379 - December 7, 1967

[bunniefuu]

[Victoria narrating] Time has been suspended at Collinwood

while one woman makes an uncertain

and frightening journey to the past,

back to the year ,

wherein this house a new mystery has started

with a cruel and eerie disappearance.

- Oh, so how is poor Mrs. Collins.

- I'm sorry, but she still won't see anyone.

She hopes you'll understand.

- If I were married to Mr. Joshua Collins

and he disappeared,

I should probably invite everyone into a champagne.

Now, I've shocked you.

You Americans insist on seeing love

where none could possibly exist.

- Well, it's not my place to question a marriage

of Mr. and Mrs. Collins.

- Ah, the difference between us as I question everything

including Mr. Collins disappearance.

Come, let us take the facts we have Miss Winters

and reenact it.

- No, I don't want to.

- Are you afraid?

- No.

- You can be Jeremiah and I'll be Joshua.

- Oh, but this is very silly.

- I have a reason.

- May I ask what it is?

- Of course.

But I won't tell you.

Now, governesses are supposed to be trusting,

one has to be in dealing with children,

think of me as a giant child.

Now, Jeremiah, you are looking out the window.

- I think this is ridiculous.

- Hmm, so much about the disappearance is.

The cat, for example.

Jeremiah saw it in this room immediately afterwards,

yet no one else has seen it.

Where is that cat?

- I don't know.

- Well, Joshua was here.

They were discussing Jeremiah's leaving Collinsport.

I think it's safe to assume that they were arguing,

violently, I imagine.

No, obviously, nobody is going to admit

that they fight among themselves.

- You know, everyone so well Countess.

- A hobby with me.

I prefer people to garden work, gardening or needlework.

I don't know you actually, but I will.

I will.

Now, look out the window as Jeremiah exactly was doing

and be fascinated by the storm.

Is it fascinating?

- I thought I saw the lights of the search party.

- Oh, it's not possible from here.

Now, let me play my scene.

It will not be difficult to conjure up all the

pompous statements Joshua must have made,

but you can't just leave Jeremiah.

What will people think?

The duPrés' and that Countess.

I'm positive that's what he said.

Now, you answer me, you attempt to explain

why you must leave Collinsport so suddenly.

- I can't. I don't know.

- Well, imagine then.

- I - I think this is very absurd.

- Go on Miss Winters

because if I am right in what I think

that cat will come into this room again.

Now, turn around and look out the window

and say something I don't care what it is.

- They're going to find Joshua out there,

Barnabas and Jeremiah are going to bring him back.

And when you remember this charade,

you're going to be very embarrassed.

It's all ridiculous and a little cruel.

I don't know why I allowed myself to do it

or to be forced into --

♪♪

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪

- Don't touch that cat.

All the cards are right.

Why do I ever doubt though there is evil in this house.

Barnabas, what happened?

- We found no trace of him.

- Not at all? - There were no tracks.

There were not even footprints in the mud outside the window.

We've been all through the house,

been through the stable.

A cat!

Is that the cat Jeremiah saw?

- It must be.

- It just came back.

- But father didn't.

I don't know what I'm going to tell my mother.

- Say - say nothing for now. - But I must.

- No, wait - wait until the others come back.

Perhaps they'll have news.

- Come. I - I want to talk to you.

- But I must go find Jeremiah.

- Please, I have to ask you some questions.

Miss Winters, you will excuse us.

- Would you mind finding out how my mother is?

- I'd be glad to.

- Have you - have you ever seen that cat before?

- Countess, if that's what you want to know

I could be out helping the others. - I have a reason for asking.

- No, I don't remember that I have or not.

- Have you - have you had cats around the house?

- No, no, no.

My Aunt Abigail despises them.

"The devils' pets" she calls them.

- We do in Martinique, too.

- And you believe it?

- lI'm - I'm not sure.

I'm - I'm not sure what I believe.

But I do know one thing, your father did not disappear.

He was taken from us.

- What do you mean?

- Witchcraft, Barnabas.

- For an intelligent woman Countess -- - Listen to me

because you will not find your father.

Not in the forest,

not in the village or in the shipyards

because he is not there.

The reason I know, your aunt is right,

the cat is a sign, the devil's pet.

The laughter after the joke, believe me.

- Barnabas.

- Yes, what is it?

- Excuse me, Countess.

We did find footprints up on Widow's Hill.

We need - we need one of your father's boots to measure it.

- Yes, in his study.

He keeps his storm boots there all the time.

- Yes, I know where they are, I'll get them.

- I even know why your father disappeared.

Don't you want to know?

- If hearing doesn't commit me to believe you.

- Someone in this house did not want Jeremiah to leave.

Why? I do not know.

But there is a witch in this house.

Tell me Barnabas,

do you have trust in this - this Victoria Winters?

♪♪

- Lieutenant.

- Nathan.

- Mr. Collins asked if you would wait here.

He won't be long.

- No, wait a minute, don't go.

- Mrs. Collins may need me.

- Oh, not while Barnabas is there.

- Please. - I'm the one that needs you now.

I've needed you ever since I first saw you.

- Lieutenant Forbes, may I say something to you?

- Yes, anything.

- There is one quality you lack

which I think is very important in a man.

- If I lack it, I'll get it, what?

- Taste.

- Taste?

My taste is fine. My appetite is healthy.

What are you talking about?

- When I came into this room,

I was thinking about how I was going to explain

Mr. Collins disappearance to Sarah.

And - and you think that I have nothing on my mind,

but some crazy desire to fly into your arms.

- What a good idea.

- That's just what I mean,

I wish you'd stop treating me as though I was some girl --

- But you are. You're a very beautiful girl.

- I happen to be a woman and - and I think and I get upset.

