731 - April 13, 1969

[bunniefuu]

[Roger narrating] - Barnabas Collins has gone back in time

to Collinwood in the year .

There he must unravel a mystery of the past

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

But as time moves forward again,

the mystery becomes more complex.

On this day, Laura Collins

has suddenly returned to Collinwood

knowing that she will be unwelcome by her husband Edward

and knowing also that she will strike terror

into the heart of at least one other Collins.

- Edward!

- Hello, Quentin.

I've been looking forward to seeing you again.

We have a lot to talk about, you and I,

don't we?

- No.

You're dead.

I saw you die.

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪

- You saw me die?

What a bizarre thing to say.

- Don't come near me.

- Quentin, what is the matter with you?

You and I were always such close friends.

Now, all of a sudden you're afraid of me.

- I know what I saw.

You were sacrificed

on a burning pyre in Alexandria.

You're dead.

- Oh, Quentin, that's utterly absurd.

How can I possibly be here? - I don't know. I don't know.

But you were surrounded by flames.

You couldn't have live through it.

- Tell me something -- - I told you --

I told you to stay where you are.

- Well, if that makes you feel any better.

Quentin, do I look any different to you now

than when we were together?

- Don't try to convince me.

- Even if what you claimed were true

and I have somehow managed to escape the fire,

surely, I'd be scarred for life, wouldn't I?

Do I look scarred to you, Quentin?

- No.

- Of course, I don't.

When we were in Egypt together,

you were so wrapped up in the occult

and the supernatural that you lost contact with reality.

Your vision of me being sacrificed to the burning pyre

was nothing more than a hallucination

or a very bad dream. - No.

You have come back to haunt me.

- Quentin, I suggest you get hold of yourself

and face certain facts.

I am here.

I'm quite alive. I'm not an apparition.

Here take my hand and you'll see.

- I don't want to touch you.

- Oh, but there was a time

when you wouldn't hesitate at all.

I think you better take my hand, Quentin,

at least to convince yourself.

After all, if you're going around

telling people that I'm dead,

they may have you committed.

I'm waiting.

There, you see,

I'm the same warm-blooded woman I always was.

Do you feel a bit more at ease now? - No,

and I never will with you in this house.

- That's your guilt speaking.

- Don't you talk to me about guilt.

- But unlike you, I am prepared to deal with mine.

- Yeah? What does it exactly mean, huh?

- It means, I've learned my lesson.

I have come back here to beg Edward for a second chance.

- Oh, the repentant woman.

- Oh, you have the urge to laugh.

- Oh, yes, I do, indeed. - All right. Go ahead.

- No, no. I will wait for Edward.

He and I will have a good laugh together in years.

- Ah, you're just the same as you always were, Quentin.

You haven't changed a bit.

You're just as conceited and vile as ever.

- Why don't you tell me the real reason you're here?

- Because why I'm here is none of your business. - Oh?

Well, dear, I intend to make it my business.

- Don't, Quentin.

Take my advice and leave me alone.

I'll want nothing to do with you.

Do you understand that?

Nothing.

You're a stranger to me, a total stranger.

- Well, you two didn't waste any time, did you?

- Edward -- - Did you smell each other out

or was it all pre-arranged?

- I hadn't the slightest idea she was hear.

- I don't believe that for a minute.

- Edward, will you kindly be quiet for a minute

and listen to me?

- You knew she was coming back.

You sent for her, didn't you?

It isn't going to work, dear brother.

It isn't going to work at all.

Two of you may take off where you left off if you wish

but not in this house.

Not in this house!

- Are you finished now? - I am.

- Then you may be happy to know my true feelings.

I did not send for her

nor do I want her here or in Collinsport,

and the sooner you send her as far away from here as possible,

the better off we'll all be.

- Now, just what kind of a scheme is this?

- It isn't a scheme at all. Get rid of her.

- That is precisely what I intend to do.

There's enough money here

that will take care of you for quite a while

if you use it wisely.

Take it and leave. Now, Laura!

- Well, now, you both had your little say.

I think it's only fair that I have mine.

I did not come back here for money, Edward.

I came back because I've changed.

I intend to prove it

and I suggest you take this back

and resign yourself to the reality of the situation.

