Episode 1402

Aired: Tuesday November 9, 1971

After a repeat of Monday's close and the titles, Catherine cowers from Harrison as Benjamin and Valery ask her what is wrong. "Grandmother, please!" Benjamin says. Harrison steps back and apologizes for scaring Catherine, who starts taking deep breaths to recover. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry," she says. "It can't be him... but that face, he looks just like him!" Harrison asks Valery who Morgan is, and Valery answers "An ancestor of ours who went insane and became dangerous...I suppose you look like him to grandmother." Harrison looks at Benjamin and quips "I had hoped my family resemblance would work to endear me to you." Catherine calls Harrison over, who tells her he's sorry he reminds her of someone she was once frightened of, and she says "It's all right, I was only startled by it. So, you are from New York?" Harrison answers yes, and repeats his story about passing through to get to know the family. "Some of us are better to know than others, " Catherine says with a wicked smile, and Benjamin tells her that she ought to rest after getting so excited. "We shall talk later," Harrison says as he kisses her hand. Valery is impressed with Harrison, but Benjamin still seems to suspect him as they lead Harrison from the room. We dissolve to the clock striking 8 in the morning. As we pan over to the front door, it opens and Quentin (complete with those Mike Nesmith 1897 sideburns) enters carrying some baggage. He looks around and sees no one there, until the drawing room doors open and Jamison (David Henesy) comes out. Quentin smiles at him and says "Well, the first person I wanted to see when I came back, and there he is." Jamison runs to Quentin and asks him if he plans "to stay at Collinwood this time." Quentin asks Jamison why he thinks he'd leave, and Jamison answers "It seems as if you're always traveling." Quentin answers "Well, this time I went to some very interesting places to tell you about." Jamison answers "My father told me you were being foolish and that you should stay here to help run the family business." Quentin shrugs and answers "Your father thinks everyone is foolish, I wouldn't worry about it. Why don't you run and get him and tell him I'm here." Jamison runs upstairs as Quentin enters the drawing room. Sitting there putting away her lessons is the governess Lucy Drew (Virginia Vestoff). Quentin says hello to her and slyly asks "Did you miss me?" Lucy coldly says "Not very much" as she picks up her book and leaves the room. Quentin laughs a little.

Quentin is having a drink when Benjamin enters the room. "Quentin!" he says. "When did you get back?" Quentin answers "About an hour ago. Where is everyone this morning? I thought I'd get a hero's welcome when I returned." Benjamin answers that most people wouldn't consider what Quentin did heroic. "I see Edward has had his influence on you since I went away," Quentin answers. "You shouldn't have left to go globetrotting with grandmother so ill," Benjamin answers. Quentin counters that "cousin Valery" can look after grandmother, and Benjamin answers "that is the problem." Quentin faces Benjamin and says "It's only a problem to our older brother Edward, who seems convinced that grandmother will look beyond personality and only at age when she decides who is to control this estate." Benjamin tells Quentin that "no single one of us" should control the entire estate, and Quentin agrees, saying "There should always be a place for any Collins in this house. But you and I know that Edward doesn't share these feelings." Benjamin answers that "Grandmother only speaks of us in terms of producing heirs these days," and seems fretful. Quentin, curious, asks "Heirs? Grandmother wants us all to have children before we get a share of the estate?" Benjamin nods and says "It seems so... which means that Edward will be favored. Jamison is the oldest of the next generation...." Quentin smiles and says "Well, I'm sure Jamison will allow his two uncles to have a roof over their heads. Besides, you're forgetting our cousins who live in the old house. They might be part of this as well." Benjamin says "Perhaps." Quentin answers "Enough of this morbid talk. I'd like to see grandmother, and I'm sure she'd like to see me. Is she awake?" Benjamin says he'll go and check, but before he goes, he asks Quentin "I was afraid to ask but I must know.... did you see her? Did you see her at all?" Quentin thinks a moment and looks dour before answering "No, Benjamin. I didn't." Benjamin is saddened by this and leaves. After a moment, we hear the drawing room doors shut and Edward is standing there, sneering. "Well," he says. "I'm sure you didn't look very hard for her, now did you, dear brother?" Quentin glares at Edward.

