn't as easy as some girls might have thought it would have been. I mean, she was being forced to marry! And she was only fourteen!
If only her Father could see the way that she was being treated. He would never approve. But he was gone. Gone forever.
Elizabeth finally rose from her chair at the end of the banquet hall opposite the double doors.
All of the tables and chairs had been removed from the hall just for the occasion. She strode over to a boy that she had seen earlier---one of the only interesting ones in the whole kingdom---and began to speak to him. They had spoken before, but never long.
Elizabeth's mother spotted her and strode over.
"Sweetie, may I speak with you?" she asked putting her hand on Elizabeth's shoulder.
"Okay." said Elizabeth, puzzled.
They walked out of the hall and to a side corridor.
"JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" shouted her Mother, her face turning red.
"I was talking to the only nice guy at this stupid thing."
"You will not talk to that boy! Do you know who that is? His father lost everything when his Mother died! He isn't rich anymore! Do you want to be poor when you get married?"
"I don't even want to get married! I didn't want to go to this stupid ball either, but who forced me to do that?!"
"You must marry so that there is another heir to the throne!"
"I don't care! I want to marry when I'm ready!"
"You must and you will!"
Her Mother rushed back into the hall and beckoned for Elizabeth to come. Elizabeth felt her eyes tearing over and she turned around and ran to her bedroom.
"Come back here!" shouted her Mother, but Elizabeth wasn't listening. As she ran up the stairs to her room, she tore the gown on the banister. She heard footsteps behind her. Knowing that it was her Mother, she kept running. She passed her room. Her Mother knew that she would go there. She ran up to the tower and fell on the floor. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her dress had torn all the way to her knee. She heard footsteps behind her again. Now there was nowhere to go. She had run herself right into a trap.
But the person that she saw come around the corner wasn't her Mother, but the interesting boy that she had been talking to at the ball.
"Are you okay?" he asked genuinely concerned.
"I'm fine." Elizabeth said, wiping the tears from her eyes.
He walked over to her and pulled her up off of the floor.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"It's nothing." said Elizabeth, sniffling.
"Something's wrong. You're not crying for no reason."
"It's just that my Mother wants me to marry soon. The only reason that she's having this stupid ball is so that I'll find a decent husband!"
"My Father thinks that I should marry as well so that we will regain our wealth. I've asked him so may times why he can't marry and leave me alone, but he says it's because he still loves my Mother, even though she's dead."
"I know how you feel. My Mother will not marry because she still loves my Father."
"Maybe we should marry then!" said the boy. It was just a joke, but Elizabeth took it seriously.
"My Mother says that I can't marry you because the sudden drop in your wealth."
The boy looked offended.
"But I don't care what my Mother says."
The boy smiled.
"I don't even know your name."
"It's Cross. My name is Cross."
"That's a nice name."
"Thanks Princess."
"Don't call me that. I can't stand it. My name is Beth."
"Okay. Beth."
They sat down on a bench by a window overlooking the rest of the kingdom. The music from the ball drifted up through the window.
"So. . .What happened to your Dad?" asked Cross, making conversation.
"Someone killed him, but I don't know who. He was on his way to a traders meeting in London. Many people weren't happy with the way that he was running the kingdom. It could have been anyone."
"I'm sorry. My Mother died when I was barely seven years old. It was terrifying."
"That's horrible!" said Elizabeth.
Cross looked out the window and then back at Beth.
"Do you want to dance?" he asked.
"Sure." said Beth.
They stood up and Cross took her hand. He put his other hand on her hip and she put her other hand on his shoulder. They danced back and forth to the music from the ball.
"So Beth. . . did you see anyone interesting at the ball?"
"Not one person."
Cross looked kind of disappointed.
"Except for you. You're the nicest guy in the whole kingdom if you ask me. The rest of these guys only want to marry me because they want to be King one day."
Cross seemed to brighten up a little bit. After the song ended they sat back down on the bench. Cross took her hand in his.
"Beth. . ." he said, looking into her eyes.
"Yeah Cross?" asked Beth.
"Maybe we really should marry. I mean, both our parents want us to marry someone. We both know that we like each other. We may be only fourteen, but we must marry to satisfy our parents."
Beth jerked her hand back.
