and Melanie was keeping to herself lately, so Morgan was alone most of the time.
One day as he was exploring in the huge library, he found a handwritten note and map written by an ancestor named Brutus Collins from the 17th century. It read as follows:
"I have cursed this house and all whom inhabit it, until such time that someone can spend one night completely in this locked room. If you live through the night and discover how to break the curse the door will open on it's own accord and the curse will be lifted. It you live and don't figure out how to break the curse, you will slowly go insane as the spirits possess you - still the door will open on it's own accord as long as the key is in the lock. Many have died in this room and unless the curse is lifted many more will, too. Brutus Collins 1724"
Morgan followed the map to the secret locked door and decided to try and stop the curse. He entered and to his surprise the door closed and locked itself. The night was long and Morgan was completely baffled by the bombardment of souls trying to escape the confines of the room. They moved through him, leaving clues about the curse in his brain, but there was just too much information going through his brain. He couldn't uncover anything that would lead to the breaking of the curse. He sank slowly down the wall, holding his head as the spirits kept bombarding him with information.
Finally after hours of this torture, he couldn't take it anymore and he started screaming and pounding on the door, but no one could hear him and he knew it.
It was at that moment that he felt a great power fill him up, at the back of his mind. Three words repeated over and over, slowly driving Morgan mad with fury - Bramwell...Catherine...Pregnant. Several hours later the door suddenly opened. Morgan glanced at the door and smiled widely.
"I'm free ... Thank God! I'm free!"
Morgan rolled up the letter and placed it in his inside pocket and ran to his room. He was surprised to see a letter from his Dearest Catherine sitting on his nightstand. He opened it and a smile slowly crept across his face.
"My Dearest Morgan,
I accept your proposal and I shall be in Collinsport in 3 days. I wish I could have been there sooner so we can plan our wedding celebration,
but riding stagecoach is a slow process. I wish they would hurry up with the tracks so the trains could come up north, too. I will be arriving August 30th. I can't wait to see you in the flesh, Morgan, after 16 months of just writing back and forth. You are like my dream come true. I love you.
Your Beloved, Catherine"
He walked down to the main hall and looked at the calender on the wall. The smile he wore grew even larger when he saw the date. Just then there was a knock upon the door.
"I will get it. I'm waiting for someone special to arrive," he called out to his servant.
He opened the door and there she was ... so beautiful and radiant ... the woman who actually wanted him as much as he wanted her. Her hair glistened as the sun hit it and her smile was dazzling. He gently took her hand in his and bent down and kissed it softly.
"My Dearest Catherine, welcome to our home, My Love.
I'm so happy to finally see you and I hope the feeling is mutual. I will have one of the servants get your bags so we can head for the parlor. I'm sure you are tired from your long trip."
Catherine was in awe by Morgan's gestures. As she looked at him she saw just how handsome he looked and slowly glanced about him checking out his well-formed physique. He looked dapper in his black suit with his long dark hair tied back. His features reminded her of someone vaguely, but she couldn't place them at the moment. When he kissed her hand, she blushed. She watched him gesture to a servant and he went and grabbed her luggage. He looked at Morgan and smiled.
"I will place these in the guestroom next to your room,
Sir," spoke the servant.
"That would be wonderful, yet very soon we will be together as husband and wife and then she will be in my room sharing my bed."
He took Catherine by the hand and led her to the parlor and together they sat down on a sofa. He sat looking at her and kept hearing those three words in the back of his mind. He held her hand and never broke eye contact with her.
"So, was your trip here scenic? Did you do anything on any of your stops?"
Catherine looked at him and heard his voice change slightly. She looked at him and smiled.
"The trip was lovely Morgan and I did pick up some lovely dresses and had my dress for the wedding altered. It will be lovely Morgan, I can't wait."
Morgan smiled and squeezed her hand softly.
"I'm so glad that everything went well for you. I don't know what I would have done if something happened to you on your way here."
As they were talking Morgan heard some commotion coming from the main hall and decided that he would go investigate. Catherine stood and wrapped her arm around his.
"I want to come too, Sweetheart. I'm not comfortable here alone yet; I just got here."
"That's fine, Catherine. I can show you around the house too after we see what the commotion is about."
They walked down the hall and Morgan knew at that moment that Bramwell was home from his travels. He heard his voice and that of the young woman who said she was a friend of Bramwell's. Then he heard Bramwell exclaim, "When did Morgan get himself engaged?" That was when Morgan appeared at the doorway with Catherine at his arm.
"So Samantha, I thought you were just a good friend to my Dear Cousin here. I'm happy to meet his sister though, too," spoke Morgan.
Then when Morgan looked at his cousin, he noticed how he was eying his soon-to-be wife. The voice in his head grew louder as every moment passed.
At that moment Morgan knew that Bramwell knew his beloved and that she was carrying his child. His eyes glared at his cousin, yet he was cordial with his response.
"Bramwell, this is my beautiful bride-to-be Catherine Harridge, you know the one you laughed at me about ...
The one you said would never come because long distance relationships don't work out. We are to be married next week. You seem to have forgotten your manners cousin, haven't you?"
When Catherine saw that Morgan's cousin was none other then Bramwell Collins, her heart sank. They had met while she was on her way here at an inn. They drank a few drinks together and they had went to his room. They spent a wild night together full of red hot passion,
and she had never felt so alive as she had that night.
Now she was standing between the two men, longing for them both. As she looked at Morgan and then at Bramwell,
and then she looked at the young woman Samantha, she noticed some resemblances between them.
"It is a pleasure to meet my future husband's family.
I hope we can get to know each other more once I get settled in. Right now though, I think I need to rest ... I am suddenly tired and maybe a nap will help.
If you don't mind, that is?"
Morgan just knew that seeing Bramwell was causing Catherine undue stress. That was when the plan began to run through his already delusional mind. He would take Bramwell and Catherine to the secret room and lock them in and they would both die a slow mind-numbing death in silence for the room was soundproof, because he planned to take the key with him when he left. That would show them that you never underestimate Morgan Collins in matters of the heart. They hurt him, so they would get hurt back. He slowly smiled and patted Catherine on the arm.
"Of course I don't mind, My Love. I will show you to your room and you can get comfortable after your trip.
A refreshing nap will do you a world of good." With that said he walked her to her room and opened the door.
"I will be next door, My Sweet, incase you should need anything. I will be there when you awake. I will start writing a list of people to invite to the wedding from Collinwood and the surrounding area. Sweet Dreams, My Dearest Catherine," spoke Morgan.