Subj: Collinwood 2001 Year One Part Nineteen
Date: 5/19/01 1:49:22 AM Central Daylight Time
From: N.E. Collins

"I swear, Liz, all these do-gooder environmentalist are nothing but a thorn in the side of the working class. Why, when we were children growing up there was no mention of anything as ludicrous as the depletion of the ozone layer or global warming due to the use of fossil fuels. If you ask me, it's all stuff and nonsense. Stuff and nonsense." Roger Collins spoke sarcastilly to the small company gathered in the drawing room of the great house. He had just returned home from some business affairs in Europe and he had been relating his unpleasant experiences with some of the members of Greenpeace. "If you ask me, someone should just cart the whole lot of these imbeciles off to the North Pole. Then they could save the world at a respectfully safe distance from the rest of us." He laughed at his own little joke as Liz rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Really, Roger, the things you say. Miss Winters, you really mustn't pay ANY attention to my brother. He doesn't mean a WORD of it. He just admires the sound of his voice so much."

"Oh, but I DO mean what I say, sister mine." Roger interrupted. "And I am sure that our Miss Winters here can understand and appreciate my feelings on the matter. She should be well acquainted with the hard and cold facts of real life. Growing up an orphan with little hope of ever knowing the security of family and the sense of pride that comes with all that."

Liz was angered at her brother's rantings. "Roger Collins! Of ALL the nerve! You apologize to Miss Winters this instant! The very idea!"

But Victoria came to Roger's aide instead. "No, it's alright Mrs. Stoddard. I think I understand what Mr. Collins is saying, and it isn't like I haven't said the very same thing to myself before." She paused as she thought of the right way to put it. "It's just that I never actually spoke the words, but I felt them just the same."

"There's a sound mind at work in you, young woman. I don't know where my sister dug you up, but I think you'll give my son a run for his money. Not like those other ninny nannies. And speaking of my son, where is the little urchin?"

Elizabeth rang a buzzer to call Mrs. Johnson. "He's getting ready to go out tonight."

Roger raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And where is he going?"

Vicky chimed in. "With me. He's going with me to the opening of The Purple Cow. You see, I don't have an escort and I didn't want to go along and just be a third wheel with Carolyn and Joe, so I thought it would be an interesting outing for David and I asked him to join us. AND it might prove to be educational as well. It IS alright with you, isn't it?"

Roger moved his head from side to side as he wondered. "I don't see how it could hurt."

Liz touched Vicky's arm sweetly. "It is awfully generous of you to want to take him along after all the trouble he's been to you."

Roger was alarmed. "Trouble? What trouble are you referring to?"

Now Vicky came to absent David's rescue. "Oh, please, Mrs. Stoddard, let's not go into all this now. Nothing terrible has happened and David is SO excited about going to the show. And he EVEN seems excited about going with ME. Please, let's not spoil it for him. Please?"

Elizabeth waved her assent and Victoria excused herself from their company to go and finish getting herself ready for the evenings fun. "I DO like this girl, Liz. She has spirit and an eager willingness to please. Maybe she can actually reach David. God knows someone needs to. After all the damage that he's been through, I could just KICK myself for what I've put that boy through!"

Mrs. Johnson came in the room and Roger stopped his whining protest. Mrs. Stoddard spoke to her housekeeper in her most professional tone. "Sarah, I'll be entertaining Miss Collins tonight, as her nurse has an engagement in town. So I won't be available to anyone for any reason and I am putting you in charge of things in my absence."

Mrs. Johnson nodded her assent as Roger suddenly said the oddest thing. "She looks just like you!"

He pointed at his sister who gave him a perplexed look in return. "Who? What ARE you going on about now?"

"Miss Winters. She looks reMARKably like you. Don't you agree, Mrs. Johnson?"

Elizabeth Collins-Stoddard's face took on the look of a stone monument and a chill descended on Roger from the steely gaze of her eyes. "That is ENOUGH! I will NOT have you saying such VILE THINGS! Not another word. Not ONE!" Then just as suddenly her face seemed to iron itself back into place. She looked lost for a moment then she excused herself from the room and was gone up the stairs.

Roger looked at the housekeeper incredulously. "WHAT was that, or should I say WHO? What got into her? I ONLY said the girl bore a resemblance to her. Sometimes I wonder why I EVEN come home." He excused himself and went to his study to deal with the endless chore of paperwork that he never seemed to find the end of. Sarah Johnson busied herself with the tea things as she gathered them up on the silver tray.

A cab drove by the window bearing Nurse Worsinski to town. Sarah mumbled to herself as she watched the car drive away down the lane towards the massive iron gates that stood before the great house on the hill. "In MY day a gentleman came to a lady's home to pick her UP. He didn't SEND for her like so much baggage, no. It's not fitting that's what it is. I wonder why he didn't come himself? I wonder who he is? I don't recall her saying. Hmmm...I wonder who the mystery man is?"

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.