M. et Mme Quentin Collins de Le Domaine De Collins Chapter 1

Committed To Change
by
Beverly LaCroix

Julia pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She was Mrs. Quentin Collins. Believing that she could ever love anyone the way she had loved Barnabas would have seemed ludicrous to her a year ago, but now it seemed insane to her that she had spent so much time believing that she loved a man that had clearly not returned her feelings EVER. When Barnabas had fallen in love with Roxanne in that parallel time room in the East Wing, Julia despaired, and at that point gave up any hope of Barnabas ever loving her even a little. To be fair, she admitted to herself, he had never given any indication that there was a chance. Clearly, after ironing out some very ugly situations when first meeting Barnabas, he had been a true and loyal friend to her, and she to him. Hers was a little less than honorable though. Oh the nights she had fantasized about belonging to him totally, were just that nothing more than fantasy.

Quentin had noticed her gloomy mood one evening, and asked her to take a walk down to the stables with him. Roger and Elizabeth were occupied in other areas of the house, and that had left Quentin in the drawing room alone. She had walked in with the intention of sitting and reading a book she had put aside a couple of years ago, and thought no time like the present. So breaking her tradition of walking down to the Old House every evening, she had opted for the book. Convincing herself to stop making a complete and utter fool of herself was hard. Old habits were hard to break. Just thinking about Barnabas' willingness to let the whole Collins family be destroyed because of a woman he barely knew was like a slap of cold water. From that moment on she suffered the pain of loss. The loss of hope of love returned. Also, she knew she was going to leave Collinwood and go back to Wyndcliff. It was utter foolishness to hang about anymore. Barnabas could care less about a cure or so it seemed, and she had lost enthusiasm. Maybe she would travel. She had always wanted to see France. "Yes, that's what I will do, I will take a trip abroad and go to France."

Julia jumped when she heard the sound of Quentin Collins interrupt her musings, obviously she had been talking aloud -- "Ah, Dr. Hoffman, dear Cousin Barnabas will be sending Willie, if you don't go to the Old House pretty soon," Quentin said as he poured himself a brandy from the Waterford crystal decanter on the sidebar. Picking up a goblet of the same crystal as the decanter, he offered Julia a brandy. Surprising herself she accepted. She had always liked this impetuous incredibly handsome young man from the French Branch of the Collins Family, now studying him, she noticed how blue his eyes were.

"Well, Dr. Hoffman" Quentin asked.

Laughingly she broke her stare, and replied "well, what?" Noticing Julia behind the laughter, he saw the sadness in her eyes, a look that he had become painfully aware of in his long supernatural life, and wondered why she was so sad.

"Julia, Barnabas -- isn't he waiting for you?" Quentin asked in a soft voice.

"No, Quentin, I don't think he is. I thought I would do something different, and read a book right here in the drawing room tonight."

Quentin uttered a grunt of a reply, as Julia picked up her book and brandy, leaving Quentin to wonder about the relationship between Barnabas and Julia. He knew his cousin was going to marry Maggie Evans very soon. He still hadn't figured out how his cousin, the Vampire, was going to successfully marry Maggie the traditional way. Barnabas had told him that money and power would take care of it. It was none of his concern, but to be there, he was going to be his best man.   In spite of the pending engagement, and the mystery surrounding the drama going on at the Old House, Julia had been very faithful in her devotion to Barnabas. Something had happened to their close relationship after the PT escapade.

A thought hit him like a bolt of lightning: "Julia, walk with me to the stables, I have a surprise for you," Quentin said in a tone that would not allow no for an answer. Putting his glass down, he walked over to Julia, closed her book, took her now empty glass, and grabbed her hand and all but pulled an unwilling, but curious Dr. Julia Hoffman out the double doors of Collinwood.

To be continued...