CH 1: An Unprecedented Arrival

"Josette, please – you haven't even heard a word I've said, have you?"

The fair maiden in question looked up from her mirror at her Aunt Natalie, yet her features did not soften. "Aunt Natalie, I have already told you that I'm not leaving Collinwood, so please stop harassing me about it! Barnabas said that he would come back for me, and I have to believe that!"

Pursing her lips, Natalie irritably shook her head so that her curls bounced to and fro. "Oh, mon Dieu, why have the saints allowed you to be so stubborn? Do you not realize that by staying in this curséd house you are risking your own life?"

"I am fully aware of that fact" Josette dismissively agreed.

Positively stunned, Natalie demanded, "And you do not care, ma chéri? What about Andres and myself? Your mulish nature will surely be the end of us all!"

Sending her ever beloved relative a reproachful look, Josette firmly assured her, "Aunt Natalie, you are being overdramatic…no harm will come to me during our stay here. Barnabas will see to that."

"Barnabas! Always Barnabas!" Frustrated, Natalie snapped, "For the last time, Josette, Barnabas is not coming back! We are leaving tonight, so I expect you downstairs with your things within the hour."

After Natalie had slammed the door shut behind her amidst her tirade, Josette began to feel tears burning along her lashes as she miserably gazed back at her reflection. A broken woman stared just as miserably back at her, yet she was a broken woman with hope – Barnabas would return to her like he'd promised…she knew he would!

As Josette made the movement to commence in brushing her hair, the image gazing back at her began to tremble and spiral in an almost gelatinous swirl of silver. To her utmost astonishment, the figure of a man took shape, his lips twisting in disgust as he continued to try lighting the plethora of candles before him.

Placing a reverent hand against the mirror, Josette gave a start the moment she felt her fingers beginning to seep past the reflection and into the unknown, her eyes widening once she finally got a good look at the room in which the man was residing. It was the living room of the Collins' first home…the old house!

Overjoyed by this discovery, Josette then realized, 'Barnabas must be trying to communicate with me via this mirror…he intends for us to be reunited in another time frame!'

With this rather obscure thought whirling dizzily within her head, the young woman chanced a quick glance behind her before eagerly approaching the mirror.

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Willie cursed the moment he stubbed his toe against one of the many pieces of furniture within the living room, his eyes watering amidst the pain as he began to comically jump about and groan. "Goddamn, stupid, frickin' piece a'…"

"Pardonnez moi?"

Stunned, Willie slowly turned toward the sound of the intrusion, only to do a double-take the moment his eyes rested upon the demurely beautiful woman before him. Her eyes were of the deepest autumn brown, the auburn hair that framed her radiant face cascading freely down her back in glorious ringlets that only accentuated the youthful flush of her cheeks. Despite having a rather slight figure, the midnight blue gown that she wore managed to pronounce her bosom and cling to her form quite charmingly.

Finally seeming to realize that Willie was only going to continue to stare (and quite rudely, at that), Josette delicately inquired, "Ne parlez-vous pas français, bon monsieur? Je suis ici pour voir Barnabas…veuillez me l'apporter immédiatement."

Willie arched a brow before scratching the back of his head. "Uuuuuh, come again?"

Now it was Josette's turn to appear perplexed. "Come again?" she reiterated in her thick French accent. "Why, monsieur, that is ridiculous – why would I come again if I have already arrived?"

Willie was completely floored. Not only did this woman look remarkably like Josette, but she also had the ignorance and naiveté to match. Not even believing that he was suggesting it, the servant asked, "Look, you're here ta see Barnabas, ain'tcha?" When Josette nodded vigorously, Willie fell at a complete loss for words. Either he was talking to himself because his life of servitude had finally gotten to him, or there really was a woman in his presence, and Josette Collins, no less!

Taking a cautious step forward, Josette observed in perfect English, "Judging by your vernacular, I trust that you are a servant? If so, I find your uniform to be most unsuitable."

Willie stiffened. "Well what's that supposed ta mean, uh? You think I'm a servant 'cause I'm simple, or somethin'?"

