Chapter 12
Old House Barnabas' and Vicki's room
Barnabas stood over the bed looking down at the strange young lady in his bed. His heart was racing and he felt panic as he searched the house for Vicki and could not find her. On the bedside table laid her wedding ring and engagement ring. George walked into the room, "They saw nothing, she did not leave by conventional means so she must have left the same way this young lady came into the room."
Julia and Professor Stokes entered the room and Julia went to check the girl. "She is alive, she seems to have been drugged." Julia stood up from the side of the bed, taking the bottle of smelling salts; she waved it under the girls nose. She coughed rubbed her nose and pushed the bottle away from her nose.
Sitting up she showed disorientation as she began to babble, "Doamnă, cine eștitu și unde sunteu? Ce sîntâmplat, unde este
Elizabeta? În cazul în care este Radu, Ce sa întâmplat? Nu-mi amintesc nimic?"
George looked to Julia and then Barnabas, "What language is that?"
Professor Stokes smiled, "I would say its Romanian. A more regional dialect." Elliott studied the poor girl hugging the bedpost and looking around half frightened out of her mind. "Would think it is from the Southern district if I am not mistaken." He mused softly, narrowing his eyes.
From the open doorway, Sorin appeared, "Excuse me, I knocked and the maid let me in, she said you were up here, Professor, I need to speak with you . . ." He glanced at the woman on the bed who hung back in terror while she looked around the room. "Oh my I am so sorry to have interrupted." He gave all the appearances of being embarrassed of walking in on a delicate situation.
Stokes chuckled, "Oh dear Gabriel, do not concern yourself, its just a bit of tomfoolery and some mischief left by an old adversary," Then without missing a beat, in fluent Romanian Stokes spoke to the young woman. "Tânără doamnă dragă, nu-ți fie frică, suntem prieteni. Ne-ai vrut nici un rău doar pentru a auzi ceea ce trebuie să ne spui. Aceasta este soția mea, Julia și asociatul meu Gabriel si prietenii nostri dragi George și Barnaba."
She smiled tentatively after being reassured that they were friends and were not there to hurt her. "Am venit doar pentru a ajuta printesa pregateste-te pentru călătoria ei în România, atunci răul unul Radu taie brațul meu și am adormit. Radu a luat Printesa la Castelul Printului Vlad. El a fost să presupunem că să mă ia prea, dar acum eu sunt aici și el este acolo. Nu știu ce am să fac. "
George wanted to know what she had said, "What on earth is she babbling about Elliott?"
Elliott ever courteous and helpful translated what she had just said, "She was brought here to take care of her Princess and a man by the name of Radu cut her and she fell asleep, now she is left here alone and afraid I suspect and Radu has Vicki and is in or on his way to Romania."
Sorin looked with a degree of respect to Professor Stokes, "I did not know you were proficient in Romania Professor." He deftly hid the irritation in his voice finding Elliott could speak her language.
Elliott smiled, "Yes, I spent 3 years studying at the University in Craiova. I learned the basics and then spent sometime perfecting the dialect." He turned to the young lady and smiled, "I am going to tell her not to worry, and we will take her home. As I suspect the reason she was left here was to let us know the gauntlet so to speak has been thrown."
He turned to the young lady and smiled; speaking in fluent Romanian he spoke quietly and reassuringly with her. Barnabas sighed, "As we are not fluent in Romanian, I think you and Julia should stay here until we can go to Romania."
Professor Stokes turned to the young lady and asked her to follow him. She slid from the bed and followed him to another room where he indicated she would stay until they were ready to return to Romania. She thanked him, and then sank to her knees grabbing his hand and kissing it.
"Why did she do that?" George asked as Stokes patted her hand and helped her up. George was personally feeling sorry and embarrassed for the young girl. She reminded him of Penny. He had to wonder if Penny had been in the same situation would someone have been as helpful to her as they were to this young woman.
"She is showing her gratitude. Julia my dear would you be so kind as to find something for the child to sleep in while I go to speak with Gabe and Barnabas. I also need to address whatever crisis that brought Gabe here."
