Chapter 7
Max looked at the clock near the bed. It read 1:00 a.m. She got up and walked to the window. Thinking about her last two weeks in Collinwood was keeping her awake.
After having lunch with David Collins that first day, Max accepted his invitation to live at Collinwood. He also hired her to work at the publishing house as a proofreader. Living in Collinwood had been a wonderful experience so far. According to Carolyn, Dr. Julia Hoffman occupied the room Max now lived in. She wanted to ask Carolyn more about the doctor but it would have to wait until later. Max had not been able to do any private exploring around the great estate because David had been showing her the grounds by horseback. Once they rode near the old Collins' Mansion now called the Old House. According to David, the original Barnabas Collins from 1795 acquired the house from his mother, Naomi, as a wedding present. To this day, the deed still belonged to his heirs.
As Max continued to look out of her bedroom window, she glanced up at the moon and felt calm again. Suddenly, she felt a breeze but the window appeared closed. Looking around the room, she sensed a presence and then she saw it. As the white figure floated several feet from the door, Max couldn't make out if it was a male or female. The ghost beckoned Max to follow. The spirit went through the door and disappeared. Max opened the door and surveyed the hallway. Seeing nothing in the corridor, she thought maybe she imagined the apparition and went back to bed.
The next morning was Saturday and Max woke up a little late. She had forgotten about last night as she dressed to go down for breakfast. Anita Johnson, the granddaughter of Sarah Johnson, the retired housekeeper, was preparing a majestic meal. During Max's stay at Collinwood, Anita had prepared all of the delicious meals. As Max strolled into the dining room, David was sitting at the head of the table with his father, Roger, on his right. Carolyn sat next to Roger in case he needed her assistance.
"Max, won't you come sit next to me?" David motioned to his left. "This seat has been reserved for you." Everyone smiled. As David stood up and pulled out the chair, Max sat down.
"Such a gentleman," both Carolyn and Roger giggled under their breath.
David heard but ignored the sarcasm as he sat down again. The table setting had all sorts of edibles, ranging from different fruit plates to pastries, eggs, meats, cereals, fresh-grounded coffee, tea, milk. It smelled heavenly. As they serve themselves, no one spoke for a while. Breaking the silence, Carolyn complimented the cook.
"Anita, this food is scrumptious," Carolyn remarked.
"Oh thank you, Miss Carolyn. My grandmother taught me everything I know and gave me the recipes for all the dishes I prepare," Anita replied.
"WHAT!" David looked at her shocked.
"Shhh, Mr. David, it's her recipes but I adjusted things to make it taste better," Anita said quietly and winked. Everyone roared with laughter. Max looked around the table not understanding their family joke. She looked at David's face as he laughed and noticed he seemed so familiar to her.
"Have you, Max?" Roger said, snapping Max out of her daydream.
"Excuse me, Mr. Collins?" Max looked in the direction of the voice addressing her.
"I said you look very familiar to me. Have you ever worked in the Collinsport Hospital?" Roger repeated.
"No sir, I've only been in Collinsport for two weeks. I work at the publishing house for your son," Max answered respectfully.
"Father thinks everyone he sees looks familiar. Don't pay him any mind."
"David!" Roger shouted, "Don't be disrespectful. I am not out of my mind. Max does look familiar to me. I saw her years ago working at the hospital. It was the time Julia was admitted."
"Uncle Roger, that's impossible. That was 1973. Max can't be older than 25 or 30 years old," Carolyn mentioned wiping Roger's month with his napkin.
"Stop that!" Roger pushed Carolyn's hand away. "You are treating me like a child. I don't like it."
"Father," David patiently answered, "Max just got into town. If you saw someone in 1973 that looks like Max, it's just a coincidence." Max looked at Roger and suspected he knew something that could help her learn about her past. She made a mental note to talk to him privately. Maybe she could learn something from talking with him later.
After breakfast, David said, "Max, I have to cancel our plans for today. I recently received an urgent telegram to meet someone in Bangor. Can I take a rain check?" David asked.
"Certainly, David. Do you mind if I walk around on my own? I'd really like to stroll over to the Old House and explore the interior."
"No, go right ahead. If I get back early enough, I'll join you there," David unexpectedly bended over and kissed her on the lips. Then hurriedly, he walked out of the dining room before Max could react.
After riding with David around the estate, it was very easy for Max to find the Old House. She had been eager to explore the old mansion ever since she had her dream on the airplane. As she walked up to the front entrance, she noticed the double doors and lion head knocker. Just like my dream, she thought, I wonder what else will be the same.
