Chapter 5

Old House Vicki and Barnabas' Bedroom

Barnabas went up the stairs and down the hallway; opening the door he stepped into his room and walked to the bed to gaze upon Vicki. She laid with eyes closed, dark smudges under her eyes and the hint of tears staining her cheeks. "Vicki, dearest Vicki?"

He spoke softly and she opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Oh Barnabas, you are home." She sat up and held her arms for him to hold her. He sat on the edge of the bed and gathered her to him and she paused then kissed him deeply. "I love you Barnabas you know that? No matter what ever happens to us, you know how much I love you?"

Barnabas looked into her eyes and saw they were over bright with unshed tears. "Darling, I know you love me. Why are you saying this, did you . . . was there something else they found with your tests? Should I be worried?"

At the back of her mind she could hear the mocking words of Vlad and she shook her head. "No, I was just upset because I was not pregnant and you were so excited about it and I thought you might be disappointed in me?"

He pulled her close and spoke softly in her ear while he gently stroked her hair, "My darling Vicki, you could never disappoint me. You are far to precious to me and I know some day we will have children, a whole house full if that is what you want."

She held onto him so tightly that her body was trembling. "I want what makes you happy, whether it's one child or twenty. I just want your child my love."

Barnabas pushed her back and looked into her eyes and smiled, "Victoria Winters Collins- Collins." She smiled hearing the double Collins, "I want our child as much as you. I am so happy and content with our life and we will have children. As long as I live, as long as my heart beats, I will be your devoted servant and lover. You do believe that don't you?"

She sniffed and nodded, "Then you need to rest and tomorrow will be upon us and we have a lot to do. There is much mischief amiss with Tepes making some nasty moves. Your father wants to move you to a safe house with his other children to protect you from any further mischief. It would seem he has been busy. Apparently, he has kidnapped your mother, your sister and Maggie."

Vicki almost told him, she knew but stopped herself in time. "I, I . . . What does father plan to do?"

Barnabas smiled and entered his dressing room to undress, "You do not worry about our plans my love, leave this to your father, Quentin, Joe and myself. We have a very nasty surprise in store for him if he tries to come for you or me." Vicki relaxed somewhat and then lay back against her pillow. Her hair lay feathered out around her head, giving her a very sensual appeal.

Barnabas returned shortly wearing his blue pajamas and a housecoat. She watched him as he sat on the edge of their bed. "What if, he is very clever and he tries something bad? Will you be able to defend yourself against it?"

He looked at her and thanked whatever powers to be that she was his and in his bed sharing his life. He wondered at how one man could be so lucky. He smiled reassuringly, though a part of him was not as confident as he wanted it to appear, "Yes, we are preparing for any other kind of assault he might think to bring against this family."

She played with the belt of his housecoat, "Are you not coming to bed?"

He smiled and grabbed her hand bringing it to his lips he kissed it, "I thought I would sit up and read."

She patted the bed next to her, "Would you mind holding me for a while? I really want to feel you next to me."

He kissed her hand again and smiled, "Of course I will hold you," he stood pulled his housecoat off and laid it on the end of the bed. Lying down next to her, he pulled her close and let her curl into his side he looked at her. "I do not want you to worry about anything else tonight my love, we will keep you safe if it is the last thing we do. Now, you just rest against me, you had a really rough day."

Vicki curled into him and then spoke softly, "I am not that tired, do you think you could make love to me?"

He smiled and kissed her, "Only if you think you will not be injured by this rigorous work out you are asking me to put you through."

Vicki actually laughed, "I rather liken it to a short sprint down the field to a place of victory for us both."

His laughter mixed with hers, then he lowered his lips to hers and began to kiss her, "You know my love; my life has been so complete that should it end tonight for me, I will die a happy man just because of you."

Those words evoked a new fountain of emotion and Vicki felt tears running down her cheeks. "I don't like thinking of you dying my love. Please don't speak of such a thing again."