She smiled and nodded tugging her jacket down over her hips. "Of course my dear," she turned and smiled, "Come my dear, lets get you comfortable."
Drawing Room Old House
Gabe paced the floor waiting for Stokes, as he turned the corner he smiled, "Is she comfortable?"
Stokes nodded, "She is doing well, obviously she is confused and scared which is natural."
Gabe laughed, "Of course. Well the reason I came in search of you, was I found a rare volume of old spells and incantations of all things Romanian origin. There was a particular spell that dealt with the making of something called a strigoi."
Stokes nodded, "That is what they think became of Vlad Tepes."
Gabe smiled, "That was my thinking as well, something to research I am sure."
Stokes smiled knowingly to his assistant, "You are welcome to join us in Romania and meet the legend if you so desire."
Gabe laughed uncomfortably, "I would prefer to stay here if you don't mind. I think my talents are best suited to the class room." He looked appropriately apologetic for appearing to be a coward to join them on their trip.
Barnabas and George walked to Professor Stokes and Gabe, "If you desire, I can leave you some research to do for me while I am away."
Gabe nodded, "I think I am more the book worm than the field researcher so by all means do so, now if you will excuse me, I must be off. Gentlemen." He nodded to them and made haste to leave. This was a disaster; he had not expected the professor to be so proficient in Romanian especially the dialect Alia had displayed. Walking quickly to the car he slid behind the wheel and spoke to the person in the backseat. "The next is up to you. Collins has company this night I urge you use caution."
Gilda smiled, one that reminded Sorin of a cat getting ready to devour the cream or a mouse. Nearly purring she stroked her fingertips over the back of Sorins' neck. "Do not trouble yourself my dear Sorin, he is practically under my control."
Sorin thought a moment. "Do not be over confidant my dear, he is not a silly puppet on a string. He was at one time one of us."
Again, feeling nothing more than contempt for the man in the front seat she spoke calmly. "Poor Sorin, you doubt I am capable of bringing one man under my control? I think you need to remember who and what I am."
Sorin felt the ire of her tone and responded in kind. "And perhaps you need to be reminded my dear Gilda, that he is no ordinary man." Again she left him with that irritating laugh as she disappeared from the rear of the car.
Starting the engine Sorin headed to the one place he felt safe and oddly enough it was a piece of property on the edge of the ocean. He had to wait, soon enough he was sure Gilda would report her part of this detail had been completed. Walking to the door of his home, he entered the darken room and sat by the phone, he knew it would be a matter of waiting. A part of him felt unease. He tried to reason that it was because a very clever professor had usurped part of their plans. It was more than a minor hitch in their plans. It lay there at the edge of his mind unreachable and at this time unfathomable. Yet, there was something niggling at him, eating at his conscience. This place was getting to him.
Sorin's seaside cottage
"Hello." It was a sweet young voice and he startled, turning he saw her standing in the corner, with long reddish golden hair, a mob cap, wearing a long white dress, with her arms held behind her back. She stood watching him swaying back and forth.
Sorin sat up and looked around the dark room then back to the little girl. "Hello, who are you?"
She drifted towards him; the air of innocence and curiosity surrounded her like a halo. "My name is Sarah, what's yours?" He stood up, she was not a normal child, and he noted how she appeared to illuminate the area around her.
"My name is Gabriel. How did you get in here?"
She fearlessly continued towards him then turned to look about the room. "The same way I will get out."
Gabriel found the child enchanting. "Really, just that easy?" He had taken on a curious tone and attitude while he continued to study the pretty small female child.
She nodded, "The Turners used to live here then when their son died they moved away." He watched her as she continued to drift about the room. Her movements were one of a child full of curiosity. Dismissing her as nothing more than a child with no intent to do harm he relaxed until she spoke her next words.
"You know you are not a very nice man. You want to hurt my brother." Sarah pouted turning to stare at the man sitting before her.
"So, you are that Sarah. Who told you I wanted to hurt your brother?" He was now on alert. The witch's defenses must be slipping if this child was able to determine who he was and why he was there.
