Chapter 1
The Winter Shadows of Discontent and Mayhem
My Name is Victoria Winters Collins, life has come full circle for me, I married the man I believed held my best interest to his heart. I have survived a brush with Vlad the Impaler who of all things believes that I am the reincarnation of his dead wife.
I have found my true identity when my Mother and Father were revealed to me. My life has steered itself into marital bliss and all I want is to further my family.
However; once again, a vengeful witch will try to disrupt my life if not try to take my life, and a terror from my past will contribute to my Winter of Discontent and Mayhem.
Collinsport Maine
Business District.
The hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving was soon upon the Collins family. Victoria Winters Collins found herself in a mad rush around Collinsport trying to get all the Thanksgiving trimmings together and then it hit her hard. Christmas was less than a month away and she had nothing ready for Christmas and if memory served her correctly, she could not remember a year that either family had a Christmas tree or presents under the tree. Her newly acquired family had always in the past given gifts and then rushed off to Boston or New York.
This year it was a bigger family, the Patterson's had moved into Collinwood, Carolyn was now dating a charming man named Peter. Roger was keeping David home and Maggie and Joe were planning their wedding for the late spring. Happiness and hysteria seemed to be running hand in hand at this hectic time of the year. With so much confusion running rampant, was the main reason why Vicki had offered to have Thanksgiving at their house. Cook had readily agreed to prepare the meal, and then she was called out of town because her daughter had been involved in a serious skiing accident.
Faced with arrival of family and friends in numbers threatening to test the Old House's Dinning room's capacity, Vicki had stepped up to the plate and offered to prepare the cornucopia of food for her family Thanksgiving. Vicki had turned to Willie Loomis with saucer shaped puppy dog eyes and together they made a pact that they would prepare the meal and include: the combined Collins and Patterson's, Mrs. Johnson, Willie, his new girlfriend Sonja, Maggie, Joe, Quentin and his new love interest Daphne Harridge, the Jennings family, and the Stokes family as participants in the Collins first and hopefully not last annual Thanksgiving bash.
Old House, Collinwood
Barnabas had offered to have the meal catered if it was too much for his new bride. It has been the same old half hearted argument between her and her new husband. "Vicki, I can as easily have this catered and then you will not exhaust yourself trying to get everything prepared."
Vicki stood at the counter of her newly renovated 10,000-dollar addition to the Old House Kitchen and pouted. "You don't trust that Willie and I can pull this off?"
Barnabas watched the pout form on her lips and all he could think of doing was kissing those lips.
"That is not my point. I do not want you to over do to the point you are exhausted."
Vicki stepped up to her husband and began to play with his tie. Running her fingers up to the knot and then down to the flared bottom.
"Darling, Maggie, Carolyn, Julia, Daphne, Penny, and Mother have all volunteered to help. So, I will not be facing this monumental task alone"
Dropping her gaze to the center of his tie, she batted her eyelashes and offered up a charmingly sweet smile. "So, see we can do this, I just need to get the turkey and ham, the sweet potatoes, and corn, cranberries, regular potatoes and some bread for dressing. Each person has volunteered to bring a covered dish to add to the meal so where is the exhaustion coming in?"
Barnabas reached for his kerchief and waved it over her head. "I give up! I surrender, how can I argue with such a beautiful pouty face?" He leaned down and captured her lips with his. Which resulted in her putting her arms around his neck and returning the kiss.
Breaking the kiss she sighed, "Now, I will be going to the store, do you need anything?"
He smiled, "Only you, I could live off your kisses for a year if given a chance."
Vicki screwed up her face and made a thoughtful pose for him. "I might consider it. Now, give me one more energy boosting kiss for the road."
He laughed, "How could I pass up a request like that?" Grabbing her close he pulled her into his body and gave her a kiss that made him dip her backwards.
As he broke his embrace he looked her earnestly in her eyes and spoke softly, "Are you sure you are going to be able to do this?"
Sighing she began to tick off all the volunteer help that had been offered. Using her fingers to count them off for him. "Maggie had stepped up to say she would help as did Sabrina Jennings, Julia Stokes, Carolyn, Penny, and Vicki finished the list with her mother. She watched him step away from her and walk to one of the fireside chairs and sit. He continued to study her while picking up his book to settle it in his lap. He continued to watch her and listened to her arguments softly uttered over the amount of help she said she would be having to prepare this meal.