He kissed her tears and found it so sweet she did not wish him to die. "I promise I will never upset you like this again."

For most the night they made love and fell asleep close to dawn. As the sunlight filled the room, Vicki rolled over feeling for Barnabas. Calling softly to the room, "Barnabas?" She rolled from bed and headed for the bathroom, where she drew herself a warm bath. Washing her hair she dried it quickly and then dressed.

Glancing over at the clock, she was shocked to find it was past 11 a.m. Stepping out of the bedroom, she went down the rear stairs into the kitchen where cook was busy making lunch. Vicki liked the middle-aged woman with long grey hair tied neatly at the base of her neck in a ponytail.

Her fair complexion showed signs she had been baking because of its light reddish tinge. Vicki felt comforted when she was in the kitchen; it always smelt of home baking and a promise of something sweet to tickle her taste buds. A short woman she still managed to command the kitchen looking like the queen of her own country always holding, stirring or waving that long wooden spoon like a scepter. "Oh Mrs. Vicki, how are you dear? Mr. Barnabas told me you fell and hurt yourself yesterday."

Vicki stepped over to the counter preparing to make some toast and stopped to pour her self a cup of coffee. "I am fine, where is Barnabas?" Taking her coffee and grabbing the toast as it popped up she turned to the table and began to pull the toast apart.

Cook turned and smiled, finally laying down that wooden spoon, "He went to Collinwood, your father called this morning. So he left but before he left he said he would be back for lunch and to not wake you that you had a long night and needed to rest."

Vicki nodded and sipped her coffee. "Well, I think I will walk to Collinwood and meet them."

Cook looked concerned and bit her bottom lip. "Well he did say for you to wait for him and your father here until they came back."

Vicki got up and rinsed off her plate and coffee cup, putting them in the dishwasher she sighed and looked around the spotlessly clean kitchen. "How are your son and daughter in law doing?"

Cook bustled about getting a tray ready to load and take to the dining room. "Oh Katie has a broken foot and cracked some ribs and Taylor well he is a bit dizzy headed from the bump he got on his head, but he should not have been driving like a fool on that snow mobile."

Vicki nodded and sighed then looked around the room and out the window. "Oh? I thought it was a skiing accident."

Cook laughed, "Well so did I. Until I got there and then when I got to the hospital I got all the facts, they were snowmobiling and that is how they got hurt.

Vicki looked out the back window and noticed the sky was growing dark with a thunderhead building. "Looks like another storm brewing have you heard any weather reports?"

"No, I have been in here busy with lunch, oh young master David did come by and went up to his room. I have not heard from him since he got here."

Vicki smiled and turned to head up stairs. "I will go check on him to make sure everything is going well for him. When Barnabas gets back will you tell him I am in David's room?"

Cook nodded and waved her off. "Will do, oh and you can let young David know lunch will be ready in about a half an hour."

Vicki went to David's room and knocked lightly then opened the door and walked in. "David?" She glanced over to his bed and found him sound asleep with Josette standing by his bed; she looked over at Vicki and smiled.

"He is such an angel when he is asleep."

Vicki stepped next to her and looked down at him sleeping soundly. "I think he is an angel awake or asleep."

Josette heard the tone of her voice and asked, "Cheri? Is there a problem?" Vicki looked at her and wondered how she could not know what was happening in her life with Vlad, and then she thought back to Angelique and what she had done before. Apparently, some sort of witchcraft was being used to block what he was doing.

"I am not pregnant and that has upset me"

She looked down at David then over to Josette who smiled and sighed, "Oh Cheri, my precious little Victoria, you will be pregnant soon enough and the whole house will be as it should have been, filled with the laughter of children, yours and Barnabas' children."

She sighed stepping back to look about the room. Then back at David's sleeping form, "He is very happy here you know. He is glad you are his cousin and you love him, he has told me many times."

Vicki smiled and nodded, "He certainly was a handful in the beginning but now I cannot imagine him not in my life."

