Chapter 20

Seaview Cottage, Collinsport Maine

1:30 a.m.

Josephine studied Victoria as she lay on the sofa of the abandoned Seaview Cottage. "Do you really think she looks like me?" She glanced to her son Alexandru; who also had been studying the sleeping woman. He folded his arms over his chest and thought about this whole situation. He was silent for so long that for a moment Josephine thought he had not heard her. "Alex?"

"Yes mother she physically looks like you but there are enough subtle differences that she is not you so don't even go there." He shot her a dark look. Watching his mother's face he knew her well enough to know. He had suspected she was planning something and it was exactly what she had been attempting to do over the past fifteen years. That is since she found Victoria in that foundling home. "I love you mother, but I will not do what you want so don't go there." He turned from the hurt petulant look on his mother's face.

Alexandru frowned deeply. "Why would you want to give up immortality to be put in this woman's body to live out a mortal life? You gave it up long ago and you embraced and continued to embrace the way of life you enjoy now." He turned to look at his mother and was very disappointed in her. "I thought you better than Uncle Andréas and now you are acting just like him."

Josephine crossed her arms and walked to the moonlit covered beach and looked to the sky. "It has been so long my dearest son, so long since I saw the sun. I long for the feeling of its warmth on my skin and to feel the morning breeze caress my face. I was too quick to ask your father to bring me over. He did not want me to be as he was until I was advancing in years and I felt I was loosing him."

She turned and peered at Victoria. "How could I know that Andreas line would continue to produce more children and nearly two hundred years later she would be a product of that line?" She looked at Alex and sighed softly. "Then to discover that Andréas was back to his old tricks with Diablos. That silly woman Elizabeth allowing herself to become impregnated by that fool."

She was growing angry as she thought about what Andréa had done to her when her precious Alexandru and Drake were born, to be told there was only one child for her line, she had been devastated at the thought that Drake had been raised by her sister in law. Then to discover that Drake had actually been another embryo placed in her. She had been used as nothing more than an incubator for his half demon half human child. Then adding insult to injury to discover that her child had been shipped off to another womb was the final nail in her proverbial coffin.

To never have seen her second son she had oft times wondered what he looked like. What he turned out to have become and if he was anything like Alex. Looking at Victoria she ran those talon red dipped fingertips through her hair. "Her hair is even like mine." She looked up at her son who had been watching her carefully around Victoria. "You delivered her mother, you knew she was a descendent from Andréas line just as you were related to him through marriage." He sighed and walked to a chair across from them.

Whipping off the sheet he slumped to the chair and turned to see the cloudbank that had been hanging off the shoreline was beginning to build and advance towards them obscuring the moonlight. "Are you doing that?' She glanced up to the window and nodded slowly.

"I suppose it is because my emotions are full of despair right now son. Allow nature to have its way with this town." She waved her hand and stood suddenly. "I need to feed, I will return before dawn, there is a coffin in the cellar, I shall see you later my dear." She disappeared into a mist and it caused Alexandru to growl low.

"Mother!" it was too late she was gone. Turning he paced to the window and watched the sky light up with lightening and the rain bank that was drenching the ocean to move ashore with a surge of the waves now growing taller. Looking back at Victoria he sighed deeply walked to her and shook her awake. "Victoria wake up." Slowly she opened her eyes with a soft flutter of her eyelashes.

Confusion and concern edged her eyes as they adjusted to the dark room and the man standing over her. "Where am I? " she was afraid and now untrusting of him. This had been the one thing he had not wanted from her was this distrust. "Calm yourself I had to get you away from all those vultures wanting you for some reason or another. Most for their benefit." Sighing softly and sounding apologetic he said, "I fear I may have just brought you into a bigger viper pit. Come we need to leave this place and seek shelter somewhere else, neither of us are safe here."

Knowing his mother as well as he had he knew there would be a conveyance close by for her use if she decided to be more human and less strigoi. Having explored the area he had found the keys and checked the attached building that had been made into a garage. He had also found her coffin earlier and was devising a plan that would cost him a great deal more than he was willing to admit at this time. He had to protect Victoria. Leading her out the rear of the dark house, he unlocked the car and waited for her to get in.

"I hope you forgive my lapse in manners for not opening your door. But time is of the essence and we need to go from here before my Aunt returns." He had slipped into the term Aunt because at this point he did not want to explain to Victoria he was as old as Barnabas.

