Chapter 11

High into the Carpathian Mountains in the subterranean dungeon of Castle Dracul, a dark and sinister service was being performed. Thirteen hooded men dressed in red with a Fourteenth dressed in black stood in a circle around a vase of ashes. One by one they slit their hands and moved to pour their blood on the dust.

With each contribution, dark words were spoken to the hiss of the blood burning into the ashes. The putrefied smell of burning flesh filled the air. One by one they moved to speak the words of a long dead culture, and one by one they cut their hands to pour their sacrificial blood into the urn. As the moon began to wane, they ended their ceremony and moved from the room leaving behind one lone male dressed in black.

He lifted the urn and placed it n a crypt, closing a heavy iron door on the crypt. "Now, Vlad we wait, we wait for the arrival of Eve Toate Hallow lui ziua morților. To bring you back and to seek vengeance on Barnabas Collins. Even now our pet dogs watch the swine and report back to us what he is doing. Our Romany slaves will help you reclaim what is rightfully yours. For now rest my old friend, rest and come back to us."

Rudolph moved from the room, removing his cloak and walked quickly to his limo. Once there he ordered his driver to make haste to get him back to his resting place.

His son Petru sat next to his father. "So, the ceremony is done and now we wait for his return on Eve Toate Hallow lui ziua morților. ."

Count Rudolph nodded and then smiled, "And we bring your sister home and we teach this upstart Collins a lesson."

Petru looked at his father, "Is she Elizabeta?"

The Count turned and looked at his son. "If she is not she could be her twin. She moved like Elizabeta, she plays the piano like Elizabeta, and her voice is like Elizabeta without the accent."

Petru nodded and said softly, "Then its time to bring home my sister."

Julia waited for Barnabas in the drawing-room of the old house. She had prepared the injection and was waiting to give it to him.

When he came through the door, he called out, "Julia?"

Standing to move to the secretary she lifted the syringe, "Here Barnabas."

Barnabas removed his coat and hung it up by the door and placed his cane on the extra hook. Moving to Julia, he removed his jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeve.

"How long until these start to take effect Julia, will we be completed by Halloween?"

Julia found the vein and slid the needle into it. "I would think in the next 2 or 3 days you will be able to tolerate sunlight for limited amounts of time again Barnabas."

She watched the syringe as she depressed the plunger. " So, by Halloween, you should be up to an easy 8 hours of daylight."

"I am very anxious to know when I might expect progress on eliminating this affliction once and for all."

Julia withdrawing the used syringe slid it into her medical bag. "I would think very soon, you will or should be able to enjoy your honeymoon without injections until your return."

Snapping her bag shut she turned and smiled, "By the way congratulations on your engagement, you now have everything you wanted. You will have your Josette back."

Julia had said it with a tinge of sarcasm as she clipped her bag shut with some force.

Barnabas rolled his sleeve down and put his jacket back on before sitting in one of the wing back chairs. "I don't want Josette back I want Vicki for who she is and not what I thought I could make her."

Julia smiled, "Good, I am glad to hear that Barnabas it would be a shame to change her into an idea of what you thought she should be."

She folded her arms over her chest and spoke sincerely, "To just accept her for whom she is. And that is a beautiful, sensitive, loving young woman who just wants to be loved and be a part of a family identity."

"And you don't think that is what I wanted?"

Julia moved to sit next to him. "I know what your original agenda was for her Barnabas. What was the epiphany that changed your mind?"

Barnabas looked down at his nails and thought a moment before he responded. "Vlad Tepes and what he tried to do to Vicki. I could not do that to her and Josette told me to love Vicki for whom she is and not what she could represent to me."

He stood and moved to the secretary his fingers playing over the snap of her medical bag. "That is a substitute for Josette. She said I needed to love Vicki, not my perception of her as Josette."

Julia smiled and nodded. "I am glad you are accepting the fact you are now in the 20th century and that Josette died in the 18th century."

Glancing over at Julia he smiled, "I know it took a while to reason it out and I did and I discovered I no longer wished to compare her to Josette."

His own voice had dropped to a more contemplative tone. " She is Victoria Winters and will soon be Victoria Collins."

Julia stood and moved to her bag, lifting it she smiled at Barnabas, "Then for you both I am happy. I really must be getting back. Apparently, tomorrow, we are to go shopping for wedding dresses."

Barnabas rose and followed Julia to the door. "Then I bid you good night Julia and will see you tomorrow evening."

Barnabas slid the bolt across the door after Julia left and turned to see Willie coming from the cellar. "Willie, come to the drawing-room I have something to tell you."

