Chapter 3

Vicki curled into the warmth of the body that held her tightly. Her head rested against the security of the shoulder that offered support. Still feeling the chill and in that part of sleep that leaves one vulnerable and insecure, she muttered, "Barnabas?" She opened one eye looked up at the sad concerned filled eyes of the man she had chosen to love.

"Yes, Vicki, what is it?" He stroked the dampness of her hair from her face tilted his head on his pillow and looked deep into her eyes. His thumb moved over her cheek to her lips. He wanted to lean down and kiss her but knew that to do so would possibly upset the serenity that she was feeling in her hour of need.

"How did I get here?" She cuddled closer to his body seeking the warmth of his body. She had a chill that was so deep that she thought she would never shake the feeling of being so cold. Closing her eyes she tried to block out the thoughts that were conflicting her. She thought if she could press closer to him and take the warmth from him, it would dispel the feeling of loss and betrayal.

"We found you in a cave under widows hill, apparently you sough refuge there." His hand moved in a steady rhythm up and down her arms. It was his attempt to warm her chilled body.

"No, that is not right. I remember being taken there by a man. He saved me from a falling limb. It would have impaled me had he not knocked me to the ground out of its way. He said he saw me run from the house so figured I did not want to return to Collinwood so he brought me to where he said he had been living for the past two weeks." Her words were interjected with the chattering sounds of her teeth as another round of bone chilling cold engulfed her.

"We found no one in that cave or any sign of anyone other than you in that cave my dear, are you sure you are not imagining a savior in a cold storm?" His words had been laced with tenderness in an attempt to not upset her any further than she already was. She was obviously still suffering from her shock and experience of being trapped in the ice storm with a feeling of nowhere to go.

Vicki pushed from the comfort and warmth of the body that had been offering her support and care to peer incredulously into his concerned filled gaze. "No, I am not imagining it. Every time someone says I imagine something, it turns out I did see what I saw. No one believed me when I said I saw Maggie in the cemetery that day and she was there with Julia, no one believed me when I said I saw the little girl at the top of the stairs and it turns out it was Sarah, you did not believe me when I said I heard a little girl singing in Josette's room and it was Sarah. So do not tell me, I am imagining a gypsy man caring for me in the cave!"

He saw how upset she was growing so in an attempt to calm her down he drew her resistant form back into his embrace. "I admit there were times I doubted what you said you saw, but at no time was it intended as a malicious intent to besmirch your veracity my dear." He felt her relax into his hold and he sighed.

I am just saying a stranger told us where to find you. When we got to the cave we found that the only occupant was you my dear and it appeared you were the one that had built a fire and had fallen asleep by the fire." He stroked her hair from her face peering into he gaze. "As quickly as he was there he was gone into the storm, so I knew exactly where you were and we, Sheriff Patterson and I went to bring you home."

The word home hit her hard. "Home." Her eyes grew distant and sadness filled her. Barnabas leaned over and kissed her forehead. It was an unconscious act to offer her comfort. "Why did she wait until now to tell me?" Vicki was still feeling the pains of the announcement that had been made earlier.

Barnabas held her close, "Darling Victoria, do you honestly think she intended to never tell you who you were? You I don't think have taken the time to process the information. Elizabeth explained she did not wish to destroy lives by making an announcement, she even brought you here much to my pleasure and delight or I may have never met you and we would not be getting ready to be married."

Vicki began to push past the pain of her feeling betrayed and was now trying to think through the information that had been given to her. "You do realize that you have a fully made family now. Not only is Carolyn your sister. In addition to that and from what George says you have two bothers and a sister on his side. Do you honestly think that Elizabeth wanted to break that news to him when his wife was dying?"

Vicki was beginning to feel shame over her reacting the way she had. "Elizabeth's father was very strict, he would have brought ruination down on George and his father had his position as sheriff because of Jamison. She knew her father better than anyone. I can see why she went off to have you and to bring you home? That would have caused a horrible stir in Collinsport. She would have been shamed and condemned."

