Chapter 11

1795

Quentin heard the loud voices downstairs. He could pick out Joshua's anger filled tones and the wailing and screaming of a woman. Jumping from the bed, he slipped on his trousers and ran towards the front hall landing. Opening the door what he witnessed was heartbreaking and angering. Below the Bailiff was dragging off that sweet governess Miss Wycke at least that is what he thought her name was since they kept calling her that.

Joshua had followed and the man he had learned to hate in a short period of time now advanced on Victoria. Quentin heard his indecent proposal to her and this incensed him. Rushing down the steps he pulled Trask away from Victoria and threw him across the room. The look was more than menacing as Quentin advanced on Trasks fallen form. "If ever I see you near her again I will thrash you within an inch of your rotten miserable life and send you to your god and let him judge you!"

Joshua hearing the yelling from outside rushed into the foyer and saw Quentin towering over Trask. "What is the meaning of this?"

Quentin turned and glared at Joshua and as his anger cleared he spoke softly, "This man just told Miss Winters he would not pursue any further investigations against her if she would consent to lay with him and be his mistress!"

Quentin watched Joshua's face begin to suffuse several shades of red and he was sure he was about to explode with apoplexy if he continued with the withheld rage. "Sir, remove your presence from this house immediately and if ever you come here again I will have them set the dogs on you. The Governor is going to hear of this atrocity brought against a noble guest in my house!" Joshua with Quentin's help lifted Trask from the floor and threw him out the front door.

Slamming the door Joshua turned to Vicki and placed tender caring hands on her trembling shoulders. With over bright eyes she looked around and then back to Joshua. "I fear I have brought shame to your home Mr. Collins, please forgive me. I cannot express my sincere apologies enough."

Joshua drug her into his comforting arms and spoke softly to her. "There, there Miss Winters calm yourself. That scoundrel will never be near you again as long as I have a say over this house and this family you will be safe here."

"Joshua what is happening?" Naomi walked to the landing with Josette following her. Quentin turned to the sound of the new voice and was thunderstruck. Elizabeth was standing on that balcony now along with Maggie Evans. Was he going mad?

"Naomi please come help Miss Winters she was just accosted by that poor excuse for a man Trask!" Vicki had stepped away and turned to stand next to Quentin.

Placing her hand on his shoulder she smiled and spoke softly, "Thank you Mr. Collins I don't know what I would have done had you not been there to witness that despicable man's proposal."

Naomi was immediately concerned hearing that Trask had attacked Victoria again. She hurried down the stairs to her side. Naomi turned to peer curiously to the handsome man now standing half dressed next to Victoria and she took Vicki into a warm embrace. "Oh you poor child and I suppose that monster has poor Miss Wycke?" She turned peering at Joshua.

"Yes, he had the Bailiff and a warrant for her arrest." Joshua was still burning over the backhanded way this whole thing had been handled and then to discover that Trask was now pursuing an alleged allegation against Miss Winters was tearing into the core of his being. He had hopes of possibly marrying her off to Barnabas to stop all this nonsense of his being attracted to Josette.

Josette moved forward, "Come why not adjourn to the drawing room. I am sure we all would be far more comfortable unless Mr. Quentin Collins would like to retire to his bed?" She smiled graciously and looked expectantly to Victoria who was obviously still distressed. Turning she walked to the drawing room and waited for them to join her.

Vicki glanced over to Quentin and then at his bare feet and for a moment only gave him the slightest of a smile. "Perhaps if nothing else he would like to go to his room to finish dressing?"

Quentin leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I shall return when I am better dressed." He bowed to the ladies taking Naomi's hand to kiss it. "I look forward to meeting the whole family now if you will excuse me I shall go dress and be happy to join you."

1845

Victoria smoothed her gown down and looked around the dining room to make sure it was dressed to perfection. She did not wish to admit that she was nervous but she was. From behind she felt the gentle caress of a hand as it inched its way around her waist to pull her up next to his body. She had to get used to the fact he was not warmed bodied as she was and smiled loving the feel of his touch. "My dearest Victoria you have out done yourself. This reminds me of times past when my parents had such grand dinners here in this room!"

