| abstract
| - Victoria Winters encounters Barnabas who is fretting about the delayed arrival the ship which carries his fiancé, Josette DuPres. He told her not to travel this time of year because of the bad storms, but she ignored him and now her ship is a week late. Victoria tells him Josette is all right with such conviction that Barnabas asks if she is psychic. Victoria tells him even if she were psychic she would never tell anyone's future, especially not his! Barnabas continues pressing Victoria for the date of Josette's arrival when Joshua Collins walks in and reminds her she is supposed to be busy with Sarah's lessons, not fraternizing with his son. Victoria leaves while Joshua gives Barnabas a lecture about not going to work at the docks. Barnabas explains that he can't because he is too anxious about Josette's arrival and Joshua orders him to go to the shipyards anyway. Barnabas says he had a feeling he should be at home, incurring another lecture about his generation puts too much value on feelings and love. Barnabas hears a knock on the door and goes to answer it, saying it could be Josette, but Joshua points out there was no sound of a carriage arriving. Barnabas answers the door, since no servants seem to be around to do it, and finds Angelique Bouchard, the maidservant of Countess DuPres, whose carriage is stuck in the mud and has sent Angelique ahead for help. He introduces Angelique to Joshua who says Countess DuPres was not expected as she would be visiting New York until the day before the wedding. Angelique responds that the Countess did not like New York. Joshua goes to get rooms prepared while Angelique insists that she go with Barnabas to help the Countess. Upstairs Naomi Collins is pouring herself another glass of sherry when Joshua arrives. He comments that the sherry is too good to waste this early in the day and pours it back in the decanter. He then berates his wife on how poorly the household is run and how they are not ready for their unexpected company. Naomi says she will take care of things and staggers up from her chair, further invoking Joshua's wrath. He goes down to greet Countess DuPres, leaving Naomi behind. Natalie DuPres strides into Collinwood all in a tizzy because Josette is not there yet. She is upset that Barnabas' response to her every complaint is that they were not expecting her yet, she tells him imperiously to stop saying that. She begins to inspect the house, obviously concerned that her niece could have done better. She lets Barnabas know she expected more, but also lets him know she approves of him personally. Joshua and Naomi arrive and introductions are made, with Joshua and the Countess trading barbs. The Countess leaves for her room, and Joshua excuses himself to his study after ordering Barnabas to go to the shipyards. In their bedroom, Joshua rants about what a snob he thinks Countess DuPres is, but Naomi tells him it won't hurt to call her by her title and it does not make her feel any less, but Joshua worries about what the people in town will think, having fought for the right for all to be born equal less than 20 years ago. Joshua worries Josette will be like her aunt, and Naomi asks if he will cancel the wedding if she is. He says he will and Naomi tells him it is none of his business. But Joshua reminds her that it is exactly his business as Josette's father, Andre DuPres is the largest sugarcane producer in Martinique, and very important to the future of the Collins Shipping Fleet. Naomi says she does not care about that, only that there is love between Barnabas and Josette. When Joshua asks what love has to do with anything she is clearly at her wits end, and tells Joshua it is time for dinner to get him out of the room. Downstairs, Natalie has arranged the tarot cards and Barnabas asks her about them. She begins to tell him what the cards have to say. First she points out his card, the Magician, and Barnabas puzzles over the infinity sign above the Magician's head, asking if it means he will live forever, to which Natalie asks if he would like that. He says of course. Victoria Winters enters the room while Natalie exclaims he would not like that. Barnabas introduces them and when Natalie turns to be greeted properly, Victoria blurts out Julia, then says the Countess resembles someone else she knew. Barnabas relates that he accused Victoria of being clairvoyant earlier, which piques Natalie's interest, but she returns to the reading. She goes to the card for Josette, and says she is safe as long as she is on ship. Barnabas asks about a card next to Josette and Natalie gasps that it is the "wicked woman" and gathers up the cards and ends the reading. Barnabas presses her and she says "There is a wicked woman in this house. The woman will bring grief. The cards do not tell us who she is". In his room, Barnabas starts to read a book, worried about Natalie's card reading when Angelique knocks on his door. She has been expecting him to come to her room, as they have obviously been lovers before. Barnabas escapes her arms and tells her it was a mistake being with her in Martinique. He loves Josette, and she must not pursue him further. Angelique accuses him of being cold, and Barnabas tells her that when they were together he was in love with Josette, but he did not think that Josette returned his affections. But now they are engaged to be married, and Angelique must leave him alone. Angelique refuses to take no for an answer, and when he rejects her again, she leaves saying "You will see!"
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