Chapter 7
Vicki paced the secret room with as much calm as she could muster. So many negative thoughts were running through her mind wondering if Barnabas had gotten caught. Worried sick that he had accidently killed someone. Finally wearing herself out she slumped to the floor and rested her head against the wall. Closing her eyes she wondered how it was possible to be back in time once again.
Hearing footsteps and voices outside the secret room's doorway she pushed her self up and waited anxiously. The door slid open slowly and watched the outline of a figure in a cape appear. "Miss Winters?" It was Barnabas' voice and her relief was immediate.
Stepping out of the shadows she paused seeing another person lurking behind Barnabas. "Sandor come in and meet my wife, Mrs. Collins." Barnabas' tone was soft and filled with patience. Vicki watched as a large man with a barrel shaped chest wearing gypsy clothing moved down the steps to stand behind Barnabas. He pulled his cap from his head and bowed.
"Madam, it is a pleasure to meet the wife of Mr. Collins." He was swarthy looking with deep brown eyes that let little slip past his alert mind. He stood waiting for Barnabas to collect his wife. "Mr. Collins told us of your circumstances of being stranded on the road after being robbed. My wife and I will be happy to see you your needs."
Barnabas smiled and nodded, "That is right Sandor. His wife's name is Magda and she is waiting for us back at the old house. It would seem that the current Collins family gave them permission to live there. When I explained that we would be the new owners and wondered if they would be interested in working for us, I made them see reason. Sandor was more amenable than his wife. But she saw the wisdom of working for us as to the alternative."
Vicki flushed seeing Sandor press his palm to his neck. He suspiciously studied Vicki wondering if she were like Barnabas in any way, when she showed signs of being warm blooded he relaxed around her. "Thank you Sandor or would you prefer to be called by your surname?" She stepped forward and offered her and in friendship.
"I am Sandor Rakowski if you prefer to call me Mr. Rakowski, I no mind but I answer quicker to Sandor. Magda she is a bit grumpy but she be fine once she gets to know you better." He smiled and it made all the differences in the world in his features he looked affable and approachable.
"Than you Sandor, then now what Barnabas?" She turned to note how he possessively watched her with Sandor.
"We go to the old house and set up house keeping, while I send Sandor and Magda to purchase clothing for us tomorrow. Sandor will bring my coffin later tonight. Now shall we?" He held out his arm to Vicki and tucked her hand into the bend of his arm.
Vicki moved out of the dank and moldy smelling mausoleum into the fog covered ground of the night. Moving along less traveled paths they came to the small buckboard that Barnabas had brought with Sandor. Helping Vicki on the conveyance he joined her drawing her close to his body allowing Sandor to drive the vehicle to the old house.
At their approach Vicki could see a small figure moving back and forth with a lantern held high over her head. Sandor pulled to the front of the house and placed the brake on, "Whoa… Hold up Nellie." He jumped down and waited for Barnabas to help Vicki down.
The female figure stood with a look of disgust and condemnation written all over her face watching Vicki being led to the steps. Vicki could see she was an older woman of undetermined age with long black hair, brown eyes and swarthy skin like Sandor. "So dis is the one you spoke of?" She said with no show of friendliness to her tone.
Vicki stepped forward and held out her hand. "Hello Mrs. Rakowski I am Victoria, it is a pleasure to meet you."
Sandor watched his wife and knew she wanted to spit on the hand being offered he closed his eyes and waited, if Magda disrespected this woman he feared what the vampire might do to her. Opening one eye he was pleased to see she slapped Vicki's hand in a firm handshake and a look of surprise came over her face. "You are the living?" She was obviously pleased and now worried.
"Yes, I am. I am sorry if we are creating a problem for you but I fear we have fallen on ill luck with the bandits taking all our things." She turned to peer at Sandor and smiled then looked at Magda who took her hand in hers and led her into the house.
"We share with no problem for the living." She glared at Barnabas and watched him move into the house with a degree of familiarity and Vicki could see the old house had fallen on less glorious times than when she was here last. Walking to the drawing room she saw a garish looking circular settee taking up the biggest part of the room.
"Oh dear, this is this an addition I was not expecting." She sighed remembering this room in the 1700's and in the 1900's and it was nothing to compare to the sparse furnishings or the state of the house. She turned to look at Barnabas, "Do you suppose they stored the old furnishings in the attic or cellar?"
Magda nodded, "Yes, the bedrooms have all the old furnishings and the other furniture was moved to the attic or the cellar, we fix tomorrow for tonight I put you in the big room with the picture of the pretty lady. You don need no room, you sleep the sleep of the dead during the day, you no sleep at all at night."
