In The Pit of Ultimate Dark Shadows there is one particular implausibility I'm hoping to sort out, which is why a usually untrustworthy character is mentioned unexpectedly for this chapter. Please remember this is the end result of what I hope will be a very lengthy radio series. The weaving of both novel and series or one end meeting this beginning is what I'm struggling to achieve. It's also why I'm looking for help and more than simply applause. "The Pit of Ultimate Dark Shadows" is about working together, after all.:)
Willie Protests The Midwife
"Gin", my darling said, pulling forward to place down the proof of her win. She shifted to the side to do this in some awkwardness as her belly continued to grow.
I had to look at that set of spades and hearts lined up so neatly in her fan of cards. I dropped what I had to the table and was grateful to rise and sit next her on the davenport. When we played games of this nature my main qualm was not being allowed sit beside her. Always I wanted to touch her, and now that this round had ended I was finally allowed to wrap my arm about her shoulders and bless her cheek with my lips.
Looking down, I loved this growth on my bride, I adored how well things were coming to fruition. I could hardly believe after so much loss... all was being regained through the relief of the reborn. I had to go through so much alone. Now my sweet love was re-awakened and someday the precious sister I loved would be in our arms, and as the daughter I had often had to view her as... when my father could not.
Josette as Maggie dazzled me constantly with her warmth, her kindness and even now in this stage of things, her desire. So many have seen me as in love with being in love; it's not uncommon a dwelling of the heart. But in my bride I saw the hope for a better future. Time continued to move by clock and calendar. As many a wide trouser cuff walked across our gardens, and the altering patterns of the world increased toward designs I didn't understand nor concerned myself with much. I must be glad that Maggie and I remain within the healing and classic elements of Collinwood.
Even her style and bearing blended in all of who she had been and was now. She fancied a dress high in the waist and ample in the skirt, which was likely to show that she was in a "delicate" state of being, but she let me know she was happy wearing such clothing again as it reflected the high waists of the time we remembered. Josette had told me it was fitting to lapse into even a reproduction of the period in which we'd both been raised.
"Not only that," I agreed, approving of her maternity attire, "it fits you well."
However we do face the fact that we are the only ones consecrated without our physicality changing too much. The rest of our family has a few more wrinkles and our beloved David has grown to be a fine young man of tender years, but they accept us and we accept ourselves in this unity of all things natural, supernatural and blessed.
David, too, was eager about Sarah's birth. He missed his friend and he had said to us the other day, "I was always so horrified by what happened here. Sarah helped me to understand all that had gone wrong. I don't care how long it takes, Cousin Barnabas. I want to see her again. I wish we were the same age in all of this like we were before when I knew her, but I am so grateful that she's coming back. I believe what you tell me is true. However much you scared me, however much I was a pain in the neck to everyone, it's wonderful we can be more than family now. We're friends... and I want this friendship to grow. And with inheriting so much I'll do whatever I can to make sure your remaining on the estate isn't trifled with... I swear that."
These thoughts left me and turning to Maggie, I touched my dearest, two as one now.
Our hands met, she resting her elbow on the back of the furniture and I cascading my fingers throughout her arm, down her side to reach the harmony of this child growing within her. I loved my family so deeply, I worked hard throughout all of my curses to guide and help them. I've had to journey through realms of time I'd missed to see so many of them living out terrors I had enhanced by one mistake of weakness in lust. For so many this is a forgivable error, but our end result caused so much pain, and here we were rectifying it all and living in solace.
I loved this increase of beauty on Margaret Josette Dupres, a bulge I remembered on my mother but rarely saw. And not only that I was fascinated by it. Even now Sarah was meld of each other into a delightful formation of lost spirit to be rediscovered, to live a longer, fuller, richer life. What a marvellous young woman Sarah would become at last, enjoying all of her old play and any new creations of interest that didn't exist when we were all alive... together... before.
My fingers fell over this roundness of being on my beloved wife. She was giving me not only all I'd ever wanted but all that had been torn away from me in my agony. And so many had invalidated her wisdom and ability because of her beauty, and for this beauty she must be lacking in intelligence. No... when I saw Josette Dupres... when I longed for Kitty Soames and when I recognized the potential of Maggie Evans, her beauty was only a reminder of the love in store for me and the adoration of diversity she could find in us all.
Maggie startled for a moment and I leant toward her in concern. She relaxed and smiled, "Did you feel that?"
"You moved so quickly, I wasn't sure. Did Sarah shift?"
"Oh, yes," she smiled, "I was enjoying your touching me... but I think she was saying 'Hello'."
