Chapter 1
As she entered the house, Maggie Evans tried to relax a bit before deciding on how to
get along with young David Collins. She had been David's governess for months now and she just didn't understand the way he was acting towards her. She knew everyone in town thought she was nuts taking the job of being the young Collins's Governess. But she needed the money. Plus after all the strange happenings she thought she should stay to help bring some normalcy about the household and decided after the last fiasco she wanted to get to the bottom of all the strangeness at Collinwood even if it meant facing her worst demons.
Several events happened while Maggie started as the governess. The haunting of Quentin, Nicholas Blair and of course the Leventhians. As all of these events unfolded, Maggie stood firm and wouldn't give in to the darkness that surrounded each of the events. But the worst event that unfolded on her, was with Nicholas Blair and the ghost of Quentin. She thought Mr. Blair was it. The one. No, she was fixed on him taking her away from the estate and living a wild dream. Nicholas Blair was handsome, devilish and had a charm that was unforgettable. But when she started forgetting things when he was around, it made her nervous and thought maybe it was because she was so determined to make a life with him. Especially when he asked her to marry him.
But then the memory gaps happened more frequently. She would find her self in the middle of doing something and not knowing how or why she was doing these things. She couldn't tell if it was all a dream or nightmare she was living. During all this, being enthralled by , she managed to fight Quentin off from possessing David who almost died. With Quentin gone she could manage her feelings for Nicholas and live a normal life. But that's not what Nicholas had in mind for her….nor was Quentin completely gone.
After thinking back on all this, She found it hard to sit still and relax. Sighing, Maggie sat up and thought about when she was locked up in one of the rooms in the West Wing of the house. She knew there must be more to the house than what meets the eye. Getting up she started to move around the drawing room. Looking at all the features of the walls and the decorations that hung on them she started to laugh to her self. I must look silly doing this, I don't know why I am even bothering… leaning up against part of the wall by the desk, she felt an unevenness. Turning around she could see that part of the wall was in fact a hidden door.
Quickly looking around to make sure no one was watching, she grasped at the wall that was 'open' and pulled it open further so she could investigate. She found herself looking into a dark narrow walkway. Wanting to know where this lead to, Maggie quickly rushed across the room to where she knew a flashlight was stashed, she grabbed it, quickly and carefully went inside shutting the wall panel behind her. Turning on the flashlight and brushing cobwebs from her face, she wandered her way through. When she found the other entrance, she quickly turned off the light and very carefully opened the door/panel to find herself in Quentin Collins's Study in the West Wing of the house. Making sure no one was in the room she quickly shut the hidden panel and looked around the room.
A smile crept across her face. She now knew how David tried to scare her with the finger bones and making it seem like music was being played out of thin air. Gotcha David! she thought to herself.
Keeping the secret, Maggie left Quentin's study and made her way back down to the foyer. What else does this house hold? she thought to herself. Deciding that was the end of that journey and wanting company now, Maggie decided to go visit with Julia Hoffman who was a guest at Barnabas Collins place at the Old House.
Walking through the woods and making it to the door, she quickly rapt on the sleek wood.
"Hello Maggie, what brings you here today, you do know Barnabas is out on a business trip?"
'Oh That's right, I guess I forgot. I was bored and thought maybe to come for a visit.'
"Oh, well come on in and I will get some tea and we can visit. I don't have any clients today and I wouldn't mind the company."
Ushering Maggie in, Julia showed her to the parlor while she went to make some tea. While waiting for Julia, Maggie looked around the room and wondered what secrets were being kept there at the Old House. She wanted to look around but knew Julia would be back soon, so she eyed the room carefully. Julia came back with a tray of cups, tea and cookies. Soon the two started chatting and laughter filled the room. "When does Barnabas get back from his trip" inquired Maggie. Julia told her he would be back in a day. Just then, a ring filled the room and Julia excused herself to answer the phone.
