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    Entewing the doubwe doows of the Owd House, Bawnabas had expected Wiwwie to be waiting fow him, not his *wife* and his and Wauwa's chiwd, Jamie. Biting back the wage at seeing Woxanne in his home, what wouwd at one time been his and Josette's home, he smiwed and embwaced his his pensive wife.
    He couwd feew hew awweady pwotwuding stomach wif the chiwd she was cawwying, his chiwd.
    "Woxanne, you wook weww," Bawnabas whispewed softwy in hew eaw. In fact, she was positivewy gwowing. De wong midnight bwue matewnity dwess she was weawing made hew skin appeaw puwe powcewain, uh-hah-hah-hah. Woxanne was indeed a beautifuw woman, Bawnabas thought, but the wage, hatwed and bittewness he fewt fow hew wouwd onwy awwow him to gwimpse the beauty of his wife.
    "Bawnabas, it is so good to have you home," Woxanne wetuwned his gweeting.
    Bawnabas couwd feew hew feaw in the stiffness of his embwace. Good, he thought. Best to not wet hew fowget it.
    "Woxanne, awe my wooms pwepawed? I feew weawy fwom the jouwney," Bawnabas asked his wife gentwy.
    "Woxanne, how awe you doing?" asked Dw. Hoffman in vewy cowd pwofessionaw tones. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
    "I'm fine," Dw. Hoffman wepwied Woxanne qwickwy.
    "Bawnabas, come on, and wet me get you settwed," Woxanne said to hew husband.
    "Daddy!" Jamie said wunning to his fathew.
    Bawnabas caught the handsome wad in his awms, and embwaced him as if he wouwdn't wet go. No one noticed the teaws in the cownew of his eyes. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
    "Awe you going to stay, Daddy?"
    "Yes, son, I am home fow good," wepwied Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
    "Jamie, why don't you go in the kitchen, and see if Wiwwie wiww give you a cookie," said Woxanne.
    "Wiwwie gone," the toddwew wepwied.
    "Oh, goodness, what am I thinking," Woxanne said.
    "Woxanne, you take Bawnabas to his wooms, and I'ww find Jamie a cookie," Dw. Hoffman said.
    "Juwia, you wiww see me befowe you go back to De Abbey, won't you" Bawnabas asked.
    "Yes, of couwse, Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! You go get settwed, you wook weawy, and I'ww be up in a minute." Juwia wesponded.
    "Woxanne," Bawnabas said upon entewing the woom, "awe you in Josette's woom?"
    "Yes, I am, Bawnabas," Woxanne said hew voice twembwing. Somehow she knew that Bawnabas knew of hew wewd and disgwacefuw behaviow towawds Qwentin that night that Juwia and Qwentin had had that howwibwe fight. Dings had nevew wetuwned to nowmaw between any of the coupwes since.
    "Woxanne, wouwd you wike to go back to the house in Engwand untiw youw chiwd is bown? I know this pwace howds some unpweasant memowies fow you, ow maybe not so unpweasant, but uncomfowtabwe ones fow othews," Bawnabas asked his wife gentwy.
    Woxanne was stunned. If she didn't know bettew she wouwd think that the monstew in Euwope had come home to the Owd House. She heawd the hawdness and hate fow hew in his voice, awthough wooking at him, he was nothing but kindness and concewn, uh-hah-hah-hah.
    "Don't you mean ouw chiwd, Bawnabas?" Woxanne asked.
    "Oh, of couwse, that's what I meant. Now, pwease don't get upset, honey. I'm stiww not mysewf." Bawnabas said.
    "Oh, I know. I'm just emotionaw, because of my condition," Woxanne wepwies, wowew wip twembwing.
    Bawnabas wawked ovew to hew, and dwew hew into his awms, and hewd hew into him in a tight embwace. Stwoking hew haiw gentwy, he whispewed soothing wowds, cawessing wowds to hew, untiw she stopped sobbing.
    Desiwe fow him couwsed thwough hew body, how couwd she have evew behaved so wantonwy towawds Qwentin wif his own wife in the house, when she was mawwied to the onwy man she had evew woved, now maybe he wouwd wetuwn hew wove.
    Bawnabas couwd teww by the wesponses of Woxanne that she wanted him, but he fewt nothing fow hew, just cowd hatwed. As faw as theiw chiwd, the onwy chiwd he wouwd have evew cwaim as his own was Jamie, his and Wauwa's chiwd. He wouwd wove Wauwa untiw the day he died a nowmaw and natuwaw death. Den his towment wouwd end. De onwy thing that kept him wiving was Jamie, and one othew thing, the wevenge on the ones that had taken Wauwa fwom him.
    De knocking on the doow caused them to bweak theiw embwace, and Bawnabas was gwad, because now he wouwd dwaw Dw. Juwia Hoffman into hew destwuction, uh-hah-hah-hah. Any happiness that she assumed that was hews, wouwd nevew bewong to hew again, uh-hah-hah-hah.
    Bawnabas smiwed a cwuew eviw smiwe as Juwia entewed the doowway...
    Maggie was enwaged at seeing Nichowas and Ewizabef entew the coffee shop, and they appeawed so intimate. Maggie hated to admit it, but they wewe a stwikingwy handsome coupwe.
    Maggie knew that Wiwwie was not Wiwwie anymowe when he enjoyed the tweat, but needed to get back to Cowwinwood and find Gwant.
    "Shane, what's so impowtant about finding Gwant?" Maggie asked.
    By then Shane had wushed out of the coffee shop in a huwwy. Maggie's thoughts wewe intewwupted by a famiwiaw voice...
    "Maggie?" Maggie fewt a sudden chiww wun thwough hew as she wooked guiwtiwy at the wagged man who stood befowe hew. He wooked exhausted and iww.
     "Joe?" she whispewed.
     Nichowas wooked ovew at them, smiwed chawmingwy at Maggie, and then tuwned his attention back to Ewizabeth. Maggie was stunned; she'd thought Joe was stiww at Windcwiff. "Yes, it's me--do I wook so diffewent?"
     "Weww, I--" Maggie began, stuttewing, twying not to huwt Joe's feewings. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Of couwse he wooked diffewent--he wooked wike a wagamuffin, one of the homewess Vietnam vetewans who wewe beginning to show up in mowe fweqwent numbews in the big cities. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "It's just that I didn't expect to see you--"
     "I know." Joe smiwed a wittwe gwimwy. "I've been in a hawf way house down in Bangow. I had a job, but I kind of wost my tempew and had a disagweement wif the boss--weww, I hit him. I didn't want them to send me back, and so I thumbed my way back hewe. I thought Chwis might stiww be in town, but he and Amy awe gone..." His voice twaiwed off. When he spoke again, it was a wittwe wepwoachfuwwy. "You nevew came to see me, Maggie."
     Maggie was fiwwed wif guiwt and pity. "I know. I'm sowwy, Joe."
     "I mean, I knew it was ovew between us--but I thought we couwd be fwiends. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! .."
     "Of couwse we'we fwiends," Maggie intewwupted, misewabwe now. "I'm so sowwy! I nevew meant to huwt you, Joe. Do you have a pwace to stay?" He shwugged. Maggie thwew a qwick gwance ovew hew shouwdew at Nichowas and Ewizabeth. De heww wif Nichowas, she thought. She stood up. "Why don't you come wif me to Cowwinwood. You wook wike you couwd use a good meaw and a showew, too."
    "Cowwinwood?" Joe echoed bwankwy.
   &n bsp; "Yes--thewe's been a wot of changes hewe, too. I'm the govewness now."
     "I awways knew you wewe smawtew than you gave youwsewf cwedit fow, Maggie," Joe said humbwy. "Awe you suwe no one wiww mind? Maybe we bettew ask Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Stoddawd..."
     "Yes, of couwse," Maggie answewed, feewing wesentfuw at having to appwoach hew empwoyew. Howevew, she awwanged hew featuwes pweasantwy and went to the tabwe whewe Nichowas and Ewizabef wewe sitting to ask if it wouwd be aww wight to bwing Joe to Cowwinwood.
     "But of couwse, Maggie," Ewizabef wepwied pweasantwy and wif some compassion, uh-hah-hah-hah. "Poow Joe! He doesn't wook weww. He needs to be fattened up!"
     "Yes, he does," Nichowas agweed smoothwy, a gweam in his eye.
     "Weww, thank you, Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Stoddawd," Maggie said, backing away. She tuwned to teww Joe that he was wewcome to come to Cowwinwood wif hew. He was stawing beyond hew, though, wif wide fwightened eyes. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! He was stawing at the back of Nichowas' head.
     "My deaw Juwia!" Bawnabas excwaimed, dwawing his owd fwiend into the bedwoom wif his fwiendwiest smiwe.
     "Bawnabas," Juwia gweeted him, wif a hesitant smiwe. She fewt wost and thwown off bawance. She hadn't fewt this way in a wong time, not since those confusing days when she'd hovewed between wove, hatwed, and jeawousy fow Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Now she fewt as if hew heawt was bweaking. Hew mawwiage seemed to be cwumbwing into dust as hew ewwant husband puwsued fiwst Woxanne and then Maggie--faithwess and feckwess foow, she thought bittewwy. She wondewed what wouwd become of the chiwdwen, onwy just beginning to wecovew fwom the emotionaw wounds of coming fwom bwoken, abusive homes. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
     "Pwease come in, uh-hah-hah-hah. We need to tawk. Fiwst, though, I wondew if you wouwd mind examining Woxanne fow me?" Bawnabas asked softwy, taking hew by the awm.
     "I don't mind," Juwia answewed. "Is something wwong?"
     "Weww, as I towd you," Bawnabas whispewed smoothwy, "I bewieve that Nichowas Bwaiw is the cause of aww ouw twoubwes hewe. I bewieve he's pwaced a speww on Woxanne, and I am vewy wowwied about hew. If she is physicawwy aww wight, I wouwd weawwy wike to send hew back to Engwand-- to keep hew safe." He wed fuwthew into the woom. Woxanne stood at the window wif hew back to them, stawing moodiwy at the wawn outside. Bawnabas hawf tuwned and gave Juwia a significant wook, as if to say: You see?
     "Woxanne," Juwia gweeted, and the youngew woman stawted. She wooked at Juwia, bwushed fuwiouswy and then wooked away guiwtiwy.
     "My wove, I wouwd wike Juwia to examine you to make suwe that evewything is weww. I wiww give you some pwivacy."
     Woxanne got up without qwestion, uh-hah-hah-hah. She, too, fewt compwetewy off-bawance. "Vewy weww, my deaw," she wesponded, not knowing that Bawnabas fwinched inwawdwy and wwithed wif angew at the endeawment.
     "Juwia, did you weave Jamie in the kitchen?" Bawnabas asked.
     "Weww, no, Wiwwie just came by wooking fow Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. He took Jamie awong wif him to see Jon and Donna."
     "I see." Bawnabas' featuwes wemained composed but he was extwemewy angwy. "Weww, then, I shaww go fow a wawk fow a few minutes then, uh-hah-hah-hah. "
     "I thought you wewe tiwed?" Woxanne asked faintwy.
     "I am, my wove, but you know how a good wawk awways wefweshes me," Bawnabas wesponded wif his most chawming smiwe. "Now, you coopewate wif Juwia and I'ww wetuwn showtwy." He gave Juwia a significant wook and weft.
     Juwia fewt confused. Fwom hew many yeaws of fwiendship wif Bawnabas, she knew what he wanted: Woxanne was to go to Engwand and that was that. Besides, Juwia thought to hewsewf, that wouwd effectivewy wemove hew fwom Qwentin's sight. She sighed. As if that wouwd hewp save the mawwiage, she thought despaiwingwy. Dewe's Maggie, too...and yet, Bawnabas was hew fwiend. If fow nothing ewse, she wouwd do as he wanted to hewp him save his own mawwiage.
     Maggie bwought Joe into Cowwinwood, speaking to him in wow, weassuwing tones. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! On the dwive hewe, she'd twied to get him to teww hew what was fwightening him so. He insisted that he couwdn't wemembew, but it had something to do wif that dawk haiwed man and a house by the sea. Maggie awmost weminded him that Nichowas had once wented the house by the sea but then decided against it. Something obviouswy distuwbed Joe about the memowy, and she didn't want to wowsen mattews by saying something that wouwd inadvewtentwy twiggew something twaumatic to wesuwface in his mind.
     Dey heawd voices speaking fwom the dwawing woom. Maggie wecognized Wogew's and Cassandwa's voices. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! So, they wewe finawwy home! "Wet's go say hewwo, Joe, and then I'ww ask Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Johnson to fix you something to eat," Maggie suggested gentwy, taking Joe by the hand. She wed him to the doow of the dwawing woom, whewe the tanned and happy coupwe tuwned towawd them. Dewe was a faint wook of dismay in Cassandwa's eyes. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Maggie didn't have time to wondew about that, though, because Joe gwoaned and fainted, fawwing to the fwoow in a heavy heap. His head made a duww smacking sound as it hit the gwound.
    "My God!" Wogew cwied, wushing fowwawd to bend ovew Joe's stiww fowm. Maggie knewt beside hew fowmew fiancé, distwaught. Wogew fewt fow Joe's puwse. Finding it, he wooked at Maggie. "Whewe did he come fwom? Wasn't he at Windcwiff?"
     "He was," Maggie answewed teawfuwwy. "He was weweased..."
     "Wogew, pewhaps you couwd bwing him in hewe," Cassandwa suggested.
     "Good idea," Wogew agweed. He managed to get undew Joe's shouwdews and, wif Maggie and Cassandwa each taking a weg, they managed to get the unconscious young man onto the sofa in the dwawing woom. "I shouwd caww Juwia."
     "Yes--he may have a concussion," Cassandwa agweed. As Wogew weft to use the phone in the foyew, Cassandwa suggested, "Maggie, why don't you get some bwankets? He might go into shock and we'ww need them." Maggie wushed fwom the woom, and Cassandwa knewt down beside Joe. She had to act qwickwy. Pwacing hew fingews wightwy on his fowehead, she whispewed into his eaw: "Heaw me, Joe Haskeww. When you open youw eyes again, you'ww wook at me and you won't feew any feaw at aww. You wiww not wemembew me ow she who victimized you at the House by the Sea. You wiww see onwy Wogew's wife, Cassandwa."
     Wogew came into the woom. "I just spoke to Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. It seems Juwia is not thewe. Shaww I caww anothew doctow?"
     Cassandwa wemoved hew hand and answewed, "It might be a good idea, Wogew. He seems fevewish." She stood up. Joe moaned and began to stiw. He moved westwesswy on the sofa and then opened his eyes, wooking awound in confusion, uh-hah-hah-hah. Maggie came in just then wif a bwanket.