I kissed my bride on the ear. Hello. How often had we all heard Sarah say that?
Maggie turned, resting her left hand over my right and our fingers spread across this beauty we'd endured and intended. Her own right arm slipped about my shoulders and as she grappled, our lips met with a certainty of appreciation and dearest affection.
Steps echoed down through the doorway as we withdrew from each other to look over. Rustling his frame off the stairs, the sandy blond locks shook on the head of our jewellery-thief turned jewellery-creator. Willie stepped forward.
"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
"No," we both said sitting upright and turning.
"I managed the resizing of rings for Julia and the Professor a while back. Then I had some left over metals I was fiddling with. But I had this hankering to ask y'ez about something."
"Ooo," blinked my bride with eyes opening wider, "I haven't heard you lapse back into your old accent enough, Willie."
Willie snickered, "Aw, yeh dig that, Maggie? Well I ought to let it hang out more often. [Jackie] says she likes it... Anyway. I was looking over this mother's ring idea... and... I don't know... are you planning on having any more children after Sarah?"
"Oh," my Maggie answered, "I don't think so. We're not even sure how she will turn out. We're hoping she's... well, you see... mortal?"
More snickering came out of our chosen godfather, "I just love how we can discuss these things so casually around here. I was toying with this idea, though. Perhaps a mother's ring... you know? With the birthstone of the child? I can't create it until she's born but I was thinkin'... oh... I've been so swamped with orders and fix-it jobs. I just wanted to do something for you two again... and of course for her."
"That is marvellous, Willie... and so heartfelt. I love it."
"Yes," I raised my chin, "adorn my lovely with jewels..."
"Barnabas," she scolded in an elongated tease, "No... I do not like to be fettered. You know that. But among friends like you? A little here and there. If we overload each other with gifts we'll have nothing to look forward to on the holidays."
Willie bent over with his arms folded, "Jackie knew you were going to say something like that, Maggie. She told me before she left for work today."
"Mmm," I responded, raising an eyebrow, "a wise woman found you, my friend. Very wise."
"Well," Willie answered, "considering she's been at help with such a lady... once pesky Witch... in botanicals, I figure wise-woman isn't bad to describe her, Barnabas."
"I wouldn't call her pesky," my bride reproached, stroking her growing abdomen in a display of affection and calming.
"Not anymore," Willie stepped to the writing desk and sat at the chair sighing, "but she sure was for us once, wasn't she?"
"Yes," Maggie said, "well... she was my friend and has been again. Otherwise I wouldn't invite Angelique to help with the birth."
No breathing sounded. A crack at the fire sparked with an echo.
Dead silence prevailed for some time.
My bride blinked, looking at Willie's shock and then turning to me,
"Mon demón? Mon doux amour?" she asked in alarm, "I told you this, did I not? We only know so much about what we are and what our child will become. A basic doctor can only do so much for us now, Barnabas. We need someone who knows more and we need... a friend."
The silence continued, almost exceeding the weight of the room as she said this.
Finally, Willie, sitting with his elbows resting on his out-turned knees and folded hands between, he bent over and addressed my wife, "Josette Dupres... we've all come so far and I tell you, for healing... I'm the same as all of us here. But Angelique Collins? ... I don't care if she is married an' settled now... and to the wildest fella... beyond myself, a'course. But I don't like the idea of that dame being in so much control of my goddaughter's birth. I really don't... I-I-I don't like it."
If Willie's stuttering was recurring that was enough for alarm.
Josette's eyes began to dance, as ever they did in any life she lived when she was concerned... back and forth they went, switching between my own orbs dazed in autumn hazel. The brownness of her worry searching for the answers to mine.
"She's come a long way... we all have..." she almost whimpered.
"I understand," I consented, looking down into my lap and then up at the beauty of my world, "It's the risk of everything we've achieved changing back to what it was... Margaret Josette Dupres... my bride, my life, and bringer of my child... I wish no harm to anyone. But are you sure? Can you trust, Angelique... even now?"
Josette took my hand, staring at it and pressing it tightly. Then, releasing me, she rose, walking slowly toward the steps and hanging on to the banister as if doing so upheld the entire structure of our home.
"Barnabas," she said to me, then turned to our friend, "Willie? I have to trust her. I have to try. Or else we won't have learned a thing."
The two of us were dumbstruck and when she noticed this she ascended the stairs. I was concerned until I heard this thought, "I'm going to have a lie down."
Willie Loomis stood, stretching his hands around as if to button his vest and then deciding not to he stepped toward me and we both continued to watch her feet until she was out of sight.
