Chapter 14

Collinwood

Edward sobbing followed the servants back to the big house with his beloved Joanna wrapped in a blanket. Edith stood watching stoically calm on the top landing as the body was carried into the foyer. She showed no remorse or regrets only a calm superior attitude. Edith was almost happy with this set of circumstances, in her mind she thought, "One down, one to go." Then Silas shifted his burden and Beth watched the pale hand drop from under the blanket.

Swallowing hard she lowered her eyelashes over her gaze, when from behind a cold air wafted around he body, a soft hissing voice whispered in her ear, "You think you have won on this Edith, I assure you I am here to stay until they all know what you did." Edith gasped and turned and seeing the water shrouded figure of Joanna Miles behind her. Covering her mouth Edith turned and rushing from the landing to her room. Edith fled down the hallway turning to look over her shoulder to see if the apparition was following her. She scurried along the hallway trying to get away from Joanna. But Joanna's moans followed her down the hallway. Her voice echoed around calling in a whispering voice, "Murderer! Murderer, I will haunt you to your death! Murderer!"

Edith rushed into her room and slammed her door behind her and locking it and turned to come up short startled to see Gabriel standing before her without his wheel chair. "My God, you can walk?" Gabriel laughed, and began to pace the room turning to look over his shoulder watching his loving wife stand in the middle of the room looking pale and shaken. He chuckled softly and walked to peer out the window.

"You appear to be upset over something my dear, would it be the fact that you just murdered Joanna Miles by throwing her off Widow's Hill?" He laughed and turned to look her in the eye and saw she was shocked by his revelation, "How did I know, my dear Edith, I have been standing here watching you for the past hour while you duped that poor stupid girl out to the hill and then watched as you tossed her over the side of said hill. You have been a very bad girl all because you thought she was sleeping with Quentin?" He clicked his tongue and sighed deeply. "You are a fool Edith, this is what you are going to do.

He could not have planned this better than if he had contrived this himself. She stood shaking and he smiled, he enjoyed her fear of him and now she was trapped. "Please Gabriel you can not possibly turn me in to the authorities! I am your wife!" She hated having to plead with him. She watched anticipating what his reaction would be to her pleas.

He stood unmoved; he smiled while he watched out her window. "No Edith you are going on a trip. There is a ship bound for England moored at the Collinsport docks. Now, you are going to pack your things and leave Collinwood and you will never return, if you don't I will tell everyone what I saw and you can have an appointment with the hangman's noose." He had been so cold as he laid out his plans for her and she knew to plea with his further would be an effort in futility. She had to try one more time to reason with him, she could not leave Collinwood or never see Quentin again, she would die if that were to happen.

He turned to see her pale and shaken watching him, "I can't leave here, I have no way of taking care of myself in England." She walked to the edge of her bed and sat. "How can you do this to me Gabriel I am your wife!" She was scared and now she was caught in her own trap, she realized she had just reacted and had not plan out her actions very well. She watched him standing tall on his own two feet with his hands locked behind his back.

Gabriel was impassively watching the grounds and noting Quentin heading to the Old House and figuring he was headed to romance Cousin Barnabas' wife. A part of him raged at this thought. Why did Quentin deserve all the beautiful women? Was it because he was a true Collins and not a bastard, his body tensed with this thought. He wanted Victoria and would make sure that she would belong to him and not Quentin. He just had to make sure she was not soiled by Quentin's touch.

Edith noting he appeared distracted, calculated that if she got him close enough to the window perhaps she could throw him out and watch him plunge to his death to the ground below the window, which was a good forty-foot drop on the slope. Standing Edith walked slowly towards him, coming up behind him, she estimated he was still weak from the time he had spent in his wheel chair. Drawing her arms up and around him in a hug she was surprised at the strength he showed by shrugging her off of him..

Turning with a hint of anger burning in his gaze he spoke out cruelly, "Quiet to the contrary Edith I can do this to you, I saw what you did to Joanna out there, " He nodded to Widow's Hill. "I saw you push her off that hill and watch her fall and die and then you calmly walked back here as if there was nothing wrong and you had just went for a stroll."

He felt her arms around him again and now she was inching up to his neck, Her fingers latched to his throat and she tried to strangle him. He threw her hands off and glared at her, "So this is how you wish to treat your poor loving husband? I think not Edith. Its time for a few home truths for us all." He bent and jerked her up and shoved her to the door. Dragging her pleading down the hallway. Slamming open the door Gabriel stepped through pulling the struggling Edith with him. Obviously, with the sound of a door opening with such force had gained the attention of anyone in the foyer. Shoving Edit in front of him on the landing. From the foyer below the bailiff and Daniel and Edward stood, with poor Joanna's body covered and lying on the floor.