Barnabas frowned and Vicki moved to lay fingertips on his arm. "Mrs. Rakowski please there is no need to be rude. Please let us be civil while we are stuck with each other's company."
Magda looked at Sandor and frowned, "I do dis for her not him." Sandor smiled at his wife hoping she could see he was pleased to see she was willing to capitulate for the sake of a harmonious living arrangement. "Come I take you to the room with the picture of the pretty lady."
Vicki then realized she was speaking of Josette's room. "It is all right Mrs. Rakowski, I know where Josette's room is, I have been there many times before now. Thank you for your offer and help and I think once I can find some different clothing, I will help clean this place, I don't expect you to clean, can you cook? I fear I am not that good at cooking."
"Victoria I don't want you cleaning, you are the lady of this house, we will hire someone to come in to clean." Barnabas turned to face the woman he had learned was to be his wife in about one hundred fifty years.
"Barnabas, I cleaned Collinwood and helped out Mrs. Johnson with the chores, I am no stranger to hard work and the sooner we get this place habitable the better it will be for all of us. It is I don't know how to cook on a coal burning or wood burning stove."
Magda glared at Barnabas, "I cook for us, I cook good, Sandor missed no meals." She reached over and slapped his rounded belly. "I also help clean if it make you happy Victoria."
Vicki smiled her gratitude to Magda; "We will take it one room at a time Mrs. Rakowski."
"Call me Magda. I answer quicker to Magda than Rakowski. Now come I see you up the stairs." She turned to look at Sandor, "I guess you have to go pick up his coffin?"
Sandor nodded, "I will be back soon. " He kissed Magda and moved out the front door. Barnabas turned to watch Vicki moved up the stairs towards Josette's old room. His thoughts were he must have been a very lucky man to capture her heart and pledge to be his in another one hundred fifty years. Whipping his cloak off he put it on the coat rack. He moved into the drawing room with a dour look on his face, Vicki was right this place needed to be cleaned and he was going to see she had the proper help.
Moving down to the cellar door, he moved down the stairs. He was directed to one of the prisoner cells in the rear section of the cellar where he found the stone he needed and pressed, the stone shifted and moved, setting the huge stone on the floor he pulled out five chests. Opening them he smiled, golden coins, and jewels rested in the family secret hiding place. His father had secreted this away a long time ago and told him of it when he was but a teen and right before the war.
Taking enough coins out to secure a small house staff and clothing for him and Victoria he replaced the other chests in the wall. Before placing the last chest in he removed the deed his father had signed over to him. Pocketing the deed he smiled and patted his chest pocket.
Moving out of the rear of the cellar he paused by the arch that held the remains of Trask. Smiling he patted the stones and moved on to the stairs to return to the drawing room. Walking to the secret room in the drawing room he opened the door cracking it so that Sandor could move his coffin into the room sitting it on its bier.
Looking up the stairs he moved to climb the steps and paused hearing Magda speak with Vicki. "I can go look for something's up in the attic there are a lot of trunks up there, surely there is something up there that you could wear to bed."
"If you can give me a lantern Magda I can go look myself. I know when I was here last there were some day gowns and nightgowns in one of those trunks unless Abigail Collins had my things burned, they should be here still."
Barnabas knew exactly where the trunks were, moving into the room that had at one time held the love of his life he paused and looked around amazed that all that was needed was a deep cleaning and a change of linin on the bed. "Victoria, come with me and we will find you something to wear. Magda, heat some water so my wife may bathe before she retires."
"Is already done, all she need is something to wear to sleep in." Magda sounded defensive when she spoke to Barnabas, he could tell she did not like taking orders and relegated to a servants position, she might be a problem later."
Vicki smiled, "Thank you Magda, that was very kind of you. Darling you said you knew where the trunks were? I mean I would have thought Abigail would have burned my things."
Barnabas escorted her out of the bedroom and towards the stairs that led up to the servant's quarters and the attic. Making quick work of finding the trunks she found some clothing she could make use of while she cleaned the house and could use to sleep in.
Bringing down her treasures Vicki kissed Barnabas on his cheek and moved to Josette's room and to the bathing chambers. All she wanted was a nice warm bath, to wash her hair and put on some clean clothing and try to preserve her mother's wedding dress as best she could.
Barnabas smiled at the sweet kiss she put on his cheek then moved down stairs where he knew that Magda and Sandor awaited his return. He glanced to the open secret door and nodded then moved to close the door. "Now, tomorrow Sander you and Magda will make a trip to Portland and buy clothing suitable for a nobleman and woman and bring them back here, you will find a scullery maid and a ladies maid and bring her here."
