The Fall of the House of Usher – Clandestine Style
What made me think that Edgar Allen Poe was a
romance writer? Well, nothing really. As a matter of fact, when I was searching
for a classic horror story to pair with Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Published back
in May) I had considered and discarded almost immediately the idea of using any
of Poe’s stories. After searching around however, there wasn’t really anything
that hadn’t already been done by other Totally Bound authors, or there was
absolutely no way of making it into a romance.
What brought me back to Poe was The Fall of
the House of Usher. It’s always been one of my favorites, but it seemed to be
impossible to reconcile with Madeline and her brother dying horribly, as well
as Madeline only being in the entire story at all for no more than a dozen or
so sentences. But when I re-read it, my thoughts went to a couple of different
‘what-if’s’, and I came up with a story line that turned doom and gloom into a
happily-ever-after.
To give you a little hint as to how I morphed
the story without changing any of Poe’s original words (part of the Clandestine
Classic rules), I’m including the following excerpt from when Edward –
Roderick’s boyhood chum – is finally able to locate the mysterious Lady
Madeline Usher and sneak into her room late at night.
Gloom,
dread and fear possess the House of Usher and its inhabitants. But Edward sees
nothing but light and love in the fair Madeline. Can he save her from the
deadly illness that has plagued the Usher family for centuries—before it is too
late?
Invited
to the gloomy, decaying House of Usher by a boyhood chum, Edward is perplexed
by his friend’s mysterious affliction. Roderick tells him that it is a curse on
his family, and that all of the Ushers must eventually succumb. Upon briefly
viewing Roderick’s sister—the lovely Madeline—Edward determines to save both
her and Roderick from their awful fate.
But
there are strange twists and turns that Edward encounters in his quest to
discover the truth of the puzzling illness. Is the valet Henry up to no good?
Does the house itself hold some unnatural sway over its residents? Or is there
an even more sinister explanation? When Edward finally chances to meet the Lady
Madeline secretly, he has no doubt that only his love and resolve can save her.
One
night, it appears that he hasn’t acted soon enough. Is there still hope that he
can rescue sweet Madeline from the clutches of the evil House of Usher?
Excerpt from The Fall of the House of Usher
By Edgar Allen Poe &
Morticia Knight
She lowered her head and placed a hand to
her cheek as if there were a blush there.
“Please forgive me for being so open in my
words to you, Edward. I am just so lonely, and without any companionship
anymore.”
I longed to reach out and caress her hand
in reassurance, but was sure she would think me nothing but a cad, so I
restrained myself.
“Dearest lady, Madeline, I swear to you
that anything you say to me will be held in the strictest confidence, and that
I am not at all offended by your speaking plainly. Do not take insult at what I
am about to say, as I hold your brother in the highest regard, but his apparent
imprisonment of you here seems rather cruel. Why do you suppose Roderick
forbade you from being courted by this young man?”
I did not want to admit it to myself at
that time, but I had become a little miffed at the thought of another man
wooing her.
“He told me that it was for the good of
everyone. That I should not get Gregory’s hopes up, as it was obvious that I
suffered from the same family malady as Roderick did, and that there could
never be a match. Oddly, that was right about the time I began to experience my
first symptoms, but still, I believe it had to do with something else that
happened. With Gregory.”
She paused, and looked away from me,
towards the door. I had the feeling that she was fearful that we were being
listened in on, or that she might be afraid to tell me the rest of her story.
“Please, Madeline, let me be here for you
as a companion. Let me try to make up for all the loneliness you have been
through these last several months.”
She turned back and gave me a feeble smile.
“I suppose if I am to meet my end soon, as
Roderick says, then what’s the harm?”
My gut clenched at the thought of the
exquisite creature before me being lost to the work of the gravedigger, and I
shook my head vehemently.
“I will say now, Madeline, that I refuse to
believe that your passing is imminent. I will do all I can to help you in that
regard.”
She nodded, but looked doubtful.
“Dear, kind Edward. Now I know why my
brother was so anxious to see you again. He too has been lonely. But never
mind, I have accepted my fate, as he has too.”
I found myself sorry that I had broached
the subject of helping her in her illness. It was obvious that she had consigned
herself to hopelessness the same way her brother had. I believed my best course
was to first present myself to her as a friend, then lead her into the subject
of her physical welfare.
“So you said that you believed something
else drove your suitor away?”
“Ah yes. I will blush as I say this, but I
imagine that you will not be able to tell in the dim light. I assure you that
it will be so, for I would not want to drive you from my company, lest you
think I am a wanton girl.”
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat,
suddenly concerned that perhaps I should not hear what she wanted to share. I
was aware of my own barely controlled excitement being near her, and the
thought of another man being intimate with her would surely only make me angry.
Not at her—I was not holding her in judgement in any way. I knew she had to be
at least five and twenty years of age, like myself, as Roderick had described
his sister as being his twin when we were at school. She must have surely had
some experience with a man, even if it were only gropes and kisses. A lady of
her standing should have had many suitors from the first time she came out.
“Please be assured, Madeline, that I will
not question anything you tell me.”
“That is very generous of you, but I still
say this with some embarrassment.” She wrung her hands, clearly in a nervous
state. “I was in the garden with Gregory, and we were kissing. It was the type
of kissing that some of my fellow debutantes described to me when I was
presented at my first season, when I was so young and full of so many dreams.
He had pushed his tongue into my mouth, and I was so caught up in the new
sensation I was not even aware of him sliding his hand down to cup my breast.
But then he skimmed his thumb lightly over my nipple, and it hardened. I was so
shocked at the thrill it gave me that I lost all sense of propriety and allowed
him to continue.
“It was then that I heard Roderick yell for
me from the terrace, and even though we were seated on a bench behind one of
the hedges, I was terrified we had been found out. Even Gregory seemed
flustered, as he let go of me so quickly I almost toppled over the seat. He
stood up, straightened his jacket and breeches, and without even offering me
his hand, strode hurriedly away. I regained my composure, and headed inside
after him, but the look on Roderick’s face had me scared. It was immediately
after that I noticed my first symptoms, and was confined to my quarters due to
my illness.”
I was struck with a series of conflicting
emotions. The prevalent one was jealousy. However uncalled for the feeling was,
it still existed. I had no claim to this woman, and I had no knowledge of this
Gregory, but it mattered not. Then there was anger at how callously her suitor
had pushed her away. Did he still call for her? Did she still pine for him?
Finally, as much as it embarrasses me to confess, there was excitement from her
story. I had pictured every second of the embrace, only it had been my tongue
exploring the inside of her sweet mouth, my hand on her breast, awakening her
desire.
****
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About Morticia Knight
Erotic Romance author Morticia Knight enjoys a good saucy tale, whether it
is contemporary, paranormal, historical, ménage, M/M or BDSM - she loves it
all! One of her passions is bringing people's fantasies to life on the page,
because life is too short for even one boring moment. Her stories are volcanic
in heat, deep in emotion, and sprinkled with doses of humor.
When not indulging in her passion for books, she loves the outdoors, film
and music. Once upon a time she was the singer in an indie rock band that
toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She currently resides
on the northern coast of Oregon, where the constant rain and fog remind her of
visits to her family in England and Scotland when she was a child.
For 2014, Morticia has additional installments in the historical M/M romance
series, Gin & Jazz, as well as her best-selling Uniform Encounters series.
Find her here:
Twitter:
@morticiaknight
