Angelique 19 Date: 1/8/02 12:16:12 PM Central Standard Time From: Aesgaard Edward eased himself carefully down the steps as he looked across the foyeur. Elizabeth had raced across a minute ago as Joanna carried his grandson Roger to the dining room for lunch. There wasn't even a sign of his nephew Quentin or his niece Angelique as he looked into the drawing room. Those two were seemingly getting romantic with each other in his mind. Squeezing the thought out of his mind, someone rapped at the front door as he turned to answer it. "Yes ?" "Telegram for Angelique Collins." The messenger replied. "I'll sign for it." Edward scrawled his name as best as his arthritis allowed and tipped the man a dollar. As he scanned the envelope, he noticed the post-address read London, England. "Is that for me Ed....I mean,Uncle Edward ?" Quentin came down the stairs. "No, it's from the Spellcraft estate in Borley,England for your cousin." Edward dropped it on the desk. "Well," Quentin picked it up. "It must be news about Tate. She's helping me track down my...........father's portrait." "Quentin !" Edward scowled as Quentin ripped open the telegram. "You're almost as bad as your father. If it wasn't for your age, I'd think you were him." "My father spoke nothing but good things about you." Quentin smiled at his own lie. "I wish you'd do the same." Quentin looked at the telegram. "Dearest Angelique," it began. "I hope this is of some use to you but as far as we know Charles Delaware Tate is still alive, but in self-imposed seclusion. Last we knew of him, he was frequented often by a man named Count Andreas Pefofi of Bistrix, Romania. Petofi died in a fire near you in Rockport,Maine in 1897. Tate escaped to New York later on where Vespa helped him to restore his hands. He continued painting until 1903 we believe. Tate paintings, however, have appeared in New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Bangor, London, Paris and maybe as far east as Helsinki. If he is still alive, he would be in his eighties. Much love, Zelda Spellman PS Thomas sends his love." "Good afternoon, all." Angelique entered the drawing room. "You got a telegram." Edward announced. "Where is it ?" "Quentin's reading it." Edward pointed the way. Angelique strided up and looked him over as he handed it over. "Good news ?" she asked him. "Thomas sends his love." Quentin announced as she scanned the message. A brief glance up, Angelique read the telegram as she hovered over the fireplace. The portrait of Joshua Collins looked down on the room as if he were watching and studying his descendants. "Where in the world can that portrait be ?" Quentin asked out loud. "It can't just vanish." "I told you." Edward barely looked up. "It burned up years ago when Tate's studio burned down. The Evans family just recently had it rebuilt. The studio though, not the portrait." "Quentin," Angelique led him into the foyeur. "We will find it. It has to be somewhere. I was thinking of leaving Collinwood anyway to return to Samantha. We will find it." "I know it exists." Quentin mumbled. "But where ?"
