375 - December 1, 1967

[bunniefuu]

[Natalie duPrés narrating] Time has been suspended at Collinwood

while one woman makes an uncertain,

frightening journey to the past,

back to the year ,

for the loves and hatreds which were born then

in this house have never died.

♪♪

[thinking] - How can I go to Barnabas?

How can I tell him?

He should know.

Know what?

That his fiancee is not as innocent as she seems?

That last night she came to my room

and she says she loves me?

I can't believe it myself, but I didn't dream it.

She did come.

But if I tell him,

I'll k*ll all the happiness he has found.

- I beg your pardon, sir. - What?

Oh, Angelique, it's perfectly all right.

- My lady said she left her purse in here.

- The Countess?

- Mademoiselle Josette.

- How is she this morning?

- Oh, she's quite well, sir.

- Is she happy here?

Last night she seemed...disturbed.

Of course she is a stranger to our country and our customs.

That can be very upsetting.

- Oh, it isn't to her, sir.

- She isn't behaving differently then?

- Oh, no sir, not at all.

She is exactly as she was at home.

- I see.

[thinking] Then she has fooled him completely,

from the beginning,

and someday Barnabas will find out,

and if it's after the marriage,

I must tell him now.

I have no choice.

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪

- Your P's look like Q's.

- I don't know why they put 'em one right after the other.

It makes it hard.

- Once you learn them they will seem easy.

- If I learn 'em.

- You will, now, this is the way they should be.

- I, I don't think I'll ever say any word

with a Q in it anyway.

- You may surprise yourself.

- Barnabas.

- Good morning, Jeremiah.

- I'm disturbing you, I'm sorry.

I must speak with you.

- Well, Ben, you've been rescued,

until tomorrow anyhow.

- You come just in time, Mr. Jeremiah.

Learnin' to write is so hard.

I, I don't know how children do it.

- Well, Jeremiah...

Is something wrong?

- It's Josette.

- Josette?

What's happened to her?

Tell me, Jeremiah!

Oh, she's had an accident. - Oh, no. No!

- You frightened me.

I thought that... well I was afraid --

- You love her very much.

- Well, who wouldn't?

Isn't she beautiful?

- Yes.

- It isn't only just the way she looks.

- Isn't it?

- Her beauty is in the way she moves,

the way she listens.

Have you ever watched her as she listens to

father or her aunt?

- No I... I don't believe I have.

- There is such respect in her.

She is a very unusual woman.

- Yes.

- There is only one thing I question about her.

- What is that?

- Why she chose me?

I don't deserve her.

- Barnabas, perhaps you don't know Josette

as well as you think you do.

- Do you doubt me?

You have always said

that I had very good perceptions about people.

You gave me confidence in myself about that.

Now, why... Don't you like Josette?

- Oh yes.

I liked her very much when I met her.

- You had me worried.

I do so want the two of you to be friends.

I told her so much about you.

- What did she say?

- Well, she likes you. Honestly.

Is that what was worrying you? - No.

- She really does, you know.

- She told you that?

- You know what?

I think she is a little jealous of you.

- How do you mean?

- Of your influence over me.

She knows that,

but she doesn't understand what a friend

you have been to me but she will.

She knows how important that is to me.

She will do anything to please me.

Aren't I lucky, Jeremiah?

- Yes, in a way.

- In a way?

- Well, you're lucky that you are able to love so completely.

- Only because she loves me so much,

and trusts me. - As you trust her.

- As I trust her.

- Then nothing,

no one must come between the two of you.

- Oh, no one wants to do that.

We're going to be very happy, the two of us. - Yes.

If I have anything to do with it,

you will be.

♪♪

- Are you sure Jeremiah didn't tell Barnabas?

- Did you want him to?

- There's no point in Josette going to Jeremiah's room

unless he tells him.

- I don't understand you.

- You don't understand anything.

How will Barnabas ever know what Josette is really like

unless someone has the courage to tell him?

- She's not like that!

You, you make her like that.

It's wrong.