Now it was Josette's turn to flinch. "How dare you speak to me in such a manner? Barnabas will be sure to hear of your audacious misconduct toward me once I find him!"

"Go ahead an' tell 'im, then!" Willie coolly countered. "He won't be back 'til sundown, anyhow, so jus' make yourself at home…your highness."

Glaring back at him behind a wall of unshed tears, Josette clenched her fists in frustration before demanding, "Will you at least tell me what has become of Barnabas in this timeframe? Has he finally been granted the happiness that he so sorely deserves?"

Willie didn't exactly know why, but despite his painfully bruised ego, he genuinely wanted Josette to believe that Barnabas was, indeed quite happy. Nodding his head, he lied, "Yeah, he's got it real good, that Barnabas. Real rich an' happy."

To his surprise, tears of joy streamed down Josette's cheeks, her hands now clasping over her heart as she breathed, "Oh, remerciez Dieu dans le ciel! I can only pray now that Barnabas truly wishes to see me – after all, perhaps this Barnabas is a different Barnabas than mine…"

Willie gave a knowing grimace. "Nope, he's the same guy, alright. In fact, you're pretty much all he thinks about 'round here. He's even got your room all dressed up like you're supposed ta come back into his life someday, an' he even…" He paused. Why was he telling what was most likely an apparition the darkest secrets of his master's life? Perhaps he really was going crazy…

To his surprise (and horror), Josette tentatively drew closer, the glistening of her eager eyes only proving to him that she was, in fact quite real.

Wiping at her tear-stained cheeks, she inquired, "Will you take me to my room, then? I very much wish to freshen up before Barnabas returns from…where did you say it was?"

"Bangor" Willie hurriedly cut in. "He's always workin' out there durin' the day, so I'm afraid you'll never see 'im 'til sundown."

"Oh." Appearing to be terribly disappointed, Josette nodded before returning, "After you take me to my room, who shall I ask for? I never did get your name, monsieur."

"Name's not important" Willie mumbled. "Just c'mon, an' I'll help ya the best that I can."

As the servant began to trudge up the stairs, Josette couldn't help but glare after his retreating form. Such impertinence!

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When Barnabas arose from his slumber, he was shocked (and quite unpleasantly) to find Willie standing anxiously before him. Furrowing his brow, Barnabas irritably demanded, "What is it that you want now, Willie? Has something happened? You look most troubled."

Willie bowed his head, yet found that he could only nod and meekly wring his hands.

"Well?" Quite frustrated with his servant's lack of response, Barnabas growled, "Come on, out with it, you simple fool! Unless there truly is an emergency, I highly suggest that you get out of my sight before I force it to be so!"

Swallowing, Willie stammered, "W-w-well, ya see, Barnabas, I-I was jus' mindin' my own business when this woman appeared, an'…"

"A woman?" Barnabas cut in, now raising his eyebrows with interest.

Nodding vigorously, Willie returned, "Yeah, Barnabas, a woman – sh-she's upstairs in Josette's room b-because…well…she claims ta be Josette."

Barnabas' eyes widened in shock, then unadulterated euphoria. "Are you quite sure?" he demanded, to which Willie nodded. With a pleased clap of the hands, Barnabas urged, "Prepare us a romantic dinner at once, and leave no detail untouched. I want things to be absolutely perfect, Willie – do you understand?"

Willie bowed his head before giving a dull nod. "Yeah, I understand."

When Barnabas had acknowledged this response with a nod and headed eagerly for the stairs, Willie couldn't help but feel slightly relieved over Barnabas' sudden change of demeanor. Maybe with Josette around he would be a lot nicer?

'Or a lot nastier' Willie thought upon remembering Josette's threat.

And Josette…

Willie frowned. He didn't like her. He didn't like her at all, what with her stuffy, pretentious speech, hoity-toity mannerisms, and imperious mindset toward lowly servants like himself. Sure, she was some snobbish Count's daughter from another century, but that gave her no right to treat him that way – no right at all!