He kissed her neck and then her cheek and stepped back. She had fed him earlier and was feeling a little weak but her new abilities were rapidly repairing what he had taken from her. She could not help but note he was more flush and pink when he had fed. Not as pale when he first awoke after not having fed for a couple of days.

Magda walked into the room with a snarl on her upper lip. "Your guests are here. Sandor and I will be in our room if you need us." She looked around at the extra servants that had been sent to help from the big house for the night. She did not like strangers in the house with them and she certainly did not like being excluded but she loathed most the Collins family members.

Victoria turned and looked with concern and compassion to Magda. "Magda, did you and Sandor get your supper? Do you need me to have the servants bring you something to your room?"

Magda waved her hand, "No we ate we are going to be in our room. I will say good night." She turned and with the clinking and clattering of her jewelry she sauntered from the room to the servants quarters. Going up the stairs to her room she opened the door to see Sandor sitting quietly in front of the fireplace.

"Why do we stay? You know we are travelers we should be shaking the dust of this stinking place from our feet." Sandor looked up from the fire to the face of the woman he had fallen hopelessly in love with so long ago.

"We stay because of Ginny. Once I know she will be fine with that man in the big house then we can go and be happy somewhere else." Magda had spoken and because she was the alpha mate in this relationship Sandor nodded.

"As you wish Magda, just know this is a bad situation where we live here with that undead man holding his power over the both of us." He had sighed softly and held out his arms to her and Magda slid into the embrace of his arms and sat on his lap.

"You know how much I love you Sandor? I love you with all my heart. " She kissed him and stoke his hair from his eyes looking deeply into them she spoke from her heart.

Sandor knew she meant it and he loved her with all his heart. "I give you my heart the only thing that I truly own and is mine and to give and always with me my dearest lover." He sighed closed his eyes and was happy to feel her so close to his aging body. "For you Magda we stay to protect Ginny."

1795

Victoria stood on the edge of Widow's Hill her life had been turned upside down since that séance at the old house. She had no idea what she was doing here and now she had a new element that had presented itself to her life while here another from her time that knew her but she had yet to meet him in that time. She rubbed her arms and watched the surf. "I think the weather is about to turn Miss Winters, perhaps you should go back to the house. Josette is looking for you."

Vicki turned and smiled at the well-loved features of Burke Devlin but she knew Burke was dead and this man was not Burke he was Jeremiah Collins the husband to another woman. "I just needed some time to collect my thoughts Mr. Collins." She shivered in her cloak and found he had taken his cloak and draped it over her shoulders. The scent of him was strong and she noted he favored a soft scent that was almost like sandalwood. It was the soap he used to have and bathe with and she knew it was his solely

Barnabas favored a scent of vanilla beans and a subtle scent of exotic oil from the West Indies Islands floral species. Something he must have picked up from the island of Martinique. She loved the differences between the two men. Shrugging into the warmth of the cape she sighed. "Now you will be cold Mr. Collins, I really need to give you back your cape."

She slipped it from her shoulders draped over her arms turning she exteneded it to him and felt him cover her hand with his and for a moment there was a charge of electricity between the two of them. Looking up they stared into each others eyes with a look of shock and for Vicki fear. She knew he belonged to Josette and she was not going to be the one to cause problems in their marriage. Vicki flushed and withdrew her hand. "No you are cold my dear and it would not do to allow my wife's good friend to grow ill." She turned from him, just that touch had renewed old feelings she once held for Burke.

Turning from him she peered out over the ocean's depths and was transported to a time so long ago when she had shared such intimate moments on this hilltop with Burke. She caught her breath and choked back her emotions. Blinking quickly to try and control the tears that were about to flow from her she took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Have I offended you Miss Winters?" Jeremiah's voice held a strong hint of concern and was once again worried he had caused her some distress by holding her hand a little too long. He had to admit he loved the feel of her soft hands when they caressed his and he found his thoughts going to wanting to steel a kiss from her and knew it would be wrong and so did she. He suspected she held tender feelings for him but was afraid of allowing them to grow any further than just friendship.

