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    Midnight Caller
    Midnight Caller
    Midnight Caller
    Ebook128 pages2 hours

    Midnight Caller

    By Haley Whitehall

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Re-Release: (Midnight Caller, Haley Whitehall, Liquid Silver Books. This is a re-edited and lengthened version.)

    Life without love is painful, but in the Reconstruction Era South forbidden fruit can be deadly. A fiery romance between a widow and an African-American man has more consequences than either of them imagined.

    Slavery has ended, but racial prejudice remains in Kentucky. Emma Bennett guards a secret that could destroy her life. Until now she never considered the price of her security. Becoming a well-respected member in Louisville had seemed a dream come true, but at what cost?

    Her husband’s death from a carriage accident releases Emma from her loveless, controlling marriage. Now she has a chance to find happiness and raise a family. But before she begins courting again she wants to experience her freedom. At the advice of the leading socialite in town, she takes a black lover to fulfill her sexual needs. His raw masculine power awakens feelings she didn’t know existed. After the first touch, she craves more.

    Frederick works as a roustabout by day and moonlights as a prostitute. He knows better than to fall in love with his white client, but Emma enchants him the first time he calls on her. To keep them both safe, he works hard to put up barriers. Unfortunately, he can’t protect Emma from the slimy Mr. Hawthorne, who wants her as his bride. Frederick vows to keep her safe even if his forbidden love costs him his life.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHaley Whitehall
    Release dateAug 13, 2015
    ISBN9781310780158
    Midnight Caller
    Author

    Haley Whitehall

    Haley was telling stories before she could write. When she was four, she woke her parents up to write down her burning ideas. Growing up on John Wayne movies and the Little House on the Prairie books, she has always loved historical fiction. For ten years Haley developed her writing craft and voice by studying authors such as Avi, Ann Rinaldi, and Mark Twain to name a few. She received her B.A in history through Central Washington University. During all her research, her soul was pulled deeper in the 19th century U.S. Using her words to transport people back in time continues to give her a thrill. Sometimes she wishes she could escape the present and float down the Mississippi River on a raft. But then again, just writing another historical fiction novel is a much safer journey. You can visit her at HaleyWhitehall.com

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      Book preview

      Midnight Caller - Haley Whitehall

      MIDNIGHT CALLER

      Moonlight Romance, Book 1

      (Second Edition)

      By

      HALEY WHITEHALL

      MIDNIGHT CALLER

      Published by Expanding Horizons Press

      Copyright 2013, 2015

      by Haley Whitehall

      Smashwords Edition

      No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, including photocopy, recording or any information retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher. This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entire coincidental.

      Cover Design: Jenny Q

      Editing: Stacy Juba

      Blurb

      Re-Release: (Midnight Caller, Haley Whitehall, Liquid Silver Books. This is a re-edited and lengthened version. It also answers one burning question readers were left with after reading the original story.)

      Life without love is painful, but in the Reconstruction Era South forbidden fruit can be deadly. A fiery romance between a widow and African American man has more consequences than either of them imagined.

      Slavery has ended, but racial prejudice remains in Kentucky. Emma Bennett guards a secret that could destroy her life. Until now she never considered the price of her security. Becoming a well-respected member in Louisville had seemed a dream come true, but at what cost?

      Her husband’s death from a carriage accident releases Emma from her loveless, controlling marriage. Now she has a chance to find happiness and raise a family. But before she begins courting again she wants to experience her freedom. At the advice of the leading socialite in town, she takes a black lover to fulfill her sexual needs. His raw masculine power awakens feelings she didn’t know existed. After the first touch, she craves more.

      Frederick works as a roustabout by day and moonlights as a prostitute. He knows better than to fall in love with his white client, but Emma enchants him the first time he calls on her. To keep them both safe, he works hard to put up barriers. Unfortunately, he can’t protect Emma from the slimy Mr. Hawthorne, who wants her as his bride. Frederick vows to keep her safe even if his forbidden love costs him his life.

      Author’s Note

      This book was inspired by true events I discovered during research although for the purpose of the story I changed the steward into a roustabout. To learn more about black life on the Mississippi please read Black Life on the Mississippi: Slaves, Free Blacks, and the Western Steamboat World by Thomas C. Buchanan.

      Prologue

      February 1865

      Louisville, Kentucky

      EMMA STARED AT her husband’s body laying cold and stiff on the doctor’s table. A white sheet covered all but his face, shielding her from his mortal wounds. It didn’t stop her from imagining his crushed body. A carriage accident. She didn’t ask to know the details. It didn’t matter.

      The doctor settled a gentle hand on her shoulder. I did all I could do, Mrs. Bennett. He was unconscious when they carried him to my office. He didn’t suffer.

