Episode 1400

Aired: Friday November 5, 1971

Louis Edmonds's voiceover: "In the year 1971, Harrison Collins, the strange visitor from the future, has accomplished his mission to prevent the destruction of the Collins family. But his planned return to his own time has gone wrong... for he has found himself transported back into the past, and into a strange parallel world unknown to him...."

After a replay of Thursday's close, Harrison ducks behind the curtain as the door to the parallel time room opens. Edward Collins (Louis Edmonds), a stuffy Victorian much like his 1897 counterpart, enters the room along with a new face of sorts - Benjamin Collins (Jonathan Frid). Harrison listens as they begin to speak. "I don't see why we need to come all the way up here to discuss this matter!" Edward booms. Benjamin closes the door and remarks "I don't trust the servants. I'm not sure where their loyalties lie." Edward harumphs and says that "those servants would soon certainly know they'd better be loyal to the right people." Benjamin answers "I'm sure things will be all right. I only wish grandmother Catherine was more mentally sound. It's hard to tell what will happen." Edward walks over to the portrait of Bramwell and says "If only grandfather were still here... she has never been the same since we lost him." Benjamin smiles and says "Actually, it may give us somewhat of an advantage. Quentin was always grandfather's favorite. His long absence from Collinwood has given us a chance." Harrison perks up at the mention of Quentin. Edward sneers at the thought of "our globetrotting brother" and remarks "no doubt he'll bring home another unsuitable bride to insult our family with." Benjamin says "We don't need to discuss that now. I only want to secure a promise from you, Edward. That you will help me gain enough influence over grandmother so that the future of Collinwood will be placed in our hands.... and not in our cousin's. Are you with me?" Edward counters "I am with you if you also place Quentin in the same category as our beloved cousin." Benjamin balks a little and says "You know I don't share your feelings about Quentin, except that I agree about his irresponsibility. Do we have a deal?" Edward thinks a moment and says yes. Benjamin says they'd better be getting back downstairs, and he and Edward leave. Harrison steps out from behind the curtain and we hear him think "Quentin.... there is a Quentin here.... it must be his counterpart from his existence in 1897....like Edward... the other name I heard. There was an Edward was Quentin's brother in my timeline. My timeline! How can I get back to it?" He looks at the ring, where the crystal is still cloudy. "I must get back to my own time!" he says.

Harrison has opened the double doors and is trying the crystal again, but to no avail. "The crystal must have been damaged in the transfer somehow," we hear him think. "But in the other timeline in 1897, it's still sitting in the dusty laboratory downstairs, waiting for me to find it in 2045...if the room would only change by itself so that I could get to that other timeline and sneak down to the lab before anyone in 1897 sees me.....how long must I wait here?" He paces a little and he thinks some more. "Anyone in 1897....I wonder what Quentin was like then....from all the stories he told me growing up, I wonder if I'd really like to meet him then....and that Collins family didn't sound too hospitable as well...." He looks at the portrait of Bramwell and keeps thinking "I wonder what this one is like, in this time. Those two didn't seem too friendly....plotting over their inheritance. Perhaps everyone here is cutthroat...." Suddenly the knob starts to turn again, and Harrison hides behind the curtain again. Beth Chavez (Terry Crawford) enters the room and begins to straighten it up a bit, and then turns to say "They've gone, if you want to come in now, Miss Valery" towards the door. In walks Valery Stokes (Lara Parker), who closes the door behind her. Harrison sees her and can't believe it - she is the very image of the Angelique he left behind. He watches her intensely as she crosses towards Beth. "I know they are plotting. Trying to turn your grandmother against you!" Beth says. Valery answers "Edward perhaps, but not Benjamin. Benjamin and I have always gotten along. And besides, my grandmother Catherine would never do anything to hurt me. How many times has she told me how I remind her of herself?" Beth counters that Valery can't depend on that now since Catherine has become "so erratic in her emotions." Valery gets sad and says she knows. Beth asks "What will happen if Edward gets his way? He'll drive you away from Collinwood, he'll have you cut off without a cent!" Valery says "He could never do that to me, I'm his cousin." Beth answers "That's exactly why he'd do it! He's been scheming to get control over Collinwood ever since your grandfather died. He's trying to turn Catherine against you, then Quentin, then Judith, and finally Benjamin!" Valery spins the globe in the room and thinks "Quentin.... Quentin will be back soon. Most likely with some other girl on his arm.... always the charmer." Harrison smiles a little as he watches Valery and thinks of the Quentin he knows. "Perhaps Quentin could help me," Valery says. Beth answers "I hope so. You've taken care of your grandmother all these years....seeing to her health while Edward only counted the money. You don't deserve to be treated this way." Beth gets her things and leaves, while Valery looks at the portrait of Bramwell. "You have never let this happen, grandfather," Valery says. "But who am I kidding? Edward has always wanted my father and I to leave Collinwood.... where will I go? Where will I go when my grandmother....my only friend...dies?" Valery begins to cry. Harrison, feeling bad for her, starts to take a step towards her.