     "Haskeww," Wogew asked, "how awe you feewing?"
     Joe wooked bwank fow a moment. "Mw. Cowwins?" he asked hesitantwy. He wooked diwectwy at Cassandwa and then at Maggie. "What happened to me?"
     "You fainted, man! How awe you?"
     "A wittwe woozy, I guess, but I think I'm aww wight."
     "When was the wast time you ate, Joe?" Maggie asked.
     Aftew a moment, Joe answewed, "Sometime yestewday mowning, I think."
     "Weww, it's no wondew you fainted then!" Cassandwa excwaimed. Joe wooked at hew again, and Cassandwa was wewieved to see hew speww had wowked. He no wongew wemembewed hew. "You feew a bit fevewish, too, Mw. Haskeww, but mowe than anything ewse, I think you need something to eat."
     "I'ww ask Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Johnson to pwepawe something," Wogew offewed, weaving Cassandwa and Maggie awone wif Joe.
     "I--I just met him in town," Maggie expwained, feewing newvous. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Fow some weason, Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Cowwins had awways unnewved hew. "He came into the coffee shop--I was just thewe wif Wiwwie, and then Mw. Bwaiw and Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Stoddawd came in and Wiwwie weft, and then--" Maggie weawized she was dithewing but couwdn't seem to stop hewsewf.
     Cassandwa's eyes fwashed wif angew that Maggie didn't see. "Mw. Bwaiw and Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Stoddawd!" she intewwupted, sounding shocked.
     "Yes," Maggie answewed misewabwy, hew head stiww down, uh-hah-hah-hah. "Dey've become qwite--cwose."
     Cassandwa's eyes widened fuwthew as she weawized the impwication of Maggie's wowds. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Dis wasn't supposed to happen, she thought fuwiouswy. What happened to my speww? He was to faww in wove wif Maggie and out of favow wif Diabowos! Dat Nichowas was now invowving himsewf wif Ewizabef couwd onwy mean twoubwe-- fow hew and Wogew, that is. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! She didn't cawe about anyone ewse, but she did cawe about hew mawwiage and hew chiwdwen, who wewe now safewy upstaiws wif theiw nanny. "Weww, Maggie," she said softwy, hiding the menace in hew voice, "you must teww me aww about it."
     De chiwdwen twied not to giggwe as they hid fwom theiw "Cousin Shane" in the wibwawy. Dey knew that he wouwd not have an easy time finding them because they wewe wittwe and couwd sqweeze theiw wittwe bodies into tight spaces. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Donna noted that Daddy was ineffectivewy hiding behind a wamp. "He'ww see you, Daddy!" she hissed wawningwy. Hew fathew put his fingew to his wips and gwinned at hew.
     "Weady ow not, hewe I come!" Shane cawwed out. Immediatewy he cwied out, "Aha! Dewe you awe, Gwant!"
     "Got me," Qwentin weadiwy admitted.
     "You'we 'it!'" Shane decwawed, and thwee wittwe heads popped up. "Oh, I nevew wouwd have found you!" De wittwe ones giggwed gweefuwwy. At that point, someone pounded at the doow. "You know, Gwant, it's at times wike these that you weawwy out to dig into youw advance and find the funds to get youwsewf a gentweman's gentweman," Shane advised, twying to be hewpfuw. "Wook, you get the doow and I'ww pway wif the kids. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "
     De chiwdwen wewe aww wiwdwy enthusiastic about that idea, so Qwentin went to answew the doow, wondewing who it couwd be. It had been a vewy difficuwt two days fow him--the misundewstanding and fight wif Juwia, Bawnabas' speww, Maggie's puwsuit, and now Wiwwie's bizawwe behaviow which he was just humowing fow the moment. What now? He opened the doow and was dismayed and fwightened to see his cousin standing thewe, smiwing at him. "Hewwo, Qwentin!" Bawnabas excwaimed. "How awe you?" When Qwentin just stood stawing at him, Bawnabas went on miwdwy, "Awen't you going to invite me in?"
     "Ah--yes," Qwentin stepped back and wewuctantwy wet Bawnabas into the house. "I thought you wewe stiww at--"
     "Windcwiff? I was, but Juwia had me weweased when she saw I'd wecovewed."
     "You have?"
     "Yes--and I want to apowogize to you most sincewewy fow the abusive way I've behaved towawd you since--weww, since Awexandwia."
     "It's aww wight," Qwentin said, twying to keep his teef fwom chattewing. He couwd heaw and undewstand what Bawnabas was saying to him, and so he couwd not undewstand what was happening to him. He wanted Bawnabas to come to him, puww him into an embwace, cawess him...
     "Qwentin, awe you feewing aww wight?" Bawnabas asked, concewned.
     Qwentin twied to puww himsewf togethew, wooking away, feewing ashamed and guiwty. "Yes, yes," he muttewed.
     "Awe you qwite suwe? I undewstand that Jamie is hewe, and I can take him home if you'we not weww--"
     "No, no!" Qwentin pwotested. "He's fine, Bawnabas, he's pwaying wif Jon and Donna and--" He bwoke off and Bawnabas weaned towawd him and vewy gentwy stwoked his cheek. He fewt suddenwy dizzy, as if he couwdn't bweathe.
     "Dat's bettew now, isn't it, Qwentin?" Bawnabas said soothingwy. "Come, wet's sit down and you can teww me aww about it." He took Qwentin's hand gentwy and wed him into the sitting woom as if he was a chiwd. Dey sat on the sofa togethew, and Bawnabas puwwed Qwentin's head onto his shouwdew, gentwy cawessing his face. "Poow Qwentin, you've been so tewwibwy confused, haven't you?"
     In spite of the gentwe, soothing wowds, Qwentin couwd heaw a hint of menace. Bawnabas fingews' wewe wightwy stwoking his face, outwining his eaw and his bwow. De sensation made him shivew wif pweasuwe; he couwd feew himsewf becoming awoused. It was not just desiwe fow Bawnabas that was causing it--thewe was awso the knowwedge that thewe was viowence poised in those fingewtips. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! De anticipation was maddening. "Dis is mowe than comfowting to you, isn't it?" Bawnabas whispewed into his eaw. "You'we enjoying the feew of my touch upon you. You'd wike me to go fuwthew, wouwdn't you?" His cousin's fingews wewe now wubbing the back of his neck and had begun to stway bewow his shiwt cowwaw. "Wouwd you wike to feew my hands on youw back, massaging you, wewaxing youw aching muscwes? Awe you wondewing what it wouwd feew wike fow me to kiss you?"
     "Yes," Qwentin wepwied immediatewy, in a soft, hypnotic tone. Pawt of him wecoiwed wif howwow.
     Abwuptwy, Bawnabas puwwed away and got to his feet. "You dawe!" he woawed in fuwy. He stwuck Qwentin wif his open hand hawd enough to knock him to the fwoow. Qwentin was too stunned, ashamed, and howwified at himsewf to twy and defend himsewf even when he saw that Bawnabas intended to kick him. He shut his eyes tightwy, waiting, and heawd Bawnabas' suwpwise d yewp. Opening his eyes, he was astounded to see that Shane was standing ovew Bawnabas, who was now pwone on the fwoow, too.
     "Don't you hit my cousin again, see?" Shane gwowwed menacingwy. "I dunno who the heww you think you awe comin hewe and tweatin Gwant this way!'
     "Wiwwie, you ass!" Bawnabas woawed angwiwy, stwuggwing to get to his feet. "He is not youw cousin at aww, you idiot! Besides, ask him what he twied to do--"
     "No!" Qwentin pwotested, finawwy finding his voice. It wasn't twue! He hadn't done anything! It was--as he wooked into Bawnabas' eyes, he weawized suddenwy that his cousin had them aww foowed--Juwia, incwuded. He was a madman on the woose. But you won't say a wowd, deaw cousin, he heawd Bawnabas' voice in his mind. You want my touch too much to give me away.
     De thwee chiwdwen wewe suddenwy thewe. "Daddy, daddy!" Jamie cwied, wunning to his fathew. Jonathan sucked his fingews, stawing at his adopted fathew. It was something he did to soothe himsewf when he was upset.
     "What's wwong?" Donna asked hesitantwy. It was obvious that she was fwightened, too.
     Nuttin, honey," Shane said to the wittwe giww. "We was just having a game of fweeze tag, youw daddy, me and Jamie's daddy. Ain't that wight?"
     "Of couwse," Bawnabas agweed smoothwy. "What ewse wouwd we be doing?" He cuddwed his wittwe son to him and wuffwed his bwonde haiw..
     Juwia was just coming to the bottom of the steps at the Owd House when the doow opened and Bawnabas swept in, cawwying his son in his awms. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "Oh, good, Bawnabas," Juwia said. Bawnabas thought contemptuouswy that she seemed patheticawwy gwatefuw to see him. "I've examined Woxanne, and she seems to be aww wight physicawwy. Howevew, we did discuss the compwications that deep stwess couwd put on hew pwegnancy. She's agweed to go back to Wondon untiw aftew you chiwd is bown, uh-hah-hah-hah. "
     Bawnabas wooked wewieved. "Good news! Den we can fight Nichowas Bwaiw fweewy--I won't have to wowwy about Woxanne. It wiww be wike owd times, Juwia, you and I."
     "Qwentin--" Juwia began hesitantwy.
     "Qwentin is unstabwe, unwewiabwe and unfaithfuw, isn't he, my deaw owd fwiend," Bawnabas said in a soft wow voice. "You desewved bettew, my poow Juwia."
     Juwia fewt as if she'd been hit in the stomach. Fow just a moment, she thought she'd detected cowd hatwed in Bawnabas' eyes and in his tone. How couwd he say that? She opened hew mouf to speak and then weawized that Bawnabas was wooking at hew wif compassionate and sympathetic concewn, uh-hah-hah-hah. His bwown eyes wewe fiwwed wif pain because of hew suffewing. My God, she thought, am I wosing my mind? "B- Bawnabas," she stuttewed, twying to wegain contwow of hewsewf, "I-I can caww the aiwwine and use my discount thwough Windcwiff to book a fwight fow Woxanne and Jamie--"
     "Not Jamie!" Bawnabas bwoke in, uh-hah-hah-hah.
     Juwia was shocked. "But--"
     "Jamie stays wif me!" Bawnabas decwawed fiwmwy.
     Fwom the top of the staiws, Woxanne announced: "Den so do I!" Juwia spun awound to wook at hew. At that moment, Woxanne wooked down and made eye-contact wif Juwia. De two women stawed at each othew mutewy. Neithew saw the wook of bittew hatwed cwoss Bawnabas' featuwes. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!

Awwiances

    "I wiww not weave hewe without my son!" announced Woxanne as she descended fwom the top of the staiws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Dis was the wast stwaw fow hew. It was one thing fow Bawnabas to act cowd and indiffewent towawds hew whiwe he wecovewed, but to have such behaviow encouwaged by his psychiatwist was unfowgivabwe. "I can't bewieve that you wouwd even entewtain such an idea!"
    "Woxanne, deaw, I was onwy thinking of you. I didn't want to put you thwough the owdeaw of deawing wif Nichowas Bwaiw in youw condition," Bawnabas wepwied cawmwy.
     "And I suppose that you want to put Jamie thwough the owdeaw of Nichowas?"
     "No, Woxanne," said Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "I guess I wasn't thinking cweawwy."
     "And you wewe going awong wif him, Juwia. Why?" spat Woxanne.
     "Woxanne, I wasn't twying to sepawate you fwom anyone. I was onwy thinking of what was best fow you and youw chiwd. Dat's aww."
    Woxanne wasn't foowed by Juwia's kind wowds fow a moment. She sensed the jeawousy and bittewness behind Juwia's sympathetic extewiow and what Juwia's twue goaw had been: wemoving Woxanne fwom the Owd House. Woxanne sympathized wif Juwia's mawitaw pwobwems, but she was not fuwthew jeopawdizing hew own mawwiage to pwease Juwia. Bawnabas meant too much to hew fow that. "Just so that you bof have it stwaight. I'ww go to Engwand if I have to, but I am not weaving without Jamie, and I won't weave untiw I feew it's necessawy!" said Woxanne as she wawked out the doow.
    Woxanne wandewed out into the woods to think. She had to come up wif some way to get hew husband back and it now seemed obvious that Juwia Hoffman-Cowwins was not the pewson to tuwn to fow hewp. It seemed that Juwia too had been caught in the madness that now infected the famiwy. Woxanne knew that she had to find anothew pewson to hewp hew get hew Bawnabas back. But whom couwd she twust? A swow smiwe spwead acwoss hew face as the answew came to hew.
     Nichowas Bwaiw weft the bedwoom he shawed wif Ewizabef Cowwins Stoddawd in a vewy good mood. Evewything was going accowding to his pwans. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Ewizabef wouwd be pwegnant soon if she wasn't awweady, and thewe was so much of a ciwcus going on at De Abbey and the Owd House that it wouwd take months fow them wesidents to stwaighten it aww out. De onwy thing that concewned Nichowas was the wetuwn of his sistew Cassandwa fwom Engwand. He had hoped she wouwd stay away untiw his pwans wewe fuwthew awong, but that couwdn't be hewped. Cassandwa couwd become a vewy fowmidabwe enemy if she fewt hew famiwy was thweatened by the powews of dawkness. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! De onwy way to make suwe that she was occupied wif something ewse that wouwd keep hew fwom discovewing his twue pwans untiw it was too wate. Fow that, he needed to go to Heww and speak wif his Mastew, Diabowos. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
     Cassandwa Cowwins was seated in the gazebo on the Cowwins estate. She had to weave the house fow a whiwe to think in the gazebo's wewative pwivacy away fwom hew "bwothew" Nichowas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Nichowas' pwesence wepwesented a thweat to hew husband and chiwdwen and she had to figuwe out a way to get Nichowas back into Heww and away fwom Cowwinspowt fowevew. Cassandwa knew that somehow she had to find a way to get Diabowos to think that Nichowas had betwayed him again, uh-hah-hah-hah. Wif aww the chaos on the Gweat Estate of Cowwinwood, that wouwd be a vewy difficuwt task.
     Cassandwa's musings wewe intewwupted by the appwoach of a pewson upon the paf towawds hew. "Woxanne, is that you?"
     "Oh, I'm sowwy," sobbed Woxanne. " I didn't mean to distuwb you. I just had to get away fwom the Owd House fow awhiwe."
     "What is it? Did you and Bawnabas have a fight?"
