1123 - October 13, 1970

[bunniefuu]

[spooky music]

NARRATOR:The great house at Collinwood in the year ,

where Barnabas Collins and Julia Hoffman

hope to change their family's history,

and thereby prevent the destruction of Collinwood

in .

Here in the past,

they find the people they expected to see,

but their relationships so far are mysteriously different.

Daphne Harridge makes a sudden appearance,

and then, even more suddenly, disappears.

When and how will she become a part

of the life at Collinwood?

Barnabas and Julia are unaware

that another member of the family, Desmond Collins,

will learn the answers to these questions before they do.

But at this moment, Desmond Collins

is far more concerned with another matter.

The mystery of a strange, disembodied head.

[spooky music]

Can the legends be true?

Huh?

[eerie music]

MAN'S VOICE: You must help me.

Help me.

You will help me.

[scary music]

[eerie music]

[gasps]

[suspenseful music]

Where did that voice come from?

Was it yours?

Or my own?

Or did I imagine it all?

No.

I didn't imagine anything.

It was real.

But how did it happen?

How?

What power do you have?

[door opening]

Who are you talk...

Oh my lord.

You have that thing uncovered again.

You weren't talking to it, were you?

I was just having a little fun, mother. [laughs]

Desmond, you must get rid of it.

I can feel its presence everywhere I go in this house.

And now I find you talking to it.

[Desmond laughs]

You know, if it were a bit more interesting

here in Collinsport,

I wouldn't be reduced to talking to inanimate objects.

FLORA: Rubbish, Desmond.

You and Quentin used to be inseparable,

but you've hardly spent any time at all

at Collinwood since you've been back.

Quentin and Samantha are having their problems.

I don't want to become involved.

FLORA: But you were Quentin's best friend.

An outcast has no friends!

What did you say?

[trembling music]

DESMOND: Nothing.

Desmond, are you sure you feel all right?

Yes, mother, I feel fine.

I feel just fine.

Why don't you come with me to Collinwood tonight?

DESMOND: What for?

Quentin and his father are going to be reunited,

and I am to have the honor of bringing Daniel down.

I'll have to prepare him very carefully, you know.

After all, they convinced him that Quentin was dead.

I kept telling them!

Death was an extension of life,

I kept telling them that!

FLORA: Desmond!

[strange music]

DESMOND: What?

What are these curious things you're saying?

You're not yourself at all.

You know, the last time you were in one of these moods,

you were in love with that Carson girl.

Well, I guess I can't fool you, can I, mother?

You see, the fact is, I met a very lovely young lady,

and I told her how pretty she was

and I had to see her again.

But the next day, she had completely disappeared.

[mysterious music]

DAPHNE VOICEOVER:I was wrong to lie to Desmond Collins.

He could give me the opportunity I need.

I should have tried to use him,

but I was frightened by his interest in me.

I cannot afford

to become romantically involved with anyone.

I wonder how I can meet him again.

[veiled music]

[bells tolling]

Your mother's been up there for a long time.

What's keeping her?

DESMOND: Ah, she's probably telling your father

the plot of her last book.

Something may have happened to him

when she told him about me.

Maybe he got too excited.

Maybe I ought to go up there.

Oh no, it's probably my mother who's holding it up.

She goes to pieces over these sentimental reunions.

Her books are filled with them. [laughs]

[delicate music]

It really is true, isn't it, Flora?

Well of course it is.

I can't imagine how you could doubt it.

DANIEL: When they told me that Quentin is still alive,

I thought it might be a hideous joke.

I can't imagine anyone doing a thing like that.

It is true.

You're still alive, Quentin.

And you've come home.

[ominous music]

It's good to be back.

And it's good to see you, father.

Here, let me look at you.

Yes. I can tell you've been through a terrible experience.

QUENTIN: Tad and I almost didn't make it back alive.

Where is my grandson? I want to see him.

He's in Boston. He got a little sick.

DANIEL: What?

