419 - February 1, 1968

[bunniefuu]

[narrator] -A séance has been held in the great house at 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.

It was here, in this time, that the darkest secret

in the history of the Collins family was born.

On this night, in this dark and forbidding confines

of the old Eagle Hill Cemetery,

one woman will begin to learn that terrible secret.

- I beg you.

If you love me, then go.

Forget you saw me.

Remember all this as a terrible dream.

- But this isn't a dream.

- Don't you realize that there are forces far beyond us?

Forces we could do nothing about.

- Yes.

And I now know what that force is.

- You - you do?

- Yes.

It is my love for you and yours for me.

- No, just leave.

Forget me, forget you ever knew me.

- Oh, I could never do that, Barnabas, never.

- Please, you must not come near me.

- Barnabas, whatever it is, I'm not afraid.

Just take me in your arms

and I'll never be afraid of anything,

just hold me and nothing will ever harm me.

Please, Barnabas.

Oh, at last.

Long last, I'm safe.

I'm safe.

Oh, Barnabas.

♪♪

[eerie theme music] ♪♪

- No, I can't do it. - What happened, Barnabas?

- Josette, you must get away from here,

away from me.

- You keep saying that. I don't understand.

- It's best for you not to understand.

I would prefer that way.

- Something has happened to you.

Something has made you change.

- Yes.

There has been a radical change

and that's why you must leave here now

- and never see me again. - Never see you?

- Josette, that's the way it must be.

- Oh, Barnabas, what has happened to you?

- I can't tell you that. - Why not?

- Oh, Josette, please, just go.

Before it is too late.

- Too late? Too late for what? - For you!

- But what about us?

- It's already too late for us.

- How can you say that?

Barnabas, you told me you would come back to me.

You told me to wait for you!

- If I'd known then what it would be like

after I came back,

I would never have asked you to wait.

- But you did ask, and I did wait!

Believing that this would be the beginning of a new life for us!

- Josette, don't talk that way!

You don't know what that new way of life would be like.

- I don't care!

All I know is that I love you,

and I will do anything to be with you.

- I will not let you do

what you would have to do to be with me.

- What do you mean?

- Josette, you will understand this.

You were at my bedside when I died.

And here I stand before you now, alive.

How do you think that happened?

- Well, I - I don't care how that happened!

All I know is that you're back, and we must be together!

- No, we can never be together.

I fulfilled my promise to you.

I did come back, but this is the end of it.

This is goodbye, Josette.

- Goodbye? - Yes.

- There's got to be more to it than that.

We love each other.

Barnabas, you are my life. I am yours.

- Josette, please.

- There has to be some reason why

you're saying these things to me.

I'm not going to leave until you tell me what it is.

- Josette, look at me.

Can't you see that I am no longer

the same Barnabas you knew.

- Of course, you're the same Barnabas.

Except that now, you seemed a little frightened

and that's not like you at all.

- Yes.

Yes, I - I am frightened.

- Of what?

Barnabas, tell me.

Let me help you overcome this--

- to be whatever it is. - Don't come near me.

- Please stay.

Some man live their lives terrified,

terrified of the night and all that is dark.

I will live my life eternally in fear of the light of day.

- Barnabas, I've never heard you talk so strange.

- Most men would - would barter their souls

and all of their living possessions

to do what I have done.

To come back from the grave and live again.

But it did not happen to me by choice.

It came in a form of a curse.

And it is that curse that makes it impossible

for us ever to be together.

- Don't talk like that.

Barnabas, whatever this curse is,

our love can overcome it.

We love each other. We belong together.

Please, don't send me away now.

- I can and I will.

You will go back to Collinwood

and you will not try to see me again

nor will I make any attempt to see you

no matter how great the temptation.

Believe me. It is for the best.

Goodbye, Josette.

- I won't let you go.

♪♪

- It's getting a little late. - Yes, I'll be through in a moment, my love.

- Nathan, what are you looking for in the almanac?

- A good day.

- A good day?

- Of course.

You wouldn't want to become a bride

in the middle of a blizzard, would you?

- Sir, I don't think my cousin has gone to bed yet

and I wouldn't want him to come downstairs

and discover us sitting here like this.

- You didn't answer my question.

- I didn't even understand it.

I mean, I don't see why the weather should be important

on a wedding day.

