Subj: Out of the Past, 10
Date: 11/17/01 3:20:18 PM Central Standard Time
From: R J Jamison

Elizabeth stood outside the closed doors to the Drawing Room. She had seen the look of anguish on Barnabas’s face. She had watched Louisa lead him into the Study. He had called her ‘Natalie’ and Louisa had smiled. Elizabeth shuddered, her cousin, Barnabas, had too many secrets. Elizabeth pushed open the doors. Several sets of eyes turned to her expectantly.

“Louisa is talking with Barnabas in the Study. They will join us when they are done.”

“What?” Roger looked at Jeannot who seemed unbothered by Elizabeth’s statement. “Why would she be speaking with Barnabas?”

Elizabeth took a glass of sherry from the table. She quickly consumed it. “They apparently know one another, quite well.”

Roger turned back to Jeannot.

“I told you in the café that they were acquainted.” Jeannot’s eyes observed Carolyn’s panic. So, the young blonde woman knew about her ‘cousin’. Jeannot smirked. She must’ve been a past victim just as was his wife. He apparently enjoyed preying on his family members.

Within the Study, Natalie stood looking down at several family photographs with her back to Barnabas. He stood behind her silently. He knew not what to say. He had no apology, no excuse. He had nothing. “Natalie.”

“Countess, please.” Natalie reached down to the desk and took a hold of the Family’s most recent Christmas photograph. “It’s been so long since anyone called me Countess.”

“I know not what to say to you.” Barnabas wanted to approach her but he was startled by her appearance. She stood before him, the very image of Julia Hoffman. Her mere presence confounded all that he knew of time travel, reincarnation. How could Natalie and Julia both exist, here and now? He believed Julia to be the reincarnation of Natalie. Their personalities were similar. They loved deeply and protected those that they loved at all costs. The image of his last encounter with Natalie caused him to recoil in shame.

“Remembering our last embrace are you?” Natalie turned to face him. She held up the photograph. “Everyone here looks so familiar.” She set the photograph down. “That Victoria Winters wasn’t such a twit after all.”

Barnabas nodded. “No, a young woman out of time and place.”

“And I’m an old woman out of time and place.”

“What can I do, say?”

“You’ve done plenty Barnabas. You drove my Josette to her death and took my life. I thought that was quite enough. I know Angelique cursed you. I accept that. But was it necessary? Was it?” Natalie moved to stand inches before him. “I’ve hated you for so long, so long.” Barnabas blinked to hear those words come from her lips. She resembled Julia too much. “And now, what am I, what are we?”

Barnabas failed to understand. “What are we?”

“Yes, we are no longer the contemptible creatures we were. What are we now?”

He understood. “We are cured.”

“I’ve lived as this despicable creature for nearly two hundred years and now I’m cured?” Natalie turned back to the desk. “Did your girlfriend accomplish this?” Barnabas feigned confusion. Natalie’s expression was bemused. “Please, I’m amused by it but it is easy information to come by. Dr. Hoffman is not just a friend of the family. She has been your protector since you arrived here.”

“Julia is my friend, yes. But she did not cure me. Angelique removed the curse from me.” Barnabas observed Natalie’s startled reaction.

“Tell me about this!” She demanded.

“I traveled back in time to 1840 where Angelique continued to exist. She went by the name Valerie. Many things occurred but suffice it to say, she removed the curse from me. I returned to 1971 with Julia and another friend several months back.”

Natalie began pacing about the room. Barnabas recalled watching her stride in this manner before. Her movements were different than Julia’s. She was more graceful and lithe. Julia was full of nervous energy and efficiency. She had not been bred to merely be an ornament to some French aristocrat. “But if she cured you in 1840. . .oh!” Natalie screamed in frustration. “Who can ever understand what happens in this absurd house and to you people!”

“Natalie. . I can never adequately apologize---“

“Then don’t even try!” Natalie spit in his face. “You have no idea what you did to me!”

Barnabas removed a handkerchief from his breast pocket to remove Natalie’s spittle. The memory of his last moments with her in Josette’s bedroom flooded forward. She had refused to bring Josette to him. They argued and he took her. Took her blood and eradicate her willfulness. “I was cursed by Angelique!”

Natalie threw her head back in disgust. “Blame the woman! You are just like Adam! He blamed Eve for giving him the forbidden fruit! He had two hands and took it!”

“Darling,” Jeannot stood in the doorway. “the other Collinses are awaiting your arrival.”

“I don’t want to disappoint.” Natalie pushed past Barnabas but he grabbed her arm.

“What do you intend to tell them?” Barnabas’ pleading eyes changed to alarm when he was abruptly shoved away from Natalie by Jeannot. They fell against the wall in a struggle. The man was unusually strong.

“Don’t ever! Ever! Touch my wife again!” Jeannot roughly pushed Barnabas against the wall. Natalie rushed forward to pull Jeannot back.

“No more violence, please.” Jeannot took her in his arms and they watched as Barnabas righted himself.

“Your wife?” He gasped.

Natalie remained in Jeannot’s arms. “You chose to live your life one way Barnabas, we’ve lived it another. We’ve tried to live as normally as possible. I’ve returned to Collinwood periodically looking for you. I existed. You made me what I am, so I knew you still existed somewhere. I’ve scoured every last inch of this estate. Where were you hidden?”

“When did she take you?” Barnabas glowered at the man who dared assault him and ignored Natalie’s questions.

“We married ten years after you condemned me.”

Barnabas waived off Natalie’s use of human arrangements. Neither she nor Jeannot had been human. It seemed ridiculous to try and pretend they were a truly wedded couple. Natalie had taken him and he was forever hers as was the way of vampires. “I was imprisoned by my Father after Josette. . .”

“After Josette died.” Natalie said coldly. “But you had enough time to ensure that I had to live with her death perpetually on my conscious.”

Absolute anguish filled Barnabas’s heart. He had forced Natalie to betray Josette, there was no denying it. He had not thought Natalie would die due to one bite. He had not thought of it at all. “Oh, God.” Barnabas’s hands covered his face. There was no escaping the evil he had done. “I only wanted to ask her to wait, to wait until another life when we could be together. I didn’t mean for you ---“

Natalie stepped out of Jeannot’s embrace. “You have no idea what you asked me to do, what you forced me to do. The pain I live with is unendurable!”

“I asked you to help me save Josette.” Barnabas whispered.

Natalie grabbed Barnabas’s bowed chin and stared at him directly. “You asked me to condemn my own daughter!”

“Daughter?” Confusion clouded Barnabas’s features. “She was your niece. . “

Natalie shook her head. “No, you fool, you evil, arrogant, stupid, fool. She was my child, my child.”

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.