All eyes turned at the sound of a sobbing woman and Edward was the first to react, 'Gabriel you can walk?" He turned to his father Daniel who looked upon his son and frowned deeply, "What is the about Gabriel? Why have you brought Edith held so tightly and obviously hurting from the pressure of your hold to this room?" Edward demanded being the gentleman as he was had seen enough pain to last him a lifetime. Daniel leaned on the table in the foyer and waited for his son to respond.

"I will not release her father for fear she may try to kill again! After tossing poor Joanna from the cliff she came to my room and thinking I was helpless she tried to choke me. She was as surprised as I was that I could stand to fight her off. "

The Bailiff and Edward were outraged looking from Edith to Gabriel. "Why would she do such a thing?" Daniel asked stepping forward. He was pale, shaken and filled with anger that someone under his roof could do such a thing. All eyes were pinned to the woman now huddled against the banister,

"Because she was jealous, she thought Quentin was holding affections for Joanna, when in fact Quentin has sent Joanna back to Edward for a second chance at love. She wanted me gone so it would leave the door open for her to entrap Quentin in her deadly clutches." Gabriel stepped forward grabbing her by her hair and growled. "Tell them what you did!"

Edith looked down at the all and her eyes widen. There rising up out of her cold dead body standing next covered in her watery shroud was Joanna looking up at her accusingly. "You did this because of Quentin? I had no designs on Quentin t'was Edward I loved and wanted to be with for the rest of my life, but you stole that from me." She raised an accusing finger pointing it towards Edith.

Edward looked from Edith to his father and saw him pale and swayed on his feet. Reaching forward to hold his father's arm while he waited for Edith to say something. Gabriel seeing all eyes was on him continued with his dramatic revelations.

"I watched from her bedroom while she lured poor defenseless Joanna to Widow's Hill." Gabriel stepped forward and towered over the huddled form of Edith holding onto the bannister for support.

He reached forward and grabbed Edith's arm jerking her up to peer into her tear filled gaze. He lowered his voice and spoke with a strength that surprised them all, the passion of his speech not going unnoticed by others that had gathered in the hallway to hear what all the fuss had been about. "Because this woman, my loving wife pushed poor Joanna from the cliff and watched her die. She murdered Joanna without any remorse, she is the reason Joanna died."

Harriett had stepped into the foyer from the dining hall. She had heard a scream and was concerned that Daniel had not returned to his lunch. Entering the foyer, Harriet looked at the shrouded body of a woman lying on the floor, then to her husband and son, turning her eyes upon Edith being held by Gabriel who was standing and heard Gabriel proclaim that Edith had murdered Joanna. She turned her pain filled gaze from the covered body to peer up to the drama unfolding on the upstairs landing. "No," she gasped and held her hand to her mouth in shock.

Edith could not drag her gaze away from the ghostly figure of Joanna standing over her body pointing that finger at her, she kept mouthing over and over "Murderer, murderer!" Edith shook her head, this could not be happening to her, this was not happening she was in some kind of horrible nightmare world and she had to escape. Pulling against Gabriel's hold she cried out "Let me go!"

Gabriel when Edith pulled against his hold shoved Edith forward against the rail, when he did, the rail cracked and then buckled against Edith's weight and Edith felt herself falling forward down to the floor below. Her scream reacted and echoed off the walls being heard all the way to Daphne's room where she had retired after telling her sister good bye and to grieve in her own way in her room.

Edith hit with a sickening thud after hitting the floor Edith broke her neck. Joanna smiled watching Edith die instant. She had been avenged. Joanna's ghost faded from Edith's dying view. Gabriel sighed and shook his head. "I did not intend for that to happen. For that I am truly sorry, she pulled from me and I fear her weight sent her tumbling over the rail. But this I can assure you I did see her from the upstairs bedroom push poor Joanna from the hill, they appeared to be arguing and . . . " His words were interrupted by the soft gasp and pain filled doe eyed gaze of Daphne standing in the doorway.

Daphne pushed past Gabriel and rushed down the stairs to lay over her sister's broken body. "No! No, that cannot be! Why would she do that to my beautiful sister?" She looked around for an explanation. Gabriel stepped forward and slowly walked down the stairs using the rail for support and when he got to the bottom step he was truly sorry that Daphne had to see this but he also wanted the truth out.