Weddings are held indoors.

- Aren't they? - Yes, yes.

- But nature should bless it with a day

as beautiful as the bride herself.

- Oh, you just say the sweetest things. - Yes.

- And I have found just the day.

The nd of March.

The almanac predicts the first star of the season,

a warm sunshine, not a cloud in the sky.

- The nd of March?

But that's only a month away.

I don't think my Cousin Joshua

would consider that a proper waiting period.

- It's what we think that's important, isn't it?

- I don't know what to think.

I don't really like to think very much.

Why are you anxious to be married so soon, Lieutenant?

- Oh, Millicent, I'm only thinking of us.

My duties here in Collinsport will be finished

in less than two months.

I might be transferred almost -

almost anywhere and have to leave you here.

I don't want that.

- Neither do I.

- Well, then, we must make a decision very soon

whether it's proper or not

if we want to be together.

[door opening]

- Josette, you haven't been outside alone, have you?

- Good evening, Millicent.

Yes. I went for a walk.

- Oh, I asked Lieutenant Forbes

to stay for a bit after he brought me home.

But it is getting late. Isn't it, Lieutenant?

- Well, yes, I suppose I should be getting back to my -

to my quarters.

I hope we can talk tomorrow and decide on a definite date.

- A date?

- Josette, I suppose you might as well

be the first to know.

Lieutenant Forbes and I are planning to be married.

- Married?

That's very nice.

- Josette, are you feeling all right?

- I don't know how I feel.

- You look very pale.

Perhaps, you should go into the drawing room

and sit down.

- Yes, I could use some rest.

- We'll speak again tomorrow, Millicent.

- Yes. Tomorrow.

Goodnight, Lieutenant.

- Goodnight.

- Cousin Naomi always says a small glass of sherry

has a soothing effect on anyone who's upset.

May I get you some?

- No, thank you.

- Josette, it troubles me to see anyone

looking as sad as you do.

Isn't there anything I can do to help?

- No, it's too late.

- Too late for what?

- He promised he would come back for me

and told me to wait.

Now, he is back, he doesn't want me.

- Josette, who are you talking about?

- Barnabas.

- But that's silly.

Barnabas is on his way to England.

- No, he's here.

I saw him tonight.

♪♪

- Well, what's your pleasure, Lieutenant.

- Rum! The best you have!

- Ah, you've set the date, have you?

- No, almost but not quite.

We'll do it in a day or two.

What's happened to your trade, Mr. Mooney?

It's usually quite crowded in here this time of night.

- Aye.

These attacks that they've been having lately.

They got the village scared to death.

Why, women won't let their husbands leave them unprotected.

- Well, can't say that I blame them.

- Nor can I

but I sure hope they catch the culprit,

so trade will get back to normal.

You know, I'm not overly fond of bad times.

- Nor am I, Mr. Mooney.

Nor am I.

- Oh, I'm sorry, Miss,

- but a lady must be escorted by a gentleman. - That's all right, Mr. Mooney.

- The lady is with me.

- With you, Sir? - Yes.

- And she'll have whatever the lieutenant is having.

Well, I always know where to find you,

don't I, Nathan?

You're either in the arms of another woman

or in the nearest tavern.

- What are you doing here, Suki?

- Why, I came to see my husband because I miss him so.

- Stop it.

Just tell me what you want.

- I waited eight months after you left Baltimore, darling.

And when I didn't get one letter from you,

not to mention a little financial support,

well, you know, how worried I get.

I began to think you didn't love me anymore.

How did you know--

How did you know I was here?

- You're in the navy, Nathan.

Sailors are never very hard to locate.

- You ought to know.

Are we going to be civil to one another?

Or shall I awake in this charming little village

to the fact that I am your abandoned wife?

- You'll do no such thing.

You didn't come here out of any great love for me

or just to see the local sights.

Now, just tell me what you want. I'll try to get it for you.

And then, you can go back to Baltimore.

- Nathan, I just arrived

and already you're trying to get rid of me.

- We have an agreement.

You were not to follow me anywhere.

- We also agreed that you would send me money once a month.

You didn't keep your end of the bargain,

so why should I keep mine?

- You know as well as I do the navy doesn't pay very well

and my expenses here have been greater than I anticipated.

- That means there's a woman.

- No, there's no woman.

