Chapter 12

Collinwood, Quentin's room

Quentin sat at his desk in his room. Pushing the roll top up he frowned, he had left the eye of Pandora in that cubby and now it was gone. Pushing around the papers on the desk he noted that it had been disturbed that someone had rifled through his things. Sitting back he folded his hand over and rested his fist against his face. What was going on? It had all begun with the arrival of Duke Henri, then Josephine looking like Angelique, and now she was dead or not. Rising from his desk he walked to the window to peer out at the restless sea below his window and sighed softly.

Today had been unsettling to say the least. He had spent time with Daphne. He smiled thinking of the beauty that had agreed to become his wife. She was so sweet and tender that he knew he had made the right choice and she so reminded him of the Daphne from so long ago. The very same Daphne that had found her heart was truly yearning for him, but her mind would not let go of the fact he had been married to Jennie. The thought of Jennie washed over him with warmth that he had not felt in a long while.

Collinwood

1845

His thoughts were centered on his Jennie. Jennie was the beautiful red haired gypsy that had captured his heart and imagination. Unfortunately, Quentin could not stay faithful to one woman for long. The sweet smile and beguiling come hither look his brother wife had given him had caused him to stray. Stray far enough from Collinwood that they had run away together. He had not realized he had left poor Jennie behind pregnant and slowly going mad with grief and fear of loosing him.

Quentin drifted back to that time, a time he cared little for no one other than himself and his needs first. She had arrived in a cabaret in Paris, she was vibrant, filled with life and she could move and sing. He had sent her flowers and a bottle of champagne. He felt the need to hunt prey and he had hunted Jennie, who had eluded him in the beginning.

He was persistent in pursing the golden girl with the red hair and the bright disposition filled with laughter and wide blue eyes. He would lie awake at night and think about her and that body. She would come out and perform; he would ply her with bottles of champagne and flowers. It had become a game and one he had been determined to win. He wore her down; she finally agreed to date him. His artful persuasions could not cajole her into his bed, not unless he put a ring on her finger. It took a year of pursuit and finally he capitulated and in some strange ceremony they were wed.

He recalled how her people had badgered her. He was not of the people and was oft times referred to as a gorger. He always felt that name was an insult. He could not wait to bring her home to introduce her to his family. He could hear his father now railing about her not being a proper Collins material. Or how his family would look down their noses at her for being a gypsy. She could almost see Edith running to the silver cabinet to count the silver to make sure she had not taken off with it to sell. It amused him to think of how he would bluster and force them to accept her.

He remembered one day while he was home and Jennie had come into the drawing room, that the polite society that was his family all rose and left them alone in the room. It had amused him to the point he had laughed at their antics. "Quentin why do they treat me this way? I have harmed no one." She would go to sit on his lap and curl into his arms. He would brush her hair back and speak softly.

"Do not let them bother you my dear it is their loss. Besides look at us we are finally alone and we can do this." He would capture her lips pressing a deep passionate kiss and wait for her to feel the need he had burning inside for her. How her eyes would smolder with his careful seductions to get her to bend to his will. He had loved how she was so pliable and gave of her self so completely. He would sweep her up in his arms and carry her off to the servant's quarters to a spare bedroom and there they would make love.

But because he was Quentin and he bored easily he was soon distracted by Edward's wife Laura. Laura who would smile and bat her lashes and then brush up against him when he was at the liquor cabinet. Laura who's smoldering eyes would capture him with their gaze and invite him to follow her to the garden where once there she would find their clothing falling off and them falling into each other's arms making passionate love in the depths of the garden's confines.

He smiled thinking about how she had finally lured him away from Collinsport and to a pyramid in Egypt where she promised him an eternal life. "I am telling you Quentin, you and I could live on forever! You need to come away with me. I have found a new following and a leader that is beyond any you have ever thought of before." She had rolled into his arms and cuddled in close only arousing him more with her body. "You must come and join me. You will see that the Order of Ra, is the only way to go and live."

He had laughed at her and then thought about it and allowed her to drag him half way around the world to a remote place in the desert, away form the excavators, away from those that sought the treasures of the past or rob graves, to a small isolated pyramid. Once there he realized what she was and what she had expected from him. He had also learned at that time, she was pregnant, more than likely with his son. He watched in horror as she dressed in a transparent gown walked up the stairs to the roaring pyre that had been built to the image of Ra.