"Because she thought Joanna was trying to steal Quentin's affections from her, she and Quentin have been having an affair for the past year. She was consumed with her jealousy and wanted her and me out of the way. That was why she tried to strangle me." He moved his cravat and showed the scratch marks. Scratch marks that Edith had made earlier on his neck when she tried to choke him. Harriet gasped and turned her face away from Gabriel and began to sob.

The Bailiff having heard enough was ready to proclaim the two deaths a murder and accidental death after he spoke with the Coroner in regards to his inquiry. "Mr. Collins, I will make my report to the Judge advocate and I am satisfied that this is a case of murder and an accidental death. What do you want done with the bodies?" A servant had quietly entered the room and covered Edith's body and withdrew to within calling distance but had to tell the others that had gathered what she had over heard.

Daniel held onto his weeping wife and spoke softly, "We will bury them in the family crypt. Thank you James for coming so quickly and for at least keeping this as quiet as possible." He turned and led the sobbing Harriett into the drawing room. Gabriel stood up and stepped to Daphne who held tightly to him and he helped her up the stairs to her room.

Old House

Quentin walked up to the door and knocked, turning he noticed that the front lawn had not been tended and that the area still held a desolate feel to it, perhaps his cousin and his wife would see to the grounds after they finished with the house. The door opened and Barnabas stood there watching him study the grounds. "Cousin Quentin do come in." He stepped aside to allow Quentin access to the foyer. Closing the door he escorted Quentin into the drawing room where Victoria stood with her back to him, turning she smiled.

"Quentin how nice of you to pay us a visit. Do come in and may I get you a drink?" Quentin smiled tensely and nodded.

"Thank you, that would be generous of you. I fear I come bearing sad news. There has been another tragic accident and Widows Hill has claimed another victim." Vicki paused in getting him a drink and Barnabas frowned.

"Perhaps we should continue this conversation in the library Cousin Quentin shall we adjourn there." Barnabas extended his hand to the louvered doors and escorted him down the hallway to his library. Victoria followed behind them and waited for them to enter Barnabas' library. Victoria followed behind them while she waited for Quentin to sit and Barnabas to take up his position behind the desk and sat in his chair.

Handing Quentin a glass of bourbon she turned and poured the special red liquid for Barnabas into his glass and handed it to him. He looked at the glass and her and lifted the glass to smell it and smiled, she had procured him some blood. Lifting the glass he sipped and waited for Quentin to speak.

"Earlier a tragic accident occurred, Edward's intended, Daphne's sister fell from Widow's Hill." He lifted his glass and drank it down in a quick swallow. Vicki clutched her neck and looked down, the woman that looked so much like her was dead.

Glancing to Barnabas she spoke softly, "I will go over there now to see what we can do. Will you be all right here with Barnabas?" She had laid a hand of comfort on Quentin's shoulder and watched him nod. He was still a little shocked because he had been with her a little earlier and sent her back to Edward's warm embrace. Now she was dead and he some how felt a need to feel responsible. Vicki quietly left the room and walked to the front drawing room stopping long enough to pull on a shawl and head out of the door.

Collinwood

Victoria rushed down the well-traveled and worn pathway between Collinwood and the old house. Hurrying, she felt sick to her stomach at the thought that bright vibrant girl was dead. Arriving under the porte conchere and finding the door ajar, she stepped in and came up short, two covered bodies lay on the floor one wet the other with a the blond hair visible from the blanket that covered her. "Oh my." She spoke out loud not realizing it and glanced up to see Gabriel standing in the doorway of the drawing room.

"Please Victoria, do come in and join mother and father they are very upset." Victoria stepped around the bodies only momentarily stooping down next to the one she knew to be Joanna and gently touched the blanket. Her concern and her consideration for the dead was written on her features. Victoria walked to Gabriel and felt him grab her close for a hug and he sighed deeply and inhaled the scent of her hair and affecting the proper soulful sound of mourning the loss of a loved one spoke softly, "Edith murdered our dear Joanna and then she fell to her death from the landing." Vicki glanced to the landing and saw the broken railing.

"Murdered her? How, why, I mean I am so sorry, but why and how did this happen." Gabriel heard his mother speak in her tear-choked voice.

"Gabriel dear son do allow Victoria to enter and join us for tea. Although it's a horrible time and situation to walk in upon it is still good manners to be social to one of our own." Gabriel still holding onto Vicki led her to the sofa and seated her, and then stepping back he walked to an apparently inconsolable Edward sitting and sobbing into his hands. Harriett turned Victoria and sighed softly, "I fear you did not catch us at our best dear child. Did Barnabas send you?"

