Episode 1423

Aired: Wednesday December 8, 1971

After a replay of Tuesday's close, Lucy asks Stokes what he's holding in his hand. He says "It is an ancient symbol of the life force, Miss Drew." She says she's never seen it before and doesn't know what its doing in her jewelry box. "Then you won't mind if I take it and examine it further?" he asks. She gets a little angry and asks him why he came into her room in the first place. He says "I'm not sure. I remember being in my own room and then.....then I simply found myself here." She frowns and tells him to "find himself outside." He leaves the room and looks over the necklace in the hallway. The next morning, Quentin is having some coffee in the drawing room and thinking "What Carl told me last night is almost impossible to believe.... could Alice really be conspiring with Trask somehow? Why would Trask need Alice when he's already married Valery. If he wanted the money, he's already got it.... do I have to protect Jamison AND Valery from Trask now?" when Stokes comes in. He tells Quentin that he must talk to him immediately. Quentin asks about what, and Stokes takes out the necklace and says "About this, Quentin." Quentin asks what kind of jewelry it is, and Stokes answers "It's more than mere jewelry, it is a symbol, a symbol of the life force. And I fear it may be the sign of the monster in our midst." Quentin looks at Stokes.

"Monster?" Quentin asks. Stokes says that the Ankh is the "ancient symbol of the lifeforce from the Ancient Egyptian Isis cult. These were sorceresses who transcended human form to become the creatures known as succubi. A vampire, of sorts." Quentin laughs and says that "vampires are nothing more than idiotic legends of folklore. Next you'll tell me you believe in werewolves as well." Stokes says "This is not a vampire that takes blood from its victims as in the legends you are familiar with. No, this is a she-demon that seduces young men and drains them of their very youth in order to live eternally. I have also read that the spirits of these demons can move from body to body under certain circumstances. But they leave their victims looking as if they died of old age, even if they were young men." Quentin thinks a moment and says "That body Gladstone found? Is that what you're referring to? Why don't you offer him this strange theory of yours instead of me?" Stokes says "Because of where I found this symbol, Quentin. I found it among the possessions of Jamison's governess Lucy Drew." Quentin snaps "Are saying Lucy is some sort of monster? That she will suck the youth out of Jamison or myself? Dear Uncle, if that were true, she's had more than her share of opportunities." Stokes says that Lucy claimed not to know what the piece was doing amongst her things, but adds "I'm not sure what means. She didn't act defensively, but if indeed someone planted it there, it still means that the succubus is among us." Quentin says "Are you saying some spirit has infected Lucy? Or even someone else around here?" Stokes says he's not sure, and "will need more evidence." Quentin says that "for something this fantastic, I'd want definite proof." Stokes tells Quentin that such proof "could prove terrifying."

Benjamin in is Kitty's room looking over Lucy's stolen handkerchief when Evan comes in. Evan snidely asks Benjamin how "the plan" is going. Benjamin says "You'll have to ask the mistress that." Evan sneers "Your mistress now, Mr. Collins? Let me remind you who came first in this little arrangement." Benjamin says "Let me remind you of your place in this arrangement now," and steps away from him. Evan snatches the handkerchief from Benjamin's hands and says "I will help Kitty, and I alone! It is I who has been promised immortality by her! And nothing, do you hear, nothing will stand in the way of that!" Benjamin angrily says "Kitty will decide that and not you! And it is obvious that she prefers me, and what I can offer in return!" Benjamin starts to walk away, but a frustrated Evan twirls the handkerchief, gets behind Benjamin, and begins to strangle him with it. Benjamin chokes and tries to cry for help as Evan laughs. Kitty enters the room and demands that Evan stop killing Benjamin. Evan yells "No! I am the one promised to you, not him! He must die!" Evan continues choking Benjamin, but an angry Kitty waves her hand and Evan begins to choke as well. "Back away from him now, Evan," Kitty says. Evan drops Benjamin and begins to grasp at his throat and gasp for air. "Stop.....stop....or I'll expose you....." Evan says. Kitty scowls and says "Then you have written your death warrant...." Evan's eyes open wide as Kitty moves in towards him. She wraps her hands around his throat and lifts him off the floor as an astonished Benjamin watches. As she holds him, Evan begins to age - his hair turns white and his skin shrivels and wrinkles. He struggles to no avail as Kitty drops him to the floor as a dead, white haired balding old man. Benjamin looks at him a moment shocked, but then Kitty caresses his hair, and Benjamin turns to her as if entranced and says "You have saved me, thank you." She smiles, saying "You are the chosen one, Benjamin," before kissing him.

Kitty and Benjamin stand over Evan's dead body. "Shall I get rid of it?" Benjamin asks. Kitty stops a moment and takes Lucy's handkerchief from Evan's dead hand. "Wait..." she says. "Perhaps we do need a slight change of plans. Evan Hanley, even in his last act of treachery, may prove useful after all...." She looks over the embroidery on the handkerchief as we dissolve to Lucy in the drawing room reading. Quentin enters and acts a little aloof towards her, so she says "Your uncle has been acting rather odd lately, Quentin." Quentin looks at her and says "Oh?" Lucy tells Quentin that she woke up with Stokes in her room finding "jewelry that doesn't belong to me. Is he given to wandering the house through the night?" Quentin says that "He has some strange ideas, I'll give you that." Suddenly there's a scream from outside. Quentin runs towards the foyer, and Kitty runs in, screaming that "there's a body outside! In the woods! Someone is....dead!" Lucy starts to comfort Kitty as Quentin runs outside and into the woods. He comes upon Evan's dead body and thinks "Another old man....impossibly old...." As he looks it over, he spots the corner of the handkerchief under the scraggly neck. He kneels down and pulls the handkerchief from under the body and lets it unroll, where he sees the embroidered monogram LLD. He thinks to himself "LLD.... Lucy Longworth Drew!"