The more Barnabas helped her reason out the why, the more she became open and sympathetic to the when. Breaking her hold from Barnabas, she rolled from their bed to move to the fireplace and peer into the fire. He was right and she had over reacted to the information. The more she thought about it the more she became to realize she now had what she had always dreamed of having most of her life. Not only was she a Collins, she was marrying a distant relative that was a Collins. Not just a Collins but one of the originals from the first family of Collinwood.

Tears of frustration and shamed filled her and she collapsed to the chair in front of the fire and wept. "Barnabas, you said Josette had your child and she went away. Why did you act as though the first time you met her was when she arrived at Collinwood?" She glanced to her future husband and waited for him to speak.

Barnabas sat up and twisted around, dangling his legs off the side of the bed. "I suppose you need to know Victoria, I was sent to Martinique to make the first contact with the duPres Family. Father sent me to negotiate the transaction of the pledge between Joshua and Jeremiah. You do realize that Josette was not his first wife, he had been married before and Jeremiah's wife had died in child birth along with his child."

Barnabas drew on his housecoat and moved to sit on the stool in front of her. Reaching forward he took her long slender fingers in his warm hands noting how cold she felt still. "We met for the first time and part of my intentions were to teach her the basic of English and open up trade between her father and my father." He looked down and sighed.

"When I first saw her sitting on the front veranda with that enchanting far away look in her eyes I was to say the least smitten with the then eighteen year old daughter of the plantation. When I first met her, I thought she was a flighty young lady. As we became more intimate with one another and I got to know her, I found her enchanting. Then one night we kissed and that one kiss led to another kiss and we found ourselves thrown together in each other's arms. The next thing I know we had consummated our passion."

Barnabas looked down. "Like poor George Patterson, we did not know of the existence of a child. I also had betrayed my Uncle. It was after all his future wife I had just taken from him and then I was summoned back home. I had left a tearful Josette on the docks that day with a promise to return. That did happen but when I arrived back to the plantation I was informed that Josette had left for Paris and I was given a nights passion with her maid Angelique. I had left the plantation to visit the other islands and upon my return, there were you. You were there Victoria on the porch looking so sweet and innocent."

Barnabas stood. "Somehow during that time I thought you had traded places with Josette that night but in fact you were present in the place of the other Victoria. I knew then I would need to separate my feelings for Josette because she was for Jeremiah and not me. Unfortunately, Angelique also had formed an attachment for me. I suppose when you share a part of each other you form an attachment. With Angelique it was all one sided. She was a distraction for what I wanted but could not have. With you, it was a light innocent flirtation. Something that quickly became a need to protect you."

Vicki sighed deeply, she was remembering that frightening night she had been transported back for a second time for the purpose of saving Ben Stokes. She knew she had to fight her attraction for the man that now sat before her. Vicki pushed up from her chair and walked to the fireplace looking into the flames with a distant thoughtful look. "You should know that at that time, I met Jeremiah on the beach and we shared a moment of intimacy. It was nothing more than a kiss."

Barnabas looked at her in shock. "Is that the reason Aunt Abigail became so adamant about you being a seductress and a bad influence?" He watched her with her back to him. She tightened her hold around her body.

She nodded her head slowly; those memories were painful enough without having to relive them. "Yes, she thought I was there to seduce you and your brother." She rubbed her arms, her mind drifting back to the past and her experiences. "Your Aunt Abigail was determined to see me branded a witch and driven from all your lives. Your father prevented further harm which I suppose it was suppose to play out the way it did because I was in the right place at the right time to save Ben's life and preserve Elliott's."

Barnabas moved behind her rubbing her arms, leaning over to rest his chin on her shoulder. "It was as the guides directed it to be. What we must do now is reunite you with your mother and father, allow you a chance to get to know your other siblings. You should be happy to know your family history and you share that history with me. Together we will be what a Collins epitomizes."

Vicki smiled, "You make it sound like we are the super race and seek world domination. I somehow do not see you as a villain bent on the destruction of mankind seeking to replace it with a superior race."

He wrapped his arms around her pulling her against his body. "True, but if you consider how important the continuation of our line was at the time that Angelique went on her vengeful rampage we were nearly destroyed by her need to teach me a lesson."

Vicki nodded, "She was very vengeful but you directed her to Peter and his attentions. It seems to me that Angelique used him as an indirect way to destroy what she could not have or be."