I'm upset now about Mr. Collins.

And I can't turn it on and off as you can and do.

- I see.

That is a fault in my character.

- Oh, I didn't mean to criticize you.

- You shouldn't.

You may need friends.

- I do?

- You may need every friend you can get.

- Excuse me. I'm going to my room.

- The Countess suspects you of being a witch.

- I beg your pardon?

- A witch, spells, potions.

- Really, Lieutenant, good night.

- She thinks that you may have had something to do with

Mr. Collin's disappearance.

- Are you making all this up?

- Miss Winters, I have one known fault,

women.

I'm not a liar.

- Well, how - why would she think that?

- I can't guess what's on her mind.

- You must have misinterpreted her.

- Miss Winters, if Barnabas have you told you that,

would you believe him?

If Jeremiah had?

- Yes, I suppose I would.

- Well then, why not me?

Miss Winters, I was in this house

the night you arrived here.

I remember those strange clothes you are wearing.

You had no idea where you had come from.

You were let stay because Mrs. Collins

was kind enough to pity you.

- What is your point, Lieutenant?

- Yet, you act as if you are above everything I say or do

and as if your position in this house was secure.

I warn you, that is not the case.

- And I will not be intimidated into liking you or anyone else.

I do care what people think about me,

but I won't be blackmailed by their opinions.

Now, if I have said or done anything that -

that you couldn't give to the Countess

as evidence against me,

well I hereby give you my permission to do so.

- I wouldn't joke about that.

♪♪

[clock chiming]

- Excuse me.

- Oh, Miss Winters come in.

- No, thank you.

I thought I heard the men in here.

- No, they're still out at Widow's Hill.

[thinking] - Widow's Hill where Josette will die.

- It is useless of course, the cards tell me that.

- Countess,

if the cards tell the future

is there anything that you can do about it?

- Of course.

- How?

- Sit down, Miss Winters.

- No, I think I should go upstairs to my room.

- Why don't you stay?

You won't be able to sleep now.

I can't go to bed yet.

I want to know about you.

- Well, there isn't very much to tell.

- I'm sure there's quite a lot if you're willing to tell it.

Now, where were you born?

- In Boston.

- Oh, the Athens of America I believe it's called.

- Yes.

I've heard that.

- Do you believe in astrology?

- I don't know, honestly.

I've always believed that each of us

was in charge of his own life.

- You put it in the past tense,

you do not believe it now?

- I really...

No. I don't believe it now.

- And when were you born, the month, the year?

- March th, --

- ?

If you mean ,

then you would be years old.

If you are my compliments.

- I don't know why I said .

- It seems an odd choice.

- Actually, I'm .

- Then you were born in .

- No, Countess, in .

- Yes, of course.

I should like to chart your horoscope.

What hour were you born?

- I don't know.

No one has ever told me.

- Does this conversation make you nervous,

it seems to.

- The supernatural always does.

- Why?

- I don't know. It simply frightens me.

- It should.

The more one knows,

the more frightened one is I imagine.

- I don't know anything about the supernatural.

- You don't?

Then how do you explain your clairvoyance?

I'm not a clairvoyant.

Barnabas tells me you are.

He's wrong.

It's - it's his joke.

You see, I said something quite silly and he took me seriously.

- Oh, what a thin line you walk.

- Countess, are you - are you accusing me of something?

- Should I?

- No, you shouldn't, but all of your questions.

- What about them?

- I don't understand these questions.

- You know why I ask them

because there is something happening in this house,

something I do not understand,

something that will lead to tragedy.

I cannot do anything about it unless I know what it is.

They're back.

[thinking] - If I could only tell her,

she would do something about it.

She would know what to do.

But I can't tell her that Josette will marry Jeremiah.

Poor Josette, princess card.

The Countess could help her.

What card did you give to Jeremiah,

not the magician, that's Barnabas.

The knight.

That was it.

♪♪

- Now, try to get some sleep now.

There'll be more men searching in the morning,

I'm sure your father will be all right.

- Yes, yes. He has to be.

- Goodnight Countess, Miss Winters.

- Goodnight Lieutenant.

- Barnabas, let me get you some brandy.

- No, no, no, thank you.

- You won't be able to sleep without some help.

- Well, perhaps you're right.

- And neither will I.

- Won't you join us?

- No, thank you, Mr. Collins.

Goodnight. - Goodnight.

- Oh, Mr. Collins,

your father will be all right.

- The way you say things, I believe you.

Thank you.

- I must admit,

I had a glass while I waited for you.

- You know, I've been thinking about what you said

about witchcraft.

- Oh?

And are you ready to accept it?

- No, no, not to accept it.

But I don't think that I can dismiss entirely

the possibility.

- Oh, then you're beginning to be wise.

But we will not discuss it now,

I have nothing new to say.

Discussing it, I think, can only depress you.

Let's talk about pleasant things such as --

Who, who has been in this room?

- Countess?

- The - the cards,

someone has changed the cards.

- Well, what did they say now? - No!

- What did they say?

- You - I - I was reading them

to see if I could I find out anything about your father.

And - and - and then you arrived

and Miss Winters and I left the room.

- What do they say now?

- You must marry Josette.

- But I intend to.

- Tomorrow.

- What?

- Unless you married tomorrow, you never will.

- You can't say that.

I know now what we are fighting.

I should have realized.

- Why don't you tell me?

- No. - You must.

- No.

I - I told you all I will.

I will never tell you more.

- You are a - hysterical, superstitious woman.

- I do not care what you think of me.

Do you love Josette?

- You know, I do.

- Then if she insists, will you marry tomorrow.

- If she insist, I will do anything.

- Then in hours, you will be man and wife.

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