404 - January 11, 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 girl 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 as stranger

in a sea of familiar faces,

and she has been accused of witchcraft.

One member of the Collins family know she is innocent

but for the moment he must remain silent

in order to protect others

whose lives are in great and immediate danger.

[birds chirping]

[thinking] - Why doesn't Josette come?

Where is she?

She must come.

I must find a way to persuade her

to leave Collinwood immediately,

yet I can't tell her why she is in danger.

If she knew the truth, Angelique would k*ll her.

Somehow I must make her listen to me.

Where is she?

Why doesn't she come?

Could Angelique know I'm trying to warn her.

If she did...

But she can't know. She can't.

Josette you must appear and you must listen to me

or Angelique carry out her threat and you will die.

You will die.

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪

- Barnabas.

- But where is Josette?

- She refused to meet you. - Refused?

- The countess has forbidden her to see you

or have any contact with you.

- But I must her. I must speak with her.

- She said she could not disobey her aunt.

- But why does the countess forbid her to see me?

- She believes you will make trouble for Josette

and there has been enough trouble.

- Josette has a mind of her own.

She knows the last thing in the world I would do

would be to cause her trouble.

- I believe --

- Go on.

- I believe Josette refused to meet you because she is afraid.

- Afraid?

Of me?

- No.

Of herself.

- What do you mean?

- I believe she still loves you.

- Nonsense.

- I believe that is true.

The countess must believe it too

or why would she forbid Josette to see you?

Or for that matter,

why would Josette herself be afraid to come here?

- I don't know but

I do know that I must see her and talk to her

and warn her she is in danger.

- Danger? - Yes.

And she will always be in danger

until I persuade her to leave Collinwood.

- I don't understand.

- I cannot say more,

but I can only say that it is vitally important

that I see her and you must help me.

- How can I help you?

I told Josette you wanted to meet her here

and she refused to see you.

- Then I must meet her by accident.

- Accident? - Yes.

You must ask her to go for walk with you

and I will meet you on the way

at a place that we will determine.

- I - I don't think I could do that.

- Why not?

- I've already tried to help you.

If Cousin Joshua knew what I was doing,

he would be terribly angry.

Even your mother wouldn't approve.

- Would you she approve of Nathan Forbes sneaking you

into Collinwood in the middle of the night?

- That's different. - Is it?

- I admit the hour was late

but we lost track of the time

and besides Nathan and I --

we've grown very fond of one another.

And why shouldn't we?

Neither of us has any other attachments.

- Millicent.

- Yes.

- Nathan is a very charming fellow

but perhaps you are making a mistake

by taking him so seriously.

- Why do you say that?

Well, other women have been attracted to him

and they had found him to be

less dependable than they have hoped.

- Are you asking me to doubt his sincerity?

- I'm only asking you to be cautious.

- I know other woman find Nathan attractive.

Why shouldn't they?

Is that any reason for me to doubt his sincerity?

- Millicent, you are very young and forgive me

but very innocent to the ways of the world,

and you'll be wise to listen to me.

- I am old enough to know my own mind

and I know enough about - about men

to know that Nathan's attachment for me is genuine.

- Millicent. - I'm sorry, cousin,

I refuse to discuss it further.

- Very well, what transpires between you

and Nathan, is your own business,

but I am asking you for help and you must give it to me.

- Are you threatening to tell Cousin Naomi

about Nathan and me?

- I have no desire to threaten you,

but I ask desperately for your help

and you must give it to me.

I must speak to Josette.

I must see her, and you must make that possible.

- I - I suppose I could ask Josette to take a walk

if there would be no harm in that

and if you chance to meet

that would not be my fault, would it?

- Do it now.

- No.

No. It will be safe for later.

The countess and your mother are planning a trip into town

and I will ask Josette after they've gone

to show me the grounds.

- At what time?

- Oh. Around sun down.

There will be less chance of you being observed.

- Very well,

I will be behind the Grillwork gates

near the terrace at sundown.

And Millicent, don't fail me.

I must see Josette.

It's a matter of life or death.

♪♪

- Mr. Collins.

- Miss Winters, this is Judge Madigan.

He would like to speak to you.

- Judge.