Just like it was wrong for me to stand there listenin' to 'em.

Wrong for me to help you at all.

- But you have to.

You know you do!

Jeremiah always goes to bed very early.

- Yeah, he does a hard day's work.

- And you usually take a toddy to him in his room, don't you?

- Sometimes he and Mr. Barnabas have a toddy downstairs.

- But you serve it.

- Aye.

- Tonight you'll make certain

that he drinks a very special toddy.

- If, if, if Mr. Collins...

if he finds out I'm doin' this,

he'll send me back to prison.

I can't take these chances.

- You have to.

Remember the last time you disobeyed me?

Remember what happened?

Tell me!

- I couldn't talk.

The next time, your punishment will be worse.

- I won't hurt Mr. Jeremiah.

- I don't want you to hurt him.

He'll like what he feels.

Most gentlemen enjoy falling in love.

- You're gonna make him fall in love with Miss Josette?

- I felt very sorry for her last night.

I know what it is to want someone who doesn't want you.

- You're a witch!

- I'll give you the drops to put in his drink tonight.

Don't worry, he won't taste it.

The toddy will look just as it always does.

Don't be afraid, Ben.

You only have one person to fear.

- Aye.

That's you!

- Mr. Collins. - Angelique.

- Please. - Wait.

- I can't talk to you. - You must.

- I'm so embarrassed!

I couldn't sleep all night.

I got up at dawn and...

just walked through the forest ever since.

Just trying to...

I've never done anything like that before.

- I hope you haven't.

- Do you believe me?

- If I do, it's for Barnabas' sake.

I went to him this morning to tell him.

- Yes. You had to.

- I couldn't.

He loves you very much.

Don't you care for him at all? - Yes, of course!

- Then why did you come to my room?

- I don't know!

I don't understand it.

I love Barnabas!

- Then you must be true to him!

- I am true to him.

I always will be.

Barnabas is the only man I love.

- You have no explanation for last night?

You must have!

You don't care for me.

It makes no sense to me!

- Do you think it does to me?

- You had better find out why you did it.

You had better decide why you did it.

I will not let you hurt Barnabas!

- I would k*ll myself first.

♪♪

- Now, where have you been?

- In my room.

- Mrs. Collins was very upset

that you did not appear at lunch...

impossible as it was.

Northerners know nothing about cooking fish.

They do not use wine.

Mrs. Collins said it was against her cook's religious beliefs.

Curious people.

Still, the fact that the food is inedible,

is no reason for you not to appear.

- I wasn't feeling well.

- Especially since Barnabas came home for lunch.

- Well, I sent word that I wouldn't be there.

What else could I do?

- Aunt Natalie, you must do me a favor?

- Mon cher, you know better than to ask anyone

as selfish as I to do you a favor.

- Aunt Natalie, please,

don't treat me that way.

- I'm sorry.

What can I do for you?

- Well, I'm supposed to go to Collinsport this afternoon

with Barnabas,

to the cabinetmaker, about some furniture he ordered.

Would you go for me?

- Why?

- I just don't feel like it.

- You will have to live with that furniture

for the rest of your life.

Of course, you must approve it.

- Well, I'm sure that if the furniture suits you,

I will certainly like it.

- Are you becoming frightened?

- Of what?

- You tell me.

- I don't know what you mean.

- Of marrying, perhaps?

Of, of Barnabas?

- No.

- Of this life?

I would be terrified, all brides are.

- No.

If I could marry Barnabas tonight I would be so happy!

- I'm glad to hear that.

Meeting an entire family, as we have, so abruptly,

would be enough to ruin the romance for me.

I am very pleased that you do not take after me sometimes.

Five minutes with Mr. Collins, Senior,

would be enough to make me call the carriage and leave.

- You shouldn't talk like that.

Mr. Collins is a difficult man

but he is Barnabas' father.

- Well, the others are nice enough.

Jeremiah is really quite handsome.

- Do you think so?

- Don't you?

- No.

I don't think I do.

- You would if your eyes weren't all for Barnabas.

Now you must go with him today, Josette.

