“Good evening! Good evening Barnabas, Julia, please, come in…” said Professor Stokes, inviting them into his house.
“You said that you had an urgent matter to discuss with us,” said Barnabas Collins, as he and his dearest companion, Dr. Julia Hoffman, entered Professor Stokes’ home.
“Come, please, sit down,” said Professor Stokes.
Puzzled, they did as he asked.
“The word ‘urgent’ may have been an overstatement,” said Professor Stokes. “Perhaps the word ‘interesting’ would have been a better one to use. You have an interest in Collins family history, do you not? Especially as it relates to my ancestors, the Stokes family?”
“I have a passionate interest in the past, it’s true,” Barnabas said.
“That’s putting it mildly,” Julia murmured to herself.
Barnabas shot her a look. She gave him an infuriating smile in return.
“I have always had an interest in my ancestor, Ben Stokes,” said Professor Stokes, “but until very recently, almost all I have had to go on have been the pages of the memoir that he wrote.”
“Ben?” Barnabas asked. His voice sounded almost… afraid.
Julia took his cold hand in hers.
“I assume you discovered more information about Ben Stokes…?” Julia asked Professor Stokes.
“Indeed,” said the professor. To my great amazement, Elizabeth Collins found, in some basement or attic of Collinwood, a few letters written by Ben Stokes… letters which I’d like to read to you.”
“We’ll be glad to hear them, Eliot,” said Julia.
“They’re in the other room,” said Professor Stokes, “let me just get them…”
As he left the room, Barnabas whispered to Julia: “Ben Stokes knew my secret, Julia. He knew I was a vampire. Ben and my father, back in 1795, locked me in a chained coffin, which was not opened until 1966, freeing me at last. If Ben betrayed my secret, then T. Eliot Stokes must die.”
“Let us hope that it won’t come to that,” Julia whispered back. “If worst comes to worst, I can try hypnotizing Elliot first…”
Professor Stokes came back into the room carrying letters. “They are truly fascinating…” he said. “Did you know that the first Barnabas Collins, your ancestor from England, taught my ancestor to read and write?”
“I had heard rumor of it,” Barnabas said.
“That’s putting it mildly,” Julia murmured.
“Indeed,” said Professor Stokes, sitting down. “Not many rich men would teach an indentured servant like Ben Stokes to be literate.”
“Ben was my… the original Barnabas Collins’ friend,” said Barnabas.
Julia rolled her eyes, but Stokes was too busy putting in his monocle to notice.
“I shan’t read you the whole thing—I’ll summarize,” said Professor Stokes. “As you know, a terrible series of accidents and illnesses nearly wiped out the Collins family in 1795. If Barnabas Collins hadn’t immigrated to England, and if Daniel Collins hadn’t survived, there would likely be no Collins family today.”
Barnabas sighed. “So many tragedies…”
Julia squeezed Barnabas’ hand reassuringly.
“Barnabas Collins made his father, Joshua, promise to free Ben from indentured servitude,” Stokes said.
“I already know that much,” said Barnabas impatiently. “What is in the letters that matters so much?”
“Did you know that Ben returned to the Collins estate as a servant after he was freed?” Stokes said.
“I had heard rumor of it,” Barnabas said. Julia observed that Barnabas had no hesitation in answering, since it truly was after Barnabas had ceased to walk the earth in the 18th century.
“It’s a fascinating story in itself. Let me read you this one,” Professor Stokes said, and he read aloud:
My Dearest Wife:
I have thought much about what you have told me. I am going to be a father! I am overjoyed at the news!
You are correct in your assertion that I can no longer be a sailor. You need a stable life and a husband who will be there to be a father to our child.
I think Providence may have already provided an answer to our predicament.
The other day, my ship, The Demeter, landed in Collinsport—and who did I see but my former employer, Joshua Collins?
It was heartbreaking to see him, dearie. He is a broken man, as well as a lonely one. His entire family is dead, except for mad Millicent and young Daniel Collins, who is now away at school. Mr. Collins made an offer to me of a job as his manservant. If I return, we may stay on the estate, having our own quarters. Mr. Joshua promised to give me back wages for the time I spent as an indentured servant. And he promised to give our child the same educational opportunities that young Daniel has been given.
I had promised to never return to the site of such tragedies, but fate is, in turn, as kind as she is cruel.
He also promised to give you a part-time position as the cook of the household if you so wish.
I believe we should take this gift horse by the reins instead of looking it in the mouth.
I believe I owe Mr. Barnabas this favor, since he is no longer around to take care of his father.
I will, however, do as you deem fit for us to do.
I will be home as soon as possible.
I miss your lovely Welsh accent and long to hear you tell me that you are mine as much as I am yours.
Your faithful and loving husband,
Ben
“Fascinating…” said Barnabas.
“I assume Ben took the job?” Julia asked.
“Indeed,” said Professor Stokes. “He took the job, and served ‘Mr. Joshua’ faithfully until the day Joshua Colins died.”
“At least my… I mean Barnabas’ father had a faithful friend with him until the end,” said Barnabas.
“Ah, but Ben Stokes stayed with the family longer than that, even,” said Professor Stokes. “Ben also served Master Daniel Collins until the day Ben Stokes died.”
“Ben always wanted to leave Collinwood,” said Barnabas, “yet he returned, and stayed, out of loyalty to… the first Barnabas Collins.”
“Yes, but he also stayed for another reason,” said Professor Stokes.
Barnabas and Julia looked at each other. “And what reason might that be, Eliot?” Julia asked.
