CHAPTER FIVE: Reunited for a Moment of Time
"You must be Barnabas Collins." Roxanne, called Melissa, said to the tall, stately gentleman who had just entered. Of course she knew him, there was no way that she could ever forget the one love of her life.
Barnabas was speechless. He just stood there, looking at the bewitching vision before him. It was Roxanne, he had no doubt about that.
"This is my niece, Melissa Werd." Said Sarah quietly and weakly.
Without saying a word, Barnabas took Melissa's hand in his and brought it up to his lips and then kissed it with repressed ardor. Melissa sighed voluptuously as he did so. Responding to the will of the vampire, Sarah had already left them alone in the foyer. Barnabas was standing inches away from Melissa, his hazel eyes gazing luxuriously into her blue ones.
"Let us go into the drawing room." Melissa said softly. She gestured toward the double doors across the room. The long green dress exposed the entire length of her arms and there was something exquisitely sensual about the sheen of her bare, white skin.
Barnabas could not resist the sound of her voice, the complete beauty of her movement, her perfection. Melissa led the way, walking with a grace seldom seen in the modern eras. She sat down on a velvet couch by the fire, which lent a romantic glow to her face for it was the only light in the room. Barnabas was sitting down as well, he suddenly realized that he was still holding her delicate, white hand.
"No," he finally found the courage to speak, "This isn't real. This can't be real."
"What do you mean? I don't understand you, Mr. Collins." She kept her masquerade, though she knew he recognized her.
Barnabas couldn't speak any more. He didn't care who she was. There was no dimly lit room, no world at all around them. The only reality was this woman by his side. He did not even notice the knock on the door until Melissa rose from the couch to respond to this interruption. It was Elisabeth that was knocking.
"You must come quickly," Elisabeth was overwrought, "Your Aunt has just collapsed. She entered the dining room and then fainted!"
Melissa went with Elisabeth, silently cursing the woman. Elisabeth, meanwhile, had not even noticed Barnabas sitting quietly in the darkness of the drawing room, half entranced.
Elisabeth led Melissa to the study, where Roger had taken Sarah Johnson and laid her unconscious form on a large, overstuffed couch. Julia was hovering over Sarah, examining her. Maggie was in the process of taking a morbidly curious David upstairs to his room.
Melissa knelt next to Sarah and she said, "Auntie, you must wake up."
Sarah's eyes suddenly opened and her back rose up from the cushion on the sofa, in a futile attempt to rise up. Sarah moaned in her weakness. The moaning turned to shouting and screaming and thrashing back and forth.
"Mrs. Johnson, let me give you something to relax you." Julia said, pushing Melissa away before preparing an injection, "You'd best all leave." Julia continued.
"May I please stay with her?" begged Melissa sweetly.
"No. I must be alone with my patient." Julia coldly responded.
Elisabeth took Melissa's arm and led her out of the study with the others.
Once she was alone, Julia put Sarah back to sleep with the sedative. Then, she removed the silk scarf to check for the telltale marks of a vampire. They were there alright, and more wounds on Sarah's wrist.
"Melissa is Roxanne Drew!" Julia thought, "I must warn Barnabas, he's in terrible danger!"
Melissa passed the drawing room on her way upstairs. Barnabas was still in there, she could smell him. Should she go to him? Yes. There was no way to resist it. But, as she reached for the door, Barnabas opened it from the inside.
"Mr. Collins!" That was all Melissa could say.
"Miss Werd." He was the perfect gentleman, but why was he holding back?
"Are you going back to your home?" she asked politely, resisting the desire she felt.
"Yes," was his quick answer, followed by, "Is your aunt alright?"
"Yes," she smiled at him with her gleaming, perfect teeth.
The said over polite goodbyes and parted ways.
"You must be Barnabas Collins." Roxanne, called Melissa, said to the tall, stately gentleman who had just entered. Of course she knew him, there was no way that she could ever forget the one love of her life.
Barnabas was speechless. He just stood there, looking at the bewitching vision before him. It was Roxanne, he had no doubt about that.
"This is my niece, Melissa Werd." Said Sarah quietly and weakly.
Without saying a word, Barnabas took Melissa's hand in his and brought it up to his lips and then kissed it with repressed ardor. Melissa sighed voluptuously as he did so. Responding to the will of the vampire, Sarah had already left them alone in the foyer. Barnabas was standing inches away from Melissa, his hazel eyes gazing luxuriously into her blue ones.
"Let us go into the drawing room." Melissa said softly. She gestured toward the double doors across the room. The long green dress exposed the entire length of her arms and there was something exquisitely sensual about the sheen of her bare, white skin.
Barnabas could not resist the sound of her voice, the complete beauty of her movement, her perfection. Melissa led the way, walking with a grace seldom seen in the modern eras. She sat down on a velvet couch by the fire, which lent a romantic glow to her face for it was the only light in the room. Barnabas was sitting down as well, he suddenly realized that he was still holding her delicate, white hand.
"No," he finally found the courage to speak, "This isn't real. This can't be real."
"What do you mean? I don't understand you, Mr. Collins." She kept her masquerade, though she knew he recognized her.
Barnabas couldn't speak any more. He didn't care who she was. There was no dimly lit room, no world at all around them. The only reality was this woman by his side. He did not even notice the knock on the door until Melissa rose from the couch to respond to this interruption. It was Elisabeth that was knocking.
"You must come quickly," Elisabeth was overwrought, "Your Aunt has just collapsed. She entered the dining room and then fainted!"
Melissa went with Elisabeth, silently cursing the woman. Elisabeth, meanwhile, had not even noticed Barnabas sitting quietly in the darkness of the drawing room, half entranced.
Elisabeth led Melissa to the study, where Roger had taken Sarah Johnson and laid her unconscious form on a large, overstuffed couch. Julia was hovering over Sarah, examining her. Maggie was in the process of taking a morbidly curious David upstairs to his room.
Melissa knelt next to Sarah and she said, "Auntie, you must wake up."
Sarah's eyes suddenly opened and her back rose up from the cushion on the sofa, in a futile attempt to rise up. Sarah moaned in her weakness. The moaning turned to shouting and screaming and thrashing back and forth.
"Mrs. Johnson, let me give you something to relax you." Julia said, pushing Melissa away before preparing an injection, "You'd best all leave." Julia continued.
"May I please stay with her?" begged Melissa sweetly.
"No. I must be alone with my patient." Julia coldly responded.
Elisabeth took Melissa's arm and led her out of the study with the others.
Once she was alone, Julia put Sarah back to sleep with the sedative. Then, she removed the silk scarf to check for the telltale marks of a vampire. They were there alright, and more wounds on Sarah's wrist.
"Melissa is Roxanne Drew!" Julia thought, "I must warn Barnabas, he's in terrible danger!"
Melissa passed the drawing room on her way upstairs. Barnabas was still in there, she could smell him. Should she go to him? Yes. There was no way to resist it. But, as she reached for the door, Barnabas opened it from the inside.
"Mr. Collins!" That was all Melissa could say.
"Miss Werd." He was the perfect gentleman, but why was he holding back?
"Are you going back to your home?" she asked politely, resisting the desire she felt.
"Yes," was his quick answer, followed by, "Is your aunt alright?"
"Yes," she smiled at him with her gleaming, perfect teeth.
The said over polite goodbyes and parted ways.