"And we do dis on our looks? We have no monies to buy such fine clothing." Magda flipped her skirt as an emphasis to her disdain over his request. She began to rub her index finger against her thumb, "We need money."
Barnabas reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his purse and threw it to Magda, "See you buy what I tell you to buy or you might find my generosity is not as great as my anger can be."
Magda caught the purse and weighted it in her palm and smiled, "I need get food too, we will buy what is needed only and bring you back the rest of your monies, you no worry about Magda stealing from the dead, she knows better."
With the chiming of the clock on the mantle telling the hour as early Barnabas waved them off. "Now off to bed with you and I will see you at dusk tomorrow."
7.1
Vicki blew the hair out of her face and continued to scrub the floor with the makeshift mop she had made. Looking down at her hands she sighed, her nails were never going to be the same for some time to come but at least the majority of the lower floor rooms were now spotlessly clean. Standing she stretched from the small of her back and lifted the bucket of dirty water and moved down the hallway towards the kitchen.
How she wished she were back in 1969 and in her newly renovated kitchen. Glancing at the clock she had set on the table she frowned, she had about another three hours before she needed to bath and change before Barnabas arose. She sighed and went on cleaning the kitchen only giving a small gasp when a mouse ran across the floor after disturbing it from its hiding place.
In less than an hour she had made a big dent in the kitchen and had it habitable. She had visited the attic earlier and had pushed the pieces she needed brought down from upstairs to the center of the room. Then she had done the same for the items in the basement and there she paused recognizing the roll top desk as the one that occupied the parlor, she wondered if it were possible to hide a message in the desk and hope that it might be found in the future and maybe Julia and Professor Stokes might be able to figure out how to bring her back.
Shoving and pushing the roll top desk she frowned feeling it stuck on something. Putting her back into the lower part of the desk she shoved and felt it give and the crunching sound of what might have been bone. Pausing she moved and shifted the roll top away from the wall and saw brick that had torn loose from the wall. Bending down she saw a shoe and then she saw modern but aged and horribly treated worn clothing. Seeing a book in the pocket she pulled it out and found a diary. Looking at the poor man that had died in that wall now crumbling away from poor workmanship she moved upstairs.
Her conscious would not allow him to continue to rest there and when she could she would tell Barnabas and they would have his remains given a proper burial. Taking the diary she hoped it would tell her who that poor soul was now lying forlornly in the basement. Taking the diary she moved to the window and looked at the last entry.
'Trask is mad, he will never know that I put Vicki in another time, hell I don't even recall what time it was. I just shoved her through the door and then he took me and here is where I will die. At least I know she will be safe from that monster. He is insane.' Tears burned her eyes and blurred the rest of the written passage, Quentin that was Quentin. Upset and distraught she rushed upstairs and threw her dirty body across the bed and wept for the man that was her friend and now hero.
Rolling over she looked up and in a state of numb denial she studied the ceiling. She did not have Sarah or Josette here to help her and why had Josette not shown up or for that matter if she vowed to protect all Collins family why had she not protected Quentin? Something was not right here, sitting up she pushed herself from the bed, sniffed, wiped her nose and moved to closet, she was going to get to the bottom of that stairway if it was the very last thing she did.
Changing she moved down the stairs as she heard a rig pull up in front of the house and voices. Opening the door to allow the bright sunshine of the warming afternoon wash over her and fill her with is heat she watched Sandor and Magda help a pretty young gypsy girl off of the wagon followed by two strapping youths wearing the same clothing as the young girl. "Oh Victoria, good, we have all he wanted us to get. I bought food. This is Julianka, my cousin and her two brothers Rolf and Gregor. They will help and they know how to keep mouths shut."
Vicki was waylaid in her quest and had to table her need to go to Collinwood. The two young boys appeared to be in their late teens or early twenties and they appreciatively eyed Vicki as they passed her with a smirk on their lips. "Victoria do not trust those two." It was Barnabas' voice in her mind. Hearing him so clearly had startled her. The one with a rakish grin and twinkling eye was Gregor and he doffed his cap bent and took her abused hands and kissed the back of it
The more laid back and lazy one with unkempt hair and a slight odor to his body was Rolf. Both boys were of the same height and had the same basic features and they were handsome for men of the gypsy race, she did feel her heart race when Gregor took her hand. Magda frowned seeing Gregor making free with the gorger. "Rolf, Gregor come get the trunks bring them in. Be quick before Mr. Collins gets home."
