Subj: Out of the Past, Ch 2
Date: 11/4/01 9:51:34 PM Central Standard Time
From: R J Jamison

"Thank you for driving me, Barnabas.” Julia stood inside the small Bangor Airport with Barnabas, David and Carolyn. As the crowd started lining up for the plane, David and Carolyn moved toward the window to watch the plane.

“I am most pleased to help.” Barnabas noted Julia’s slight smirk. She could not get used to Barnabas’s new generosity of spirit. He offered to do many kinds things without provocation or self-interest. “I look forward to collecting you upon your return.”

“You might find something else to do in the intervening months.”

Barnabas laid a hand on her arm. “I am patient.”

“Are you now? Since when?” Julia laughed.

“Since I’ve realized I have reason to be.” Barnabas tried to keep Julia’s gaze but she looked away in embarrassment. “Julia—“

“Barnabas,” Julia looked about the room in a distracted way. “I need this time to myself.”

Barnabas nodded. He took out a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. “You can reach me at this number any time.” Julia looked down at the slip of paper.

“What phone number is this?”

“The one that will be installed at the Old House later today.”

“Why bow to convention now? You install a telephone, is electricity far behind?”

Barnabas smiled cleverly. “A doctor must always have access to a telephone.”

Julia tilted her head. “I’ve hinted that you might consider installing a phone, why now?”

“Because it will be inconvenient and discourteous to send Willie and Mrs. Johnson back and forth every time you are on-call or your service needs to speak with you at 2 in the morning.”

Julia’s nodded and placed the piece of paper in her purse calmly. She would not betray any astonishment she felt at the implications of Barnabas’s statement. She quickly looked about to try and avoid the increasing color in her face. She said nothing, the silence eventually interrupted by the announcement that the plane was boarding. She turned to move toward the line.

“Julia, call me this evening to let me know you arrived safely in Baltimore.” Barnabas kissed her tenderly on the cheek.

Carolyn and David had turned in time to see Barnabas kiss Julia. “Are those two finally an item?” David asked.

“Finally?” Carolyn laughed. “That would be ironic wouldn’t it?”

“You adults make life so hard.” David opened his comic book.

“If you think Hallie Stokes is gonna make things easy for you—“

David grimaced. “She’s just a friend.”

Carolyn chuckled. “Yes, a friend you’ve wasted your entire allowance on for the last two weeks in long distance calls.”

Barnabas returned to the Old House to find Willie escorting the telephone repairman out of the house. Willie assured him everything was done as was ordered. “There is the phone here in Drawing Room, one in the Master Bedroom upstairs and another one in that other room upstairs you wanted.”

Barnabas nodded. “Thank you, Willie. Tomorrow we can begin purchasing furniture for that room.”

“Just exactly what are we doin’ with that room?”

Barnabas smiled and Willie returned his boss’s good feeling. “That will be Julia’s office. I know there are certain things she will want to select for herself but I think we can find some general furnishings for it. There is an old desk at Collinwood I wish to ask Elizabeth for, it has several drawers, cubby spaces--”

“Why does Julia need an office upstairs? She’s got the basement.”

“Julia worked in the basement when we were hiding her profession and . . . other things. That is no longer the case.”

“But Barnabas, she has will have a new office when Wyndcliffe is rebuilt.”

“But Willie,” Barnabas replied in his slow, almost condescending tone. “Julia should have an office in her home as well.”

Willie’s eyes widened. “Her home? Julia’s going to live here?”

“Willie,” Barnabas shook his head and chuckled. “It shouldn’t be a surprise to you, you of all people. I had decided to ask Julia to be my wife before we went to Brazil—“

“Before you found out she had a husband already.” Willie smirked.

“Willie.” Barnabas’s tone was unamused.

“Sorry,” Willie headed toward the stairs. “Let’s take a look at the room and decide what ya want done.”

One Month later

Elizabeth stood inside the bedroom that had once belonged to Victoria Winters and then Maggie Evans. She gazed up at the portrait of Josette that now rested above the mantel. She had decided to place it in the room she understood Josette Du Pres’ Collins had used when living at Collinwood. She had understood this from Barnabas some years ago; how he came by the information she did not know since it wasn’t in the Collins Family History.

“Seems strange to see that here.” Sarah Johnson said while straightening up the room.

“Yes, it was quite surprising that Barnabas was letting go of it but she seems quite pleased to be in here.” Elizabeth could not observe the glance Mrs. Johnson threw her way. “I’ll meet you downstairs at 4:00 to discuss this week’s shopping.”

“Very well, Mrs. Stoddard.” After Elizabeth left the room Sarah spent a few moments admiring Josette’s portrait. “I didn’t think you’d ever let her have him.” Sarah smiled wistfully and left the tidy room. She walked down the hallway to the last room on her schedule. Once inside Julia’s bedroom, she began her usual weekly routine of stripping the large, four-poster bed, dusting and then returning everything to its exact positions. When done, everything appeared as if she had never been there. At the door, Sarah looked with satisfaction at the room. While Julia was scheduled to be in Europe for close to six months, Mrs. Stoddard had wanted the room maintained daily. Mrs. Johnson had observed other changes on the estate. The portrait now residing in Collinwood, electricity and telephones installed at the Old House. Upon Dr. Hoffman’s return, she speculated there would be other changes. She smiled, pleased that Dr. Hoffman had Barnabas Collins chasing her for a change. “Wonder how long it’ll be before I don’t have to clean this room every day?”