Barnabas turned her to face him. "She is no longer a part of our lives and for that we should be grateful. There is nothing left for us except a bright future and do you know what I see when I look into your eyes?" he smiled pulled her close caught her gaze and peered with such a deep sense of longing and a concentrated intensity that Vicki felt her breath taken.

"No, I would hope you see the light of the love I have for you and will always have for you." He smiled his own love shining forth through his gaze.

"I see the love you have for me but I also see a child, our children when I look in your eyes." He had never thought since this whole ordeal with Angelique began nearly two hundred years ago that he could ever hope of the thought of having children with anyone. He had been possessed to find his Josette and then found out too late she had his child, what was it that Natalie had said? She had a daughter and this daughter, his daughter, that a wealthy family of noble standing had been given his daughter?

She smiled leaned up to place a kiss on his lips. "I want to go back to Collinwood, but not tonight. I am exhausted. Perhaps that is why I reacted the way I did to the news. We had just come from that bizarre situation with Elliott's neighbor. I guess I was not in the best frame of mind to hear that the woman I had asked repeatedly if she knew anything about my past kept denying it until tonight."

Barnabas guided her back to the bed, "Come lets both lie down and just hold each other. When daylight comes, then together we can face the new facts of your life and start planning our life together.

Aristides moved into the room at Wyndcliff looking at Victor. "Is it done?" Victor did not look up from the book he held in his lap, he removed the thick glasses he wore and peered over at the handsome young man that had entered his room.

"Yes, but why this one? What is she to you?" Aristides moved to sit across from the older gentleman. Victor sighed deeply looked down at his book.

"You will find out in due course my dear boy. For now just understand there are two women at Collinwood that will be the downfall of Quentin Collins. If I cannot have his body, then I will take the body of Barnabas Collins returning him to what he was. Can you imagine how powerful I could be to have the body of a man that is an old vampire?"

"Why Victoria? She is an innocent in all of this." Victor smiled looking back at his book, his fingertips running over the edge of the book to peer back up at Aristides.

"Why not Victoria? When did we care about anyone being an innocent to meet our ends?" Victor was studying the young man and had to wonder had he grown an attachment to her in that short period of time. Victor turned his assessing gaze upon his slave and frowned, "Tell me Aristides, have you grown affections for this woman in such a short period of time?"

Aristides shrugged, " No, not in the least. I suppose I figured you brought back Daphne for Quentin and you control Daphne, why would you need to have any control over Victoria Winters."

Victor was growing tired of the questions of this young man whose loyalties belonged to him. "Aristides because I desire it, there should be no other reasons or need for an explanation other than it is what I desire. Daphne was a step closer to Quentin, who is younger than Barnabas. He does have the advantage of having the portrait by Tate, but can you not imagine my excitement hearing that another Collins had been released and was a vampire?"

Victor stood from the wheelchair. Moved to peer out at the window with eyes that were no longer able to see as well as he had at one time. "That part of his life makes him an immortal with a great deal of power. The fact he is very wealthy also opens the doors to many possibilities. Would you prefer that when the time comes to take over Barnabas Collins body that I would simply kill off his intended wife? I personally would prefer to keep her as his wife. She is attractive is she not?"

"Yes, she is very lovely. A treasure." Aristides had never questioned his master before. He supposed now after meeting her and seeing how innocent and vulnerable she seemed had triggered something in him he had forgotten he had. Watching the man standing in front of the window he knew he was assessing him as either an asset or a liability in his next endeavor.

"See, you said so yourself a treasure. So, in other words Aristides you have answered your own question. Which reminds me, you have never questioned me before why now?" Victor, the name he was using while in residence in Wyndcliff narrowed his gaze on the man that was suppose to be there at his beck and call.

Aristides had no real answer to his question except to say what he was thinking. "I don't know there was something different about this one Victor, there was a quality about her that I could not put my finger on exactly what it was but I felt sorry for her." Aristides was honest no one but Victor could fault him for that.

