Subj: The Scent of Lilacs No More, Chapter 4
Date: 6/10/99 6:21:49 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Beverly LaCroix
Chapter 4
David, Willie and Barnabas
David sat in the wing-backed chair of the drawing room waiting for Barnabas. Willie had answered the door, and had tried to get rid of him, but once he saw that David was determined to see Barnabas he allowed him to go in the drawing room and wait for Barnabas. Willie still seethed at the high-handed David had taken with him as the Collins heir to gain entrance. Willie smiled, and thought well the boy is all Collins, as he had gone to give Barnabas the message that his young cousin was waiting to see him, and would not take no for an answer.
Barnabas and Julia were going through old portraits, and journals they had found earlier to try to find out anything they could about the 1840 Collins family, when Willie had finally interrupted them with the message that David was waiting to see Barnabas.
"Willie, escort David back to Collinwood, and tell him I will come by later and talk to him," Barnabas replied absentmindedly.
"Barnabas, I don't think he's going to leave until he sees you," Willie said.
"Julia, look at this," Barnabas said, as Julia leaned over to look at what Barnabas was indicating.
"Barnabas. Barnabas." Willie said. Barnabas was ignoring him, which ordinarily wouldn't have bothered him, but he hadn't seen the dogged determination in David's eyes nor heard the resolve in his voice when Willie had tried to turn him away earlier.
"BARNABAS!" Willie finally shouted, satisfied now that he had Barnabas' attention, when he and Julia both jumped causing papers to fly when Willie yelled.
Barnabas walked over to Willie, and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and literally lifted him off the floor, and Willie could see red shooting through his eyes, as he let the anger overtake him.
In a biting dead, and dangerously quiet voice Barnabas said, "Willie, *this* *had* *better* *be* *good.*
"Barnabas, could you put me down," Willie choked out. Barnabas let him down, never taking his cold, black eyes off him, as Willie explained about David's request to see him.
"Julia, why don't you go see what David wants. I'm sure it's just some sort of whim by an adolescent boy, and we don't have time for that right now. Time is of the essence. I can go through this much faster than you can." Barnabas said.
"But, Barnabas, he asked to see you, and I" -- Julia was saying as Barnabas cut her off.
"Don't argue with me, Julia. You know how important this is, and it's especially important for David." Barnabas replied, his anger now under control.
"Barnabas, I don't think you've been listening to me. I TOLD YOU DAVID WANTED TO SEE YOU! He's refusing to leave until he sees you. I don't know if it's adolescence, puberty, ghosts, or what, but I do know, and I understood him clearly when he insisted on seeing you. His exact words were, 'I WANT TO SEE MY COUSIN BARNABAS, AND I WILL NOT LEAVE UNTIL I DO!' Now, if you don't want to listen to ole" Willie Loomis, then so be it, but I do not like being treated the way you just did me, Barnabas. I've done nothing but try and tell you that YOUR cousin wants to see you. You, not Julia, not me, but you, Barnabas. What you do with that is your business, but at dawn if you come home and get ready to go to the cellar for your day's rest, and you find David waiting for you, as the sun rises, then you can deal with it. I AM going out!" Willie said as he stomped out of the room.
"Willie, did you tell my cousin I'm here to see him?" David asked when he saw Willie pulling on his leather jacket, ready to leave.
Willie stopped and walked over to David, and put his hand on his shoulder, and said "yes, I did, David."
"Where is he, Willie? It's very important I talk to him." David said, sounding more like the little boy Willie had first known, than the haughty Collins heir he had tried to portray earlier.
"Well, David, you know, he's really busy, he said to go back home, and he'll go by and see you later." Willie mumbled.
"I'll wait a little longer." David said in a dismissive voice.
Watching Willie leave, David was beginning to wonder if he should have come here, his cousin was obviously very busy with something else and didn't have time to be bothered with him. No, that wasn't the way Barnabas was, it must be very important or Barnabas would have seen him right away. He liked Barnabas alot, and he knew Barnabas was different, he didn't know how, just different than anyone else he knew, and having that knowledge David trusted him. Quentin was different to, not like Barnabas, but different. He liked Quentin alot, and that's why he had been concerned about him, and had hidden to see if he could see him. He had stayed hidden for hours, not moving, just waiting to see if Quentin would leave by the back way, and when he saw him, it frightened him. He looked like he was almost dead, and knew something horrible was happening to him. He knew that if anyone could help Quentin it would have to be Barnabas, but getting to Barnabas was proving to be very difficult. It was as if something was deliberately trying to keep him from Barnabas. that thought was interrupted by a voice.
"David," said Dr. Hoffman.
David looked up at Dr. Hoffman, from where he was standing at the staircase, and the disappointment on his face was visible as he said "Dr. Hoffman, is Barnabas coming"
She had reached the last stair, and David hadn't moved, let her go around him away from the stairs, and before she could answer David was up the stairs.
"BARNABAS! BARNABAS!" David shouted, and he jumped when he heard something behind him.
"David, you wanted to see me?" Barnabas said as David turned around to see his cousin and they looked at each other not breaking their gaze.
To be continued...