"Oh no, no, no Mr. Collins I felt a moment of weakness over a random thought and was remembering a man I once knew and you remind me of him."

"He was special?" He took a step forward to close the distance between them. He put his hand on her shoulder and found she was still trembling and wondered if it was because of him and her feelings for him.

She nodded slowly, "I think he was very special from what I can remember. I even think maybe we were engaged and well, I think he died." She sighed softly and looked at the hand resting on her shoulder. Reaching up she covered his hand with hers and spoke softly. "They are flashes of memories. I see a man very much like you and he is very tender to me and my feelings are similarly returned."

Burke cupped her chin with his fingertips and peered into her eyes and began to lower his lips to hers. She closed her eyes in anticipation of the kiss when a voice interrupted. "Excuse me and I interrupting?"

Vicki was startled and stepped back and felt her feet slip and she was falling when she felt a grip on her wrist. The wind whipped at her body as she dangled over the side of the cliff. "Miss Winters hold on!" Jeremiah had grabbed her wrist going to his knees to hold her weight, he turned his head to Quentin. "Help me please Mr. Collins before she falls to her death I am not sure how long i can hold her!"

Quentin rushed forward going to his knees he leaned over and grabbed her other arm and together the two men pulled her to safety. Standing they watched as her knees buckled from the sensaton of nearly tumbling to her death below. Quentin followed her to the ground as she collapsed and gathered her to his safe and secure arms. Wthout thinking before he spoke Quentin said softly as he stroked the hair from her fear filled gaze. "Oh Victoria! What would Barnabas had said if I had not protected you!" Jeremiah hearing his statement looked from her fear filled gaze to Quentin and frowned deeply. Vicki realizing what was just said turned her own concerned look upon the face of Jeremiah seeing that stunned look she knew he understood they knew each other.

"You two know each other?" Jeremiah was confused and beginning to grow with outrage hearing Quentin say that he as protecting her for Barnabas.

Quentin stood and helped Vicki up. "I think its time we had a little discussion Jeremiah. I just ask you keep an open mind and hear me out and hear out Miss Winters. You see we are two people out of our time. Victoria is here by some means I have no idea how except other forces were at work to bring her back here to save the Collins family. As for me that horrible man Trask found something I had thought had been long destroyed and brought me back to torture me and force me to tell him where I had hidden Victoria the problem is I have skipped backwards in time and now I am here with Victoria."

Jeremiah looked at Vicki then to Quentin and shook his head. "You are asking me to believe in sorcery and I do not! My question is this Mr. Quentin Collins." He snorted as he said the name Collins "Are you even a Collins?"

Vicki sighed and looked down, "Allow me to tell you all I know Jeremiah. Everything I know about your family and as for Quentin." She paused she had read the family history quite extensively so and his branch of the family was listed very extnesively in the family. His ancestor had been an issue from Daniel. The very same Daniel tht now resided at Collinwood and would be the only surviving member of this family. "Yes, he is a Collins, he is from the same year as I am but for the life of me I don't know him because we have not met. But hear us out please, allow us to tell you things about your life and your life to come to convince you we speak the truth and for the love of God do not call Trask or the Bailiff. I do not wish to hang or burn."

Quentin sighed rubbed his hand over the back of his neck and then nodded. "Perhaps there is somewhere we can go to speak in private and try to convince you that what we say is the truth."

Vicki held up her hand. "I know a place we can go and talk and have privacy and you will be partially convince I speak the truth. Lets go to the family mausoleum." Vicki took a deep breath she had just come so close to death and now she was feeling the near death experience but more than that she was about to confess to a man from the 18th Century that she was here from the 20th century. Walking towards the pathway that led to Eagle Hill Cemetery she spoke softly. "Here is all I know from the history books in Collinwood. You see I did some extensive research on the Collins Family because of the Barnabas from my time that is the great, great grandson of this Barnabas. You see I think we are growing closer and have shared feelings for one another."

She paused to catch her breath. "I know how hard this is for you Vicki, but together we will assure Jeremiah that his legacy lives on and we are here to correct a wrong to keep this family line alive."

