Subj: THE BOX Part One
Date: 5/15/00 7:40:21 AM Central Daylight Time
From: N.E. Collins

It is the year 1887, and the great house which sits high atop Widow's Hill is enjoying an unusually quiet moment,but the silence is all too soon interrupted by a father's anger.

"GRANDMOTHER!" Edward's voice bellowed like a wounded bull through the corridors of Collinwood. He came bursting into the main drawing room with his youngest brother, Carl, whom he was holding roughly by the scruff of the neck, and he had a small female figure by the hand. Most of the rest of the family was gathered there in the room. There was his wife Laura who was very much with child, his sister, Judith, who was attending to her needs, their grandmother and guardian, Edith Collins, and Angela Stone, who at one time had been the children's governess, but now was a companion to Edith.

"Look what this little monster has done now!" Edward thrust Carl forward causing him to fall on the floor in front of Edith. No one was the least concerned for the rash treatment of the boy. They all believed he pretty much got what he deserved. All except for Laura, who silenty winced at his tumble. Edith looked down on her misbegotten grandson and clucked disapprovingly. "What mischief have you wrought now, child?" she declared of him.

Carl stammered through his tears. "Nothin'. I didn't do nothin'!"

Edward went all red in the face! "Here is his nothing!" He brought the tiny "woman" forward into view, as he tore the wig from "her" revealing that "she" was in truth his own young son, Jamison! Edith and Angela and Judith gasped in horror! Laura merely smiled, but kept her tongue. "See what this little horror has done to my son! Grandmother, I want him severely punished for the misdeed!"

Jamison, wide-eyed and not understanding merrily piped in with, "Uncle Carl is taking me to town, to show me off!" Laura could not contain her glee. She laughed outloud for everyone to hear. Carl took the moment of everyone's distraction to bolt for the open door, only to be caught by his older brother, Quentin, who was just making an entrance with his friend, Evan Hanley.

"Whenever you run like the devil, himself, is after you, little brother, I know that grandmother is not too far behind. Where do you want him, grandmother? Shall we throw this miscreant into the dungeon?" Quentin toyed with Carl unmercifully who squirmed incessantly!

"There is no dungeon. You're a liar!" Carl tried to bite Quentin's hand, but he received a slap from his other one instead! Carl screamed in pain as Laura jumped up in his defense! "Leave the child be! It was an innocent game! No one has been harmed!"

Edward could not believe his ears! "What are you saying, wife? How can you look upon this abomination," pointing to their son in his getup, "and say that this is all some innocent game!"

Laura stepped forward and held her son close to her. "Because it is and it is nothing more." She bent down to tenderly wipe some makeup from Jamison's face. "Quentin, would you be a dear, and locate the governess?" Laura angrily turns to her husband. "If you must be mad at anyone it should be that worthless young woman who is supposed to be keeping an eye on Carl!"

Edith spoke next. "Yes! Where is that girl? What is her name?" she said to no one in paticulair. Angela answered readily, "She is called Virginia. Virginia Semple. She had, as I recall, questionable references." Angela would say this as she was ever on guard against any other servant who posed in a companiable way with the family.

Laura and Edward continued to quarrel and everyone was up for a big scene, when suddenly Laura clutched her abdomen and fell back against a chair in pain! Her time had come! She was to give birth yet again. Now the point of tension had abruptly shifted as was so often the case with this family. Judith ran to the phone to summon the doctor, Edith fell into a faint while Angela administered to her needs. Edward stood by looking foolish and being of no use to anyone.

Evan Hanley excused himself, but no one was listening to him. He started for the front door, but he was intercepted by Quentin. "Don't run off, old man. Things are just getting good here!"

Evan gestured nervously toward the chaos of the next room. "I don't presume to intrude on this most private moment, my dear boy."

Quentin laughed heartedly. "When has the Collin's family ever entertained a private moment! Come now, Evan, don't desert me now! Besides, don't you have something for me? A little present, I believe?" Quentin playfully poked at Evan who smiled wickedly back.

"Ah, yes. The gift. I left it outside in the carriage. Let's go get it, shall we?"

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.