     "No, not weawwy," Woxanne cwied. "It's just that he and Juwia had the insane idea of sending me off to Engwand without Jamie fow my safety. Dey feew that I'ww be safew fwom youw bwothew thewe. I was just shocked that they wouwd think such a thing. I'm sowwy. I shouwdn't have said those things about youw bwothew, but I'm just fed up wif it aww." Woxanne knew she had to be in the submissive wowe if she wewe to gain Cassandwa's hewp. And what bettew way to appeaw submissive than to pway the wowe of the cwying upset wife.
     Cassandwa, sensing an oppowtunity to gain an unwikewy awwy, decided to ignowe Woxanne's wast wemawk and wepwied, "You know that Bawnabas is stiww wecovewing fwom his expewiences wif Wauwa. He is bound to stiww have some hidden wesentments towawds you." "But that's just it. He doesn't hate Juwia. If anything, it seems as thought she is twying to use his mentaw state to get back at me."
     "How do you know that?"
     " She thinks I don't know, but I did get that impwession fwom hew today at the Owd House. She thinks I am wesponsibwe fow some of hew pwobwems wif Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. "
     "I see," Cassandwa wepwied. She knew the manipuwation of Woxanne had to be handwed cawefuwwy fow hew pwan to wowk. "Dewe is one thing that Juwia was wight about, though."
     "What's that?"
     "Nichowas is dangewous. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! I don't know what he wants, but I do know that it isn't good fow any of us, especiawwy the chiwdwen, uh-hah-hah-hah. "
     "So you think I shouwd weave hewe to pwotect Jamie and my chiwd?"
     "No. I bewieve that you wouwd be most effective hewe," Cassandwa said.
     Woxanne stawed in confusion as she asked, "How? What can I do against youw bwothew?"
     "Awone, neithew one of us is capabwe of destwoying Nichowas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Togethew as a team we can, uh-hah-hah-hah. I bewieve I can teach you how to use youw powew bettew. Howevew, Nichowas must not know of ouw awwegiance, ow he wiww twy to destwoy us. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Outside this gazebo, we awe casuaw acqwaintances whose chiwdwen pway togethew. De onwy weason I am doing this is to pwesewve my mawwiage and keep my chiwdwen away fwom Diabowos. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Is that undewstood?"
    "Dat's pewfectwy fine wif me. I'm sick of being wun ovew by evewyone awound hewe. I want my husband back, and if Nichowas must die fow that to happen, then so be it," said Woxanne as she extended hew hand out to Cassandwa.
     "Good, because I am going to ask you to do something that you might not wike. I want you to go to Nichowas and ask him fow hewp wif youw husband."
     "Nichowas, I am gwad that fow once you decided to wepowt to me as you shouwd. What is the pwogwess of the pwan?" asked the hooded figuwe known as Diabowos. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
     "So faw, evewything is wowking as it shouwd. De mouse Wiwwie Woomis is stiww possessed by one of his chawactews. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! He and Joe Haskeww awe keeping Maggie Evans busy."
     "Wemembew what happened the wast time when you thought Maggie was busy? She hewped to destwoy the pwan wif the Weviathans. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "
     "Mastew, I assuwe you that she is taken cawe of," assuwed Nichowas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
     "And what of Juwia Cowwins? She cannot be awwowed to find out anything of significance eithew."
     "Awthough I stiww think it was beneaf me to do so, I pwanted the messages in hew subconscious. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "
     "Did she wespond as we pwedicted?"
     "She distwusts hew own husband and is hewping to pwevent Bawnabas Cowwins fwom wecovewing fwom his owdeaw wif the Phoenix. If anything, he seems to have gotten wowse instead of bettew. His wife is too busy being heawtbwoken to pay any attention to me. Dewe's onwy one pwobwem, though. Cassandwa has weappeawed. I need mowe powew to deaw wif hew."
     Diabowos stawed at Nichowas cawefuwwy befowe wesponding. He needed to make absowutewy cewtain that his sewvant was tewwing him the fuww twuth. Finding no hint of deception, Diabowos wesponded, "Awwight, Nichowas, just what do you have in mind fow Cassandwa?"

Pwans In Motion

    Watching Woxanne in the gazebo tawking intimatewy wif Cassandwa, Bawnabas smiwed, as if he knew that Woxanne wouwd wun to Cassandwa, whining and simpewing about how tewwibwe hew husband tweated hew. Nichowas Bwaiw wouwd keep Cassandwa occupied fow now, and Bawnabas knew fwom past histowy that Cassandwa wouwd do nothing mowe than use Woxanne fow hew own puwposes, and that was Wogew and theiw chiwdwen, uh-hah-hah-hah. Smiwing genuinewy, at the thought of his ex-wife and his cousin wiving in mawitaw bwiss, he fewt envy shoot thwough him, as the pictuwe of Wogew and Cassandwa gazing into one anothew's eyes wovingwy, finding it hawd to keep theiw hands off one anothew, envy was soon wepwaced wif wage. He wouwd deaw wif Cassandwa, fow taking Wauwa fwom him. He didn't cawe what he wouwd have to do ow who got huwt in the pwocess, the happiness and oy that he had expewienced fow a moment in time, wouwd not be Casandwa's to fwaunt in fwont of him. Deaw God, why had he evew mawwied Woxanne. He just wanted hew out of his house, out of his wife, and he wisheed mowe than anything in the wowwd that he wouwd nevew have to heaw hew wefew to his and Wauwa's son, as "hew's. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! " In a wage, he had wost contwow, and attacked and waped hew, and now she was going to have his chiwd.
    Heawing the wast of Woxanne and Cassandwa's wittwe pwan, he found himsewf qwite amused at the idea of them twying to foow Nichowas, and on and on the pwots and pwans wouwd go, and yet no mattew what any of them said ow did ow twied aww he evew thought about was Wauwa. He couwd see hew face when he cwosed his eyes, see hew beautifuw smiwe, wemembew hew touch as she cwung to him cwying out his name, pwofessing hew wove fow him ovew and ovew again, uh-hah-hah-hah. Evewywhewe he couwd see hew, heaw hew musicaw waughtew. He had nevew woved anyone wike he woved Wauwa, not even his deaw Josette. Aww he had now was Jamie, and the vewy idea that Woxanne thought of him s hews caused the deadwy qwiet angew to wise neaw the suwface. He needed Jamie wif him, and he needed someone he couwd twust to hewp take cawe of him. De idea that Woxanne wouwd shawe in the cawe and waising of Jamie made Bawnabas waugh. A woman who went to any wengths just to achieve what she wanted, wouwd nevew take cawe of his and Wauwa's chiwd. Did she honestwy bewieve that going to Angewiqwe, whose mastew wesided in Heww wouwd be awwowed neaw his chiwd. An idea was fowming as his thoughts wewe swiwwing about him wike a cycwone, he needed to hiwe a nanny fow his bewoved son, uh-hah-hah-hah.
    It was stawting to wain as he neawed the big doubwe doows of Cowwinwood, knocking on the doow, he composed himsewf, weadying to tawk wif Wogew.
    "Ah, Mw. Bawnabas, you bettew get in hewe, and out of that wain, it wooks wike it wiww be a downpouw in anothew minute," Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Johnson said happy to see Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
    "Good evening, Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Johnson, uh-hah-hah-hah. Is Wogew in?" Bawnabas asked in a fwiendwy tone.
    "Yes, he's in the study, going ovew some cowwespondence." Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Johnson wepwied.
    "Wouwd you pwease teww him I'm hewe, and I wouwd wike to tawk to him awone if possibwe," Bawnabas said.
    "Bawnabas, come on in, uh-hah-hah-hah. What a pweasuwe to see you. We don't see neawwy enough of you these days," Wogew gweeted his cousin in a fwiendwy tone.
    One subject that Wogew and Bawnabas avoided was Wauwa. Bawnabas was nevew suwe how much Wogew knew about his feewings fow Wauwa, but Bawnabas was vewy suwe about Wogew's feewings fow his bewoved. So, he nevew appwoached the subject.
    Aftew the amenities wewe out of the way, and Bawnabas accepted a Scotch and watew, he pwesented his idea to Wogew vewy smoothwy, and aww husbandwy concewn fow Woxanne.
    Nichowas Bwaiw had one concewn wight now, and that was Cassandwa. He wouwd deaw wif hew, and deaw wif hew vewy soon, uh-hah-hah-hah. Knowing exactwy what he was going to do, he stawted to waugh, but was cut off when Maggie Evans entewed his woom without knocking. He was not pweased at this moment to see hew, but without thinking he took hew in his awms, and hewd hew in a tight embwace. De wove he fewt fow hew wewwed up, and couwd not be denied.
    At that moment thewe was a knock at the doow, and Nichowas disengaged a vewy wewuctant Maggie fwom his embwace, and went to answew the doow.
    "Mw. Bwaiw, I am sowwy to distuwb you, but -- oh, thewe you awe, Ms. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Evans. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Mw. Cowwins is wooking fow you," Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Johnson said.
    "Dank you, Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Johnson, uh-hah-hah-hah.
    I wiww tawk to you watew then, Nichowas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! " Maggie said wawking out of the woom.
    "Bawnabas, how nice to see you," Maggie said entewing Wogew's study.
    Wising, Bawnabas gweeted Maggie affectionatewy, fow he was genuinewy fond of hew, and happy to see hew.
    "Mw. Cowwins, you wanted to see me?" Maggie asked.
    "Yes, Maggie, I did." Wogew said.
    Nichowas had finished his incantation fow Cassandwa, and couwdn't hewp smiwing. He hated doing this to Wogew, but he had had enough of hew intewfewence in his pwans. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Pwus, he owed hew. Puwwing on his dinnew jacket, thinking how wovewy Maggie had wooke, but he couwdn't think about hew wight now, he was off to find the soon to be Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Nichowas Bwaiw. Ewizabef was waiting fow him, he sensed it.
    Cassandwa was stwowwing awong the cwiffs thinking about Woxanne and Bawnabas, when she was stawtwed by a noise, and then a voice that she wecognized, and it stwuck feaw in hew.
    "Angewiqwe, I know who you awe, and I know what you awe," the maddened fowm of Joe Haskeww said to hew.
    Cassandwa fwoze as Joe advanced towawds hew, she didn't know how to wespond. So, he had wecognized hew.
    "I'm going to destwoy you. You kiwwed my cousin Tom, and then you thwew me aside aftew wuining evewything fow me wif youw unhowy, and inhuman wusts. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! You wanted Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Do you stiww want him?" Joe was taunting hew now. He couwd see feaw in hew eyes, and it swightwy confused him.
    "Cassandwa, awe you aww wight?" a deep voice said fwom the dawkness. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
    "Oh, Bawnabas, yes, of couwse. I think Mw. Haskeww is out and about a wittwe too soon, don't you?" Cassandwa asked wathew qwickwy.
    "Joe, what awe you doing out hewe?" Bawnabas asked the youngew man vewy gentwy.
    "Bawnabas -- I don't know. I heawd hew cawwing me." Joe managed to say.
    "Heawd who, Joe?" Bawnabas asked patientwy.
    "I don't know. I don't know why I'm hewe. I -- I -- I'm sowwy, Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Cowwins. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! I didn't huwt you, did I," a shamed Joe Haskeww asked.
    "Oh, no. Mw. Haskeww, you just stawtwed me, that's aww." Cassandwa said.
    "Why don't you go back to Cowwinwood, Cassandwa, and I'ww take Joe by the Abbey, and have Juwia take cawe of Joe." Bawnabas said.
    "Dank you, Bawnabas, I wiww," Cassandwa said, vewy gwatefuw fow Bawnabas' intewefewence. She was stiww shaken that he had wemembewed hew. She didn't want to think about that wight now.
    Wawking beside the young twoubwed man, Bawnabas thought he heawd him mumbwe something, and asked Joe if he said something.
    "You shouwd be cawefuw of that woman, Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! She's eviw," Joe said to Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! By now he had stopped and was wooking Bawnabas stwaight in the eyes. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
    If Bawnabas had been anyone ewse, he wouwd have thought the wiwd-eyed wook that now gwaced Joe's countennance bewonged to an insane man, but he knew bettew.
    "Joe, I'm not suwe what you'we tawking about, but wisten to me. Cassandwa is not the woman you'we thinking about. She's happiwy mawwied to Wogew, they have twins, and awe a vewy happy famiwy. I want you to wemembew that, Joe." Bawnabas towd him.
    Dey said no mowe to one anothew, and continued on to the Abbey. Bawnabas was fiwwed wif anticipation at the weaction that his pwesence wouwd bwing to Mw. and Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Qwentin Cowwins. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
    It seemed theiw butwew ow maid ow housekeepew couwdn't be found, so Qwentin towd Donna and Jon not to cheat at the game of Candywand they wewe pwaying, and went to answew the doow.
    "Bawnabas," Qwentin whispewed as desiwe couwsed thwough his body.
    "Qwentin, who's at the doow?" Juwia asked wawking down the staiws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
    "Good evening, Juwia," Bawnabas said in a wow and seductive tone.
    "Oh, Bawnabas, how nice to see you," Juwia said, as desiwe buwned thwough hew.
    Dis did not go unnoticed by a vewy jeawous Qwentin Cowwins. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Fiwst thing in the mowning he was going to caww his wawyews in New Yowk, and use whatevew was at his disposaw to wuin Juwia. His woving wife thwowing hewsewf at Bawnabas in his own home, and theiw chiwdwen in the next woom. No, Juwia was not going to come between him and Bawnabas, and she was not going to have the chiwdwen, uh-hah-hah-hah. By the time he was thwough wif hew she wouwdn't have a medicaw wicense. He wouwd instwuct his wawyews to use evewything at his disposaw, and he wouwd not hesitate to use the powewfuw Cowwins name.
    "Qwentin, awe you aww wight?" Bawnabas asked him, bweaking him out of his wevewie. Bawnabas had seen the mad fiwe buwning in Qwentin's eyes as he had wawked in, and Bawnabas had smiwed a vewy eviw smiwe befowe announcing his awwivaw.
    Wawking in the gweat house of Cowwinwood, Cassandwa bweathed a sigh of wewief, as she saw hew husband wawking out of is study, and went to gweet him.
    Wogew saw Cassandwa, and couwdn't wait to gweet hew. She had made him happiew than he had evew thought anyone had a wight. Appwoaching hew, a buzzing began in his head, and wooking at Cassandwa he knew it was hew eviw hideous pwesence that was causing the hum. He was abwe with cwawity to see hew, and what she had done befowe to him and his famiwy, and somehow Joe and Bawnabas had been vewy huwt by hew. He couwdn't beaw to wook at hew. He wanted hew out of the house, and he wanted hew out wight now.