A sound alerted them to the arrival of company and Josette faded from view. Vicki softly walked out of David's room carefully closing the door behind her. Walking down the front stairs she paused hearing Professor Stokes and Barnabas speaking softly in the drawing room, a knock at the door and she stepped over to answer it. Barnabas paused her hand and shook his head. "Who is it?"

George Patterson's voice called, "It's me Barnabas." Barnabas opened the door and let George in. Vicki was immediately swept into a warm loving embrace of her father. "Hello precious. How is my girl feeling?" He smiled and cupped her chin in his palm.

"I guess I am still tired from all the excitement yesterday and worried about Mom, Carolyn, and Maggie." He hugged her again. With the force of that hug, she felt secure and so very loved. She had a father who loved her and wanted to protect her and his family, he released her and she felt bereft of something special.

Her father looked into her troubled fueled gaze and spoke softly as he tried to reassure her, "You put those worries out of that pretty head of yours and go up and pack a bag, and we are moving you to a safe house in Portland."

Immediately Vicki became upset, "But I don't want to go to a safe house in Portland, I want to stay here with my husband and my dad."

George looked over at Barnabas and he saw the stubborn set of her shoulder and the determined look on her face. "Darling, your father is only trying to protect you."

Vicki was beginning to feel a sense of panic; she had to stay here. She had to do whatever it took to make sure that she would hear from Vlad or his minions; squaring her shoulders she looked from her husband to her father and shook her head, "Then protect me here in our home. If I am in Portland and you are here, and Vlad finds me in Portland which it seems he can do anything, would I not be better here under your watchful eye?"

George smoothed his hand over his head a habit he had when he was stumped or pushed into a mental corner. He sighed, "She has a point. I leave it up to you Barnabas."

Vicki turned with pleading eyes and spoke softly, "Please my love, I would prefer to stay here with you. I would be very upset and unhappy so far from you. Do not send me away."

Stokes solved the problem. "I could put a warding spell around the house to keep out any supernatural black arts."

Barnabas nodded and then gathered his wife into his arms and kissed her forehead. "I will consider it as long as you do everything we say."

Vicki clutched Barnabas by the arms and nodded, "I promise, just don't send me away!" So near to tears knowing she had so little time left with him she wanted every single second she could get.

Drawing her into a comforting hug, he pressed his cheek to her hair and spoke gently, "Vicki, it will be fine, you just cannot answer the door and we do not want you left alone."

She held him and sniffed, "Thank you, I promise I will be good. I promise that it will be as you ask, just don't leave me alone or send me away."

Barnabas looked over her shoulder to George; he reached for his little girl and pulled her into his hold. "Baby, you know Dad is just trying to make things right. I have you in my life now I don't want to let you go." She held onto him laying her head on his shoulder, her body trembled with her pent up emotion as she struggled to not cry from feeling so loved and secure.

Another knock at the door; George released his hold on Vicki and she hung close to Barnabas while her father turned to answer the door. George called, "Who is it?"

Willie muffled voice came through the door, "It's me and Sonja." Opening the door, Willie stood with Sonja. Carrying a suitcase, he let Sonja enter ahead of him and he followed. "Hey Babe, I will take your bag up to your room. You can unpack it whenever you wish."

Sonja noticed the tight family gathering in the entry to the drawing room and smiled her shy nervous hello for them and looked at Willie. Not wishing to interrupt the moment with the family, she called, "I am coming up now to unpack honey."

Barnabas looked to Professor Stokes, "Is Quentin coming?"

Stokes nodded, "He just wanted to make sure that Daphne is safe and putting in security for her, he has also hired specially armed guards for Collinwood. I think he is having her come to live there while we make our plans, which could take us out of the country."

Barnabas sighed and then led his wife into her sitting room. "My love, I do not wish you to take this personally, but at sometime, Vlad may try to put you under his control, if that happens anything you know of our plans, will become known to him. So, you will need to keep yourself occupied in here while we make our plans and put in place those protective spells."