- Miss Winters, Mr. Collins has told me all about you.

I'd like to help you, if I can.

- You would?

- All you have to do is answer some questions

but I want to you to answer them honestly.

- Yes, of course, I will.

- Sit down.

I have told the judge that you would answer everything honestly

and I know you will. - Yes.

- First of all,

do you deny all of Trask's charges against you?

- Yes.

- You deny that you ever practice witchcraft?

- Yes, and you've got to believe me.

Everything he said about me is absurd.

- Don't get excited, Miss Winters.

- Miss Winters, I myself do not believe in witchcraft.

- You don't? - No.

But many people in this community do,

but I know Trask

and I know him for a common charlatan.

Now, when your case comes to court,

I'd like the chance to defend you

so that I can expose him in court

for the fraud that he really is.

All you have to do is to cooperate.

- Yes, I'll do anything.

- Anything. - All right.

- First of all, Trask contends

that you've been plotting against the Collins family.

Do you have any reason for want to harm any member

of the Collins family?

- No. - All right.

In fact, since before your arrival in Collinwood,

did you have acquaintance with any member

of the Collins family?

- No.

- All right.

Now, Trask bases most of his charges against you

on the fact that your arrival in Collinwood

was under a very mysterious circumstances.

Now, what would you care to tell me about that?

- I told the judge that you've had an accident

on the way to Collinwood

and the carriage overturned which explains your

vague behavior when you arrived here.

Is that true?

- Yes.

- Please.

I would rather hear it in Miss Winters own words.

- I had an accident on the road.

- Where were you coming from?

Where did you live before you came to Collinwood?

- I told you that, Judge.

Miss Winters has come from Boston

and she brought up in a foundling home.

- Please. I am asking Miss Winters.

- I'm sorry.

- You say that you were raised in a foundling home in Boston?

- Yes.

- And that is where you live before you came to Collinwood?

- Yes.

- And what is the name of that foundling home?

- Why - why does that matter?

- Yes. What difference does that make?

- Well, naturally, I must communicate

with the foundling home.

- Why?

- Well, to find people who knew her before she came her.

Friends, relatives,

anyone who can testify in her behalf.

- It's not possible. - Why not?

- Because there's no one.

- Well, now, surely.

You must have had friends of some kind

before you came to Collinwood.

- I --

- I can testify for Miss Winters.

Surely, my testimony is sufficient.

- Unfortunately, you have only known her

since her arrival in Collinwood.

- I -- He may as well know the truth, Mr. Collins.

- The truth?

- Miss Winters. - What is the truth?

- I come from another time, another place.

- What do you mean?

- Somehow I was transported here from the future.

- The future? - Yes.

I work for a family,

who will be descendants of the Collins family

who will live years from now.

- Girl, what are you saying?

- Miss Winters was injured in the carriage

on the way to Collinsport that she is very upset.

- No.

He has to know the truth

even if it means that he won't believe me.

- Well, I hardly know what to believe,

what to say.

- I realize that you probably won't be willing

to defend me now.

- I'm afraid I can't take to the court like --

like a story like this into the court of law.

It's too incredible.

- I suppose that you can't.

- Miss Winters, I - I would like to help you but --

- But you can't.

You can't help me.

No one can.

♪♪

- Don't be discouraged, Miss Winters.

I'll find someone to defend you.

- You've been very kind.

I do appreciate what you're trying to do.

- You'll be free very soon.

- What do you mean?

It's just that I'll do something to --

to make you safe.

Believe me. Remember that.

- I'll try.

- Good bye, Miss Winters. - Good bye, Mr. Collins.

- Don't cry.

- I - I've forgotten you were here.

You can take me back to my cell now. - Wait a minute.

- Why?

- I have something that belongs to you.

- You do.

- Here.

- My locket.

But they took this from me. How did you get it?

- I bought it from one of the guards.

- Why?

- I saw the expression on your face

when they took it from you.

I knew it must mean something special to you.

- Oh, it does.

It was given to me by someone that I love very much,

but why should you want to give it back for me?

- I just did.

- Why? You - you don't even know me?

Why should you go to so much trouble to be kind to me?

- You're a prisoner here. You're not a stranger.