- I can't.

- Have you, have you fought with him?

- No.

- Then, what is wrong?

- Please, don't ask!

- I am asking you.

If you want me to cover up for you,

then you must share your confidences with me.

- Josette duPrés,

I haven't seen you all day.

That isn't very kind of you.

Is this an indication of the life we're going to live?

Josette!

- Let her go.

- I can't! Josette, please!

What did I say?

- You said nothing wrong.

- Oh, but I must have. I must go to her.

- No! Let her be.

All girls are nervous when they are about to become brides.

You men don't ever seem to understand it.

But she never acted like this before.

And she probably never will again.

Forgive her.

- But I should be with her.

- Not now.

- But I, I could help her.

- What you can do today is one thing.

- Tell me.

- Amuse a very difficult Frenchwoman

with a very good eye for furniture.

Come, let us go to your cabinetmakers.

- Go to her and talk to her.

- I could if I only knew what to say.

♪♪

You are very foolish not to play with me.

Once you start thinking about the cards,

you can think of nothing else.

- Why didn't she come down for dinner?

- You have asked me that before.

- But you never answered me.

- I don't know.

- Perhaps if you changed cooks.

I'm sorry.

I made a joke as bad as it was,

I hoped it might amuse you, but it did not.

- Nothing will, I'm afraid.

- Ah, Jeremiah, join us.

I'm trying to amuse Barnabas with no success.

- Oh?

- I wish his temper could be dismissed

as just a lover's quarrel but it isn't that easy.

- No, I'm afraid Josette must be quarreling with herself.

[Jeremiah] - I'm sure she doesn't mind that as much

as quarreling with you, aye, Barnabas?

[Barnabas] - I don't think so.

- Here it is.

Just pour it in his drink.

[Jeremiah] - Well, if the Countess doesn't mind,

perhaps just one drink.

- Go.

- If I may be extremely modern,

I think I'd like something stronger than sherry.

A brandy perhaps, if I don't shock you.

- By all means.

Barnabas? - No thank you.

- A toddy, Mr. Jeremiah?

- Yes, thank you, Ben.

Not too strong tonight, Ben.

- No, sir.

- Really, Barnabas, you should have something.

Oh, I have something that should cheer you.

Thank you.

Josette said today that she wouldn't be in this mood

if you and she were marrying tonight.

Is that better?

- Yes.

- Perhaps you should marry

before the house is finished, Barnabas.

- But father has the wedding planned.

- Plans are made to be changed.

- Of course they are.

[Natalie duPrés] - Do an immediate wedding!

- To your happiness, Barnabas.

- Thank you.

I wonder if it would be possible...

Oh, but there are so many guests coming.

- One is not married for a guest's sake.

- Of course not.

Think of yourself for a change, Barnabas and Josette.

- Would you like another one, sir?

- No, this will be fine, Ben, thank you.

- Oh, you are all so controlled, it's fascinating.

You all decide what you're going to do,

what you're going to drink and that is it.

In the tropics, decisions melt like ice.

Here the ice is always firm.

- We're always aware of tomorrow, Countess.

And now, if you'll excuse me,

I think I'd like a breath of air.

- I'm going to play a game of cards alone

and send Barnabas upstairs.

Now you must not be gallant and sit up with me.

I don't think -- I don't like being with men

when they wish they were elsewhere.

Go, go. It is too obvious.

- Countess, if I loved Josette for no other reason,

it would be because you are her aunt.

♪♪

[clock chiming]

[clock chiming]

Josette!

- I can't sleep.

- Come with me, we'll have a cup of herb tea.

- No. I want to go out.

- Josette, no.

- Why? No one is up

and I have a headache.

- I'll get something for you.

- No, Angelique has already taken care of that.

I just need some fresh air.

- Darling, should you?

- I'm not a child, Natalie.

- You've come.

- I had no choice.

- Nor did I.

I came here not knowing why and then I knew.

It was to wait for you.

- What is happening to us?

- I don't know.

I love you.

- That's all I wanted to hear.

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