409 - January 17, 1968

[bunniefuu]

[Elizabeth narrating] - A séance has been held in the great house of 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 Collins family who lived in 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.

The family history she has carried from the present day

has been found by woman whose fate is written.

- The book must be here some place

or Miss Winters lied to me.

- It's an incredible story.

I thought she had no imagination when I talked with her.

Now, she tells the story of coming from another century.

- The th century she said.

- And that there is a book in this room which - where is it?

- But why would she say it unless --

Aunt Natalie,

look.

"Collins Family in America."

- Open it.

Are you afraid?

- .

That's when it was published.

- "Printed in Bangor, Maine"

but Bangor is in Massachusetts.

- Natalie, look, it's my portrait.

It only arrived last week from Paris, how could it --

- I don't know.

- "Josette duPrés-Collins, wife of Jeremiah Collins,

was born in Martinique --"

She must be a witch. She must be.

"She was born in Martinique,

came to Collinsport in ."

- What? What is it?

- I could never do that.

- Never - never -- - Never!

- Never do what?

"Died by her own hand that same winter, ."

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪

Died by my own hand.

How can it say that? What is this book?

- Miss - Miss Winters is a devil.

She told you about about this book to - to --

I can't imagine why.

- Give it to me.

- No, Josette. - You must.

- You're upset enough with Barnabas so ill.

Josette, please.

- I can't believe that I've read that.

- Then don't believe it.

- It says more. - Lies.

- You don't know that.

- I know that no one can come from another time.

I know that you would never take your own life.

- Do you?

- Of course, darling.

With all of the things that have happened,

all the things that have happened since we came here,

Josette, you're very strong.

- Then give it to me!

- Josette, why torment yourself?

Will it do you any good or Barnabas?

- You do believe it, don't you?

- I didn't say that. I will read it myself later.

- And decide whether or not I should?

Aunt Natalie, it could tell us about Barnabas

whether he lives or --

Please give it to me.

- Josette, if there is one fact here,

one thing that you know to be true,

you will believe the entire book and that is wrong.

- Is that so different from your own attitude

towards the tarot cards?

You're always trying to read the future,

trying to find out what's going to happen.

- That is a game. - And this isn't?

Please, Aunt Natalie, I must find out what else it says.

- We should burn this.

- Not until after I read it.

- Let me read it.

- Aloud then.

"Jeremiah Collins met Josette duPrés

when he was on a business trip to Martinique."

- That's not true.

He never came to Martinique. I met him here.

- You see.

- Go on.

- "Josette was the daughter of André duPrés

who owned the largest sugar plantation

in the West Indies.

When Miss duPrés arrived in Collinsport

for her marriage to Jeremiah --"

- No!

I arrive in Collinsport. I was going to marry Barnabas.

- You see, none of it is true.

- But it almost is.

I did marry Jeremiah.

It's almost as if somebody knew some of the facts

and wrote them down

and did not know what actually did happen.

- Josette, remember whose room we found this in,

a girl accused of witchcraft.

- You're going to tell me that Victoria Winters

had time to print that book?

No.

She must be from another century.

She must have brought this book with her.

- Then why are the facts wrong?

- I don't know.

- Listen.

"But in Collinsport,

the marriage between Josette and Jeremiah

seemed unhappy

and family legend has it that Jeremiah's nephew,

Barnabas was attracted to his uncle's wife."

- That's true.

- "The legend further has it that Barnabas

realizing the futility of his love

removed himself to England."

- England?

- "Where he enjoyed a long and prosperous life."

- If that's true,

Barnabas does not die.

Please continue reading.

- I've read enough.

- No! You can't stop now.

- You read the next part. - I want to hear it again.

- Josette, no. - I must!

- "After Barnabas left,

the marriage suffered and --"

But, Josette, you were married to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah is dead. Barnabas is here.

The book is wrong.

- [gasps]

- The wind.

- There is none.

- A draft.

- It's a sign.

- No. - It must be.

Help me.

Help me, Aunt Natalie, I want to believe.

I don't know what to do.

[thunder rumbling]

- The bat, get away, get away.

- Barnabas.

- Get it away from me.

- There's nothing in here.

Joshua, I'm glad you could come.

- He's no better?

- Yes, yes. I think --

Joshua, what are we going to do?

He'll know you're here.

It will be good for him. He'll fight harder.

He seems to have less fever.

- Does he speak with you?

- Yes, sometimes.

- Barnabas.

Barnabas. It's your father.

Can you hear me?

Everything is going to be all right, son.

It is.

You will get well.

We will make right whatever is wrong.

Barnabas, can you hear me?

- Father. - Yes, yes. I'm here.

- It is you. - Yes.

Are you feeling better?

- I didn't believe you'd come.

- I was stupid.

Incredibly stupid.

Naomi -- - Go on, Joshua.

- He can't hear me. - Yes, he can.

- Barnabas.

Barnabas. - He can hear you what you have to say.

- My son,

you had every right to marry whomever you wanted.

It was wrong of me to interfere.

But that was my way. I know it was no excuse.

I just want you to know that whatever you did --

Naomi, is there nothing we can do to help?

I'll send for a doctor from Bangor.

- It will take so long.

- Father. - Yes, son.

- Do you remember the w*r?

