Chapter 10

1796

Victoria tossed and turned in the bed, it was not her own and she was now out of her time, she was transported back to 1796 and she was back at Collinwood, not the Collinwood she had lived in but the new Collinwood with people she had loved in another life time and shared their lives. However, this Barnabas was very charming and endearing and she thought she was falling in love with him all over again. He was so much like her Barnabas in 1967. She knew he was destined to be with Josette and then to loose her to Jeremiah and then there was Jeremiah, he was so handsome and just like Burke, those old feelings had not gone away. They like this night still haunted her.

Rising before dawn, she pulled the shawl close to her lightly clad body. Naomi had given the long gown to her and it was lightweight as it clung to her sweat covered body. Moving to the window that over looked the back garden she knew she would have to avoid Abigail at all costs she was the one provocateur that had caused many so much misery. She was pointing fingers at her now and then there was Trask. He was the one factor in this time that had scared her to death. He was a sick perverted man. The very thought she would consider his proposal made her cringe.

Feeling claustrophobic she moved to pull on her housecoat. She needed a walk, maybe on the beach to clear her mind and to help her come back to rest. She wanted so desperately to go home to be where she was loved and she was happy and she could live her life in its natural course. Grabbing a cloak she knew the breeze from the mighty Atlantic would be cool this time of the year that was the one constant part of her life she knew she could count on. Making her way quietly down the now sleeping house she moved to the rear servant's stairs and down them.

Carefully she opened the door and let herself out. Moving to the rear garden, she walked around to the pathways that lead to widow's hill. Looking to her left she could see the nearly completed Collinwood, its great hulking structure outlined like some great giant dark mass outlined with its partially completed spires and roof against the ending of this night. A faint strip of grey was etching itself across the night sky growing with the promise of a new dawn.

Walking past the pathway that moved to widows hill she took the switch back path that moved to the beach. Slowly holding the end of her gown and cloak in her hands she balanced and moved to the beach just as dawn peaked its warming tendrils over the ocean. The view was worth the wait to see as dawns early light scattered the cloudbank that had held its cloying darkness to the ground. Stepping to the beach she paused and looked around.

She saw something in the surf and paused what was it could it be a body? She did not want to see a dead person but a compulsion to make sure it was a body and he was not dead drove her forward. Moving quickly along the beach pathway she knelt to the side of the man that laid face down in the wet sand. "Sir?" She spoke softly, pushed him and rolled him over. He was not dead, his clothing had been torn to tatters and he was covered in bloodstains.

She quickly checked him for damage and found he had been sorely abused and must have been whipped and beaten repeatedly. Her compassion for his condition was immediate as she tenderly pushed his hair from his face and touched the many scars that were formed over his body. She noted he wore a belt that was more from the 20th century than this century. He also wore a pair of badly abused trousers of impeccable cut and blend that also denoted he was from the 20th century. He moaned and then grabbed her close to him holding her tightly. "My god Vicki you are safe! He did not find you did he?"

Vicki started to struggle against his hold and then relaxed when he called her name and spoke as if he knew her. Did he think she was the other Victoria? "Sir? Who are you?" She pushed against his chest to feel him draw her head to his and stroke her hair with a soft sigh of relief. "I could not let that demon have you. When I heard you scream when you left Carolyn's room, I knew I had to go after you and rescue from him. You need to be with Barnabas. Its him that you love and not Trask."

In those few words she knew he knew her from the future. "Sir? Who are you? How do I know you? How do you know me?" She tried again to push against his chest and looked at him lying disheveled and covered in surf and sand. Her eyes searched his handsome face and moved to brush the sand from his cheek. He smiled at her and those deep blue eyes held her and she felt she should know him.

