EPILOGUE
June 27, 1966
Elizabeth moved quickly in her black dress to the ringing phone. "Yes? Richard, I told you that I..."
"It's not too late to change your mind, Liz. My brother Thomas would be rolling in his grave if he knew you were doing this. Please, send her back home. You know that you're only setting yourself up for—" Richard argued.
"I told you what I am doing is none of your concern, and my decision is final. It's been eighteen years, and now that the money has stopped, she will be coming here to serve as governess for David. She was highly recommended and I think it's in her best interest as well as David's to bring her here. I made a promise to take care of her, and this is the way it's going to be. Never call me about this again."
Elizabeth slammed the phone down before Richard could respond. She walked to the drawing room window, staring out into the night sky overlooking Widows' Hill. Her fingers on her left hand slid nervously across the pearl necklace she wore.
The doors to the drawing room opened, and a middle-aged man dressed in a gray suit walked inside. Before saying a word, he made his way to the brandy decanter and poured himself a snifter. Making his way toward Elizabeth, he paused at the crackling fireplace and stared at her while taking a drink.
"A watched pot never boils," he said sarcastically as he took another drink. "To coin a phrase."
"Don't you think you ought to look in on your son?" Elizabeth retorted.
"The little monster's asleep, and I'm delighted." With that, he finished his drink. "I choose my words with infinite precision."
"Roger, you're a fool!" Elizabeth chastised him.
"Not one-tenth the fool you are, my dear." Roger responded back condescendingly. "Look at you, staring out the window into the night, waiting for someone who should have never been asked to come here in the first place!"
"She'll work out very well, I'm sure!" Elizabeth fired back, still looking outside and waiting for her guest to arrive.
"Doing what? Holding my little son's hand? Comforting you when the shutters creak? Elizabeth, with all our ghosts, we don't need any strangers in this house and you know it." Roger turned back, glaring at his sister.
"I think I can be the judge of that." Elizabeth defended.
"But you don't even know the girl! Elizabeth, I'm your brother and I'm thinking only of your own welfare. Why bring somebody all the way from New York to do something we're perfectly capable of doing ourselves?" he bickered.
Angrily, Elizabeth turned toward Roger. "Because I choose to do so!"
"Oh, come to your senses, Elizabeth!" Roger turned away and paced back toward the middle of the room. "When the girl arrives, give her a month's salary and tell her to go back to where she came from."
Elizabeth turned and swallowed a lump in her throat, sighing heavily and realizing the irony in Roger's words.
"Why not just throw open the doors and let the whole town come trooping through the doors and be done with it?" Roger walked toward her again, raising his voice.
Tearing herself away from the window, Elizabeth brushed by her brother. "The girl will stay!"
Grinning naively, Roger knew he was getting under his sister's skin. "You're a fool, Elizabeth. Yes, you are. Inviting problems to..."
"The only problem I've invited is standing before me at this moment. I have asked Miss Winters to come here and she'll stay!" Elizabeth interrupted.
Saying nothing, Roger grinned mockingly and held his glass high to taunt her as she turned to leave the room. As Elizabeth entered the foyer, Roger moved the doors back behind her. In frustration, he squeezed the glass in his hand, shattering it into pieces on the floor.
A loud knock echoed throughout the foyer. Elizabeth made her way to the large wooden doors. Opening the doors, she stood staring for a moment at the beautiful young girl with black hair standing outside holding her worn coat together with one hand and a briefcase in the other. This girl's resemblance to her mother was nothing short of remarkable, and Elizabeth marveled at the resemblance.
The young girl, trembling from the cold night air, nervously introduced herself. "I...I'm Victoria Winters. Is Mrs. Stod—"
Elizabeth interrupted her and backed away, allowing the girl to enter. "Come in, Miss Winters."
Victoria shivered as she walked inside and set her briefcase on the floor. Elizabeth closed the doors behind her and watched the girl curiously walking back and forth, taking in the sight of the mighty house with great wonder.
Struggling with everything in her to keep from speaking the words, Elizabeth looked on in nervous anticipation, thinking to herself:
Welcome home, Victoria.
(DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to Dark Shadows. This story is a creation of my own within the universe of Dark Shadows with the sole intention of entertaining the reader. I do not profit or receive any royalties from the owners of the property, Dan Curtis Productions)