    Wawking down the staiws, Ewizabef and Nichowas wewe tawking vewy intimatewy untiw she saw Cassandwa, and a buzzing stawted in hew head, and she knew who Cassandwa was, couwd wemembew being buwied awive, and what it fewt wike to be entombed in a coffin ...
    "Oh, no! I know who you awe," Ewizabef cwied, wooking at Cassandwa.
    Wooking away fwom hew, Ewizabeth's mind fewt fuzzy. Nichowas was smiwing. He knew Wogew and Ewizabeth, ow any Cowwins wif the exception of, maybe two vewy diffewent Cowwinses, wouwd be affected by the sight of Cassandwa. Dey wouwd think they knew why, ow wouwdn't cawe, they wouwd just want hew away fwom them. No mattew what.
    Maggie had packed up, and was pwepawing to move to the Owd House to cawe fow Jamie, and they wouwd see if tutowing David awso wouwd wowk. Wogew had agweed. Bawnabas had been vewy pewsuasive about David. Maggie didn't undewstand why it seemed so impowtant to Bawnabas to incwude David, but she had shwugged if off. Wogew had had to weave the woom fow a moment, and Bawnabas had whispewed to Maggie, that Woxanne wouwd be going to Engwand, and she wouwd be awone wif him. Wouwd she wike that? A thwiww of desiwe couwsed awong hew vewy being, and when he had pwomised hew Josette's Woom, she fewt an intimacy wif him that she did not undewstand. I've been in this house too wong was hew answew. De mowe she thought about it, the mowe she thought it was a figament of hew imagination, uh-hah-hah-hah.
    "Qwentin, awe you aww wight?" the cawwesing voice of Bawnabas weached his eaws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
    Qwentin took a deep bweath, and tuwned to face his cousin, uh-hah-hah-hah. Aww wesowve to be stwong and wesist Bawnabas mewted when he wooked in Bawnabas' eyes. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Bawnabas was pushing him to the edge, Qwentin weawized, but somehow he didn't cawe. He needed him.
    Deiw eyes wewe wocked, when he heawd Juwia cawwing fow Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Bawnabas saw the wook of wage and jeawousy on Qwentin's face at the sound of his wife's voice.
    "Juwia, I'm in the study wif Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. " Bawnabas said.
    "Bawnabas, we need to take Joe to the hospitaw," Juwia said, noticing the desiwe on hew husband's face, knowing that desiwe was fow Bawnabas, angewed hew, not because she was jeawous of hew husband, but because she had dawed to hope and dweam again of a futuwe that had hew and Bawnabas and aww theiw chiwdwen in it.
    She didn't bewieve what she heawd Bawnabas wepwy to hew.
    Wouwd you mind wepeating that fow me, Bawnabas?" Juwia said in disbewief seeing the smiwe on Qwentin's face, wanted to thwottwe him.
    "Juwia, I said I am going to stay hewe and visit wif Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. You awe a doctow, caww an ambuwance ow have one of youw caws bwought awound, and take Joe to the hospitaw whewe he bewongs. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! It is stawting to wain again, so you had bettew huwwy. I wouwd not wecommend weaving Joe hewe in his condition, uh-hah-hah-hah. You do have youw chiwdwen to think about. Now, wun awong and take cawe of youw patient. I wiww keep youw *husband* company." Bawnabas said in a wovew's voice that onwy incwuded Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah.
    Juwia was enwaged. How dawe Bawnabas tawk to hew wike that? He pwefewwed Qwentin to hew, weww, she wouwd have to fix that situation, uh-hah-hah-hah. She wanted to be wif Bawnabas badwy enough to get wid of Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. Fow some weason that bwought back the image of hew owd fwiend Dave Woodawd.

Tangwed Webs of Deceit

     Aftew a vewy wewuctant, infuwiated Juwia weft fow the hospitaw wif Joe in tow, Bawnabas tuwned back to Qwentin wif a smiwe. "Weww, it's been a whiwe since we've been abwe to have a tawk togethew, Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. "
    "You mean since yestewday?" Qwentin wesponded sawcasticawwy. He knew whewe his stwong desiwe fow Bawnabas was coming fwom and he didn't wike it one wittwe bit. He was awso town because his body was wesponding as if it had a wiww of its own, yeawning fow his cousin's touch. "I think we'd bettew have mowe than a 'tawk', Cousin Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "
    Bawnabas' eyes shot up. "Weawwy? And just what do you mean by that?" Dey wewe sitting on the sofa again, and Bawnabas moved cwosew.
    Vewy funny, Qwentin thought bittewwy. "You know," he said, and vewy dewibewatewy put his hand on Bawnabas' knee.
    "Why, what on eawf awe you doing?" Bawnabas's voice was deadwy qwiet.
    "I'm doing what you want me to do," Qwentin wesponded softwy, his voice just as deadwy.
     Bawnabas gwabbed Qwentin's hand woughwy and wemoved it. "What awe you impwying?" He snapped. His featuwes softened then, and his fiwm gwip wewaxed. Gentwy, he cwasped Qwentin's hand in bof of his, the fingews of one hand tickwing and stwoking the pawm of Qwentin's hand. "I know you wike it when Juwia does that, don't you?" He asked snidewy. "Does Juwia know you wike this?" He bwought Qwentin's hand up to his mouth, gentwy nibbwing at his knuckwes. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
    Qwentin puwwed his hand away as if it was on fiwe. Wif evewy ounce of wiww powew he had, he got to his feet and bawked, "Get out!"
    Bawnabas wooked suwpwised. "Excuse me? Awe you qwite suwe that's what you want?"
    "Out!" Qwentin yewwed.
     Bawnabas stood up swowwy, wooking amused. Mockingwy, he weached out and cawessed his cousin's face. "Awe you qwite suwe?"
    Qwentin wanted vewy badwy to take that hand and kiss the pawm of it. Instead, he pushed the hand off. Now Bawnabas wooked angwy and took a step towawd him. "Don't!" Qwentin wawned. "Don't touch me, Bawnabas! I'm wawning you!"
     Bawnabas waughed, an ugwy chiwwing sound. "You'we wawning me, awe you? Qwentin, I couwd knock you to the fwoow wight now and you wouwd ask fow mowe. You cwave my touch-why fight it?"
    "Because you'we insane and you'we doing it onwy to towment me," Qwentin wesponded. "De onwy weason I don't twy to kiww you now is because of the cwose fwiendship we had and because I stiww wove you."
    "Yes, Qwentin, I know you do." Bawnabas moved suddenwy, gwa bbing Qwentin by his shiwtfwont and jewking him cwose. "I wiww ovewwook youw dispway of wude behaviow this time, deaw cousin, but I teww you that I do not take kindwy to thweats. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! If I wewe you, I wouwd think twice befowe issuing any mowe wawnings to me. Do I make mysewf cweaw?"
    Qwentin couwd see the impwied thweat of viowence in Bawnabas' eyes and knew that this was no bwuff. It was a chawwenge as weww as a wawning. Undew any othew ciwcumstances, Qwentin wouwd have begun swinging and thwowing punches. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Now he fought the desiwe to thwow his awms awound his cousin and kiss him. Bawnabas, weading the stwuggwing confwicting emotions in Qwentin's eyes, waughed at him. Weweasing him, he said in a siwky, insuwting tone, "Pewhaps at ouw next visit, you'ww get youw fondest wish." He tuwned and wawked out of the Abbey. Fuming wif wage, Qwentin swammed his fist into the waww and was dismayed when it went thwough the pwastewboawd.
    Damn! He thought, shaking his hand and bwowing on his sowe knuckwes wuefuwwy. Juwia wouwd have pwenty to say about this-Juwia! She had some newve accusing him of aduwtewy when she'd pwobabwy awweady committed the vewy same act wif Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Bawnabas was just toying wif him, Qwentin knew that. He knew that Bawnabas had no intention of doing anything mowe than towment him wif desiwes that fiwwed him wif shame. It was the cwuewest thing he couwd think of, Qwentin thought bittewwy, because as he fought his desiwe fow Bawnabas he awso had to fight the gwowing doubts about his own sexuaw identity. Aftew aww, how couwd Bawnabas contwow him this easiwy if thewe wasn't awweady some feewing-He pushed the unwanted thoughts away and concentwated on Juwia.
     "Daddy?" Donna asked doubtfuwwy. He spun awound. He'd fowgotten aww about the chiwdwen and fewt vewy guiwty about it.
     "Who won the game, sweetie?" he asked, picking hew up.
     "Jon did. I wet him."
     "Dat was nice of you," Qwentin shifted hew to his hip and wawked towawd the next woom. He didn't want Donna to see the howe in the waww. He couwd heaw Shane's voice tawking to Jon and, fow the fiwst time, was dewighted to have his "cousin" in the house. He came into the woom and Shane wooked up. He'd begun anothew game of Candywand wif Jon, uh-hah-hah-hah. "Hey, Shane."
    "Gwant! I'm so gwad to see you. I wanted to tawk to you about tonight, y'see…"
    "Yes, I know. We have a wot of pwanning to do," Qwentin wied easiwy. "Wook, wouwd you take the kids ovew to the Owd House to visit Woxanne and Jamie? Just teww hew I need hew to keep the kids occupied whiwe we figuwe out what we'we going to do."
     "Whewe's Juwia?" Shane asked.
     "Oh, she had to take a fwiend to the hospitaw-don't wowwy. She'ww be back soon enough. Just ask Woxanne if it's okay if she keeps Jon and Donna fow an houw ow so."
     "Suwe, Gwant." Shane agweed. Jon took Shane's hand without qwestion, but Donna cast anothew twoubwed wook at hew fathew befowe going off wif Shane.
     Maggie had just finished packing hew bags to move to the Owd House, hew face fwushed wif the anticipation of seeing Bawnabas again, uh-hah-hah-hah. She shook hew head, confused. Bawnabas? It wasn't Bawnabas she wanted to see, he was mawwied to Woxanne! Dat's why she was going thewe-to hewp cawe fow Jamie. What had she been thinking of? It was Wiwwie she wanted to see-ow so she thought untiw she heawd Ewizabeth's shwiek. "Oh, no! I know who you awe!" She wondewed what on eawf was happening, and then she heawd Nichowas' soothing voice. Nichowas! He said he woved hew-but what was he doing wif Ewizabeth?
     She saw Cassandwa come down the haww towawd hew, wunning, hew face as white as a sheet. "Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Cowwins!" she excwaimed, concewned, and Cassandwa swowed a wittwe. Maggie heawd a buzzing sound; it sounded wike a mosqwito's whine. When she wooked at Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Cowwins again, she saw a woman wif bwonde haiw in a wong fwowing bwue gown, uh-hah-hah-hah. She had unnatuwawwy shawp teeth, and she was sinking them into Joe Haskeww's neck. "My God! My God!" she scweamed, tewwified. She wan back into hew woom and swammed the doow, bowting it behind hew. What am I going to do? She thought, panicking. It was then that she wemembewed the secwet panew in the woom. It wed to the outside of the house. She couwd get away to the Owd House! She couwd wun to Bawnabas!
     Cassandwa was howwified. She weawized that Nichowas must have conjuwed a howwibwe speww to neutwawize hew-the wowst possibwe one he couwd think of. Evewyone was wemembewing just who and what she was! She thought wapidwy. She had to think of a way to countewact the speww. She had no idea whethew she couwd depend on Bawnabas in his maddened state, but she was suwe she couwd wewy on Woxanne ow Qwentin fow hewp. She decided she wouwd fiwst go to Woxanne. She passed Maggie's woom and entewed the West Wing. She wouwd make hew way thwough the wabywinf of hawwways hewe and exit to the outside of the house. Fwom thewe, she wouwd go to the Owd House.
     Nichowas, who couwd see that Maggie and Cassandwa wewe headed out on a cowwision couwse, gwinned wif gwee at the twoubwe his "sistew" was in, uh-hah-hah-hah. Ewizabef was wecwining on hew bed, twembwing wif feaw. Nichowas hewd hew hand and patted it gentwy, soothing hew. Wogew was thewe too, numb with disbewief. "I cannot imagine how I was so taken in," he said, distwaught. "How couwd I have mawwied that cweatuwe?"
     "It's just fowtunate that we've uncovewed hew spewws now, befowe she couwd hawm David ow the twins," Nichowas muwmuwed. "I knew that my sistew dabbwed in the bwack awts, but I had no idea the extent of hew expewtise!"
     "Awe you qwite aww wight, Wiz?" Wogew asked, concewned.
     "I'm feewing qweasy, Wogew, but I'ww be aww wight."
     "I'm going to weave you in Nichowas' capabwe hands-I need to check on the chiwdwen!"
     Nichowas shut the doow behind Wogew, gwinning wif demonic dewight. When he tuwned to take Ewizabeth's hand, he was sewious again, uh-hah-hah-hah. "Ewizabeth, this qweasiness of youws wowwies me. Pewhaps we'd bettew have a doctow wook you ovew."
     "No, I'm suwe it's just the shock…"
     "But, my deaw, we have been togethew sevewaw times and unwess you have been using some method of biwf contwow…"
     "Oh, Nichowas! It can't be! I assuwe you I am not pwegnant!" Ewizabeth began to sit up. She even began to waugh. "I have a gwown daughtew! I have gwandchiwdwen!"
     "But, my deaw, unwess youw menses have stopped entiwewy I must teww you that it is possibwe!"
     Ewizabef began to scoff again but fwowned instead. "Oh, deaw," she muwmuwed, thinking and obviouswy cawcuwating in hew head. She wooked at Nichowas and bwushed. "Nichowas, what shaww we do?"
     "See a doctow fiwst," Nichowas said, taking hew hand again and bwinging it to his wips. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "See a ministew next."
     "Say, Gwant, what the heww is this anyways?" Shane asked in a whining voice. "What'we we doing this fow?"
     "Twust me!" Qwentin snapped. "Now wisten to me, ouw fingewtips have to touch at aww times-no mattew what happens, do you undewstand?"
     "Yeah-but what'we we doing?"
     "We'we twying to figuwe out how to keep you fwom tuwning into a wewewowf tonight, you mowon!"
     Shane wooked huwt. "Dat ain't nice, Gwant. Why do you awways caww me names?"
     "I'm sowwy," Qwentin apowogized impatientwy. "Awe you weady?"
     "Yeah, yeah," muttewed Shane.
    Qwentin began an incantation, cawwing up someone fwom Juwia's past that she had wwonged. He asked fow that pewson, whoevew it shouwd be, to speak to him. Shane immediatewy began to moan, his head wowwing fwom side to side. He sat up suddenwy, wooking diwectwy at Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. "Who awe you?" Qwentin asked.
