Chapter 10

Louella drifted, half-asleep, aware of Charity's comforting presence by her side.

"Can you hear me?" From somewhere the voice came, a man's voice.

"Who are you?" Fear came to her, only to disappear under Charity's gentle prodding."

"You know who I am."

"What do you want from me?" In spite of Charity, Louella began retreating.

"I won't come any closer." his voice w as soothing. "I only wanted to tell you one thing."

"What is it?" Louella felt herself relax.

"I never had sexual relations with your husband. I have never desired them. And if I had, he would have refused me."

"It...it isn't true."

"It is."

Charity's hands descended on Louella's face, comforting her.

"Why are you unwilling to believe it.?"

"Because Quentin.."

"In spite of everything you believe Quentin?"

"Do you find that bed comfortable?" Carolyn shot at Nicholas, sprawled on Roger's bed.

"I...I am sorry." Nicholas got up, flustered.

"Enjoy it a little longer. Soon I will take it away."

"What do you mean?"

"Uncle Roger is coming back."

Nicholas lifted an eyebrow. "Is he cured then?"

"I don't see what business it is of yours. All you need to know is that this room is off limits to you."

"Until the guys in the white coats take him away., again."

Carolyn slapped him.

"Don't be theatrical. You and I know the only reason he's getting out is because you bribed his doctor. He will get in trouble again."

Megan knocked nervously on Barnabas' door. Should she do this by herself?

Phillip smiled longingly at her as he opened the door. "Megan" she said "I missed you."

"So have I" Just the wrong thing to say...what was she thinking?

"How are you doing?" Phillip's smile widened.

"Well," she forced herself to snap back. "Didn't you get my letter? I want you to file for divorce."

"I got the letter. But I don't want to."

"But why? I will not come back to you. This way, you'll be free to marry again."

"But I don't want to marry again. I want you. I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for my sake."

He was close to her. Close enough to feel the warmth of his body, to sense the beating in his veins...

"No!" with an effort she turned her back to him. "Don't be a fool, Phillip. Get a divorce and start a new life."

"I hurt you, didn't I?" he put his hand on her shoulder. "when you came to my cell and I rejected you."

"It's past history" she made her voice hard. "you don't owe me anything for that."

"But I want to."

"You have no idea what you are talking about."

If she were to look into his face again she wouldn't be able to resist. Her hands grabbed the edge of a chair, working it with her fingers. She looked down at the floor, not trusting herself to speak.

"Meggy, do you remember how it was?" He was now caressing her hair, trying to make her look at him.

"Don't be stupid." she managed to say between clenched teeth.

"Meggy, you can't tell me that I mean nothing to you."

Her tongue was rubbing against her fangs in anticipation. She didn't want to, but she would. She tried to clamp her jaws shut, to look away.

The door opened, and Barnabas came in.

"Oh, I am sorry. I didn't know you had your girlfriend here."

Megan turned quickly "I want to see you. Now."

There was no mistaking the plea in her eyes. Barnabas took her by the arm, and led her away.

"You came just in time. Five minutes more and..."

"What happened?"

"I came to ask him for a divorce. And he doesn't want to. He wants me back. Can you beat it? He's a fool. And I can't help loving him. "she laughed. "What do I care if I am married or not? it is all the same to me. But while he is tied to me, he can't marry again. Do you understand why I am doing this?

"Yes. Does he know how it is with you?"

"He doesn't care."

"Maybe if... if he saw you feeding it would be different."

"Has he ever seen you?"

"Of course not!" Barnabas was shocked at the idea. "it is not something you do in public."

"A matter of privacy, eh?"

"Not only for me, but the people involved."

"Well, I will have to find someone who won't mind being watched."

"Christ loves you! Christ died for you!" Quentin thumped the Bible, trying to get some kind of response from the stony faced Indians around him.

"Don't be snared by Satan and his demons! Accept the only Son of God as your Lord and Savior!"

In the back row two followers of Old Munsungan muttered among themselves.

"He's saying that we worship devils, isn't he? That Old Munsungan is a servant of the Devil?"

"Yes. Do you remember when we had Barnabas Collins?"

"I was the one who tied his hands. He didn't like that."

"We could do the same to this fool. Only that he wouldn't get released."

Barnabas was about to go when Tammy knocked at his door.

"Miss Innes?" he said tentatively.

"Who else? There aren't many blacks in this hick town.

"Mrs. Todd told me about you." he decided to ignore her bad manners.

"What did she tell you?"

"That she was satisfied with your work."

"Surprised that a nigger can actually hack it?"

"She didn't' say that."

"She thinks it. As if she wasn't something much worse. Boy, she's a creep."

"I wouldn't put it that way."

"Of course not. You are another creep yourself. Or is freak a better word? Or monster?"

Barnabas went to the door. "Miss Innes, if you have something to say, say it. If all you want is to insult me, you'll have to leave."

"Oh, I have something to say, all right. Even if you don't like it."

"What is it?"

"I want you to bite me."

Barnabas stiffened "Why?"

"Because I am curious. And this curiosity of mine doesn't let me sleep."

"And I am supposed to satisfy your curiosity?"

"Why not? Am I so different from the others?"

"They have better manners."

"They are white, that's it."

"They are not." she had cornered him, and he hated it.

"Any blacks on your list?"

"As you said, not many of them in town."

"You are a racist."

Barnabas considered grabbing her and throwing her out. But if he did, she'd only keep coming back. Better give her what she wanted, and make it as unpleasant as possible for her.

"All right." he said. "go to the couch and sit down."

"I rather stand."

"As you wish" he came to her side and began massaging her neck.

"What are you doing?"

"You are too tense."

"Why do you care?"

"If you get sick over me, will you pay the dry cleaning bill?"

Her arm was between the two. Ordinarily he would have removed it. But he didn't. It would serve her right if she came out of it with a numbed arm.

He didn't put much care in finding the vein. If his fumbling hurt her, so much the better. And when he finished drinking, he let the blood flow so as to stain her clothes.

He let her go, as she moved unsteadily backwards.

"If you want to get sick, do it outside " he snarled at her.

"I will be all right. Next time..."

"There won't be a next time. I don't care to ever set eyes on you again. Get out and stay out!"

"Come children" Sister Kira said "What are you?"

"Lambs of God!" the children shouted.

"Do you want to on being Lambs of God?"

"Yes!"

"Do you want to do what God says?"

"Yes!"

"Do you know what God says?"

"Yes!"

"What does God say?"

"We must do what Sister Kira says""

Kira smiled. A pity that the children weren't older. But young as they were, children have their uses...

Sabrina wondered what to do. Confront Maggie with her knowledge? She would only get fired. And she didn't have enough proof.

Go at it without authorization? It was risky. Everybody and his cousin was a leaker in Washington. It was hard to keep a secret, such as he conducting an investigation.

Allow Sebastian to go on blackmailing Maggie?

Up to now, the money demands seemed to be reasonable, and no political demands. She could see why Maggie paid him to keep him out of her hair.

The situation warranted monitoring, in case something changed, but in the meantime, she'd better give people like Gladys and that new kid, Bob Woods, some other trail to follow, so that they forgot any unusual behavior from her that they might have noticed.

So, keep monitoring for now.