No, he's all right, he's all right.

I left him with a very good friend of mine,

and Samantha went to get him.

Samantha.

I see.

Have you been told about her and that young man?

Yes, yes, yes, I have.

Well, what are you going to do about it?

Well now, the decision has been left

-entirely to Samantha. -What?

But she is going to have to choose between Gerard and me.

Have you taken leave of your senses?

That woman is married to you!

She must do as you tell her!

QUENTIN: Father, now, please, calm down.

FLORA: Daniel, this is supposed to be a happy moment.

He hasn't changed a bit.

I haven't been in his presence five minutes

and already he's made me furious.

[Quentin laughs]

It's just like old times.

Despite all of your fury,

you're still secretly glad to see me.

Well, I suppose I am.

But you're still thoroughly impossible.

You know, I have made one decision.

You're not going to stay in that tower room any longer.

-What? -That's right.

I'm going to speak to the servants right now

and they're going to prepare your old bedroom.

I'm coming with you because I know exactly

how Daniel will want his room fixed.

Now that's the son I know.

Desmond?

You haven't said a word since I came into this room.

What's the matter with you?

Nothing, nothing at all.

Nonsense. I noticed a change in you at Ben's funeral.

You seem to be miles away.

I was just thinking how Ben d*ed.

It was pretty upsetting.

DANIEL: Yes, poor devil.

And as for those police,

they're nothing but a pack of fools.

DESMOND: What do you mean?

Their theory that Ben tried to decapitate himself

is rubbish.

I know that Ben never tried to take his own life.

DESMOND: You think he was m*rder*d?

DANIEL: Ben's death,

it's very similar to those Bedford atrocities.

And the strange thing was that Ben spoke to me that very day

about the mysterious, decapitated, disembodied head

that played such a prominent part in the Bedford affair.

Tell me what happened in Bedford.

It was in .

Yes.

In the fall of the year.

I had just turned .

The murders occurred within a short span of time.

Each victim was found decapitated.

The strange head you mentioned,

how did it fit into the murders?

Hmm.

My memory is hazy.

But the newspapers at the time

were full of the lurid details.

Take my advice, forget about the whole affair.

DESMOND: The newspapers, yes, of course.

[foreboding music]

[knocking on the door]

Mr. Collins.

How nice to see you again.

DESMOND: Yes.

I certainly never expected a surprise like this.

Won't you come in?

Oh, what are you doing here?

I took a job here because I have very little money

and it's respectable work.

What brings you here?

Me?

Oh, yes.

Well, I'm doing some research.

I need to see some back issues of the newspaper.

How far back?

October .

.

October?

Yes.

What sort of research are you doing?

I'm sure it wouldn't interest you.

Well, maybe it would.

You never know, Mr. Collins.

Please call me Desmond.

Thank you.

[eerie music]

DESMOND VOICEOVER:"The Strange Case of the Pagan Head.

"Otis Greene, the man of mystery,

"today caused a furor in the county courthouse.

"Mr. Greene insisted the state imprison him

"for dealing with the devil's son

"and for the adoration of a Pagan head."

[strange music]

DESMOND: Excuse me.

Would it be all right if I borrowed these papers

for a few days?

Yes, of course, you'll have to sign for them.

Oh, sure.

Certainly, I'll sign.

[eerie music]

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Mr. Collins.

Yes?

Is this some kind of a joke?

Who's Judah Zachary?

What do you mean?

Why, it's the name you signed on the receipt.

Judah Zachary?

Oh, yes.

Oh.

You see, I write sometimes and I use a pen name.

I guess I just wasn't thinking.

Thank you very much.

You've been very helpful.

It was my pleasure.

I would like to see you again.

May I?

Well, I was hoping you'd ask.

Mother is having dinner tonight

and Quentin Collins is coming over.

You remember, I told you about him.

Yes, he's the man everyone thought was dead.

DESMOND: That's right.

I would be delighted to come for dinner.

