Subj: Gone with the Wyndcliff -- 1
Date: 8/12/00 4:17:07 AM Central Daylight Time
From: DSRules

Julia paced the floor of the library, worrying about Chris and Tom Jennings. {So strange,} she mused, {that they'd suffer from such disparate curses. It makes sense that Chris, as first-born, would suffer from the werewolf curse placed on their family by Magda, but that his twin would suffer the vampire curse. Bizarre . . .}

"Dr. Hoffman!" Mrs. Johnson's voice rang down the long hallway that led to the library.

"In the library, Mrs. Johnson!" Julia responded.

Soon, the diminutive woman was standing at her shoulder. "It's time for you to get ready for dinner at Mr. Barnabas's house." She reminded the physician.

"Oh? I'm so sorry. I was thinking about . . . things and the time just got away from me. I'll be along presently."

Julia walked up the stairs to her room. When she saw her new green dress in the wardrobe, she gasped. Returning to the hallway, she walked down a few doors to Carolyn's room.

"Carolyn?" She called out.

"Yes, Julia?" Carolyn opened the door. Her hair was in curlers, but she was otherwise ready for the party.

"Could you come down here? I need some help getting into my dress." She added sheepishly.

Carolyn laughed good-naturedly. "Of course I will."

The pair returned to Julia's room. "I wonder why Barnabas is throwing this dinner party." Julia mused as Carolyn zipped up her dress.

"I have no idea. But Barnabas has certainly been in a good mood lately. He's up with the larks nearly every morning."

Julia thought she knew why Barnabas was so chipper, despite his only being halfway successful in 1897. But she couldn't tell Carolyn that Barnabas's happiness was because he *could* once again be out in the daylight.

Barnabas left 1897 as soon as he realized that he had successfully exorcised the ghost of Quentin Collins from Collinwood, even if he'd inadvertently allowed the werewolf curse to be placed on Chris Jennings in the process. He told Julia that he'd decided that he'd interfered with the timelines enough for one lifetime, and so he left before he could change anything else.

Once Carolyn finished helping Julia, Julia accompanied her back to her room while Carolyn took out the rollers and brushed out her long, blonde hair. "Are you bringing a date to the party?" Carolyn asked.

"Me? A date? Of course not! Who would I bring?"

Carolyn nodded sagely. She, of course, knew of the long crush Julia had had on Barnabas. "I'm bringing Chris. He and Sabrina have broken up, I'm not sure why . . ." Her voice faded as she put the finishing touches on her makeup.

The pair descended the staircase, to where Liz, David and Roger were waiting for them. Then the five walked over to the Old House.

* * *

A woman dressed in a uniform from the local catering company answered the door. "Good evening," She said as the five crossed the threshold into the house and took Roger's hat and Liz's coat. Then she disappeared.

"Ah! There you are!" Barnabas said in his newly-cheerful manner. "I'm so glad the five of you could join me. We're having a few members of the Boston branch of the family over, as well, and are just waiting for their arrival."

Julia knew that Barnabas's 'discovery' of the Boston branch of the family was due to his knowledge of the marriage of Kitty Soames to Edward Collins in 1898. They had several children of their own, one of whom grew up and moved to Boston, founding a new branch of the family.

"'We'?" Julia quoted.

"Ah. Yes. Now we come to my reason for holding this dinner party. Come in here and meet our guests, darling."

A young woman bearing a striking resemblance to Maggie Evans came into the room, taking Barnabas's hand.

Barnabas said with pride, "I'd like you all to meet my wife. Josette."