Sliding into the chill confines of the car she shivered. "It is all right Alex, I don't expect every man I come in contact with to open my car door. You said we needed to get away from here so I suggest you don't concern yourself with apologies and lets go." She smiled tensely and looked expectantly around the room expecting something to jump out and stop them from leaving.

Alex smiled; he liked this woman and was glad he had decided to help her and not his mother. She watched him slide the keys into the ignition and turned the key. The car's reaction was hesitant at first then the engine turned and started. Letting out a soft sigh he put the car into gear and started to back out of the opened door building. The rain was slashing at the windshield and he engaged the wipers only to look up and see his mothers slave Edgar lumbering towards him and the car. Sliding the car into gear he tromped down on the gas pedal and pealed out. Throwing sand and rock with its spinning tires.

Driving off down the rough road he noticed she had put her seat belt on and was glad. He was expecting Edgar to follow. Instead as he looked in the rearview mirror all he saw was the large hulking form of his mothers slave standing in the driving rain watching them drive away. Letting out a soft sigh he watched the road ahead. "You will want to make a left at the next intersection otherwise to stay on this road you will come to a drop off that would be most unpleasant for both of us."

He smiled glad she was alert and in the car with him. "You have learned this area well." He turned his attention back to the road. Watching the road and for the turn and was glad because the road became more of a covered highway and gave him better control over the vehicle.

"I actually fell in love with that cottage we were in. I saw it at dusk one day and was so enchanted but its not for sale and . . . " She looked down at her hands in her lap. She was tired and she wanted some place to lie down and sleep. "It belonged to the Collins family and they cannot allow it to be let go for at least another one hundred years." She had remembered the day her and Daniel and Sarah had taken a long walk along the beach and they came upon the 'sad' house.

Beach front Collinsport Maine

Late Summer 1796

Daniel and Sarah had suggested they would be more inclined to study if they and Vicki could have a picnic on the beach and take their lessons there. Getting permission from Joshua and Naomi to take the children for a stroll on the beach to discuss history and the ocean and its life, reluctantly the staid and set in his ways Joshua agreed but grumbled about these new fashioned ideas. Having the cook put together a basket of food and gathering a couple of blankets, they carried their lunch to the beach and made a picnic. Victoria was very directed to teach them about the ocean and what could lie beneath.

Daniel had gotten excited and had coaxed Sarah into playing pirates and they began to run the beach barefooted. Finding sticks they paced each other and sword fight. Vicki had started packing up their lunch and looked around to notice that the children were no longer in sight. Rising she began to walk in the direction she last saw them.

Rising over a dune she paused and heard them talking with one another. Walking towards their voices she paused watching them lying on the dune looking at a house. Vicki smiled and snuck up on them and asked, "What are you two doing?"

Daniel and Sarah had turned and put their fingers to their lips. "Shh it is the sad house and we want to see if its haunted!" Vicki laid between them and looked at the beautiful house nestled protectively between the rocky escarpment that appeared to protect it.

"Does anyone live in it?" Victoria had stood up and began to approach the house. The two children were shocked that she was being so brave and had run behind her to take her hand.

"Come on Miss Winters its Zachariah's house and he is sad and grouchy and does not like company." Sarah spoke softly as Daniel like Victoria wanted to explore the house. Looking at the weather worn boards she looked down.

"Who is Zachariah?" She smiled into those brilliant blue twinkling eyes. "It is Father's brother. We really should not be here. He is very mean and he does not like children."

Daniel looked at the house again and laughed, "He isn't home, look the house is empty!" Daniel broke free and rushed towards the house, up the front steps and through the now opened door.

Victoria had followed, "Daniel! Wait. Come back here, that is terribly rude for you to enter someone's home when they are not home." Turning to Sarah she spoke softly, "You go on back to the blanket and wait for us. I will go get Daniel."

Sarah looked at her unsure if she should go and turned reluctantly following their footprints and the path back to the beach. Turning briefly looking at Victoria as if she were going to see her again. Then turning resolved to do as she was told she skipped off scattering sand in her wake. Victoria watched Sarah until she disappeared and turned looking at the charming two-storied house that had obviously been built to be protected by the surrounding area.

"Daniel?" She called towards the house. Stepping towards the front porch she felt a hand come down on her shoulder and clamp onto the tender flesh of her arm. Gasping softly she turned and saw a large man with deep blue eyes, wearing a sea Captain's cap glaring at her.