I'm back to stay,

and there is nothing that you or anyone else can do

to make me leave.

♪♪

- You are leaving this house with or without the money.

Make no mistake about that.

- If you force me to leave, Edward,

it is you who will be making the mistake.

- What does that mean?

- I think we'd better have a private talk in your study.

- Very well.

Let no one know that she is here.

Do you understand?

- Don't worry, dear brother. You have nothing to fear.

- I'm looking forward to being

mistress of Collinwood again.

- You could never be that even if you were welcomed here.

A lot has happened since you've been gone.

Judith is now mistress of Collinwood.

- Judith?

- Yes.

Grandmother died and left her the house

and almost all of the money.

- Huh, I see.

Well, I cannot afford to stand on pride, can I?

I just have to be content to be Mrs. Edward Collins.

- It is never going to happen.

Now, say what you have to say and then leave.

- Edward, I have tried to make this

at least palatable for you.

I've said I was sorry. I have begged for mercy.

I thought all this would make it easier for you

to accept me back here.

- It will if I believed you but I don't.

- All right.

Let me put this way.

You have the power to put me out of this house,

but if you do,

you will be the laughing stock of all Collinsport,

if not the whole state.

- What are you saying?

- Just what exactly did you tell your friends

when I left here?

That I've gone on an extended vacation

or that I've been taken ill

and was to be confined in a hospital, hmm?

- What I told people is unimportant.

- True.

The important thing is what you didn't tell them

that I ran off with your charming brother.

How many people know that, Edward?

- Only you and I and Quentin and Judith.

- Hmm. Well, if you reject me now,

you will realize how many people are going to know.

- You wouldn't dare do that.

- If you don't let me stay here,

I intend to go and live any way I can

right in Collinsport. - I'll have you run out of town!

- Oh, not before I cause the biggest scandal

this family has ever known.

- You say you care for the children

and yet you are so low as to cause a scandal

that would ruin their lives.

- Because I am so desperate.

Edward, I've told you I have nowhere else to go,

no one else to turn to.

Besides I'm not going to ruin their lives, oh no.

I know you too well. You'll never allow it.

Family pride is your greatest weakness, Edward.

You'll go to any length to avoid a public scandal.

- Don't be too sure of that.

- All right.

Then I'll leave now.

I've already taken a room at the Collinsport Inn.

Good bye.

- Wait.

You go to the inn and get your belongings

and bring them back here.

- Thank you, Edward. - I haven't finished.

There are going to be certain conditions.

- They better have nothing to do with the children.

- Be quiet and listen!

There will be a room upstairs for you when you come back.

You will stay there temporarily

until I can arrange to have a cottage prepared for you.

- I should be here if I'm to be mistress of Collinwood.

- You are not going to be mistress.

Let that be understood now.

You will stay in the cottage.

You will go your way, and I will go mine.

- And how are we going to explain that to the children?

- You will leave that to me.

- When may I see them, Edward?

- We'll make the necessary arrangements

when you've moved in.

Now, when do you think that will be?

- I should be in residence by sometime this evening.

Au revoir, Edward.

- I want to call Worthington Hall School in Rockport

and I'd like to speak to the Reverend Trask.

Please hurry.

Thank you.

Reverend Trask, this is Edward Collins.

I have decided I don't want to wait a few days

before sending the children to you.

I would like have it done immediately.

Yes.

Today. Can you arrange it?

Fine.

How soon can he be here?

Splendid, Reverend, and thank you very much.

- Good evening, Mr. Collins.

- Well, what's good about it?

- Is something wrong? - Yes, indeed.

Something is very wrong.

- Well, what do you mean?

- Oh, there's nothing anyone can do about it.

My dear brother has already done the damage.

- What do you mean?

- He's allowed his wife to return.

He's welcomed the fallen woman back into the fold.

He must be out of his mind.

- Mrs. Collins is back.

- Yes, in all her glory.

- I thought she was never going to come back here.

- That's what we all thought.

- Why do you see so upset?

Rachel, sometime we'll sit down

and I'll tell you all about Laura Collins.

In the mean time you must excuse me.

I need a drink, maybe several drinks.