With this thought burning within his mind, Willie sullenly turned toward the stairs in order to prepare Barnabas and Josette's evening meal.

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Continuing to cheerily gaze at her reflection, Josette found that she took a certain pleasure in applying the jasmine-scented perfume to her neck, for she knew that it had been a gift from Barnabas long ago. Smoothing her hair, she then decided that she was finally presentable for her love, even though she was well aware of the fact that he would have her even if she were the vilest creature on earth.

When the long anticipated knock finally sounded at the door, Josette quickly abandoned her vanity and went racing to answer it, her features blooming with a radiant joy upon realizing whom it was.

"Oh…Barnabas!" Josette breathed, her arms flying about his neck as he instinctively drew her close. Weeping against his shoulder, she whispered, "I have missed you so incredibly much, my love…let us never be apart again, ever!"

Pressing his cheek to hers, Barnabas fervently assured her, "For as long as we both shall live, I promise you that we will never be separated again, my darling Josette. Now that you are here with me, I can honestly say that all will be well, at long last."

"Yes" Josette agreed, wiping at her tear-stained cheeks as she pulled away in order to assess his gaze. "But before we think of the future, you must tell me all about your present life – I am oh so eager to hear it!"

"All in good time, my dearest" Barnabas agreed, "all in good time – Willie is preparing us our dinner, so we will soon have a chance to catch up undisturbed."

Josette perceptibly stiffened. "Willie? Is that the name of that abominable servant of yours? Really, Barnabas, I would have thought your sense of character was far better than that, especially after having had kind and gentle Ben Stokes under your employ!"

Barnabas frowned in concern. "Whatever do you mean, Josette? How has Willie struck you as abominable?"

"Well for one, he has a loose tongue" Josette haughtily observed. "He talked back to me several times, and was quite rude whenever I inquired about certain things. He needs to be dispatched to another household immediately, Barnabas – I want him out of this house!"

At this declaration, Barnabas couldn't help but chuckle, his arms fondly encircling about his irate love's waist before he asked, "Why, is that all, my dearest? Surely Willie wasn't as frightfully rude as you claim…" Upon noting Josette's reproachful look, he hurriedly added, "All I mean, my dear, is that in the year 1967, servants have far more liberties than those of 1795. I will speak to him about his behavior if you so desire, but I find him to be rather indispensable at the moment."

Josette made a face. "Oh, Barnabas, surely you can find a better equipped manservant than him! He is frightfully misguided…he didn't even bow or avert his eyes when I was speaking to him!"

Again, Barnabas chuckled. "My dear, if you truly must know, by this point and time most residences don't even own servants, anymore. In fact, the residents of Collinwood and myself are the only ones that I am aware of."

Shocked, Josette moved to ask how he could possibly get on by himself when the door suddenly opened.

Gingerly poking his head into the room, Willie announced, "Barnabas, I got that dinner all ready an' set up for ya downstairs – ya need me for anything else?"

"No, that will be all, Willie" Barnabas assured him. "Josette and I do not wish to be disturbed for the remainder of the evening."

When Willie nodded, his blue-gray eyes fell upon the haughty figure of Josette, his gaze narrowing when he realized that she was scrutinizing him like an insect under a microscope.

'Who the hell does she think she is, uh? She ain't so great, herself, so I wish she'd jus' go ahead an' get that bitch stick outta 'er-'

"That will be all, Willie."

Startled back to reality by his master's voice, Willie glumly nodded before shutting the door and returning to his quarters.

A/N: Whew! I have NO idea why that took me so long to write, but it did… Now I know that Josette probably seems like a major you-know-what, but you've got to remember that Josette is from a culture and timeframe when servants were viewed as improper to speak to and treat as equals. Even though Josette was generally a sweet woman, there were times on the show when she was short with Angelique, despite her thinking they had a good relationship. Hopefully you've enjoyed this -- I'm basically just testing the waters here, but if you'd genuinely like me to continue, PLEASE tell me so that I know this will definitely be worth continuing! ;0) lol