346 - October 23, 1967

[bunniefuu]

[Victoria narrating] - No night at Collinwood has ever been longer

than the one that is now almost over.

It has been a night of waiting

to hear some word about the fate of a loved one,

but waiting can exhaust the mind

and finally one must sleep and dream,

dream of the days to come,

days we hope desperately will be happy ones.

♪♪

- Are you ready, my dear?

- No, not yet.

- You look very beautiful.

- All brides are beautiful.

- Doctor, you had better go.

It's very chilly in here.

- I will be a bride, won't I, Barnabas?

- Is there any question of that?

- Yes.

There is a question.

- And what is it, Vicki?

- Burke.

Where is Burke?

- He's here, Vicki, right here.

- Here-- I don't see him.

- Look - look on the bed.

- Burke?

- Yes. It's Burke.

- Why is he covered like that?

- Because he's dead.

- Then, I can never be a bride.

- Why not?

- Because he's dead.

How can I be a bride if he's dead?

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪

No!

He has to be alive! He has to be alive!

♪♪

I'll never believe he's dead!

He has to be alive! He has to be alive!

He'll come back to me! Burke will come back!

- Who is it -- - Vicki, wake up!

It's just me, Carolyn.

You must have been having a bad dream.

- Yes.

It - it was so real.

Burke was gone and I was looking for him.

- My mother told me the news late last night.

Oh, Vicki, I'm so sorry.

Why should you be sorry?

- Well, because -- - Yes, he is missing.

But they will find him and he'll come back

and everything will be just the way it was before.

- Of course it will.

- You don't sound as though you believe that, Carolyn.

- Yes, I do. - Oh, no.

You have that same look in your face

just like your mother and Mrs. Johnson,

all of that pity in their eyes for poor little Vicki.

Well, I don't want that look. I don't want it at all!

- Vicki, I'm sorry if I'm doing anything to upset you.

I - I don't mean to.

I know how difficult the waiting must be for you.

- Waiting to hear if he's dead?

- Vicki, don't say that.

Just talk about him being alive until --

just talk about him being alive.

- Carolyn, I'm sorry, I -- I'm being so selfish.

- What do you mean?

- I'm just thinking about myself and my loss.

- Is there anything I can do?

Anything at all?

- No.

I - I can't think of anything right now.

You know, I always used to think of myself

as being completely alone in this world

and now since this has happened,

I've come to realize how many people care.

[telephone ringing]

- Do you want me to answer it?

- No, I'll get it.

Hello?

Yes, this is Victoria Winters.

Have you had any word?

I see.

Yes.

Yes, I understand.

Thank you.

- What's happened?

- They've been searching all night and this morning.

- Did they find anything?

- No, no trace of the plane or any of the passengers.

- Oh, Vicki...

- But they - they're going to keep on with the search

and - and they're going to keep on looking.

- They may find something today.

- Yes, they may.

But they cautioned me not to get my hopes up.

They said that I had to be realistic

and realize how - how little chance there is.

♪♪

♪♪

[thinking] - Josette's comb, her brush,

her powder box,

common possessions that millions of other women have,

and yet to Barnabas, this woman was so special

that he wants no other woman.

Why?

Why must every woman he loves be a - a shadow,

a reflection of Josette?

She is dead and buried.

Why can't she stay that way?

[rumbling]

Who's - who's in this room?

[thinking] That's ridiculous!

There is no one in the house but Barnabas,

but he is sleeping.

No one here except me.

No one except me.

And whoever is watching me.

Josette?

No, no, it couldn't be Josette.

Stop getting nervous about her.

She can't be here.

But suppose she is?

He's made sure it's her room.

Suppose she's here.

Find her.

See for yourself what it is about her

that possesses Barnabas.

Keep calm and be scientific about this.

All right.

I know you're here and I'm not afraid to face you.

I see you!

No, it isn't a woman. It's - it's a man!

Dave?

Dave, Dave, is it you, Dave?

Speak to me!

[door opens] - Barnabas?

- Vicki!

Vicki, is that you?

- Yes.

- Come upstairs, to Josette's room.

- Oh, is Barnabas here? - No.

No, he - he went away for the day.

- Are you doing research on Josette Collins now?

- Yes.

- Oh, she is the one that has always fascinated me the most.

- Me too.

- Tell me, is - is there any word from Burke?

- No. No.

But I decided what I'm going to do.

- What's that?

- I'm going to - to restore the west wing of Collinwood.

- Oh, I think that the very good idea.

You will let me know if there is anything I can do to help,

- won't you? - Yes.

Everyone has been so considerate.

I wanted to come down now and - and talk to -

to Barnabas about an offer he made me last night.

- An offer? - Yes.

He said that he'd like to help me restore the west wing.

- Oh, and you've come to thank him?

- I wanted to do more than that.

I wanted to tell him that -

that he changed my mind about opening that west wing.

I didn't want to do it until I talked to him last night.

- I see.

- He really has such exquisite taste.

This room is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen.

- Yes, he has exquisite taste

and he also has a great many other matters to attend to.

- What do you mean?

- Other matters, other commitments.

Isn't that clear enough to you?

He is a very busy man.

- Julia, you sound angry and you have no reason to be.

- I am angry because

people seem to think nothing of

taking advantage of Barnabas.

They don't realize he has far more important things to do.

Oh, I don't care what he says,

I know he would prefer to be left alone.

Do you understand that?

- No.

I'm afraid I don't understand.

♪♪

[clock chiming]

[knocking on door]

- Good evening, Vicki.

