Episode 1453

Aired: Wednesday January 19, 1972

David Selby's voiceover: "Collinwood, in the strange world of parallel time in the year 1897. Most of the dangers facing the Collins family here have passed. Valery Stokes is no longer threatened by the plots of her now dead husband, Gregory Trask, and has declared her love for Harrison Collins, the mysterious visitor from another time. Benjamin Collins has been freed from the powers of the succubus masquerading as his long lost love Kitty Soames. And on this night, Carl Collins has witnessed the destruction of the vengeful spirit of Peter Bradford, destroyed by the suicide of the possessed Sheriff Gladstone. He has come to Collinwood to announce happier news, but little does he know that there is one potential source of destruction that has yet to be dealt with....."

Carl paces in the drawing room, looking at the scimitar atop the folded cape and black mask. Harrison returns with Benjamin and Quentin, who ask Carl what happened. Carl tells them how Bradford's spirit was destroyed by Gladstone, who sacrificed himself in a way that will ensure that Bradford will never return, since no one will ever find the body. Quentin examines the scimitar and says "Poor devil.... he solved his greatest case in a way that no man should." Benjamin tries to change the subject by asking "But Harrison has told us you have good news to tell us, Carl." Carl smiles and says "Yes, yes. I was on my way to tell you when Gladstone found me." He takes a deep breath and says "I'm going to marry Charity Trask." The three others are surprised, but happy.

After the titles, they are all toasting Carl with some drinks. Quentin remarks how "it's about time there was some happiness in this house." Carl says "Thanks. Harrison looks pretty happy, now that Valery has recovered." Harrison nods, and says "Thank God for that." Quentin takes a drink and humphs "God, or Petofi? Sometimes I wonder if the man thinks he is God." Carl asks who Petofi is, and Harrison tells him it's better he doesn't know. Carl asks Quentin if he still has Roderick's books on the occult in case there's something special that needs to be done with the cape, mask and scimitar. Quentin looks them over and says "As far as I can tell, with Bradford's ghost destroyed, these objects have lost their enchantment. I'll check to make sure, otherwise you might just have some souvenirs." Carl says he couldn't "keep the thing that killed Jenny." He tells Quentin to get rid of it, and then says goodnight. "Carl is finally free of his demons," Benjamin says. Quentin remarks that he wishes he were "free of mine," and Benjamin says "Are you angry that I've been seeing Rachel?" Surprised, Quentin says "Benjamin, you've never been so forward before." Benjamin answers "Perhaps everything I've been through has made me less reserved. I was thinking a lot about it all last night, especially after what you told us, Harrison." Harrison is interested as Benjamin continues "If you came from another time and altered this one, chances are I would've died if this time had not been changed. I feel like I'm living a second life now. I decided to live it differently than I have in the past." Harrison says that "none of us can be sure about the changes I may have made here." Quentin answers "Who knows? Perhaps this world in your time of 2045 is different now, or even in the time you left in 1971. Somehow I can relate more to that one... I wonder who will be living here in 1971, now that you've changed so much in this time?" Harrison thinks a moment and says "I don't know. But I wonder..." Quentin takes another drink and says "Well, to answer your question, Benjamin, as far as Rachel goes, you have my blessings. Anything between her and me was over long ago. And I know how you always felt after Edward married her." Benjamin smiles and says "It was always that obvious?" Quentin nods. Benjamin remarks how Collinwood might finally be getting back "to normal," but Harrison says "You forgot another change I made, one I didn't wish to. I don't know how normal things can be with Count Petofi here."