Willie followed him into the drawing-room and stood waiting. "I wish to announce that I asked Miss Winters for her hand in marriage and she has accepted."

Willie smiled, "I am happy for you Barnabas and I am glad you are letting Doctor Hoffman start her treatments on you again."

Barnabas nodded, "It is important to me that I can be human again. Oh, and Miss Winters had indicated that she would like electricity installed in the house. We did discuss this and that it might be wise to install a along phone and adding additional bathing chambers. I suggested we should also make improvements to the kitchen."

He noted the happy expression on Willie's face at the suggestion of performing such improvements. Barnabas paused and grimaced slightly, "She also mentioned something called central air and heat."

Willie could barely suppress his excitement. Then the icing on the cake was what he said next. "As you are the one that has restored the house, I will leave it to you to get me some estimates on the electricity, and phone service. I will let Vicki and you decide where bathrooms should be placed."

Willie was jubilant over the fact he was allowing Vicki to put in the electric and phone. The fact they were going to put in multiple bathrooms made him even more ecstatic.

"Um, Barnabas what about electricity for the cellar? Do you want me to move your coffin?"

Barnabas paused and nodded. "I am sure for the time being, I can cover the windows in the master bedroom and I can rest there. I would suggest that my bedroom is wired first, after that is done, I will prepare it for my resting time."

Willie nodded, "I will make sure that it is done first."

Barnabas looked around at the burning candles and the drawing-room. "It is almost a shame that we will change the atmosphere in this house."

Willie walked up to him and looked around at the burning candles. "Well Barnabas, if Miss Winters wants it and you don't why don't you ask her not make the changes to the house?"

Barnabas looked at Willie and shook his head. "It is time to come into the 20th century Willie, and if it makes Miss Winters happy, then it shall be done."

He was adamant about the changes going forth to make Vicki happy. Then as he thought about it he looked at Willie, "I just need estimates on how much it will cost so I can sell some more coins and jewels to accommodate her."

He turned to Willie, "I want you to do this first thing this morning. We plan to wed on Halloween eve."

Willie shook his head, "I am not sure if we can get this all done by then."

Barnabas glowered at Willie, "Then the contractor should hire extra help to see that it is done. I know today Miss Winters is going to pick out her wedding gown."

He moved to the bay windows and spoke softly, "Which reminds me. Josette's room, I need you to take all of clothing and put them back in the trunk in the attic."

He had thought long and hard about this and if Vicki was going to use Josette's room, then it needed to reflect her personality. " If Miss Winters wishes to use the room, then we will allow her to store Josette's things."

Willie looked down and rested his hand on his hip. "How does that make you feel?"

Barnabas turned and moved and moved away from the bay windows. Once again his voice took on thoughtful tone.

"I love Miss Winters for who she is and Josette is gone. Where Josette was coerced by witchcraft to betray me, Miss Winters has never betrayed me. I know that when she was with that . . . that Vlad. She thought only of me during that time."

"I know she is really special. How did Julia take the engagement?" Willie asked taking a chance Barnabas would be open with him.

Barnabas turned moved to stand in front of the window and thought about what Willie had just said.

He turned and looked at Willie, "She is happy for us. Her and Miss Winters are going to look for their wedding gowns today."

Willie blinked and shook his head. "Dr. Hoffman is getting a wedding dress? What for?"

Barnabas glanced down at his fingernails. "Because Vicki talked her into having a big wedding with the Professor. Collinwood is going to have the weddings in the grand ballroom."

Willie shook his head. "I did not know there was a ballroom in that house." Barnabas got a far away look in his eyes. "Yes, we had very nice balls and other gala events in the big house ball room."

Willie laughed, "I bet it was something to see."

Barnabas nodded, his voice going softer thinking of the bygone days. "My mother would look so beautiful on the night of the events. Father would deny it now if he were alive, but he was so proud of how beautiful mother would look as she made her grand entrance into the room. All eyes would turn to look at mother."

Willie thought he sounded almost human when he spoke of his family. Willie wished he were like this all the time. It would make his life easier and happier. "Miz Stoddard looked like your mother didn't she?"

Barnabas nodded, "As Elizabeth is a strikingly beautiful woman so you can imagine my mother dressed in the finest French ball gowns gracing the ballroom floor."

Barnabas heard the chiming clock and turned to Willie. 'You need to retire Willie, you will need your rest so you can get started on the modernization of this house."

Willie turned and made his way up the stairs and he was feeling kind of jovial as he thought about how making this house a more modern house was going to change all their lives.

