Chapter 15: Who IS Stokes?
The front door was opened by Carolyn Stoddard.
"Mom? Are you all done out here?"
"I think so," her mother said, "Looks like you have something very important to remind me of now…"
"I do," Carolyn admitted, "You remember that awful University you wanted me to attend someday?"
Elizabeth sighed, "Carolyn, it was not awful, but go on…"
Her daughter blinked as if providing an odd remembrance, "You wanted me to attend that Professors' classes, you remember… that… Professor Stokes."
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows in remembrance, "I believe I did suggest you to him. Why have you recalled him currently, Carolyn?"
Carolyn smiled, "Well, Professor Stokes had abilities m… The… Supernatural, didn't he?"
"I suppose he did, Carolyn," her mother responded, tiredly, "and WHY should this make any difference now?"
"We obviously need the help of someone like him in determining whatever spells are left over from Angel Bay…"
"I suppose we do," Elizabeth sighed.
Josette stepped forward and, passing Elizabeth, asked her beloved, "Stokes?"
"Yes," Barnabas motioned toward Josette, "You recognize that name as well?"
"Of course I do, Barnabas," Josette told him, "Wasn't he your handy-man?"
"Who I was teaching how to read," Barnabas nodded to her….
A silhouette froze at the front door.
"All right, all right," Buzz effaced, "I can already see I have been volunteered to go out to the University to find this guy…"
Elizabeth simpered, "I'm just proud you were able to finish your breakfast by this time."
"Ha, ha!" Buzz nodded, "I'm happy to have the pride of our Collinwood Matron, for sure."
"Glad you see it my way, Buzz," Elizabeth agreed.
"Yes, I'd have it all by no other design," Buzz assured her.
"And now, what shall we do?" Barnabas asked.
"Well," his cousin affirmed, "Buzz and Carolyn are well fed and will venture to the University of Maine, won't you, Carolyn?"
"We must," Carolyn agreed, peering at her mother in half-hearted assurance.
"Yes, we must, Carolyn," Buzz told Carolyn, "You'll come with me, won't you?"
"Of course," she smiled back.
"Very good," Elizabeth concurred, "Now Barnabas, what shall you and your bride do?"
Josette shifted to a more stalwart posture, "We shall go about the grounds, presumably with David and Laura, and look for where these spells of Angelique have been delivered."
"Very good!" Elizabeth assented.
"And what will you do, Mother?" Carolyn wondered, as everyone else did.
"Oh…" Elizabeth smirked, "I am going to head over to the bank and find out what the hell assets we have left in Collinsport."
"Never a dull moment," Josette reasoned.
"Nor can it be, Josette DuPres, can it?" Elizabeth asked her.
"Nor can it," Josette echoed.
And so they all amended to their tasks…
(A/N: Let me know what you liked!)