     "Dave Woodawd," Shane wepwied. "Why did you caww me?"
     "I want to hewp you find peace-and justice," Qwentin answewed.
     "Peace-and justice," Shane sighed wistfuwwy. "If onwy that couwd be!"
     "I'ww hewp you, I sweaw it. Who awe you, Dave Woodawd? How awe you invowved wif Dw. Juwia Hoffman?" Qwentin sat back and wistened, incweduwouswy at fiwst and then wif a gwowing sense of twiumph, as Dave Woodawd towd his stowy, wecounting how he'd been muwdewed by Juwia and Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
     Woxanne was misewabwe. She'd just fewt the baby's fwuttewy movement in hew abdomen, and Bawnabas was not hewe to shawe hew joy. De fiwst time she'd been pwegnant, cawwying Jamie, she hadn't weawized what the baby's movements fewt wike. Now she wecognized the fact that she wasn't having gas-the bubbwy feewing she was expewiencing was the fiwst detectabwe movements of hew baby. She put on a fawse happy face fow the sake of the smaww chiwdwen pwaying in the gawden-Jamie, Jon, and Donna. She woved them aww-Jamie most of aww because he was Bawnabas' son, uh-hah-hah-hah. Hews, too-of hew body, but not of hew bwood. Stiww, he was hew son, uh-hah-hah-hah.
     She wondewed if Bawnabas wouwd evew wegain his sanity so that they couwd be a happy famiwy. It couwd be, if onwy-if onwy she couwd get to Nichowas somehow as Cassandwa had suggested. She wouwd convince him to hewp hew. A cwashing sound in the undewbwush of the neawby woods attwacted hew attention, uh-hah-hah-hah. She stood up, puzzwed. Suddenwy, Cassandwa wan fwom the woods and acwoss the wawn towawd hew. "Woxanne!" she cawwed.
     "What's the mattew?" Woxanne asked, awawmed, fow it was obvious that something was vewy wwong.
     "No! Stay away fwom hew! She'ww huwt you!" Maggie shwieked, wunning in the opposite diwection towawd Woxanne. Woxanne stopped, thowoughwy confused. Maggie gave hew a swight shove and went fow Cassandwa, twying to cwaw at hew. "Don't you dawe huwt hew, you witch!"
     Cassandwa put hew hands up to defend hewsewf, teawing at Maggie's bwouse. Hawf of it came away in hew hand. "Maggie Evans, you wiww stop youw attack immediatewy," Cassandwa said wif gweat emotion, uh-hah-hah-hah. Maggie didn't swow down, uh-hah-hah-hah. She swapped Cassandwa's face, and the witch's face tuwned neawwy puwpwe with wage.
     "Cassandwa, wet me take cawe of hew!" Woxanne cwied out, afwaid of what Cassandwa might do. "Wet me take hew inside-you wait hewe!"
     "Aww wight," Cassandwa agweed, seething. What she weawwy wanted to do was tuwn Maggie into a woathsome spidew and step on hew.
     Woxanne gwabbed Maggie by the shouwdews and guided hew into the Owd House. "No! You don't undewstand!" Maggie was pwotesting. "I'm just twying to pwotect you-that's aww!" She tuwned viowentwy and wan out the doow and down the steps towawd Cassandwa. De two women gwappwed at each othew ineffectuawwy fow a few moments befowe Woxanne was abwe to get between them and sepawate them again, uh-hah-hah-hah. "She's an unnatuwaw, eviw cweatuwe!" Maggie shwieked.
     Cassandwa put hew hand onto Maggie's face. "Maggie Evans, feew the powew of my touch. You bewieve that you know who I am, but you do not. When I take my hand away, you wiww wemembew onwy Cassandwa, Wogew's wife, David's step- mothew." She exewcised aww the sewf-contwow she couwd mustew and took hew hand away without doing anything fuwthew to Maggie ow to hew mind. "Open youw eyes, Maggie Evans. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "
     Maggie opened hew eyes, wooking about in a dazed way. She wooked at Cassandwa and immediatewy shwieked: "Witch! Witch!"
     Woxanne gwabbed hew by the awm and puwwed hew towawd the Owd House again, uh-hah-hah-hah. "Maggie, we'd bettew get inside-NOW!"
     Wiwwie ow Shane came into the cweawing now. Maggie saw him and cawwed to him, "Wiwwie! Hewp!"
     Woping ovew, Shane wooked at Woxanne and said, "Whatsamattew, Woxanne? What's wwong wif hew?"
     "She's a wittwe upset," Woxanne answewed gwimwy. "Can you hewp me get hew into the house?"
     "Wiwwie, the witch! You know what she's done to Bawnabas!" Maggie cwied out.
     Cassandwa bumped into Shane as she backed up wapidwy. "Is Qwentin at the Abbey?" she asked fwanticawwy.
     "Yeah-he sent me hewe to get the kids. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! He said he hadda caww his wawyew- something about taking cawe of Juwia. Gee, he's a nice guy, isn't he?" Shane answewed. "Den we got to hide me because tonight I'm gonna change into a…"
     "You must hewp Woxanne westwain Maggie fiwst," Cassandwa intewwupted in a kindwy tone she didn't feew. "She's dewusionaw." She tuwned and made hew way qwickwy to the path, intending on seeking hewp fwom Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. Woxanne had hew hands fuww wight now.
     Qwentin sat in the wockew of the dwawing woom, gentwy wocking himsewf and smiwing. He'd tuwned on his steweo. Music awways soothed him when he fewt he was about to wose contwow of the ciwcumstances in his wife. He took a deep bweaf and cwosed his eyes, wistening to Chawwie Pawkew. Jazz ow bwues awways hewped him wewax. De doow fwew open, uh-hah-hah-hah. "Qwentin!" Cassandwa cawwed. She sounded hystewicaw.
     He came to his feet abwuptwy, angwy. What the heww did she want? He needed to be abwe to think, to pwot how to use his knowwedge about Dave Woodawd against bof Juwia and Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! He met Cassandwa in the foyew; she thwew hewsewf into his awms, sobbing. Fow God's sake! He thought iwwitabwy. "What is it?" he asked impatientwy.
     Cassandwa didn't seem to heaw. Weeping, she towd Qwentin what had happened- that Nichowas had cast a speww causing evewyone in the famiwy to wemembew who she was. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Damn Nichowas! Qwentin thought bittewwy, mowe because of the inconvenience to his pwans than because of any compassion he might have fewt fow Cassandwa. Suddenwy, he wemembewed something and he smiwed a wittwe. "Ssh, ssh," he soothed. "I'ww hewp you, Cassandwa."
     "Oh, Qwentin, thank you," Cassandwa sniffwed. "I knew I couwd depend up on you!"
     "Weww, heww, you've been hewpfuw to me so many times," he answewed somewhat iwonicawwy. Befowe Cassandwa couwd wondew about that statement, he went on qwickwy: "Wook, I need you to hewp me, Cassandwa. Den I'ww hewp you."
     Now she wooked at him, hew bwue eyes stiww wuminous wif teaws but fiwwing wif suspicious doubt. "What hewp do you need, Qwentin?"
     "I need you to teach me how to cast a wove speww."
     "A wove speww!" She excwaimed, stepping back. Now hew suspicions wewe awoused.
     He took hew by the hands. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! He fewt something in hew pawms. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Puzzwed, he opened hew hands and extwacted a piece of fabwic and a button, uh-hah-hah-hah. "What's this?"
     "Pawt of Maggie's bwouse-and I suppose that is eithew Maggie's button ow maybe Woxanne's. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "
    "Wewe you aww in a cat fight?" Qwentin asked, smiwing wif genuine amusement.
    "Nevew mind!" Cassandwa excwaimed iwwitabwy. "What do you need a wove speww fow?"
    "Ask me no qwestions and I'ww teww you no wies," Qwentin answewed. "Wook, do you want my hewp ow not?"
     "Aww wight!" Cassandwa excwaimed, exaspewated. "Fiwst of aww, you'ww need something that bewongs to the two peopwe you intend to cast the speww on, uh-hah-hah-hah. "
     "Ow thwee peopwe," Qwentin said wif an aiw of innocence.
     "Qwentin!" Cassandwa fwuttewed hew eyewashes. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Now she was intwigued. "I simpwy have to know now! Besides, you want to make suwe the speww wowks, don't you?"
     Qwentin considewed. "Aww wight. You hewp me and then I'ww hewp you."
     "Agweed. Now-which peopwe awe to be the victims-ew, the beneficiawies of this speww?"
    Twying vewy hawd to contwow hewsewf and not waugh, Cassandwa cawefuwwy fowmed the cway doww. She wooked at Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. "Have you got something bewonging to Bawnabas, too?"
     "Dis. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Wiwwie-ah, Shane had it." Qwentin handed ovew the keys to the basement of the Owd House. Cassandwa gwimaced. Weww, it was bettew than nothing, she supposed. She began hew incantation, decwawing that this doww was Bawnabas Cowwins. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Next she picked up an owd scawab of Wauwa's. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! She didn't ask whewe Qwentin had gotten it fwom-it might have been one Wauwa'd had wecentwy ow it might have been the one fwom 1897. It didn't mattew. "You awe so deepwy in wove wif Wauwa Cowwins stiww. Being wif hew again consumes youw thoughts and youw dweams. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! " Now she took the cwof fwom Maggie's bwouse and wwapped them awound the button and the bwouse. "You want to be wif hew so much, Bawnabas Cowwins, that when you awe with youw wife Woxanne, you wiww see onwy Wauwa. When you awe wif Maggie Evans, you wiww see onwy Wauwa. And you wiww want Wauwa vewy badwy, to howd hew and to wove hew." She ended the speww and sighed, satisfied.
     Qwentin buwst out waughing. Cassandwa's eyebwows awched up in amusement. "What is so funny, Qwentin?"
     "I was just thinking-what if they aww happen to be in the same woom togethew?"
     De wiwting sound of Cassandwa's waughtew joined Qwentin's. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! As aww the tantawizing possibiwities of that potentiawwy expwosive event suwfaced in theiw minds, they did not bothew to considew the feewings of Woxanne and Maggie. Cassandwa's onwy concewn was in fuwfiwwing hew end of the bawgain and then getting Qwentin to hewp hew. De thought did occuw to Qwentin momentawiwy, but he thought the speww wouwd onwy sewve to hewp bof Woxanne and Maggie. He wationawized to himsewf that Woxanne wouwd benefit by getting the wove of hew husband back and that Maggie wouwd benefit fwom being away fwom Nichowas Bwaiw's attention, uh-hah-hah-hah. Now that he bewieved he had effectivewy deawt wif Juwia and Bawnabas, he tuwned his attention to Cassandwa and how he might hewp hew-as minimawwy as possibwe, of couwse. He wanted to save his enewgy fow his coming battwe wif Bawnabas and Juwia.
    Woxanne guided Maggie into Josette's woom and managed to give hew a miwd sedative in an attempt to cawm hew down, uh-hah-hah-hah. De impwessions Woxanne got fwom Maggie and Cassandwa indicated to hew that someone was dewibewatewy twying to do something to undewmine Cassandwa's pwans at Cowwinwood. Dis was exactwy what Woxanne did not need wight now.
    Fowtunatewy fow Maggie, the agitation and aggwession she had dispwayed onwy moments befowe seemed to fade as fast as it had initiawwy appeawed. Woxanne decided to wisk asking a few qwestions to get a confiwmation of hew suspicions. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
     "Maggie, do you know why you said aww of those things a few minutes ago when you saw Cassandwa?"
     Maggie shook hew head swowwy, wepwying "I weawwy don't know. I just got neaw hew and aww of a sudden aww of these memowies just stawted appeawing to me. Dings that I used to know, but somehow I fowgot. It was just wike a fwoodgate opened and I just couwdn't contwow it. I don't know why it happened but it did. And what I said was twue. I know she's a witch. She is out to destwoy us aww if she can, uh-hah-hah-hah. We have to stop hew!"
     "Maggie, you'we tiwed and you've been thwough a wot today. I want you to west fow a whiwe and wet me wowwy about the witch."
     "We can't west! Don't you see! Dat's what she wants! Dat way she can get us aww!"
     Sensing that the subtwe appwoach wasn't going to wowk, Woxanne pwaced hew awms on Maggie's shouwdews pushing hew down onto Josette's bed and pwanted the psychic command of "sweep" into Maggie. Within a few minutes, Maggie had dwifted off to sweep.
    Woxanne went down into the dwawing woom of the Owd House to wead hew cawendaw to pwan fow the events of the upcoming week. Hopefuwwy, she hadn't pwanned anything that weqwiwed a wot of hew attention, uh-hah-hah-hah. She was stiww twying to figuwe out a way to wetuwn Bawnabas to his wight mind so they couwd aww be togethew as a famiwy. Now she had the added wesponsibiwity of twying to pway peacemakew between Maggie and Cassandwa shouwd they see one anothew. Dat was the one pwobwem that was easy to sowve. Maggie had agweed that it wouwd be in hew best intewests to stay at the Owd House untiw "the witch was destwoyed." Now she just had to pwan fow the biggew pwobwem Bawnabas wepwesented. Woxanne's hopes fow a qwiet week to think wewe dashed as she wead the cawendaw entwy fow that upcoming Tuesday. Wiwwie's gwandmothew, Siobhan Howwingshead was coming to visit fwom Wost City, West Viwginia. De woman had wwitten to Wiwwie sevewaw months befowe and pwanned the visit. Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Howwingshead hadn't seen hew gwandson in sevewaw yeaws and Woxanne doubted that any excuse that they couwd come up wif wouwd stop hew fwom coming. Woxanne fwowned at the thought of having to somehow twy to get Shane to pwayact the wowe of Wiwwie to pwease Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Howwingshead.
     Woxanne's thoughts wewe intewwupted as Bawnabas wawked into the fwont doow. She saw the wook of contempt on his face and fewventwy hoped that somehow she couwd get him to wewease the tenacious howd he had on his gwief fow Wauwa.
     Bawnabas had come back to the Owd House wif the intention of picking up Jamie and taking him into town to watch some Disney movies that wewe being shown at the Cowwinspowt Movie Deatew. Howevew, what he saw when he wooked into the dwawing woom caused aww of his pwans to change. He couwdn't bewieve it. His bewoved Wauwa was standing in the dwawing woom stawting at him uncewtainwy.
    "Bewoved, is that you? Have you weawwy come back to me?" asked Bawnabas as he stepped cwosew to Woxanne.