"Oh Maggie I am sorry, I have to leave. There is a patient that needs me and it might be a while before I get back."
"Oh thats ok Julia, I should probably make my way back to the house anyway."
Thinking this was the perfect time to investigate the house, as they were both leaving, Maggie made up an excuse to stay, saying she forgot her gloves in the parlor. Julia was in a hurry, but said to just lock the door on her way out. Perfect! Now I can take a look around! Making sure Julia had left, Maggie quickly checked all around the parlor for any secret rooms. Finding nothing, she made her way to the upstairs rooms and looking in all of them found nothing. Feeling like she wouldn't find anything, she went back downstairs to the main foyer and went to the basement. Nothing there either. Feeling as if she was wasting her time filling herself with ideas that were not true, she started to leave the house when she heard a noise coming from upstairs. Curious and now nervous, she summoned the courage to go up the stairs slowly while listening for the noise again. Once she did, she followed it to a room she must have missed when she first was up there.
Opening the door slowly, she peered into the room, but was quickly thrown off balance when the door was thrown open wide. Looking up to see who was there, she was horrified to see that it was Adam, the man who had once taken Carolyn and Vicki hostage. Looking down at Maggie, Adam went back into the room and sat on the bed rocking and murmuring to himself, something of which Maggie could not make out. She got back on her feet and wondered why he was here at the Old House. Maggie knew something was up. She decided to stop worrying what Adam might do and thought to help him as he looked sad and scared.
"Adam, are….are you ok?" she asked quietly so not to upset him. Adam had a tendency to get carried away. He had the mind of a child at times and then when upset was like a drunkard - not knowing your own strength.
"No….you shouldn't be here…go away…."
Maggie was not going to leave just like that. She wanted answers and she was going to get them one way or another. "Why are you hiding up here? You are a fugitive Adam, the police are looking for you. Is that why Barnabas has you here in the first place?"
Not answering her, Adam got up and walked out of the room motioning Maggie to follow. Maggie rushed to follow where Adam was leading her to. He made his way back to the basement but to a door that was locked when Maggie tried it the first time down there. Adam hit the door with his fist and the door banged open. Adam motioned for her to look. While Maggie moved to look, Adam sat on the floor by a table and started rocking again.
The room that Maggie was looking into was filled with machines, a long table and lots of tubes and dials. She gazed around and finally tried to make sense of all what she was seeing.
The table had straps on it, for holding a person down. And on one tray she could make out the lines of very sharp knives and syringes with sharp needles. Looking back at Adam she took one last look and decided it was time for her to leave. She shut the door making sure it was locked. She then grabbed Adam by the hand and took him up to the room she had found him in.
"Are you going to tell Barnabas" questioned Adam. He was looking at her with a sweaty brow. "No. But I do want you to do one thing for me. I want you to stay here. I am going to come back and I am going to get the answers I want from Barnabas one way or another. I don't know how or when, but I will. Do you want to stay locked up forever or do you want to learn to be a man and be treated with respect?…and not kept a secret? Either way, just stay here and do not tell Barnabas I was here, ok?" Not knowing if she was being sincere or not, Adam agreed to her plans and with that Maggie left the Old House with more than she bargained for.
Back at the Main House and all through dinner Maggie couldn't believe what she had discovered. She was furious! She felt like no one trusted her or that she even belonged at Collinwood. But Maggie decided she was going to change. She would make people see she could be trusted and to not be made a fool. Listening to the small talk she allowed her self to drift off into what was being said. Talk of Barnabas's return the next day, Plans for the business and other stuff was mentioned. With the end of dinner, the family soon found themselves moving to the Drawing room to relax. Roger with a brandy and talking on the phone with a client, Carolyn reading and Elizabeth having gone to bed with a headache. Maggie was so engrossed with the book she was reading didn't notice when both Roger and Carolyn had gone to bed. She was reading a book about a small western town being terrorized by indians that seemed to be possessed and a none to good Sheriff that had the town scared. "Well at least someone else likes staying up late."