Even begrudgingly Mrs. Johnson said she would help. With the promise of so much help, it surely was enough to reassure Barnabas that Vicki was not over doing and taking on more than she should. Watching her prepare to leave the house he had to get one more concerned inquiry in. "My love, do you really think you should be pushing yourself so hard?" Barnabas had sat placidly in his fireside chair preparing to read when he looked up to watch his wife don her coat and headscarf. Laying her purse on the table in the foyer, she walked with a soft sway of her hips to his chair and slid onto the chair's arm and then draped her arm over his shoulder.
Kissing him lightly on the cheek, she spoke softly into his ear, "My love, my heart, my life, you do not need to worry about me doing too much. This is the most perfect set of circumstances other than being married to you that has ever happened to me."
He shifted in his chair and pulled her to his lap. "But sweetheart, I just want you to not wear yourself out."
She hugged him closer, "I have lots of help, Maggie, Willie, Willie's girlfriend, Sabrina, everyone is bringing a covered dish, Mrs. Johnson is doing a green bean casserole. The rest will be in our kitchen and made with these hands and many more hands of love. We will be sharing our home and our family for Thanksgiving." She smiled at her husband, leaned over, and kissed him on the lips. Sliding off his lap, she smoothed her dress and walked to get her coat, from the hall table where she had laid it earlier. Smiling brightly one more time, grabbed her purse and was on her way to Collinsport.
Collinsport, Maine
All of this rhetoric still on her mind as she walked briskly along the street bracing herself against the brisk and cool wind that was blowing along the streets and nipping at the uncovered parts of her body. Winter was coming and it was promising to bring lots of snow and cold to Maine this year. She certainly could feel the bite of an early frost coming and she was not so sure she was ready to do this cold battle dance this early. Mumbling she spoke softly under her breath. "Please just a few more weeks, no snow, just a few more weeks."
Mentally she ticked off what she had already accomplished since her arrival in Collinsport's town proper. She had already purchased her turkeys, ham, and yams. Looking down at her list, she crossed off what she had in her the trunk of her small sport's car and pushed forward ready to conquer the vegetable aisle. She was going to finish up the potatoes, corn, green beans, dressing fixings and the cranberries. Entering Redmond's, she grabbed a shopping cart, and began walking her cart down the aisle and stopped then stooped to pick up several cans of corn, green beans, and cranberries.
A soft decidedly male voice spoke from behind her, "Excuse me." A well-dressed man of considerable height and if his movements were an indication he obviously was well built. She could just hear Carolyn's voice in the back of her mind as her eyes slid up his pant leg to his chest and finally into those deep penetrating dark eyes. He had an easy smile edged across his chiseled features. She could just hear Carolyn saying, 'Wowsa! Talk about mysterious, handsome and a prize for anyone to catch!" Caused Vicki to blush deeply with where her thoughts were taking her. She noted he wore a form-fitting turtleneck that left nothing to the imagination when it came to muscles. Vicki figured that he must be one of those weight lifters. His hair was neatly trimmed back but worn long in the back. His eyes were almost black in color.
He had a beard and mustache, which made Vicki think he wanted to be perceived an intellectual instead of a mindless body builder. His voice was soft and well modulated and she was immediately stuck that he would make a good public speaker or a professor, not like Elliott but more like an Elliott assistant. He had reached down to the lower shelf in front of her capturing a can of green beans. Turning he presented her with a dazzling smile and Vicki flushed thinking he was going to try and flirt with her. Instead he made a modest observation as he looked at her cart.
"Quiet a haul there. Will you need help carrying it to your car?"
Vicki blushed and shook her head. "No, I am having it delivered. This store will deliver to your home."
He raised his eyebrows and nodded, "Nice service. That is why I love small towns, they make everything more personal."
She finished getting her can goods, gracefully stood up and nodded, "I find it very refreshing. I was originally from New York, and this time of the year can be very rushed and a lot of hustle and bustling about. I guess the stress of the holidays makes people less than cordial." She smiled putting her hands on her cart she prepared to push past him. He noticed she was going to leave him so he stepped next to her and smiled charmingly.
"Oh, sorry. Gabe Martin." He extended his hand to her and she smiled taking his hand in hers for a courtesy shake.
"Victoria Collins, nice to meet you Mr. Martin."
