Chapter 10

Delia crossed the room to where Derek was going over his math.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked belligerently.

"Talk about what?"

"Why you don't want me to be your partner in this?"

Derek lifted his head and looked at her. "It is not your style" he said lamely.

"Not my style, what do you mean? We used to be a team, you and I. I handled Roger for you."

"That was a while ago... before you went straight."

"Straight? What do you mean straight?"

"All of a sudden you have gone respectable. You are no fun anymore."

"Fun? You actually liked it when I tied you to the bed?"

"You were a lot more relaxed then.."

Willie sat in front of Barnabas' fireplace, cracking his knuckles.

"I know what you are going to say, but still I have the feeling that there is something odd going on with Louella... or maybe it is me. I know that I have been making an ass of myself an blaming it on you."

"Well, it is the first child for you and Louella, so you two will be acting strangely for a while. It is all normal."

"That's what I have been telling myself. Do you think that I am being paranoid again?"

"What's wrong?"

"She seems withdrawn, daydreams a lot, doesn't always pay attention to what I say."

"Seems normal. You must understand that she is going through several physiological changes and those reflect in changes in mood" Barnabas smiled "If you can act like an ass, why can't she be absent minded?"

"Yeah, I know that."

"You are projecting your own insecurities to her, that's all."

Willie nodded and kept looking down. "Do you think that I will be a good father?"

"I don't see why not."

"I am afraid that I will turn out to be like my old man."

"But why? You are not him."

"But I am his son."

Barnabas studied Willie with tenderness. He knew him so well. Always straining hard and every now and then falling flat on his face. Always chasing some wild dreams that most often did not pay up. Basically the same impulse that had driven him to search for hidden jewels.

"Julia gave you a clean bill of health. You don't have more quirks that you can deal with."

"But I will keep on making mistakes."

"Everybody makes mistakes. You will not avoid them, any more than I do. But you will manage. You should stop putting yourself down."

"Hell, I am only a high school dropout and an ex-con."

"You are a lot more than that. You are one of my closest friends. You are the proud owner of your own shop. You managed to push yourself into a higher tax bracket. You are catching up on your education. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

Willie laughed "Well, it seems that this time, it is you giving the pep talk."

"I guess so." Barnabas laughed with him. "we do that to each other a lot, don't we?"

"Yes, we do."

"Well, I might take a look at Louella to set your mind at ease. Are you coming to the party I am giving? Hallie decided to stay, and she has agreed to sing."

The scarab shone as it hung from Hallie's neck. Buffy saw it and frowned.

"Wear it always under your clothes." she admonished her "Barnabas must never know that you have it. or he'll find it easy to take it from you."

Hallie hid it under the clothes "Is this right?"

"Yes."

"Do you wear one, too?"

"No. With me, it is different." Buffy's eyes moistened as she recalled the passionate lovemaking she had experienced the night before, and the nights before that. How was it that you could embrace a man of fire and not be burned? She could not understand it. Neither could Frank, with his fire girl. But she was grateful for it. And she pitied Hallie for she was to be content with a gold scarab when she could have a golden man in her bed.

And Hallie pitied Buffy. To be content with a few furtive caresses in the night when she could have demanded the world at her feet. For how long would her love last? No one held the love of a salamander for long. When that was gone, Buffy would have nothing while she... she would be a star.

"Do I help you with Louella? When she lets us have the child?"

"Maybe... No. I can manage by myself. But maybe Torrance has some errands for you to run. He can't get around as easily as he'd like, with his job. As for the rest, She has other plans for you, once we bring her back."

It felt cold out there in the snow. But she had to stay. For she had seen the woman there, and it all came back to her.

Oriana strained her eyes. Yes. she had seen her before. She had already talked to her.

And her name was Priscilla... Priscilla Collins. And Barnabas was supposed to know about her.

She should ask Barnabas about her. She should have, days ago. But for some strange reason, she didn't.