Nearly jumping out of her skin, Maggie's book went flying and so did the little noise out of her mouth. New friend of the Collins's, Grant Douglas had quietly entered the room and scared the bejezz out of Maggie. Picking up her book, Grant looked at the open page and handed the book back to Maggie. "I am sorry for scaring you like that. I thought you heard me come in." Accepting the apology, Maggie shifted her weight on the couch and eyed Grant as he helped him self to some brandy.
Calming her self, Maggie couldn't help but stare at Grant while he poured himself a glass. With each day she found herself more nervous and frightened of the solemn stranger that came to Collinwood. With a well versed story, indeed! The story goes as follows: Grant was found on the side of the road with no memory of who he was or where he was going to. Barnabas and Julia found him and introduced him to the family. Then of course, Julia set it upon herself to help Grant and let him stay at the Old House with Barnabas's permission. When Elizabeth heard of this and knowing the Old House was small, she told Grant he was more than welcome to stay at the Main House as there was more room and he was free to come and go as he pleased.
When Maggie first met Grant she panicked as he looked just like an old member of the Collins family that had haunted the house not to long ago. He looked just like Quentin Collins. The eyes, his frown and stance was just the same as Quentin's.
"Maggie is something wrong?" Focusing her attention, she relaxed and felt her self blush as she didn't know how long she had been staring at Grant. "Oh no, I just was lost on a memory…one that I try to forget" Grant moved and sat next to her on the couch. "Well I hope I can be a happy distraction for that memory. I wish I could remember any thing other than waking on the side of the road."
Maggie not knowing what to say, felt awkward around Grant. She couldn't shake the memory. The feelings he gave her. Well, it was the feeling Quentin gave her. Grant felt concerned for Maggie's behavior towards him. He couldn't quite figure what he had done or said to make her feel so distant, yet to close to him. The feeling was mutual between the two of them. He couldn't quite figure out what that feeling was….."Well, maybe you should get some sleep. You do look tired. and I really didn't mean to frighten you Maggie. I hope you know I would never harm you in any way. You have been nothing but kind to me since I have been here."
Thanking Grant for the kind words, Maggie excused her self and left for her room. Once in her room, she slowly started getting ready for bed. As she was brushing her hair she stared out into the bedroom letting her mind drift…drift to the memory that she so wished to forget. Or did she? Her hand let slip the brush that was once in her hand. Closing her eyes, she was taken back to those memories that clung to the back of her mind like cement. Back to a time when the house was full of sadness and frightened children. Back to when David and Amy were taking chances with the ghost of Quentin Collins.
The first time Maggie saw Quentin's ghost she froze. He was fixated on her, as she to him. She knew he was a ghost, but the impact put upon her was out of this world. His eyes pierced a void that she never felt. Nothing like when she was with Joe Haskell. And her eyes did just the same to him but Maggie didn't know this. How could a man like him make her feel so powerful?
Quentin was always known as a ladies man and had several stories about that. The question was, did Quentin ever really love any of those women and of those women, who would be the one to capture and steal his heart away? Of course during his last time on solid ground it was with Beth Chavez. But now? This was different. The way she moved. The way she wouldn't let Quentin near David and Amy and how she stood her ground when she heard from Barnabas that Quentin would try and possess David. Never had Quentin met or seen a woman with the deepest, purest of heart eyes that pierced his shallow heart. Never had Quentin felt that time stool still with one woman. It made him uneasy and felt that he would slip away. All this from one woman. That woman was Maggie.
She trembled when she saw him. She was afraid of what he would do. Of course he never did anything but just look at her, to try and control her like he did with David. It frustrated Quentin. Thus began the fascination of watching her in the evening when no one else was around. On one night was a staring contest that would be won by Maggie. She couldn't look away. Even if she tried she couldn't because she felt the need to fill him with the feelings that no other woman could. After he broke eye contact, he turned away and disappeared.