He looked at her face and saw her confusion written there. "Of course we have not met yet, this was your first trip back to 1796 after the séance and I had not arrived at Collinwood. You poor child of course you don't know me." He gave a halfhearted laugh and sat up grabbing her and holding her close. "That is probably when Trask first met you and decided you had to be with him." He cupped her face in his hands and looked into her confused and fear filled eyes. "We know each other, we have not met for you at this time. Just trust me Vicki, I know of you and I know of Barnabas and Elizabeth, Roger, Carolyn and David. I know it all and I was thrust back in this time by Trask."

Vicki could feel the waves inching closer to their location and moved to stand, holding her hand down to him she offered to help him up. "I am so sorry I don't know you. " He pulled against her and stood and she had to admit he was a sorry sight. "Come we need to get you out of those clothing and into something more substantial to wear. You must tell me what you are doing here and how you got here if you know all the people I know."

He took a step forward and staggered nearly falling and she moved to catch him. "Here hold onto me and we will get you somewhere safe. She began to move with him when she heard the sound of hoof beats on the surf. "Hold! Who goes there!" The voice was familiar and at one time well loved. Looking up she saw Jeremiah on horse back riding towards them. Vicki caught her breath and looked at the man holding onto her. How could she possibly explain this to Jeremiah?

Quentin could read her panic and knew her like he knew a well-read book, one he might have written. "Leave this to me. I will do the explaining." Vicki supported him to her body as Jeremiah pulled his horse to a stop in front of them.

"Miss Winters? What are you doing on this beach and who is this man?" Jeremiah dismounted and saw the condition the man was in and frowned. "Are you harm my dear? Did this man assault you?"

Vicki was quick to defend. "No, Mr. Collins, I could not sleep and I went for a walk and found this man washed upon the beach." She turned to look at the man holding onto her like an anchor. Jeremiah realizing he was injured moved forward to relieve her of the burden of his weight.

"My name is Quentin Collins, I am from France. I was on a ship and privateers attacked us, there was a horrible fight and our ship was sunk, I held onto a part of the ship until we got close to shore and then I swam the rest of the way to shore and collapsed here. I was trying to get to Collinwood and meet my distant relatives."

Jeremiah blinked in surprise, "Collins, you have arrived at Collinwood though not competed, you are here my cousin and friend. Here allow us to get you to the house. Miss Winters will you help me lift him to the back of my horse and we can take him back and call the doctor?" Vicki watched Jeremiah go from suspicion to tender care. She was trying very hard to process this information he had just told Jeremiah.

He said his name was Quentin Collins, so she must be destined to meet him after she returns from this time. So there is hope she is going back to her time. She was going back to her life and to her Barnabas. It also seemed from what he was saying that her and Barnabas become closer and must be lovers or at least closer than they were. Struggling with Jeremiah to get the tall man with a nice muscular build on the back of Jeremiah's horse. She felt exhausted and was ready to change and go to bed.

"I hope to introduce you to my brother and his wife, my wife and my brother's family. They will all be excited to know there is another Collins to welcome to the family. Come along Miss Winters this is no place for a lady of breeding and standing to be. You must come and change before you catch your death of a chill." Jeremiah had taken his cloak off and draped it over Vicki who immediately took it to Quentin.

"Thank you Mr. Collins but this Mr. Collins needs this far more than I." She knew he was being gallant by offering her his cloak but the man on horse back was the one in need. Quentin took the cloak and draped it around his body he was grateful for the warmth it offered.

"Thank you Miss Winters." He smiled and that smile was charming. Jeremiah felt a momentary flush of jealousy and knew it was unreasonable he was a married man with an adulterous wife. He could not prove it but he was just as sure that she was being unfaithful with his nephew and this would be shown soon enough. Jeremiah took the reins and turned to throw a protective arm around Vicki's shoulders.

"Come daylight is upon us and we need to get out of the arriving weather." He had glanced to the north and saw the rolling cloudbank as it made its way towards the beachhead. "If we hurry we will avoid any of the rain it bears and won't have to worry about becoming chilled." Jeremiah hurried them up the pathway and along the path towards the front of the house where a sleepy stable boy slept waiting for his master to return.