Gabriel took up position at the French windows looking out over the front lawn. He was absently listening to the conversation between his mother and Victoria the whole time his own anger at knowing he was not a true Collins ate away inside of him. He was free of Edith now and that left him available to possibly be there to console perhaps Victoria when Barnabas died. He hid his smile while he planned his next actions. Now that they all knew he could walk, he had nothing to stand in his way to put into plan what he had intended, glancing briefly over his shoulder he caught her profile in the slowly setting sunlight as day gave way to evening. He could hear the activities of the servants as they collected the bodies and would take them to their rooms to prepare them for burial.

Victoria watched his back and then looked to Edward, "Mr. Collins you cannot imagine the sorrow and the heartfelt condolences I extend on behalf of my husband and myself. If there is anything that I can do, please do not hesitate to ask, I will do whatever I may." Vicki leaned forward to lay her hand over Edwards and he sniffed laid his hand over hers and smiled sadly.

"Thank you Cousin Victoria, and do please call me Edward. You are so and too kind. All I would ask is that you go check on Daphne she had taken her sister's death rather hard." Victoria nodded, and stood.

"If someone would show me to her room?" Harriet stood patting Daniel's shoulder.

"Follow me my dear, Edward and Gabriel watch your father until I return." Harriett escorted Victoria up to the second floor and down the hallway where Roger had his room in her time to across the hall from that room. Knocking softly, Victoria could hear poor Daphne sobbing.

"Daphne, its Victoria dear." Harriet sighed and turned.

"When you are done please join us in the drawing room." Harried walked slowly down the hallway and from sight, Vicki heard the door open and a tear soaked Daphne opened the door and rushed into Victoria's arms.

"Oh Victoria it is horrible, they say that Edith pushed my sweet Joanna from the cliff and she then died by falling from the bannister in a struggle with Gabriel." Her body shook so hard while she cried out her grief in Victoria's arms. Vicki held her and turned her gently to lead her to her room and her bed.

"Daphne, poor sweet Daphne, come my dear." Vicki helped her lie down and then set on the side of the bed next to her. Gently stroking her hair from her face and speaking soothingly to her. "I am here for you if you need me." Another soft knock on the door and Vicki stood to open the door and peer at a stout little man with a derby hat and looking at Victoria with surprise.

"Hello, I am Dr. Lewis, I was told Miss Harridge was in need of my attention?" Vicki stepped aside to allow the doctor to enter the room and check Daphne. Waiting outside the room, she paced the hallway when she felt an odd sensation and looked up to the west wing. There standing in the shadows was a figure of a man.

"Come to me my darling little one, come to me now." He extended his white hand and beckoned her to him. Vicki felt compelled to go to him, he lifted his cape and they were gone.

Old House

Petofi had been on the hill and watched Edith shove off that woman that looked like the one he was sure had come to end his life. What was her name? "Joanna?" Yes that was it he whispered and waited while the whole drama of the discovery of the body was made and then Quentin's trek to the old house. He had followed, and had listened in to the conversation between him and Victoria, then they had gone to another part of the house when a short time later, hidden in the shrubs he watched Victoria scuttle out of the house and head to the big house. He smiled, he would wait for her return and then he would end her life before she ended his life. He was not going to take the chance that she had not come to this time to end him, he would have ended her had he the chance all over again.

Shifting to a more comfortable position he never knew what it was that hit him, all he knew that there was this burst of light and pain that filled his head and he slumped down to be picked up and carried from the old house. The figures that waited for his body walked furtively around the wagon and covered his body with an old horse blanket and drove off into the gathering shadows. Petofi did not feel the harsh rumble of the wagon or the pot holes that each wheel managed to catch and roll out of with a jolt. He was not aware of the soft guttural language that was being spoken around him.

He was gratefully unaware that he was not tied to a stake and that there was dried brush and wood being stacked at his feet. He did not realize that they were preparing him for a burning at the stake. The dark figure appeared in the center of the woods holding an unconscious Victoria, he gently laid her in the back of the wagon and he turned to his minions and spoke softly, "Leave us, I wish to speak to my old friend alone. I will summon you when we are ready to being his purification." Vlad watched the gypsies that were under his control bow and then leave, taking Victoria with them. He had already instructed them to return her to the Old House unharmed and to await further orders.