Subj: Consequences of Falling ch. 20
Date: 7/17/01 12:51:42 AM Central Daylight Time
From: Nicole

Cottage, 7:00 PM

Angelique stared deviously out the window, waiting patiently for Maggie to come for her. She was surprised by how excited she was to see Carolyn's return. Although she held no ill will towards the girl, Carolyn Stoddard Hawkes was far from her favorite person. Maybe it was the excitement of a coming wedding; maybe it was because Constance would be returning; or maybe it was the pure joy that she had yet more chances to make Barnabas Collins squirm in his shell, still unable to deal with his feelings for her after all this time. It was almost shameful to take joy in such a thing, although it did not stop her from doing so. She could almost hear Constance chiding her, saying "Leave the man alone! I admit that I don't like him but--God!--your obsession with him is sadomasochistic. Move away from him and find a better life!" She could gladly wait to hear that lovely speech.

At the same time, Angelique was ready to see her "sister" once again. She wished she had told Constance about the lie instead of leaking the information to Quentin, but she knew that Constance would understand. She had before. They had played this game before and people had believed it. At first glance, they looked completely different, Angelique's light set against Constance's dark. And yet they held themselves with the same refined grace and confidence that smoothed over the problems icy beauty and flawless charm could not. Everyone was so taken with them that they never looked at Constance as the cold-blooded murderess or Angelique as the conniving sorceress that they would have seen them as under differing circumstances. She knew that Constance would come around. She always did.

But now they would not be a twosome. Angelique had almost fallen out when she learned that Constance had married Quentin. "Neither of you obey the laws of nature!" she wrote them. "Why bother making it legal?"

"Why not?" Constance had written back. "It appeases his family and my publisher plus it gives me an excuse to travel around the equator with a beautiful subject and procrastinate a few months more. I'll get marvelous pictures!"

Angelique had laughed at the notion until she saw the book. As always, Constance made her subject and the scenery look outrageously brilliant, leaving one wanting to go to where she had photographed just to see if that was actually the way if looked. She had often marveled how something inhuman could mime and portray humanity so well. She could almost hate Constance if she hadn't known her history.

It was best not to think about Constance now. They were due in eleven days and no amount of cajoling could convince either of them to move any quicker. It was best to move on to Carolyn's future husband, which was sure to be top amongst a long line of winners.

Angelique had attempted to get a fix on the man in question, to use a little magic to see his face and learn about him before anyone else did. It mystified her that she could not. She soon figured that it was just as well. It was best to let the man have a grace period before reality destroyed his happiness. She could still remember when she had married Barnabas and how convinced she had been that things would end happily, that love would conquer all and cleanse her of the sins she had committed to obtain him. "I was such a fool!"

"Are you ready Madeline?"

"One moment, Maggie." Angelique put her things away and answered the door. For one of the first times ever, she was happy to see Maggie. With baby Andrew in tow, she now resembled the acquaintance she had become more than the threat she had once been. Of course Barnabas still adored her, but Maggie could care less about him. She had a husband and child; she no longer had time for her vampire lover. Angelique was going to enjoy the look on Barnabas' face when she walked in with Maggie. He was going to realize exactly what he was missing.

"I'm sorry I was late," said Maggie, hoisting the child onto this hip. "Andrew was giving me some trouble."

"Not this little guy," cooed Angelique. "I'll take him off your hands."

"Thanks! You don't mind do you?"

Angelique giggled as she took the equally giddy Andrew into her arms. The child reminded her so much of his mother with his large brown eyes and open smile. Even his once light blonde curls were beginning to morph into his mother's dark brown tresses. "This one will break hearts," she purred.

"Do you thing?"

"Look at him! This one was born to charm."

"If you say so," giggled Maggie. There was a brief silence as they walked the path to Collinwood, neither of them willing to talk. "So, when are Constance and Quentin coming?"

"They'll be here on the 22nd. I tried to talk her into coming earlier but Connie insisted that she had work to do."

"Didn't she just put out a book?"

"That was photography, which in her mind doesn't equate to work. It was basically a wedding present to her husband and a way to prove her talent. She's claiming to suffer from writer's block, which is a joke. Constance doesn't have problems: she creates them so she can solve them with solutions as creative as herself."

"Do you envy her?"

"No!" declared Angelique fervently. "Her mother refused to marry our father. After Constance's birth, she left her with our father and rarely saw her afterwards. No matter how wonderfully our father treated her, others would be equally as cruel. She was only close to our father and myself. When she went out on her own, she insisted on doing thins her own way. She went through much to have what she has and I don't envy her."

