Episode 1266

Aired: Monday May 3, 1971

Quentin and Barnabas return to the old house and find that David is there with Julia. Barnabas innocently asks him why he is visiting, and Julia says "Tell him" to David. David looks at Barnabas and says "There's something wrong with my father. There's something wrong with everyone at Collinwood!" Barnabas is concerned as we cut to the titles.

Barnabas asks David what he means, and David tells of Roger's odd behavior when it came to sending him away to boarding school. Barnabas dismisses this as Roger merely changing his mind, but David persists. He tells Quentin that Carolyn and his Aunt were searching all over the house for keys, while "making sure you weren't around. I didn't know what they were doing, and I was afraid of asking them." Quentin asks David why he was afraid, and David says that Carolyn and his Aunt have been inviting Professor Anderson over "a lot" and there's something "creepy" about him. Julia asks David if Anderson has done anything to frighten him, and all David can say is "I don't know, but it seems like everyone there does whatever he wants! It's like he has some kind of power over them." Quentin and Barnabas look at each other.

David begs Barnabas not to go back to Collinwood, and reminds him that there are plenty of rooms upstairs. "I used to explore all over this house when I was little, before you arrived." he says. Barnabas looks at Julia, then Quentin, and tells David that he can stay as long as he likes, and that he should go upstairs and find a "suitable room." Happy, David runs upstairs. Quentin looks at Barnabas and snaps "Why don't we just tell him the truth? You heard him, he's not little anymore. It's time we leveled with him." Barnabas tells Quentin "Don't be ridiculous." Quentin answers "By the time I was his age, I'd already smoked my first cigar and taken my first drink (there's a big surprise!). He's ready for the truth." Barnabas looks at his portrait and says "I know how you feel. By the time I was David's age, my father had already taken me on business voyages to the sugar islands. But times were different then, childhood had to be shorter. People didn't live as long." Quentin faces Barnabas and answers "No one has lived longer than us, Barnabas. That's supposed to make us wise." Barnabas turns away in thought, and Julia chimes in "Perhaps we should tell him, Barnabas. He could prove to be a valuable help to us." Barnabas asks how, and Julia explains that since everyone would still think of David as too young to be taken seriously, he could prove to be a valuable ally in finding things out without arousing suspicion. Barnabas is starting to consider this when David appears on the stairs. Quentin notices him, and asks him how long he's been there. David answers "Long enough."

David tells Barnabas that he wants to help, and that it's obvious to him now that Barnabas, Quentin and Julia knew of the strange happenings at Collinwood before he came to tell them. Quentin sits David down and tells him that they did know, but they didn't want to tell David because they feared for his safety. David insists he can take care of himself and that Anderson doesn't frighten him. Barnabas smiles at his bravado, but tells David that the strange things happening at Collinwood may involve powers that are stronger than "any of us." David asks him if he means the occult, because "I've read all about that in Carolyn's books, and I know all sorts of ways to fight stuff like that." Quentin smiles and tells David that he can help, but only when asked by himself, Julia, or Barnabas. David nods an okay, and Quentin sends him back upstairs. Quentin looks at Barnabas and says "He used to remind me of Jameison. Lately he reminds me of myself, ready to jump into anything without looking first." Julia tells Quentin she thinks David will be all right when there is a knock at the door. The three of them look at each other wondering who it could be, when Quentin answers the door. It's Daphne, who has come from Collinwood looking for David.

Quentin tells Daphne he hasn't seen David, but she enters and says she saw him coming this way. Quentin closes the door and asks why she wants to see him. She turns away from him and becomes evasive, but he turns her by the shoulders to face him and he sternly says "I won't let you or your master harm that boy" right before he pulls her scarf from her neck revealing two vampire bite wounds. Daphne cowers from Quentin as Barnabas and Julia look on.