DESMOND: Fine, : then.

[shadowy music]

So you chose not to take my advice.

I think you made a mistake, Desmond.

The Bedford atrocity is past history

and I think it should have remained so.

DESMOND: Does the name Otis Greene mean anything to you?

Otis Greene?

Yes, it does.

It was quite a bizarre story.

There were four murders all together.

Greene came forward and confessed to all four of them.

He said he'd been forced to commit these crimes

by a mysterious disembodied head

which had somehow gotten control of him.

Tell me.

What happened to the head?

The authorities never found it.

Greene claimed that a young handyman who worked for him

had absconded with it.

The young man denied the claim, of course.

And not long after that, he left town.

It seems that he shipped out on a schooner.

But that wasn't the last we heard of him.

About a year later, he was k*lled in Macau.

His throat had been cut.

Like Ben Stokes?

DANIEL: Yes, exactly.

What happened to Greene?

Oh, he got so hysterical about this tale of his

that he had to be committed to an asylum.

DESMOND: Is he still alive?

Oh, yes, yes.

About years ago,

they released him from the mental institution.

Oh, he lives a very quiet life now.

Where is he now?

I think he lives in a farm not far from the village.

He's in antiques.

Oh, he's quite old now, but he's not too old

to have forgotten his own strange tale

about that disembodied head.

[eerie music]

Tomorrow, Otis Greene will visit me

and he will tell me everything I want to know.

[eerie music]

Daphne.

It's one of my favorite names.

I've named several of my heroines Daphne, you know.

Now, let's see, there was

oh yes, The Flower Girl and Love Song from the Hills,

and then there--

Don't get her started on her books. [laughs]

-She'll never stop. -Well, I'm fascinated.

I've never met a novelist before.

I wonder what can be keeping Quentin.

He should have been here by now.

You'll find Quentin very intriguing.

So I understand.

Desmond told me about his near tragedy.

Oh, yes, and I'm going to write a book about it,

just as soon as I can get Quentin to tell me the story.

Cousin Flora,

my life is not going to be the subject of anyone's book.

Oh, come in, Quentin, and meet Miss Daphne Harridge.

Hello, how are you? I'm sorry I'm late,

but I had a few things to take care of.

Well, that's perfectly all right, I understand.

Now, let's go into the dining room.

It's : and dinner will be ready.

[ominous music]

[clock chiming]

Gerard is an amazing young man.

His psychic powers are simply unbelievable.

Well you were never so interested

in the occult before, mother.

But you don't know how much Gerard has taught me.

Not only have I learned to read palms,

but the tarot cards as well.

Well I'm very impressed.

Well, I'm glad, Quentin, because this reading is for you.

Oh, dear.

Oh, bad news already?

It's the moon.

Not a very cheery card.

The emperor.

And the empress.

Inverted.

Both beneath the moon.

Oh, dear, this board's no good.

Now what's the card between the emperor and the empress?

[Flora gasps]

Death.

Someone you love has d*ed, Quentin.

I don't understand.

Has someone you know d*ed recently?

No, of course not.

You should know that no one close to me has d*ed.

It's getting late, Desmond.

I think I'd like to go home now.

Of course, I'll take you out to the carriage.

Thank you so much for the lovely dinner, Mrs. Collins.

No, it was our pleasure.

Please come again soon.

Thank you.

It was nice meeting you, Mr. Collins.

Same here.

Good day.

Now, Quentin, about the tarot cards--

Cousin Flora, look, I'm very tired also.

Quentin, aren't you the tiniest bit concerned

about what I read in the cards?

No, of course not.

Well, I just think it's possible

that you haven't learned as much as you thought you had.

Good night.

[troubled music]

Oh, dear.

That never occurred to me.

[ominous music]

It can't be.

It's impossible.

It's impossible!

DAPHNE VOICEOVER:Tonight, I have finally met the man

I am going to k*ll.

[scary music]

[eerie music]