Liz, Carolyn, Julia and Vicki sat in the reception area of Woodward and Lothrop's Bridal section. Vicki had glanced at several gowns and bit her lip. There was no way she was going to be able to afford one of these gowns. She smiled tensely at Liz and then looked down at her hands. Why had she allowed Carolyn talk her into coming here.

The bridal consultant, Penelope moved from the interior of the fitting room and paused, "Carolyn? Carolyn Stoddard?"

Carolyn had held up a bold red ball gown and upon hearing her name she turned and smiled, "Penny? Penny Patterson!"

Both girls moved to hug each other and then she drug her to Vicki and Julia. "Vicki, Julia, this is Penny, Sheriff Patterson's daughter and one of my best friends from grade school."

Vicki immediately struck by the lovely young woman in front of her. Tall, willowy would be one way to describe her with dark eyes and dark hair. She held an almost gypsy look to her and dressed in a bright red dress with yellow accents.

Vicki could almost believe this young beauty was in deed a gypsy or at least embraced the flair for dress as a gypsy. Long skirts that moved with life-like movement around her legs, slender ankles that begged to be encased in bells, slender wrists that would look tress elegant encased in multitudes of silver bracelets.

Still young and innocent, Vicki could easily see her as a contestant in a beauty contest.

Vicki smiled her greeting while Julia extended her hand. "My pleasure."

Penny shook Julia's hand then turned to Vicki, "So you are Victoria Winters my bride and you must be Julia Hoffman my other bride."

Vicki nodded and then looked at Julia. "Yes, in fact we are." Julia laughed.

"Now how pleasant is this? Carolyn are you in both weddings?" Penny was thrilled seeing her old school friend and a neighbor from Collinsport. Penny turned and saw Liz looking through gowns and she beamed.

"Mrs. Stoddard! What a pleasant surprise, you just missed Daddy, he was here about 10 minutes ago, and promised to come back and have lunch with me. I hope we all can go to lunch."

Liz smiled tensely and moved to sit next to Vicki. "Why is your father in Bangor?"

Carolyn asked and Penny sighed and looked sadly at her hands. "He came to bring mother to the hospital, apparently there is something going on with her lungs and Dad wanted to make sure she got the best doctors."

Liz looked concern, "Gretchen is ill?"

Penny looked around and then placed her gaze on Elizabeth. "We think she has lung cancer. Daddy tried to get her to stop smoking for years and now they found a spot on her x-rays and she does not heal from respiratory problems."

Vicki looked down and felt sadness for Penny and her siblings if Mrs. Patterson had lung cancer she knew it had to be serious.

"Have they admitted her?" Carolyn sounded concern and glanced at her mother. "Maybe we should send flowers mother."

Penny looked touched. "I am sure she would appreciate that Carolyn, she really is scared."

Looking for a graceful way to get out of a shop filled with gowns she could never afford Vicki piped up, "Well maybe I can go take care of that for you. I really don't 'think I see anything I like."

"Vicki sit down, you are not going to leave until I see you in something. You have not tried on a single dress." Liz was using her forceful voice and it left Vicki little choice to sit down.

So, Vicki sat down and grew quiet. "We will go to the florist when we leave here. Julia I believe you said you saw something you liked, perhaps you would like to go pull it and try it on while we find something for Vicki."

Elizabeth had taken on her no-nonsense attitude and moved back to look at dresses hanging on the racks.

Carolyn had followed Julia over to look at the dress that had caught Julia's eye. Julia pulled out an A line in Chiffon that was simple in cut, three-quarter length lace sleeves.

For Julia It was understated and simple but elegant. "Oh Julia, I would love to see it on you."

Julia took it over to Penny. "I would love to try this one please." Penny took it from her and led her back to the dressing room.

Liz found an empire waist flowing chiffon gown with lace embellishments and crystal beading. The sleeves were long Austrian lace with pearl buttons

Then she pulled a princess style antebellum-hooped skit of satin, organza overlays, long sleeves that lay off the shoulders and a six-foot train.

"Vicki, why are you not looking for a dress? I have found two I would like to see you in."

Vicki swallowed and sighed then standing she looked at Liz, "Mrs. Stoddard, none of the gowns here are within my budget."

Liz smiled and then patted Vicki's hand and moved to lay the dresses over the back of the Princess Anne styled chair. Using her motherly tone she spoke with a sincerity.

"Vicki, darling, I am going to buy your gown. You are not to worry about the cost. Now go find a dress or accept the ones I have picked out."

"Mrs. Stoddard, I can't ask you to pay for the gown. It would not be right."