Sarah Johnson wandered down the main hallway in preparation for joining Mrs. Stoddard when she saw Willie and Barnabas disappear into the corridor leading to the West Wing. She heard Elizabeth’s voice as she led them further away.

“I believe the piece you are referring to is in here.” Elizabeth stepped aside to allow Willie and Barnabas entry into a long unused room. After lifting several dust layered sheets, Willie announced he had found the piece Barnabas wanted.

“How on earth did you know about this desk Barnabas?” Elizabeth fingered the fine wood grain.

“I recall seeing it a few years ago when we were looking for something in these rooms.” Barnabas lied well.

“This appears to be about a hundred years old, the styling and design.” Elizabeth began poking around in the many small drawers and hiding places in the desk.

“I believe you are correct Elizabeth. And now that we’ve found it, may I have use of it for the new office I am designing?”

Elizabeth smiled. “Certainly, it is not doing anyone any good up here. But Barnabas, what is behind all this activity at the Old House, first a telephone and now an office, are you undertaking a new business venture?”

Barnabas’s smile betrayed little. “A new venture yes but it has little to do with business, dear cousin.” Barnabas turned quickly to Willie. “Willie, please arrange to have this delivered to the Old House in two days after the carpenters finish with the bookshelves. And Elizabeth,” Barnabas turned back to his cousin. “Thank you again for entertaining and fulfilling my requests.” Barnabas moved to leave the room. “Shall we go back downstairs?”

Elizabeth looked around the room. “No, I think I’ll look around a bit in here. I haven’t been in this room in years.” Elizabeth watched Barnabas leave. “Now, Willie,” She pounced. “What is going on?”

Willie held out the measuring tape and began taking the dimensions of the desk. “Barnabas is building an office on the second floor. Bookshelves, telephone, gas and electricity, the works.”

“Yes but why? Does it have anything to do with him giving me Josette’s portrait?”

Willie tried not to look at Elizabeth. He didn’t want to say anything he shouldn’t.

“Willie,” Elizabeth moved directly into his line of vision and snapped the measuring tape device so it quickly rolled back into Willie’s hand. “Don’t avoid the question.”

“He’s building the office for Julia, okay Mrs. Stoddard?”

Elizabeth smiled warmly. “So, patience does have its rewards, finally.”

“Yea, finally Barnabas got the right idea in his head about a woman. Of course, now she is takin’ her sweet time about it too.” Willie smiled playfully. “She knows, believe me, she knows.”

Elizabeth nodded remembering Barnabas’s past interest in Victoria and Maggie; each so inappropriate and wrong for him. His soul mate was always standing right next to him, waiting patiently. “Gives one hope does it not? But Willie how are you so certain Julia is aware of all of this?” Elizabeth smiled and returned to examining the desk she had just given away.

Willie nodded and finished with his measurements. “I told her.”

Elizabeth laughed. Willie, right to the point, he rarely kept things from Julia but then Elizabeth did not know this. She reached down to collect some papers from one of the cubby spaces. “Most of these are so old they crumble when you touch them.”

Elizabeth waived away dust and remnants of paper from her sensitive nostrils. “Ahh, but what is this?” Elizabeth pulled out a metal box from one of the lower drawers. After trying to open it unsuccessfully she handed it to Willie. “It is still locked.”

Willie tried pounding the box open but without success. “I have some tools in the truck downstairs, I’ll fetch them.”

Willie returned to the Drawing Room with a large screwdriver and other equally large implements. He took the box from Elizabeth began again to try and pry it open.

“Mother, I am going into town.” Carolyn quickly popped into the room to announce her plans. She stopped when she noted Elizabeth and Willie bent over the box. “What is that?”

“I found it upstairs in an old desk.” Elizabeth stepped back as Willie began pounding on the box again. “Willie, I don’t know if that will work.” She said the final word as the top flew open. She smiled with mild amusement as Willie stood back to appraise the success of his bullying efforts.

“What’s inside Mother?” Carolyn watched as Elizabeth removed several pieces of jewelry; broaches, a cameo and several rings.

“These are certainly older than the desk.” Elizabeth eyed them closely. She was not an expert but her interest in jewelry made her well educated in appraising pieces. “I’d say these are well over two hundred years old.”

“Mother, look at this.” Carolyn held a bundle in her hands. The wrapping appeared to be calfskin. Carolyn pulled the wrapping back to reveal a brilliantly colored piece of cloth. Carolyn looked at her Mother and after receiving an acquiescing nod, pulled away the cloth to reveal what lie at the center of the bundle. “Well, isn’t this interesting.” Carolyn laughed.

“What is it?” Willie stuck his head between the two women.

“They are tarot cards!” Carolyn continued to laugh. “Very old tarot cards, look how fragile they are.” Carolyn began delicately looking at them. “I’ll take them to the University and show them the Professor Stokes, he’ll be amazed.”

“Willie, would you ask Barnabas to look at the jewelry and estimate its age.”

Willie nodded and watched Elizabeth return the pieces to the metal box. “I’ll bring ‘em back later tonight.”

“There is no hurry Willie, we didn’t even know of their existence five minutes ago.”

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.