He shook his head. "No, please call me Gabe, Mr. Martin was my father. So, do you live in town? For me, I just bought the seaside bungalow out on Seagull Lane."
Vicki smiled and started to push her cart away, "Really, that is the old Logan house. Will you be here long?" She really wanted to get her shopping done and get back home but she did not want to be rude either.
Gabe fell into step next to her as she headed to the fresh produce section; to the bagged potatoes stacked neatly in a bin. "I am here as an Associate Professor to Doctor Stokes. Do you know of him?"
Vicki stopped and grinned then nodded, "Why yes, I do. I was his wife's maid of honor at their wedding. Julia and Elliott and Barnabas and I were married in the ballroom of Collinwood."
Gabe stopped and put a familiar hand on her arm. "Wait, you said you were Victoria Collins, are you related to 'the' Collins of Collinwood? The Collins family that founded this town?" He sounded excited and surprised.
Vicki laughed, "Well as a matter of fact, Elizabeth Stoddard is my mother and I married a distant cousin from England, Barnabas Collins."
He affected a pose of being stricken to the heart, "Oh darn, you are married, not that I was trying to pick you up or thought you might be thinking I was a masher." He affected another chuckle and appropriately looked embarrassed. Then he glanced at her ring finger seeing her ring.
"Yes, happily. So, Gabe, please call me Vicki and by any chance are you going home for Thanksgiving?" It was an afterthought, but if Julia and Elliott would be present for Thanksgiving it only seemed the right thing to do to add one more as a welcome gesture.
He shook his head, "No, the Professor is expecting me to begin his research into the dark arts of the occult right after Thanksgiving. So I don't think I will have time to go home."
Vicki nodded, "Sounds like Professor Stokes, well I am formally inviting you to Thanksgiving Dinner at the Barnabas Collins home which is the Old House on the Collinwood Estate." She brightened to have made the offer and one more place was not going to matter not with all the others that were coming now. She continued with directions, "You take the road past the main gates to Collinwood, and it will be the next blacktopped driveway." Finishing with the time for dinner. "We will be eating around 2:00 p.m. Professor Stokes and his wife Julia are coming and we can get better acquainted. Have you met Julia?"
Gabe shook his head, "Not had the pleasure. But I am looking forward to it. Well thank you Vicki," he accented the name showing he had paid attention and winked as he said her name. "I am looking forward to dinner with the Collins family."
Vicki nodded, "And the Collins family will be looking forward to getting better acquainted with you Gabe Martin." They strolled along and Vicki finished her shopping going to the check out and then making arrangements to have the items delivered later that evening.
Gabe patiently waited for her and then followed her to her car. Both laughed discovering he had parked next to her. Laughing together at the situation and how fortunate and convenient that they were accidently parked next to each other. "Well we could not have planned this if we had tried." Vicki chuckled. Looking up at the young man she had just met. When she entered the car, he reached for her hand pulling it to his lips he kissed the back of her hand
"Until Thursday Mrs. Victoria Collins." He smiled and went to his car and sat waiting for her to pull out and drive away. Smiling he shook his head. "This is way too easy. Like shooting fish in a barrel."
Pulling out into the flow of traffic, he manipulated the car along the road towards Tunney Lane and pulled in front of a well kept, cheerfully painted bungalow. Parking he walked to the quaint and comfortable front porch and let himself in. Continuing across the room to the light by the telephone table he pulled the chain turning it on. Sitting in the chair he turned to the desk phone and began to dial. The sound of the rotary phone making the subtle clicking noise as he dialed. Waiting for the operator to answer. "Yes, transcontinental operator if you please."
Hearing his request he heard several clicks and then the voice of the local operator asking for an overseas operator. Reversing the charges on the call, he waited. Glancing at his watch he knew his timing was right, that Vlad would be rising. The very distinctive voice of Vlad answered the phone, "This is Tepes, yes, I will accept the charges. Sorin?"
Sorin smiled crossing his leg and getting comfortable he reverted to his Romanian language. "My Prince, it is coming together nicely. I have an invitation to a Thanksgiving dinner with the Collins family and Elizabeta herself invited me. This will give me a chance to ingratiate myself to the family and Julia Hoffman."
Vlad smiled and nodded. "We begin with her mother the day after Thanksgiving or before if opportunity allows, and then her sister, her best friend, then she will come to me. Have you seen Radu or Gilda?"