"No! If we try to satisfy our parents, they're going to do more and more things to make us listen to them!"
"But what's going to happen if we don't do what they want us to do? Are we going to be sent away and never be contacted by our parents ever again? Will we be sent to work in the kitchens at the town mess hall? Or what about you? Will you're Mother be so angry that she disowns you and you aren't the heir to the throne anymore?"
"Well how's she going to feel if she finds out that you're the one that I marry? She hates your entire family and she doesn’t even know anybody in you're family! She thinks that your Father is bankrupt and a complete idiot! Apparently my feelings don't matter to her! No matter how much I like you, she just doesn’t care."
"Then we'll run away together. We'll be together and our parents wouldn't be able to find us because we'll run so far away."
"I can't! No matter how much I can't stand the things that my Mother does to me, she means the world to me! If I ever lost her, I don't know what I would do!"
Beth collapsed onto the floor and began to cry hysterically. Cross sat down beside her and brushed her hair off of her face.
"I don't care what my Father says, and you shouldn't care what your Mother says! She's just trying to control your life! She doesn’t know how to run her life so she's taking it out on you. Beth, I'm here for you if you ever need someone to talk to."
"You can't leave now! I need someone to talk to now!"
"I'm not going anywhere Beth."
Beth wrapped her arms around Cross.
"Thanks Cross."
"Hey. Hey. . . don't cry." he said.
Beth noticed a bit of sadness in his voice, so she let go.
"What's wrong?"
"It's just that my Father is making me go to boarding school in London in two days."
"You can't go!"
"I have to. My Father said that if I don't go to boarding school, he's going to send me to America to live with my Aunt and Uncle. Then I'll have to go to boarding school in America and then I'll never get to see you again."
"You can't go!" Beth repeated.
"I'll write as much as I can and---"
They both heard footsteps. They stood up quickly and watched Beth's Mother come around the corner.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING???" shouted her Mother.
"We were just talking Mother." said Beth.
"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU WERE DOING! I TOLD YOU NOT TO SPEAK TO THIS BOY!"
"I'm sorry Mother---"
"YOU ARE NOT SORRY! GO TO YOUR ROOM RIGHT NOW!"
"But Mother---"
"NOW!"
Beth ran past her Mother and down the stairs. She jerked open her bedroom door and collapsed on the bed in a fit of tears.


The next day was worse than the night before. Beth's Mother wouldn't even speak to her. Beth was happy that she didn't bring up the events of the night before, but she felt lonelier than ever. Usually her Mother said at least one nice thing to her, but it was different that day. Even the butlers and maids ignored her and only spoke when they were needed or were spoken to. The only person that spoke to her was the man that was putting the tables and chairs back into the dining hall. But all he said was that he found a very expensive necklace in a corner of the hall and wanted to know if it belonged to her. After she had roamed around the castle looking for someone to talk to, but found no one, she went back to her room and sat down on the bed. Tomorrow would be the last day that Cross was in the kingdom, and she wasn't going to waste her time like she did today.


When Beth woke up, there was a note on her bed.

Beth,
Please meet me today at town center.
I must meet with you before I leave tomorrow morning.
If I don't speak with you I am sure that I will not live at boarding school.
Besides, I must tell you about something important.
-Cross

She sighed. How was she supposed to get all the way to town center without anyone to take her there? She didn't want to tell anyone either because it would eventually travel back to her Mother. And besides, she was a Princess. The whole kingdom would recognize her if they saw her. She walked over to her wardrobe and looked for the clothes that she had taken from the market place a few months before. They looked like normal peasant clothes, so hopefully it would make it harder for people to recognize her. She wondered how Cross had gotten the note to her. She'd ask when she got to Towns Center. After she dressed she peeked out the door to her room. No one was in the hall, so she stepped out. She walked to the end of the hall and peeked around the corner. A butler was standing there, but he walked through a doorway and Beth rushed down the corridor. She ran down the stairs and looked around the corner again. Surprisingly, there was no one in the large entrance hall, so she ran to the front door and jerked it open. She ran outside and closed the door behind her. She looked around outside, but saw only the gardener. The gardener walked deeper into the gardens and was no longer visible. The castle was oddly empty today. She ran past the front gate and into the town. She did it. The first time that she had ever left the castle without the supervision of a butler or a maid or the cook who occasionally came to the marketplace to buy things to make. She enjoyed looking at the different little shops and the things that they sold there. Her favorite place to go was The Menagerie. There were so many different animals there. They had birds, cats, dogs, and anything else that you could think of. But she didn't have time to go there. Who knew how long Cross had been at Town Center? She rushed there, but didn't see Cross immediately. When she finally spotter him, he was sitting on a bench in front of the fountain that they had built in memory of Beth's great-great-grandfather, who was the King who made peace with the nomads that lived on the outskirts of the towns around Morgan, the town that she lived in. In fact, her great-great-grandmother was one of the nomads. She walked over to Cross and he looked up at her.