Vlad's Castle Romania

Nicholas Blair sat in Angelique's room, pulling off his dove grey colored gloves. "Well my dear what a pretty mess you seemed to have found yourself in this time. The Dark Prince of Wallachia? You really do have fine tastes." He put his grey wool gloves in his hat and laid it on the side table. Crossing his leg, he leaned back and spread his arms over the settee. "He certainly has fine tastes in furnishings."

Angelique had been agitatedly pacing back and forth like a caged lioness. "Oh shut up Nicholas. Why are you here?"

Nicholas picked at an imaginary fleck of lint on his pant leg and then looked up at her. "Diabolos sent me to make sure you did not mess this up. He does not wish Vlad upset with him for shoddy work done by one of his minions."

Angelique was furious as she listened to his endless and stupid prattle. "Oh really? How can I mess up simple spells? And I am not a minion. I am a witch and sit at his right hand." Nicholas watched her pace to the window overlooking the front gardens of the castle.

The winter in mountains was already showing signs of being a cold and wet one as the snow fell outside the windows. "How can you mess this up? Well to begin with, you could not silence Josette's ghost, she was still able to tell Barnabas that Vlad lived."

Angelique turned and glared at Nicholas, "That was not my fault, the spell worked, it was not Josette that told him, it was that meddling brat Sarah that told him."

Nicholas sighed and waved a finger at her, "Now, now my dear mind your manners you did after all cause her death and the reason Barnabas shot you was to protect his sister. Another stupid mistake that your incompetence created."

Angelique pushed past Nicholas; she could not give in to his bating comments. "Nicholas just go away. I have this under control."

Nicholas watched her stomp away from him and then sighed, "I cannot go away, I am here at our masters request to make sure Collins is brought back as an undead and Miss Winters, oh excuse me, Mrs. Collins, is brought to Vlad."

"Do not call that that woman Mrs. Collins, I am Mrs. Collins. I should have killed her myself when I had the chance!" Angelique's anger was just renewing itself when she thought of Barnabas married to Victoria Winters.

Nicholas chuckled and shook his head; "I see that must gall you to no end. Hearing Vicki Winters being called Mrs. Barnabas Collins. It cuts you deeply doesn't it?" He watched her grow angrier with each passing taunt. "See it is that anger that caused your past mistakes and your foolish and misguided emotion you call love always guides you into trouble. Thus, why the master has sent me."

A soft knock on the door and Angelique snapped out, "Come."

A sweet pretty young maid entered her room and curtsied to them, "Madam, Monsieur's room has been prepared, the master will be dining with his guests around 7:00, you are instructed to dress formally and join them in the dining hall."

Nicholas stood plucking his hat and gloves from the table, turning back to Angelique he said, "I suggest you start dressing now my dear, I will see you later." He tuned to the maid and smiled charmingly, "Lead the way my dear." He followed her out with polite chatter and closed the door on Angelique. In frustration she cried out and picked up a pillow from the settee and threw it at the door then stomped her foot.

Count Rudolph's Castle Romania

Count Rudolph dressed in his tux wearing a stylishly black coat paced back and forth in the hallway and then looked up the staircase and paused and smiled at the vision at the top of the stairs. Elizabeth stood poised at the head of the stairs.

She wore a 15th century gown of heavy brocade in the deepest shade of pewter with gold emblements and an ermine trimmed colar, her hair was dressed in elaborate braids and curls with pearls entwined in her dark tresses. "My dear Elizabeth, you look stunning."

She was not smiling and she certainly did not feel stunning in a twenty-pound dress of brocade. However, with the night turning into a snow driven mess and the wind whipping around her window, she was glad it was at least warm. Politely she inclined her had and spoke softly, "Thank you."