“Let me read the end of this letter to you—understand that a letter was written by Ben Stokes to his son Timothy, begging his son to come home from college and to take a job on the estate,” said Professor Stokes. “Timothy refused. Let me read this, the part of Ben’s letter in response, which puzzles me.” Professor Stokes then read aloud:
Timothy, if I had any alternative, I would not ask you to give up your hopes, dreams, and ambitions in order to be a servant here. However, I have only one son, and that one son must help me.
There is a chained coffin that must be watched over. I have watched over it, and now you must. And when you die, your son must watch over it. I will tell you more when you come home.
Please do as a dying man asks, son. I have no one else to turn to.
Sincerely,
Your Loving Father
Barnabas and Julia gave each other horrified looks.
“But Timothy did not return?” Barnabas asked.
“He did,” said Professor Stokes, “but unfortunately, it was too late. Ben Stokes died without telling Timothy more about the chained coffin. Timothy had been studying abroad—at the Scholomance in Romania, believe it or not, under one Count Andreas Petofi, who was knowledgeable about what we call the supernatural.”
“An interest that you share,” Julia said thoughtfully…
“It must run in the family,” said Barnabas, “as does my resemblance to the original Barnabas Collins…”
“Quite,” said Professor Stokes. “To cut a long story short, Timothy did not get home in time. He even missed his father’s funeral. Ben’s brother-in-law had to take Timothy’s place as a pallbearer.”
Barnabas looked relieved.
“Do you know anything about the chained coffin, Barnabas?” Professor Stokes asked.
“Me?” said Barnabas. “Why would I know…?”
“Because you have a great deal of knowledge about the Collins family history,” said Professor Stokes, “so I hoped that you might have…”
“I… do remember something about family jewels being hidden in a coffin…” said Barnabas, “something about Abigail Collins and pirates…”
Stokes shook his head. “My ancestor wouldn’t be so desperate if had just been about valuables. It must have been something else. But what could it be?”
“I… have no idea…” Barnabas lied.
Julia made a face that showed that she was deep in thought. “What if… oh, it’s too horrible to think of…” she said…
Barnabas gave Julia a harsh look.
“Yes, Doctor? Do you have a theory?” Stokes asked.
“Yes… yes, I do…” said Julia.
“Julia,” Barnabas started to say, “idle speculation—”
“—Fear of grave-robbing,” Julia speculated. “Medical schools used to pay for corpses, you see, and the Collins family coffins must have been better-constructed than poorer people’s coffins. And they were sometimes put in a mausoleum instead of buried, so the corpses would have been better-preserved…”
“What a revolting thought,” said Professor Stokes in obvious fascination. “And yet… and yet… Doctor, I do believe you’re onto something… The chained coffin must have protected a body that some may have seen as potentially quite valuable…”
“Perhaps not so much valuable… as infected,” said Julia.
“Infected?” Professor Stokes repeated, raising an eyebrow.
“Collinsport was more than the home of a prosperous fishing fleet—in those days, it was also a port for shipping,” said Julia. “Men came in who’d been in all sorts of exotic ports… and they sometimes brought things with them. If someone died of, say, the plague… wouldn’t the Collins family—and all their servants—feel it imperative that the body be protected from graverobbers?”
Barnabas gave Julia an impressed look.
“Yes! Yes, that must have been it!” said Professor Stokes. “Someone must have died of the plague, and the Collins family—not knowing as much as we do today thanks to modern medical science—must have chained up the body in a coffin to help deter graverobbers from coming in contact with the germs. Burning or cremating bodies was unheard of then—indeed, I have read that they were mostly simply buried in London during the time of the Black Plague, out of fear that burning them would release unhealthy vapors into the air with the smoke. Poor old Ben, thinking to watch over a body that graverobbers and thieves would want to exhume, must have thought that such germs had eternal life, and that the body’s secret would have to be kept until the end of time…”
“And naturally, the Collins family would want it kept secret that the plague had threatened Collinsport,” said Julia, “to avoid panic.”
“It would take a medical doctor to hit upon the solution,” said Professor Stokes, smiling.
“I’m glad that I could help straighten out the mystery, Eliot,” Julia said, returning his smile.
“Thank you, Doctor,” said Professor Stokes, “I’m much obliged.” He rose from his chair. “Now, how about I put these letters away, and we can go to the Collinsport Inn and have a late supper?”
“We’d like that very much,” Julia grinned, fluttering her eyelashes a little.
As Professor Stokes left the room, Julia leaned over and whispered to Barnabas: “…Never say I never did anything for you, Barnabas…”
“You are, in so many ways, a remarkable woman,” Barnabas said to her.
Julia smiled.
A few minutes later, Dr. Hoffman, Barnabas Collins, and Professor Stokes were leaving for the Collinsport Inn—in Professor Stokes’ car, with the professor driving. “There is one more interesting bit of trivia,” he said as he drove, “a little coincidence that you two might find amusing.”
Barnabas and Julia looked at each other. “And that is…?” Barnabas asked.
“Ben Stokes’ wife’s maiden name was Morgan,” Professor Stokes replied.
Barnabas and Julia looked at each other, confused.
“Are you not aware of the caretaker who worked for Elizabeth Collins awhile back?” Professor Stokes asked. “His name was Matthew Morgan… He died under unusual circumstances. He was implicated in a death, and…”
“Sorry, Eliot, but we’ve never heard of him…” said Julia, “that’s before our time…”
“Oh, well, at least I thought it was interesting…” shrugged Professor Stokes.