Subj: Collinwood 2001 Year One Part Nine
Date: 3/27/01 2:27:53 PM Central Standard Time
From: N.E. Collins

Vicki was distraught as she entered the Inn behind Carolyn. "That poor woman. I wonder what is the matter with her?"

Carolyn was immediately in a better mood. She was like that. Snappy and furious one moment and then joking and laughing the very next. "Who? Old Jilly, you mean? Oh, she's just nutty as a fruitcake. Has been as far back as I can remember. This little town is full of them, and speaking of nuts, here comes another one."

Vicki saw a rather extravagantly attired woman making her way towards them in what she later recounted as a sort of spiral dancing motion. The woman seemed to glide forward a few steps then stop and lean to the left before she continued forward and then she would stop and step back to the right before coming on again. It was done subtlely and was barely noticeable, but she was doing it. She had all manner of beads and baubles about her neck and jangly bracelets on both her wrists. Her dark hair was bound tightly at the top of her head and she had a somewhat olive complexion. She spoke with a rich raspy tone as she graciously extended her hand to Carolyn.

"Miss Stoddard! It is always such a pleasure to run into you. And isn't it odd that I never see you when I am AT Collinwood? But then, it IS such a big place, Collinwood?"

This was Madame Claudia, Vicky was to discover. The same Madame Claudia who visited Elizabeth Collins-Stoddard on a professional basis. She was Elizabeth Collins-Stoddard's psychic, and Carolyn avoided her like the plague when she came on her weekly or bi-weekly visits. Carolyn made the neccesary introductions and then started to excuse herself when Madame Claudia put her hand on Carolyn's shoulder and said gravely, "It would be best if you would batten down the hatches and hold tightly to the man you love, Miss Stoddard, for a dark and cruel storm is brewing nearby. Hold tightly to him or you will lose him in the coming darkness."

The woman's words made Carolyn feel an unpleasant chill and she felt just the teeniest bit exposed. But Carolyn was too practical to allow the fanciful notions that attracted her mother to sway her in any way. She icily thank Madame Claudia and suggested she may have better luck with Victoria than with herself. Carolyn made her way to Mr. Baines who was manning the front desk.

Vicky smiled sweetly and thanked Madame Claudia profusely when the woman wanted to read her palm, but she made it quite clear that she didn't believe in such things and hoped the woman wouldn't be insulted. If ever there was anyone who gave it all away to whoever happened to be passing by then that would be Victoria Winters. Madame Claudia took the young woman's hand with the full intention of getting her other one deeply in young lady's handbag where her riches were stored. She had already made one of visits earlier to Collinwood so she knew that the young girl was out with Mrs. Collins-Stoddard's credit card. She did possess some supernatural abilities, but she also knew how to turn a buck and she wasn't about to miss such an easy mark. But the moment she touched Victoria Winters all thoughts of any sort of mild deception left her. It left her cold for she had a vision of such complete and utter darkness for just the briefest time. And she saw an ominous sort of light. Like a beacon cutting through the inky horrible dark. And she heard wind, no! It wasn't wind. It was whispers. Whispers sounding like an angry bees swarming. And then the vision cleared as the whispering lifted and left her standing with just the young woman her hand palm down in hers. Madame Claudia was shaken and she wasn't used to such a feeling. She was accustomed to bringing out this feeling in others, but not herself.

Victoria noticed that the woman's hand had gone cold in hers. "Madame Claudia? Are you alright? Do you need to sit down?"

Madame Claudia got a hold of herself. "No, child. I am fine. Really! Now! Let us see what there is to see..."

She turned Vicky's palm over and began to explore it for a reading and that is when she saw something she had never seen before. There were two, no, three, wait, there were FOUR life lines! "Child, when you were small, did you have a scarring incident occur? An accident involving your hand?"

Vicky thought for moment and then responded. "No, I can't say as I did. Why do you ask? Do you SEE something about a TERRIBLE accident in my past?"

Madame Claudia was only halfway talking to Vicky when she answered. " I suppose that would depend on which past I choose." Before Vicky could get anymore out of her she murmured her goodbyes and sauntered away more confused than she had been in quite a good while.

Vicky caught up to Carolyn who wasn't having much luck ascertaing the identity of the man on the top floor of the Inn. Mr. Baines was friendly in his curt responses. "Now Miss Stoddard, I know your family carries a lot of weight in this little community of ours, but a PAYING guest has a right to his privacy."

Carolyn had played all her easy cards so she laid a more serious one on the table. "And is the Collinsport Inn in the habit of renting itself out to men who expose themselves to young girls as they innocently walk the hallowed streets of town?"

Mr. Baines was quite shocked. "Exposed himself! Mr. Devlin exposed himself to you? Oh, dear, oh, dear!"

Carolyn caught the name deftly. "Mr. Devlin? Would that be BURKE Devlin?"

A shadow fell over the three of them there huddled at the desk. It was Rosemary. "Yes, Miss Stoddard, it would be. Mr. Baines, there is certainly some dusting that you could be doing...elsewhere right now. Please see to it. Thank you."

Mr. Baines excused himself and scurried off to do her bidding. She did call the shots around here after all and he wasn't looking to cause any trouble with his job. Rosemary turned to Carolyn and spoke evenly. "Miss Stoddard, if you have any more inquiries as to the habits or identities of any of my guest you can put them to me. That doesn't mean you will get want you want, but there won't be anymore of these little misunderstandings that seem to follow you in your wake."

Carolyn's feather's were ruffled. "I don't think I like your tone, Rosemary."

"And I don't care for yours either, my dear, and I know that your family pretty much runs things around here, but not here it doesn't. This is MY Inn and I run it MY way. You may be a princess to all the other peasantry about, but not with me. And if you have a problem with that then let's just make a call to the queen herself, shall we?"

Rosemary reached for the phone on the desk, but Carolyn gave her halt. "There's NO need to call my mother into this. It was just a prank. A silly prank."

Rosemary was not amused. "Accusing Mr. Devlin of exposing himself to you was not a silly prank. It was more like a libel suit waiting to happen! And with my business up to it's elbows in the whole dirty mess! And it is not going to happen here today! Do I make myself clear?"

Carolyn gave a sassy and mocking smile. "Perfectly. Now Vicky. I am simply famished and since we are here we might as well grab some lunch. That is, if it's alright with you, Rosemary? Can we dine in your little kingdom, hmm?"

Rosemary knew when a conflict had reached it's end. "Of course you can, dear. Be...my...guest."

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