Rudolph chuckled and stepped to the bottom of the stairs. "Come along my dear we are going to be late. Petru and Carolyn have already left." Elizabeth began her laborious descent down the stairs. Once she arrived, a male servant appeared out of the shadows and laid a red brocade cape trimmed in ermine around her shoulder. Rudolph pulled the hood up and sighed, "It is such a shame to cover such beauty, but we must preserve your health until our daughter arrives from the Americas." Liz could not control her shiver as she thought of Vicki caught up in this sick decent into insanity being played out by these despicable people.

Liz walked forward, head held high and focused on not tripping over the gown she wore. It was bad enough she was forced to be with this man, but her daughter Carolyn was being forced into the same sick façade that she was forced to play. Rudolph stepped forward and offered his arm and Liz closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then laid her gloved hand on his arm.

"I am sure they are waiting on us." He allowed the doorman to open the door leading her down the front steps to the stretch black limo that awaited them.

Petru's Limo

Carolyn sat pensively and strangely subdued by Petru. He picked up her delicate hand and gently pressed a kiss to her fingertips. "You look enchanting my darling. Are you warm enough, I can have Dragos turn up the heat."

Carolyn pulled her hand away from his and folded them into her lap. "I am fine." She looked stonily ahead and Petru curbed his irritation.

"I understand that Miss Evans has arrived at Castle Dracul."

Carolyn turned half angry and half excited to have a familiar face to look at for a change. "Maggie?"

He smiled and nodded, "Yes, but we prefer to call her Lady Margaret, she is to be first handmaid to Elizabeta when she gets here."

Carolyn muttered under her breath, "Oh how lovely." Then as an after thought she turned and looked sideways to Petru, "She has not been." She clutched her throat touching the scarf she had wrapped around her throat covering her bite marks.

"Bitten, no she is for Radu, he will decide if she needs to be brought under control." Carolyn looked down at the 15th century gown she wore in a brocade of shades of pink and gold, her long blond hair was pulled into an elaborate set of braids and curls like her mother, and where Liz had pearls in her hair, Carolyn had a green ribbon weaved into her hair style.

"When are you going to tell me who is playing Elizabeta?" Petru reached for her hand again and played with the heavy ring his father had given him to give to her. Looking down at the ring he got a far away look in his eyes.

" Whatever do you mean 'playing' Elizabeta? If you must know; Elizabeta was my sister, she was one of the most beautiful, purest women that ever walked this earth and Prince Tepes fell madly in love with her. When he went on campaign against the Turks, a plot was conceived to make my sister believe Prince Vlad had been killed in battle. So distraught, she climbed to the top of the tower and threw herself off its battlements to the river below." His voice had grown soft and was sad. This caught Carolyn's attention.

"The priests were adamant that because she had taken her own life she could not be buried on consecrated ground and refused her burial in the churchyard. It enraged Vlad and he denounced God and the Church. He had fought for the church and this is how they repaid him. So, he made a pact with the devil Vlad then shouted for all to hear that life is blood and blood is the life and thus began the legend of Dracula. Here in Romania we are called strigoi."

Carolyn was curious, "So, if she died, how is it that she is coming back? She must have someone that is like her in this day and age, so who is she?"

Petru looked deeply into her gaze and smiled, "Because life, has it unexpected gifts, such as you my dear, and my sister. She has been reborn and will be coming home to us. She is confused and thinks she is someone else, once she gets here, she will remember who she really is and will be reunited body, mind and soul with her Prince. Thus is the reason for this dinner tonight. We have a wedding to plan."

Carolyn was once again confused while they continued to drive slowly along the snow packed mountain roads to the large castle on top of the mountain. "A wedding? Who's wedding?"

Petru sighed and shook his head, "That is for you to learn from Prince Vlad himself. Let us just say, if you go along with what he asks, perhaps we too can get his blessing and you can become the Countess Balan. My Princess for eternity."

Carolyn felt a chill run through her and she began to tremble. "Oh my dear, you are cold." He called to his driver, "Dragos, please turn up the heat." Carolyn felt the rush of warm air over her as the driver did as he was bid.