Elizabeth chewed her bottom lip. Not only did her child not know she was picking her gown out with her mother; she thought her mother should not pay for the gown.

"Do not be ridiculous. I and Roger decided we were going to pay for your wedding dress before we left this morning."

Vicki felt the sudden burn of tears as she looked down at her lap. "I don't know what to say."

Penny moved out to the reception area. "Oh two to choose from, come along dear and I will help you with this one." She held up the princess styled dress and grabbed the simpler one.

Vicki paused, "But I wanted to see what Julia looked like in her choice." Penny laughed and nodded to Julia as she moved out of the fitting room area.

"Julia you look lovely my dear." Elizabeth lavished her praise on Julia as she moved out to a daïs and stepped up on it.

She pivoted around so everyone could see her. "I must admit the dress makes me feel beautiful."

"You do look beautiful Julia. It is perfect for you."

Julia turned as Penny moved to put a birdcage style net veil on her. "There, now what do you think?" Julia beamed and pivoted peering at herself in a 360-degree mirror. "I feel like a bride. I will take it."

Carolyn gushed, "Very Grace Kelley!" Liz smiled, "Does it need any alterations?"

Julie shook her head. "No it's a perfect size 2 and fits me to a tee."

Penny stood back and picked up Vicki's two pulls and moved back to the fitting room.

Vicki followed her and reverently lifted the lace sleeve of the princess styled dress. "It is so pretty but very expensive"

Penny laughed, "It should be, it's a Mori Lee gown. She is one of the top wedding gown designers in New York. So when is your wedding?"

Vicki started to undress. She would try on the empire waist one first. "Halloween."

"And your groom?"

Vicki flushed and let her slip the soft chiffon Empire waist gown over her head. "Barnabas Collins."

Penny whistled and smiled at Vicki, "So, you were lucky enough to snag a Collins, lucky you!" Penny zipped up the back and Vicki stepped back, "Oh this is lovely too."

It accented her small figure, with its simple graceful flow of material. The train was short and trailed on the floor as she moved from left to right. "It kind of reminds me of the gown that Elizabeth Taylor wore when she married Richard Burton."

Penny laughed, "Which time?"

Vicki chuckled too. "I am not sure, I just remember seeing their picture on the news one night when I was still at the fondling home in New York."

Penny lifted the back of the gown and gave it a quick flick to flare the gown out. The gown fell to the floor and looked lovely, "Come let's go show everyone."

Vicki feeling shy moved out with Penny as she entered the room, Liz turned and felt herself tear at the sight of Vicki, Carolyn ever the one not to be silent gushed.

"Vicki, its beautiful! It is kind of simple but so very pretty. Come look at yourself in the mirror."

Vicki moved forward and stood on the daïs and turned right then left looking at herself in the mirror. "It kind of looks like a prom dress. Don't you think?"

Liz tapped a finger against her lips. "That would make a great reception dress, you would be able to dance and move in it. Vicki, go try on the Princess style dress. Penny hold that one, while we try to decide what we want to do."

Vicki moved self-consciously off the daïs and followed Penny back to the dressing room where they met Julia. "Oh that is lovely Vicki."

Vicki flushed and dropped her gaze and tucked her chin. "Thank you Julia." They moved into the dressing room and Penny helped Vicki out of the first gown and then helped her into the heavy Princess styled dress of taffeta, satin and organza.

Penny lifted the back of the dress and the long train flowed back and around Vicki. "

"Oh I want to put a veil on you in this dress." She moved to a set of drawers in the room and she pulled out a 8-foot lace veil. Pulling it up and around to the back she let it fall over the back of the dress.

"Oh we have to show Mrs. Stoddard this one." Penny held up the train as she moved through the door and out into the reception area.

Carolyn, Liz, and Julia turned and paused; Vicki was a vision in the dress. All three women began to tear up as she moved to the daïs and took up her place on the center of the raised runway.

Penny flipped the back of the dress and let it fall gracefully around Vicki and arranged the veil. From the entranceway of the saloon George Patterson paused and he was caught up in a past memory.

Seeing Vicki standing there like that he remembered another bride so long ago and his regrets that he was not the lucky groom for that fair maiden. He remembered his youth and a passion filled couple that could not stay apart and snuck out to be with each other.

Standing there wearing that particular dress, Victoria Winters looked like Elizabeth Collins at that age. In that moment, George Patterson knew Victoria Winters was Elizabeth's daughter but another part of him glanced at Penny then back at Vicki.

Penny looked like his mother and when Vicki turned her head and he caught her profile, Vicki looked like his mother too. In that moment he was thunder struck as he gazed at the image before him.