398 - January 3, 1968

[bunniefuu]

[Victoria narrating] - A séance has been held in the great house of Collinwood,

a séance, which has suspended time and space

and sent one woman on an uncertain

and frightening journey into the past,

back to the year .

There, each of the Collins' ancestors resembles

a present day member of the Collins family,

but the names and relationships have changed,

and Victoria Winters finds herself a stranger

in a sea of familiar faces.

She has also found herself to be the object of a witch-hunt.

She has been given refuge in the old Collins mansion,

unaware that the new mistress of the house is the real witch

and will soon try to destroy her.

[church bell ringing]

[thinking] - Oh, I will not be able to sleep

until I find a way to send the ghost of Jeremiah

back to his grave.

Why did he turn on me?

He must be under the control of someone else,

but who could it be?

Oh, I must try and rest or I'll lose my mind.

Who is in there?

Jeremiah?

What do you want from me?

Oh, why don't you go away and leave me alone?

I know that you're trying to frighten me,

but I am not frightened.

Do you understand?

I am not.

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪

Vicki.

What are you doing in this house?

- I'm very sorry if I frightened you, Angelique.

- No. You didn't frighten me.

I just didn't know who was in the room.

- Didn't you think it was me?

- No.

- Then, who did you think it was?

- I don't know.

- I thought I heard you say Jeremiah's name.

- That's absurd.

Jeremiah is dead.

You still haven't told me what you're doing here.

- Hasn't Barnabas told you?

- What has Barnabas got to do with it?

- He was kind enough to let me stay here.

He promised me that I should be safe from Reverend Trask.

- Oh, that was very kind of him, wasn't it?

- Yes.

- You must feel very grateful towards him.

- Yes, I do.

If I've had to stay in that stable one more day,

Reverend Trask would have found me.

- It's strange that Barnabas didn't tell me.

You know, of course, that he and I are married.

- You and Barnabas are married?

- Well, it seems that he had been - he's been keeping

secrets from both of us.

- When did you get married?

- Last night.

I can't tell whether you are just surprised

or quite shocked by it.

- Well, a little bit of both, I suppose. - Why?

- I don't know why.

I suppose it's just because it happened so suddenly.

- Are you sure that's the only reason?

- Yes, of course.

Angelique, are you upset about something?

- Well, no.

Why should I be upset?

- Well, I don't know, but you seem to be different.

I - I hope that you're not unhappy about

my being in this house.

I have that feeling.

- I have nothing to say about it.

Barnabas is the master here and I obey his wishes.

- But you are the mistress

and I wouldn't want to stay here

if it was against your wishes.

- I don't object to your being here.

- Well, then, what are you upset about?

- It's nothing to do with you.

- Is there any way that I can help you?

- No.

I'm sorry if I made you feel unwelcome here.

- Well, I'm very glad that I can stay.

If I had to leave, I don't know where I'd go.

- Oh, the truth is, Vicki,

I'm very glad that you are here

and I want you to stay as long as you like.

- Thank you. You are very kind.

- No, you mustn't thank me.

I too was questioned by Reverend Trask.

I know what a cruel man he can be.

You know, Barnabas was quite right to give you refuge.

Mr. Trask will never know you're here

unless someone tells him

and I'm sure no one will do that.

♪♪

♪♪

- Angelique, well, how long have you been up?

- All night.

I tried to sleep, but I couldn't.

So, I spent most of the night roaming around the house.

- You must be exhausted.

- Yes, I am.

Barnabas, I've just discovered

that we have a guest in the house.

- Oh, I see.

- I must say, it comes as kind of shock

to find that one's husband

is hiding another woman in the house.

- I was not hiding her.

I brought her here for protection.

- And you conveniently forgot to tell me about it.

- No, I did not forget.

- You mean, you had no intention of telling me?

- Yes, I did. - Well, why didn't you?

- Angelique, I didn't have the opportunity.

So much has happened since yesterday

when I brought her here that --

- Surely you could have found one moment to tell me

that Ms. Winters would be living with us.

- She is not living with us.

- Then why is she here?

- You know why as well as I do.

She needs to be protected from that so-called Minister Trask.

- Is that the only reason she is here, Barnabas?

- Well, what other reason could there possibly be?

- I am asking you.

- Angelique, what is the matter?

Why - why does Ms. Winter's presence here

disturb you so much?

- If the reason you have given me is the truth,

then I'm not disturbed,

but it may be that there are things

that you have not been telling me.

- Such as what?

- If I knew, I would not have to ask you.

- Is it possible that you are jealous of Victoria Winters?

- Have I reason to be?

- Don't be absurd!

- Well, there must be some reason that you're --

you're willing to take the risk of helping her.

- I do not consider it a risk!

- Well, what would you call it?

If she is discovered here,

you will be accused of harboring a witch!

- In the first place, I do not think she is a witch.

- How can you be so sure?

- Well, because I do not believe in witchcraft.

- In spite of all the tragic things that have happened here

that could be explained no other way?

- In spite of all that and besides,

even if she was - even if I did believe in witchcraft,

I wouldn't believe that she was one.

- Why not?

- Because even a witch would need some reason

for the things she did

and Ms. Winters has no idea

or wants to do anything to hurt our family.

- She wants to do nothing that you know of.

- Angelique, are you trying to tell me

that you agree with these people

who believe that she is a witch?

- Oh, how could I agree or disagree?

- Well, is this -- - I know nothing of witches.

- Then, there's some other reason that you - you -

you're afraid of her?

- Why should I be afraid of her?