"Beth?" he said loudly.
"Shhh!" she said quickly and quietly. "Come with me."
She took his hand and led him to the edge of the town and through the forest to a clearing. They sat down on a fallen log.
"How did you get that note into my room?"
"My uncle delivers milk to the castle. I hid in his carriage and ran to your room. You were asleep, so I wrote the note with the stuff on your desk."
"Oh. When I found it this morning I thought I was going to die. I had no idea how I was going to get to Town Center without being noticed."
Cross laughed. "I knew that you'd figure out some way to get there. "
"Being a Princess is not easy! I wish that I never would have found out that I was a Princess!"
"What do you mean? Haven't you always known that you were a Princess?"
"No. I found out when I was five. I'm not supposed to know until I'm sixteen. Mother and Father made me live at my Aunt and Uncle's house so I wouldn't find out. One night I got hungry, so I went down to the kitchen. But I stopped on the staircase because I heard voices in the kitchen. Angry voices. Then I realized that they were Mother and Father's voices. Father said something about not wanting to lie to me anymore and then Mother said that if I found out that I would abuse my power because I was too young. Then Father said that I wouldn't care if I was a Princess. I was so frightened that I forgot all about my hunger and ran back up the stairs to my room. The next morning at breakfast I asked Mother if I was a Princess. She was furious. She thought that Father had told me even though she had told him not to. When she found out that I had listened in on their conversation---it was the maddest that I had ever seen her. So then, they shipped me off to finishing school for two years. Not that it did much good."
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
"Beth. . ." Cross said. He took Beth's hand and wiped the tear off her cheek. Beth rested her head on his shoulder.
"Cross, I didn't come here today to cry. I came to have fun on your last day in the kingdom."
"You're right. Come on. Let's go do something."
They went to the Menagerie first. The many animals were beautiful and Beth and Cross got to feed the animals in the back because Cross personally knew the owner. After that, they went to the silversmith who was working on something on the anvil. They decided to go to the fortune teller. Even though Cross didn't believe in things like that, Beth eventually talked him into going. When they entered the tiny shop many things were going on at once. There was a different incent burning in every corner, making the room very smoky. There were so many different scents wafting around the room that it was making Beth very sleepy. Sunlight was coming through the window and hit a place on the rug where a warning was sewn into it.

Those who Trespass
shall trespass no more,
for a terrible curse
shall be placed upon thee
that dare to cross the threshold uninvited.
Ye be warned.

There was a curtain in the far left corner. It was hanging from a doorway. There was clearly someone on the other side of this curtain because Beth could hear voices. It sounded like one of the voices was crying. The person that had been crying stepped out from behind the curtain. She saw Cross and Beth and covered her face with her hands and ran out of the shop.
"Next." said a voice on the other side of the curtain. Cross and Beth walked to the curtain and pulled it back. A woman was sitting in a chair facing a large round table. There were black curtains hanging over all the windows and there were candles lighting the whole room. Two chairs were on the other side of the table. Cross and Beth sat down in the chairs.
"Give me your hand, child." said the woman to Beth. Beth timidly offered her left hand. The woman took it. The woman's hands barely visible under the shawl that she was wearing. She traced the lines on the palm of Beth's hand.
"Your love line is. . . well, you will find a new love within the year. Jealousy will be a problem as well. Your life line is. . . . never mind. Boy give me your hand." she said, turning to Cross. Beth was confused. Why didn't the woman tell her about her life line? "Let me see. . . your love line. . . there is also jealousy in your future. But do not fret. It will all work out in time. And your life line. . . just don't go near any large objects very soon." Cross looked confused, but took his hand back anyway.
