714 - March 19, 1969

[bunniefuu]

[Maggie narrating] - Collinwood in the year :

The strange and terrifying events of that year

are as yet unsolved by Barnabas Collins.

He must unravel this mystery of the past

in order to save the life of a young boy in the present.

He has not yet learned that the darkest

and most mysterious secret of all

lies beyond the door of the tower room.

- Jenny?

Jenny, it's Beth.

I'm coming in now with a nice surprise for you.

- Rachel said you wanted to see me?

- Yes.

Go and get your brothers and tell them to come downstairs.

I want to see them immediately. - What for?

- Just do as I say.

- Just a minute dear sister,

don't you go telling me what to do,

you don't run this house.

- I do now.

- What are you talking about?

- From this night on Carl, I am mistress of Collinwood!

And to use one of your trite expressions,

"Don't you ever forget it!"

- Oh, we have two jokers in the family now, huh?

- This is not a joke. - Well, of course it is.

Nobody has found the will.

- I have and I have read it from beginning to end.

Now, go and get your brothers.

I am anxious to read you all your obituaries!

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪

- You want to know what I think?

I think you're lying!

- Yes, yes,

you just want to get me all worked up, that's all!

You haven't got any will!

- Haven't I?

- Let me see it. - No, Carl.

- Judith, let me look at it! I want to see it!

- No, Carl, you'll have to be satisfied

with my reading it to you.

- Now, that's not legal and you know it!

- This is my house and I decide what is legal from now on

and the sooner you get that through your simple mind,

the better off you'll be.

- Edward!

Edward, where are you?!

Edward, come down here!

Edward, Judith has found the will!

She's found the will, Edward!

- What in heaven's name are you yelling about?

- Edward, she's found it! Judith!

She's - she's found the will and she's already read it!

- If this is another one of your practical jokes --

- It is not a joke, Edward.

It is the truth! See!

- Where did you find it?

- In grandmother's room.

Now, go and find Quentin and tell him

I want to see him down here immediately!

- Are you ordering me? - Yes, I am.

- Go and get him yourself!

- Oh, I would dear brother,

but as Carl has said I have already read the will.

So, I advise you to get him without further delay.

- [scoffs]

- Oh, Ms. Collins,

have you had a chance to speak to Beth, yet?

- About what?

- About Nora's doll. I mentioned it to you earlier.

- Oh, we discussed it less than minutes ago.

I haven't had time to go looking through the house

searching for Beth.

- I'm sorry, I didn't think.

- Well, it will be taken care of in due time.

- Yes, of course.

- Don't argue with me Quentin, go down to the drawing room.

We will get to the bottom of this soon enough.

Either she is telling a monstrous lie or -- - Edward,

how can say such a thing about our dear sister.

Just look at her!

You can see for yourself

that an important change has taken place.

Notice how much more erect she carries herself.

And there is something curiously grand

and imperial in the way she looks at us.

Now, I ask you Edward,

if she were lying about the will,

would she be standing there and looking for all the world

like Catherine of Russia?

- I am not amused, Quentin.

- You rarely have been, Judith.

It's always been one of your weaknesses.

- Shall be go into the drawing room?

- Oh, come into my parlor said the spider to the fly.

- I would like to see this so-called will you found.

- Here it is. - I want to look at it.

- No one will look at it until the proper time.

- You have read it, haven't you?

- Yes.

- Well, that is unfair of you to withhold it

from the rest of the family.

- I want it all to be done legally.

Mr. Hanley must be here for the reading

and the children Edward.

They are mentioned frequently in the will.

- Edward tells me that you found the will

in grandmother's room.

How did you happen to know where to look?

- I was looking through some books in her room

and found it in a volume of the family history.

- Oh, I see, purely by chance.

- Yes.

- Your lower lip is trembling, Judith.

It usually means you're lying!

- You knew where it was all the time! - That's a lie!

- Judith, have you already read Carl

the parts concerning him?

- I have read nothing to anybody!

- Well, then what's the matter with him?

He looks like the aftermath of one of his practical jokes!

What is it Carl, tell Quentin?

- Why don't you just be quiet,

just this one time keep your mouth shut!

- Oh, h*-h*, what are we so touchy about?

- Nothing!

