Angelique 16 Date: 1/5/02 10:57:52 AM Central Standard Time From: Aesgaard The ghosts of Collinwood were pulling away now that Angelique was back into her body. According to Joanna, she had been sick for two and a half months and slipping in and out of consciousness the whole time. Angelique didn't know if the images she had dreamed were true or not, but she remained confined in bed to recuperate none the less. Losing ten pounds in the meantime, she finally rose when Edward compared her to Judith. Gaining her strength back, Angelique learned that Benjamin Collins had come home. The wayward son had been off at college during the events with Petofi in 1897 and now returned with his Junoesque bride, Megan Woodard-Collins. A tall handsome and powerful figure, Ben was the youngest of the children of Geoffrey Collins. Hearing his eldest sister, Judith was too frail to leave her bed left him convinced it was time to return to Collinwood. "Where have you been living ?" Angelique and the wayward brother sipped tea in Collinwood's dining room. "New York." Ben admitted. "Been there ?" "I lived there for a while." "I heard you were on the Titanic." Ben scooped more sugar into his tea. "Must have been a horrible experience." "Yes, it was." Angelique heard voices out in the foyeur. "Of course, if the ship had been built by our shipyards, the thing wouldn't have gone down." Ben added with a sinister tone. The voices in the foyeur were coming closer. Angelique turned round as her eyes widened in shock. "This is your Uncle Benjamin, and this is your cousin Angelique." Jamison escorted a familiar relative. "Everyone, this is Quentin's son, Quentin the Third." Angelique stood and smiled in the presence of the old scoundrel. Keeping up appearances, she rose to shake his hand. "Charmed to meet you cousin," she leaned in and whispered. "Are you your own son ?" "Are you your own daughter?" the charmer whispered back.
