Subj: Collinwood 2001 Year One Part Fourteen
Date: 4/20/01 9:15:27 PM Central Daylight Time
From: N.E. Collins

"I'll have the clam chowder with a small dinner salad and a cup of hot tea, please." Vicky placed her order with the perky young waitress.

"What kind of dressing would you like on that salad, miss?"

Vicky wondered a moment. "Do you have a house specialty?" They did. "Then that's what I'll have."

She handed her menu to the girl who turned to Carolyn for her order next. "And what will you be having today, Miss Stoddard?"

Carolyn looked like she was a million miles away. She was staring out into space and clearly had not heard the question put to her.

"Carolyn? Carolyn, are you alright?"

Carolyn blinked and smiled at Vicky. "Huh? Oh!" She chuckled. "Guess my minds somewhere else. Uh,...I'll have whatever she's having, thank you."

The waitress made a little note and took Carolyn's menu.

Vicky was concerned. "Carolyn, is something wrong? Are you still upset about those women because you shouldn't be, you know. I mean, coming from a big important family, well, you just have to expect people to treat you differently. I'm not saying it's alright, but you must be used to that sort of attention by now, aren't you?"

Carolyn rolled her eyes. "Oh, pooh on them, Vicky! And yes, I AM rather used to it all, but that's not what I was thinking about just now. You see, they have these old fashioned private phonebooths here at the inn right around the corner, and I was just thinking of making a little call to a certain boy I know. Something that will just make his lonely afternoon more memorable you might say."

Then she giggled wickedly as Vicky's ears burned red from blushing. "Carolyn Stoddard, you're going to make an obsene phonecall to Joe in the middle of the afternoon? Carolyn! What would your mother say?"

Carolyn got a hurt look on her face and made a bit of a pout. "You're not gonna tell her, are you?"

Vicky replied, "Well, no, I wouldn't do that. You're my friend, Carolyn."

Carolyn was instantly happy again. "I KNOW you are! I won't be but a minute!"

And with that she jumped up and dashed around the corner, but when she got to the phones she made a quick turn to the right and took the stairs at two steps at a time. She was headed for Burke Devlin's room.

Vicky sat quietly waiting for the food to arrive when in walked BIll Malloy. He worked on the Collins great estate in the capacity of Roger's driver, and with Roger out of town he had some free time to kick around. Roger was the only family member who enjoyed being driven around. Liz never left the estate and when she traveled around it she preferred to walk. David liked taking taxi's and Carolyn insisted on driving herself unless Joe was taking her out.

Bill Malloy had worked for many years at the family's cannery business, but as he had gotten up in years he had suffered an accident that had left him less than capable of continuing his former duties. So Elizabeth had insisted that he come to work for the family in a different capacity and that is how he came to be Roger's driver. He was a kindly gentleman and he had always spoken with respect to Victoria. She liked him and she had confided to Mrs. Johnson that she found him to be a most masculine man. Well! She let the lid off of that one when she made comment to the housekeeper on the chaffeur. It seems that Sarah Johnson had quite a crush on Mr. Malloy and she feels sure he would have returned the affection if he hadn't been so hung up on Mrs. Elizabeth Collins-Stoddard.

"The very idea. Here I am just ready to lay down and let him walk all over me and all he can think of is how to please someone who doesn't even know that he exist."

Vicky made it a point not to bring up Mr. Malloy again to Mrs. Johnson, but she did wonder if he DID know how the woman felt about him? She returned a wave to Bill and he came up to her table where they exchanged greetings. "How are you, Miss Winters?"

She told him she was quite well and asked if he would like to join her.

"Well, I would, but I'm not alone. Joe Haskell is out parking the car. And here he is now."

Vicky saw the young man come in and her heart just melted as did all the other women in the room. He was SUCH a good looking man. That Carolyn was so lucky. Carolyn? Vicky thought suddenly. I better go and get her.

Vicky invited Bill and Joe to join their table and then she excused herself to go to Ladies Room, but she was really going to grab Carolyn. Imagine her surprise when she got to the private phonebooths and Carolyn was nowhere to be found. She even did go to the restroom, but no Carolyn. She returned to the table and their food had arrived, but still no Carolyn. Bill and Joe told her to go on with her meal as they were just going to have some ice tea.

And then Joe asked the question she couldn't answer. "Where's Carolyn?"

Vicky didn't want to lie, but she really didn't know so she just told him that Carolyn was in the bathroom getting all gussied up.

Joe laughed and said, "In that case we may not see her for quite some time. The two men laughed heartedly and Vicky managed a nervous giggle.

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.