Chapter 21

Collinwood 1797

She knew she must have fainted because she way lying down and as she opened her eyes she was aware that there were a familiar faces in front of her. "Miss? Are you well? What happened to you?" The voice was soft and filled with concern and very much as Barnabas would sound for anyone in distress. Vicki shook her head and tried to sit up. Only to feel the comforting fingertips of whom she thought was Liz pushing her back down.

"No Child lie still the carriage driver said you had a nasty spill and that the others on the carriage were not as fortunate as you." Barnabas stood back so his mother could attend the lovely young woman that had just appeared on their doorstep only to collapse into his arms. He stood next to another man that now looked down with a degree of concern at the disheveled condition Vicki appeared.

She looked around and spoke confused, "Mrs. Stoddard? Barnabas? Were we successful in contacting Sarah?"

The woman she thought was Mrs. Stoddard looked with confusion to her son then back to the befuddled young woman on the sofa. "What did you call me?"

Vicki tried to sit up and felt dizzy and sighed deeply, "I called you Mrs. Stoddard, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, that is your name."

Vicki began to feel a panic watching Mrs. Stoddard look from the two men behind her and then back to Vicki, "I do not know of any Elizabeth Collins Stoddard my dear, my name is Naomi Collins, I am Joshua' Collins wife and this is my son Barnabas Collins and this young man is his friend Peter Bradford."

Vicki felt dizzy and the world around her was beginning to buzz and she knew she was about to go unconscious again and fought for control. This was not happening to her! Surely she was having some kind of horrible dream and all she wanted to do was wake up from that dream and go on with her normal life. Try as she might she could not control the on rush of heat that filled her face and over took her body and she did find herself plummeting down into that lovely secure warm darkness that was now her reality and where she could pretend she was home and this was not happening.

"Oh dear, Barnabas send Ben Stokes for the doctor and Peter please help me get her upstairs to one of the guest rooms."

Effortlessly, Peter bent to lift her up into his arms and went to the stairs, "Lead the way Mrs. Collins, I shall follow."

He carried Vicki up the stairs following behind Naomi walking to what was once Josette's room and opened the door for him. "Put her there." She nodded to the bed and sighed. "Poor child she must have hit her head harder than old Caleb thought." Naomi remarked while pulling down the blankets on the bed and waited for Peter to put her down.

Peter looked down at the obviously beautiful woman of standing and breeding. "Who do you think she is and from where did she come?"

Naomi studied the girl and smiled, "She is wealthy to own a dress such as the one she is wearing and she is educated which was in evidence by how she conducted herself with Barnabas on the front stoop."

Peter nodded, "But where did she come from? Caleb said had he not seen her in time he would have run her down. She just seemed to appear in the middle of the roadway out of no where."

Naomi nodded and sat in a chair near the bed. "The carriage over turned and those inside were killed. She at least survived."

Peter nodded slowly then bowed, "Now if you will excuse me I am here to pay court to Miss Wycke." With her permission Peter left the room and went in search of Miss Phyllis Wycke.

Collinwood 1967

The stunned residents of Collinwood sat speechless watching Vicki fade from view and totally disappear. Complete pandemonium filled the room as a search of the house ensued and those present for the séance split up in groups to search the house for the missing Vicki. Transparent except to each other stood little Sarah and Josette. "It begins my little one, it begins perhaps she will be able to stop the destruction of this house." Josette reached down and took Sarah's hand in hers and slowly disappeared from view. Sarah reappeared in the woods about fifty miles from Collinwood and stooped down next to a sleeping Maggie Evans. "It will be all right Maggie, we will get to Collinsport tomorrow. You need to rest tonight."

Fifty miles from Collinsport

Though the rain lashed at the area around where Sarah lay next to Maggie, their area remained dry and warm. Maggie sighed softly in her sleep and smiled. "Thank you Sarah." Her voice was sleep filled and she drifted back to asleep completely unaware of a vital role she was about to play in the lives of those that lived in the house on Widows Hill.

Angelique lead Peter to her room at Lookout Point. "You were naughty Peter, why did you run from me? You know I will always find you and bring you back."