The woman was barely more than a child. She had sad eyes, and the grief in them was more than you could expect of a girl to know. They looked so old, so weary...

"Tell him." the woman pleaded "tell him that Laura is returning."

Oriana raced back to the Old House. She would tell him this time. No more excuses to herself.

But as she came in, she moved to the fireplace to warm herself and while the heat melted the snow still on her boots it also melted away her decision... it had only been a hallucination, a mirage. No sense in telling Barnabas about it.

Louella shivered. Who was that woman she kept seeing day after day, standing immobile against the trees?

She was always there, each time she passed by. And she spoke the same words, always "Don't do it, Louella."

But don't do what? What could that be?"

She thought guiltily of her dreams, of what that man who had come demanding her child.

But those were just dreams. And she knew what caused them. Sometimes she was scared of her own child. She should not. She should have more confidence in herself.

...She was still there, among the trees...

"Don't do it, Louella: she said again.

Louella was changed, Barnabas thought when he saw her. She looked dreamier, softer. And somewhat tense. Well, that should be Willie's doing. He should have another talk on the subject with him.

"As you see, I keep growing every day."

"You look beautiful" he kissed her. "You know that we have the future Beverly Sills staying with us? She'll be singing later."

Willie and Louella came in to be greeted by Oriana while Barnabas turned to admit Zeb and Jessica King.

"Welcome" he smiled at them "I don't usually jump on my guests and tie them up." he said, apologetically.

"I know you don't" Zeb extended his hand. "And I don't usually pistol-whip helpless people. So why not behave like the civilized people we are?"

"Well, enough of that. " Jessica said with animation. Why don't you show us the house? I have heard quite a bit about it."

"Gladly."

George exchanged glances with Julia. "You know what he's trying to do, don't you?"

"He'll probably be trying to buy his affection or some such." Julia shook her head. "And probably will come in too strong and raise Zeb's hackles. But what can you do? He has to make his own mistakes, over and over again."

"And you know what's behind it." George grimaced "Dave fixed him right, he did. He's missing him. Like I miss him. I can't get over his being gone again, and this time for good. And with him it is worse. I wonder that he'll do next."

"Probably try with you."

George grimaced again. "I don't know... I don't know. I have wanted him for so long...But if he comes to me because he wants Dave again... I don't want him that way. I want him to come looking for me, George Brant, no one else!" he almost shouted "But then." he shrugged "I know this is the only way I can get him."

Julia nodded. "I know what you are going through. I have been there myself."

"It is just grieving. For me, for him, for you. Thank God now it is only that... But it still hurts." tears began forming in George's eyes.. "He was very sparing with demonstrations of affection. Had to, living in the closet... He could only tell me that he loved me in the bedroom, when he was certain that nobody was watching... If he had done it outside, or hugged me, or... anything, it would be easier...perhaps."

Julia nodded again, smiling sadly. "Time is the only cure; Or the only anodyne... "

Barnabas shows Zeb and Jessica the room, letting them admire the objects that he had managed to rescue from the trash heaps.

"This is lovely" Jessica held a porcelain figurine, which against all odds, had survived intact.

"Yes, it is."

"You like it?"

"It is pretty."

"You can have it."

"I couldn't..."

"Yes, you can. Here I barely notice it, while you will enjoy it a lot more."

Jessica agreed, while Zeb looked at Barnabas curiously. He shook his head, and growled softly.

Later they all sat down to listen to Hallie. Hallie gave Barnabas a half-angry, half-defiant look, and put her hand to her breast, where the scarab was, and drew strength from it. Then she stepped into the middle of the room to being her recital.

"Visi d'arte, visi d'amore..."

Hallie's voice was soft, but at the center there was steel, and the poignancy of Tosca's words, sung deceptively without flourish brought painful echoes to those who head them.

No technical firework, no searching for effect. Oriana reflected that it was a song what improved by starkness.

Barnabas gulped, noticing that tears were forming in his eyes...He was a sentimental fool...