- Judith, I refuse to wait

until Evan Hanley is brought here.

There is nothing ill*gal about reading the will now.

- No, I suppose there isn't.

I just wanted to spare you the shock a bit longer.

- What do you mean?

- Why don't you all sit down and let me do the honors!

♪♪

Brace yourself brothers.

"I, Edith Collins,

being of sound mind and body,

do declare this to be my last will and testament."

♪♪

"And being fully cognizant

of the difficulties of settling our family's problems,

have decided that the foregoing

shall constitute my final instructions

and must be ex*cuted to the letter

in order that the proper division of the Collins' estate

shall accrue to the future generations.

Signed Edith Collins

dated the first day of March ."

Well, isn't anybody going to say anything?

- Anything I have to say will be said in court!

- In court, Edward? How melodramatic.

- Don't you believe for one moment

that I will let this document go uncontested.

It is inconceivable that grandmother would leave

Carl and me nothing.

- Well, you can contest it to your heart's content, Edward,

will get nowhere.

- I always knew that you were capable of deceit, Judith.

But I thought that you were above treachery!

- And just who have I betrayed? - Me!

You know perfectly well I was in line to receive

the bulk of this estate.

But while I was away you worked on her,

didn't you?

- I don't know what you're talking about?! - Of course you did!

You poisoned her mind.

You suggested that she leave everything to you!

- I did nothing of the kind.

I spent my nights and days caring for her.

I am the only one who did that.

- And you did it out of the goodness

of your heart, of course. - I did it because I loved her.

- Edward, I think I'm going to cry! - Oh, shut up!

- I did love her.

That's more than any of you can claim.

- You didn't love her. You catered to her.

What do you know about love anyway?

You are a narrow-minded, selfish old maid!

- But now that the power has shifted in my favor Edward,

I would advise you to be careful what you say to me.

- You think this is the way it's going to end?

Well, you're wrong sister

because I am going to fight you

and I am going to -- - You will lose and you will go on losing!

I am mistress of this house now.

It belongs to me.

I inherited the Collins fortune.

She left you nothing!

You're all dependent on me!

- Edward, I think she is trying to tell us something.

- Can't you ever be serious about anything? - No!

Judith, I must congratulate you.

I haven't seen him get this worked up in a long time.

- If you are going to do nothing but make snide remarks

then get out!

Get out of this house at once!

- You have a very short memory, Edward.

Judith, would you mind re-reading the paragraph

concerning me?

- I'd rather not hear it again, if you don't mind.

- Oh, but I want you to be clear on it.

Financially, grandmother may have given me

the back of her hand,

but at least she provided me with a permanent home.

- He is right, Edward.

The will states that Quentin can live here

as long as he wishes.

Not even I have power to put him out.

- Oh, I'm sure that saddens you, Judith.

- I have inherited the money and the estate, Quentin,

I'll find some way of tolerating you.

- Yes, I am sure you will.

- And now, if you will all excuse me,

I think I'll go have a word with the staff. - The staff?!

- Don't be surprised Edward,

you're not dictating anything to anyone anymore!

I am!

And there are going to be many changes,

so be prepared to accept them.

- When you've, uh, finished with the staff

perhaps we can all go upstairs with you

and watch you write a check.

- Keep it up Quentin

and in the end you will wind up with less than nothing!

- How far do you think anger is going to get you?

- She isn't going to get away with it!

I will think of something.

- Hmm, no, you won't.

The will is legal.

- How do you know?

- Use your head, Edward.

Do you think Judith would have forged a new will?

- Well, at this point I wouldn't put anything past her!

- Hmm, fighting her is a waste of time.

She is holding all the cards.

Let's face it,

for our own good we must find some way

of accommodating her.

- I will never do that.

- Hmm, suit yourself.

- I just can't believe it.

- Well, well, well, our brother is back with us.

Speak up, Carl!

Say something to cheer us all up.

- I never thought grandmother hated me that much.

á* She didn't hate you.

She just didn't trust you or me or Edward.

- That isn't true. She trusted me implicitly!

- Under the circumstances

you would have a hard time proving that

in the courtroom.

- What are we going to do?

I mean, we have nothing, all of us.

We just might as well be paupers.

- What are we going to do?

- That is a good question.