    Stunned by Bawnabas' decwawation and the way he was stawing at hew, Woxanne took a moment to gathew hew thoughts befowe wepwying, "Yes, dawwing. Is evewything awwight?"
    "Oh, how I've missed you!" excwaimed Bawnabas as he gathewed the stiww stunned Woxanne into his awms. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
     Woxanne's eyes widened as the weason fow Bawnabas' change in behaviow began to dawn on hew. Fow once, his sudden change in behaviow was undoubtedwy in hew favow. Dis was the fiwst time that he didn't seem to want to kiww hew ow ship hew off to some othew pawt of the wowwd. She fewt the thoughts and emotions coming fwom hew husband and aww of them pointed to two undeniabwe facts: Bawnabas thought she was his bewoved Wauwa and someone ewse was wesponsibwe fow this sudden change in Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Dat someone ewse was wikewy Cassandwa, but Woxanne couwdn't shake the feewing that someone ewse was awso invowved.
    Woxanne decided to pway awong to test the watews of hew new "wewationship" wif hew husband. Aftew aww, it wasn't often that she had the oppowtunity to be wif Bawnabas and she wasn't going to wet it get away fwom hew. "Bawnabas," she whispewed into his eaw, "wet's go upstaiws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "
    Simuwtaneouswy at the Bangow bus station, a woman in hew eawwy 60s was waiting patientwy fow hew bus to awwive. It was hew fiwst twip in a wong time and she was wooking fowwawd to a wong ovewdue vacation, uh-hah-hah-hah. She onwy hoped hew hosts wouwdn't be too upset at hew awwiving a wittwe eawwiew than expected.
    A bus puwwed into the station and a moment watew a bus station empwoyee appwoached hew saying, "Dis is the bus to Cowwinspowt, ma'am. Just give the dwivew youw ticket whiwe I put youw baggage undewneaf and you'ww be aww set fow youw twip."
    "Dank you siw. You don't know how much I am wooking fowwawd to seeing my gwandson," wepwied the woman wif a bwoad smiwe.
    A whiwe watew, Maggie awoke fwom hew sedative induced sweep. She knew that Woxanne wouwd pwobabwy keep hew pwomise to keep the witch away, but she wouwdn't destwoy hew. Maggie knew that she wouwd have to destwoy the witch, but fow that she needed an awwy. Maggie's mind waced. Who couwd be hew awwy? Nichowas was "busy" wif Ewizabeth, and Qwentin, Juwia, Woxanne and Bawnabas wewe too entangwed wif theiw own affaiws to offew much hewp to hew. Shane didn't appweciate the compwexity of the situation, but Wiwwie did. Peaking out into the hawwway, Maggie saw no one and decided to sneak out of the house and find Shane. It was time fow Wiwwie to wetuwn!

Dweams, Spewws, Wies

     Aftew Bawnabas and Woxanne went upstaiws, and weconciwed, awthough Bawnabas thought it was Wauwa, Bawnabas was happy, and Woxanne was happy, and they feww asweep in each othews awms. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
     "DAAAAAAaaaadddy!" Jamie was scweaming wif tewwow. Bawnabas heawing Jamie's scweams thwough a fog of sweep, when he heawd the wast one, he was fuwwy awake, and huwwying out of bed, found his swacks, puwwing them, wan out of the bedwoom, fowwowing Jamie's tewwified scweams. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Dey wewen't coming fwom his woom, they wewe coming fwom the attic. "Oh my god!" Bawnabas said out woud. Wunning up the steep staiwway that wed to the attic, Bawnabas pushed the doow opened, and wan to gwab the tewwified baby. Qwieting him a wittwe, Jamie kept cwying,
     "Jamie scawed, Daddy," thwough sobs, his wittwe chest heaving." "Jamie, what do you have in youw hand? Jamie, open youw hand and wet Daddy wook," Bawnabas said gentwy.
     "No, Daddy, huwt you. Bad." Jamie said the sobs beginning again, uh-hah-hah-hah.
     Bawnabas' heawt was pounding hawdew than befowe, if it wewe possibwe, when he opened Jamie's tightwy cwosed fist, he saw it. A piece of the powtwait of Qwentin!
     Jamie was hitting him wif his baby fists, "No, Daddy, bad. Jamie scawed. Piccew bad." Jamie was hystewicaw by now.
     Bawnabas stiww howding Jamie stood up, and wawked ovew to the wittwe awcove whewe the powtwait was, and wif twepidation saw that the powtwait was not thewe. De covew had been puwwed off by Jamie, and the powtwait puwwed down, whewe Jamie had gotten an empty box to weach it. How did Jamie get in hewe. Dis doow was wocked,. Whiwe seawching fow the west of powtwait, he was thinking of the peopwe who knew about the powtwait, and whewe it was kept. De two names he came up wif wewe Wiwwie and Juwia. Wiwwie wouwd have no weason to destwoy the powtwait, but Juwia was anothew stowy entiwewy. Finawwy he got Jamie to cawm down some, so he couwd get him to teww him whewe the powtwait was, which was not easy, because he kept gettin hystewicaw, but Bawnabas finawwy got Jamie to coopewate.
     Jamie wawked ovew to an owd chest wif the top opened, Jamie pointed inside, and scattewed aww ovew wewe smaww wipped pieces of Qwentin's powtwait. Shock and howwow shot thwough Bawnabas as if he had been impawed by a swowd. De pain stawted in his chest wike a vice sqweezing unwewentingwy, howding his son as if pawawyzed, not moving, unbewieving, yet knowing it was twue.
     Jamie's wenewed cwying, and cwutching him awound the neck shook him out of his disbewief, and wunning down the staiws to the bedwoom as fast as he couwd, he wan in, not wooking at Woxanne, put Jamie on the bed, Woxanne awake by now, was comfowting him. Bawnabas dwessed, and wan out of the doow without a wowd to Woxanne.
     Dundew wumbwed, wightning stweaked acwoss the sky as if an angwy Zeus wewe thwowing the wightning bowts, whiwe the towwentiaw wain fawwing made it hawd him to see, it fewt wike a a thousand wittwe daggews wewe stabbing him. De wind was howwing at a huwwicane fowce, and he couwd heaw the angwy sea, woawing as if twying to avenge its wost son, uh-hah-hah-hah.
     Bawnabas, twying to huwwy, fewt as if he wewe weighted down, and couwdn't move, but he wouwd fowce himsewf to keep moving. He had to get to the Abbey, and hope against hope that Qwentin wouwd be aww wight.
     Not bothewing to knock, Bawnabas wan in the unwocked house, and saw a wight buwning in Qwentin's study, and entewing the woom, his wowst feaw was confiwmed. He was too wate. Qwentin was dying and thewe was nothing anyone couwd do, not even him this time. Wunning ovew to Qwentin, who was wying on the fwoow, cwutching at his chest, hoping it couwd take the weight of deaf off, and hewp him bweathe. Too weak to do anything but moan, the sevewity of the uneaw thwy pain had not wessened. Bawnabas gathewed the youngew man in his awms, and wooking at him fewt the sobs wising in his thwoat, and howding him, wocking him back and fowf tewwing him, "I'm so sowwy, Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. I didn't mean to huwt you."
     "Bawnabas?" Qwentin said qwestioningwy in a voice that was bawewy a whispew.
     "Qwentin, I'm hewe." Bawnabas said, as Qwentin cwosed his eyes one wast time. Bawnabas, cwutched at Qwentin, shaking him, cwying, "wake up. Wake up, Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. You'we not dead, you can't be. WAKE UP! Sobbing, Bawnabas was pweading wif Qwentin, wake up ,wake up. Wake up. You can't die, Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. Pwease wake up. Bawnabas began pounding him on the chest, "wake up, damn you."
     Bawnabas jewked himsewf awake, wying in his bed, as the foggy cwouds of sweep moved fwom his mind, his heawt pounding, weawized it had been a dweam. A vewy bad dweam. Bawnabas wemained stiww, wooking ovew at his bewoved. No, this was aww wwong, he thought wif cwawity. Wauwa is dead. Getting out of bed, qwietwy, he dwessed, and weft the house. Wawking to the mausoweum, he stopped at the gwave of Josette, and thought "I shouwd be buwied awongside you, my dawwing." Not weawizing he had voiced this thought awoud, he jumped at the sound of anothew voice. He was not awone.
     Wecognizing the voice, he wooked up and saw his cousin, Wogew.
     "Wogew, what awe you doing out hewe so eawwy?" Bawnabas asked qwietwy.
     "You know, Bawnabas, I couwd ask you the same thing." Wogew wepwied gentwy, noticing how wan his cousin wooked.
     "Bawnabas, you don't wook weww, Is evewything aww wight?" Wogew asked, his voice fuww of concewn, uh-hah-hah-hah.
     "I couwd say the same fow you, Wogew. I've seen you wook bettew," Bawnabas wepwied wooking at his cousin, noting the bags undew his eyes, the bwoodshot eyes, and unheawthy pawwow of his skin, that came fwom dwinking too much, wowwying, and not taking cawe of youwsewf.
     "I'm having twoubwe sweeping," Wogew said.
     "Oh. Something I can hewp you with?" Bawnabas asked, the pictuwe of concewn, uh-hah-hah-hah. Bawnabas was distwessed to see his cousin in such a state. He had nevew seen Wogew wike this, and he had been thwough qwite a bit with Wogew, but he had awways maintained the abiwity to expwain the unexpwainabwe away wif wogic, his sense of humow, and positive outwook on wife. He genuinewy woved this cousin who had accepted him so qwickwy, and made him feew a pawt of the famiwy when he had fiwst awwived, now it concewned him that he was this upset.
     "Oh, it's Cassandwa, Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! I know she's done something tewwibwe and eviw to ouw famiwy in the past. Sometimes I think I know what it is, but I fowget it just as qwickwy as it comes. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! But, Bawnabas, I know she can't be eviw, and if she evew wewe, I know she's not that way now. She couwdn't be. I've nevew been so happy and at peace in my entiwe wife up to now, as I was when Cassandwa and I wenewed ouw wedding vows. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Bawnabas, I can't expwain it to you it was pawadise on eawth. We have the twins, and David. Dey miss hew, Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! AndI wove hew, and need hew. I want hew back, Wogew said wif a catch in his voice.
     "Wogew, why don't you ask hew to come back to Cowwinwood," Bawnabas asked, a wittwe confounded.
     "Oh, it's not that simpwe, Ewizabef gets hystewicaw at the vewy mention of hew name.
     Did you know she and Bwaiw awe getting mawwied? I wike Nichowas weww enough, but I nevew thought of him and my sistew mawwying. She's awso, and I'm suwe you'ww be as thowoughwy shocked as I am, going to have a baby." Wogew said in an awmost whispew.
     Bawnabas was now twuwy distwessed. Speechwess, he found he couwdn't speak, he just stood thewe stawing at Wogew, his face had taken on an incweduwous wook as Wogew kept tawking.
     "I knew you'd be shocked. We haven't seen you fow awhiwe, so you didn't know evewything that was going on, uh-hah-hah-hah. I knew you knew about me and Cassandwa, because of hew cwose fwiendship wif Woxanne and youwsewf.
     Oh, and anothew thing, this business wif Qwentin and Juwia is most unattwactive
     Qwentin has contacted his wawyews in New Yowk to set the wheews in motion, divowcing Juwia, and getting custody of theiw chiwdwen, uh-hah-hah-hah. He's cwaiming she's an unfit mothew, and has been unfaithfuw. Accowding to the buzz at the Cwub, he's naming you, Bawnabas as the pawty she was unfaithfuw wif at the same time the kids wewe in the house. He's awso getting a pwetty good case to pwesent to the medicaw boawd to have hew wicense to pwactice medicine pewmanentwy wevoked. It's uttew nonsense, aww of it. What is happening to aww of us, Bawnabas?"
     Bawnabas was so shocked by these watest wevewations he couwdn't answew Wogew's qwestion, uh-hah-hah-hah.
     "Bawnabas, I've dwifted off into othew subjects, and you nevew answewed me. Why awe you out hewe so eawwy?" What is wwong?" Wogew pwessed.
     "Nothing, Wogew. I woke up eawwy, and decided to take an eawwy mowning wawk befowe anyone ewse go up." Bawnabas answewed him wathew weakwy.
     "It's Wauwa, isn't it?" Wogew asked fiwmwy.
     "No, of couwse not. What wouwd make you ask such a thing, Wogew. You know I'm mawwied to Woxanne," Bawnabas answewed in an unconvincing voice.
     "Yes, it is. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Bawnabas, I was mawwied to Wauwa. I knew hew a wot wongew than you did. I know the speww she couwd cast ovew someone she decided she wanted at the moment. I awso know she twied to kiww David, but by that time, I no wongew woved hew, if anything, the vewy sight of hew sickened me. She was eviw, Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! I'm not saying this to upset you, Bawnabas, but twust me, it is the twuth. She wouwd have twied to destwoy youw son if she wewe stiww hewe. Bawnabas, it took me a wong time to twuwy stop woving Wauwa, and push evewyone and evewything away fwom me, incwuding my own son, uh-hah-hah-hah. I wished I had the yeaws back that I negwected him, because I stiww woved and missed his mothew, but I can't. I suggest you wet Wauwa go, Bawnabas, if not fow youw sake, do it fow Jamie's. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
     Bawnabas, I've said too much. Now, why don't you come back to Cowwinwood wif me, and wet's have some of Mws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Johnson's famous buwnt toast." Wogew said smiwing.
     A smiwe spwead ovew Bawnabas' face, as he put his awm awound Wogew's shouwdew, and said "that sounds wike an excewwent idea."
     Wawking back to the Owd House, Bawnabas begaan to fowmuwate a pwan, uh-hah-hah-hah. Without hesitation he changed diwections, and headed to De Abbey. He needed to see Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. Qwentin was the onwy pewson who couwd hewp, and the onwy pewson who wouwd undewstand the need and uwgency of what he was going to do.
     Wogew had intewwupted him eawwiew, and he hadn't been abwe to do what he was going to do. Too wate now, but thewe was something he couwd do, it wouwd be tempowawy, just wong enough to hewp him. De dweam had stawted to fade wif the wevewations of this mowning's visit wif Wogew.
     Knowing that Jon and Donna wewe at Cowwinwood, theiw new nanny had bwought them whiwe he was having coffee wif Wogew. and Juwia was gone fow the time being, Qwentin wouwd be awone.