This did catch Victor by surprise Aristides had never felt sorry for anyone before and for this girl to bring out a feeling in him of sympathy did give him pause to wonder what it was that had caught his servant by his humanity. "I see, well perhaps I should make it a point to meet her in person. I say tomorrow we take a trip to Collinwood. I will use my influence through Roger Collins to get an invitation to stay. I have corresponded with Roger Collins as Eloise Verinder on four occasions while in his capacity as General Manger of the Collinsport cannery. I had expressed an interest in possibly opening up some type of business interest."

Victor moved from the window to look at his slave. "Aristides, make arrangements for another meeting with Mr. Collins but be sure I will need to be at his residence, insist that we cannot meet until the evening say around six or seven in the evening. He will be obliged to extend an invitation to join him at Collinwood; he may even extend a dinner invitation. Also say it is our intention to meet the owner of the cannery, which is his sister. I will expect you to handle this as expediently as you have done in the past other requests I have made."

Aristides bowed and turned to leave. When the door closed and Victor knew he was not in hearing range muttered, "Perhaps it is time to watch you a little more closely my dear servant. It seems to me that your loyalties' are questionable."

Quentin held Daphne in his lap smiling into her gaze. "Have I told you lately how important you are to me?" He watched the her face brightened at the mention of his feelings for her. "I also wanted to ask you how was your schooling going my dear?" He held her close cuddling with her resting her head on his shoulder.

"Quentin, I have never felt this strongly before about anyone. The first time I met you it was as if I had known you all my life." She played with the button on his shirt, her fingers dancing over the slick feeling of the button. Her other hand laid pressed to his chest and her head nestled on his shoulder she could feel his arousal of their close proximity to each other and this made her smile.

It was the truth she did feel she had known him all her life and felt that way the first day she met him. She was taken by his strong good looks and his smile. He ran his hand through her hair and could feel the warmth of her breath against his neck and it was driving him wild with passion. Pushing her head back he looked deeply into her eyes, lowered his head and kissed her deeply curling his fingers into her head and supporting the back of his head. His breath was short as he spoke her name. "Daphne, you have to say you will marry me." He held her close.

Daphne returned the kiss with as much passion as she had received from him and she too was feeling the heat of their passionate exchange. Pulling from him her own hand cupped to the back of his neck she smiled and nodded. "Of course I will marry you. As soon as I finish my last classes I will be happy to marry you." They sealed their pledge with another passionate kiss.

Elizabeth had paced the floor until she could not pace any more. She was exhausted physically and emotionally. What had she expected? That Vicki would offer her immediate acceptance and forgiveness? That had been far more than she should have expected. This was not what she had expected, she could still see the look on her face and it broke Elizabeth's heart.

The look of pain, shock, and betrayal was so much for her to bare. Elizabeth felt a new wave of tears threaten her when she heard the door open and close. Moving to the doorway she paused seeing George standing there looking at her in complete confusion. "We found her, the problem is she is exhausted and I think she just needs some time. Barnabas has promised to speak with her and allow her to talk out her own anger or frustration." He moved to Elizabeth and gathered her into his arms. "We just have to be patient Liz, what did either of us expect?" He could feel her tremble under the effort to control her emotions.

"Oh George what have I done? Did I do the wrong thing in telling her?" Her eyes swam with her tears as she looked up at the father of her first-born. "I know she would be hurt by being raised as she was in a foundling home and not a day went by that I wondered about her or was wanting to have her with me."

George led her into the drawing room still holding her for comfort and support. "Liz, I think you handled it the best way you knew how. We could only hope she would be ready to accept us as her parents. She has said she wanted to know since she could remember who her parents were and god only knows that child has been through hell and back since her arrival here."

He was remembering how many times she ha found herself a target and he immediately regretted reminding her of Vicki's past and arrival to Collinwood. "Maybe I should have never brought her here. But I was selfish I wanted to bring her home even if it was under misleading circumstances. George, I wanted my baby home with me. I had been separated from her for so long that I felt it was time to bring her home. Did I do the wrong thing?"

"No Liz, I think you wanted your family complete and brining Vicki here as David's governess was a good excuse and brought her here. If it had been me and given the opportunity, who is to say I would not have done the exact same thing. I think you did what you could to have your family complete."

Liz sniffed and accepted the handkerchief he had handed her. "Thank you George." She pulled from his gentle hold and sunk to the sofa. "I guess all we do now is wait to see how she accepts or rejects us."