When you were wounded,

they carried you into the house,

you didn't recognize me.

- I was delirious.

- I cried then,

but after I left you,

I knew you'd be angry if I cried.

- Oh, no, son.

- I thought if you live we will never fight again.

We live together in peace.

- We will. We will. I swear it.

- The bat! I can hear the bat.

- Barnabas, no.

- Don't you hear it? It's in the room.

- There is no bat in this room.

- There is.

It's hiding. It's waiting.

- No, no.

- Listen.

It's here. Listen. - Be calm.

Be calm, son. You must rest.

- There! There! The bat!

- No. There's nothing.

- It's coming for me.

Help me!

Josette! Josette!

Josette, the bat is coming for me!

Josette!

♪♪

- Barnabas,

Josette is here.

- No. - What?

- Not yet. Not quite yet.

- You should not see her anymore, son.

- I must.

- Later.

- Now.

Help me.

- You must save your strength.

- She will give me strength, Father.

- Barnabas.

- Where is Angelique?

- She is downstairs.

- Keep her away from me.

- I will, son.

- Thank you, Father.

And now, Josette.

- I will wait outside.

- You are better.

- Because -- because I see you.

- If that's what it will take to make you well again,

I shall stay. - Yes.

Yes, stay with me.

You promise to stay with me until --

- Until you're well again.

You're going to be well again, you know,

for the future.

- The tarot cards.

- Yes.

Aunt Natalie read them.

You're going to live in England

and will be very prosperous and happy.

Believe me, Barnabas.

You are going to be well again.

- No.

- Don't say that.

- I keep hearing the bat, so loud.

It's -- Get it away from me!

- Of course, I will.

- Yes.

- I will do anything, anything at all.

- I love you still.

I never stopped no matter how hard I tried.

- Barnabas.

- I will come back.

Do you believe me?

- Yes.

- Will you wait?

- Yes.

I promise.

Listen to me.

Please, don't leave me.

Don't leave me or I'll have no one.

Please.

I love you as wrong as it is.

I love you.

I will never love anyone else.

I promise.

I promise I will wait for you.

Barnabas.

Mrs. Collins!

♪♪

- I heard someone call.

- No. - I swear it.

- It was thunder.

[bat squeaking] - Listen.

Don't you hear that?

What is it?

- Mrs. Collins, it is coming from outside the house.

- I must go to him. - No.

- I must see Barnabas. - No.

Your husband and Josette are with him.

If he was worse, they would tell us.

You need some rest.

- How can I rest?

It's getting louder.

It's a bat! It's a bat!

[bat squeaking]

- It's gone.

- Joshua.

Joshua.

Is he dead?

Barnabas is dead.

♪♪

- What am I doing here?

- We brought you here.

- He's gone. - Josette.

He's gone.

What am I going to do?

What?

- When you feel better we'll take you to the new house

and then tomorrow we'll make plans.

- I can't. I can't.

- After tomorrow comes the day after tomorrow,

it will grow easier.

- No.

- We will see that it does.

- I love him.

Do you hear?

I love him.

I couldn't even say it even before to you

when he was alive.

I do.

I love him.

I loved him since the first time I ever saw him.

- Yes.

Yes, I know.

- He can't be dead.

He can't.

He is. He is.

The book was wrong.

- The book is a viscous joke.

- I didn't care what it said about me.

- Of course, you cared. - No.

No.

He were well and in England as the book had said,

oh, Aunt Natalie,

I wanted to so much to believe that.

I would have done anything to make that part come true.

- The book is wrong.

That is all that matters.

- I must see Mrs. Collins.

- Now, now, wait. Wait until you feel better.

- She will need someone so much. - Yes.

- You will both need each other.

[door opens]

- Did you send Riggs to the Reverend Taylor?

Joshua?

- No, I didn't send for him.

- Why not?

- I don't think tonight is the time to discuss this.

Is Angelique with Barnabas?

- Yes.

- I will remain here in this house tonight.

You will go to the New House with Josette.

In the morning, everything will be taken care of.

- What will be taken care of, Joshua?

- Is it necessary that we talk now?

- It is.

- I had several decisions to make,

difficult ones, believe me.

I had into account the nature of my son's illness.

- Our son's illness.

- You will only be upset, Naomi.

You must trust me.

- I want to know what decisions you've made.

- What do you think the people in the village would think

if they knew that one of us died of the plague?

Do you think that they would come to work in the shipyards?

No. They would run in the opposite direction.

I have to think of other people, Naomi.

- I don't understand.

Everyone must know. Everyone will know.

- We will discuss this later. - We will discuss it now.

- Ah, Josette.

I trust you are feeling better.

- As well as I could be.

Oh, Mrs. Collins.

- I would appreciate it, madam,

if you would take Mrs. Collins to the New House.

- We will do anything we can.

- No.

I am not leaving until I understand.

We were discussing the arrangement

that will have to be made.

My husband is low to talk about it.

- That's wrong of me.

Obviously, all of you are involved.

For various reasons,

I have decided to keep my son's death a secret.

- What? - A secret?

- It is my wish and I trust that you will honor it.

- But why?

- The why does not concern you, madam.

Tomorrow I will spread the word that Barnabas left suddenly

on a business trip to England.

- England?

- Josette.

- The book.

The book. It's true.

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