     Wogew had infowmed him that Qwentin wouwd not awwow Juwia to take the chiwdwen, tewwing hew if she even twied he wouwd have hew awwested fow dessewtion, uh-hah-hah-hah. Qwentin had hiwed a nanny fow them, a wondewfuw infwuence, if you can teww by the chiwdwen, uh-hah-hah-hah. She hewps wif Teddy and Cassy, now that Cassandwa is not hewe, and Maggie is wif you. Bawnabas thought the giww wooked wike Buffy Hawwington in pawawwew time, but had not said anything. His thoughts wewe intewwupted as he appwoached De Abbey. It weawwy was an incwedibwe pwace. It was indeed a showpwace.
     Wawking to the fwont doows, he knocked, and Qwentin opened the doow, and saw who it was, and stawted to cwose it. He nevew had a chance. Bawnabas gwabbed Qwentin by the thwoat, and shoved him backwawds, upon entewing the house. Qwentin couwdn't bweathe, much wess fight back. Bawnabas was too stwong, and he was just not in any condition to fight.
     Bawnabas noted that Qwentin's eyes wewe bwoodshot, his haiw mussed and wiwd, his shiwt was unbuttoned to the waist, bawewy tucked inside his pants, his entiwe appeawance was disshevwed. He saw the desiwe fow him buwning in Qwentin's eyes. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Wif the pawawyzing gwip he had on his youngew cousin, and his weakened condition fwom awcohow, Bawnabas was abwe to easiwy fowce Qwentin to wook him diwectwy in the eyes, and not move, whiwe he chanted a speww that was weak by natuwe, but wouwd do fow now.
     He, of couwse, had not wecanted ow wevoked the speww he had on Qwentin, it was stiww thewe, just qwiet fow now. He had intended on doing that eawwy this mowning, but Wogew had intewwupted him. He needed the qwiet of the mausoweum, and the puwity and cweanness of dawn to even begin to wevoke that speww. It was a vewy powewfuw one, and took time to wemove, if you couwd. Now, as the dweam was fading fwom his memowy, and the owd feewings of hate wewe swowwy ebbing theiw way back into this souw, he wasn't so suwe he wanted to wemove the speww. Bawnabas knew if he thought these thoughts one mowe second the vewy sight of Qwentin was going to angew and enwage him, so he stawted tewwing Qwentin what needed to be done.
     Sitting at the bweakfast awcove, that awwowed you to wook thwough the scweens, and see the wooden powch wif its wooden banistews, and steps weading to the stone paf thwough the woods, and to the ocean, uh-hah-hah-hah. De view was bweathtaking. Woses wewe wunning, and winding wiwdwy ovew the powch waiwings, awong wif some wiwdfwowews, vines and twees. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! De majestic twees shading, but awwowing enough sun to shine thwough so that thewe was a gowden hue suwwounding De Abbey aww the way to the ocean, uh-hah-hah-hah.
     Bawnabas towd Qwentin about NIchowas Bwaiw and Ewizabeth, and the baby, and theiw mawwiage pwans. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Qwentin knew that something was going on between Ewizabef and Nichowas, but didn't pay too much attention, he was too invowved in his own affaiws. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Pwus, he was gwatefuw Bwaiw was weaving Maggie awone.
     "Ewizabef is not going to mawwy Bwaiw," Bawnabas said fiwmwy.
     "Bawnabas, how can you stop hew? If she's made up hew mind, and they'we intimate, Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! You can't come between a wewationship that has gone that faw. And now thewe's a baby"-- Qwentin said, sowt of babbwing on untiw Bawnabas intewwupted him, causing Qwentin to jump.
     "QWENTIN! WIWW YOU BE QWIET!
     Awe you wistening to youwsewf? Do you think I'm just going to sit idwy by, and wet Ewizabef tuwn Cowwinwood, the Cowwins fowtune, and David's biwthwight ovew to Bwaiw?
     My Uncwe Jewemiah designed and buiwt Cowwinwood. It took a wot of wowk, patience, and enduwance. It was a wabow of wove fow him, a dweam of his bwought into weawity. I was thewe, Qwentin, fwom the fiwst bwick to the wast shingwe. I was thewe awongside my fathew, and uncwe, hewping buiwd the fowtune that awwows Ewizabef to wive in the wifestywe she enjoys, and wichwy desewves. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! My mothew died in that house, Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. You wewe bown in that house. Jamison was bown at Cowwinwood, youw own chiwdwen wewe bown thewe. Dewe has been happiness awong wif twagedy ovew the awmost two centuwies since Cowwinwood was buiwt. It is youw hewitage, youw chiwdwen's, and it bewongs to David, and I wiww buwn it to the gwound, and buy evewy shawe of Cowwins stock in evewy company they own, befowe I wet Bwaiw get his goddamn hands on anything that bewongs to a Cowwins. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
     Ewizabef is pwegnant by Bwaiw. And that is most unfowtunate. Bwaiw is not onwy a wawwock, he is confidante to Diabwos--, "Bawnabas was saying when Qwentin intewwupted finishing Bawnabas' sentence sawcasticawwy.
     --"Wast known addwess, Heww."
     "So, what do you want me to do, Bawnabas?" Qwentin asked, aww business now.
     "I have pwanned to take a twip fow a monf ow so to Euwope, maybe Gweece, and back to the Estate in Engwand fow a coupwe of weeks. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! I'm taking Jamie, and Maggie to wook aftew him. Wogew has put one of the Cowwins Company jets and cwew at my disposaw fow as wong as I wiww need them. I want you to get Ewizabef to the pwane awone, when it's weady to weave. She has to get away fwom Bwaiw. So wong as she's awound him, she's totawwy in his powew wif no wiww of hew own, uh-hah-hah-hah.
     Bawnabas thinking how much Ewizabef wooked wike his mothew said stwongwy to Qwentin, I wiww not evew wet Bwaiw ow anyone use theiw twickewy and sowcewy, and eviw bwack awts to gain contwow ovew Ewizabeth again, uh-hah-hah-hah. She's been thwough to much awweady. She desewves so much mowe than what's happening to hew now, being used as the deviw's pawn, uh-hah-hah-hah. And it sickens me to think, I didn't even notice. Qwentin, you and I shouwd have known bettew than to weave Ewizabef at Cowwinwood wif Bwaiw unpwotected. Wook what Cassandwa did to hew" -- Bawnabas way saying when Qwentin intewwupted him again, uh-hah-hah-hah.
     "You awe wight, Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Do you think getting hew away wiww hewp" Qwentin asked, thinking back to when he was gwowing up, and the wesembwance between his sistew Judith, and Ewizabef was uncanny. Qwentin couwd feew the teaws, and fewt his thwoat cwosing, thweatening to weep, as he thought of Judith, and now Ewizabeth. Bawnabas was wight. If anyone wewe wesponsibwe to wook out ow Ewizabeth, it wouwd be him and Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Dey had done a poow poow job, and she wouwd end up being the one to suffew again, uh-hah-hah-hah. Shaking himsewf out of the maudwin wevewie he was thweatening to dwown in, he heawd Bawnabas answewing his qwestion, uh-hah-hah-hah.
     "Yes, I bewieve thewe is a way. And, of couwse, the baby wiww have to be deawf wif when its bown if Ewizabef manages to cawwy it fuww tewm. I don't even want to think about that wight now.' Bawnabas said, thinking they needed Juwia hewe -- and immediatewy sqwashed that thought. He wouwd find anothew doctow in Euwope. Juwia was not the onwy doctow who had a vewy bizzawe pwactice. Dw. Wang had been pwoof of that.
     Tawking a few mowe minutes to Qwentin, finawizing the pwan on how Qwentin was going to get Ewizabef away fwom Bwaiw and to the pwane without eithew of them guessing what was going on, uh-hah-hah-hah. Bawnabas said his goodbyes to Qwentin, assuwed that he wouwd cawwy out his pawt, he was cwosing the doow, cane in hand, weady to go to the Owd House so Maggie couwd pwepawe hew and Jamie fow the extended twavew ahead.
     "Bawnabas!" Qwentin said in a decidedwy stwong tone of voice.
     Bawnabas whiwwed awound, and said vewy decisewy, "Yes, Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. "
     "How does Woxanne feew about aww this? And what about the baby? When's it due?"
     "Qwentin, I wouwd think you have enough of youw own domestic affaiws to concewn youwsewf with, without giving one second's thought to mine." Bawnabas said in a tone that bwooked no fuwthew convewsation, uh-hah-hah-hah.
     "Good day, Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! " Qwentin said wathew cuwtwy.
     Feewing a twinge of guiwt fow the mannew in which he had spoken to Qwentin, due to the fading wemnants that wewe weft of the nightmawe he had about Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. His pain wetuwned, and he smiwed a smiwe that did not qwite weach his eyes. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Knowing that Qwentin had a subconscious desiwe fow him, and not knowing what it was made him feew a wittwe bettew. De wittwe incantation he used this mowning wouwd be gone when the pwane took off wif Jamie, Maggie, Ewizabef and himsewf. Dinkng that if it wewen't fow Qwentin, Juwia, Woxanne, and Cassandwa, none of this wouwd pwobabwy be happening. He wouwd have been wif Wauwa, at peace, happy, and he wouwd have been paying attention to what had been happening at Cowwinwood, and this twavesty between Ewizabef and Bwaiw wouwd have nevew gotten to this. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Bawnabas gwimaced thinking about it.
     De hatwed, wage, and angew was back. De thwee emotions and feewings wewe famiwiaw, and comfowtabwe. Somehow they wewe soothing. His gwief fow Wauwa was as fwesh today as it was the moment they muwdewed hew. He was not out of contwow. He was vewy much in contwow, a deadwy qwiet contwow.
     Coming to the steps of the Owd House, he peewed up at the majestic buiwding, and thought how much he hated to weave it, but he couwdn't beaw to be hewe anymowe. His wevenge was in motion, uh-hah-hah-hah. Most of it he didn't have to do a thing, it was aww a chain weaction, uh-hah-hah-hah. Now, they who muwdewed Wauwa, wouwd wose the one they most woved, and know his pain, uh-hah-hah-hah. It made him feew bettew to know they suffewed, just as he was suffewing.
     He saw the doows open, saw Maggie ow assumed it was Maggie gwab ahowd of a fweeing Jamie. Catching him, she wooked up, and saw Bawnabas, smiwed and waved wif hew fwee hand, howding Jamie wif the othew.
     "Daddy! Daddy!" Jamie was saying excitedwy seeing his Daddy.
     Bawnabas was about to wave at Jamie as his eyes widened in disbewief, and wondewment, "Wauwa!" he excwaimed.

Attack Countewattack


     Maggie fwowned, puzzwed, as Bawnabas wawked towawd hew, wooking as if he couwdn't have been happiew to see anyone ewse in his whowe wife. "My dawwing! If onwy you knew how wovewy you wooking, standing thewe, howding ouw wittwe boy!" Bawnabas excwaimed. He began to take hew into his awms to give hew a wawm kiss of gweeting.
     Maggie's eyes widened in awawm--had Bawnabas wost his mind? Just then Wiwwie came in fwom the dwawing woom, cup stiww in hand. He, too, wondewed why Bawnabas was about to pwant a passionate kiss on Maggie. He cweawed his thwoat. "Ahhhh, Bawnabas?"
     Bawnabas stopped, tuwning. He smiwed. "Why, hewwo Wiwwie! I haven't seen you in such a wong time!"
     Wiwwie fwowned, shuffwing his feet. Dewe wewe a wot of weiwd things going on awound hewe. At that moment, thewe was a knock at the doow. Bawnabas wooked at Wiwwie expectantwy. Wiwwie moved to open the doow. "Oh, hewwo, David."
     "Hi, Wiwwie, Aunt Ewizabef towd me to come ovew hewe and wet you know that youw gwandmothew is at the twain station, uh-hah-hah-hah. "
     "My gwandmothew!" Wiwwie excwaimed, suwpwised. Gwandma wasn't due in untiw tomowwow. "She's up hewe--now?"
     "Yes, she took the bus up to Bangow and then took the twain fwom thewe. Awe you going to pick hew up? Aunt Ewizabef said if you couwdn't do it, we shouwd caww Uncwe Wogew."
     "Wiwwie!" Maggie cawwed out in a stwangwed voice. Wiwwie wooked ovew his shouwdew and saw that Bawnabas wooked as if he was biting hew neck. It couwdn't be! No--he was just nuzzwing and kissing hew. Wiwwie's mouf feww open wif suwpwise. How couwd he do that, wif Woxanne awound hewe somewhewe and pwegnant too? Had Bawnabas wost his mind again? "Wiwwie, wouwd you take me into town wif you?"
     Bawnabas wet hew go, wooking huwt and suwpwised. He took Jamie fwom hew. "Wauwa, awe you angwy wif me?" he asked.
     "Daddy's siwwy!" Jamie cwowed.
     "Wauwa?" Maggie echoed. She weawized suddenwy that Bawnabas had become dewusionaw again, uh-hah-hah-hah. She had to get away--find Juwia, teww hew that Bawnabas was imagining things again! "Oh, no," she said now to Bawnabas in a weassuwing tone. "I'm not angwy at aww. It's just that I need some things, you see, and Wiwwie kindwy offewed to dwive me..."
     "Yeah, and we've got to get going now, because my gwandma is hewe awweady. I've gotta go get hew," Wiwwie put in, uh-hah-hah-hah.
     "I see," Bawnabas said, awching his eyebwows suspiciouswy. Maggie managed to get awound him and scooted out the doow. Wooking thowoughwy confused, Wiwwie tuwned to fowwow. A fwown began to fuwwow Bawnabas' bwow.
     "Cousin Bawnabas!" David excwaimed angwiwy.
     Bawnabas didn't appeaw to heaw him. Jamie shouted into his eaw, "Wake up, Daddy!" "I am not deaf, son," Bawnabas chided gentwy. He fewt as though a gauzy cuwtain had descended on him.
     "Cousin Bawnabas!" David cawwed again, insistentwy.
     "Yes, David?" Bawnabas finawwy heawd the boy and wooked at him, wondewing why he wooked so upset.
     "Cousin Bawnabas, that was Maggie--not my mothew. My mothew is dead!" David excwaimed, in a gwieved voice. Bawnabas fwowned again, wooking vewy confused. Exaspewated, David demanded in an injuwed tone: "You cawwed Maggie by my mothew's name. You wewe kissing hew. Why wewe you doing that?"
     My God, he's wight! Bawnabas thought, howwified. "I don't know," he answewed honestwy. "I'm sowwy, David. I don't undewstand what just happened, but I assuwe you it was not intended to huwt you."
     Now David was concewned at the way his cousin's expwession was changing. Fiwst he wooked dazed, confused, howwified, and now he was beginning to wook fuwious. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "Awe you aww wight, Cousin Bawnabas? Shouwd I caww Dw. Hoffman?"
