[An Excerpt + Paperback Giveaway] Dreaming of Beauty by Kristen White

My entry to the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop

hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer.

Dreaming of Beauty 

by Kristen White

A three hundred year old curse, a timeless legend, a love strong enough to last forever...
Fifteen year old Chloe Duncan finally has her Prince Charming and her life could not be more perfect. But after she meets a mysterious new boy, Logan Salinger, on the first day of school and is attacked by a woman's hand that suddenly appears from the supply cabinet in art class, her story-book romance quickly unravels. Certain that the incident in her art class and the other bizarre things that have happened to her are due to an undiagnosed brain tumor, Chloe struggles with school and her relationships. Over the holiday break, during a much needed vacation, she travels to France with her family and it is there, at Manoir de Kergrech, the enchanting castle by the sea, that she learns about Camille Deveraux who lived at the manor over three hundred years ago. But things are stranger in France then they were back home, and Chloe soon discovers that she was Camille Deveraux, the real Sleeping Beauty. Now she knows the reason for her strange connection to Logan and she hopes that their love can finally break the curse that has plagued her for over three hundred years.

An Excerpt

PART II 

ONE

As the plane touched down on the runway, Chloe felt the built up tension in her body begin to melt away. Nothing could dampen the excitement that had begun to well inside her – not the fresh, raw memories of Christmas Eve, nor the exhaustion from the overnight flight to France. She would enjoy this vacation, even if it killed her.

I’m not going to think of them, I’m not going to think of them, she told herself for the thousandth time since they left home yesterday.

When the fasten seatbelt light went off, she grabbed her carry-on bag and Kyle’s from the overhead compartment, then followed the long line of passengers down the narrow aisle of the plane.

The car that her parents rented for the ride from Lannion Airport to the manor gave new meaning to the word compact. They stuffed their many bags into the hatchback, then left the airport and drove north, heading toward the coast.

After an hour or so, they turned off the highway onto a more rural road. Kyle dozed in the seat beside her, while Chloe gazed at the scenery through the window, occasionally catching a glimpse of the ocean through a break in the trees. The car bumped over ancient cobblestone streets as they drove through quaint villages with medieval and renaissance style buildings.

At ten o’clock, her father made a right turn off the main road and drove through imposing iron gates, past a sign that read Manoir de Kergrec’h. Tall evergreen trees lined the gravel driveway that seemed to go on for miles.

“Well, looks who’s smiling!” Cheryl said, and reached over the back of her seat to ruffle Chloe’s hair.

“Nice to have you back Sweetie,” Phil said. His eyes met hers in the rear view mirror. It looked strange to see him behind the wheel on the wrong side of the car.

When they pulled into the circular driveway, Chloe and her parents let out a gasp. Manoir de Kregrec’h was without a doubt, the most beautiful place she had ever seen.

Just like a fairy tale castle in one of the books she loved to read as a child, the manor rose above the soaring evergreen trees that surrounded it. Ivy clung to the stone façade and turrets that flanked the main part of the structure on two sides. Built in the 17th century, at one time, it had been a fortress and the tower of Kergrec'h used as a strategic maritime post.

With newfound energy, Chloe scrambled out of the car and gazed around in wonder. Sunshine broke through the clouds and it cast a golden light on the morning mist that curled on the lawn. The grounds that surrounded the estate were as breathtaking as the manor itself. A thin layer of snow covered the stone pathways that curved though meticulously manicured gardens. Chloe imagined how beautiful they would be when they were in full bloom.

Cheryl stood next to her and took her hand. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

Speechless, Chloe nodded, and Cheryl squeezed her hand. Together, they walked up elegant stone steps, through an enormous wooden door and entered the manor.

After being out in the bright morning light, it took a moment for Chloe’s eyes to adjust to the indoors. The entrance hall of the manor was now the lobby. In the center of the room, clustered around an antique coffee table, were ornate sofas covered in raspberry striped silk. A neat stack of French magazines and brochures lay on top of the table for the guest to enjoy.

To the right of the lobby stood the parlor, and to the left a formal dining room, with beautiful parquet floors and a massive fireplace which soared to the ceiling.

Chloe craned her neck to look up at the black iron chandelier that hung twenty feet above her head. As she stared at it, her vision swam and the chandelier appeared to sway back and forth. A wave of dizziness came over her and she quickly looked back down. Certain that she was about to pass out, she took a deep breath to try to regain her equilibrium, but her ears began to ring.

“Chloe, are you alright?” Cheryl asked.

