Episode 1410

Aired: Friday November 19, 1971

After a replay of Thursday's close and the titles, Quentin and Harrison are both shocked at Valery's announcement of her engagement to Trask. Quentin tells her that Trask is "most likely only after the money," and Valery insists this isn't true. Harrison tells her that she shouldn't give her heart to "someone that will only destroy it. You know I don't care about the money or the estate here, but I do care about you." Valery is touched by this, but says she's going through with it and will tell her grandmother. She leaves the room. Upstairs, she is nearly in tears as she reaches Catherine's room. She enters and finds Catherine sitting in a chair by the window. "Grandmother! What are you doing out of bed? You'll catch a chill!" Valery tries to help her back to bed. Catherine tells her that she's not "ready to go just yet" and that Valery shouldn't worry about her. "But I'm worried about you, my dear," Catherine adds. Valery asks why, and Catherine says "I saw you with Mr. Trask through my window just now." Valery says that she thinks "Gregory is a sincere and good man," but Catherine laughs. "You watch yourself with him, little one. I've seen that look in a man's eyes before.... it's not the look of love, let me assure you. You can do better than him, my dear, much better." Valery says "I was hoping to get more approval from you, grandmother. It seems everyone in this family is against anything I want to do." Catherine says that isn't true, but Valery says "I can't let everyone else tell me how to live!" Catherine says "I know you can't, but I know more about this Mr. Trask than you do. I'm only concerned for you." Valery thanks her for her concern, but tells her that she will do what she thinks is right. "You're as stubborn as your grandfather," Catherine says.

Quentin wonders aloud to Harrison if Catherine will approve of Valery and Trask, but Harrison tells Quentin his doubts. "I think your grandmother is very perceptive, and if she has dealt with this man, she would surely know his motives are not honorable," Harrison says. Edward enters the room and says "Whose motives?" Quentin says "Edward, you're just it time. I'm sure you'll have an objective opinion on all of this." Edward asks Harrison what Quentin is talking about, and Harrison says "Your cousin Valery has become betrothed." Shocked, Edward says "What? To whom?" Quentin answers "To Gregory Trask, esquire. Go on, Edward. Have a drink to celebrate." Edward snarls "That blackguard! He's only interested in the money! No doubt he helped manipulate the will in her favor before making his move. Oh, this will not stand. I will not stand for it!" Quentin says "You may have no choice, Edward. None of us know what's in that will, and it seems our grandmother is content to keep playing games with all of us, though I'm not sure why." Edward nods and says "I know why. She never appreciated the way that we've lived up to our responsibilities as Collinses. I've been thinking a lot about that lately." Quentin snaps "Edward? You haven't been living up to your responsibilities?" Edward answers "Please spare me your sarcasm, Quentin. I'm serious. You've traveled the world and avoided settling down with a family. Benjamin has also failed to hold onto the woman he loves. And while I have a son, I...." Edward cannot finish the sentence and pours himself a drink. Quentin says "You've lost your wife as well. Yes, I suppose you're right. We're all disappointments to grandmother in some way or another." Harrison says "Edward, I'm sorry. I had wondered where Jamison's mother...." Edward says "Don't be too sorry, she's not dead. Just gone. She left me years ago. I'd rather not talk about it." Quentin says "Well cousin Harrison, now you see what kind of a wonderful family you have here in Maine. All of us are obviously deliriously happy." He takes another drink, and Harrison says "Perhaps you would be if you weren't all at each other's throats over the estate." Edward denies that he's at anyone's throat, but Quentin agrees with Harrison and says "Admit it, Edward. All this wealth has only divided us as a family. No wonder grandmother wants us all married off... we'd actually find something else to devote ourselves to besides our name and our money!" He leaves the room and Edward thinks this over.

Edward is alone in the drawing room now, finishing his drink and looking out the window. We pan over to the front door and Kitty enters. She looks around for a moment and then enters the drawing room. "Oh, I'm sorry Edward...I thought I might find Benjamin in here," she says. He looks at her and says "I haven't seen him. I hope your stay has been comfortable since your return." She smiles and enters the room with "Yes, you know how I've always loved this house." Edward nods and says "Yes, I have no doubt of that. Tell me, why did you suddenly come back? I had thought that you had left my brother forever when you went away." She laughs a little and says "Woman's prerogative. I changed my mind." She pours herself a drink and asks Edward why he seems so deep in thought. "No reason," he answers. "I was only thinking about my life, and my son. I wonder how he thinks of me, his father, sometimes. I wonder if he wishes he had gone with her instead of staying here." Kitty says "With your wife?" Edward nods. Kitty is surprised. "Edward, I'd never heard you speak of her before. I was always afraid to bring up the subject. Benjamin said...." Edward says "Never mind what Benjamin told you. I've been thinking a lot about it all lately, that's all. I feel like I owe my son something." Kitty says "He's a wonderful boy, Jamison. A son to make anyone proud." Edward thanks her, and she gets a sly look in her eyes as she continues "What were you thinking about, Edward? Do you think you owe him a mother?" Edward is shocked to hear this, but says "How did you know that's what I was thinking?" Kitty says "There's been a lot of talk of marriage in this house lately. Call it woman's intuition." Edward says "Well, your intuitions are very perceptive. I was thinking of making a clean break of it, of going to the lawyers and getting my marriage annulled. It's time I moved on." Kitty says "I'll drink to that!" and gulps down her drink. She walks to him, slinky, and says "Besides, you never know what other opportunities for romance there are out there, Edward. Maybe they're under your nose right now." She runs her fingers under his nose and walks out of the room with a strange smile. Edward doesn't know how to react.

Down at the docks, Gladstone is looking for clues as to the identity of the body he found. He enters The Blue Whale and asks the bartender if he recognizes the whale's tooth keychain or knows any sailor with the initials "E.D." The bartender tells him that "a ton of ships come in and out of here. I don't think I've ever seen that keychain before." Gladstone starts to look around the bar. He shows the keychain to a couple of people who shake their heads, but then one man, dressed very much like the corpse, examines the keychain. "I've seen this before. It belongs to Eddie. Eddie Daniels! I'd know that style anywhere. He's made these things for people up and down both coasts!" Gladstone asks where he can find Eddie Daniels, and the man says "I don't know. We ship out tomorrow, and I haven't seen him at all for the past couple of days. I figure he's found himself a young lady, you know?" Gladstone asks if Eddie Daniels had any family in Collinsport "a father, or grandfather perhaps?" The man says no. "Eddie is an orphan. No family at all. Why do you want to know, anyway? He hasn't done nothin' has he?" Gladstone says "No, nothing. I just wanted to find out something about this keychain, that's all. We found the body of an old man dead in the woods without any identification. I thought maybe he knew people down here from this keychain we found on him." The man says "Nobody down here knows any old man." Gladstone thanks the man, but then asks him "How can I recognize Eddie Daniels if I do find him?" The man says "He's about 25, I guess. Black hair, dark eyes, about my height. You look for a moon shaped scar on his leg, and his two gold teeth. You can't miss that. Ugliest smile on the seven seas!" The man starts laughing and returns to his drink. Gladstone thinks a moment and leaves in a hurry. At the morgue, Gladstone returns. He turns on the light and walks to the body of the old man laying on the slab. He pries the mouth open and sees the two gold teeth. Gladstone mutters "No.... it can't be...." but then he starts to roll up one of the pant legs on the corpse - and it reveals a large scar in the shape of a crescent moon. Shocked, all Gladstone can say is "Eddie Daniels....."