Episode 1432

Aired: Tuesday December 21, 1971

John Karlen's voiceover: "The Collinwood of parallel time in the year 1897 is filled with treachery and lies as different members of the family and even some nefarious outsiders grapple over the future of the estate and its wealth. On this night, the lies will do more damage and the innocent, as they always do, will suffer...."

In an old house room, Stanford sits looking completely out of it as Judith tends to him. She tells Carl how she "doesn't understand" how such a healthy man could have "such a devastating stroke." Carl says that the doctor said there was a chance of recovery, but Judith leads Carl outside and says "I don't know, I just don't know. I hate to see him this way." Carl agrees, but says there's nothing they can do. Judith says that Stanford had such an active mind that he'd hate to wind up in such a state. Carl says that the doctor thought Stanford's mind may still be active, but that his powers of speech and muscle coordination were affected. Judith says "that must be even worse, to be imprisoned within one's own mind." Stanford sits helplessly in the chair staring at them through the slightly opened door, and we hear him thinking "I...must....be.....able to...speak....I must warn them....Kitty.....Kitty Soames...."

After the titles, Judith remarks to Carl that he's spending more time with Charity Trask, and Carl says that he likes Charity a great deal "though I can't say the same for her brother." Judith says she still doesn't understand what Valery sees in him, and Carl says "It's easy to understand what he sees in Valery." Downstairs, Charity comes in with Nora, and asks Nora if she had a good time shopping in town. Nora says yes, and asks when they can do it again. Charity says "you'll have to ask your father that" as Carl comes downstairs. Nora tells him how much fun she had shopping in town, and Carl says "I've taken you shopping before, Nora, wasn't it the same?" Charity answers that Nora "needed a woman's touch." Nora giggles, and Carl sends her upstairs to get ready for dinner. Charity tells Carl what a wonderful daughter he has, and Carl says it hasn't been easy raising her alone. "She was so young when her mother.....well, I'm sure she doesn't remember too much of that." Charity tells Carl "I talked to my brother." Surprised, Carl asks her what happened. Charity says that she thinks Carl has it all wrong about what's going on, and Carl says "How can you say that? What kind of lies did he tell you?" Charity gets angry and says that "Maybe you should ask your sister Alice that!" Carl says "Alice? I've tried confronting her, and she won't tell me anything. Besides, after that maniac nearly killed her, she hardly ever leaves this house anymore." He turns to Charity and says "I don't want us to fight about this. I know Alice is my sister, but in all honesty, I wouldn't doubt her plotting something against my cousins." Charity tells Carl that while that might be a terrible thing to believe, it "seems true. My brother also told me that she's the one making him do these things." Carl is surprised. "Making him? Are you suggesting she's blackmailing him?" Charity says that's what her brother told her, and she's willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Carl says "I have a lot of doubt, Charity. I still think they're in this together, and he'll say anything to deflect the blame." Charity says "If they're in this together, why would he blame her? It's like he's turning on her!" Carl answers "Why wouldn't he turn on her? It's Valery who has the money." This sounds true to Charity, but she still doesn't want to believe it. "And we both know that it's Valery who is young and beautiful," Carl adds. Charity says she can't believe her own brother "could be that evil." Carl says that money can do evil things to people. "Something we can both do while you decide about your brother," Carl adds, "is to watch Alice very very carefully." Charity agrees.

Quentin enters Collinwood and finds Harrison in the drawing room. Harrison asks him if Rachel and Jamison got off allright, and Quentin says "the train to Boston was running on time for a change. So much for step one in the master plan." He pours himself a drink. Harrison remarks on how Trask will be very disappointed once the "real will" is revealed. Quentin says he's hoping he'll be disappointed enough to "leave," but he wonders "how much trouble" he'll be for Valery if he doesn't. Harrison says that he'll do anything to help Valery, and Quentin smiles at him knowingly and says "I thought as much." Trask comes out of the kitchen and hears Harrison and Quentin talking about the will, Valery, and Jamison's departure. He stops before the door and eavesdrops. We hear him think "If Quentin has enlisted Harrison in this fight, perhaps that's where this other will is hidden...I must find it and destroy it if my plans are to go forward..." He slips upstairs just as Quentin and Harrison come out of the drawing room. Harrison says "There's something else I wanted to mention to you, it may be something, it may be nothing." Quentin, curious, asks what. Harrison says "Your brother Benjamin. He seems different than before. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it seems to me he's acting strangely." Quentin laughs and says "Harrison, I'm surprised at you. Of all the men not to notice how a man changes behavior when his lady love is so close by." Harrison says that he has noticed a change in Benjamin since Kitty's arrival, but "it seems he's changed quite differently." Quentin says he's "always thought Benjamin was a mysterious character anyway," but then asks Harrison if he's seen Beth. Harrison says no, and Quentin says that Rachel had told him that Beth had wanted to talk to him about something, but he can't find her. Meanwhile, Beth is still tied up and locked in a room with Kitty.

At the old house, Judith is sitting with Stanford upstairs when Carl, Charity and Nora enter. They tell Judith that dinner is almost ready, and Judith says she's not hungry. Charity implores her to eat, and that she's doing all she can for Stanford. Judith insists he'll be able to speak as long as people are around him. Nora tells Stanford how much she liked shopping with Charity that day to see if he'll react. Charity tells her to "show your Uncle Stanford the hat we bought you." Nora runs out of the room to get it. Carl and Charity take Judith aside and bring her up to date on Alice and Trask. Judith agrees with them about Alice, and tells Charity she'd rather not say anything against her brother "unless I was absolutely sure." Judith says she'll also keep an eye on Alice, but that "my husband dominates all of my time now." Nora runs back in with her hat and puts it on, and while they all admire it, Stanford shows no reaction. But then Nora says "It's very pretty isn't it? It's just like the one Kitty has!" Stanford starts to groan and mumble at the mention of Kitty's name, and gets more and more agitated. Charity takes Nora from the room as Stanford struggles to speak to Judith and Carl.

Kitty paces around Beth, telling her how much she'd like to "snuff you out like a flickering candle flame" but that she can't until she finds out how much she's told "the others." Beth looks hatefully at Kitty. Kitty wonders where Benjamin is, and says "I'd better find out about Quentin and Edward myself. Never send one of your drones to do the work of a lady. I'd dispense more advice to you, Miss Chavez, but you'll hardly find yourself in a place where it will be useful. I'll be back." Kitty leaves the room and locks Beth in. As soon as Kitty leaves, Beth begins to struggle with her bonds, and after tipping the chair over, she manages to free herself. She tries the door, but it is locked. She tries opening the window, and after a struggle, manages to get it open. She's very high up, but there is a lattice next to the window. We hear her think "No one will hear me if I shout...I must get out of this room somehow...but there must be a better way than this..." The knob on the door begins to turn and Beth starts to climb out of the window and onto the lattice.