“I don’t know.” She collapsed onto the nearest sofa. “I feel so dizzy. I must be tired from the flight.”

“You just sit here and we’ll get us checked in,” Cheryl said, and reached over to place a cool hand on Chloe’s forehead. “I’ll see if they can get you a glass of water. Kyle, stay with your sister until I get back.”

Chloe rested her head on the soft cushion and closed her eyes. I’d better not be getting sick, she thought.

After a minute or two, her parents had them checked in, and they returned with her drink. The icy, cold water felt wonderful on her dry throat.

As her family huddled around her, the concierge came over to show them to their room and he smiled at Chloe as he bent to pick up her bags. She managed a weak smile in response, then she trailed behind her family as they made their way across the lobby. A spiral stone staircase, worn with the footsteps of time, wound up through the tower to the bedrooms on the second floor.

“You’re getting your color back. Feeling better?” Phil asked.

“You’re not gonna puke, are you?” Kyle asked.

Chloe glared at her brother. “No, I’m not going to puke, and yes, I feel much better,” she said, but she had to grip the railing of the staircase to keep herself steady.

Their suite consisted of two bedrooms with an adjoining living area. Chloe had to share the cheery yellow bedroom with her brother, which left her feeling less than thrilled, but after she walked onto their balcony and looked out over gardens and the ocean beyond, any complaints that she had instantly evaporated.

“Mom, Dad, this is amazing,” she said. The panoramic view of the ocean was breathtaking. Though the cliffs dropped off at the end of the property and blocked any view of the beach below, she heard the waves crash into the rock formations that she knew lined the coast.

Back in their room, Cheryl had already started to unpack Kyle’s suitcase and she called out to them on the balcony. “Well, I don’t know about you three, but I didn’t sleep a wink on that flight. Kyle and I are going to lie down for a while.”

“Aw, Mom!” Kyle complained.

“Yeah me too,” Phil said. “The flight and the drive did me in.”

Too wired to think about sleep, Chloe said, “I think I’ll do some exploring.” She took one last look at the ocean, then walked back into the bedroom and closed the balcony door behind her.

Not a sound came from the manor as Chloe made her way down the dimly lit hallway; no hum of the vacuum cleaners from the cleaning staff; no murmurs from the other guests through the doors; no clank of glasses from the dining room; none of the sounds that you would normally associate with a busy hotel. It was so quiet, she had to wonder if she and her family were the only guests.

A faint whisper came through the door on her left, and the sound of it made the fine hairs on the nape of her neck stand up. She turned toward the room, number 8, and listened intently, feeling oppressed by the walls which seemed to close in on her.

Once again, voices whispered to her through the door, but they were so faint, it was impossible to make out any words. As she reached for the doorknob, the sudden urge to run overcame her, and her hand flew away from the doorknob. Feeling as though someone or something was breathing down her neck, she sprinted down the hallway to the top of the staircase.

When she stumbled off the bottom stair into the first floor lobby, she felt silly, but still frazzled enough that she jumped at the sound of her own nervous laughter when it echoed throughout the room. She quickly rubbed the goose bumps on her arms, shook off her case of the spooks, and decided to begin her exploration in the parlor.

Oil paintings and photographs in elaborate, gilded frames lined the deep gold walls. Most of the paintings were of the manor, or of the people that had lived here, some dated as far back as the early seventeenth century. She stopped to admire the antiques that sat atop the gleaming tables.

“Parlez-vous le français?”

Chloe turned to find an older, but still very attractive woman smiling at her. “A little,” she said, and wished that she had paid closer attention in French class.

“Oui, English. Very good.” The woman held out her hand. “I’m Marguerite Benoit, it is lovely to meet you. How do you like Manoir de Kergrec’h?”

“It’s nice to meet you too. I’m Chloe Duncan.” She shook the woman’s bejeweled hand. “The manor is beautiful. Do you live here?”

“Oui. It was built by one of my ancestors in the early sixteen hundreds. Someone from the family has always lived here. My husband and I turned it into an inn a little over thirty years ago.”

“Hmmmmmmm,” Chloe murmured, her eyes darting around the splendid room. Though she felt totally at ease in the large estate, it was difficult to imagine what it would be like to live in a place like this. Her eyes came to rest on a portrait of a beautiful young girl. She sighed and said, “I feel, I don’t know, so at home here.”

Madame Benoit clapped her hands together in delight. “Ah, perfect. That is what we love to hear. Feel free to look around as much as you like. That girl,” she nodded at the portrait Chloe had just admired, “she lived here over three hundred years ago. It is said that many stories have been written about her.”