Quentin tells Edward that he has "all his usual charm, which is none." Edward tells Quentin that he never should have come back, since all it will do it "confuse things and complicate matters in the family." Quentin laughs and tells Edward not to start counting all the money just yet. Valery enters the room and when she sees Quentin, she runs to him and gives him a big hug. "Now, that's what I call a warm family greeting," Quentin says. Edward says "Enjoy it while you still can," and walks out of the room. Valery asks Quentin to tell her about his travels, but Quentin shuts the door and says "I will, but first I must ask you to keep a secret for me." Valery asks what, and Quentin says "I don't know how to tell Benjamin...but I saw her. I saw Kitty. And the news.... isn't good." Valery is shocked. Meanwhile, Harrison is walking down the hall and bumps into Jamison. Jamison says hello and asks who he is, and Harrison tells him he is a cousin from New York who has come to stay for a while. "You haven't come to fight over the money, have you?" Jamison asks. Harrison answers "No. I don't want anything but to know you all." Jamison smiles and says "Really? It seems like that's all everyone does around here is fight over the money. Great-grandmother isn't going to die! I hate when they talk like she is." Harrison tells Jamison "I do too. I met her earlier, and she seems a wonderful woman." Jamison answers "My uncle Quentin and my cousin Valery are the only ones who really care about her. Maybe Uncle Benjamin, but I never know about him." Harrison says he'd like to meet Quentin, and Jamison says "He's downstairs. He just came back from his trip." Harrison says "Really...." and starts to head downstairs.

Harrison enters the drawing room and finds Quentin and Valery talking. Valery introduces Harrison to Quentin, who shakes his hand and asks why he has come to Collinwood. Harrison laughs a little and says "Everyone keeps asking me that as if I have a sinister motive. I've only come to meet my relatives, that's all." Quentin answers "Forgive me, but we're all of a suspicious nature here." Valery answers "Don't listen to him, Harrison. Some of us can be quite friendly." Harrison smiles at her and says "I was counting on that." Benjamin suddenly comes into the room and says frantically "Quentin! You must come quickly! It's grandmother!" Quentin looks concerned and follows Benjamin out of the room. In Catherine's room, Edward is by her side as she is wheezing. Quentin comes in with Benjamin and says "Grandmother...I'm here, I'm back. I know you wanted to see me." She smiles weakly and puts out her hand. "My time is coming..." she says. Quentin tells her no, and that she will "live forever." She laughs a weak laugh and says "Always the charmer.... ever since you were a little boy... before your parents died so young....and now it will be my turn...." Benjamin says "Grandmother, stop talking like that, please." Catherine sits up and says "I'm glad you are all here, the men of the Collins family. I know you are all wondering what my intentions are for the estate...." and as she looks at Edward she says "I know some of you are more concerned than others.....but I wish for all of you to be happy.....happiness if found in families....my children were my joy.....I lost them too soon....you will need to have children of your own, Benjamin, Quentin....." She starts to fade a little and Quentin says "Grandmother, you need your rest." Catherine says "I must tell you this now, I may not get another chance. I've...changed my will." Edward is shocked and says "What? What do you mean?" Catherine says "I've changed my will in accordance with my wishes....you will see....you will see....." She lays back and closes her eyes. Quentin calls "Grandmother! Grandmother!" Benjamin, concerned, asks "Is she...." Quentin says "No, she's only asleep." Benjamin sighs "Thank God." Edward snaps "How could she have changed her will? What did she mean?" Quentin stands up and tells Edward "You look like a vulture circling her bed. I ought to throw you out of this house!" Edward sneers "I'm sure you wish you could!" Benjamin steps between them and says "Please, let's not fight here. Let's leave grandmother in peace." He leads the two out of the room with him. In the hallway, Edward snaps at Benjamin "I wouldn't expect you to take his side." Benjamin finally gets angry and snaps at Edward "This shouldn't be about taking sides! Everything is a fight for power with you, didn't you hear a thing she said? She's favoring those of us with children! That means you, Edward! Doesn't that satisfy your greed?" Edward says "How dare you!" before storming off. Quentin puts his hand on Benjamin's shoulder and says "Well, I guess I'm really home!"