Winds Of Eternity Part 44

"I will."

Barnabas watched Julia talk to the ambulance attendant. He was troubled by Roger's sudden illness. Julia returned to where he stood with Elizabeth and Carolyn. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I still don't know what's causing Roger's illness. Perhaps the tests at the hospital will tell me more. I'll call you when they're done or if his condition changes."

"I still think I should go."

"We've already discussed this, Elizabeth. You'll be better off here."

"Julia's right, Elizabeth. You need to rest. Would you go with your mother, Carolyn and make sure that she takes that sleeping pill Julia left for her? I want to talk to Julia for a moment."

"All right. Come on, Mother."

"Thank you for being here, Barnabas."

"Where else would I be? Try to rest." He waited until they were inside the house. "You haven't any idea what is responsible for this, Julia?"

"I wish I did," she sighed.

"Perhaps instead of what, I should have said who."

"What do you mean?"

"Come now, Julia. The facts speak for themselves. Roger is a healthy man, with no physical problems. Suddenly he's stricken with a mysterious ailment -"

"You're not suggesting - no. I don't believe it. Besides, Angelique gave up her powers. And what reason would she have?"

"What reason has she ever needed to hurt people?"

"I still don't believe it. I'm sure that the tests will show some reason - some medical reason - for Roger's condition."

"I hope you're right, Julia. But if those tests show nothing, then I would advise you to think about what I have said."

"I'd better get to the hospital. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

After Willie woke her, Angelique put on her coat and left the house, telling Willie82.

not to let Barnabas know that she had gone out. Walking swiftly, she went to the Eagle Hill Cemetery and hid beside the Collins Family mausoleum, a spot which gave her an un.o.bstructed view of the lone grave on the opposite edge of the graveyard. She knew that Judah's skull had been buried there in 1840 after she had exposed him to save Quentin and Desmond Collins. It had been hoped that a proper burial would help him rest in peace. She had been so certain that he had been destroyed with Gerard Stiles. Could she have been wrong? If what she suspected was true, would she be able to stop him again?

A figure moved into the graveyard, and Angelique forced herself to remain still and quiet as Barnabas moved directly to stand at Judah's grave and stood there, head bowed.

Angelique watched in terrified silence until he finally turned and then she ran from her hiding place taking a short-cut back to the Old House.

She was in the drawing room, waiting, when he arrived. "I was beginning to worry. it's getting late."

"I have plenty of time. Is it ready?"

"Yes." She waited for him to roll up his sleeve, then gave him the shot.

"Well done. You evidently haven't forgotten how to do that," he said, referring to her a.s.sisting Julia in curing him in 1897.

"No. I haven't. How is Roger?"

"Julia doesn't know what is wrong with him. He was still unconscious when the ambulance left for the hospital."

"Did you see Amy?"

"Yes. She was doing her best to keep David's spirits up."

"I'll see her later. Julia will be by this evening to give you another injection, I'm sure."

"Yes. I've been thinking about that. Why should she come all the way over here just to give me an injection when you are quite capable of doing it yourself?"

"Barnabas -"

"I think you should mention it to Julia when you see her today. Tell her that you will be giving me the injections from now on."

Deciding not to argue, Angelique agreed and stood there as he left the room to go downstairs.

Her first stop was Collinwood. She stayed there for several hours while Carolyn and Quentin were at the office, then went in to Collinsport. Julia was at the front desk, looking at a chart. "Julia. Has there been any change?"

There was angry accusation in Julia's eyes. "Do you really care, Angelique?"

"Of course I do. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Let's go into my office," she said, looking around. "We can talk there."

"I agree. I think we should talk."

Once inside, Julia faced Angelique. "I've run every test I can think of, and they've all come back negative. There is no medical reason for Roger's condition, Angelique, and that only leaves one other cause."

"I could have told you the reports would be negative, Julia."

"I'm sure you could have. I didn't want to believe it when Barnabas told me what he suspected, but now -"

"You were right not to believe anything he said, Julia. I did not do this. Why would I want to hurt Roger? For the first time, I have what I want. Barnabas. It would be the height of foolishness - no, stupidity -to do something like this now, when everything is going right."

"I know. That's what I keep telling myself. But if you didn't do it, then who -"

"Someone with more reason to hate the Collins family than I ever had. I can't say more right now, Julia. But I want you to continue to go along with Barnabas. Let him think you believe that I'm responsible."

"All right." She sat down. "Did he get his injection this morning?"

"Yes. And afterwards, he informed me that he would prefer that I give them to83.

him from now on. That there's no need for you to come out to the Old House."

"But there is. I have to check on his progress, and the serum is too unstable to be made up more than 48 hours ahead of time."

"I'll tell him -"