Subj: A Return to the Shadows part 36
Date: 8/19/01 9:04:19 PM Central Daylight Time
From: KimD

After Laura left the room Julia went to look for Roger, hoping he hadn't left for the shipyard yet. It wasn't long before she found him in the study, preparing for work. "Were you expecting someone today?" she asked with caution, not wanting to shock him.

"No, who showed up?" he asked, expecting that someone from the office had came by with a supposed emergency.

"It's your wife, Laura." Julia said it slowly, giving him time to take it in.

There was a long moment of silence before he answered. "Laura? But that's not possible, she's in England." He said it as if saying so would make it true.

"She just came in a few minutes ago. I believe she went to make herself at home."

"Thank you," he said, no longer thinking of what he was saying of doing. He barely noticed when Julia left the room. For several minutes he did nothing. Laura, he thought, why was she here. He could remember the last time he had seen her. It had been when he had put her in the institution. She had hated him then. How did she feel now?

He left the study and went upstairs to find her. She was right where he expected, in his room unpacking. "Welcome back," was the first thing that came to his mind to say. He paced for several minutes, wanting nothing more than to get out of that room now that he'd discovered that she really was here. Then the questions came. "Why are you here?"

"I thought you'd be happy to see me," she answered. "Of course I couldn't stay away from my husband and child for so long. I must have been needed. The doctors understood that and let me go." She didn't use the word institute or anything that sounded similar. She didn't want to be reminded of where she had been.

"They let you leave just like that?"

"Yes, they couldn't keep me. I needed to be with my family."

He could still feel the heat of the fire as he pulled David and Laura out of the home they had shared in England. Laura had been in a wild frenzy afterward. She had screamed at him for saving her. He had barely been able to stop her from going back in. She had said she set the fire purposefully. She had said it was the only way they could be cleansed. "Why didn't you tell anyone you were coming?" There was a hard edge to his voice that gave away the irritation he was trying to conceal.

"Is that the welcome I get?" She stopped unpacking and turned to face him. "I thought that you'd be happy to see me." She acted as if nothing had happened, as if she had just returned from a trip.

He looked at her for a long while, still disbelieving that she was here. She looked no different that when he had last seen her. She still looked as attractive as she had when he had painted her portrait. He always felt bewitched when she was near. Even when she away was in England she still fascinated him. He needed to get away, to think. "Of course I'm glad to see you," he said to satisfy her.

"Where's my son?"

"I imagine he's downstairs in the school room with the governess. Please don't upset him. He was such a problem after all that happened. He just now seems to be adjusting."

"I just want to see him."

"Please don't do anything until I tell him you're here." David had been acting so well lately. Vicki seemed to provide him with stability. He wasn't sure how the child would react to seeing his mother after so long without her.

"I have some business to take care of in town. I'll see you later." He hugged her and left the room. He wanted to appear as normal as possible until he was able to think things through.

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.