by Nancybe

Elizabeth Collins Stoddard looked up from her seat in the drawing room of Collinwood to see Julia Hoffman practically skipping down the stairs.

Julia was dressed in a soft peach colored dress that contrasted nicely with her auburn hair.

"Why, Julia, you look absolutely lovely." Elizabeth smiled at her friend who looked as happy as Elizabeth could ever remember seeing her. "Are you going out?"

Julia gave her almost an embarrassed look before answering. She was so used to trying to deny her feelings that she found it difficult to acknowledge them openly, even with Liz who had become one of her closest friends. "Thank you, Elizabeth. Barnabas is taking me out to dinner."

Elizabeth looked at her closely, her eyes twinkling. "He is getting better then?"

"Oh, yes," Julia said with almost a musical quality to her voice. "He’s made wonderful progress in the last two weeks. I’m very pleased."

"You look more than pleased, Julia. You are positively radiant. May I venture to guess that you and Barnabas are finally becoming more than just friends?"

Julia’s face began to redden slightly, and she put both hands up to it in a vain effort to stop the telltale coloring. Elizabeth put her hand on her arm in an apologetic manner. "Oh, Julia, I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t mean to pry –"

Julia smiled and gave Liz’s hand a reassuring squeeze, "It’s alright, Elizabeth. You have become like a sister to me. I don’t mind telling you." Julia hesitated for a moment. Despite her words, she still did find this hard to talk about. "There has been a change in Barnabas. He –"

"You don’t need to explain, Julia. I’ve noticed the difference. I’ve seen it in the way he looks at you and touches you, even in the way he talks about you."

"Really?" Julia asked with surprised delight.

"Oh yes," Elizabeth assured her. "So tonight might be considered a date?" she finished with a mischievous tone in her rich voice.

Julia beamed as the import of the question dawned on her. "Why, yes, I guess you could say that." She nearly jumped at the sound of a knock on the front door, betraying her nervous excitement at Barnabas’ arrival. She hurried to the door and pulled it open with a broad smile on her face. Abruptly, her smile faded and was replaced by an expression of surprise mingled with dismay. Her voice failed her as she regarded the visitor in paralyzed silence.

"Aren’t you glad to see me, Julia?" a familiar voice asked her with more

han a touch of sarcasm.

Recovering from her shock, Julia looked at the woman before her. "What do you want?" she asked in a hard voice.

"Why, I’ve just come to visit you. I’ve missed you. How long has it been, Julia?" the woman asked sardonically.

"Not nearly long enough, and you never show up without a reason. What is it this time? Money? Another divorce? Or both?" Julia crossed her arms and made as if to bar her visitor from entering the great house.

The woman’s face belied her efforts to control her building anger and remain in control of the situation. "Don’t you think you should invite me in?" she asked, her green eyes snapping and her voice not far from a growl.

Julia looked over her shoulder at Elizabeth who, still in the drawing room, was trying not to act curious. She reluctantly stepped away from the door, allowing the younger woman to enter. "I’m warning you – " she began in a low voice full of anger.

The visitor ignored her and exclaimed in a loud voice, "What an unusual house! However did you come to stay here, Julia?"

Julia sighed in resignation. Elizabeth had stood up in anticipation of an introduction. Julia steered the young woman into the drawing room and was preparing to speak when Roger and Carolyn breezed in, deep in conversation. Roger stopped short as he noticed the stranger with Julia. "Whoever is this charming creature, Julia?" he drawled in his typical style of charm mixed with a healthy lack of tactfulness.

"Elizabeth and Carolyn Stoddard, Roger Collins, this is Joyce Hoffman -," Julia stopped for a moment to raise a questioning eyebrow in the woman’s direction regarding her current surname.

"Mallory," the woman added.

"Joyce Hoffman Mallory. My sister," she finished.

Carolyn tried belatedly to suppress a gasp.

Joyce laughed at Carolyn’s reaction and cast an enigmatic glance at Julia. "Half-sister, actually. We had different mothers. And I, of course, am MUCH younger than Julia!" She tried to make this last come off sounding light-hearted, but something in her tone made it sound less than convincing.

"Sister!" Roger exclaimed. "Why, Julia, you never told us you had a sister, " he chided. "And such a lovely one, too. You look very much alike, actually," he said, regarding them with a critical eye. "Of course – "

His sister interrupted him before he could make one of his famous gaffes. "It is so lovely to meet you, Joyce. We think of Julia as one of the family, so of course, we are delighted to meet her sister. How long will you be staying in Collinsport?"

The young woman smiled at Julia who had squirmed uncomfortably at Elizabeth’s question. Oh, she was enjoying her sister’s reaction to her arrival. Julia was so predictable. It really wasn’t much of a challenge to get under her skin, but Joyce was savoring it just the same. "Well, now, I’m not exactly sure. Julia and I haven’t seen each other in so long. You know how transient people are these days, not putting down any roots. It’s so hard to keep up with one’s own family. We have SO much to catch up on." She gave Julia a Cheshire cat grin, knowing that Julia had all she could do not to say anything. "I’ve taken a room at the inn in town –" she said, although she had done no such thing.

"We won’t hear of it!"Roger interrupted her. "You shall stay right here at Collinwood with us. We wouldn’t dream of sending Julia’s sister to the inn, would we, Liz?"

Julia sighed to herself. Roger was enamored of Joyce, as all men seemed to be. And why not? She was extremely beautiful, the perfect redhead with creamy white skin and dazzling green eyes. Externally, she was to die for. But internally….

"My brother is quite right, Joyce. We insist that you stay here so that you may visit with Julia for as long as you like. I’ll tell Mrs. Johnson to prepare a room for you."