Peter glared and turned his back on her she watched his hand clinched in a fist. "Temper, temper Peter, I notice how you along with Barnabas have taken an interest in yet another Collins governess. If you value her life, you will obey me." Nicholas breezed into the room plopping down on the bed.

"Well my dear boy, it is a pleasure to run into you again. You have been traveling a lot. Did you decide to return home on a whim?" Nicholas was cheerful and very condescending with his questions. Nicholas studied his nails then shot a cold calculating glance to Peter's back.

Peter snapped, "I wanted my life back you bastard. But this bitch is determined to make sure I remain miserable. " There it was; that annoying laughter that taunted and haunted him. "Oh my darling Peter, I thought it was Barnabas that was making your life miserable. I mean did he not champion himself to the lovely Miss Winters thereby successfully blocking any further interest she had offered to you?"

Peter was growing angrier at each passing moment with the bitch's taunting's. Growling low he turned and snapped out, "The only interest I had in that stupid woman was to take her away from Barnabas and make him pay for killing Phyllis." Each word had been accented by his anger and it had been uttered carefully one word at a time. "I sought out Miss Winters because I saw the affection growing in Barnabas. Then it was clear he had already tried to recreate Josette with some unfortunate village girl, then he must have killed her and he began to develop an interest in Miss Winters."

Angelique chuckled softly, "You really do blame Barnabas for killing that silly girl you thought to give your love?'

Peter snapped his teeth together and gritted them, "Yes," the word uttered low coming out sounding more a snarl than an actual word of the queen's language. "You are a fool Peter, I sent Barnabas to your precious Phyllis, just as I sent you to Josette."

Peter was infuriated as he finally realized he had been the fool. With lightening reflexes he charged Angelique grabbing her by the throat he snarled with teeth extended into her face tightening his hand around her throat watching her eyes bulge, "You heartless bitch!"

Though Angelique had not realized how far she had pushed him, Nicholas on the other hand had waited so she could play out her hand and when he saw Peter's jaw clinch and the muscles in his shoulder tighten he was prepared. Angelique let out a startled gasp and felt the hand tighten more around her throat. The force of his thrust of her body into the wall caused her to gasp out in pain and fear for a moment, until she saw Nicholas spring into action and take out the cross he had carried in his pocket.

"Release her, and step back!" Nicholas commanded. Peter hissed holding his free hand up to shield his gaze from the cross that now shined and burned into him. "I said release Angelique and back up now!"

Peter released her throat and cowered back turning his back on Nicholas and the thing that was causing him so much distress. "Put it away."

Nicholas looked at the stunned look on Angelique's face and asked, "Are you all right?" She held her hands to her throat and nodded dropping her chin and blinking back tears.

"After all these years, you still care for her." Angelique choked out she realized that she had lost his love, which only made her burn with hatred and the desire for revenge. "You will be sorry you did that Peter, you should have come to me and been with me and then we would not be where we are today."

Peter hung his head and shook it. "I never loved you Angelique, you were nothing more than a dalliance and a favor I needed to repay to Barnabas. I really thought your anger and need for revenge was against him."

Feeling more empowered and recovering form the violent attack she moved next to Nicholas. "Why would you think it was Barnabas? It was always you Peter; you were the one that spoke your soft and tender words of love to me. You Peter that promised to love me in return."

Nicholas pocketed the cross and sat on the edge of the bed and watch this play between the two of them. "I thought because Barnabas rejected you for Josette that you were seeking your revenge against him through me. You were the one that sent me to bring him over. Then you sent me after Josette." He spoke softly slumping into a chair by the door.

Angelique found the irony of this situation typical of her experience with men in general. "Are you all so stupid?" She walked to the door and leaned against it studying Peter, sitting completely clueless to what he had done and why he was as he was. "Peter, it is time you had a history lesson."

Peter glanced cautiously to Nicholas and saw he had put the cross away and then shifted in the chair resting his arm on a small table. Once Peter was situated and comfortable in the chair he grew silent and waited. He knew that what had puzzled him for years was about to be revealed and he was happy for once that she was not going to play games with him and tell him the truth once and for all.

Collinwood 1967

A thorough search of Collinwood had been completed and the teams had reunited in the dining room to analyze what had just happened. David walked into the dining room with a look of concern. Elizabeth saw him first, "David? Why are you not in bed?"

