"Consequences Ch. 2" repost
From: Nicole
Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2001 17:27:58

"I don't see the problem, Julia," complained Barnabas, angry to be drawn away from his book.  "'Quentin has been struggling for the past two years.  If this date is a sign of recovery, I welcome it."

"But you didn't see this woman," insisted Julia.  "Just to look at her, you get the feeling that she isn't all she appears to be."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, who is she claiming to be?" demanded Barnabas.

"She says her name is Constance DuVane," answered Julia coldly.  "Elizabeth says that she's a novelist/photographer who came to Collinsport to get away from her hectic life.  I went into the village to find some of her work.  Apparently, she actually is a writer and a photographer."

Barnabas winced as Julia unloaded a pile of books into his lap.  He first flipped through the worn paperbacks, the wear and tear a statement to how well loved they had been.  The biographies on the back flaps said the same thing:

Constance DuVane is the author of numerous books, the best known from the Corin Elder Saga.  Ms. DuVane is also a respected photographer whose work has appeared in numerous publications and in the compilations she has compiled.  Ms. DuVane resides in Manhattan.

He separated the Corin Elder novels from the others before tackling the photography.  Barnabas was extremely impressed with her work.  She seemed able to find the humanity in almost any situation, making her subjects surreally beautiful.  "She is a great talent."

"I quite agree."  Julia placed a magazine in his lap, the relevant pages marked with a slip of white paper.  It was a recent magazine.  When he turned to the marked pages, Barnabas was immediately arrested by a pair of large brown eyes.  Their owner was beautiful.  Her exquisite face was framed by mid-length raven hair that refused to remain straight, stubbornly forming languid waves in the back.  A close-up showed her naturally long black lashes caressing the flesh just below her sculpted black brows as she stared at some unseen object.  Another picture showed her head to toe, showing her to be a slim, well-proportioned woman of slightly above average height with delicate hands and a smile that could melt steel.  "I take it that this is Constance DuVane."

"The one and only."

"So let me get this straight: you are worried about Quentin because after overcoming depression, he has decided to go out with a talented, beautiful young woman with her own money.  Are you sure you're looking at this from the correct perspective?"

"You should have seen the way he looked at her," insisted Julia.  "I'd swear he recognized her."

"Who's to say that he doesn't know her?" demanded Barnabas, irritation clearly beginning to infect his voice.  "You're underestimating the number of people Quentin knows.  This girl could be one of the thousands."

"You didn't meet this girl!"

"Maybe I should!"

"You probably will," sighed Julia.  "She's taken up residence in the cottage now that Chris has left."

"And you're convinced she planned it this way?"

"I don't know, but, I swear to you, if you had met her, you would have been suspicious of her too."

Barnabas laughed in spite of Julia's intensity.  It had been quite some time since she had become so worked up over a situation, especially one that seemed so innocuous.  Yet, he would make a point of meeting this girl, if only to appease Julia.  "I'll visit her tomorrow."

"No, you should visit her tonight!" insisted Julia.  "They returned to the estate.  I saw them go into the cottage.  See her now."

"I won't go to the cottage tonight!  I refuse to walk in on them...doing whatever it is they are doing!"

"Maybe you ought to.  Maybe you'll learn something.

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.