Why don't we all put our heads together

and decide on a course of action.

- I will leave you and Carl to amuse yourselves.

I am going to bed.

- Oh, wait Edward,

uh, there is one way

that you could get out of it, you know.

- And what is that?

- If anything were to happen to Judith,

Jamison is next in line for all of the money, isn't he?

- Are you suggesting that I k*ll my own sister?

- I offer it as one possible solution.

- It is one that I am not capable of resorting to.

Though, I believe that you are.

- Oh no, not in this case.

You see, I would have nothing to gain.

No, Edward, now that I am firmly in residence here,

I shall devote myself to a life of pleasure

with the available ladies in the house.

♪♪

♪♪

- What are you doing here?

- Waiting for you.

- I will thank you to leave.

I'm very tired and I want to go to bed.

- Where have you been anyway?

- I was doing some work.

Will you please go?

- Do you really want me to?

- Yes!

- I don't believe you.

- I don't know what I can do to convince you.

- You can't.

Beth, I have been waiting for a long time

and so have you.

It's time we stopped playing games with each other.

- I don't know what you mean.

- You know we have always been attracted to each other.

- I wish you would speak for yourself

and not for me.

- And I wish you'd stop fighting it.

- I'm not fighting anything.

Please, leave me alone.

- I think, uh,

I have been rather patient and understanding Beth,

but my patience is beginning to run out!

- Is that supposed to be an ultimatum?

- Hmm, interpret it anyway you like.

- You really try very hard to be detestable, don't you?

- I know you as well as I know myself.

And I know the what we both want.

[knocking on door]

- Who is it? - Rachel.

May I see you for a moment?

- Allow me. - No, Quentin, please.

- Oh, I'm sorry.

I didn't realize you had company.

- Oh, Rachel,

I bet you're thinking you interrupted some kind of tryst.

Well, how wrong you are, the fact is

I was just inspecting the servant's quarters.

It is a little service I perform from time to time

just to make sure everyone is happy in their work.

- Good night, Mr. Collins.

- Oh, Rachel, you do look lovely tonight.

If I may say so, you are really one of the most attractive women

ever to set foot in this house.

Don't you agree, Beth?

- Who am I to disagree?

- Well said, my dear.

Good night, Rachel. - Good night.

- Beth, I'm sorry --

- It's all right.

What is a you wanted to see me about?

- Well, it's something that has been troubling me

since I first came here.

- What?

- Well, the night after I arrived,

I was standing out on the terrace and I --

I saw a light in the tower room.

- The tower room?

- Yes,

I have been told that no one had been in the tower room

in over years.

- Yes, that is true.

- But tonight you were there.

- How do you know that?

- I saw you.

Beth, it was quite by accident.

I didn't follow you there or anything like that.

- I see.

- Beth, does someone live in that room?

- No!

No one lives there.

- Well, I know I shouldn't ask, but --

but if no one else is allowed in that room

why did you go there?

- I told you earlier that your curiosity

would get you into trouble.

- Yes, I know,

but there is something about this house

that is beginning to disturb me.

- Forget about the tower room.

I was there only because a few days ago

Mr. Collins decided to make a storage room out of it.

When you saw me, I was just finishing

putting some linens into a trunk.

- Weren't you afraid to go into the room?

- Why should I be afraid?

- Well, I was told that it was haunted?

- Who told you that?

- Quentin.

- Never believe anything Quentin tells you.

Everything he says is said with only one thing in mind.

- What is that?

- He likes pretty faces, Rachel.

I don't think I have to tell you any more than that.

- Is this to be a feature of the new regime?

To be roused by a servant in the middle of the night?

- I have made a decision.

- Congratulations!

- I thought I should inform you of it.

- Now, is it so earth shattering

that it couldn't wait until morning?

- I have decided to move into grandmother's room.

I think it's only fitting and proper.

- And you had me roused out of a sound sleep

to tell me that?

- I thought you would want to know about it.

- How very considerate of you.

- Do you approve or not?

- Well, it is such a weighty matter,

I would like to go back upstairs and sleep on it,

may I? - By all means,

but don't be too upset with me, Edward.

This is also new to me,

I can't resist making the most of it.

- You are doing splendidly, Sister!

Just splendidly!

[creaking]

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