He slumped down at the table and buried his head in his arms. "Sarah said that Vicki had to go back to the beginning, that she was needed to make it right and to stop the witch and the witch hunter from destroying the future of the Collins family."

Those gathered looked from David then to each other while he spoke those words. "David what does that mean?" Roger was demanding but had deliberately tempered his words to keep from upsetting David further.

David shrugged, " I don't know what it means, I just know that Vicki is gone and won't be back until she fixes something."

Barnabas felt a sickening knot in his stomach thinking about David's words. The phrase, 'going back,' left him with a foreboding feeling of impending doom. There was also now something niggling at the back of his memories of a mysterious woman that had shown up one night on their doorstep appearing to know them as different people. Turning he looked to Willie and then turned, "I am going to the old house to see if there is anything written about a Miss Winters in the letters from our ancestors."

Willie turned to Carolyn, "Babe, I will see ya later, I am going to help him look through those boxes." Barnabas frowned rising to put on his cape. When he advanced to the front door he found it impossible to open the door or to leave Collinwood. He discovered much to his apprehension that there was a force field preventing them from leaving, glancing to the great clock in the foyer he was astonished to see the time on the clock had stopped and it appeared that time had frozen for the whole of Collinwood and they were trapped. Try as he might he was not going to leave the house this night and for that he was beginning to grow concern. What would happen if dawn made its presence known and he was not in his coffin?

True fear edged his mind and his heart and now he was worried at what was happening to Vicki if she truly had gone back in time and was living a life when he was human and in love with Josette? Liz and Roger had also followed him out and saw that he could not leave the house, when they attempted to move to the door they discovered their exit was blocked by the same force field. Julia Hoffman had witnessed this with a degree of curiosity and speculated to Eric Lang, "Do you suppose the séance has but us in limbo while Vicki is absent?"

Eric crossed his arms and shrugged, "I don't know Julia this is a new area for me. I suspect that explanation is probably the most likely."

Julia sighed and walked to the drawing room and sat down on the sofa. "Well we might as well make our selves comfortable while we wait."

Elizabeth had followed Julia to the drawing room and sat next to her. "I just hope that wherever Vicki is she is safe."

Silently Barnabas wished the same thing, if she was there after he had been turned he feared for her and what she might discover. Task however was the one to present another hypothesis, "Well let us hope she is clever enough not to tell anyone what year she is from. If she does that then my so many great Grandfather may try to persecute her for witchcraft, they were very superstitious during that time and wanted to believe in witches and anyone that was different and especially women were thought to be handmaids to Satan." There it was Barnabas' biggest fear now revealed.

He had destroyed Trask for persecuting Phyllis Wycke as a witch. Now his Vicki was back there with that lascivious miscreant and possibly at his mercy. He wondered if Trask would pursue Vicki much as he had done poor Phyllis, threaten her with the gallows or force her to submit to his demands and his sadistic needs and sexual wants. The thought of Trask touching Vicki in any way made him want to rip this Trask apart. Instead of reacting to Trask's words he excused himself and walked to the library and sat in there quietly brooding and waiting. He was not sure what for but he was pretty sure for the other shoe to drop.

Surely once it did that was when Armageddon would bring down hell on earth. Which was why Angelique had come back with Nicholas. Now he had to wonder if they were a part of the horsemen about to bring about the end of day? He just had to wait and see that was about all he could do. It had to play out and he had to use his mind and be patient and wait.

Old House 1797

Vicki sat in what was Josette's room and glanced around and with a sadden voice asked, "Where is the person to which this room belonged?"

Naomi sat and patted Vicki's hand gently and smiled with such care and tenderness that Vicki was reminded of Mrs. Stoddard. "Oh that would be Josette my dear. She is living at Collinwood with her husband Jeremiah. Why do you ask?"

Vicki relaxed and then looked around the room. Except for the room looking newer and less stale with age, it was as she had remembered Barnabas and Willie had restored it. "Oh, I was concerned that I might be putting someone out of their room."

Naomi shook her head and stood, walking to a dressing room to bring out a gown and housecoat. "I found these earlier that must have been left behind by Josette before she moved. I am sure she would not mind you wearing them." Vicki stood from the bed and felt better after her little nap and gratefully thanked Naomi for her kindness and the generosity of the lady that had offered up her old room and her clothing for her use.