Vicki sighed, "Yes, of course Quentin." Vicki continued to move forward with the two men. Tacing their steps through the fog shrouded tombstones she sighed as she approached a place that had been a refuge and a part of her history. Pausing for a moment she looked at icon of the lion's head over Naomi's face plate. Stepping to the lion's head she reached for the ring and pulled. Jeremiah stood shocked that she knew about the secret room.

She waited for the door to open and then stepped down the stairs to stand in the center of the room. "This room was made by you and your father to store munitions for the war effort. You stored guns and powder in here from the English." She noticed that Quentin was equally surprised about this room. Both men followed her through the entrance to the room Vicki closed the door and turned.

"Now to get out of this room, there is a lever under this stone." She tapped her foot on the stone. The brick can move and then you pull the lever and it opens the door." She walked to the center of the empty room. "Your decision to build Collinwood was so that you could have your whole family under one roof with your new bride and your future family. Joshua gave you some grief about wishing to stay in the old house because that was his home and you were the master of Collinwood. But to share with your brother all you had accomplished you gave up that right to be master of Collinwood to Joshua."

She sighed deeply and then she turned to look at Quentin, "We later learned that the old house was signed over to your nephew Barnabas as a gift for him to raise his family. That is where the current and by current I mean from my time, Barnabas lives and where I believe some day I shall according to what Quentin tells me will live as his wife."

"Yes, well your Barnabas is going to relocate to England and start a family there. When his line begins to dwindle he comes to Collinsport from Cadogan Square London England. My family immigrated to France and well I became world traveled and actually lived in Collinwood for a number of years. Just as my great grandfather had been an issue and was allowed to live here under his Uncle Daniel's auspices. He was a generous host to me." Quentin hedged on that piece of information. "I always felt I was more Collins from the Americas than I was from France."

Vicki nodded and folded her arms over her chest. "As for me I came here as a governess to a young man named David Collins and David is an identical twin to Daniel. Elizabeth is very much the same as Naomi. Through this association I came to love the past and my Barnabas and I spoke of hours of the time that had long past. The problem is I am here now because of some sorcery and not by those I know here or by me but by another that has vengeance in their heart to destroy the Collins family. I can tell you where and why you built certain parts of Collinwood."

She looked around the secret room. "Collinwood has many secret passages, one of which is built leading to and from the drawing room. In the bedroom I was given and where Josette stayed before she took up your room, there is a secret passage. That is the very same room I use while I am in residence at Collinwood in my time. But more importantly I can prove what I say just by quoting something you wrote in your very own diary that no one would know but you."

Jeremiah looked half afraid for her to reveal what she was about to say. "My love for Josette grows with each passing day. I fear however that I have found tender feelings for another and that other is not for me. I am a married man and I must be faithful to my wife even if she is not faithful to me." Her words had grown soft with compassion and with a hint of regret. "You wrote those words a week ago and that diary was kept in a safe place you had it hidden in a wall safe in your bedroom."

Jeremiah staggered back his eyes wide and his face draining with color as he leaned heavily to the wall. "There is no way you could know this. How is this possible?" His words were ragged and filled with raw emotions.

"It is possible because there is a witch at Collinwood and she is here to hurt those that have rejected her feelings and she is here to destroy those that she perceived caused her this pain, it is a woman scorned." Quentin sighed deeply and looked at Victoria. "And her name is Angelique. She is about to unleash a curse on Collinwood that we have never seen the likes of since Isaac Collins passed judgment on Judah Zachary. "

Vicki nodded and then turned and looked curiously at Quentin, "You found out who the witch was?"

Quentin nodded, "She continued to create problems even in our time but she has since been silenced by Judah Zachary. We have not had the displeasure of her company for sometime. I also took care of Bradford."

Both turned to look curiously at Quentin. "What is this of Bradford?" Jeremiah asked with a degree of concern. This was the best friend to his nephew.

Quentin knew he had made a mistake mentioning Bradford. "Not the one I am sure you are thinking of there was a Bradford from this time and I am sure you agree that the name of Bradford is a common name." Quentin tried hard to cover his mistake. Vicki was not so convinced. She knew that the Peter Bradford she knew in this time had ties to this Barnabas and Miss Wycke.

