Restoration, Part 4
Date: 10/6/98
From: Krystina

Drawing Room, Collinwood, 5 days later

Angelique sat in the drawing room of Collinwood, having tea with Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. Angelique had arrived in Collinsport three days earlier, and had been amazed at how different yet familiar the old mansion was. Elizabeth had proven herself to be a most gracious hostess, and Angelique marveled at the resemblance between Elizabeth and Barnabas' mother, Naomi Collins.

Angelique had not seen either Barnabas or Julia Hoffman yet. Julia had been away at her clinic at Wyndcliff,and Elizabeth had stressed to Angelique that Barnabas had become quite a recluse since his return from Europe and that she and the rest of the family rarely saw Barnabas these days, which was a sadness to all of them.

Angelique did not want to appear overeager to seek out Barnabas, so she decided to bide her time and concentrate on getting to know the rest of Elizabeth's family. Her nephew David was away at boarding school, as his governess, Maggie Evans, had recently left town, but Angelique found Elizabeth's widowed daughter, Carolyn, a delightful companion, and even liked Elizabeth's rather stuffy brother Roger. Angelique remembered that Julia had told her that Angelique had married Roger under the guise of Cassandra, but Angelique shuddered a bit thinking of herself married to Roger, pleasant though he was...

The Collinses and Stoddards had made Angelique very welcome, and whenever she became confused about something they referred to, she was able to use her recent illness as an excuse for her lapse of memory...

Angelique enjoyed her afternoon teas with Elizabeth. The two women had an easy camaraderie which made this old-fashioned yet charming ritual a high point of the day.

As Angelique and Elizabeth were chatting, they suddenly heard the front door open, and a few minutes later the drawing room doors opened. Who should be standing there but a very startled Julia Hoffman.

"Ang--Angelique!!" Julia exclaimed.

"Hello, Julia," said Elizabeth. "Yes, isn't it nice, Mrs. Rumson has come to pay us a visit..."

"Hello, Julia," said Angelique with a charming smile,"how nice to see you again..."

To be continued