The Woman Who Fell Out Of Fear: The Avery Victoria Spencer Fables, #2

By Vivian Ruth Probst

The Woman Who Fell Out Of Fear

Book Two of The Avery Victoria Spencer Fables finds Avery returned from her first inner journey in glorious triumph.Her financial despair has vanished and incredible debts are magically resolved. Avery is beginning to see herself in a new light—and she feels drawn toward George Logan without knowing why; except that he's British, handsome, and seems to know her design preferences intimately. 

 

She feels like a new woman which is sort of wonderful. But change can be terrifying. 

Avery's high energy has vanished. She couldn't care less about her upcoming holiday gala, which is the highlight of Waukesha's social calendar and keeps her in the public eye. She likes the English stranger, George Logan, and she hasn't been attracted to a man in years.
 Instead of being more energized and enthusiastic, Avery is stunned that her once relentless energy has evaporated. She's more intuitive and a better bank president, but she doesn't care about previously important activities, including her upcoming charitable winter gala.  Everyone who's anyone in Waukesha is waiting for invites to her now-renowned party, including society columnist Millie St. James who is tracking Avery's every move, and suspects George Logan's arrival is not as serendipitous as it appears.

 

Believing her energy was accidentally left behind on her first journey, Avery asks to return to her inner world. Back in a castle with her beloved candle, she's shocked by how different everything feels—almost sinister. Instead of singing torches, skeletal soldiers hail her as 'Great One.'  Instead of a dungeon, she's trapped in a throne room; instead of regal décor, a grotesque tapestry beckons her.  

  Avery's second adventure will make her wonder why she returned. Yet, as she braves what confronts her, she begins to see how deeply unworthy she has felt all her life. She will come to a pinnacle from which she must decide her fate.  As her candle melts and falls from her hand, Avery must decide what to do. Will she dance with her nemesis forever, or let herself follow her candle into something she has never known, and uncover more about who she really is? 

 

 From the uniquely historic city of Waukesha, Wisconsin comes a story of facing loneliness, forgotten love, and tha courage to transcend a troubled past. A quest for many modern women, The Avery Victoria Spencer Fables are an intimate series of stories that brought the author to an authentic life. Welcome to Book Two.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vivian Probst
• Release date: Jun 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9780975342251

Vivian Ruth Probst

Vivian Probst Trained in culture, anthropology, and linguistics with bachelor’s degree in Multicultural Ministries 34-year veteran/national trainer and consultant to the affordable housing industry (theopro.com) Creator of the endowed CANIF Fund through the Women’s Center of Waukesha, WI Creator of gender inclusive WEnglish™ (vivianprobst.com/WEnglish) Author/playwright/songwriter/poet (through LifeMark Press): (vivianprobst.com) Website:  VivianProbst.com Contact for information and events: Sharyn Alden/Sharyn Alden Communications

Book preview

Chapter One

October 13, 1974 (Sunday morning after Avery’s first dream journey)

Avery hears a doorbell and smiles. Opening one eye, she looks around to confirm that she’s back in her house and bed. She is. Recalling yesterday evening’s despair, her dream, her doorbell chiming incessantly, and the package left on her doorstep, she revels. Such magic! Being debt free!

Reaching out she feels for her book. Was it real? Is it still here? Such a glorious book! Avery picks it up and hugs it.

Her doorbell rings again. Oh bother. I don’t want to answer it! Her book reassures her that whatever transpired yesterday was real.

Ding dong again. Avery gets up reluctantly, puts on her pink monogrammed bathrobe and starts downstairs. The grandfather clock in her living room announces that it’s 11:00 a.m.

What? That’s not possible! Avery is aghast.  I never, ever sleep that long! Alarmed, she starts to run downstairs. Suddenly she stops.

Wait! I’m in my bathrobe! I can’t answer the door looking like I do! What on earth? It’s Sunday, isn’t it? No one ever visits me on a Sunday. Her doorbell rings again. 