Before Harrison can take his step, Beth returns to the room and tells Valery that Judith wishes to see her. Valery makes herself stop crying and Beth consoles her. The two of them leave and Harrison steps out from behind the curtain. He takes a deep sigh and begins thinking. "It IS her... the same woman... Angelique's counterpart in this timeline, only years earlier....why? It makes no sense! But she is here....as am I...." Harrison paces a little and thinks some more. "Angelique....wished me to find happiness.....and touched my ring! She put her hand on my hand before I left! Perhaps she sent me here....no, that can't be! That's impossible! How could she know of this time, of these people.... and of her own counterpart....a poor crying girl who is friendless here...." He walks by the mirror and sees himself in it. "Or, might I say, was friendless here....." Suddenly the room changes to normal time - it is dark and all the furniture is gone. Harrison is staring at a blank wall where the mirror was. He looks around, startled, and says out loud "The room! It's changed! I must be in my own world again....only in 1897....." He walks to the double doors and stops before opening them.

Harrison stands before the double doors in the darkened parallel time room, in normal time, thinking. He steps away from the doors suddenly. "This room changes often enough, according to the books....Angelique sent me to that other world for a reason...she wished me to find happiness....she knew. She must have known her counterpart was there....there for me to find, somehow." He looks at his ring, which is still cloudy. "Perhaps I could be more in control, however.... I should get the crystal while I'm in this timeline, and then I can return at will..." He starts back for the double doors, but as he takes a step, the room suddenly switches again, and he's back in the well-lit furnished room of 1897PT. Startled, he looks around and gets his bearings. "No rhyme or reason to the switching..." he thinks. "But I am back. And I have an idea as to why...." He walks to the other door to the room and carefully opens it. After a quick inspection of the hallway, Harrison sneaks out. We cut to the large clock in the Collinwood foyer chiming as we pan out. The foyer is identical to the set up of 1897. Gas lights burn, and Barnabas' portrait is on the wall. In the drawing room, Benjamin is reading a book and having a glass of sherry. He puts the book down and replaces the glass next to the decanter before walking to the foyer. Valery is coming downstairs, and tells him "Grandmother is asleep." Benjamin says "Good. I'm glad to hear the new tonic she is taking is helping her to rest." Valery looks at Benjamin and says "I wished you believed my motivations for helping her are genuine." Benjamin looks at her sternly and says "I'd like to believe it." He turns and starts to head upstairs, but there is a knock at the door. Benjamin comes back downstairs and opens the door. "Yes, can I help you?" he says. Harrison enters, dressed in 1897 clothing. "Hello, my name is Harrison Collins." Benjamin asks "Collins?" Harrison says "Yes. I've been traveling throughout the country, and I discovered my distant relation to the Collins family of Maine. I am a cousin....from New York. I've come to visit for a while." Harrison smiles at Benjamin, who gives him a nervous smile in return. Valery steps forward and says "New York! I've never been to New York....I hear it's quite beautiful." Harrison takes her hand and kisses it, saying "Not as beautiful as some of the sights of Collinwood, I assure you." Valery smiles at Harrison as Benjamin looks at him suspiciously.