The boy rushed forward and took the reins from Jeremiah, while Quentin tried to dismount only to fall down and collapse on the ground. "Miss Winters run and fetch some help, we need to carry him to a room and get him warm, he is hurt and I fear falling seriously ill."

Vicki rushed into the foyer looked around and saw two of the male servants. "Mr. Collins needs you please hurry!" The two men rushed out of the front door and found Jeremiah trying to help Quentin to stand. Vicki stood back and looked for Mrs. Hudson, "Please go prepare a room for a guest."

Josette appeared at the top of the stairs in her gown and housecoat she looked anxiously down at the flurry of activity now happening in the foyer, "Victoria what is happening?" She looked at her husband carrying in a strange man with two of the servants. Mrs. Hudson had rushed up the stairs and past Mrs. Collins.

"Apparently a cousin from France was attacked at sea and washed up on the beach and has been injured Jeremiah is helping him." Jeremiah looked past his beautiful wife standing in her gown looking confused as he helped carry Quentin to one of the guest bedrooms. Vicki climbed the stairs and looked at Josette.

"Perhaps we should get you into your clothing and ready for the day." Vicki cupped Josette's elbow and led her back to her bedroom. Josette turned to see Vicki was hardly dressed for the morning and frowned.

"We need to get you out of those wet clothing." Josette pulled Vicki's cloak from her body allowing it to drip on the floor, moving to the hallway she found the first maid she could find. "Bring Miss Winters some dry clothing quickly, she is soaked to the bone and surely will catch her death."

Josette bustled about the room finding a nice soft cloth to dry Vicki, "Perhaps you should have a nice hot bath! Yes that is it, you need a bath and I will see them draw you one immediately." Vicki tried to stop her but she was gone and Vicki was left in Josette's room looking around at what would be Elizabeth's room some day. Pealing her wet gown off and draping it over a chair she stood near naked in the middle of the room when the door was thrust open and a very startled and embarrassed Barnabas stood looking on the nymph of great beauty.

"Oh my pardon Miss Winters I did not realize you were here indelicate'." He closed the door his face flaming red but his mind pleased with what he had observed. Vicki reached for a blanket and drug it around her body and moved to the door with her face flaming with embarrassment.

"Mr. Collins I am so sorry, someone should have told you Miss Josette was going to have a hot bath drawn for me." She opened the door and stood in the hallway looking very much bedraggled and lost. He found he was somewhat attracted to her in this manner and not because he had just seen her in her all together nothing. He wanted to reassure her that he meant no ill or harm with his entrance into the bedroom of his uncle's wife.

"I heard we had a new visitor that arrived and been ill treated and that you were the one that found him. I was curious and knew Josette would be arranging rooms and help for the unfortunate cousin from France." He tried to not look at her shivering in the blanket in the hallway but the previous image was indelibly inscribed on his memory.

"Barnabas! There you are and Miss Winters, Josette says your bath is ready and you should come to the bathing chambers now." Joshua moved with some degree of force and looking very harassed as he advanced down the hallway to Vicki and Barnabas. Vicki smiled shyly to Joshua excused herself stepping past them to hurry down the hallway.

"What are you doing here with Miss Winters in what some could call a scandalous situation. If my eyes do not deceive me she looked to be less than acceptable for gentlemen callers and she was obviously coming from Josette's room. Please do not disgrace me or your Uncle's wife by allowing her husband to find you here."

Barnabas held his temper and glared at his father. "I was merely trying to ascertain who the man was that Jeremiah and Miss Winter's rescued. I was actually looking for Miss Winters and thought she was in Josette's room. I did not realize she was not prepared for any callers. Obviously, Josette had put in motion the ability to make her more comfortable and dry. From what I understand our relative is in far worse shape than Miss Winters and she was the one to originally find him lying near death on the beach."