- Well, I don't know,

but you seem to be disturbed by her presence.

- I'm only disturbed because you kept it from me.

- I am sorry, Angelique.

- Oh, Barnabas,

we have both been cast aside by your family.

That leaves only us

and we will not even have that

if we can't trust one another.

- I know.

Well, now that you know about Ms. Winters,

I'm sure that I can trust you not to say anything

to anyone about her.

- Oh, no, don't worry.

I won't say anything to anyone.

- Good.

And now, I must go into Collinsport this morning.

There - there are some people there I must see about work.

Do you mind being left alone for a while?

- Oh, no, darling. I'll be all right.

Please, don't be gone long.

- For a few hours at the most.

[thinking] - No, Barnabas,

I will not tell a soul that Vicki is here,

but that does not mean that no one will find out.

♪♪

Ben!

There's something I want you to do for me.

- Well, I'm busy now.

- I want you to go to Collinwood.

I want you to go to Ms. Abigail's room

and get me that -

that black ribbon she uses to tie back her hair.

- Go into Ms. Abigail's room?

Me? - Yes, you.

- You know as well as I do I can't do that. - Why not?

- Listen, it was bad enough me sneaking into

Mr. Jeremiah's room, but if I got caught,

I might have been able to talk my way out of there,

but Ms. Abigail room?

Oh, no, sir, I'm not taking a chance like that.

- You won't be caught.

- I told you, I'm not going to do it!

- I'm sorry, Ben, but there's no one I can send but you.

- You're not sending me either, that's for sure.

- Oh, why do you always try to get away from it?

You know there's nothing you could do.

So, why do you even try?

- Why are you always mean to me?

- I'm not mean to you, Ben. I need you.

- Oh, what's so important about a little piece of black ribbon?

What are you up to now anyway?

- I'm going to cast a spell over dear Abigail.

- Spell? What for?

- Oh, it won't be the kind of spell that I have used before.

No.

I want Abigail to have a dream.

- A nightmare?

- No, not a nightmare.

A dream that will be a kind of a revelation.

- I don't know what you're talking about.

- In a dream, Abigail will see one of the rooms in this house

and in that room, she will see the witch

she's been looking for.

She will see Victoria Winters.

- How did you know Ms. Winters was here?

- Because I saw her this morning.

- And now, you're going to betray her to Ms. Abigail

and that crazy witch hunter?

- Yes, Ben, I'm afraid I must.

- Well, why? What did she ever do to you?

- You think she's as pure and innocent

as Barnabas does, don't you?

- All I know is how good she's been to me.

- Would it surprise you to know

that Ms. Winters may be a witch after all?

- I don't believe it. - It can be so.

You see, Ben, strange things have begun

to happen in this house,

things that even I can't explain.

- What kind of things?

I'm convinced that someone is exercising control

over Jeremiah's ghost.

They are using the ghost to try and terrify me!

- I don't believe it was Ms. Winters.

She's no witch. I'd stake my life on that.

- Well, whether she is or not, I want her removed.

As long as she's free, the witch hunt will go on.

- And there's always the danger they'll find

the only real witch there is around here, you!

- Yes, Ben.

That's right.

But after they found Vicki,

they'll be convinced that the job is done.

So, I want you to go to Abigail's room at once.

- Isn't there another way you can get what you want?

- No. I need something that belongs to Abigail!

- I don't want to go there! I'm afraid I'll get caught!

And if I do, you won't be able to use me anymore

because that'll be the end of me.

- I want you to go, Ben.

Now!

And stop worrying about it.

Remember, go in and out of the room as quickly as possible

and I will protect you while you're there.

♪♪

Do not be afraid, Ben.

Remember, in and out of the room quickly

and quietly and bring the ribbon back to me.

[clock chiming]

[knocking on door]

- This must be what she wants.

- Something has happened!

Something is wrong!

Ben is in some kind of trouble. What is it?

What's happened to him?

He's not alone in the room.

Someone has discovered him!

- Ben Stokes!

What are you doing in my room?

- Nothing, Ms. Abigail.

- Don't tell me that!

You came in here to steal something, didn't you?

- Oh, no, no, no. I didn't, honest.

- What's that in your hand?

- Nothing. Just a -- just a little piece of black ribbon.

- How much did you stuff in your pockets before I came in?

- I didn't take anything! I - I swear!

- You don't expect me to believe that!

- It's the truth.

- If you were in the habit of telling the truth,

you wouldn't be a convict today.

Now, there was some reason you were in my room

and you're going to tell me what it was.

- I can't do that, Ms. Abigail.

- Don't tell me you can't!

You're going to and that's all.

- I told you! I wasn't trying to steal anything.

- What were you doing here?

- Ms. Abigail, please.

Have a little mercy.

- I show no mercy to thieves!

- You got to understand me.

I - I couldn't tell you why I'm here even if I tried!

- Very well. If you won't tell me,

then you'll tell my brother, Joshua!

- No, please! I don't want him to know about it!

- Of course you don't.

You know what will happen to you

if he finds out, don't you?

- Ms. Abigail, please - please don't tell him.

I - I don't want to go back to that prison.

- You will not only go back to prison,

but when they find you've been guilty of stealing again,

they'll add more years to your sentence!

What do you think of that, Ms. Ben Stokes?

- Ms. Abigail, I had to come here!

I had no choice!

- Had no choice!?

What on earth are you talking about?

- It was the witch!

The witch made me come here!

She told me --

- What, Ben?

What did the witch tell you?

Speak up! Speak up!

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