She delicately shrugged, "I just know you want to hurt him and he did nothing to hurt you." She turned those condemning blue eyes on him and for one so young and innocent, this bothered him.
Sorin was beginning to have a hint of guilt. "You died a long- long -long time ago, so why do you think I want to hurt anyone?"
Sarah continued her inspection as she walked around the room; the ethereal light following her every move. "You helped to hurt Miss Winters. She is very nice and you hurt her." Once again there were those condemning eyes pinning him to his seat.
Sorin took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He had been a hired killer and usually did not allow himself time to feel or think of anything other than his assignment. "No I did not hurt Miss Winters. We needed to take her back to her home country where she belongs. She is not really Miss Winters; she is really the Princess Elizabeta Balan. The wife of our Prince Vlad."
Sarah sighed and shook her head. "No, she is really Miss Winters, that evil lady Angelique wants you all to believe she is Elizabeta, but she is not." Sarah looked curiously over her shoulder and continued to walk about the room fingering the various objects that grabbed her immediate attention and held it for a moment.
Sorin frowned then stood up and bent to turn on a light. "Why do you say she is not Elizabeta? What does Angelique have to do with this?" He turned from switching on the light and found the room empty. The child's words had given him pause for thought. The night was going to be a long one and he was now on pins and needles as he waited for one of two phone calls. Feeling restless he walked to the front porch leaving the door open. The night air was brisk and the hint of snow held to each gust of wind as he stood with hands in his pockets rocking back and forth on his heels. He could not stop thinking about how he looked to an innocent young girl that did not live much past her prepubescent life. He found it sad she died so young and thought about what kind of life she could have had. A life she had been denied by a vengeful witch.
The night was bringing him nothing but melancholy while he stood on that front porch, listening to the surf and the perpetual rolling of waves washing themselves upon the beach. Leaning into the porch post he thought about his life to this point. He was thinking of how his life had changed since becoming Vlad's fix it man. He had enjoyed being the type of person that worked behind the scene to accomplish things for a truly evil man. He even allowed himself the indulgence of thinking he had turned as evil as his boss. These thoughts were tumbling through his mind and what was most disturbing was it was getting to him. Feeling frustrated he decided a nice quick walk to the beach would clear his mind.
Collinsport Beach
Shoving his hands into his pockets he began to stroll across the frozen sandy shore. The darkness had become more complete with the absence of the moon. Sorin was conflicted with his thoughts and his plans. He had to wonder if he was going soft or if this place was beginning to get to him? He walked briskly keeping to the higher ground with the high tide coming in he did not want to get wet or trapped. He had to think this through.
Why would that child's words bother him so completely to make him doubt his purpose or his loyalty to his master? He found a path and began to follow the curve of the path watching the luminous dial of his watch while he moved along the pathway. He just needed to be back at the cottage to receive Vlad's call. Hunkering his shoulders down against the buffeting wind he walked head bent not realizing where he was going.
He paused when he realized he had arrived at Eagle Hill cemetery. He looked around and saw the one main stone structure in the center of the cemetery. His excellent eyesight saw the carved weathered name of 'Collins' inscribed over the entrance. Stepping forward he opened the Iron Gate and entered the mausoleum and paused. The nameplates were easily displayed in front of each vault. He shifted his gaze from plate to plate, "Joshua Collins." He knew this was Barnabas Collins father.
What he had learned was the man was a ripe Bastard, unyielding a ruthless businessman and hard on his children and his wife. He shifted his gaze to the next nameplate and read, "Naomi Collins". She was the mother of Barnabas and an exact double for Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. He knew she was a beauty that hid a scandalous secret. It was a secret that Joshua only suspected. Naomi was the proper colonial wife but she had lived an exciting life with a brief affair with a debonair and charismatic pirate that had lavished expensive gifts on her. At one point it was suspected that Barnabas had been the product of that liaison and another reason that Joshua had been so hard on his son. Suspecting he was not truly his son but the bastard of an illicit affair had by his wife with a pirate of all things.