"That is why I came looking for you, I thought you would like to join me in introducing ourselves to our relative now that the doctor has seen to his needs and ordered him to rest in bed for the next two days." Joshua postured his body to stand erect and to look with a supercilious note down his nose to his son. With hands locked behind his back Barnabas oft time wondered if he did this to keep from striking him across the face in his anger. He would not have put it past him to attempt such a thing to teach him a lesson.

Daniel and Sarah ran down the hallway all excited, "Oh Father you must come meet Quentin, he is most handsome and is so funny when he speaks he sounds a lot like Miss Winters with the way he turns his phrases." Sarah turned her excited eyes upon her brother and smiled "Oh Brother you too must come to meet cousin Quentin he is so much fun! Come alone!" she reached and tugged on his hand to pull him down the hallway to the room that Quentin had been placed.

Joshua at a more sedate pace turned and followed the entourage down the hallway to pause outside a closed door. Barnabas knocked lightly to a soft deep voice calling, "Come in." Barnabas waited for his father to join him then turned the knob and entered the room to come up short and look upon the man that was his cousin. The blue eyes that peered back at him were no more surprised than Barnabas at seeing a resemblance to his grandfather when he looked at Quentin.

"I can see there is no denying you are a Collins by your looks alone you resembled Isaiah Collins my grandfather." Barnabas smiled and stepped forward extending his hand in friendship to the bedbound man. Quentin studied the hand and then the face of the man standing before him and it was as if he were back at Collinwood in 1968. This man was his cousin he had come to believe in and care about in the future. He was as Vicki had been a witness to this time before the great debacle that cost him his humanity.

"Is there a problem?" Barnabas noted he held onto his hand a bit longer and his gaze was fixed and penetrating to the point it was almost an embarrassment. Quentin realizing he had held his hand too long and was being rude dropped the hand and extended his hand to the man that slightly resembled Roger Collins from his time.

"No problem it was you reminded me so much of someone I know back in France that for a moment I was nostalgic and held to that dear memory of a very dear and loving family member that was like a brother to me. Forgive me." He took Joshua's hand and smiled, "And you sir do remind me greatly of my father in looks. I believe Isaiah Collins was my Grandfather as well, my father was . . . " He had to think about the family history and knew what side of the family he was propagated from was Daniel's.

"You must be my Uncle Malachi's family. They migrated to France in the mid 1700's before the Great War ripped this country apart." Joshua spoke proudly of his family and their migration to the other countries. "We lost contact with them once they arrived in Paris and just figured they were busy with their own business dealings."

The two younger members of the family pushed past Barnabas and Joshua. "Oh Cousin Quentin you did not get to meet my adopted brother Daniel." Sarah drug Daniel forward and Quentin's eyes riveted to the small cherubic features of the young boy in front of him. For a long moment Quentin let his gaze travel over the innocent face of Daniel Collins his father. He felt a plethora of emotions wash over him.

The Daniel he knew had been a strict disciplinarian and demanding from his children, which only evoked a need to rebel against his authority. Looking at Joshua and then Daniel he frowned. "Your adopted brother?" He looked at Sarah and then to the boy that would some day be his father. He reached forward and carefully with tender fingers traced his face with his fingertips. "I had not heard you had another son cousin Joshua."

Joshua sighed deeply, "Daniel is the product of an illicit affair between his mother a Collins and some brigand that took her virtue in hopes of compromising her to get her fortune, fortunately for me the man perished during the war and Daniel well his sister and he were sent to me. I have opted to adopt him into our family and give him a decent name and a claim to his mother's fortune." Quentin was shocked to learn Daniel was adopted and not a product of Joshua and Naomi's coupling.

"That was very good of you cousin Joshua. You Daniel are you happy here in this family?" The question was an honest one and for Quentin a hope of discovering more of his father as a young man. He watched Daniel look up to Joshua with pride, loyalty and undeniable love.

