Barnabas looked up from his contemplation
of the fire when he heard Quentin talking to Willie. "Quentin.
When did you get back?"
"Last night. Are you really
going to marry Angelique?"
Barnabas rose from his chair.
"I am. I see you've been told everything."
"You're sure this isn't another
of her tricks?"
"Quite sure. Sarah is my
daughter, Quentin. Julia did a blood test to prove it to
her own satisfaction."
"Still -to marry Angelique -"
"Sarah needs her mother while
she's ill."
"And once she's not?"
"I'll face that when it happens."
Quentin examined his cousin's face.
"You're not still in love with her? Before I left,
you had accepted -"
"I accepted that we would make
each other miserable," Barnabas said. "That our
shared past would be almost impossible to overcome."
He sighed. "I never said that I didn't love her."
"Have you told her that?"
"No. Nor do I intend to.
Have you seen Angelique?"
"She and Julia had just left
for the hospital when I came down."
"The hospital?" Barnabas
questioned. "Was Sarah all right?"
"They just went to arrange for
her release, I think."
Barnabas sat back down. "How
long are you going to stay?"
"For awhile, I think. Roger's-
offered me a job."
"A job? Doing what?"
"He's decided not to travel so
much, and since I apparently don't mind travelling,-" he
shrugged.
"You're going to do it for him.
No doubt Roger wants more time to see Julia."
"I didn't think I have misread
that. Is it serious, do you think?"
"Elizabeth seems to think it
is. Personally, I hope she's right. Julia's been a
very loyal friend. She deserves to find every happiness."
"Don't you?"
"I'll have my daughter.
That's all I need."
Quentin shook his head. "You
know, Cousin, I always thought that I was the master of self-deception.
I was wrong."
Barnabas refused to respond to that
comment.
He and Quentin were in the foyer
at Collinwood when Julia and Angelique returned with Sarah.
Seeing her father, the little girl ran to throw her arms around
him. "Is it true, Father? Are you really going
to marry Mother again?"
"It's true." He noticed
her look around the large room. "What do you think
of Collinwood?"
"It's so BIG," she commented.
Her brown eyes found Quentin. "Who are you? Are
you a cousin?"
"I am. Cousin Quentin,
at your service," he said, bowing gallantly. Sarah
giggled, delighted. It ws impossible to remain immunized
against this little girl's charm, Quentin decided, rising to see
Angelique beside Julia. "And you are as beautiful as
ever, Angelique."
"And you haven't changed at all,
Quentin."
There was a twinkle in his blue eyes.
"Did you really expect me to?"
Roger, Elizabeth, and Carolyn came
from the study.
Angelique moved to stand beside Barnabas and Sarah. "So,"
Elizabeth said. "You're Sarah." Her smile
was warm and filled with welcome.
"Yes, ma'am," Sarah responded
politely, her eyes curious.
Barnabas answered that curiousity
quickly. "Sarah, this is Elizabeth, and her daughter
Carolyn. And this is Roger."
He had told her about these cousins
-and about Roger's son David who was away at school. "I'm
very pleased to meet all of you," she said prettily, curtseying.
"Welcome to Collinwood, Sarah,"
Carolyn said. She DID look like the first Barnabas' sister.
David was going to be so surprised.
"Thank you, Cousin Carolyn."
She was tired from the drive out and
the excitement, so Angelique took her hand. "I think
you should rest, darling. I'll take you up to my room.
Excuse us, everyone." Sarah gave Barnabas a hurried
hug, then let her mother lead her up the stairs, as her father
watched from the floor below.
"She's adorable, Barnabas,"
Elizabeth said.
"I think so," he agreed.
"I can't wait to see David's
reaction to her," Carolyn commented. "He was always
so obssessed with the first Barnabas' little sister. And
Sarah is her image."
"Yes," Barnabas agreed softly,
his hand on the lamp shaped newel, "she is."
Quentin excused himself as the others
moved toward the drawing room and climbed the stairs. He
came upon Angelique as she closed the bedroom door behind her.
