Dark Shadows 1797

Chapter Three: The Light and the Darkness

"Stokes this is Ms. Evans, Daniel's new governess." Joshua quickly introduced them trying to avoid further mentions of Josette du Pres. Ben collected himself with a hard swallow. "I'm sorry Miss. Welcome to Collinwood." "Thank you Mr. Stokes," Maggie nervously replied. If others had such a strong reaction to her what would Barnabas Collins do? Now that she knew of his love for Josette, meeting her would surely go hard on him.

"Miss Evans, please go up to your room," Joshua requested. "I have business to discuss with Stokes here. You'll meet Millicent and Daniel in the morning."

"Goodnight sir," Maggie replied.

"Goodnight."

As she made her way from the drawing room to the stairway, she couldn't help but notice the portrait of a man to the right of the front door. She walked over to it and read the nameplate at the bottom. "Barnabas Collins, 1792." The portrait had been painted five years prior. Maggie wondered how much Barnabas had changed in those five years. Her eyes moved back up to study his face. He looked handsome, solemn, and kindly; except for his eyes. She couldn't quite decide what emotion they conveyed. She stared at them for a while and then something strange occurred. "I must be tired," she rationalized for surely she couldn't be seeing correctly.

She turned and headed up the stairs, unable to stop thinking about it as she ascended. "It's not possible," she told herself. It wasn't possible but nor were her eyes playing tricks on her. When she had looked into the painted eyes of Barnabas Collins they emitted a light that reflected as the sunlight does off a pool of water. It was as if they had come alive.


"He must have gone to town," Ben explained to Joshua as they discussed Barnabas' whereabouts behind the closed doors of the drawing room. Joshua became incensed. "He promised me he would not! We have made every accommodation possible to make it unnecessary."

"Aye sir we have," Ben replied.

"All the animals; the servants," Joshua continued; "did you bring anyone back from the prison?"

"Aye, a man named Willie Loomis; a real bad man that one is."

"What was he in prison for?"

"Assaultin' and robbin' people."

"Well at least I will not feel guilty about what happens to him," Joshua stated. He had no tolerance for criminals.

"Wait, I hear the front door," Ben declared.

Joshua hurried to open the doors to the drawing room and then rushed through them into the foyer. There stood his son, Barnabas Collins. "And just where have you been?" Joshua bellowed. Barnabas ignored the question and looked at Ben who had followed Joshua into the front hall. "You told him I wasn't at the Old House, Ben?"

Ben stammered his reply, "I…I'm sorry Mr. Barnabas. I just thought you were here and I came to see."

Barnabas turned his eyes back to his father. "I was in town father. And before you berate me further, I was there to do an errand."

"I am familiar with your type of errands," Joshua griped.

"I went to the jeweler," Barnabas insisted.

"You expect me to believe that? You have servants that do those sorts of tasks for you!"

"My servants cannot pick out gifts for my family members, father. Or have you forgotten your birthday is tomorrow?" Barnabas informed him with a sly grin.

Joshua stopped to think. Barnabas was right; his birthday was the next day. "I am sorry son, sorry to think the worst of you."

Barnabas' grin turned into a frown. "I understand. How could you not think the worst of me?"

Ben interrupted the exchange between father and son. "Mr. Barnabas the new man is at the Old House. He seems a slippery fellow, I don't think you should wait too long to talk to him." Barnabas nodded his head. It was the usual procedure with a new servant to get the unpleasantness out of the way as quickly as possible.

Joshua didn't want him to leave just yet. "Stokes, you go back to the Old House. I need to speak with my son." Barnabas confirmed the order to Ben with another nod of his head. Ben left the house, and Joshua led Barnabas back into the privacy of the drawing room.

"Sit down, Barnabas."

Barnabas did, reluctantly; being told to sit usually indicated the conveyance of bad news. "Is Daniel all right?" he anxiously inquired.

"Yes he is fine. This is not about him, or Millicent." Barnabas relaxed a bit and waited for his father to continue.

"This is about Daniel's new governess."

Barnabas stood; indignant at what he assumed would be said next. "I will not bother her father, I told you that!" Joshua shook his head; "no, that is not what I was going to say." Barnabas sat back down, "sorry, please continue."

Joshua paced a bit as he went on. "You will be quite disturbed when you meet her."

"Disturbed? What an odd choice of words." Barnabas was both intrigued and aprehensive.

Joshua stopped walking and stood before him. "There is no easy way to say this, so I'll just state it out; she looks very much like Josette."

Barnabas felt faint at the mention of her name. "Josette?" he whispered; "Josette?"

"She is not Josette clearly," his father went on. "And upon closer study she does not look exactly like her. But she resembles her enough to cause quite a reaction in everyone she meets. Naturally I knew it would affect you the most."

Barnabas tried to collect himself and think rationally. The new governess looked like Josette, but was not Josette. Josette was dead; torn from him just when he thought he would finally have her forever. He stood and addressed Joshua. "I know she's not Josette father. Josette is dead; never to return to me again. People do not return from death unless they are ghosts."

Joshua felt a chill run up his spine. Both he and Barnabas knew that was not a true statement. People did return from the dead. Barnabas was living evidence of that.