He watched in terrified silence as she threw her hands in the air and cried out her allegiance to Ra and that she would be the eternal Phoenix and would rise again. Then without a single thought she stepped into the burning pit screaming out in joy or pain he could not determine. All he knew was he had to escape from there, had to leave this god forsaken place where person after person marched up those stairs to throw themselves into the burning fire pit.

Throwing off his robe, he rushed away from the sight and got lost in the tunnels, turning he found he had entered a small chamber and sitting on a dais in the center of the room was this one single stone of the purest bluish black he had ever seen. He could have sworn he saw it pulsating with light almost tempting him to take the stone. Walking towards the lght in what he could only determine was a mesmerized state. Lifting the stone from the dais he was surprised to find it was cool to the touch and the size of a goose egg. Putting it in his pocket, he heard voices and feared they were searching for him to throw him into the fire. Inching his way into the shadows he worked his way along the wall until he came out another tunnel that appeared familiar, turning to the feel of a draft he rushed from the structure into the night and made good his escape.

Traveling to Cairo, he hid there until he could get transportation out and the next Freighter ship. Hiring on the ship he worked for his fare to their next port of call, which took him from the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea. Making port in Transylvania, Quentin began to hike the countryside where he came upon a man he was not soon to forget. Andréas Petofi was a chameleon in an aristocratic skin suit. He offered Quentin comfort but had ulterior designs.

Collinwood Quentin's Bedroom

1969

Quentin shook his head, he had not thought about Petofi in over one hundred fifty years. Why tonight he thought of him he knew exactly what had brought up that uncomfortable memory. Daphne. Daphne had gone quiet with him this evening for a while. She had gotten a distant look to her he had never seen before for her. He had seen it before on others that had been in contact with Petofi, but not Daphne and what she had said had disturbed him greatly. Enough he needed to talk with Barnabas over what he had heard this day.

Hearing a knock at his door, he called, "Come in." The door opened and David bound into the room full of energy and filled with the innocence of youth. Looking at David, he had to wonder, if that is what his son with Jennie would have looked like had he lived. He smiled at the enthusiastic child as he rambled on about dead bodies disappearing and crazy cousins. "Well I hope you are not referring to me as a crazy cousin." Quentin chuckled softly.

"Well no, I am talking about that crazy woman that was married to Cousin Henri that jerk." David mumbled and looked down at the desk where he leaned against it and studied the I-Ching wands spread across the desk. "Cool what are they?" he lifted one and Quentin reached forward and took it quickly from his hand.

"Not for you, something that I was studying for a book. Now what brings you to my room young man?' Quentin looked at the number on the wand and was glad he had snagged it from him. It could have been bad had he been enchanting them to try to do his time travel with the wand. Which had reminded him of something that Petofi had experimented with and used others for his dirty deeds. Sliding the wands back into their container he studied David who watched him intently. "David, did you need something?"

He blinked smiled and then nodded, "Yes, Barnabas called he wants you and Victoria to pick him up from the old house something about Julia and Professor Stokes needed to talk with you both at his house." Quentin was curious.

"Thank you David, would you be kind enough to go find Vicki and tell her to meet me in the drawing room in say fifteen minutes?"

david shrugged, "She went for a walk in the woods earlier, said she thought she saw a lilac tree that was filled with blooms. I told her that was impossible because they only bloom in the spring and it was way past that."

Quentin chuckled, "David, summer does not start for another three weeks and isn't that when Barnabas and Vicki plan to marry?" His words were soft and he looked with humor at the bent head of the precocious boy.

"Yeah I guess so but that is so stupid whey would she want to go into the woods looking for some dumb old tree with flowers, the garden is full of them." He sighed and put his palm under his chin and looked to Quentin.

"Did you think perhaps that the reason she went into the woods was to get some time to think and to enjoy the spring that is being offered by Maine? How often do you get to have nice warm days to play on the beach or walk in the woods?" Quentin thought a moment and had to admit this had been a nice fair sping so far, even with the late ice storm and the snow fall it had actually warmed up to become a pleasant spring.

"That is just dumb, you grown ups are stupid." He pushed against the desk and walked to the door. "I can go find her if you want." He held that petulant pout on his face watching Quentin lock his desk drawer.

"No David, I am sure she will be back before dark, did you finish your home work?"

"Yeah I gave it to Maggie and she is acting weird too." He slumped his shoulders and walked out into the hallway. "Oh and Daphne called earlier she wanted to make sure you made it home."

Quentin found that odd, she had never called him before to check on his safety. Things were beginning to grow weird for him. He sat against his desk's edge a watched the door from which David had just made his exit. Securing the desk with his key, he flipped it in the air, caught it and then slid it into his pocket.

