My friend who had the crazy dream about Joe and Willie is at it again, and this one's a doozie:
Apparently Joshua Collins and Ben Stokes died shortly after the horrific events of 1795-96. Some villain stepped in and took over the running of the estate. He may've even married crazy Millicent. Or he may've been from yet another branch of the family tree. Suffice it to say he did not like his new pseudo-stepson, Daniel [mistakenly called David in the dream].
This villian told a servant to secretly kill Daniel and make it look like the boy had disappeared. The servant, possibly Ben Stokes' son, was very obedient and servile and all, but he couldn't bring himself to shed Collins blood. Instead, he arranged to send the boy far away to an orphanage or something like that.
When next we see Daniel, he is standing in a line with a huge group of new arrivals at this orphanage, which was almost a sort of work camp. He had been separated into a special group of children who came from wealthy families, but who, for one shady reason or another, were being sent to this camp. These kids were useful enough that they needed to be kept alive.
The kids were discussing how they were to keep entertained here. One kid with a red face said something about Pearl Harbor. At first I took it to mean the camp was in Hawaii, somewhere near Pearl Harbor. [but was it even called that in 1796? I doubt it.] Now I'm thinking that kid had been nabbed from a wealthy sugar planting family in hawaii.
Daniel was looking ragged. He had only a small carpet bag of clothes, plus one sailor's duffel bag load of books. I was apparently running out of time. I didnt get to see much more enacted--I just read ahead about it in a book.
Things continued on much the same at Collinwood--more Collins cousins moved in and weird shit continued to happen. Everyone assumed Daniel had disappeared, as per the official story. Daniel was worked and abused at this Dickensian orphanage. A young Collins couple married and went on the grand tour to Europe for two years. Shortly after they returned, Daniel Collins found out where in the country he was, escaped, and returned to Collinwood, a bit older, much wiser, and ready to exact his revenge.