Magda pushed the young girl to the front of the room and smiled, "This is Julianka she does not fear hard work and can cook. She help you dress too if you need her to help." Vicki looked at the pretty girl and thought her to be maybe around eighteen.
"Thank you. It is a pleasure to meet you all." She turned to watch the boys bring in several trunks and unload them in the middle of the foyer. Then watched Magda move into the house and look around.
"You have been busy I see," she reached for her hands and noted the crack nails and broken ones along with the red hands that were abused by the abrasive cleaner. "You no need to do this no more, we help now. We bring down furniture and bring up furniture." Magda waved off the rest of the house as inconsequential.
"I have all of the rooms down here cleaned and the furniture polished in the other rooms, I did clean out two bedrooms upstairs and was going to clean out more." She tucked her hands into her dress, though it was a dated dress it was serviceable and met the needs she had.
"No, we do. You go rest you look tired." Magda had cupped her hand against Vicki's face and smiled. "We do rest." Vicki smiled and relaxed but felt guilty that she should be helping and not just standing around doing nothing.
"I pushed the pieces I need into the center of the room of the main attic room and in the basement." She thought a moment; there it was what was hidden in the basement. "I have only three pieces that need to be brought up, one is a roll topped desk."
She knew if they pulled together, when Barnabas arose they would have the house in order and it would please him immensely. It did not take long to arrange the furniture and to place the pieces where they needed and with the help of the young men she had unpacked Barnabas' new clothing and had it hung in his dressing room in his room and her clothing placed away and her room ready for complete occupancy. Magda had even gotten new sheets and pillowcases for her bed and was grateful.
What she had found would be useable but needed a good laundering which was what she had planned to do tomorrow. She had unearthed some tubs and sighed, the only thing she missed was warm running water, which if she thought about it she could have piped in at some point, there was so much she could do for this house to improve its comfort. Barnabas may not miss the comfort but she did.
She was in the middle of remaking Barnabas bed when she felt someone standing behind her watching her. Turning she was surprised to see Barnabas standing in the doorway watching her being domesticated. "Do you realize how enchanting you look in this room making my bed?" He smiled and moved in to the room and took her hands.
Instinctively Vicki moved into his arms, placed her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, if but for a moment she could pretend this was her Barnabas from her time. She wanted him to be the same Barnabas with memories of their love. She needed to feel his arms around her and the tenderness of his words to reassure her that everything was gong to be fine.
The degree of her passion surprised and delighted him, slowly he backed her to the edge of the bed and gently lowered her down on the bed crawling on top of her, as their passion ignited in him he recalled he had not fed and a part of his primal need surfaced, his eyes began to glow with a blue intensity and his teeth grew and he felt the need to take from her what he needed, what he desired.
Realizing he was about to loose control he pushed from her and turned his back. "What? Did I do something wrong?" Vicki gasped collecting herself as he collected himself to regain control over his need. She saw him slump his shoulders and heave a sigh, he could not draw breath but he could sigh.
"No, I have not fed and I did not want to use you." He was being honest something that made his life so much easier with her, it seemed so natural for him to discuss his condition with her. He turned and the look of shame was evident on his face.
Vicki stepped forward, placing a hand on his arm she spoke softly and with words filled with love. "Take from me my love, take from me and save yourself the grief of hunting for your food source this night. I don't mind, I understand and together we will figure out how we can cure you as you are cured in the future."
He looked up with a spark of hope edging his eyes he could not believe his ears, did she say he was cured in the future? Surely this was not possible, it was a curse one inflicted on him by a hate filled vengeful witch. "I am cured?" He sounded hopeful for the first time since this was delivered upon him.
She nodded and moved into his arms, bent her head, "Take from me Barnabas, I give it to you freely, take what you need." Without hesitation he gently pushed her hair aside and bent his mouth pressing it to her delicate tender throat and bit into her neck. Feeling her flinch from the momentary pain he held her head to keep from tearing her throat and he drank deeply feeling her grow weak in his arms he stopped, lifted her and put her on his bed.
Moving next to her on the bed he cradled her next to his body. It felt right having her next to him like this. It was as it should be and always should have been. How could he have been so wrong? He sighed and spoke his words of recrimination, "I am so sorry my dear. Forgive me for what I was forced to do and had not wanted to except for your generosity."
"I knew it! You killed her! You monster you killed her!" Magda stormed into the room seeing him hold Vicki in his arms, blood drying on her throat, pale and lifeless in his arms.