Web of Dreams

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Web of Dreams was written in 1990 by V.C. Andrews ghostwriter Andrew Neiderman. It is the fifth and final book in The Casteel Series, and serves as a prequel to Heaven. Told primarily from the viewpoint of Heaven Casteel's mother, Leigh VanVoreen, the novel explains her secrets and circumastances as a thirteen year old girl who was forced to flee her wealthy Boston home, resulting in her dying in childbirth and leaving her daughter Heaven to be raised motherless in the hills of the West Virginia mountains.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The novel opens with Annie Stonewall Casteel returing to Farthinggale Manor for the funeral of her father, Troy Tatterton. Annie, hoping to finally put the past to rest alongside her mother Heaven, feels drawn to the suite that used to be occupied by her great-grandmother Jillian. Annie soon discovers a forgotten diary hidden away in a back draw in Jillian's suit. The diary was written by Leigh VanVoreen, Annie's grandmother. Surprised by the discovery, Annie begins to read the tragic story of Leigh.

Thirteen-year-old Leigh VanVoreen and was the beloved daughter of cruise ship magnate Cleve VanVoreen and his beautiful Boston socialite wife Jillian. Leigh lived out a happy existence until her mother left her father for the much younger and hansomer Tony Tatterton, the wealthy owner of Tatterton Toys. Shortly after Jillian married Tony, Leigh and her mother moved into Tony's estate, Farthinggale Manor. Leigh's only friend on the estate was Troy Tatterton, the five-year-old brother of Tony, and they spent a lot of time together. Eventually, Leigh was placed in an exclusive private school for girls.

On her visits home, Leigh would serve as the model for what would be a new line of toys for Tatterton Toys: A portrait doll (A doll created in the image of the person who models for one). During the portrait doll modeling sessions, Tony would to try and seduce Leigh, much to her confusion. After the doll was complete and presented to Leigh, Tony raped Leigh one night while Jillian was away.

After a few weeks, Leigh discovered she was pregnant by Tony, and when she confronted her mother about this fact, Jillian believed that Leigh seduced Tony on purpose and the two got into an argument. Angry that her own mother did not believe her, Leigh stole some of Tony's money that he kept in a strongbox and fled Farthinggale Manor with a few meager possessions and her portrait doll.

Leigh had decided to go live with her grandmother Jana in Texas, and purchased a train ticket. On a stopover in Atlanta, Leigh missed her connecting train and was stranded, but a stranger named Luke Casteel cheered her up. After he inquires about Leigh's portrait doll, she reponds that it is indeed modelled after her, and that she had named it Angel. Luke responds that Angel is a better name for her than Leigh, and he then proceeds to refer to Leigh as Angel exclusively. Leigh then confided in him about the circumstances of her pregnancy and he offered to care for her and her child.

Although the two only knew each other for about a day, they got married and returned to his West Virginia mountain home. After meeting Luke's mother Annie and Luke's father Toby, Leigh worked hard around the mountain shack and ignored the jealous stares of the local townfolk. For his part, Luke was madly in love with his young bride and had plans to build a house in town just for her and the baby.

Leigh's diary ends when she started experiencing labour pains while out for a walk with Luke. Going back to the present, Annie finds a note from a private investigator Tony had hired stating that Leigh had died in childbirth due to inadequate medical care. The note also stated that the child survived and was it was a girl.