"Oh my dear Mrs. Collins you were a vixen were you not?" He chuckled thinking of how this would have caused Joshua many a restless nights. "Out of all the Collins I think I liked you the best my dear. It is a shame that you were cursed to die because you loved your son. Perhaps some day Angelique will have a son and love him only to loose him because of that love. It would be a fitting and proper way to see her repaid for all the trouble she caused your family." He sat on the crypt looking at her name.
"You were so beautiful and sad. Was your marriage a loveless one? Was it out of obligation that you stayed with Joshua? It is a shame that someone as passionate as you could not have found love with your pirate. It would have served Joshua right to loose you and be put in his place." He chuckled and then turned his gaze to the last plate and sadness swept through him.
"Of all the Collins family members my dear little Sarah you are the saddest. You did not get to grow up, you had just begun your life and it was over. Never to know the angst of falling in love, having children of your own, knowing what it is to give your life for those you loved and then to die so young." He sighed softly looking down at his watch and moaned. He would have to run to get back to the cottage in time to get Vlad's phone call. He was not really prepared to tell him he had failed with one part of the mission and needed to think of a way to approach it as not that bad and letting him know that Gilda was in place to execute on her part of this plans. He would figure out a way to make this work for them if it was the last thing he did that night.
Previously
Exiting quickly from the mausoleum he began to pace his way back to his cottage, the whole time his mind working on how he would make sure Julia Hoffman Stokes was paid back for the deceit she had perpetrated on his prince. As he ran he also thought of Vicki Winters and how she had affected him. He recalled the first time he had seen her in the grocery store when she was buying the food for Thanksgiving. It was not her beauty that had caught his attention it was her manner. She had reached for a cart and had another person snatch the cart away from her. Instead of becoming confrontational she smiled, turned and took the next cart and waited patiently for the rude woman to move out of her way. Sorin had wanted to snap the woman's neck for being so rude.
It had not been bad enough she had grabbed the cart that Vicki had pulled free; she had stopped in the middle of the doorway, to search through her purse to find a cigarette and light it up and blow smoke in the face of whoever was unfortunate to be in her way. Vicki had stepped back and again waited patiently for her to move. Finally, the rude woman pushed the cart into the store and began to bump people out of her way. Vicki had hung back sighed deeply and then laughed. The silly woman had made a mistake and bumped into Mrs. Cravens. Vicki watched briefly as Mrs. Cravens took the cart and shoved it back against the rude woman. The sudden action had surprised the woman and Mrs. Cravens had used such force in driving the cart back that the woman was knocked to the floor.
Had it been any other person they would have left the rude hapless woman on the floor but not Vicki, she bent to help the woman up and spoke softly, "You know this would not happen if you were a little more considerate of those around you. I hope you have a happy holiday." She navigated her cart past the woman who had stood with her mouth open. What had been a bigger shock to the woman was when Mrs. Cravens greeted her.
"Hello Mrs. Collins, how are you today?"
Vicki had smiled that beguilingly sweet smile and replied happily, "I am wonderful Mrs. Cravens and I hope that Walter is doing well?"
"Oh yes he is fine now he is home. Only four more weeks and the cast will come off." He watched along with the rude woman as Vicki reached into her purse and pulled out some bills and pressed them into her hand.
"Here, I hope this helps with what you need for a nice Thanksgiving meal."
She turned and stepped away pushing her cart hearing a softly spoken, "God Bless you."
The rude woman turned to Mrs. Cravens. "Did you say she was a Collins? One of the Collins?"
Mrs. Cravens having been nearly brought to tears nodded. "Yes, she is Elizabeth Collins Stoddard's daughter married to a distant Cousin by the name of Collins."
Sorin could not allow Vicki to get away from him so he had continued to follow her, watching her every move and actions. He was finding she was more than he had previously thought. His habit had been always to know his target from inception to death if he needed to do what was expected. With Vicki Winters Collins he had learned she was more than he had ever thought a person could be. On the surface she seemed to be a target waiting for someone to take advantage of her. The more he learned about his princess the more he wanted to know.
Present time
He made it back to the cottage and sat waiting for the Prince to call he did not have long to wait so with a bit of apprehension he answered the phone and reported to his Prince that Elizabeta was on her way.