Feeling the bite of the hold, Victoria jerked her shoulder away from his hold. The action caused her to stagger back catching her ankle against the stairs. Loosing her balance she found herself falling and sitting down hard on the second step. "Oh!" She looked up into the surprise looking face of a man that was about forty years old with barely greying hair and chiseled square jawed features and saw no resemblance to Joshua Collins.

Looking up she saw David who was being escorted out of the building by another man that held David by his collar and stopped seeing the two on the front stoop. This man was slightly younger than the one that had grabbed her shoulder, his eyes were brown and held a hint of sadness to them. He looked from Victoria to the man. "I caught this one Zach he was looking through the house."

"Thank you Isaac, it seems I had uninvited company and have never made their acquaintance." The older man offered his callused weathered hand to Victoria. "Here allow me Madam to help you up and off my property." His eyes were directed to her exposed bare leg that had landed in front of her when she fell and caused her skirt to rise up. He smiled seeing her blush and drag her hand over her skirt to push it down.

"We meant no harm, I just came to collect my charge. We apologize and will gladly leave your property." She looked questionably at his hand and gently put her delicate one in his. Feeling the strength of his arm she was hefted up easily and put on her feet.

"Dan'l what made you think you could go into my house uninvited? Does your father know you are here?" He kept his gaze on Daniel but studied Victoria closely. He noted how much she looked like that French woman his nephew was going to wed.

Daniel lifted his chin in defiance. "Yes, poppa knows we were going to beach to have a picnic and our lessons. We only wanted to see if your house was haunted we did not mean to cause a problem Uncle Zachariah." He tugged out of the hold the younger man known as Isaac.

Breaking that hypnotic hold on her Vicki turned and motioned Daniel down the stairs. "Come along Daniel we still have lessons to finish and we must be getting back." Daniel slowly walked down the steps and with open defiance in his eyes.

"Poppa says we can play wherever we want. He never said we couldn't play here." Turning he ran off towards the dunes. "Race you back Sarah!" Vicki turned to watch him go and smiled when she saw Sarah's head pop up over the dune. She knew then that Sarah had come back to check on her and Daniel.

"I am so sorry Mr. Collins, we did not mean any harm and I will leave you to your business and wish you a good day." Vicki started to walk away when she heard him say.

"They called you Miss Winters? I thought you were Barnabas' fiancé' that Miss duPres." Vicki had paused and turned and lowered her chin, a delightful shade of pink crawled her neck to her cheeks.

"Well yes many thought so too. But I am Victoria Winters, the children's governess." Isaac turned to enter the house until he heard the name and he paused and looked back at Victoria.

"I thought the governess was to be Miss Wick?" He appeared to be distraught. Vicki sighed deeply looked down and then looked back up at the man on the steps. He was slender build, blond hair and brown sad eyes that seemed as haunted as what this house could have been.

"She was unable to come, so I took her place." Which was a simple truth between her and Peter Bradford. Zachariah smiled turned to Vicki and nodded.

"Isaac Bradford, this is the children's governess Miss Winters. Now that the proper introductions are over, we should allow Miss Winters to go about her business."

Later that night while she was preparing the children for bed, she had to ask. "Why did you call that house the sad house?" She watched Daniel look over to his sister and then back to Miss Winters.

"Because Uncle Zachariah is sad when he lost his new bride to a storm on her way to his house he built for her. Her name was Elspeth McDaniel Collins. They had met on the wild coastline of Ireland's shore and married. She was on her way here when her ship was swamped and went down with her on board."

"But why does it make the house sad?" Vicki felt sorry for the sad man to loose his wife that way. "I know that your Uncle Zachariah is sad but why is it named the sad house?" She was curious.

"Because towns people see a lady in a grey soaked dress with hair of seaweed and all bloody walking around the house on moonless nights and she is crying and wailing and shouting out for Zachariah." Sarah's voice was so intent with the set of the spooky tone that Vicki had to look at her to see if she were putting her on.

"I see, well tonight is a full moon so she won't be there. Well, now that was a wonderful story to go to sleep, now off to sleep with you." She covered Sarah kissed her forehead then turned to David and covered him with a good night kiss. When she left the room, she closed the door with the thought that she would walk the beach the next new moon and see if those stories were true.