Lucy is leaving Jamison's room when she runs into Quentin. He asks her how Jamison is, and how he's dealing with what happened to Edward. Lucy remarks that having Rachel back has been a "tremendous help. Otherwise, he might have felt very alone...especially if something had happened to you as well." Quentin looks thoughtful, and Lucy asks him how he feels about Rachel being back. Quentin smiles slyly and says "You'd love it if I fought with her, wouldn't you?" Lucy gets upset and accuses Quentin of always suspecting her. Quentin answers "For your information, I have no problems with Rachel and Benjamin rekindling whatever they had before Edward stepped in all those years ago. Perhaps if Benjamin had been more decisive then, who knows?" Lucy snaps "You wouldn't have stepped in as well?" and then turns away, saying "I'm sorry...I didn't mean that." Quentin says "No, I deserve that. I was a cad, to my own brother. I didn't know if I was acting out against him, or just trying to find a way to be closer to Jamison. I suppose it doesn't really matter now." Lucy says "Rachel is thinking of taking Jamison traveling with her and Benjamin. He may not need a governess anymore. I've been looking at employment in the village." Quentin looks at her and says "You're leaving us?" Lucy starts to walk away and says "Without Jamison, there's nothing for me here." Quentin stops her and says "I wouldn't go that far." She looks at him skeptically and steps away, but he holds onto her arm. "Quentin, let me go! Let me go!" He shakes his head and draws her in. She protests at first and fights as he begins to kiss her, but then she begins to cry and hugs him. "Oh, Quentin...." she says. (Doesn't every girl on the show, sooner or later?)

Harrison is watching the fire in the drawing room and thinking out loud. "There must be a way of stopping Petofi," he says. Benjamin is sitting and thinking as well. "According to what you've told me," Benjamin says, "Petofi must be returned to his own time, or else your world may be threatened." Harrison says "That's right. But I don't know how we can do that without revealing the secret of that room to him. Unless.....I thought I observed a weakness in Petofi the other night. I wonder if it could be useful." Benjamin says "Obviously with his treatment of Valery, he thinks he owes you nothing and will make demands again, once he recovers from his wound." Benjamin walks over to the scimitar. "Interesting how a man of such considerable powers was so terrified by the sight of this blade. Perhaps it had some meaning in his own world." Harrison humphs and says "Too bad Gladstone didn't finish the job, it would've saved us all a lot of trouble." Benjamin looks over the scimitar and the cape for a moment, and then forms a sly smile. "There may be a way to deal with Petofi after all," Benjamin says. "Tell me what that other weakness you spotted was. I may have a plan." Harrison is interested.

Harrison stands in the parallel time room looking up at the portrait of Bramwell. Petofi enters, and says "Your lovely friend Miss Stokes told me I could find you here, " he says. "She is certainly back to living her life as was meant....or was it? One can only wonder about all the changes you've made here in your journey from the twenty first century." Harrison says "Something tells me you didn't come to discuss the possibilities of those changes." Petofi says "I have come to discuss other possibilities. My arm is feeling better after that unfortunate attack. I will have to deal with Mr. Gladstone when the time comes." Harrison says "Gladstone is innocent. He's possessed by an evil spirit!" Petofi answers "The man must be destroyed. Sooner or later, I will catch up to him, when he is not under the control of that spirit and in the possession of that scimitar. And he will pay for what he's done to me." Harrison snaps "You're very good at exacting payment, aren't you? The only reason you cured Valery was so that you would no longer owe me your life, and then you'd be able to force me to tell you the supposed secret of this room." Petofi says "I have made it my business to understand such things, my boy. Regardless of my existence in your world in the twenty first century, I must know that my venture here in this world will not affect that. Tell me, how do you know me in your own time?" Harrison turns away and says "You know I can't tell you that. It could change the future." Petofi says "I am interested in changing the future. After all, if I stay here in this world, I am assured to survive to that time and beyond, since I have no enemies here. That is why I must know the secret of this room, or...." Petofi points a finger of THE HAND towards the wall - and a fire starts immediately! "....or I will be forced to destroy this room if not all of Collinwood." Harrison yells "No! STOP!" and struggles to put out the fire by tearing down one of the curtains and pounding on it. "Tell me the secret, Mr. Harrison....or it will be destroyed in this room tonight!" Harrison struggles against the fire as Petofi laughs.