Winds Of Eternity Part 13

Julia noticed Barnabas' preoccupation at the ceremony to open the Center, and faced a fear that had been plaguing her since their return. During the reception later, she found a quiet corner near where Barnabas was talking to Quentin and Roger. She took a small mirror from her purse and turned her back to the group. In the mirror, she saw Roger's reflection - and Quentin's, but not Barnabas'. Quickly, she put the mirror back into her purse.

"Are you alright, Julia?" Carolyn asked. "You look a little pale."

"I'm fine, Carolyn. Just a little tired." Spotting Willie across the room, Julia excused herself. "Willie, can we talk for a moment?"

"Sure, Julia." They found a quiet spot by the door. "What's up?"

"Is - Barnabas' coffin still at the Old House?" she asked softly.

"You know it is, Julia," he said nervously. "What're ya askin' about that for?"

"Just curious, Willie." She turned to find Barnabas talking to a vaguely familiar young woman. As she approached, she recognized the look on Barnabas' face, and31.

smiled up at her old friend. "Here you are. Could I have a word with you, Barnabas?"

"Can it wait, Julia?"

"No. It cannot."

She saw his anger at her interruption as he turned to the girl. "We'll talk later," he told her, then turned to his old friend. "Julia?" He followed her to a small anteroom. "Well?"

"I don't know how to tell you -"

"Tell me what?"

She could sense his impatience to return to that girl out there. "Barnabas -when you were talking to that girl just now, what were you feeling? What are you feeling now?"

She saw the horrified realization in his eyes. "NO!"

"Barnabas -"

"Angelique lifted the curse. How -"

"She removed the curse that she placed on you. The curse you were under before you went to 1840 - wasn't Angel-ique's."

"The Leviathans. I had thought this done forever."

"I'll start trying to isolate a serum. But you have to cooperate."

"Why? I've no reason to want a cure now, Julia. Any reason I may have had I left in 1840."

"Are you sure of that, Barnabas? I've spoken to Elizabeth. She remembers Angelique Rumsen. That means that she might be alive in this time. You could find her - once you're cured."

There was hope in his eyes. "You might be right. But I won't wait until you locate the serum. I'll contact her attorney in New York. He must know where she is."

Julia was in her lab at the Old House a week later, working, when someone knocked on the front door. It was almost dusk, and Julia decided to make sure Willie didn't arouse any suspicions in the visitor.

"Mr. Collins ain't here right now," Willie was saying as she approached the door.

"Will he be back soon? It's imperative that I speak to him."

Julia moved nearer. "Who is it, Willie?"

The man looked past the servant. "I'm Carl Drake - Angelique Rumsen's attorney."

"Of course. Barnabas wrote to you last week."

"I only received his letter two days ago. I've been out of the country. I was going to contact him when I returned anyway -"

"Oh?"

He looked uncertain. "Are you - Mrs. Collins?"

Julia smiled. "No. There is no Mrs. Collins. I'm Dr. Julia Hoffman. Barnabas is a friend."

Since Willie had gone downstairs to warn Barnabas about their visitor, Barnabas entered the house through the front door. "Good evening, Julia."

"Barnabas. This is Carl Drake, from New York."

He shook the lawyer's hand. "Please, be seated, Mr. Drake. Would you care for a drink?"

"No, thank you."

"Do you have news of Angelique Rumsen?"

Drake looked away from him. "I'm -afraid so, Mr. Collins. I was just telling Dr. Hoffman that I had just returned from Europe two days ago." He hesitated, then faced his host. "There's no easy way to tell you this, I suppose. Angelique - Mrs. Rumsen died almost a week ago."

Julia felt Barnabas' reaction from across the room. "She's - dead?"

"I really am sorry, Mr. Collins. She was driving in the South of France when she apparently lost control of the car. It went into a lake. There's been no body recovered, but the authorities searched the area thoroughly. I went over to help, but nothing turned up. They've declared her dead."32.

Barnabas was at the window, staring unseeingly out into the dark night. Julia spoke into the quiet. "Is that all, Mr. Drake?"

"Not quite. There's her will. Once her husband's debts were paid, she had enough money left to live comfortably. She still owned the estate down the coast from here."

"Little Windward."

"Yes. The will names Barnabas Collins as her sole beneficiary. I have some papers that need to be witnessed," he said, drawing them from his briefcase, then glancing at the man who stood silent and straight-backed at the window. "I'll leave them here. Just send them back to me in a few days."

"He will," Julia a.s.sured him.

The lawyer stood. "I am really sorry to bring you bad news, Mr. Collins, but I thought you should hear it in person and not in a letter."

"Thank you," was Barnabas' brief response."

Julia walked Carl Drake to the door. "Will he be alright, Doctor?"

With more a.s.surance than she felt, Julia answered. "Yes. It was just such a shock. He was really expecting to find her."