Subj: Collinwood 2001 Year One Part Seven
Date: 3/15/01 12:27:07 PM Central Standard Time
From: N.E. Collins

"So I told her, soak please, that if any man of mine pulled a stunt like HE did then he would be sleeping in the shed on a cold winter's night, and THAT is NO lie!" The woman carried on with her little tale as she deftly buffed Victoria's nails on her right hand while she soaked her left hand in some Palmolive.

"My mother made MY father do JUST that on more than ONE occassion. My mother wouldn't STAND for ANY bad behaviour on his part and I am not about to my OWN self."

Vicky smiled and let the atmosphere of the place permeate her and she just let the tensions of being the little monster keeper fade away for the afternoon. She had just had a nice massage and now she was getting her nails done, followed by a facial, and then Maggie Evans was going to give her a new hairdo for the evening's event.

Jon sat and worked busily at his desk. He was yakking on the phone with someone about the opening of The Purple Cow that evening when he spotted the Hoffman sisters across the way and on their way to the salon. "Oh! Gotta go, sweetie! Bye."

He hung up the receiver and pushed an intercom button. "Yes?" spoke Styles.

"Two peas in a pod at twelve o'clock, mein furer."

"Good job, hon. I'll be down in a flash."

Jon sang quietly to himself as the two ladies approached the shop. "Here's Pepe who's lived most everywhere, from Zanzibar to Barkley, but Julia's only seen the sights a girl can see from Brooklyn Heights,..."

They entered the front door and Jon was up on his feet! "Well, if it isn't the two MOST beautiful woman in ALL of Maine!"

Pepe flashed her pearly whites and flung her arms wide for a dramatic hug with a kiss-kiss on either side of Jon's face. Julia just smiled and checked her look in the mirror. She was so concious of her appearance. She wished she could be more relaxed like her sister, Penelope. It's not like they didn't have the same equipment to work with. They WERE identical twins after all.

Maggie was putting the finishing touches on Vicky cut. She had convinced the girl to go for a smart short bob. Very much shorter than Vicky had ever had before. "Oh, but, Miss Winters, "

"Please. Call me Vicky."

"Vicky! You are just gonna luv it! You have the face for it, believe me, honey."

So Vicky had assented and Maggie had turned her away from the mirror so she would get the big surprise of seeing it for the first time. Maggie wheeled her around and for just a moment Vicky felt that she had made the biggest mistake of her life! But when she tilted her head up and around and when she ran her fingers softly through her sclap the fearful feelings vanished. She was CUTE! Like a little pixie.

She giggled at herself as Maggie leaned in closely. "Now that we've got you a better look we can work on getting you a better job to go with it."

Vicky cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, honey, you can't seriously WANT to keep working with those people on the hill?"

Vicky ran the question around in her mind and no she really didn't want to, but she said she was obligated to remain for at least a year.

Maggie questioned her further. "Oh! Did you sign a contract to that effect?"

Vicky said no. She just felt it was the RIGHT way to go about it.

Maggie rolled her eyes and took her right hand and placed it under Vicky's chin. She turned the girl face directly to the mirror and said, "Take a close look and remember this day when you're hair had not gone completely gray, dearie. It may not be my place to say this, but if you ASK me you are being a big jerk. J - E - R - K. Jerk." Vicky felt like a little girl being reprimanded by a harsh sitter.

Donna Eubanks was at the front desk when Victoria Winters and Carolyn Stoddard were leaving The House of Styles. She gasped when she caught sight of Vicky, but Victoria didn't notice as she was having a little girl talk with Carolyn. The startlement didn't escape Jon's attention however. When he questioned Donna about what it was the answer she gave him was the last thing he expected to hear that day. "That girl is a dead ringer for my older cousin, Betty Hanscomb. I swear, if I didn't know better, I would say that that was her daugher."

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.