As she opened the unlocked doors, she noticed the stairs to the right and a drawing room to the left. Walking into the drawing room and up to the fireplace, Max stared at the portrait above it. As she remembered the story from a few days ago, David told her about the two portraits of Barnabas Collins. Max understood and agreed with David's assessment of the two portraits; if it weren't for the period clothing, she'd think it was the same man.
"The Old House was called the Collins' Mansion before Collinwood was built in 1795," David started the story. "Everyone lived there: the oldest brother Joshua and his wife Naomi, their two children, Barnabas and Sarah, Jeremiah, Joshua's younger brother and Abigail, their sister, all had rooms upstairs. Then, Millicent and Daniel Collins, cousins from New York, came to visit. They ended up staying and later Joshua adopted Daniel. Daniel is my direct ancestor. We have a history book with all the details if you'd like to read about it."
"Yes, that would be interesting," said Max.
"Don't believe everything you read in it, though. My governess, Victoria Winters, told me some wild stories in my youth that makes me think some of my family history is lies." David shook his head. "Anyway, the portrait in the foyer at Collinwood is the original Barnabas Collins. The portrait over the fireplace in the Old House is his descendent, also named Barnabas Collins. He is from the English branch of the family after the original Barnabas moved to England in 1795. These two men look like they could be the same person," David explained. "The only difference is their clothes. I remember when Sam Evans, a local artist, painted that portrait at the Old House. He painted it for days, or I mean nights. Barnabas could only sit for Sam at night so Sam worked the strangest hours. I remember being very upset with my cousin, Barnabas."
"Why, David?" Max asked.
"Because Barnabas removed my favorite portrait of Josette Collins, the wife of Jeremiah Collins, and moved it upstairs. I know this will sound childish, but I saw her several times in the Old House. She was a ghost and once I had a very long talk with her. The only person who ever believed me was my governess, Vicki. She had experiences with Josette's ghost too."
All of a sudden, Max heard a door slam, bringing her back to the present. Looking around the room and noticing there were no doors to slam, she assumed the noise came from upstairs. Turning towards the stairs, Max saw it again. The ghost hovered near the staircase as Max walked towards it. The ghost floated upstairs, drawing Max along with it. Reaching the top landing, Max watched the ghost disappear behind a door on the right. As Max stood in front of that door, she debated whether to go in or not. She opened the door and saw a well-furnished room, set in the Victorian age. Entering the room, she saw its décor was step for a woman. As she surveyed the dressing table, Max heard another door slam. She ran out of the room and looked down the hallway. The ghost was floating in front of a room on the left side of the hall.
This ghost is giving me a tour of the house, Max thought. She wondered what she would find next. Opening the door, the decorations were of a child's room, twin bed, toys and stuffed animals next to a dollhouse. The fireplace was lite and a radio was playing a Beatle's song in the background. Someone is living in this room, she said to herself. As she started to enter the room, an unseen force blocked her. She stood in the doorway trying to step into the room, but she couldn't. As she watched, a little girl skipped towards the fireplace. Max gasped.
"Mommy, come sit by the fire with me," the little girl said. She had reddish-brown hair and green eyes.
"Ok, I'll sit here for a while until I have to go make lunch," a redheaded woman said, walking over to the chair near the fireplace. The woman sat down with her back to Max. "You know, Bree, Daddy will be here for lunch and I have to make it before he gets home."
"Ok, but I just want to play with my jacks for a while. I like it when you watch me," Bree said and sat on the wood floor. She took ten small jacks and a little red rubber ball out of her pocket. She gently threw the jacks on the hard wood floor and started tossing the ball into the air. As the ball dropped to the ground, the little girl picked up a jack and caught the ball.
"See mommy, I did it," laughed the little girl.
"Yes, Bree, I see, you are very good." The woman was reading and watching her daughter at the same time.
"Ouch, mommy, I got a splinter in my finger," Bree started to cry. Her mother got up and rushed to the nightstand near the bed. She took something out of the drawer and rushed back to her daughter. With a pair a twisters, she meticulously withdrew the splinter out of Bree's tiny finger.
"Ouch," Bree cried. "Is it all gone, Mommy?"
"There, it's all better. Now Mommy has to go make lunch. Do you want to come with me, dear?"
"Yes!" Bree exclaimed happily, getting up and running to the door where Max stood. A mysterious wind slammed the door shut right in Max's face.
"NO!" Max slapped the door with both hands and then quickly opened it. She observed that the room was empty. She walked into the room and looked around, noticing that no one had lived in this room for decades. What is going on, she wondered.
Just then, Max heard another door slam. This time she heard voices coming from downstairs. She did not recognize who they were. She walked slowly towards the staircase, wondering if there were more ghosts in the house.