Episode 1407

Aired: Tuesday November 16, 1971

Joan Bennet's voiceover: "Collinwood, in the strange world of parallel time in the year 1897. Harrison Collins has found himself trapped in this place and time, where the members of the Collins family compete to keep secrets from one another, though some of the secrets of the people here are more terrifying then others...."

Alice and Trask are walking in the woods. Alice asks Trask if he's "sure about everything in the will." Trask tells her not to worry, and that "everything will be taken care of." Alice says "Everything?" Trask smiles and says "Don't worry, my dear. I know how expensive your tastes are." He leaves her at the old house door and she goes in, only to face an angry Judith coming down the stairs.

After the opening titles, Judith asks Alice what she is doing with Trask, and Alice says she only happened to meet him while walking back from Collinwood. Judith remarks how "everyone is swirling around Catherine wondering about her will. They're all a pack of vultures if you ask me." Alice says "I didn't." Judith sneers and says "If you think trying to influence Mr. Trask will somehow include you in the will, you've got a big surprise coming." Alice snaps "You may be the one surprised, Judith. From what I understand, Catherine is obsessed with the members of the Collins family leaving heirs. Where would a childless woman like yourself fit in?" Judith snaps back "And what of you? you have no children either." Alice dreamily answers "Perhaps that is true...for now." Judith, shocked, says "What? Are you telling me that you're planning on marriage? With who, Gregory Trask? Well, I've heard everything!" Alice looks at Judith and says "Like I said Judith, you may be the one surprised." Meanwhile, Benjamin has finished reading a poetry book to Kitty, who tells him how much she missed him. Benjamin remarks how "horrible" Quentin's story of the fire in Persia was, and Kitty says she's glad she lost her memory of everything that happened. Benjamin tells her "I wouldn't know what to do if I had lost you like that." He starts to take off her glove to kiss her hand, but she panics and pulls her hand away. "What's wrong?" Benjamin asks. Nervous, Kitty says "Oh...nothing. I....just ...my nails look frightful. I really need to get a manicure while I'm in town." Benjamin is confused and tells her he's never seen her act this way before. Noticing this, Kitty leans in close and says "A kiss on the cheek is much better anyway, don't you think Benjamin?" He kisses her and beams while she smiles strangely.

Judith enters Collinwood and finds Benjamin in the drawing room. He asks her why she's come to Collinwood and she closes the doors saying "I need to talk to someone I can trust, and that means you at the moment. Are you alone?" Benjamin says yes, and that Kitty has gone into town until later. Judith tells Benjamin that she thinks her sister Alice is trying to manipulate Catherine's will. Benjamin says "that's ridiculous. What kind of influence can Alice have over grandmother? The two of them never speak to each other." Judith says "Yes, but Gregory Trask does, and Alice has been working on him." Benjamin shakes his head and says "Judith, Gregory Trask is someone the family has always trusted. He will act according to grandmother's wishes, no matter what Alice says to him." Judith tells Benjamin that she thinks Alice wants to marry Trask, and Benjamin is surprised. He doesn't believe it, and reminds Judith that she said herself that Trask would have his choice among "many pretty young women" in the village. Judith says that Benjamin should keep his eyes open just in case. Benjamin says he will, though "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." Judith says she'd better get back home to make sure Nora gets to sleep since Carl is "out again." Benjamin leads her to the door, but before they can get there, Valery enters with Trask, holding hands. Judith and Benjamin are both surprised.

Benjamin asks Valery what she is doing with Trask, and Valery only scoffs "Benjamin, really!" Trask says "I'm sorry, Mr. Collins, I didn't mean to cause trouble. I only took Miss Valery out for a walk." Judith frowns and says "How lovely." Valery, confused by all of these reactions, apologizes to Trask and tells him he'd better go. He bids goodbye, and Benjamin confronts Valery about why she was with Trask. "Because he asked me," is the only answer he gets. Benjamin tells Judith "I think you were worried about the wrong person using Mr. Trask to attempt to influence my grandmother." Valery gets angry and says "That's a lie! Mr. Trask asked me to walk with him, and I accepted. I had no ulterior motive. You spend so much time worrying about this estate and the money you can't wait to get your hands on that you and Edward are always hatching new plots to go chasing after." Benjamin answers "All of us are on edge since grandmother insisted on seeing Trask and discussing the will. It seems none of us can trust each other anymore." Valery gets a little sad and says "Oh Benjamin.... don't you remember when we were children, how we told each other secrets and got along so well? What's happened?" Benjamin answers "We're not children anymore. I don't think it's proper that you see Mr. Trask....socially." Valery sighs and says "Not proper.... that's all you ever concern yourself with, what looks proper." Benjamin snaps that all the Collinses must be concerned with looking proper to avoid scandal. Valery insists that there "is no scandal" in going for a walk. Judith interrupts and says "Valery, there is something you should know about Mr. Trask." Valery says "Judith, I wouldn't expect you to take his side." Judith says she's not taking anyone's side, but tells Valery that "Gregory Trask and my sister have also been seen together. And I know for a fact that Alice thinks of their friendship in very serious terms." Benjamin asks "Alice? Alice and Trask?" Judith answers yes, and Valery doesn't know what to think.

Benjamin tells Valery "I must admit I first suspected your motives, now I'm starting to question Gregory Trask's." Valery snaps that Benjamin simply doesn't want her to be happy, and that "Gregory certainly wasn't lying to me when he...." Judith says "When he what?" Valery turns away and says "...when he told me his feelings for me." Benjamin says "His what? Valery, these feelings certainly have appeared quite suddenly." Judith tries to calm Benjamin and says "Well, it would make more sense for Trask to court Valery rather than Alice." Benjamin still insists it wouldn't be "proper." Valery says she plans to tell her father about Trask when he returns from Boston, and then runs upstairs. Judith gets ready to leave again, and Benjamin thanks her for coming over, and tells her that he "will have a very serious talk with Trask about all of this." As Judith leaves, Kitty and Evan enter. Benjamin asks her if her trip to town went well, and she says "Yes," as she waves Evan upstairs. "I took care of something very important to you," she says. Curious, Benjamin asks what, and she starts to take off her gloves - revealing young and beautiful hands. Benjamin smiles and kisses one, and says "Well, that wasn't so difficult, was it?" She says no, but suddenly there's a scream from outside. Benjamin says "That sounded like Judith!" He runs outside. In the woods, Judith is standing over a dead body and screaming as Benjamin finds her. "Don't look at it!" He tells her as he turns her away. "Has it been cut like the other one?" He says, but Judith says "No, it's not like that at all. I was startled by it, that's all." Confused, Benjamin turns to look at the body. It's the corpse of an incredibly old man, gray and horribly wrinkled, laying on its back dead with eyes open wide, looking terrified...