Secrets Past chp 5
Date: 6/5/98
From: barnster

Barnabas stared at his son in shocked silence. Then, with more anger than he intended, he said, "But that's impossible!"

The frown deepened on his son's face. "it's not impossible," he insisted. "I really did have a dream about him!"

"I'm not denying you had a dream," pointed out his father. "But to say that it was the first Barnabas, is going too far."

"But it was! naomi was there, and Joshua too."

"Barnabas, the first Barnabas Collins lived over two hundred years ago," replied his father, sternly. "How is it possible you could have dreamt about his childhood?"

"I don't know, but I did!"

With an impatient sigh, Barnabas looked at his watch, and said. "I haven't time for this. Shouldn't you be in the sewing room, with Paige?"

Before the boy could answer, there was a knock on the door, and Willie put his head around the door. "Julia's here, Barnabas."

Ignoring the unmistakable anger in his son's eyes, at the mention of Julia's name, he said, "Thank you, Willie. Tell her, I'll be there in five minutes."

He waited until Willie had gone, before directing his attention to the boy. "Despite what you think, Julia wasn't responsible for your mother's or Lucus' death. I hope one day, you'll realise that."

"Yes, Father," he said without any conviction, and left the study.

***

Julia was waiting in the drawing room, when he entered five minutes later. From his agitated mood, she knew that something was wrong. With concern evident in her voice, she asked what was wrong.

When he told her of what the boy had said, she said, "I wouldn't worry about it, Barnabas. He couldn't possibly connect you, to the boy in his dream."

Barnabas was still dubious. "He's so insistent. And you know how dangerous curiosity is in a child."

Julia was all assurance. "Trust me, Barnabas. I think it's just a case of too much reading of the family history. I doubt if he'll have any more dreams."

****

Later that night, when he went to check on the children, it seemed that perhaps Julia was right.

On entering Barnabas' room, he found the lad asleep, with a copy of the history open at the portrait of Josette...

To be continued.