[knocking on door]

- Tim!

- Hello, Rachel.

- It's so good to see you again.

- I've missed you. - Oh, and I've missed you, too.

Oh no, I --

- Rachel?

What's the matter?

- Trask was here.

He told me that you've gone back to the school.

That isn't true, is it?

- Yes, I'm afraid it is.

- How could you go back to that place?

What are you doing here now? - Trask sent me.

- To talk to me?

Well, it's not going to do any good. You know that.

- No.

He'll talk to you himself.

I'm here to get the Collins children

and take them back to the school with me.

♪♪

I'm sorry, Rachel.

- I don't believe it.

I don't believe Mr. Collins would send his children

back to that place. - Well, it's true.

He made the arrangements this afternoon.

- I don't believe you, Tim.

I've never thought that you would go back to that place

but you did.

Why?

That's what I can't understand, why?

You and I ran away from that place together.

We promised each other that we'd always be free after that.

What happened to you?

- Trask caught up with me.

He gave me the choice of either returning to the school

or being turned into the police.

- The police?

- Rachel, there's something that I've never told you about.

Something that happened shortly before we ran away.

- What was that?

- Do you remember Simon Briar?

- Mrs. Trask's brother.

- When I went to get the money

that Trask was supposed to be holding for us,

Simon caught me.

He accused me of stealing it.

When we got into a fight, I've knocked him unconscious

or so I thought.

- What does that mean?

- Simon died that night.

Trask says I k*lled him.

- You didn't, did you?

- Trask says he can prove I can.

How can I prove otherwise, I don't know.

I don't know. Maybe I did k*ll him.

But whether I did or not, there's no way I could prove

my innocence in the court of law.

I knew that.

So, I just decided to go ahead

and fulfill the rest of the contract.

I think it was really a good thing.

- A good thing? How can you say that?

That man is a sadist.

- But you and I were very good for the children

and as long as I'm there --

Besides, I've decided to take a new -

a new attack with him anyway.

- And what is that?

- Well, I know you can persuade him to change his mind.

It's impossible for anyone to do that

but I am trying to temper him.

I think perhaps I can get him to be more tolerant

with the children.

- You're not succeeding, are you?

- Oh, I'm - I'm making some progress.

Rachel, listen,

isn't it really better to light even one candle

in the curse of darkness.

- Oh, Tim, he is taking all the spirit out of you

or your will to fight back.

He has defeated you.

- Perhaps you'd better ask the children to come down.

Surely, they're ready by now.

I have work to do at the school.

- Yes, of course.

You must not linger here too long.

You must be a good teacher.

You must not do anything that might anger your headmaster.

- Angelique.

Where are you?

Please, come to me now.

You said if I ever needed you

I was to come here and summon you.

Well, I'm summoning you.

Appear to me.

- The children and their luggage are in the carriage.

Thank you for allowing me to say goodbye to them alone.

- Of course.

- Tim.

Tim, I'm sorry for what I said before.

I know how mean and intimidating Trask can be.

Even for somebody who is strong.

Well, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.

What are you going to do now that the children are gone?

Well, Mr. Collins just told me

that I could stay another week or two

until he see's how it works at the school.

- Maybe - Maybe we'll see each other again.

- Maybe.

I don't know.

- Angelique.

Angelique, you made me a promise

and you owe it to me to keep it.

I helped you. Now, you must help me.

Do you hear?

- Have you taken to talking to yourself, Quentin?

That's a bad habit. - What are you doing here?

- Oh. Didn't Edward tell you that I could staying here?

- Yes, he told me.

- Are you up to your old occult tricks?

If you're employing your old dark deities

to get rid of me, you can forget it.

- You're dead.

- You've been drinking again.

- Oh, I really must have very worried.

- I saw you die in Alexandria.

I saw it.

- You imagined it.

- I didn't imagine it.

- Yeah, you're dead, aren't you?

Aren't you? Answer me.

How can I possibly answer a question like that?

- Well, I - then I'm going to have to answer it for myself.

- Quentin!

Let me go. You're hurting me, Quentin.

- Hurting you?

Dear Laura, I'm going to do far more than hurt you. - Quentin.

If you're not dead now, you're going to be very soon.

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