"What's wrong with my life line?" said Beth, becoming irritated.
"Nothing, child, nothing. You're going to live a long, happy life. Now, go. I have more customers."
"No. There's something wrong. Or you would have told me before. Tell me."
"All right. Fine. But make the boy leave."
Beth looked at Cross.
"Fine." he said. "But I want to know what happens." he whispered in Beth's ear as he went back through the curtain.
"Let me see your hand again child." said the fortune teller. Beth offered her hand. "Your life will be filled with mystery, deceit, treachery, jealousy, danger, and death. But not only that. . . OH MY! Why didn't you tell me that you were the Princess?"
"How did you---"
"Never mind, never mind. You are going to live a half life."
"A half life?"
"It means that you are going to live two lives. You are a Princess, but many people will not know that. They will believe that you are someone else. You will become this person around them. But be careful. They will soon find out about your double lifestyle. Someone dear to you will soon meet despair and destiny. Watch out for the one who shines like the sun and the one who brings darkness like the moon. Your life will end sadly one day soon in Summer under the sweltering sun after being murdered horrendously by someone you trusted. You will be in a strange place. I suggest not traveling too soon."
"How do you know all of this? What does it mean?"
"It's all in your palms. Now go. I have more customers. Next!"
Beth, shocked, walked through the curtain. A man walked through the curtain behind her.
"Mr. Thompson!" she heard the fortune teller say. "Please! Come! Sit down!"
Cross was standing in a far corner of the room, waiting for Beth. He saw the shocked look on her face and rushed over to her.
"What happened?" he asked quickly. Beth silently walked out the door and down the street to the bakery. She sat down in a chair in front of the bakery.
"What happened?" Cross asked again.
"She said that I'm going to deceive people by making them believe that I'm someone else. And that. . . I should watch out for the one who shines like the sun and the one who brings darkness like the moon.' What is that supposed to mean?"
"I don't know. . . Did she say anything else?"
"Yeah. One more thing."
"Well? What was it?"
"She said that on a Summer day not too far away that someone I trusted is going to try and hurt me."
Cross started laughing.
"You don't actually believe that, do you? I mean, can she actually predict the future, or does she just say things like that so you'll keep coming back like that crying girl or that old man, Mr. Thompson?"
"I guess you're right."
"Of course I am. Would you like something to eat, Beth?"
"Well, I am kind of hungry."
They walked into the bakery. Beth was surprised at how different people treated her when they didn't know that she was the Princess. A man in the street told her to go back where she came from and when they entered the bakery a woman sitting at one of the tables looked at her, scowled, and got up and left.
"Ignore her. If she knew who you really were, it would've been different." said Cross.
Only, it wouldn't have been different. With the way that her Mother ran the Kingdom, now that her Father was gone, Beth would've been surprised if she didn't get dirty looks.
"Yeah, maybe." Beth replied.
Cross bought them each a sandwich. They sat outside and watched all the people go by. Once or twice, people looked at them in disgust and then kept walking.
"Beth, I'm glad you came today."
"Me too. But what was it that you wanted to talk to me about that was so important?"
"I knew you'd ask me again."
"Yes. Now spit it out."
"Okay. You see. . . well, the thing is. . . my Father. . . is getting married."
"That's great! Maybe now my Mother won't care if I'm friends with you! She'll think that you're rich again and--"
"No, Beth. Not great. He met her in London. I'm not just going there to go to boarding school. I'm going to my new home."
"What? No!"
"Beth, I have to."
"But what about two days ago? Did the, 'we can't do what our parents want us to do' talk do nothing for you?"
"Yes, but, Father has threatened to send me to America if I do not go with him."
"But my Mother had threatened to send me to America if I do not marry! If your Father could bring this woman back, then maybe we could marry--"
"It's impossible Beth. Father would never give in."
"Then what's the point of even being here today?"
Beth stood up and began walking back to the castle, but it wasn't long before Cross stepped in front of her and barred her way. By now, tears were streaming down her face and her cheeks were red.
"I'll give you a reason for coming today."
"Oh yeah, what's that?"
"This."