Naomi stepped to peer out the window while Vicki disappeared into the bathing chambers to change into the nightgown and housecoat. "You know my dear we have introduced ourselves to you but you have yet to provide me with your name or an explanation of how you came to be on that roadway." Vicki dressed quickly, stepping out of the chambers having taken a tepid bath with the water provided she cinched the robe around her and walked to the small settee and sat.

"I am sorry my name is Victoria Winters and it is pleasure to meet you Mrs. Collins. I wish I knew how I ended up on that roadway, the last thing I remember was being at a lovely ball and then going into the main dining room and well I am afraid I remember very little after that. I felt dizzy and then there I was on that roadway and a carriage was coming at me. I apologize for being an imposition." Vicki knew she was going to have to be careful she very nearly called her Mrs. Stoddard as she had earlier. This was going to be a roller coaster ride she was not so sure she wanted to be a part of at this time.

"Oh my dear child you are not an imposition. Now then, let us see if we can figure this out. Did you injured your head when you felt odd and said you possibly felt dizzy?"

Vicki nodded slowly, "I suppose that is what happened, I knew that I had an accident about six weeks ago where my car-" she stopped took a deep breath and corrected her words, "My carriage ran off the road and I hit my head so its possible I was having some problems left over from that accident."

Naomi had an appropriate look of concern as she shook her head. "My dear Victoria how awful for you, surely that is what happened, perhaps you blacked out and walked into the roadway without knowing where you were going. But there is one thing that puzzled me."

Vicki looked at the lacing on the edge of the gown and then looked up expectantly waiting for her questions to continue. "You said you were at a ball earlier, I only know of one ball being held this night and its in Portland, so I hardly see how you could have walked so far feeling as bad as you were and make it on that Collinsport Roadway."

Vicki sighed deeply, "Unless I was taken and dropped off on that highway."

Naomi looked shocked "Abducted by a highway man?"

Vicki once again looked down and played with the ribbon on the front of the robe. "I really don't know Mrs. Collins I am as perplexed as you."

The forceful deep voice from the doorway brought about the appropriate reaction that the male expressing his opinion wanted to have. His eyes narrowed and a look of lust crossed his eyes and he almost licked his lips peering down at the young lovely woman that sat so charmingly innocent in the gown of white. "Perhaps I know how you got there and if it is as I suspect then you my dear may be in danger of loosing your immortal soul!"

Vicki immediately recognized the man as possibly the ancestor of Mr. Trask. She stood feeling at a disadvantage by sitting and stepped to stand next to Naomi. Naomi immediately showed her disapproval of the man by drawing Vicki near her and putting a protective arm around her shoulders. "I hardly think Miss Winters is one of your pursuits Reverend Trask. She is a victim of an unfortunate accident and does not need your preposterous ranting's about the devil's handmaids around every corner!"

Trask marched into the room his dark eyes never leaving the slender looking woman that hung to Naomi's protection like a waif needing a blanket on a cold winters night. "My dear Mrs. Collins I am here at the behest of your sister in law Abigail, she wishes the governess to be tested for witchcraft, she tells me much has happened that is unexplained and suspiciously much of what I have experienced to be a part of the dark forces that is Satan!"

Naomi pushed Vicki behind her and stared pointedly to Trask and frowned, "Then I suggest you get on with your testing the poor child she may rest and be able to perform her duties in the morning."

Trask bowed to Naomi then peered around her shoulder to look over Vicki from head to toe. Oh he liked what he saw and she would squirm and squeal and beg him for release, he would dearly love to try and test her and to secure her in his home so he could indulge his needs and pleasures of her.

The thought of that tender sweet body lying beneath his whips and branding irons was causing him to become aroused. He was grateful that his long coat covered his body so they could not see how impure his thoughts had become. Again with a flourished bow, he turned and stomped out of the room, planning on finding a way to bring that one to his cellar for his personal attention. Oh he knew he would take days if not weeks to see how he could finally break her and bring her over to God and the pure ways of the light. But for now he had another delectable young lady to gain his attention and to test.

