Chapter 8

Castle Darkhart

Burgos Pass Romania

Victoria found peace in the gazebo of the rear gardens. Feeling emotionally drained she lay down enjoying the peace and quiet of her surroundings. The sounds of insects and a soft breeze were the only reminder she was not back at Collinwood. Drake had been particularly cruel and she felt helpless when in his presence. She felt all hope ebbing away with each passing day she was forced to stay here. Closing her eyes she drifted on a sea of uneasy sleep.

From over head in her room the evil green-eyed witch that was Angelique smiled. Lifting the clay doll she began to speak to it. "That is right Victoria, sleep and dream, for through sight and sound and faceless terror, through endless corridors by trial and error ahead a blazing light doth burn and one door leads to the point of return." Waving her hand over the doll she held flat to her palm, she glanced to the restless woman sleeping fitfully below her window. Finishing the spell she smiled her eyes lighting up with evil glee.

"Your plight is endless and never to be resolved. You will dream and when you dream you will see that your life is hopeless and that your only way out is to die. You will never return to Barnabas, your family will all die and you will be doomed." She spoke softly to the doll in her hand and smiled watching her victim twitch and flail about as she knew the dream she had just sent her was one of horror and terror filled nights of being with Drake.

"Angelique what are you doing?" Drake entered her room watching her weave a spell over the clay doll she now snatched and hid behind her back. She spun around and looked up at him and smiled.

"Nothing my lord, just a little magic to send someone on their way." She kept the doll hidden from view and watched filled with trepidation while he advanced on her. Towering over her, he glanced over her back and saw it was a doll with feminine features. Grabbing her roughly he pulled her around and jerked the doll from her hands.

"No! Do not!" She tried to grab it back and felt her body propelled across to her bed to land hard and bounce to the floor and land with a thud which elicited an oomph from her. Seeing him study the form in his hand she felt her world plummet around her and crawled to a standing position. Pleading she spoke with a desparation she did not know she had. "Please let me explain my lord!"

Drake pulled the doll around and looked at the doll, and frowned. It had dark strands of hair pressed into the head and in the ear was an earing he recognized. Turning he glanced out her window and saw Victoria writhing in pain and fear on the chaise under the gazebo. Growling low he held the doll up waved his hand over it and watched the hair evaporate, the earring to disappear and the image of the doll to melt into nothing as the form also followed and now lay in his hand as nothing more than clay.

"You tempt me Angelique what did you do to this doll? What curse did you lay on Victoria and do not try to lie to me, I will know and you will be sent straight to the burning pits if you try to deceive me." His words were low and held a hint of repressed rage.

"It was a dream curse to make her feel afraid and want to end her life." As soon as her words were spoken she felt it, the sudden shift in the room and she was plummeting down a shaft into the deepest parts of what Drake had called his personal hell. She was tumbling to suddenly come to a stop and dangle like a helpless puppet over the burning pit beneath her feet. She could feel the flames licking up and burning the soles of her now bare feet. She screamed out in fear and pain. "No Master do not do this! I am sorry!"

As quickly she had tumbled to the pits she found herself now lying on the floor at his feet. She glanced up looking more disheveled. She watched as he dropped the clay in front of her. "If ever you try something this stupid again, I won't be merciful. The next time, I will let the flames purify you for the next one hundred years. Do I make myself understood?" He stepped around her not giving her time to answer he needed to repair what she had just done and was going to make sure that Victoria was safe.

Victoria twisted and cried out in fear, she clutched the small lap blanket over and around her body as the dream she was experiencing took hold. She was running down endless corridors, around each corner there was a new horrible image to greet her. The first image that she met was that of a rabid wolf wanting to leap up and tear her throat out. Turning with a gasp and screaming out, she ran down another long corridor to come to another door and throw it open. There behind that door was an image of Reverend Task, he smiled and told her she was going to hang for being a witch.

Stepping back she slammed the door closed and felt the cooling breeze behind her, turning she saw a long hallway with diaphanous curtains blowing form an unseen breeze. Rushing down the hallway she felt her body trapped and became entangled in the curtains, they became more like bonds trying to capture and hold her; breaking free she ran to the end of the hallway and found another door. Not wanting to open the door she stepped back and chewed her knuckles then taking a deep breath she stepped forward with fingers that trembled she turned the door knob and opened it to see Drake standing there glaring at her.

"You will be mine Victoria, accept it. You will never escape me. You must know you belong to me. You were born to be my wife and that is what you must accept and become my wife. You will forget Barnabas; you will forget everything but me. I am now your whole life."