“Really?” Chloe asked, then walked closer to the painting and stared up at the young girl. “Who was she?”

Madame Benoit came up behind her and looked at the portrait over her shoulder. “Camille Elise Deveraux. She was my great, great, great grandmother, but more greats than that, more than three hundred years worth of greats. It is said that she was the inspiration for the fairy tale, La Belle au Bois Dormant.”

“Excuse me, which fairy tale?” Chloe asked.

“Ah, how you say, Sleeping Beauty? Of course, that is the story that has been passed down in my family, and though some people do not think it is true, we here at the manor believe it. You must agree that it is very romantic, no?”

Chloe felt her skin break out in goose bumps. Sleeping Beauty! How cool was that?

“Mademoiselle, you must pardon me. I have things I need to look after. If you would like to know more about the manor, please find me or ask one of my employees. We are always happy to share our stories with our guests. Please excuse me.”

Chloe nodded, her eyes still glued to the portrait. The girl was beautiful, but her big, brown eyes looked sad. Sleeping Beauty, she thought wonderingly. When she got back to her room later, if her phone worked, she had to send Rachel, Carly and Megan a text about this!

A couple of hours later, the Duncan family finally woke up, but by that time, it was late. Chloe gave them a quick tour of the manor, after which they had a delicious dinner served with the homemade bread for which the manor was famous.

Later, back in their suite, Kyle and Chloe flipped through all five channels on the T.V. French-dubbed Seinfeld reruns were funny to watch for a little while, but it soon got old and Chloe went to take a shower.

Their bedroom was dark when she entered it a half hour later. She had been in her travelling clothes for so long, that it felt great to be clean and dressed in a fresh nightgown.

Kyle snored softly in his bed, his hair sticking up in funny clumps around his head. He seemed so much younger when he slept, and he reminded her of when he was a baby. She gave him a quick peck on the forehead, then crawled into her own bed.

Moonlight streamed through the doors that led to the small balcony and it made black, eerie shadows dance across the floor.

Like a pinball, Chloe’s mind jumped from one thought to the next, and though exhausted, she found herself unable to sleep. Instead, she tossed and turned in the unfamiliar bed. It was only four o’clock in the afternoon back home. What was Evan doing? Was he okay after what had happened on Christmas Eve?

Thinking of that night brought her thoughts to Logan.

She had finally admitted to him that she also felt their strange connection. There was something powerful between them, but before Christmas Eve, she just had a major case of denial.

But who could blame her? The boy she had been madly in love with her entire life finally felt the same way about her. Their summer romance had been picture perfect, then Logan came along and messed everything up.

So, Evan had been her childhood love, but could the feelings she had for him really be called love? Though it was difficult for her to admit, she thought that maybe it had been more of a childhood infatuation. She saw clearly now, since the night of the bonfire, her feelings for him had changed. Or had they changed much earlier than that?

Of course they had, probably on the first day of school. After that day, she never felt quite the same spark as she had in the beginning during those wonderful summer months.

She smiled sadly, as she remembered the summer - the summer she had her first real boyfriend - the boy she had been in love with since she was a little girl.

She supposed that none of this made a bit of difference anyway. Both Logan and Evan hated her now. With a groan, she turned onto her side, and buried her face in the soft down pillow.
“
The balcony railing felt cool under her hand as she peered out into the darkness. Black clouds raced across an enormous full moon, whose reflection glittered on the water below. A light breeze blew her nightgown around her legs, tickling the bare skin on her calves. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Salty air filled her lungs - she tasted it on her lips.

Chloe’s eyes flew open as a frigid breeze blew her hair and nightgown around her. She stood on the balcony, the very same balcony that had been in so many of her dreams. When she first came out here during the day, she had either been too tired to notice, or the daylight had confused her, but now there was no mistaking it. She had been dreaming about this very same balcony for months!

Trying to fight down a panic that threatened to overwhelm her, she fumbled with the doorknob and stumbled back into the room.

Kyle remained sound asleep, and Chloe took a deep breath to quiet her breathing so as not to wake him. After a moment, she tiptoed across the lush Persian carpet and crawled into bed, yanking her legs up under the covers before something reached out from under the bed and pulled her under. A hand with a blue sapphire ring, most likely. Caught in the grip of a serious WTF moment, probably the biggest in her life, she stared at the door that led to the balcony.

Once her shivering subsided, exhaustion claimed her, and though she fought it, she finally drifted back to sleep.

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