"Damn it all," he said, folding his arms, "Why on earth could she be so cozy with that idea, eh? Do you have any way of changing her mind?"
I inhaled, glancing at the carpet, and shifting to meet Willie's gaze, "I have... no intention of changing her mind about anything, Willie. You remember why I fell in love with her to begin with, don't you?"
Arms still folded he twisted about, shaking his head and beginning to walk in a tiny circle, "Yeh, yeh... I know... change. But Angelique changing in anything other than last name is risky if you ask me. And down-right risky when it comes t'who you care about, Barnabas. I tell ya, she's come a long way.. but... but... I dunno. Maggie wants to trust her... but..."
He kept his hands folded, shifted his weight to stand in that way that was both matter-of-fact and cocky.
"But what, Willie? Would you like to tell me you know more about Angelique, and how wicked she has been than I know myself?"
It was at times like this I wanted my cane to lean on, but I'd positioned it close to the door. It would be absurd to reach for it now.
Willie's arms dropped, he reached one hand to rub the back of his neck, "Well, no, but... you can't let her make those choices. Not in her condition! It's tempting fate that the mess we finally got out of will start all over again," here he folded his hands together, offering the palms out slightly like a message I should read, and stood very strait and upright, "I want that little girl back. I want to know her. I don't want no kids a'my own. I want to help take care a'her."
I breathed in, understanding, "I know, Willie. Every soul in this house wants that. But Maggie has her choice in whatever midwife she wants to deliver Sarah safely."
"It ain't gonna be safe!" Willie almost shouted, coiling a fist down, "That dame could be playin' around with all of us as she's been so good at. I don't like it, Barnabas. I don't like it at all."
"Apparently," I nodded, not quite calm, but disposed to a studious regard for my best man.
Willie snorted at my nonchalance, not that I meant to be dismissive. I decided to try coaxing, "Let's presume for a moment you are correct, Mr. Loomis. Do you not believe we have enough on our side to make sure that Angelique will give no foul play?"
He stepped to the chair as if to sit again and changed his mind, turning around, "I want to believe it, Barnabas. From all I've heard about her and seen she still has that potential to turn sour again, happily married or not. This isn't like when I got upset about my wife goin' t'work with her. That was me being nervous. But this is an older hat than Ah've ever worn. I at least have to say somethin'."
"And now you've said it," I told him in a voice of agreement, "and I am glad that you did. Remember neither of us were trustworthy once upon a time either. We weren't quite horrible to the degree Angelique was, but the two of us turning out for better things, there is a chance she's as good as she has proved so far. Josette's point is to give her that chance and that high of a cost is the only way."
Willie sighed, "All right... but I'm not buttonin' my lip on it. I don't like it. I just don't like it."
"No one said you had to, Willie Loomis... and... I can tell you... honestly... I don't like it either."
The lank of his frame finally rested on the chair with a sense of exhaust. Then he leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment. Next Willie stretched forward, placing bent hands at his hips, "I hope she knows what she's doing."
"Well," I offered, "she is more of a healer now. And with her knowledge she's likely going to be more of what we need than a modern doctor."
"Not Angelique," Willie groused, "your wife."
"I see," I stepped toward him and rested my hand on his shoulder, "I suppose she would know how to make decisions considering who she decided to live with... considering... you and I..."
Willie Loomis looked up to face me, and his lips widened into that old smirk I knew, which warmed into a smile.
Oh, yes. Now he understood. If Margaret Josette Dupres had decided he and I could come to better things, perhaps, even Willie Loomis knew, we could also allow her to decide on the good will of... an old friend.
Yes, that's the plan: A damn good Angelique. Talk about having my work cut out for me. Right now the plan is to see how she can become redeemable somewhere in the 1897 storyline as "The Pit of Ultimate Dark Shadows" progresses.
My memory tells me after her vampire self is wiped out or moved on she doesn't return until then. And is rather helpful in Dark Shadows considering the demise of Laura... who is a bad cookie... for reasons I still haven't quite determined... Okay, wants to give her children immortality? Is that so evil? Well, I'll work on Laura later as I go.
As for Nicholas Blair, I don't see him as redeemable... unless we can give him a new job conducting his own "Sing-Along With Mitch Miller" show perhaps. I still wonder if Wadsworth should come along and offer a hand somewhere in the 1897 storyline. I'm guessing he'd fit in rather well.
Thanks for the delightful reviews, including the unknown peoples. That was groovy. Also, if there are things you'd like me to alter please get in touch directly through email or facebook to have a dialogue. I'm still looking for alternatives than Lily Munster to give Margaret Josette Dupres her wedding gift of immortality.