Walking into the hallway he suddenly was arrested, his attention riveted to the small mirror at the end of the hallway. A figure of a man's face appeared in the mirror, fading in and out of view. He appeared to try and say something but could not get his words out. He was distressed with his efforts being thwarted by something beyond his control. Frowning Quentin looked at the face and found for a man he must have been considered attractive. He had a strong jaw line, with dark eyes, full lips and high cheekbones. On his head he wore a bandana and for all intent and purposes he appeared to be a gypsy very much like the ones that was a part of Jennie's tribe.

Walking towards the mirror he could clearly see the image. Reaching the mirror the image shimmered out of view as Cousin Henri came into the hallway. "Oh Quentin, a moment of your time if you will. I have been with the Sheriff most the day and I am very worn out. I just wanted to thank you for your help the past evening and for all you did and of course for all that Barnabas and you together did when my . . . " Here he affected a catch in his voice. "My Josephine is no longer with us." He looked down hoping he was displaying enough grief for Quentin's view.

"I want to say how sorry I am that this had to happen Henri, if there is anything we can do to lessen your burden just let me know." He clapped a friendly hand on his shoulder. Henri glanced up from his moment of apparent distressed and sadly smiled.

"I do appreciate that so much. I am beside myself and know I must go back home and report her death to our people, they will wish to have a memorial service for her and it will be a very extravagant affair. I was wondering do you think the family would consider flying back with me and staying with me for the service?" He sounded sincerely distraught having to face a tragedy like this alone.

"I would think you would ask your other family to stand by you during a time like this. " Quentin reasoned logically that he would draw his immediate family closer to him.

"Unfortunately, the only family I have left since the death of my son was my Josephine. Alas I am the last of my line." He looked down appearing to be pathetically at a loss. Quentin fell for the look and the feelings. He had known that the only family he felt close to was this family. All of his family had died years ago and now all he wanted was to make a new life with Daphne.

"I understand Henri, allow me time to discuss this with Elizabeth, Roger and the rest of the family and we will see what we can do for you in our time of need. You are a Collins and I know you need your family close." He smiled and suddenly felt his body grabbed in a strong hug by Henri.

"Thank you Quentin, you have no idea how much this means to me." He smiled and turned to walk back to his bedroom Liz had kindly given him. Closing the door he leaned against the door and smiled. His newest plan was actually coming together nicely. All he needed now was for the family to join him back in his country where he had his most control and power.

Wyndcliff Sanatorium

The man that was known as Victor Van Gibbon laid in a semi comatose condition in a ward filled with others. The occasional scream from another patient made him cringe inwardly. He knew at any moment that man of Petofi's would come back kill him and destroy the body he now occupied. Fighting for control over his muscles he slightly turned his head so he could see out the window.

There he saw him again, the one known as Aristides he was huffing away from the building in what appeared to be a real fit of anger. He had heard him in the hall earlier and he was sure that he was looking for him when Nurse Janet had found him and Orderly James escorted him from the premises. "Excuse me sir what are you doing here?"

"I was looking for my Uncle Victor Van Gibbon, I was told he passed away and I came to claim his body. He had specific instructions should he die." Orderly James' voice had become conciliatory.

"Mr. Van Gibbon's body has been turned over to the State for an autopsy, since he died under unusual circumstances." There was a pause in the conversation when James had said the state took the body for an autopsy he became enraged shouting that this was utterly ridiculous and what kind of unusual circumstances? It was enough that it brought more staff to the hallway.

"Look sir, you are going to need to lower your voice. We have people trying to rest here and you are disturbing them. If you do not leave I am going to call the police." This only caused him to become louder and more aggressive when Orderly James had stepped in front of him.

From behind locked ward doors Aristides anger had transmitted to those that were easily disturbed by the yelling of the man in the hallway and it had set off those inside to yell and scream with him. It was a good thing for the night that they had already restrained the others to their beds to keep them from becoming violent to the staff. James especially was now very put out because those inside would take hours to calm down and he would have to be the one to force them to take their medication that would calm them.

"You are going to have to leave now." James was not going to move and had towered over Aristides. That is when Aristides turned and walked down the hallway shouting he would be back with a court order for his Uncle's body. He had slammed out of the door and huffed to his car and slid behind the wheel and watched the building.

For Aristides he was not sure what he should tell Petofi about the body of Victor Van Gibbons, if they had said he was under going an autopsy then he surely was dead. He said that Daphne had shot him with the air bubble and that would have killed him immediately. Sitting for a few more minutes he glanced up to see a squad car pull up to the front of the building. Thinking he should leave he took the better part of valor and pulled away from the building.

