Subj: DS: The Next Generation 10
Date: 6/21/02 12:04:05 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Aesgaard

Carolyn crossed the drawing room of Collinwood as she came down stairs in a good spirits. She and Lizzie had visited Eastland and heard a story about four girls who had smashed up the school van and was working off the repairs in the school kitchen. Hearing about other parent's problem children, Lizzie suddenly sounded like a Catholic school girl. Wondering if she was being repaid for the grief she must have put her own mother through, she grinned secretly to herself as she crossed the foyeur. The doors sounded off as if they knew she was there, however, as she turned on her heel and answered it.

"Sheriff Taylor ?" She recognized the man who had replaced Patterson. "Oh no ! Not J.R. again !!"

"Not this time." The fairly amused lawman quietly guided Lizzie through the door. The dimunitive wild-haired blonde thirteen year old was barefoot and clad only in a police blanket as Carolyn reverted once more to the strict parent she hated being so much. She apologized to Sheriff Taylor and became embarrassed as she stopped her daughter from wandering off.

"What happened ?"

"I caught her, Sara and a few of their friends streaking across your property." The father in Don Taylor smirked out of amusement at the spectacle. "I just dropped off Sara and I'm letting the other parents know."

"Thank you very much." Carolyn excused herself as the local lawman departed. "I have never been so embarrassed !" The mother in her came out as she began reconsidering Eastland. "What you doing running around like that ?!!!"

"I'm not !" the girl insisted. "The girls and I got hot outside so we went to the creek to go skinny dipping alone, I swear ! But someone stole our clothes !!!!!"

"I don't believe that for a minute." Carolyn narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. "Who would want to steal your clothes ?!!!"

J.R. wandered in as non-chalantly as possible from the direction of the dining room with a huge plastic sack bobbing over his shoulder.

Whistling as nonconspicuously as possible, he smiled to his mother and younger sister.

"Mom," he kissed her. "Lady Godiva......" he smirked with a dirty look and raced up the stairs. Lizzie screeched at the top of her lungs and chased hostily after him as their mother gasped and prayed for strength.

"Maybe I'm trying to solve the wrong problem." She mumbled to herself.

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.