The Anchoress A Romantic Tale of Terror — Kristen Houghton

Two young lovers may see their new life together torn apart when the bride discovers the horrifying secret her family has been keeping for generations. Ceci and Reynard live in small town in France and are childhood acquaintances with vastly different lifestyles. Reynard's family suffers the inevitable curse of the poor; lack of food and a decent place to live, fatal childhood diseases, and a beloved mother dying slowly of consumption. But while almost all families that Reynard knows suffer in some way from a disease, an early death, or some financial difficulty, Ceci's family seems to be eternally blessed with wealth, health, and very long lives. In fact entire generations of her family seemed to have nothing but perfect luck.
Reynard's Tante-Ancien, his great-aunt, hints at some type of an unholy pact made long ago by a female ancestor of Ceci's, that gives untold blessings to generations of her family. One woman in each generation must become “the Anchoress,” Through this woman the family is anchored to untold wealth and good fortune. But, his great-aunt tells Reynard, the family's good fortune comes at a great price for that one woman. "When the chosen one's time comes, she must go up the stairs never to be seen again."
When Reynard and Ceci meet again as young adults, they fall deeply in love. But their time together may come to a shattering end. When her aged grandmother dies, Ceci is in direct line to become the family's anchoress. Can Reynard's love for Ceci prevent her from facing the tortured, horrible fate of past generations of women in her family? Or will the power of the unholy pact tear them apart and force Ceci to ‘go up the stairs' never to be seen again.