Avery tiptoes down, hugging the wall and hoping she can’t be seen from the door. Getting down on her hands and knees, she crawls to the door, and very slowly rises to peek out the window. It’s Evelyn.

Avery opens the door just enough to let her friend in.

Avery? Evelyn calls out.

Evelyn! Avery answers as she comes out from behind the door. What are you doing here? Why didn’t you call? What’s going on?

Avery! What are you doing in your bathrobe at eleven o’clock?! Normally, you’re into your projects long before now—even on Sunday!

It’s hard for Avery to reply; she doesn’t want to tell Evelyn what she was really doing—reading her new book and revelling in her dream-come-true. Bills paid! Fully funded retirement accounts! It had been impossible to sleep.

I-I don’t know, Avery says sheepishly. I stayed up late reading a book, I guess.

Did you have coffee yet? Evelyn asks. I could use some... She stops.

"OK, wait a minute. You look like my friend Avery, but you sure aren’t acting like her. The Avery I know is always working; she never sleeps in and doesn’t read anything but the newspaper and financial stuff. None of that would be fascinating enough to keep anyone awake. What’s going on? What have you done with my friend?"

Avery turns toward her kitchen counter to start her new drip coffee maker, glad Evelyn can’t see her face as she decides not to tell her best friend about her recent adventures, or her mystery book.

People change, Avery replies. "Now let’s get you some coffee and tell me what brings you here on a Sunday. Straight up as usual? Talk about suspicious activity,  Evelyn, you never visit me on Sunday, so you’re behaving strangely yourself."

"Two things, Avery, darling, Evelyn says and laughs. I want to know what you think about George, since I suggested he talk to you about your house project." She stops talking.

And? Avery prompts her.

I think The Snoop is up to something. 'The Snoop’ is Avery and Evelyn’s pet title for Millie St. James, their Waukesha newspaper’s society columnist.

Don’t you think she acted strangely yesterday? It was like she wasn’t herself...I don’t know...suspicious or something.  It bothered me last night as I thought about it. She’s usually extremely tactful, and at least respectful around you, even though we both know she’s insanely jealous of you. But, I’ve never seen it come out like it did yesterday.

Oh, I think it was her flirtatious side, Avery giggles. Surely you’ve seen how stupid she acts if she finds a man attractive; and your friend George is that in spades, she laughs. Her poor husband. All he is to her now is the guy who owns the jewelry store and pays the bills. She’s horribly unkind to him, poor man. I’ll bet those two haven’t made love in—

Enough, Avery! That thought gives me the creeps! Anyway, money can’t buy love, Evelyn replies.

I pity those two, Avery says. "But you’re right. Of course Millie is looking for a story. And I agree. It wouldn’t surprise me if she tries to find something on George. You know him. Is he hiding something? If he is, Millie will find out. And our disliking her, doesn’t ignore the fact that she’s very good at what she does.

So, what do you know about an Englishman magically showing up here recently? It’s strange, don’t you think? Avery heads to the coffee pot to pour coffee into both mugs.

I’ve told you what I know, Evelyn deflects her question. Besides, would it bother you? Evelyn asks. Oh, yum. Your coffee maker makes much better coffee than my old percolator. I’m going to have to buy one of those.

"Would what bother me?" Avery asks.

If The Snoop started watching you and George, and doing some public matchmaking. I think he’s going to work out well for your house renovating, and you’ll be seen together.

Might be kind of nice, Avery laughs. I’m a little tired of being seen as a spinster. Might be time to plant more trees between the St. James’ house and mine.

I’d go with a fence, Avery; a tall one with those pointed spikes on top. Evelyn laughs.

You know what, Avery darling? You’re actually kind of fun today; not your usually serious self. Are you sure you’re alright? How are your party plans coming along? Evelyn changes the subject. "I don’t think you can outdo last year’s theme—or that gown you