With a smile he slunk from the room and away from the two women. "I do not like that man." Vicki said softly more to herself than to Naomi.

Hearing what Vicki had just said, Naomi spun around and rage filled her beautiful features as she snarled out, "I detest that man some day some one will bring him his comeuppance and then we will see whom he serves in the afterlife." Vicki had never witnesses such extreme passion as what she just saw and knew that this man was bad news and she would do well to stay away from him. From down the hallway they heard loud shouts and a scream. Naomi rushed past Vicki and down the hallway towards where the loud scream was now becoming a wail of terror. Vicki followed closely behind Naomi quickly following her from the family's sleeping quarters to a smaller area that was obviously used as servant's bedrooms.

One door stood ajar, and Vicki could hear a woman's pious sounding voice condemning the occupant of the room. Naomi charged into the room and saw poor Phyllis Wicke pinned to the wall by Trask's body, he was holding her arms up over her head and snarling and spouting his wrath at her denial of his religious preaching's. "LIAR! YOU WILL BURN IN THE HELLFIRES OF ETERNTIY, CONFESS YOUR SINS NOW!" Vicki was sicken by what she saw and the poor girl was terrified while Trask continued to bully her; spouting and spewing forth his hatred and his threats for vengeance to be delivered upon her immortal soul if she did not confess to witchcraft.

Naomi was appalled and seeing her sister-in-law encouraging such conduct was enraging her further and she shouted, "ENOUGH! LET HER GO NOW!'

From the hallway the sounds of boots on the stairs and running booted feet down the hallway could be heard as first Peter Bradford, then Barnabas burst into the room to stand by his mother's side. Peter charged Trask reached for his shoulders and forcefully pulling him off of Phyllis. When the pressure of Trask's body was released and Peter broke his hold over her wrists she collapsed into Peter's arms crying hysterically clinging to him for dear life. "I swear sir, if I ever see you manhandled her like that again I will kill you!"

Naomi stepped further into the room and commanded, "Peter, take her down stairs to the drawing room now. Barnabas you will escort this man from this house and you sir are to never set foot near that girl again!"

Barnabas went to Trask and snagged his arm and tugged. "Sir unhand me before I thrash you!" Trask raged.

Barnabas narrowed his gaze and spoke in clipped and soft tones, "If there is going to be a thrashing I can assure you sir it will not be you thrashing me. I can almost assure you that it will be me thrashing you, now come along you have worn out your welcome in this house." With as much dignity that he could muster, Trask with a tug of both hands to his jacket he straightened his long coat grabbed his hat turned to Abigail and bowed.

"I will speak with you later my dear Miss Abigail." Turning he marched from the room with Barnabas following closely on his heels.

Naomi turned on Abigail. "I am appalled that you encouraged that animal to come into this house and subjected that poor girl to his man handling."

Abigail turned her gaze from Naomi to look at Vicki and frowned, "And I can assure you that there is a witch in this house and that no good will come of it unless something is done and done soon." With a snort she moved past Naomi to look Vicki up and down again. "And you are under suspicion as well my dear so I would watch myself."

Vicki almost flinched by the venomous way that this woman that so strongly resembled Mrs. Johnson would speak to her in such a manner. "Abigail that is enough, Miss Winters is a guest in our home and you might do well to remember that." Abigail snorted one more time and exited the room. Naomi turned and looked with an apology. "She is a zealot and I fear she encourages that man with his ideas and ways. She is right, do avoid him and her at all costs. She is looking for a witch and I fear she will not be happy until she finds one and sends them to the gallows."

Vicki shivered; she recalled the witch trails of Salem and how that had not gone away even in what they considered their day and age. They still persecuted innocent young women for something they knew nothing about. Oh she would have to use caution for sure if she were to survive whatever she had found her self-involved.

Dragging her robe closer to her body she smiled tensely and then spoke softly, "Well I think I shall go rest now."

Naomi sighed, and nodded, "I believe my dear that I did send for the doctor and he is here. As Barnabas is back he would have brought him. What with poor Miss Wycke near hysteria I am sure he is attending to her at this time. I shall send him up to see to you after he is completed his exam with her. You will forgive me this whole ordeal has given me a headache and I am about to retire myself. Good night my dear Victoria."