Sorin smiled, "Gilda rests in the basement of the home I have rented. My credentials easily put me next to Professor Stokes. Radu is keeping close watch over Elizabeta. He has actually found a nice hiding place in her home so he can move about when he wishes." As an afterthought he queried, "Has the ghost Josette been taken care of by our witch friend?" Vlad glanced over to where Angelique sat by the fire warming her hands.
"Yes, Josette is not aware of Radu's position in the house if that is what you mean. Stokes must have broken her spell to keep her silent and earthbound." Vlad made himself more comfortable. "So, she decided to give Radu a masking spell."
Sorin picked at an imaginary piece of lint on his pants. "I will await your next orders. Once I gain the confidence of Julia Hoffman, I shall put our plan into effect and begin sabotaging her experiments and specimens." Leaning back he glanced to the ceiling, "Then the next step will be to have Dave Woodard make an appearance blaming her for his death. I believe that was something that upset her once before and utilized by Barnabas Collins to keep her in place."
Vlad smiled and sat on the edge of his desk holding the telephone. "I want a Christmas wedding Sorin, so I want things to be escalated with her mother, her sister and her best friend. I don't want any time wasted. Gilda may begin her part starting on Friday." Then as an after thought he said softly, "She is to distract him not kill him. I want him here to see her wedded to me." Sorin smiled evilly as he thought of Collins face watching his precious wife being taken away from him and given over in wedded bliss to his Prince.
"As you wish my Prince. Consider it done."
Vlad paused a moment and glanced at Angelique, "Elizabeta does she look well?" Vlad aware that Angelique was listening to his conversation had dropped his voice.
"She looks beautiful my Prince, she will make a beautiful bride. I found her utterly enchanting."
Castle Dracul Burgos Pass
Vlad slid off the desk and glanced over at Angelique who appeared to be getting bored, "Well my trusted friend, I will leave you to your devices. I have a guest to entertain. Until we meet again I bid you adieu." He hung up and stepped to Angelique's side, "Now where we my dear." He lifted the wine bottle to fill her wine glass.
"We were discussing your plans for Barnabas and his wife." Angelique said with a degree of repressed irritation. She had screwed her face in slight pout of anger.
Vlad waved that off, "It is being handled, let us discuss you my dear, tell me more about your life and how you became involved with Collins?" He could tell she was bristling over the fact Barnabas had wed Victoria and he felt about the same but was not about to allow her to see his irritation over the whole matter. Looking at her sitting so prettily in front of the fire, he had to admit she as a sensual creature filled with passions. Vlad found the blond beautifully seductive and were she not a witch would have considered for one of his voluptuous brides. She had a mystique about her with her beautifully enchanting blue eyes, classic features and curvaceous body.
Old House Thanksgiving Day
The formal dining room was set. Vicki wearing an apron and moving about the dining room making sure there were enough chairs and plates. Barnabas entered the dining room and put his arms around her waist. "My dear, the smell is wonderful and you are perfect." He kissed her cheek and then whispered. "The television set in the den is certainly entertaining for the men. Something about that parade this morning was very exciting. I rather enjoyed watching David and Amy gasp and laugh as they watched the floating balloons was very touching: Now there is something called a football game and the men are watching which requires a lot of shouting and moaning and groaning as men chase and knock each other down."
Barnabas appeared confused by this new game he had discovered had become a traditional past time for the Americans. He spoke dryly, "All this violence over a brown odd shaped ball."
Vicki was amused by his discovery of such things as the Macy Day Parade and his introduction to America's favorite pass time, the football game. Vicki turned put her arms around Barnabas' neck. "I am glad I married you."
She kissed him on the lips; Maggie poked her head through the door. "Hey, no distracting the main cook, or we may never eat." There was a knock at the front door, and Barnabas reluctantly released his wife.
"Oh that should be Gabe Martin. Professor Stokes associate." Vicki surmised as she was reluctantly let go by her husband.
Barnabas smiled, "Maggie you can have your cook back but only temporarily."
Foyer Old House
Willie answered the door and Gabe stood with a bottle of wine and a gift-wrapped box. Following up the stairs behind him was Julia and Elliott.
"Well done Gabe, I see you found the place with little effort."
