Midnight Whispers

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This Cutler Series novel was written in 1992 by V.C. Andrews. The main character is a girl named Christie Cutler, and her family owns a hotel. She lives near the hotel with her mother Dawn, her stepfather Jimmy and her younger half-brother. The story starts out on her sixteenth birthday. Her extended family and school mates are invited. So does Jimmy's troublesome, college-student sister, Fern. Fern's present to Christie is a copy of "Lady Chatterley's Lover", and she even bookmarks chapter ten for Christie. Christie throws it into her closet. The party goes well, besides some minor disruptions caused by Fern. Christie also sees Jimmy's brother Gavin, who is around her age, and is smitten with him. She also sees her odd twin cousins, Richard and Melanie.

Some weeks after the party, Christie comes home to find that her hotel has burned down along with her parents. Her Uncle Philip and Aunt Bet are now her and Jefferson's legal guardians, and they live in Christie's house. Aunt Bet explains to Jefferson and Christie that they must all compromise and sacrifice, however Christie notices that it is only Jefferson and her that are doing the compromising and sacrificing. Aunt Bet and Christie begin habitually quarreling after Aunt Bet picks on Jefferson, and Richard frames him for naughty deeds. After finding the forgotten copy of "Lady Chatterley's Lover", Christie and Aunt Bet have a huge fight, and that night her uncle rapes her. Heartbroken and confused, Christie packs her and Jefferson's things and buys them bus tickets to New York, in search of her deadbeat dad. But her father is in no way fit to take care of them. She calls Gavin when she runs out of money, and he helps her out. Together, they land in her Aunt Charlotte's house. Aunt Charlotte is a sweet woman who is somewhat childlike. She lives with her husband. She gladly takes in Gavin, Christie and Jefferson.