Victoria stepped away from him, backing up and out of the door only to feel herself tumble and fall, she was falling off of Widow's Hill. Yes, that was the answer. She needed to end her life! She would escape to the mountains and step off of a precipice. Opening her eyes she looked up to see David, with Elizabeth, and Carolyn standing by her side. "Come Miss Winters we have to go now. Before he comes and you are trapped here!" Vicki's gaze shifted to the one that spoke. Sarah Collins stood on the pathway to the garden.

"Come on Miss Winters, we have to go now. We have to hurry. Sarah has found some friends that will help us escape here!" David tugged on her hand. Carolyn was looking around nervously while Elizabeth helped David pull Victoria up from the chaise.

"Yes, dear Victoria we must go now. Come before they find we are missing." Elizabeth spoke softly while helping David guided Vicki to a standing position and they all followed the young girl down the pathway to the garden wall. Sarah pressed against a stone on the wall and waited watchng a door slide open and then turned and motioned them to follow her through the wall's opening.

"We must be very quiet." Sarah turned and put her fingertip to her lips making a shushing sound. Walking down a narrow pathway she turned to Elizabeth. "You all should hold hands now, so that protection amulet will shield you all. Once you break contact with each other they will be able to find you. Once we get far enough away, you should be able to let go of your hands but until then and we get to the friends I have found for you, we will need to move quietly."

They all joined hands forming a human chain they stepped quietly along the narrow pathway. They followe Saraj for what seemed to be endless hours, they reached a break in the pathway where it branched off in three directions. "What now?" Elizabeth turned to look at the little girl that had been leading them away from the castle.

Sarah smiled and shimmered from view, a rustling sound from the heavy foliage in the woods caused all four to huddle together when a swarthy looking man dressed in traditional hill people clothing stepped forward. "Follow me. I will take you to a place that will keep you safe." His black hair, dark complexion, and dark eyes reminded Victoria of a gypsy she once met a long time ago.

He walked into the woodline thick with trees and brush. He for a moment appeared to just disappear into the thickness of the wood and its encompassing shadows. Stepping back into view he smiled and turned from the shadows to watch and motion them follow him. The tired and beleaguered little group followed still holding to each other until the dense woods began to thin and they were now on a paved roadway. A head they could see the tall outline of another older looking castle, which appeared to be shrouded in a mist and an eerie green looking light. "Come my lord Florescue will make you welcome and give you sanctuary. He asks only once you enter his castle that any joy you bring with you, you leave a little behind."

Approaching the castle, Elizabeth felt a shiver slide up her spine. She released her hand from Vicki's once they entered the green eerie looking light that seemed to permeate the area around the huge castle. The closer they moved to the castle following the guide; they noted that five other men and a woman of uncommon beauty soon joined their guide. Vicki noted the dark curling hair that fell to her waist and gently caressed her hips as she moved gracefully with them. Her dark eyes were almost amber colored and her heart shape face denoted a guarded innocence of untouched beauty.

Turning to the lovely young woman the elder guide spoke to her, "Julianka, will you escort the guests to our Lord?" He leaned forward and kissed her cheek looking into her golden brown eyes. Vicki noted they were eyes that never faltered as they returned the look of tenderness and devotion to the elder guide. And a slow cherished smiled lifted at the corner of her lips. She closed her eyes as he kissed her cheek then her forehead.

With a voice equally holding the tenderness of the love she felt for her father she spoke softly, "Yes, father he is expecting them. They have rooms prepared for them and he hopes they will join him for dinner." She turned to face the four travelers. "Follow me please, Lord Florescue is awaiting your arrival." She began to lead them to the entrance of the castle.

Vicki could not help but notice that once they walked through the glowing light that shrouded the castle she felt a rush of cold run through her body. She gave pause to wonder briefly if they had just left the frying pan and was now jumping into the fire. Walking with faltering footsteps and feeling exhausted and about to collapse she stumbled. With a soft gasp closing her eyes she gave into the sensation of falling only to feel her body lifted and held in incredibly strong arms.

"Thank you." She spoke softly opened her eyes and peered into the most penetrating dark eyes she had ever seen, they were so dark they were almost black. The man that held her smiled. "You appeared to be exhausted my dear. It is my pleasure to help you and your family. Come allow me to make you welcome to my home!"

Vicki swallowed looked up at the inviting warm lights that filled the courtyard of this castle and relaxed. "This is your home? Are you Lord Florescue?" She offered a faint smile. He chuckled and she could feel the vibration of his laughter against her body.

"I am, and you are Victoria, and this is your mother Elizabeth your sister Carolyn and your cousin David?" He smiled for all their benefit. Carolyn smiled leaned into her mother and drug David close to her body. Carolyn noted that David shot an uneasy look at the man holding Vicki and frowned deeply.

