Light And Shadows (Barnabas Collins x Reader)

Chapter 3- That Night

In the Dining Room, Carolyn drops the needle of a record player into a black vinyl. "Season Of The Witch" by Donovan plays and Carolyn starts dancing, while Elizabeth and Victoria are seated, getting ready to eat.

"Chop-chop, Willie, I'm starving." A man, Roger Collins, walks in the Dining Room smoking a cigarette and sits down not noticing Victoria. "God help me if it's another bone-dry pot roast-" When Willie sets the food down, that is when Roger see Victoria. "Who's this?"

"Ms. Winters, this is my brother, Roger. Roger, Ms. Winters is to be David's new governess." Roger finish his cigarette giving a weird look. "Please, call me Vicky. It's nice to meet you."

Roger hands start twitching, missing his cigarette. "Yeah. Yeah. Nice to meet you. It was quiet, only the music playing till someone interrupts.

"You're a liar." Dr. Julia Hoffman walks to the chair next to Victoria, swinging around her drink. "I can tell, you know. Just from a person's face. Yours says, "I might look sweet and innocent, but I have secrets. Secrets that would make the hairs on your arms stand straight up." Victoria starts to worry.

"Leave her be, Julia." Elizabeth says.

"You're the doctor." Victoria realize. "Yeah. And you're "the nanny," and she's "the bitch." Honey, how do you ever expect us to advance if we keep reducing each other to labels?" Dr. Hoffman states.

"So, Vicky, where'd you c-? Carolyn! Will you please turn that noise down?!" Roger yells, making Carolyn stop dancing. She turns off the music and walks to her chair to sit down.

"Roger leave her be. She is trying to lighten up the mood in here." Roger rolls his eyes hearing Y/N voice as she walks into the room. "Honestly, I would rather hear the music than listen to whatever words comes right out your mouth." Y/n walks behinds Carolyn seat to give her a kiss on the side of her head before she sits next to Dr. Hoffman.

Nobody understands why Roger and Y/n hates each other, but some thinks it has to do with David's mother dying and Y/n taking on a more parenting role than Roger ever does.

"Y/n, this is Victoria. She is going to be the new governess and is going to help you with David." Y/n looks at Victoria with a skeptical look, trying to see if she would actually help or just let her do all the work like the past women did.

"Nice to meet you. Please call me Vicky." Victoria smiles at her and Y/n smiles back.

While everyone eats, Victoria looks up and sees a ghost with a white bedsheet with holes cut for the eyes in the doorway. Nobody seems to pay any mind to it.

"David, this is Vicky. She's going to be your new governess." Elizabeth says not even bating an eye. The "ghost" pulls off the sheet off revealing David Collin. "You ruined it! I was going to scare her." He goes to sit down.

"Damn it. What have I told you about cutting holes in the sheets? Those are Egyptian cotton." Roger says angry. David looks up at Victoria. "I was going to scare you. Were you scared?"

"Terrified beyond belief." This made David smile and Y/n nods her head saying 'Good answer'.

"You don't have to be nice to him just because he's nuts, you know." Carolyn says.

"Carolyn..." Elizabeth sighs.

"Carolyn touches herself. She makes noises like a kitten." David fires back, not letting himself get bullied.

"David." Elizabeth says shock.

"You little shit!" Carolyn leans over.

"Enough, both of you or I'll make you stop." Y/n looks at both the kids. This makes them stop and goes back to eating. After uncomfortable silence, Victoria was the first to speak. "If I may, what is the family business?"