      Emma nodded. Was that supposed to comfort her?

      The chill in the room seeped into her bones as cold as the winter air. She shivered and wrapped the shawl tighter around her shoulders. The thick wool coat she wore provided little warmth. The sanitary office emanated an icy energy. She stepped back from the table. This couldn’t be happening. She distanced herself from Hank’s corpse, looking at it not as his wife, but as a casual observer—trying desperately to keep herself together.

      She’d break down. But not here. Not in the doctor’s office.

      Her vision narrowed and her head felt fuzzy. The doctor steered her by the arm and led her to a chair. Sit down before you faint. Would you like a glass of water?

      Emma shook her head. She just wanted this day to end. She was now alone in the world. Again.

      He walked over to his medicine cabinet and handed her a bottle of pills. Take two of these tonight. They will help you sleep.

      Thank you, she said in a hollow voice.

      Is there someone who can stay with you?

      Emma shook her head. Her voice had died with Hank. Hank, who rescued her when she was a mere girl, barely budding. She married him out of appreciation. Once the women of society in Louisville started wagging their tongues, Hank proposed. It was to save his sparkling reputation. It was never love.

      A strange euphoria mixed with the grief in her heart. She was now free. Free and young enough to find a handsome husband and settle down and raise a family.

      Hank never wanted children. Well, not with her anyway. They had consummated their marriage many times, but he always pulled out. It was a strange marriage. He took care of her needs, akin to a business arrangement. Like she was his cook, and he was her banker. She strove to be a good wife, to please him, but it was never enough.

      The problem lie in the fact society forced them together. She’d never dared to ask if he had intentions to court another woman before she came into his life. Deep down she realized he’d resented her for some reason.

      Their happy marriage had been a facade.

      It will be difficult at first, the doctor said. You can continue to take those pills to help you sleep if you need to. I’ve prescribed them to many grief-stricken widows. If you think they are not working and want to try something else, let me know. There is always laudanum.

      I will, thank you. She didn’t want to take laudanum. During the war she’d seen many women get addicted to the pain-numbing substance. She stared at the bottle of pills. What did they contain? It was better not to ask. She needed the medicine tonight.

      Despite her best efforts to hold them back, tears pricked her eyes. Once they started watering it was impossible to make them stop.

      The doctor extended her a handkerchief. You’ll feel better once you let it out, he said, sitting in the chair beside her.

      Emma finally allowed herself to cry. But what the doctor didn’t understand—would never understand—was that her tears were of relief.

      She would follow mourning etiquette, donning black. She owed Hank that much. He was a proper gentleman and would expect nothing less. But even in her state of mourning, it was time for her to start a new life. Now, with a home and money, she had a chance at happiness.

      Chapter 1

      July, 1866

      EMMA SAT IN Mrs. Dimshire’s opulent parlor extremely out of place surrounded by plush green carpet, silk curtains, and a chandelier. The oak table was carved with intricate flower and leaf motifs. Mrs. Dimshire was among the first families of the area, inheriting a fortune from her father.

      Mrs. Dimshire dismissed her maid, carrying in the tea tray herself. Her cornflower blue eyes were sharp, despite the fact she was nearing fifty. Her face certainly didn’t show her age. Emma wished she knew the woman’s secret for stopping the hands of time. Mrs. Dimshire glided across the floor, her back straight. The ease with which she carried herself made Emma jealous. She had to work constantly on her poise.

      Emma shifted in her chair, her lavender skirts rustling. Her three years with Hank failed to ease her tension in social situations. If anything, his scrutiny made her even more self-conscious. Mrs. Dimshire is a nice lady. Granted she’s the leading socialite … but she doesn’t bite.

      Visiting Mrs. Dimshire without Hank made the event a bit daunting. Could it be mere coincidence her invitation to tea had arrived the day after she chose to come out of mourning? What did her hostess have planned?

      Mrs. Dimshire set the tea tray on the table and perched onto her seat. She was a proper woman worthy of a painting, with her sky blue silk dress, waist belted with a swath of navy color to help emphasize her shape. She reached for the silver tea service.

      What is your preference, Mrs. Bennett? Strong or weak?

      Being called Mrs. Bennett increased Emma’s already rapid heartbeat. She breathed through her nose, hoping the constant rise and fall of her chest was not visible. Strong, please. Really strong. Maybe add a little brandy.

      The spicy fragrance of tea and wisps of steam encircled Emma’s teacup. Perhaps the steam would hide her nervousness. She wished the fog could conceal her from Mrs. Dimshire’s probing gaze. She held her breath. Moisture dotted the china surface and Emma’s tanned skin. She was being evaluated—for what

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