Gabe stepped into the hallway and looked over the house. "What a beautifully preserved old house." Willie took the new arrivals coats and hung them up and escorted them into the drawing room. Barnabas arrived to greet his guests.
"Welcome, you must be Mr. Martin, my wife told me about." He shook his hand and tuned to Julia and kissed her cheek, then shook Elliott's hand. "Mr. Martin would you a fan of the American form of football? The other gentlemen are in my Den enjoying the game. The ladies are in the kitchen and Elliott and I will be going to the library to indulge in some sherry. I do have brandy if you wish that particular drink. Roger is very fond of brandy and is in the library with me."
Julia looked around the empty drawing room. "I will be joining the ladies. If however the smell is any indication of the progress of the meal, I am too late to be of any assistance." Julia stood holding a hot covered dish. She slipped past Barnabas towards the dining room and the kitchen area. Gabe paused and sighed.
"Oh dear, I brought a rare Cabernet Sauvignon to share and a gift for the hostess." Gabe looked apologetically to Elliott and Barnabas. "I really wish to give her this gift and I would be very happy to join you gentlemen in the library, I really am not into sports that much."
Barnabas smiled and nodded to the direction Julia had taken. "She would be in the kitchen, once you have presented your largess to her, you may join us in the library or the den, All you need to do is follow the sound of males shouting to find the game, and the room down the hall with the door closed will be the library."
Gabe smiled at Barnabas and nodded, "Thank you. He followed the instructions and found the dining room once there he saw how beautifully the table had been set and a prt of him was reminded of a time long past when he shared holidays with his family members. Hearing soft laughter through a set of doors he followed the laughter to the kitchen, poking his head in and smiled. He watched the Collinsport women busily making themselves productive by putting food in crystal bowl.
He slid his gaze to Vicki taking the largest Turkey he had ever seen out of a roasting pan to set it on a large antique platter. Her face was flushed and her hair slightly disheveled. Looking at her in the throes of her domestic duties in his eyes made her completely enchanting. The room grew quiet and he realized that all the women but Vicki was watching him. "Excuse me, I am Gabe, Doctor Stokes associate and I have a gift for you Vicki." She smiled warmly and he noticed how her eyes lit up with her smile
He gave her the bottle of wine and she glanced at it and was impressed, "This is a very old and expensive wine Gabe, thank you." She then wiped her hands on her apron before she took the gaily-wrapped gift.
"A small thank you for making an eligible bachelor welcome on Thanksgiving."
He noticed how delicate her hands were, slender with artistically long fingers that used care not to break the ribbon when she removed it.
Opening the box her eyes brightened with her pleasure and she was truly touched by his gift. There were eight rows of chocolates, white chocolate, caramelized chocolate, deep chocolate. "Oh my how wonderful! Look ladies, Gabe knows our weakness!" She handed the box around so each woman could select a piece of chocolate before taking one and plopping it in her mouth. "MMMMMM, oh you do know how to make a girl happy!" She hugged him, "Thank you so much."
Gabe smiled, "Would you like me to open the wine so you could all take a drink?" He felt a warm sensation of pleasure when she hugged him tightly with her pleasure of receiving his gift.
Vicki nodded, "That would be lovely, Maggie, could you get enough wine glasses down?" Maggie obligingly turned and pulled down ten crystal wine glasses, and Vicki discreetly put one back. Setting the glasses on a sideboard, Gabe poured the wine into the glasses, setting one to the side; he glanced around to notice they were not watching him.
Being careful not to be observed, he pulled out a vial of clear fluid and poured a small amount into one of the glasses.
Gabe began to hand out the glasses, he handed the laced glass to Julia. Turning back to get the last glass to hand to Vicki he realized they were one glass short and she had not received one. Being gracious she said politely soft, "I have to finish the meal, maybe at dinner I will taste your lovely wine." She turned to look at all her helpers. "Mrs. Johnson, would you go tell the men the meal is ready and to come to the dinner table?" Carolyn, Maggie, Sabrina, Sonja, Daphne, and Liz all grabbed some bowls and platters to carry them to the table.
Old House Formal Dining Room
Willie was lighting the candles on the table and then moved to bring out the platter with the turkey. Settling the turkey at the head of the table, he put the carving knife and fork on the plate. Everyone gathered in the dinning room and they took their seats, Vicki sitting at one end and Barnabas at the other she smiled down at him as everyone adjusted to their seats.