The other times Quentin visited Maggie, was to taunt her. But it never worked. Maggie stood her ground and put up a good fight. She fought with words that were never filled with venom or hate. But with love, compassion and a pride that was instilled in her since the day her mother passed away and the ever flowing love from her father since then. Sam Evans was a man that would make the ground shake if he could and if his Maggie was hurt, he was there to give and take a beating. Sam hoped Maggie would be a strong girl and not let her guard down with any man. And Maggie wished her father could have seen her those nights she would tell Quentin off.
Well she wasn't letting her guard down where Quentin was concerned. And it is that one night, that one memory she will and cannot forget where she let her guard down. She was tired and could feel his presence all around the house. She was tired of battling with someone she couldn't see at times and physically touch. She also knew he was in the room watching her. She never knew why.
"Did you come to see me to bed or did you need something else to do for your boredom?" as Maggie announced out loud to the seemingly empty room. Stepping from the shadows by her wardrobe, Quentin stood looking at her with a gaze that would make women melt. Maggie, non the less, turned to slip under the covers.
Announcing out loud to the room, "Well if you are going to watch me sleep you could at least be a gentleman and turn off the light."
With that, Quentin moved slowly across the room to the chair and turned off the light. As Maggie pretended to sleep she soon felt his presence leave the room. She waited a while and opened her eyes slowly. Sighing she slipped her hand down neath the comforter towards the edge of her panties. As much as she was tired, she felt frustrated and the need for release. She felt she could do that without someone watching her now. As she started to move her hand and her thoughts drifted to those of pleasure, she flashed her eyes open to see Quentin sitting on the edge of her bed. As much as she would have liked to have screamed, she could not. He was gazing at her with a passion and determination, he wouldn't let her go out of that room. He held one finger up to his lips to hush her. Moving closer to Maggie he looked to her as if to have her move her hands above the comforter, pushing it down below her waist.
Not knowing what to do and what a ghost could do, Maggie laid there with all the blood rushing to her ears and having her heart beat like it would burst from her chest. Quentin moved his hands over her nightgown. Undoing the few buttons that held the fabric closed and feeling his cool, steel gaze run over her body was enough for Maggie. As soon as he was satisfied looking at her beauty, he knew she wanted him. Gasping, Maggie rocked back and let a soft sigh escape her lips as she let the cool but strong fingers work their way into a world Maggie never knew existed. Watching all this made Quentin pleased that he could ofter some assistance to Maggie's troubles.
Maggie was afraid to open her eyes to look upon her ghostly companion. Taking her time, she opened them to see troubled eyes that wished to bring more for her. Faster and more intense than before he started, Maggie felt the room spin and him bringing her towards the edge of release. When she did, tears flowed from the corners of her eyes. A whisper of his name filled the room as well as a aura of light and hope filling Quentin. Nothing had touched Quentin quite like what happened just then. Shivering cold with the sweat down her back and with her eyes closed, Quentin pulled the comforter up and over her shoulders and left the room as quickly as her release came. Not wanting to see him gone, Maggie turned in her bed and quickly drifted off to sleep.
Remembering that night with Quentin left Maggie blushing and confused. She sat in her bed and forgot all about her hair. It wasn't all that important to brush it. She moved the brush to her night stand. All the feelings she felt, the way he touched her, Maggie was not going to sleep right away that night. Frustrated, getting up and putting on her robe, Maggie grabbed her book and made her way downstairs to the kitchen to make some tea.
Grant was busy himself downstairs. He couldn't decide if he was tired or just lost in trying to remember why Maggie felt familiar to him. There were the times when Grant was with Julia and she was helping him remember who he was. Ideas of a time long ago that just didn't seem possible.
When Julia and Barnabas told him that he didn't just look like Quentin, which he was getting quite tired of, they believed him to BE Quentin. And all because of a painting…. It all seemed crazy to Grant. Him, be Quentin? Impossible! How? There is no explaining how a man can live for over a hundred years and not be dead or have aged much. Rubbing his temples and feeling tired, Grant decided he was hungry as he did not eat much that evening, moved towards the kitchen.
