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Chapter One
"City sidewalks, busy sidewalks Julia Hoffman juggled the many packages she was attempting to carry and wondered for the tenth time what had possessed her to go Christmas shopping this early. She didn't have many people to buy for after all, and Christmas was still weeks away. But she had felt the need, almost a compulsion, to get out of her apartment and subject herself to the crowds and to absorb the Christmas spirit that seemed to infect everyone at this time of year. Perhaps her anxiousness to be out and about had less to do with the holidays and more to do with the uneasiness she had been experiencing at home lately. Shaking her head, she firmly pushed that thought away with two mental hands and tried to concentrate on the scene around her. Brightly wrapped presents, trees strewn with tinsel, strings of colored lights - it had taken awhile for her to recapture the magic of Christmas after her years at Collinwood where holidays seemingly did not exist. But she didn't want to think about Collinwood, the Collins family, or.. She had become quite adept at not thinking about those years - most of the time. It hadn't happened overnight, but she had finally done it. But now Julia found herself once again thinking about her life during that time, and how she had finally found the strength to leave.
Spring 1971 "When were you going to tell me, Julia?" She cringed at the sound of his voice, a mixture of accusation, disappointment and sadness. She was relieved that he had turned away so that she didn't have to see the expression on his face. Still, she couldn't tear her eyes away from his back, straight and proud in spite of his air of dejection. She shrugged even though he couldn't see the gesture. "I have only just decided, Barnabas." He turned back to her. "But you must have had some idea, Julia," he said, calling her bluff. "Yes," she had to admit. "I have been giving this a lot of thought." He moved toward her, and she wanted to physically retreat from him, so great was her fear that he would be able to change her mind. "Julia, you've not been yourself since we've returned to the present. In fact, I noticed a change in you before that - around the time Angelique removed my curse. But there was so much going on at then - Quentin's trial, Trask, Gerard - that I didn't have the opportunity to ask-" She did not want to do this. "I've just been tired, Barnabas," she said, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction. "Ever since I came to Collinwood, it's been one adventure after the other. Four years of danger, time travel, near death experiences-" She paused when she saw the guilt in his haunted eyes. "I'm just tired," she repeated. "Julia-" She wouldn't, couldn't let him say anything that might influence her. "And frankly, Barnabas, it's time for me to move on." His hurt expression tore at her heart, and now she was the one to turn away. "I came here to study you because of your curse. My priorities changed over time, and so I stayed on to help you and to help your family. And now, you're free of that curse, and your family is safe. Mission accomplished all the way around." "But-" "Have you ever heard that saying, Barnabas," she hurried on as she turned back to face him, "when a door closes, somewhere a window opens?" "Yes, of course." "Well, this door is closing for me, Barnabas. And now I need to find where a window is going to open." That was how they had left it between them, neither saying what they really needed to say. She had left Collinwood, and he had not tried to stop her. And Julia hadn't seen Barnabas Collins since the day in 1971 when she had driven away from the Great Estate.
December 1975 A window had indeed opened for her shortly after that. Her former colleague, a Dr. Jamison, had contacted her and offered her a position at a large hospital in New York City. And so here she was all these years later, Christmas shopping in Manhattan. But after reminiscing about that final conversation with Barnabas, she found that the holiday spirit had deserted her. "But is that all that's really bothering you, Julia?" she muttered to herself. Opting for a break, she headed toward the gourmet coffee bar down the block. She plunked herself and her plunder down in a booth and ordered one of their holiday specialty blends. And then she ordered herself a strong dose of reality. Curling her cold hands around the steaming cup the waitress delivered, Julia inhaled its pumpkin spice scent. It should have soothed her, calmed her, but it did not. She hadn't felt calm in close to a week, not with what had been happening in her apartment. She had first noticed the feeling of being watched one night when she had arrived home after working late on a particularly difficult case. She'd been carrying a hastily made sandwich from the kitchen into the living room where she planned to eat in front of the television before collapsing into bed. But as she passed by a wall mirror, she had felt.something. Whirling around, she had glanced quickly in the glass before her attention was diverted to the sandwich which was now on a one-way trip to the floor. She had only seen them for a fraction of a second, but she had been sure at the time that a pair of eyes stared back at her from the glass. Eyes that were not her own. A thorough examination of the mirror of course had revealed nothing unusual, and Julia had convinced herself that after all those years in the Old House, she was still just unaccustomed to looking glasses. But in the subsequent days and nights, she could not escape the sensation of being watched. And last night, she had thought she heard an odd sound while listening to a radio program. A snippet of music? Or had it been laughter? She had snapped off the radio and strained to hear it again, but it was not repeated. Music, laughter, whatever it was, the sound had made the skin prickle on the back of her neck. Julia Hoffman was becoming convinced that someone or something was watching her, and their gaze was not benevolent. But there was more to the story - because she thought she had felt a second presence last night as well. After hearing the strange music, she'd been frightened. She had gone to pour a brandy when a sudden warmth enveloped her, a warmth that felt strong yet gentle. A warmth that had made her feel protected. Julia now ran down the possibilities in her mind, trying to determine who the "threatening" presence could be. She had faced many enemies while living at Collinwood; it could be any of them. Did one of them want to harm her for some reason? Or was something wrong at Collinwood, and they wanted to keep her from interfering? Was the Collins family in danger? Was Barnabas.? And who could the other presence be? Or had she just imagined all of it? She shivered and then realized where she was. She looked down at the cup she still cradled in her hands; she hadn't taken as much as a sip, and the coffee was now stone cold. Setting it down with a sigh, Julia Hoffman made a decision. She was away from the uneasy feelings for the moment, and she was going to enjoy her shopping trip. She had a few more gifts to pick up, and then she was going to buy that little tree with the miniature ornaments she had seen in the store down the street. She glanced out the window and smiled when a group of carolers began singing on the corner:
"Silver bells, silver bells She gathered up her packages and headed toward the door thinking that she might stop at the dairy on the corner for a pint of eggnog. Her arms full, she struggled through the doorway - and ran right into the arms of a tall, dark haired man. "Barnabas!" she gasped. "What are you doing here?"
*("Silver Bells", words and music by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston)
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