A guard gets to know all its prisoners.

- But you don't know anything about me.

We haven't even said ten words to each other.

- I've been watching you from the first moment you came here.

- Why?

- I've been trying to decide whether you're innocent

or guilty and I've decided.

- What have you decided?

- I've decided you're innocent.

- You have?

- Yes.

For a long time I wasn't sure

especially when I heard that story

about you're coming from another time.

It's very strange.

- I can imagine how strange it sounds.

I don't blame anyone who doesn't believe me.

- I do believe you.

- You do?

- Yes.

At least, I believe you're trying to tell the truth.

What's more than that I know you're not a witch.

- How do you know?

- I've heard you crying in the night.

- Does that prove that I'm not a witch?

- It does to me.

It proves you're just a frightened girl

who doesn't have the power to harm anybody.

The first night I heard you, I pitied you

and I couldn't feel pity for a witch.

I never realized that anyone was so close --

there was anyone who could hear me.

I thought I was all alone.

- There were times I wanted to say something to you.

Something that could make you feel better.

- Well, it does make me feel better

just to know that I'm not as alone as I thought I was.

- I might be able to help you.

- Help me?

- If Mr. Collins can't find anyone to defend you

when you come to trial,

I'd be willing to try.

- You?

- I know it doesn't sound like much of an offer

but I know a little bit about the law.

I'm studying to be a lawyer that's why I work here.

If Mr. Collins can't find anyone,

he should be able to find someone more experience

but if he can't, I'm willing to try.

- Oh, that's very kind of you.

- At least you know there's somebody here

who believes in you for what that's worth.

- It means a great deal.

More than you could possibly know.

- Come. I'd better take you back to your cell.

- All right.

- I know what it's like to be locked up down there.

It's dark and bare and lonely.

Remember I'm right outside if you need anything.

- I will remember.

Do you know something? - What?

- I'm not afraid to go back there now.

I'm really not afraid.

♪♪

- Josette.

- Barnabas.

- I must speak with you.

- But it's impossible.

My aunt has forbidden me to speak to you and I

promised her I would not.

- Then, you must break that promise.

- No.

- I must speak with you. It would only be in moment.

- Barnabas, please.

You said everything there is to say.

- I will speak with you

if I have to keep you here by force.

- It cannot be that urgent.

- Go inside, Millicent. - Millicent.

- Go into the house, Millicent.

If anybody should ask about Josette,

tell them that she will be in a moment.

- All right.

- I told Millicent that I did not want to see you.

Barnabas, please, it's better for both of us

if we don't see each other.

- Josette, listen to me,

you must leave Collinwood immediately.

- I cannot do that.

- You must. You're in great danger here.

- What kind of danger?

- I cannot tell,

but you must listen to me and do as I say.

Leave Collinwood now, tonight.

- You told my Aunt Natalie that same thing.

I must give you the same answer she did.

It will not be proper for us to leave Collinwood

until we observe the suitable period of mourning.

I owe that to the memory of my husband.

- Jeremiah was never really your husband.

- What?

- When you married Jeremiah,

there was a spell cast over you, cast by a witch.

- What are you saying?

- I am saying that Jeremiah did not willingly

steal you away from me,

and you did not willingly deceive me.

- You really believed that?

- I know it to be true and so do you.

- Barnabas, I have never believed in witchcraft

and neither have you.

- Then tell me this,

did you willingly steal yourself away from me?

Answer me, Josette.

Did you deceive me?

- My marriage and everything that happened before,

it seems like a dream now

and when it was happening, it did not seem real.

- Because - because it was not real.

The witch cast a spell over you

because she wanted you to marry Jeremiah

and even now she is plotting against you.

- How do you know this?

- I have made a terrifying discovery.

I know who the witch is.

- Who?

- I cannot tell you now.

The knowledge would be too dangerous,

but I can tell you this much

that you are in danger of your life.

That's why you must go away from Collinwood

or you will die.

- That seems incredible.

Who could hate me that much?

Why?

- I don't know, but all I ask is for you trust me.

Do you trust me?

- You know, I do.

- Then, I employ you to live Collinwood

before it is too late.

Even now, the witch is watching

and plotting your death.

[bat squeaking]

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