Hearing the light howl of a tea kettle, Grant heard someone else was up. Standing in the doorway, Grant could see Maggie in her lavender robe, dance around the kitchen trying to find what ever she was looking for.
"May I be of assistance?"
Spinning around and clutching a hand to her robe, Maggie was getting tired of being sneaked upon. Seeing this Grant apologized quickly and made himself useful by going through the cabinets eventually finding the tea.
"Would you like some?" Maggie offered. Grant nodded yes and the two of them sat in the kitchen not saying a word while holding their cups of tea. "You know, I feel like I should know you from somewhere in my life. Or that you remind me of someone I used to know."
Maggie froze in place. Trying to act normal, she asked why he thought so. Chuckling, Grant replied "I know this might sound foolish or arrogant, but I feel as if I should know everything about you. The way you move, the way you sit to read, just….everything!" Feeling the heat rise to her cheeks again, Maggie tried to turn away before Grant could see how much she was blushing. But it was too late.
"What is wrong Maggie? I feel as if anything I say or do makes you turn away from me? I want to know what's bothering you. And don't say nothing! I know that isn't true. I make you feel uncomfortable and I see that."
Maggie stood there with her back to Grant trying to control the feelings that were trying to take over her mind and body. Gaining her composure she turned to Grant. "It's….it's just…..there are qualities of you that remind me of what I had with someone else. It…it just frightens me of how much you remind me of them." "But you aren't them, I know that."
But something inside of Maggie didn't believe a word of what she was saying. He looked like him, stood like him, every little detail was him. Him being Quentin Collins.
"Well I don't want to make you anymore uncomfortable than you already are. I will ask Barnabas tomorrow if I can move into the Old House with him and Julia." And with that Grant excused himself from the kitchen and went up to his room. Staring in disbelief, Maggie was determined, more than ever to find out who exactly Grant Douglas really was. And why he couldn't remember his past. So many secrets in Collinwood and so much time to unravel them.
Up in his room, Grant sat on the edge of his bed wondering why Maggie was afraid of him. He could see it in her eyes every time they were alone together. There was something else behind those hazel eyes. Something that called to Grant.
Ready for bed, Grant faded off to a deep sleep and where his dreams awaited him. He dreamed of the days when he was a in a house full of despair and lies that were told to keep people safe. In this dream, He was walking down the stairs to the foyer and the doors to the drawing room were shut.
Reaching a hand out to open them, they flew open and standing there was Roger Collins…but it wasn't him. It was his brother Edward Collins. Not knowing what to do, Edward ushered him into the drawing room. The drawing room looked the same but different as the pictures on the walls were not the same ones as before, the drapes were almost regal, a phonograph stood on a table by a smaller table that held small glasses and a crystal decanter full of what appeared to be sherry.
"What's troubling you Quentin? You look like you have seen a ghost, you're white as a sheet. Here….have some sherry and tell me what is troubling you dear brother." Grant stood there, mouth dry wondering what world he had stepped into.
"Come on Quentin! Get on with it….what is troubling you?"
Then it finally hit him. A wave of memories that belonged to him, Quentin. They washed over his heart and mind like a river that just broke through the dam. Gaining his composure, Grant moved towards the small table, poured himself a glass of sherry and sat down in the grand chair that was placed before him.
With a sinister grin and a chuckle,
"Nothing Edward. Nothing at all. Just had the feeling I was being excluded from your dealings in town and with what's been happening here. I know you hate it that father granted me more power to the family business. But you will have to bow down now. I see it's my duty, now that I have returned, to make sure everything is taken care of." Louder than thunder, Quentin's laughter filled the room and as it carried up the stairs and down the corridor. Huddling behind the door, a young Jamison could hear the voice of his uncle, shuddering he started to cry.