- Hello, Barnabas.

- Has there been any news?

- No. They're still searching.

- I'm sorry.

- Well, there will be news soon.

I'm sure of that.

How was your day? - Splendid.

- Were you very busy?

- Busy? - Yes.

I came down to see you at the old house

but you weren't there.

- Oh.

Well, I'm sorry I missed you.

What did you come to see me about?

- Well, I --

- You seem hesitant to tell me about it.

- I am.

I suppose it's silly,

but it's something that Julia Hoffman said.

- Oh?

- Yes.

When I told her that I had come to ask you

to help me restore the west wing.

- Is that why you came to see me?

Vicki, I'm honored by your confidence in me.

- Well, when I mentioned it to her, she,

I don't know, I've never seen her act like that before.

- Act like what?

- Well, she - she said that

everyone was taking advantage of you

and that it wasn't fair

because you had many of your own commitments.

- She had no right to say those things.

- Oh, yes, she did, if they were true.

Barnabas, if you are just being polite and -

and I'm too blind to notice it -- - Vicki!

I am not being polite when I offered to do something for you.

You are very dear to me.

Surely you must know that by now.

- Thank you.

- Now, do you feel better

about your visit this afternoon?

- Yes.

I do in one way,

but in another way, I'm still troubled.

- Why?

- Because of Julia's attitude.

Once I stopped thinking about my own feelings,

I started thinking about hers.

Maybe she's working too hard.

- Well, it's true that Miss Hoffman

has many commitments,

but I wouldn't worry about them if I were you.

Let others do that. - Vicki?!

Oh.

Enter Julia Hoffman,

bearing flowers because

she is sorry she raised her voice to you this afternoon.

Will you forgive me?

- Of course I will.

- I don't know what got into me.

It wasn't like me at all.

- I know it wasn't and that's why I was upset.

- Well, I was upset too.

I - I think I have just been working too hard.

Please accept my apologies.

Here.

- They're lovely.

I'll get a vase.

- I think, Dr. Hoffman, we have some talking to do.

- It's true.

I have been working very hard.

- Tell that to Vicki, not to me.

You see, I happen to know just how hard you have been working

and I know exactly what it is that you are doing and why.

I really know why, my dear Doctor,

I really know why.

Just keep in mind that the crux of our relationship

is that of doctor and patient,

no matter what delusions you may have.

- I think, Barnabas,

no matter what delusions you may have,

our relationship is more involved

than that of doctor and patient.

- Are you referring to your late colleague,

Dr. Woodard?

- Perhaps.

- Well, I suggest you stop thinking about him.

I suggest very strongly

that you control any feelings you may have

that may be connected with the situation we find ourselves in

and finally, I insist upon you behaving

in a reasonable fashion to Vicki Winters.

Is that clear?

- Yes, it's quite clear.

Oh, Vicki, what a beautiful vase,

but then there are so many lovely things in this house.

- [gasps]

- Vicki, my dear, what is it?

- I can't believe it.

I left just a minute ago and these --

these flowers were fresh and beautiful.

Look at them! They're dead!

♪♪

[instruments bubbling]

- How much longer will your preparation take, Doctor?

- Oh, it is just about ready now. Oh!

I haven't done that since medical school.

I don't know what's the matter with me.

It will just take a moment to refill it.

Don't - don't stare at me. It makes me nervous.

I said, you're making me nervous!

- I'm - I'm sorry I - I - I shouted.

I - I've been working too hard.

- If you keep telling that to everyone,

you'll begin to believe it yourself.

I can't think of any other reason

why I should be having so much trouble with

a hypodermic after all these years of using them.

- Perhaps you have been thinking again about your

poor deceased colleague, Dr. Woodard.

- Why should I think about him?

- I don't know, Doctor. Why should you?

- I don't care what you say,

I - I have been working too hard.

- On the contrary, Doctor,

you haven't been working hard enough.

- What does that mean?

- I want you to expedite the experiments.

I want them finished and done with as soon as possible.

- I can't do that.

I have timed them to the maximum efficiency level

and the maximum safety level.

Why, all of a sudden, do you feel compelled

to rush like this?

- What a naive question, Doctor.

I'm ashamed that you even asked the question.

Burke Devlin is gone, perhaps forever.

Then again, perhaps only for a short while,

I don't know,

but I do know that right now,

she is lonely and vulnerable

and in her loneliness, she will come to me.

The same thing happened before with Josette,

but with her I made a mistake.

With Vicki, I will not,

because I know exactly what I want to do

to make her mine.

- And suppose Burke Devlin comes back?

- By then, it will not matter, if I make haste.

If we make haste.

- I'm ready with your injection.

I don't want to waste too much of your time.

- Don't do that! You're hurting me!

- There was an edge to your voice that I don't like.

- What do you mean?

- Simply this, Doctor,

I don't want your jealousy

to become a factor in this situation.

I don't want it to blind you to what you have to do

or to prevent you from doing it

as efficiently as possible.

Do you understand that?

- You seem to forget that I am a physician.

- And a humanitarian too, I suppose,

just as you were with Dr. Woodard.

- That - that isn't fair.

You made me do it.

- Why did you do it, Doctor?

Why?

If you have anything in mind to slow down this work,

if you do something that doesn't bring this to

a happy conclusion, banish it now.

I warn you!

- Have you quite finished?

- No!

You behaved unspeakably to Vicki Winters this afternoon.

She is a very good and gentle creature

and she forgave you.

I am neither good nor gentle, Dr. Hoffman.

I do not forgive!

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