"That is very kind of you, Mrs. Stoddard. I would love to stay at Collinwood. That is, if it is alright with Julia." She turned to Julia with an ostensibly hopeful smile.

"Of course, " Julia said through clenched teeth. She always did this to her, left her with no choice. Oh, why did she have to show up now?

"Good evening, everyone," Barnabas Collins called out from the foyer.

Julia turned in surprise at the sound of his baritone voice; since her sister’s arrival, she had completely forgotten about her dinner date with Barnabas. "Julia, you look surprised to see me. Am I confused about our having dinner this evening?" He stopped as he entered the room and noticed the young woman who was a stranger to him. "I beg your pardon," he said, bowing in his most courtly manner. "I don’t believe we have met

–" he paused as he took a good look at the woman for the first time. She looked so familiar. Why, she looked like a younger version of – Julia interrupted him before he could process his thoughts. "Barnabas

Collins, this is Joyce Mallory. Barnabas, Joyce is my sister." Julia’s voice was very strained as she made this introduction, but Joyce was the only one in the room who noticed.

Barnabas gave Julia a puzzled look for a brief moment but recovered quickly to take Joyce’s hand. "It is a great pleasure to meet you, Miss Mallory. Julia didn’t tell me that you were coming." He smiled warmly at the beautiful redhead, genuinely pleased to finally meet a member of Julia’s family.

"Please call me Joyce, Mr. Collins. And don’t blame Julia. I surprised her with my visit." Joyce’s internal monitor was busily sizing up Barnabas Collins as she made these pleasantries. What was the story with this one? He had a different air about him although he seemed to thoroughly fit into this relic of a house. He was certainly charming, and she could tell that he was rich. Joyce could smell money a mile away. And what was his relationship to her sister? She surreptitiously studied Julia’s reaction to Barnabas Collins. Julia seemed to want to throw herself between Joyce and Barnabas as if Joyce were some sort of danger to him. She acted very protective of him without even saying a word. And there was something else in Julia’s manner, a vulnerability that Joyce rarely saw her sister display around men. She suppressed a smile. So Julia had it bad for Barnabas Collins! She had always had superb instincts when it came to Julia. She wondered how this newfound piece of knowledge could be used to her advantage.

"Julia," Barnabas said turning to her, "I’m sure that you and Joyce have much to discuss. We can certainly have dinner another time –"

"Oh, no, Mr. Collins!" Joyce said quickly. "I don’t want to interrupt your evening. Besides," she said trying to stifle a yawn, "I have had a long trip. I really am quite tired, and I would be dreadful company. I’d just as soon visit with Julia tomorrow when I’m feeling more like myself." She gave Julia and Barnabas her sweetest smile as she noted the relief evident on Julia’s face.

"I’ll show you up to one of the guest rooms then," Julia quickly responded before anything else could be said. "I’ll be right down,

Barnabas."

"Thank you, Julia, for understanding. It was lovely to meet all of you. And thank you so much for your hospitality." Joyce gave each of them a warm smile and followed Julia up the stairs.

"I had no idea Julia had a sister. Did you know, Barnabas?" Roger asked in a semi-accusatory tone.

Barnabas, ashamed that he had never taken the time to learn much about Julia’s past, answered him reluctantly. "No, Roger," he said slowly, "I didn’t know that Julia had any siblings at all."

"Well, she certainly is a beauty. Almost a mirror image of Julia at a younger age, I should guess. And she is absolutely charming, don’t you think so, Liz?"

Elizabeth was only half-listening to her brother. Joyce WAS very much like Julia, and she was definitely a very attractive woman. But there was something about her that raised Liz’s defenses. Something very different from Julia. There was an intensity to her eyes and an undercurrent in her voice that made Elizabeth uncomfortable. She chided herself for these thoughts. This was Julia’s sister, afterall. But she couldn’t help but give a small shiver as she watched the young woman disappear up the stairs.

Julia closed the bedroom door behind them before she said another word. "How did you find me?" she demanded, crossing her arms across her chest once again.

"Why, Rod, of course. He’s crazy about me. He can deny my nothing, you know that," Joyce answered with a smug expression.

"And you have always taken advantage of him," Julia said with a scowl. Just wait until I talk to him again, Julia thought with anger. She had specifically asked their cousin not to tell Joyce where Julia was living "I’m going to ask you again: What do you want, Joyce? Why don’t you just tell me so that we can end this little charade as quickly as possible. Did you indeed lose another husband? How many does this make, anyway?"

"Three, if you must know. I think you’re just jealous because you haven’t even had one." She stopped to see if her jibes were having the desired effect on her sister. They were, of course. This was always too easy. "And this last one just didn’t work out, that’s all. Honestly, sis, I wanted to see you again. Why are you always so suspicious?"

Julia gave her a look of disdain. Joyce knew that she hated it when she called her "sis." It was such a hypocritical use of what should be an affectionate familial relationship. "Because you have always given me good reason to be suspicious. Don’t pretend that we are such great friends, Joyce. I know better. I’m leaving now, but I’ll be back later to talk to you. I doubt you are as tired as you make out to be. I’m going to find out what is behind your visit, I promise you that."

Julia’s lips were set in a grim line as she opened the bedroom door. It took all her willpower not to slam the door behind her.

Joyce ‘s face wore a sly smile as she watched her sister leave. Julia’s threats meant nothing to her. She was going to find out why Julia had been living in this godforsaken old mansion for so long. She had a feeling that the answer to this mystery could mean great things for her. And she was going to find out about Julia and Barnabas Collins, if it was the last thing she ever did.

MORE TO COME.

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