"Well. h.e.l.lo, Willie. How are you doing?"

"I'm okay." Lee Mitch.e.l.l had been his doctor during his stay at the hospital. He'd liked the man.

Lee had just been breaking through Willie's memory block when Julia had taken him back to Collinsport. "Julia's expecting me, I think."

"She's in the drawing room."

He and the man before the fire sized each other up in silence as Julia came forward. "Lee. Come in."

Barnabas watched with interest as the man's face softened when he looked at Julia. "I never could pa.s.s up a visit here."

"Dr. Lee Mitch.e.l.l, Barnabas Collins."

"Dr. Mitch.e.l.l."

"So you're Barnabas Collins."

"Lee's been my a.s.sistant here for almost as long as I've been here," she told Barnabas. "He's in charge when I'm in Collinsport."

"Indeed."

"Excuse me, Julia?"

"Yes, Willie?"

"There's a phone call for you. It's the hospital."

Julia's sigh brought a knowing grin to Lee's face. "I tried to warn you this morning that the staff intends to take full advantage of your being back."

"I'll go see what they want. If you'll both excuse me? Pour yourself a drink, Lee."

Lee went to the bar. "Mr. Collins?" he offered.

"No, thank you."

"You don't drink, then?"

"Occasionally. Have you known Julia long?"

"For years. I was in my last year of residency in Philadelphia when she started43.

her internship. We - spent some time together. Even after I got a staff position at the hospital."

"You must be very - fond of her." "Oh, more than fond, Mr. Collins. I've been in love with Julia for as long as I can remember."

"Have you? Curious that she's never mentioned it."

"She wouldn't. Julia's always been very - protective of her private life. I wager she didn't tell you that I once asked her to marry me, either."

Barnabas' surprise was evident. "No." "She turned me down, of course. But I refused to give up. Part of the reason I took the job here was to be near her. Then she went to Collinsport. Julia's changed. For the better."

"I think so."

Lee's grey eyes narrowed. "Mr. Collins, are you - responsible for that change?" "You're very direct, Dr. Mitch.e.l.l." "I have to be on occasion." "I may be in some way responsible, yes."

"How?"

"That I cannot explain." "Julia's in love with you. I've seen it every time she mentions your name. I was on leave the last time you were here a few years ago, so we didn't meet. But it seems several of our nurses fell victim to your charm," he said deliberately, watching Barnabas' reaction to his choice of words.

Barnabas chose to ignore it. "I think of Julia as a friend. She's aware of that. I would like nothing more than for her to find someone worthy of her."

Lee examined Barnabas features carefully. "You're telling me the truth, aren't you?"

"What reason would I have to lie, Dr. Mitch.e.l.l?"

"Call me Lee, Mr. Collins. I think we're going to be friends." He indicated the chess-board in a corner. "Tell me, do you play chess?"

"Not for some time."

"I'm a bit on the rusty side myself, but - would you care to try it?" "I believe I would."

That evening set the tone for the next month. While Julia was busy in the lab or on the backlog of paperwork, Lee and Barnabas began a marathon chess game. Their mutual respect grew, and Lee decided that it was time they were a bit more honest with each other. "You know, when Willie was first admitted here, I used hypnotherapy to try and uncover the cause of his breakdown."

"Oh? And what did you find?"

"Nothing that the authorities would have believed. Willie doesn't know that I got as far as I did. His story was - nothing short of bizarre."

"How so?" Barnabas asked, not lifting his gaze from the board.

"He spoke of chained coffins, and vampires -"

"Vampires?"

"I told you it was bizarre. He said he hadn't kidnapped Maggie."

"And did he say who had?"

"That's the one thing I could never find out. It was someone that he felt a strangely intense loyalty to, yet was terrified of."

"And - did he know the - reason for Maggie's being kidnapped?"

"Oh, that he did try to tell. Not that it made a lot of sense. Something about she was supposed to become someone else. Another girl, long dead. He claimed that he had been trying to warn Maggie the night he was captured."

"Do you believe his story?"

"Yes, I do. The subconscious rarely lies, Barnabas."

"Why didn't you tell this to the police?"