- With you, Nathan, there is always a woman.

Who was the poor soul?

- I tell you, there's no one.

- Nathan, if you weren't feathering a nest

with some local innocent,

you wouldn't be quite so anxious

to get rid of me so quickly.

So, who is she?

- Now, what difference does it make?

You couldn't possibly know her.

It's not a serious thing anyway.

- I expect she thinks it is.

- Suki, how much do you want

to get out of Collinsport on the next carriage?

- I expect she also doesn't know that you're already married.

- You're going to give me your price?

Or do I have to--

- Do you have to what, Nathan?

You are hardly in a position to do anything, you know.

I mean, you are legally married to me.

I even brought our marriage certificate along to prove it.

Somehow, I anticipated your being abstinent.

- All right. How much do you want?

- How much do you have?

- No, whatever I've been able to save,

- maybe, a few hundred. - Be specific, Nathan.

- I don't know how much, maybe or . - Make it four.

- Only if you promise to get out immediately.

- Let me see the money.

- I have it in my quarters. I'll go get it for you now.

- My, you are anxious to get rid of me.

- There's a carriage leaving at daybreak.

I'll also arrange for you to be on it.

- As long as I have what I came after,

I have no desire to stay here any longer than necessary.

- Mr. Mooney,

bring the lady another drink

and I'll be back in a few minutes.

- I take it the lieutenant is a regular customer.

- Aye.

He an old friend of yours?

- You might put it that way, yes.

- Well, then you're going to stay about

for the celebration, are you?

- Celebration?

- Well, didn't he tell you he's planning to be married?

- Oh, well, he -

he did say he was planning to surprise me later.

Perhaps, that's what he meant.

- Well, it ain't every young man who gets to marry a Collins.

- Is that Collins, as in Collinsport?

- Aye.

There ain't very much in this town

that that family don't own.

- Then Miss Collins must be very wealthy.

- There aren't very many more wealthier.

- Isn't that interesting?

♪♪

- If you just take one sip at a time,

you feel better in a few minutes.

- Well, thank you, Millicent. I feel better.

- Josette, you don't look well

and the way you've been talking convinces me

you don't feel well, either.

- Millicent, I'm telling you I did Barnabas tonight.

I talked to him.

- But it isn't possible.

He left almost two weeks ago.

I'm sure the ship hasn't even reached England yet.

- No.

He did not go to England.

- Of course, he did, Josette.

Everyone knows that.

- It's just a story that Joshua made up.

- Why would Cousin Joshua make up a story like that

for no reason at all?

- He had a reason,

but he has pledged me to keep it a secret.

- Josette, so much has happened to you lately.

I know you haven't been yourself for the past few weeks

and I think it's just possible that--

- What are you trying to say, Millicent?

- Well, after all the heartbreak you've suffered,

isn't it possible that everything that happened tonight

was just a dream.

- A dream?

Yes, I did have a dream earlier.

A very strange, almost frightening dream.

- Well, then that's the answer. - No.

- No, in that dream, I saw Barnabas.

I knew where to find him.

But then I stopped dreaming

and I woke up and got dressed

and I went to find him.

- Where?

- I walked through the woods.

- You shouldn't have done that.

You might have been attacked.

- No, I felt perfectly safe

and I knew that when I reached the placed called

Eagle Hill Cemetery,

I would find him.

- Josette, now I know you've imagined everything.

I mean, what on earth would Barnabas be doing in a cemetery?

- I did find him.

But this time, he seemed different.

Something had happened to him, he wouldn't tell me what it was.

- Josette, let's not talk about it anymore.

Come, I'll take you up to your room.

- He just kept saying that it was all over between us.

We'd never see each other again.

I couldn't believe it.

Why would he tell me to wait then?

Why?

- I don't know, Josette.

I only know that you must get some rest.

You have a very long journey ahead of you

and you won't be able to make it if you're exhausted.

- Long journey?

Yes.

If he doesn't want me anymore,

then better continue with my plans to leave Collinwood.

Two more days,

I don't think I could live through two more days.

I can't.

[dog howling]

[thinking] -In two days, she will be gone,

and safe from me.

I must make every effort not to see her again.

If I do see her,

I will not be able to resist making her what I am,

and I love her too much for that.

♪♪

[eerie theme music] ♪♪