He clutched closer to Carolyn and whispered softly, "I don't like him. He makes me feel creepy." Carolyn hugged an arm around his shoulders. Shaking her head for him to be quiet she noted he had heard David's whispered comment but made no open note of the rudeness of her cousin.

Carolyn quick to feel the same as David, offered a quick comment of her own. "That is right, you have all our names correct and with the right person. We are grateful for your offering us a safe haven from what we have just endured." She was being grateful. However, due to her extreme fatigue she felt it came across as less than benevolent. She noted he thought she was being only superficial with her gratitude by the look he had raked over her body. That single glance made her feel she had just been stripped naked under his scrutiny.

With a softness that denoted he was trying to not be as ungrateful as she he turned with a slight incline of his head and spoke effusively, "It is my pleasure there is very little love loss between Count Darkhart and myself, so I understand how you feel you were poorly treated under his rule. Here, I rule and you have nothing to fear from him and if you wish may call your family and tell them where you are." He waited for the door to open. Julianka had gone ahead and apparently had alerted his staff the lord had returned with his guests.

Reaching the main entrance to the castle, the door opened and a middle-aged lady with wise eyes and no emotion on her features opened the door bowing to the entrance of Florescue. "My lord baths have been prepared and rooms are readied, dinner will be served in two hours. Will your guests wish to rest before they need to dress for dinner?" She was joined by three other similarly dressed women standing quietly behind their matron with hands crossed and watching with a modicum of interest. The women unlike Mrs. Eastman were in their middle to late twenties.

"Yes, Mrs. Eastman, they will all need to bathe, then rest, see they are assigned servants to help them dress for dinner. I shall take Miss Winters to her room. Will you see to Mrs. Stoddard, Miss Stoddard and Master Collins?"

She bowed her head closing the door turned and nodded. "I will my lord" Mrs. Eastman turned to the women assembled she spoke softly, "Where is Charlotte?" A younger girl of perhaps her late teens rushed from behind the other three and curtsied.

"I am here Madam Eastman." She was flushed with embarrassment having been late and was expecting a strong tongue-lashing. However with the master present that would wait for later. "Charlotte escort Master David to his room and have Timmons assigned to his needs. You and Lynette will be assigned to Miss Winters, Darla you will be assigned to Miss Stoddard and Karen you will have Mrs. Stoddard."

The women all bowed their heads and waited for the party to be escorted to their rooms. "If you all will follow me, I shall see you assigned to your rooms and see to your comfort and needs." Mrs. Eastman stepped forward and waited for the procession to follow her.

Victoria glanced around the opulence of the opening foyer. Lord Florescue started up the staircase with her still holding her near his body. Victoria observed a landing sitting between a left staircase and a right staircase, which split the grand staircase into two sections. She was now being carried to the right staircase and she spoke softly feeling a bit embarrassed for being carried. "You can sit me down Lord Florescue, I am quite capable of moving under my own abilities."

He captured her gaze and smiled, "I like holding you, you barely weigh anything you must have lost weight being under so much stress. I have given you quarters close to my own and I think you will find that these quarters are befitting those of a queen, which I think is what Darkhart had intended to make you once you were married."

She felt it nearly impossible to break her gaze from his. Smiling shyly she tucked her chin to his shoulder and spoke softly into his ear. "I really think I prefer just being Vicki and not Queen Victoria. He is over powering and very demanding and I was afraid of him." She did not know why she was confessing this to him. He reached the top of the stairs and gently set her down holding onto her until she got her balance. Victoria turned and was immediately arrested in her tracks, She saw a portrait hanging on the wall.

With eyes fixed she gasped out softly, "Josette?" She walked towards the portrait of two women, one of blond cool looks sitting with two identical twins sitting on each side of her. They were young perhaps about eighteen years and both were identical to looks to each other and to Josette and ironically to Victoria.

"No, one of them would have been perhaps a Grandmother to Josette DuPres, the mother to Andre DuPres. Josette's father."

Victoria turned to peer up at Lord Florescue. "But they look so much like Josette and her portrait. It is amazing how much they look alike and then to produce a child that looks like them?" This had to be a coincidence. This could not be possible. Had she in fact now found her connection go her distant past and it was still connected to the DuPres Family. "There is a portrait in the old house that was painted of Josette so long ago. Actually there are two portraits one of Josette standing on a small hill over looking the Caribbean sea and another that was of her from the waist up and she looks like me."

"That is because Count Petofi was related to these two here and Josette's father was the son of Josephine the one on the right of her mother Elena. The other was Eloisa and my great, great grandmother. So, if you were to be born you were supposed to have been a twin. You see any descended from either of those two had twins with each birth and you my dear are the second child that must have been born to Elizabeth which you and she never knew of a twin."