"I am very proud to be a member of Father Joshua's family. He has made me realize how important the Collins names means and what we sacrificed to keep our home safe and free from the crown's rule." He spoke with his innocent reflection of what Quentin was sure the hand of Joshua coming down on the boy's education. Quentin chuckled softly.

"I am sure you are my dear boy." He began to look worn out when a soft voice from the door caught their attention. All eyes turned to look at Victoria standing in a pristine soft yellow dress with a lovely yellow ribbon in her hair. She was a vision in the sunshine and for a moment Quentin, Barnabas both were struck by the shear beauty of her innocence dressed as she was and standing shyly in the doorway.

"Excuse me the doctor did say that Mr. Collins was to rest and as much as I know you all wish to get to know your cousin I must insist that you leave him to rest. Mr. Joshua Collins your wife Naomi is requesting your attention in the drawing room. Mr. Barnabas Collins, your presence is requested at the old house Mr. Bradford is asking after you. And you two your governess Miss Wick is looking for you to continue your studies."

Vicki stood primly in the doorway and waited for them to leave the room. Sarah and Daniel both moved forward and with the unabashed openness of children they hugged Quentin. Quentin held a little longer to David's frail body. They turned paused by Vicki and waved to Quentin then were gone from sight.

Barnabas smiled at Vicki turned to Quentin and bowed, "Until later cousin I look forward to getting to know you better." Barnabas turned bowed to his father and stiffly left the room pausing briefly by Vicki to whisper softly. "The view this morning although uncomfortable for us both was a delightful sight to see so early." With a soft chuckle he left her red faced looking from Quentin to Joshua.

Joshua harrumphed then smiled at Vicki, he truly had learned to appreciate who she was and what she had done for his family in her brief stay there. Moved past Vicki he paused and winked, "Either one of them would make a fine husband you might consider becoming a Collins my dear we could use with such strong stock as you obviously come from and could enjoy the addition to this family."

The caused another soft flush of color to flood her face and she waited for them to leave when she entered his room and closed the door. "Now for you Mr. Quentin Collins you have a lot to explain but not now. The doctor was adamant about you resting and that is what you will need to do." She moved to draw the curtains and then turned to cover him with his blanket to feel his hand couple with hers and a look of concern filled his eyes.

"Vicki we must talk, I can promise you this, we know each other and we are connected. I don't know how I came to be here, I was brought back a little before this time after you had returned to Collinwood and now after waking up on the beach unless I was not sure when I entered the stairway of time, I have come back further you must tell me what year this is?"

Vicki looked startled at such a question, "Why it is June of 1796, what year did you think it was?" Quentin had to think when was it that Trask had brought him here.

"I was sure it was around November of 1796 around the time that Peter Bradford . . . " He had to remember she did not know about Barnabas or what had happened to him after Bradford.

"Before Bradford did what Quentin?" She sat on the edge of his bed and looked at the confusion that was written across his face.

"When did the old house become vacant?"

"Why since my arrival here it has never been vacant, Barnabas and Bradford reside there and the Joshua Collins family have moved in about two weeks ago."

"Then I must have found the stairway in time and come to this time in this year, I was sure the old house was vacant and abandoned. That is where Trask had me held and was beating me for information on where I hid you. He had kidnapped you from the East Wing of Collinwood and forced you down the hallway into the stairway of time. I pursued him and caught up with him and we fought, I grabbed you and took you to another time. The problem is I don't remember which time it was."

Vicki was trying to understand these wild babblings but who was she to judge? She had after all come back here during a séance at the old house. "Perhaps the best thing is for you to rest and we can speak later. You are exhausted and have been ill treated." She stood smiled and moved to the door.

"Vicki you are going to marry Barnabas you had just gotten engaged and was planning your wedding when you were kidnapped. This I know for a fact you made a beautiful bride in your mother's wedding dress." The last words were said so softly she had not heard him as she closed the door thinking about her marrying Barnabas.