Sarah had haunted her when she was in her time. Why could this poor soul not be haunting the beach looking for her lost love? As determined as she was to check out that story on the next new moon. Unfortunately for her she had been arrested and was fighting for her own life to deny the claim that she was a witch.

Once she got back she did take one day to go down to the beach to see if the house had survived times and the relentless Atlantic and to her surprise it was in excellent shape. Walking through the house she could feel the history and see the house was made of good bones and timber that it must have been his dream to see it filled with his children and his loving wife.

Something had haunted her about the house after visiting it but then life got in the way once again and she was caught up with Barnabas. That had seemed to be her focus to find out of she really loved him. They had so little time before her trip to the past and now there were a flurry of interferences and conflicts that was beginning to make her believe that she needed to take a step back and evaluate what her feelings were and to see what his feelings were and then perhaps take it slower and look at the options for the both of them.

"Sad House? Did you ever discover why they called it the sad house?" He watched the road, occasionally looking at her profile and found she did resemble his mother with her dark eyes and dark hair and olive colored skin tones. However, she was not cold or calculating like his mother had been and there was a softer gentler quality that seemed to pervade her personality. She had been through a lot and had traveled down a difficult road and lived through several lifetimes and it still had not affected her like his mother.

Watching the road he lost himself in thought as the headlights pierced through the now growing heavy fog, which for him was unusual, the storm had not made land fall yet here there was a fog bank. Frowning slightly he slowed the car and tried to get his bearing's. "Do you know where we are my dear?" He asked softly as he tried to determine what this fog bank was about. It was not natural and a part of him wondered if his mother was responsible or one of those other fools.

She nodded slowly, "We are about a half a mile from Collinsport city limits and a mile from Collinwood and about three quarters of a mile from the old house." She looked around and noticed that the fog was so thick had she not driven this road her self many times she would have been confused too. Just inch your way forward and you will see the beginnings of the lighted roads that lead to Collinsport main street. Which I believe is called Portsmouth Lane."

Inching the car further he noticed the broken pools of fog that allowed a small amount of light to penetrate the bank that swirled and roiled around the street moving like a living entity seeking something or someone. "Isn't it unusual for a fog to fill the night when a thunderstorm is about to land?" She asked concerned that if they continued she was going to suggest they make it to the Blue Whale, she knew Sam Evans would give them shelter.

"Very, that is why I am a bit concern that some of our players in who wins the hand of Victoria Winters is playing a bit of a game with us. Including Aunt Josephine. " He glanced at her and smiled only to see her eyes widen and her mouth open in a startled gasp. Redirecting his gaze back to the road he saw it, a looming dark figure that seemed to materialize out of the fog, the lights flooded his features. Alexandru recognized him immediately and he moaned inwardly. "Father." He whispered and swerved the car to avoid hitting him.

When the car turn the erratic turn it hit head on a light pole, which teetered and then broke in half landing on the roof of the car crushing it inward. Alexandru was immediately hit with an airbag and so was Victoria. Pushing his hands to the bag he called in anxiety. "Victoria are you hurt?' He glanced to the side and moaned, the airbag had caught her in the face and she had put her hands up instinctively to protect her face and found that the force of the airbag hitting her hand knocked it back against her face and she now looked at him throw glazed filled eyes that was wracked with pain.

"Victoria focus, look at me." He commanded and wished he had his ability to summon but here he was slightly out of his element and he was pretty sure he had suffered a broken ankle. Struggling against the air bag he reached for her face and with effort he shoved her seat back allowing her more space to move and to breathe from the airbag. From the outside of the car he could sense and then felt the car shudder as his father lifted the light pole from the top of the caved in roof.

"Alexandru! Are you injured?" His father did sound concern and he obviously was worried his son had suffered, which for him was of a concern but more for the sake of his mother than for his own feelings, he was still angry with him for having him imprisoned in that state facility so they could experiment on him.

"Do not worry about me father it is your granddaughter you should worry for, she is injured and I am not sure if she breathes." The top of the roof was peeled back with a ripping sound and the hood was removed like a can with a can opener, Vlad had taken his fingernails and drove them into the car's roof and pulled. From over head the car flooded with the fog bank that he had created. He looked from his son to the woman that shared the car with him and his eyes widen. "This is not possible! She is Josephine only not!" Reaching in he grabbed the offensive air bag and ripped it from the deck freeing Victoria.

He studied her and then frowned. "Quickly son, her heartbeat is faltering and she is not breathing you must hurry and help her breathe!"