Cross took her in his arms and kissed her. After what seemed like forever, the two finally broke apart. Cross brushed Beth's hair back from her face. Beth's tears had disappeared, leaving a smile behind.
"Beth, I lo--"
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!?"
Beth suddenly knew why the castle was so empty. Before her stood her Mother and the and half the maids and butlers from the castle. Today was the day that her Mother was going to the edge of the forest to renew the treaty with the nomads (even though her Mother hated them, but she went anyway for the sake of her precious kingdom). And standing next to her Mother? Cross' Father.
"Dad?" said Cross. "What are you doing here?"
"It just so happens that I was passing by at the same time as the Queen! We stopped to have a conversation about politics when we see our children snogging in the middle of the street!"
"Dad, we weren't snogging--"
"OH YEAH? THEN WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?" said Beth's Mother.
Cross didn't answer.
"ELIZABETH, COME WITH ME, AND IF I EVER SEE YOU WITH THIS BOY AGAIN--"
Mother! You're being ridiculous!"
"OH, AM I???"
Beth's Mother grabbed her by the shoulder and dragged her to the carriage that was waiting by the castle gate. She pushed her inside and climbed in after her. Beth looked out the window and saw Cross struggling with his Father, trying to get to the carriage.
"ELIZABETH HAZEL MARTIN, I'M FURIOUS WITH YOU! YOU DELIBERATELY WENT AGAINST MY WISHES AND SAW THAT BOY! YOU ARE THE PRINCESS AND I WILL NOT HAVE YOU LEAVING THE CASTLE TO GO TO THE TOWN TO SEE A LOWLY MERCHANTS SON! THIS IS GETTING WAY OUT OF HAND AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR DISOBEYING!"
They had reached the castle and Beth's Mother was climbing out of the carriage. Beth was still sitting in the carriage with her mouth wide open and tears running down her face. A man was standing in front of the castle and when Beth's Mother climbed out, he approached the carriage.
"We will talk about this later!" she whispered. "And don't let that man see you dressed in those rags! I don't know what you were thinking, wearing that!"
Beth silently climbed out the other side of the carriage and ran to the castle. She pushed open the large oak doors and ran to her room. She was sobbing by now, and she collapsed on the bed. After a few hours she took off her peasant clothes and put on a dress. She wiped her face and got ready for dinner.

A few hours later, a servant knocked on the door. When Beth called for him to come in, he said that dinner was served. Beth sighed, knowing that she was about to get yelled at. She followed the servant to the dining hall. Her Mother was glaring at her sternly from the opposite side of the long table when she sat down. The man that she had seen when the carriage arrived at the castle was sitting by her Mother. The servants brought out a tray for each of them, then left the dining hall. They ate in silence, occasionally coughing or moving in their chairs. When they were finished eating, Beth's Mother stood up and looked at Beth.
"I have to take the recent events into account. You have disobeyed me twice by talking to that miserable boy. I can not and will not stand for it. So, therefore. . . I am sending you to America to live with people that have agreed to take you in until you learn proper discipline and how to listen to your superiors."
"What? Mother! You can't!"
"I can and I will. This is James Welk. He will be traveling with you across the seas until you reach the States. He will watch you very closely while you are in America."
"Mother! I can't go to the states!"
"Yes you can. There's nothing stopping you. Is there?"
Beth didn't answer. If she would've said that cross was stopping her, her Mother would've said something worse. And besides, Cross was leaving tomorrow. She would never see him again. Never.
"Well, good. Then you can leave first thing in the morning. I have arranged for an escort to take you and Mr. Welk to the docks. You will be traveling to America on a very private boat. There will only be three other passengers on this boat. I don't know who these people are, so you can not reveal your true identity to them. Your things have already been packed. If you have not changed in three months, I am sorry to say that you will not be fetched from the States. I am not going to see you off tomorrow, seeing as I have more important business elsewhere. That is all. You may go back to your room."
Beth stood up from the table and turned around. She walked into the entrance hall, tears streaming down her face. She walked around the castle for a little while. She had never really looked at the castle. Sure she had seen every corner of the castle, but she had never looked at the paintings and the molds and intricate designs of the castle. At some time around midnight, she went back to her room. She sank onto the bed and collapsed in a fit of tears. Now she had no one. No family. No friends. Nothing.