Vicki's whole world was spinning with this information and it was something she had to tell her mother. That however was to wait as Florescue continued to escort her down a wide long corridor. Walking on lush carpeting and noting the ancient well loved and cared for wood and venetian tiling that accented the castle Victoria had to admit here they kept their castles in good repair and in excellent comfortable condition for the occupants. To say her surroundings were lush and filled with century old antiques in immaculate repair would have been an understatement.

Drake's castle had been smaller and nicely kept with some impressive heritage pieces, and in her first time in the castle felt it was opulent. This setting was more than opulent it was ostentatious. "Lord Florescue, your castle is very impressive." She had held onto his arm while he led her down the hallway to a set of double doors.

"Please Victoria, call me Alexandru, and thank you. It has been in my family for over 10 generations and we pride ourselves on the family heritage it boasts. We are here at the room you will occupy." He turned to open the door and stepped aside so she could enter. Upon entry Victoria noticed that the two servants that were assigned to her were already awaiting her arrival. With the entry of the two, both women curtsied low.

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed them. Both women stood and exited the room. Victoria suspected they had merely left the immediate area and was awaiting her arrival to the bathing chambers. Looking around the room she found it enchantingly sweet. A large four-poster centered on one wall. A huge fireplace sat directly in front of the bed with two huge fireside chairs. The windows were open to allow a light breeze to blow throw the window to send the curtains to flutter. The room held a serene and happy feel and for the first time since her arrival in this country, Victoria felt she was safe.

"Dinner will be served in two hours, for now after you had a chance to bathe lie down and bathe, then one of your maids will escort you to the dining hall and we can enjoy a dinner in peace and quiet and perhaps you will finally be able to eat a proper meal." He bowed at the waist then turned leaving her alone in her room. Victoria spun around then stopped short. There on her bedside table was a telephone.

Walking quickly to the phone she lifted it and began to dial the operator. "Overseas operators please." She spoke almost breathlessly.

"One moment." A few clicks and another voice came on the line. "What country please."

"The United States of America." Again there was another series of clicks and another voice spoke, "What State or City would you wish?"

"Collinsport Maine, please, Collinwood and please hurry." There was a soft sigh and once again there was a sound of static and a series of clicks and a phone began to ring on the other end.

"Collinwood, Melanie Christian speaking." The voice was a strange one and obviously new to Collinwood. Taking a deep breath she let it out slowly. "Look if you are making an obscene phone call I am about to hang up!" She sounded upset.

Victoria spoke quickly, "No, please it is not an obscene phone call its Victoria Winters and I need to speak to either of the following people. Quentin, Barnabas, Julia, Roger, Elliott Stokes or Eric Lang are any of them there!" She sounded so desperate to speak to a familiar voice that the woman whom had answered felt sorry for her.

"Hold on," She covered the phone's mouthpiece turned to Quentin and handed him the phone. "Victoria Winters asking for you." Melanie stepped away from Quentin and studied the man's reaction.

He quickly grabbed the phone nearly jerking it from her hand. "Vicki! Where are you? Are you and Elizabeth, David and Carolyn safe?" He held the phone with a death grip, which was odd for Melanie to observe.

Vicki chuckled softly, "Yes, we have escaped from Castle Darkhart and have come to Castle Florescue near the Burgos Pass. We are guests of Lord Florescue who has offered us a safe haven until we can get home. We cannot leave this country without your help. We need our passports, and a way to come home."

"Get me an address and we will come pick you up in my private jet. We have been worried sick about you and the others since you went away. You are sure you are fine?"

"Yes, just afraid I was going to be forced into a wedding I had no intention of wanting to marry the man. We are safe and hidden from him at this time. Has Elizabeth or Carolyn tried to contact you?"

"No you were the first. You sit tight and we will be there in a couple of days. I just need to let the others know I have a location on you and will bring a rescue party." Quentin had written down the information that she had given him and looked around for a phone book.

Vicki hung up and turned to see the two young women by the bathing chambers door. "If Madam will come we will see to her bath and then turn your bed down so you might catch a small nap before dinner. Do not worry about clothing, Lord Florescue had anticipated your arrival and had clothing brought for all of you."

Vicki smiled and sighed, this was the first time in a month that she felt safe and secure in her surroundings. "Thank you, I can bathe myself. I have been doing it for the past twenty-five years."

Charlotte smiled, "But we will dress you and your hair when you need to go down to dinner. We will leave you to your bath and nap and awaken you in an hour." Both women curtsied then turned and left the room. Vicki spun around with a squeal of delight. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"