"All settled in?" he asked.
"She was exhausted. I was
surprised when Julia told me that you were here."
"No more than I was to discover
your presence - or Sarah's. Let's go to my room and talk.
I'm sure you won't be missed downstairs." She didn't
rise to his bait, but led the way to his rooms in the West Wing.
"Would you like a sherry?"
he asked, pouring himself a glass of brandy.
"No, thank you."
"Why didn't you tell Barnabas
about Sarah before now?"
"I was afraid to," she said
simply.
"Afraid? You? Of
what?"
"Barnabas' anger, for one thing.
He hates me enough already. Surely you can understand, Quentin."
He took a drink of the brandy to fortify
himself. "You're forgetting, dear lady, that I know
first hand what it's like to have the existance of my own child
kept secret from me."
"That was different, Quentin.
The two situations aren't comparable."
"You said that fear was only
one reason."
"I didn't want to lose her to
Barnabas."
"Do you really think that could
happen?"
"It's already begun. Sarah
and I are close, but there's a - bond of some kind between her
and Barnabas. She knew who he was the moment she saw him,
Quentin."
"He was very close to his sister,
wasn't he?"
"Yes. They were more like
father and daughter than brother and sister. I can't blame
Barnabas for hating me -"
"You believe he hates you, yet
you're going to marry him this afternoon."
"I could try to tell you that
it's only for Sarah's sake - but it wouldn't be entirely true."
"Look, if it's any help -I wish
you happiness, at least."
"It IS a help. I'd better
go back downstairs."
"I'll come with you."
He tossed off the rest of the brandy.
Barnabas saw them come onto the
landing together, heard Angelique's soft laughter, and for a moment
envied his cousin's ability to cause that sound. "Is
Sarah all right," he asked.
"She's asleep," Angelique
told him, her blue eyes serious once again.
"Then would you come into the
study with me for a moment? Quentin and Julia as well?"
Julia turned to Roger. "Excuse
me." Roger nodded, but watched her until they turned
the corner of the hall and heard the study door close behind them.
In the study, Barnabas drew a paper
from his coat. "I spoke with my attorney earlier this
morning about this, and he agreed this would be a good idea."
"What is it?" Angelique
asked, not touching the paper he held out.
"I believe the term is 'pre-marital
agreement'."
"Pre-?" Angelique's
eyes were narrowed as she looked at him.
"I think you should read it before
you sign it." She took it, thankful that her hand wasn't
shaking to reveal her anger.
Julia spoke. "I'm not sure
I understand, Barnabas."
"It merely states that Angelique
will receive a more than generous allowance during our marriage.
And if the marriage ends, she will be given a settlement at my
discretion -and
finally, that Sarah will remain in my custody permanently."
"And why are WE here?"
Julia asked.
"As witnesses," he informed
her, watching Angelique lower the paper to the desk slowly, saw
the spark of anger in her eyes. "I realize that I cannot
force you to sign it, Angelique -"
"No. You can't. This
is so- typical. You are becoming so like your father,"
she accused softly. "You're so cynical -"
"And who is responsible for that?"
he countered.
"All I ever wanted -" she
stopped herself in time and took a deep breath. "I
will sign your- damned contract, Barnabas. Perhaps it will
prove to you that your money has NEVER interested me."
She picked up a pen from the desk as Quentin moved closer.
"You don't have to do this, Angelique."
Her glance was grateful. "I
know, Quentin. But I'm going to." She signed
her name to the paper, then turned and went to the window while
Julia and Quentin witnessed the signature.
Barnabas returned the paper to his
pocket. "Thank you. Would you mind leaving us alone
for a moment?"
"Come on, Julia. Angelique,
I'll be in the foyer if you need any help."
In the hall, Julia looked up at him
suspiciously. "What game are you playing now, Quentin?"
"I haven't the faintest idea
of what you mean, Julia," he said, his eyes wide.
Julia shook her head and led him back
to the drawing room.