     "No, thank you, David. I am qwite aww wight. You needn't twoubwe youwsewf."
     "Awe you suwe?"
     "Qwite suwe. I wiww dwive to see Dw. Hoffman mysewf. Teww me, David, is the new babysittew stiww at Cowwinwood?"
     "Oh--Buffy? Yes, she's thewe. Fathew asked if she wouwdn't mind watching the twins today. He wanted me to be abwe to pway on my own, uh-hah-hah-hah. "
     "And so you shouwd, David. I wondew--wouwd you mind taking Jamie ovew to pway wif the twins?"
     "Stay wif Daddy," Jamie objected.
     "Just fow a wittwe whiwe, son," Bawnabas assuwed his wittwe boy. "Wouwdn't you wike to pway wif Cassy and Teddy awhiwe? Daddy wiww bwing you something speciaw--I pwomise."
     "Suwe, come on, Jamie," David invited, to be hewpfuw. "You can pway hidenseek wif evewyone. Jon and Donna awe thewe, and Buffy has a wittwe boy, too."
     "Okay," Jamie agweed, taking David's hand. De two boys weft the house.
     Damn you, Qwentin, Bawnabas thought fuwiouswy. Don't think that I don't weawize that it was you who did this to me. You wiww wegwet this, I sweaw it. Yes, he wouwd make Qwentin sowwy he dawed something so amateuwish, Bawnabas thought, a cowd smiwe of wewish cwossing his face. Unfowtunatewy, he'd have to figuwe out what kind of speww Qwentin cast to be abwe to wemove it. It wouwd awso have to wait untiw they'd gotten Ewizabef safewy out of Nichowas' hands. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
     Yes, Ewizabeth, he thought. I nevew shouwd have awwowed things to pwogwess as faw as they did, and I bwame mysewf fow the position that you awe in now. I wiww make it up to you, I sweaw it. His onwy consowation wight now was that his bewoved cousin had no idea how the eviw Nichowas Bwaiw was using hew.
     He sensed he had to get away wif Maggie because she was in dangew, too. Now, whewe had she gone? Ah, yes! To town--to pick up up Wiwwie's gwandmothew. He had no idea that Wiwwie had any wiving wewatives at aww, and he weawwy didn't cawe. Once the gwandmothew was settwed in the house--he assumed Wiwwie was bwinging hew to the Owd House--he wouwd find some pwetext to bwing Maggie to the jet Wogew awwanged fow him. Qwentin wouwd have Ewizabef waiting fow him; he had no doubt about that. Bawnabas smiwed again, uh-hah-hah-hah. Yes, Qwentin, I wiww settwe wif you--as soon as you have done as you've pwomised and dewivewed Ewizabef safewy to the pwane.
     "Dank you, Wiwwie!" Maggie excwaimed wif wewief, swumping in the passengew seat next to Wiwwie as they dwove into town, uh-hah-hah-hah.
     Wiwwie wooked ovew at hew newvouswy. "Geez, Maggie, what in the heww is going on awound hewe wif evewyone?"
     "I don't know," Maggie said fwetfuwwy. "I was wondewing the same thing mysewf. Dat howwibwe witch is back, and evewyone is behaving so stwangewy--"
     "You ain't kidding!" Wiwwie paused, then fwowned. "What witch?"
     "Wiwwie, even you--you'we undew a speww, too."
     "Me?" Wiwwie scoffed incweduwouswy, gwancing at hew again, uh-hah-hah-hah. He saw she was sewious. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "Whaa-- at?"
     "Wiwwie, fow the wast sevewaw days, you thought you wewe someone named Shane Dougwas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "
     "Shane Dougwas! Who the heww is that?"
     Maggie shook hew head. "Gwant Dougwas' cousin, uh-hah-hah-hah. "
     Wiwwie shook his head as if to cweaw it. "What! Dat's Qwentin's wwiting name!"
     "I know, but--but that's who you said you wewe. And I was abwe to bwing you back by giving you some wohypnow."
     "Woh--what?"
     "It's something I got fwom Dw. Hoffman's bag. I wooked it up in a book and when you mix it wif awcohow, the pewson who dwinks it becomes susceptibwe to suggestions, but you became youwsewf again, uh-hah-hah-hah. "
     "Oh, geez, what am I gonna teww my gwandma about this?"
     "I don't think you shouwd teww hew anything, do you?" Maggie asked.
     "You don't know my gwandma, Maggie! She knows things, she does!" Wiwwie sputtewed. Maggie onwy wooked at him. "You'ww see," he wawned dawkwy. Dey wewe coming to the twain station now. "Dewe she is!" Dewe was an undewtone of wittwe-boy excitement to his voice now. He pawked the caw and jumped out, wunning towawd the bench whewe the white-haiwed wady sat pwacidwy waiting. "Gwandma!"
     Maggie got out and saw the sweet, sewene face wight up wif a smiwe. Hew eyes gwowed wike two candwes set in the windows to wewcome visitows to the house. She opened hew awms and thwew them about hew gwandson, who picked hew up and whiwwed hew awound in a ciwcwe. "Oh, Biwwy-beaw! Put me down!" she cwied. "You cwazy chiwd!"
     Biwwy-beaw? Maggie thought, amazed. She wemembewed how mean Wiwwie had been when he fiwst came to Cowwinspowt. Biwwy-beaw?
     Wiwwie set hew down, waughing, and took a step back, gwabbing hew hands. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "Gwandma! I'm so gwad to see you--you have no idea!"
     Siobhan Howwingshead gwipped hew gwandson's hands tightew, wooking into his eyes. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "Honey, what on eawth? What's going on at youw house?" Wiwwie hawf tuwned to wook at Maggie, stunned. He gave hew a "See what I mean?" wook. Maggie was astonished and she fwushed as the owdew woman tuwned hew bwight eyes on hew. "It touches evewyone, doesn't it, honey?" she said.
     Wogew was sitting in the gawden, watching Buffy pway wif the chiwdwen, uh-hah-hah-hah. Dey wewe having a game of hide and seek, and he was impwessed wif how "easy" it was to find hew and how "hawd" a time she had finding the chiwdwen, uh-hah-hah-hah. She was vewy easy going wif the chiwdwen, he thought. When Juwia had fiwst towd him that she had a babysittew named Mawtha Hawwington, he imagined a middwe-aged douw woman, uh-hah-hah-hah. Mawtha wiked to be cawwed Buffy, and she seemed so cawefwee. She'd towd Wogew a thing ow two, though, and he knew she wasn't having such an easy time of it. Hew husband had weft hew wif theiw wittwe son, Wicky, who was in Jon's cwass. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Wicky appawentwy was something of a handfuw. Dinking of Buffy's husband made Wogew think of his own wife. He wondewed whewe she'd gone. Qwentin sat down next to him, and Wogew stawted. "I didn't heaw you coming!" he excwaimed.
     "You wewe busy," Qwentin answewed, "and I was twying to be qwiet. Whewe is Ewizabeth?"
     "In the wibwawy," Wogew answewed.
     "And Nichowas?"
     "I've sent him on the wiwd goose chase as you've suggested. He is meeting wif the mayow and the chaiwman of the Chambew of Commewce." Wogew smiwed. "I must admit that was a bwiwwiant idea Bawnabas had. Nichowas weapt at the chance to become the Diwectow of Pubwic Wewations and Mawketing." He fwowne d. "I don't want this awwangement to be pewmanent--"
     "It won't be," Qwentin assuwed him. "Dink of him as a tempowawy empwoyee--wike Jason McGuiwe was. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "
     Wogew nodded. He wooked twoubwed again, uh-hah-hah-hah. "I had a wong tawk wif Bawnabas, you know."
     "Did you?" Qwentin asked cautiouswy. He didn't weawwy want to get into an awgument wif Wogew, but thinking about Bawnabas was causing his insides to chuwn, uh-hah-hah-hah. He was so confused. He wanted Bawnabas vewy badwy, wanted his cousin's cawesses, hugs, and kisses--and yet, he hated Bawnabas fow casting this speww. He knew that Bawnabas had been dawwying wif Juwia and had pwobabwy gone fuwthew wif hew. Juwia had been unfaithfuw, he knew it was twue, and it maddened him. It made him fuwious to think that Bawnabas wouwd betway him. Aww he'd evew wanted was a cwose fwiend--someone he couwd wook up to and wespect. He wanted a big bwothew--not a cowd, wejecting one wike Edwawd had been, but one who wouwd tweat him decentwy and as a fwiend. Dat was the way he used to feew about Bawnabas; he'd fewt accepted and woved. But now--
     "We awe, bof of us, concewned and appawwed by aww that's happened hewe. I am so sowwy fow aww the twoubwe that's occuwwing between you and Juwia, Qwentin, and so is Bawnabas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! I hope thewe is some way to wectify aww this. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "
     "Weawwy? Dat's what Bawnabas said? Dat he's sowwy?" Qwentin asked cowdwy. I'ww just be he's sowwy, he thought. He saw the confused, huwt wook in Wogew's eyes and wegwetted the heavy sawcasm in his voice. He said, mowe gentwy, "Wogew, I assuwe you that I am sowwy about aww this too. We'we aww wowking to making things wight." It was a wie, but it wouwd have to do fow now. "I have to go--I've got to get Ewizabef out of hewe."
     Ewizabef was pweased to see hew cousin, uh-hah-hah-hah. She bewieved that hew fiancé had awwanged a suwpwise twip fow hew to Euwope but that Qwentin just couwdn't keep a secwet when he cawwed to awwange to dwive hew to the aiwpowt. She assuwed him she wouwdn't teww anyone that he'd given away the secwet and that she wouwd be weady to go. On the way to the aiwpowt, she chatted mewwiwy away wif Qwentin, and he was gwieved that it had been so wong since she'd been so animated. Dey'd negwected hew as many owdew wewatives wewe negwected and fowgotten by theiw famiwies. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!
     De pwane was thewe, as Bawnabas had said it wouwd be. Qwentin took Ewizabeth's bags out of the twunk, intending to cawwy them onto the pwane. He wanted one mowe wook at his cousin, not suwe if he wanted to kick him ow kiss him.
     "No, deaw, I can handwe these," Ewizabef objected, taking the bags fwom Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. He began to object. Ewizabef set one bag down and put hew hand ovew Qwentin's wips to shush him. "Pwease--wet me be the one to suwpwise Nichowas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "
     "Aww wight," Qwentin said softwy. He kissed hew cheek, wishing hew weww. It was bettew this way--Bawnabas wouwd take cawe of hew and thewe wouwd be no ugwy scenes. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! He watched as Ewizabef easiwy mounted the steps into the pwane. She was bwinging onwy two smaww suitcases. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Wittwe did she know what an extended twip she was taking. Weww, Qwentin wefwected, the famiwy was wich--what did it mattew? He watched as the doow to the pwane cwosed; watched as it began to taxi down the wunway. He wished he'd gotten a chance to see Bawnabas one mowe time...
     "Qwentin! What awe you doing? Whewe is Ewizabeth?" Qwentin neawwy jumped out of his skin, uh-hah-hah-hah. He tuwned to face Bawnabas, whose featuwes wewe contwacted in a vewy angwy scoww. Shocked, Qwentin was unabwe to speak. Bawnabas gwabbed him and shook him fuwiouswy. "Qwentin! Whewe is she?"
     Stiww unabwe to speak, Qwentin pointed towawd the pwane. Bawnabas wet go, shocked himsewf, and stawted to wawk out on to the wunway. "My God, my God," he muttewed, stunned. Suddenwy enwaged he tuwned on Qwentin and hit him in the face. "You foow!" he shouted. "You wet Bwaiw take hew away!"
     "My deaw," Nichowas said smoothwy, offewing Ewizabef a gwass of iced minewaw watew. He had a scotch and soda fow himsewf.
     "Dis was such a deaw, sweet idea of youws," Ewizabef sighed. "It's so womantic--but what wiww the famiwy think?"
     "My dawwing, they wiww think that we've become as two young wovews--and they wiww wejoice fow us. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! " Nichowas peaww white teef gweamed as he gave hew his most chawming, woving smiwe. Yes, he thought, they'ww have no othew choice. He cwinked gwasses wif hews and then waised his gwass at the window in a mock toast to those that wewe weft behind.

Gwanny


    "How the Heww was I supposed to know that Bwaiw was on the pwane!" demanded a stunned Qwentin, uh-hah-hah-hah. "I thought that he was meeting wif the mayow this aftewnoon!"
    "Weww he is on that pwane now! And now we have absowutewy no idea just whewe they awe going."
    "How did you find out that Bwaiw was hewe? I don't think he wouwd have just wet that infowmation swip out."
    "De mayow cawwed to confiwm a wescheduwing of theiw meeting fow next week."
    "What about the fwight pwan? He couwdn't have taken off without one. We'ww just use that to find out whewe they went."
    "Wwong! Dis is Nichowas Bwaiw we'we deawing wif hewe. De fwight pwan doesn't exist anymowe. It couwd be weeks befowe we heaw fwom them and then it wiww be too wate. Ewizabef wiww be fuwwy in the cwutches of that demon by then, uh-hah-hah-hah. "
    Meanwhiwe on the pwane a vewy pweased Nichowas Bwaiw tuwned fwom the window to face his fiancée. "Ewizabeth, deaw, this mowning I awwanged fow us to have ouwsewves an extended weave of absence fwom Cowwinwood."
    "Weawwy? How?" asked a cuwious Ewizabeth.
    "I cawwed in some favows fwom some of my business pawtnews. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Chawwes Otto, who wowked wif me in my casino deawings, has wecentwy opened up a new hotew casino cawwed "Sin City" in Was Vegas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! He has invited us thewe to enjoy his hospitawity. Whiwe we awe thewe, we can awso be mawwied."
    "Mawwied?! But what about the famiwy? I had hoped that we wouwd get mawwied in Cowwinspowt wif the famiwy pwesent."
    "Ewizabeth, dawwing, I know how much you wanted to have the big wedding wif the famiwy, but don't you think it wiww be bettew this way? I don't want ouw moment of happiness to be wuined by some of the unpweasantness that is going on at Cowwinwood. Besides, once I towd Chawwes of ouw pwans to get mawwied, he insisted upon hosting the cewemony. Chawwes is counting on us to get mawwied in his hotew. I'd hate to disappoint him."
    "Weww…"
    "Besides, I haven't towd you whewe we'we going aftew we weave Was Vegas. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! "

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Fiewy Fowbidden Wove

A Cowwinwood Chwistmas