Angelique wondered if Maggie, or anyone besides she and Quentin, had ever seen Constance's pain, made on less real by her actual story. It didn't matter. Constance had often told the story of the horrible parent, doing so to ward anyone from poking too far into her origins. As soon as the story was told, she would fall back into her easy charm as if to put people at ease. Once the "understood," people seemed to enjoy her more. All Angelique was doing was setting the stage. "But she's doing well now."

"Of course. But what about you?"

"I'm doing better all the time, Maggie. Once I decide exactly what I want, I'll be even better."

They talk jovially as they approached Collinwood. To Angelique, the house seemed happy for the first time in ages. One could almost hear the voices ringing out into the evening, almost seeing their silhouettes plastered against windows. "I suppose it's a big deal when a Collins marries," remarked Angelique, a touch of bitterness infecting her voice.

"I suppose," murmured Maggie.

"Then we should enter. No need for us to be left out."

They entered and were immediately met by Willie. "Hello ladies," he said as he slipped his arm around Maggie's waist. "I was beginning to worry about you two."

"There's never anything to fear when your wife and child are with me." Angelique handed Willie his giddy son and began to walk towards the drawing room. "Are Carolyn and Josef here?"

"Yeah. They're being fawned over by Barnabas and Julia."

"Good! I'll be joining them." Angelique almost walked through the drawing room doors had she not caught the end of a conversation between Willie and Maggie. She walked back and asked, "What did you say?"

"It's just a shame that Constance can't be here," he said defensively. "A sister should be there for her brother."

"Brother? I'm not sure what you...oh God, Josef!" Angelique bolted into the drawing room, unaware and unconcerned by the eyes that nervously studied her. She was looking from face to face, only finding the familiar faces she did not want to see. In a far corner, she found them: Barnabas, Julia, Carolyn, and him. "Josef!"

"Madeline!" he sang, his deep voice harmoniously filling the room. "I had no idea you were here. Have you seen our sister?"

Angelique could not speak, not from any spell but from a lack of words. She had not expected to see him again yet there he stood. His slim six-foot frame was perfectly clothed in the deep blue suit, making him seem the gentleman he happened not to be. His thick brown hair seemed as immaculate has ever, framing his handsomely masculine face as nothing else could. His dark brown eyes shined down beneath thick brown brows. Yet it was his lips, sensual pink folds that begged to kiss and be kissed, that disarmed her. ("You like this don't you Angelique?" "Oh God, I do! Don't stop!") "I'm sorry," she finally mumbled. "Constance is with her husband."

"That sounds like our Connie! I didn't even know she had gotten married until I read about it in the papers. And now she refuses to show up for my engagement party! What are we to do about our sister?"

"Well, she is working," said Angelique.

"Of course." Josef kissed Carolyn's hand and moved towards Angelique, his eyes never wavering from hers. "Madeline, don't you think she works too much?"

"Our sister does as she pleases," growled Angelique. "As do you."

"And you."

"Nothing ever changes," she laughed quietly. She looked deep into Josef's eyes and confidently said, "You'll have to excuse me but I have to leave."

"Of course." Josef bent to kiss Angelique's cheek but stopped mid-kiss so that no one would notice. "I'll see you some other time."

"Maybe." Without making eye contact with anyone, Angelique fled the drawing room. Oblivious to Willie and Maggie, she ran to the phone and frantically dialed Constance's number. "Constance, are you there?"

"Yes, but not for long," answered Constance brusquely. "We're going out. What's wrong?"

"When are you coming to Collinsport?"

"The 22nd."

"How about coming by Friday?"

"That's not the 22nd."

"You're not listening," insisted Angelique. "You have to come as soon as possible."

"God! What's wrong?"

"I can't explain here. What do you say?"

After a long pause, Constance said, "I'll talk it over with Quentin but I'll come to you with or without him."

"No! Don't come alone," said Angelique.

"Do you really need us both?"

"You'll want him by your side."

"Are you trying to scare me?" asked Constance.

"I can't say now. Just come soon."

"I'll try."

Angelique voiced some sort of farewell and hung up abruptly. She looked over to see Willie and Maggie staring awkwardly at her. "I apologize for making such a scene."

"No need," said Maggie. She walked over to Angelique and asked, "Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"Is Josef really Constance's brother?"

"Yes. He's his mother's son," she answered slowly.

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.