Driving down the roadway, he pulled over and laid his head on the steering wheel. He looked in the backseat of his car and saw the body bag laying there. He thought it would be simple, go to this dump, pick up the body, take it out to sea and dump it in the ocean and let it become fish bait. Now it was not even here and he had to go back and tell Petofi his body had disappeared. He was suppose to say what? That they sent it for an autopsy because the death was unusual circumstances? What had the bitch done? Had she botched her part of the job.

His job had been to go and rent a boat, and get the body bag and then collect the body and get rid or it. Now he was at a loss as to what to do. Turning on the radio in his car, he decided that he would just drive back to Collinsport when the news commentator for the evening shift recapped the stories from the day. The top headliner was an announcement that another mysterious death had occurred on the Estate of Collinwood when a visiting noble woman had thrown herself from the window.

"Shit." Aristides cursed softly, things were beginning to fall apart and he needed to get back to Collinsport and the sooner the better. Putting the car into gear he gunned the engine and took off burning rubber on the pavement. Which was pretty stupid because the police officer that had just left Wyndcliff saw him and put the bar lights on and the siren to pull him over. Giving a soft moan, rolling his eyes, he pulled over and began to fume softly to himself.

Pathway from Collinwood to Old House

Vicki held the few blossoms she had found tucked in her sweater, having used it as a bowl to hold them in she walked along and lifted one to sniff when she heard a twig snap. Pausing she turned and looked around the wooded area. "Hello? Is anyone there?" She stood poised waiting to see if anyone would answer her. From the depths of the darkness and the shadows a pure white wolf with the most glorious looking blue eyes peered at Vicki.

Feeling a little frightened she stood and spoke softly, "Hello, my aren't you beautiful. You have the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen." She spoke with no hint of a threat in her voice or an aggressive move towards the magnificent creature. From the brush another voice called.

"Tasha, where did you go!" A tall strapping young man walked into view. He paused seeing Victoria. His gaze fixed to her face and those eyes and he smiled. "Why hello wood sprite where did you come from and what pretty flowers you have. Is that why you followed her Tasha? You like lilacs and so does she. Hello my dear, allow me to introduce myself. I am . . . "

Vicki's eyes fluttered and she flashed on a time long ago and another that was as handsome and youthful as this man and his name was Gregor. "Gregor?" She said the name slowly trying to remember where she head the name before. He smiled broadly and looked down at the wolf.

"Why yes, how did you know Miss Winters have we met before?" He chuckled softly seeing she was as surprised as he that he knew her name. "It is easy for me to know your name, your picture has been in the papers lately as a member of society that will be marrying one Barnabas Collins." He bowed to her. "However, I am not so sure how you know my name."

She flushed softly saw the wolf turn and disappear into the woods. Victoria chuckled softly and shrugged lightly. "I am not sure. I guess it is because you look like someone I used to know a long time ago and his name was Gregor." She heard another rustling sound and a small delicate looking girl with long white hair and lovely blue eyes stepped from the shadows to peer over shyly.

"It is about time you showed up Tasha, this is Victoria Winters the bride to be of Barnabas Collins." The girl was truly lovely and graceful she stepped towards Victoria to take her fingertips and brush them over Victoria's face.

Vicki held her self still so as to not startle her although she had not expected her touch her. Brushing the hair back from her throat she frowned then turned and looked at Gregor, she does not have the mark, the Romano mark."

Vicki was confused, "What mark would that be?"

Tasha pulled back her hair on her collar bone was birthmark, one of a heart. "All Romano have the mark. You are Romano, half Gorger half Gypsy but you should still have the mark."

Vicki laughed, "Oh you have one too. I have one here." She lifted the back of her hair and on the back of her neck was the shape of a heart from her birthmark. She watched Tasha visibly relax.

"She is true Romano she bares the mark." Tasha relaxed and turned to stand next to Gregor. "We are family to you Victoria Winters. We are Romano too!" She sounded pleased and excited. "You must be careful times are dangerous for our kind."

Gregor slapped at her hip. "She must find out in her own way little one, we must go. Poppa is upset and calling for us."

Before Vicki could speak to them again they were gone and leaving her with a very unsettled feeling. Turning to head to the Old House she smiled looking up to see Barnabas coming down the pathway.

"Victoria come quickly we must meet with Julia and Elliott we are summoned and I think he plans to have a séance and needs you." Vicki felt her heart freeze at the thought of a séance.