"Of course it is an old New England name well respected in this area." Jeremiah sighed and moved to open the door to the secret room. "Well I must say I am astounded to hear such accountings and find myself completely flummoxed by your account of how you both came to be here. I hope you do not mind if I take time to think through all you have told me and allow me to draw my own conclusions?"

Vicki nodded feeling anxious, she was one step away from the gallows if this man decided to go to Trask. Quentin was beginning to feel the itching sensation as the moon was threatening to break through the cloud cover. Turning from them he spoke softly. "if you will allow me some moments alone I would like to reflect on my situation and that of Miss Winters."

The two nodded to Quentin and turned to leave him alone in the secret room. It felt like a thousand ants were crawling over his arms and he knew the pain would be coming. He had two more days of a full moon and he needed to close that door and take his shirt off. Watching them leave he pushed the door shut and removed his shirt and then his britches. Sitting down on his haunches he felt the pain grip him. With the first pains of transformation upon him he curled into a knot and screamed out in pain. Thanking whatever powers to be that they had found him a safe haven to hide in while he went through this ordeal.

1845

The Collins family gathered around the expansively long table with Barnabas at one end and allowing Daniel to sit at the head of the table at the other end. Barnabas had Vicki seated to his right and Quentin to his left. Daniel had his wife Harriet to his right and across from her was Edward and next to Edward was Joanna, Carl was next to Harriett was Daphne, Carl, and Edith, Amanda and Tad took up the rest of the chairs. At the last moment in a flurry of skirts and a flushed face filled with embarassement Judith made her appearance at the door. "Am I late? I do apologize!"

The men stood and Barnabas pulled a chair out to seat the woman that strongly resembled his mother. Seating her he turned to reseat himself and nodded to the servants. Being every bit the head of his household Barnabas looked with a courtesy to Jeremiah whom in turned also nodded his head for the dinner to be served. Barnabas had pushed his food around on his plate and taken small bites. He knew later he would have to regurgitate the food to keep his stomach from allowing it to sour in his body and create gasteric distress. Being a member of the living dead his body now only could process and use for fuel the blood he took to replish his needs and use as a soure for fuel.

The conversation now enlivening the room had consisted of the current residentes of of Collinwood were welcoming the newly arrived members of the Collins Family. Vicki sat quietly listening to the conversation with an anxious feeling that something was not quiet right. She could not put a finger on it but it was like she had lived through this part of her life all over again. A part of her knew that she was about to become the seduction tartet of Quentin. Glancing at him she could see he sat across from her with a dry and sardonic smile and mischief dancing in his eyes and she almost thought it looked like a letcherous leer as he winked at her. Dropping her gaze she knew instinctively the next thing that the next events that were to unfold was that Quentin would foce his advances on her and try to seduce her and she did not know how she knew this she just knew it was about to happen.

This thought made her extremely nervous she had never had that kind of relationship with this man and she was fearful of what this Barnabas would do knowing how possessive he had become of her and knew his feelings were growing more tender and caring towards her with each passing minute they spent in each other's company. Just knowing she was about to become his wife in the 20th century made her more cautious than usual. She knew that the Quentin from the 20th century was bound to a woman that looked very much like the Daphne from this time. She was becoming exceedingly unsettled in the company of a man that now sat across from her. Figdeting with her fork and flushing deeply she did not notice that Barnabas was watching her with growing concern and curiosity. Vicki knew that if she was going to survive this time she was going to havoid Quentin at all costs.

Reaching with trembling fingers she lifted her glass of red wine and Sipped lightly turning her gaze to Daniel who had now stood and tapped his knife against his water glass. She waited for Daniel to propose a toast to the Barnabas Collins and for many more family dinners to be shared between the two families. It was an odd sensation but one that she could not describe as she lifted her glass and then felt light headed and had grown very pale.

"Victoria are you unwell?" Barnabas watched with some concern as she stood lifted her head and closed her eyes to collapse in a dead faint to the floor.