1233 - Old House - Bramwell answers the door to Catherine--Morgan had just told me Daphne had been sick since last night, she says--I don't understand why he didn't tell me sooner--what's wrong with her? Bramwell hangs his head--I'm seeing the doctor again later today, he says. The doctor was just here! says Catherine--what did he say? Bramwell doesn't answer. Tell me what the doctor said, she commands. "He was certain only of one thing," says Bramwell--"Daphne is dying."
Catherine shakes her head--no, it can't be true! I'd give me life to make it a lie, he says, but it is true
--when Mother told me the news, I went to see Dr. Fletcher myself--he doesn't know what's wrong with her. Doesn't know? says Catherine--he's a doctor, of course he knows (spoken like a doctor's daughter). He wasn't able to diagnose the illness, says Bramwell, he could only tell that she is dying--all the vital life signs are weakening, she hasn't the will to fight--unless the situation changes soon, she will not have very much time. It can't be true, insists Catherine--she's so young, she's never been sick before in her life. I know, says Bramwell--if this happens to her, then I will be responsible. Why? asks Catherine. I married her, then completely neglected her, he says--I've given her nothing to live for, and now she's dying. You mustn't blame yourself, says Catherine. But I do, he says--last night I came home with such good news--my ship had arrived--I now have as much wealth as I'd ever want, now it means nothing to me--I would gladly give it all up if I thought it would make her well again. Catherine rises from the sofa--if anyone is to blame, I am, she says--the way I've treated her since she married you--she must think I hate her by now. The fact is, says Bramwell, you are right, Daphne should have listened to you--I married Daphne because I was hurt and angry at you--but now, I feel very deeply toward her--do you believe that? Yes of course I do, says Catherine, I believe it--what I don't believe is that she is going to die--we must find another doctor, we must find someone to help her. Dr. Fletcher suggested we get someone in for consultation, says Bramwell, but he didn't hold out much hope--we mustn't fool ourselves. Does she know? asks Catherine. No, she has no idea, he says. Poor Daphne, laments Catherine, shaking her head, my poor sister--she hasn't even lived!--and now she's... She begins to cry. Bramwell starts to reach out to touch her, comfort her, then withdraws his hands without making contact and walks away. May I go up and see her? asks Catherine. Yes, he says, but be careful not to reveal anything to her. I'll be careful, promises Catherine, and goes upstairs. Bramwell watches her.
Collinwood - Kendrick has brought Carrie to Collinwood. I really shouldn't be here, she protests, my father will be furious. It will only take a minute, he says--I'm really glad I met you out there. She goes into the drawing room, where a new sofa has been placed. Kendrick follows her in, closing the doors. I've been very anxious to talk to you about this gift you have, he says--I understand you can see and hear things others can't. Sometimes I can, she says. Would you be willing to use this gift? he asks. I've been forbidden to use it ever again--I'm sorry, she says. Forbidden? he asks. Yes, my father is very angry over something that happened here the other night, she says--I'm not supposed to talk about it--my father told me never to use it again, especially here at Collinwood--I'm sorry to disappoint you, she says. It's not me who will be disappointed, he says, it's Melanie. She looks at him--Melanie? Yes, says Kendrick, she's the one who needs the help. What's troubling her? she asks A lot of things, says Kendrick, but one more than the rest--I think it would give her great peace of mind to learn who her parents are. Are? asks Carrie--I thought her parents were dead. That may be true, he says, but I have an odd feeling it isn't--put yourself in Melanie's position--how would you feel about it? I suppose I'd feel the same way--I'd want to know all I could about them, says Carrie. Then would you please help her? asks Kendrick. It's not as easy as you seem to think, she says--and then there's my father, you don't know what he's like when he gets angry. He needn't ever know, says Kendrick. But he might find out, objects Carrie. Are you close to Melanie? he asks. Yes, the girl admits, we're very fond of each other. Just think how much good you can do her, says Kendrick--just think about it.
Daphne lies asleep, Catherine sitting beside her. Daphne awakens--Catherine, how long have you been sitting there? Just a few minutes, says Catherine. You should have awakened me, says Daphne. I knew you needed your rest, says Catherine, besides, I didn't mind waiting. I feel rather foolish, says Daphne, taking ill so suddenly and having to be waited on by everyone--you look very beautiful, Catherine. I feel anything but beautiful, says Catherine. Is something troubling you? asks Daphne. I've just been troubled every since... ...since I married Bramwell, finishes Daphne.
I've been so unkind to you since you did marry him, says Catherine. No you haven't, says Daphne--not really, I should have tried harder to understand (St. Daphne is in the house). No, I shouldn't have been so much against it, says Catherine, not if that was what you really wanted, I should have tried to make you happy, given you a chance. Even if you tried, you couldn't have done it, says Daphne, because you couldn't have changed what had already happened in the past. Sitting on the bed, Catherine says, I could have tried to make it easier for you, couldn't I? Bramwell says everything is going to be different now, says Daphne--his ship's come in, did he tell you that? Catherine nods and turns away--yes he did, she says, tears in her voice. Daphne raises a hand to her forehead--he's waited and worried about it for such a long time, she says--now I'm so happy for him--he told me I'm going to have everything I ever wanted--that we'll go places together and do thinks together, so it's going to be... Catherine, unable to listen further, begins to cry. Why are you crying? asks Daphne--please tell me what's wrong. But Catherine can't speak.
Kendrick waits impatiently in the Collinwood drawing room, pacing. He smiles when Melanie comes in and runs into his arms. They kiss enthusiastically. I wasn't expecting to see you today, she says. I think you had more than enough time, he says, I asked you to marry me, remember? Yes, I remember, she says. Don't say no, he says. You can't imagine how much I want to say yes, she says. Then say it, he says. It isn't as easy as you seem to think, it never would be, there are so many drawbacks to think about, says Melanie. We have discussed all of them, he reminds her. We've admitted they exist, she says--we have not discussed how detrimental they can be to a marriage. She sits on the sofa. He sits beside her--I love you, he says, and am willing to accept all the drawbacks, run all the risks--in fact, I've already started--I talked to Carrie, who's going to help you find out who your real parents are and if they're still alive. Whatever made you ask Carrie a thing like that? wonders Melanie. I always had a feeling there was good reason Julia told you so little about your parents, he says--when you do find out, I think it's going to come as a great surprise to you. What made you think Carrie could help? she asks. I heard about this second sight of hers, I thought it would be worth a try, he replies. What did she say? asks Melanie eagerly. She was reluctant at first, he says, but when she heard it was for you, she said she would do it, and be here this evening. Do you really think she can tell me anything? asks Melanie. She said it was gong to be very difficult, unless you had a personal object that belonged to one or both of your parents, he says. Melanie, disappointed, says, I don't have such a thing, and never have had. We'll have to find something, he says. How? she asks. Think about Justin Collins, what he'd said to you, if he'd ever shown you anything, says Kendrick. She thinks it over--I can't think of a thing, she says--but I have an idea--if anything belonging to either of my parents were still in this house, it would be in Papa's study. Then let's go look for it, right now, he says. Arms around each other, they leave.
We see Bramwell's downcast face as he waits for Catherine to come downstairs. She does, walking slowly, as if she's carrying a huge burden. You've been crying, he says, hands in his pockets. I couldn't help myself, she says. You didn't tell her anything, did you? he asks. Of course not, she says--I told her it was my shame at having come between the two of you--I've never felt in my life the way I did just now--looking at her face--when she began to speak about the future, I couldn't bear it. I know, he says. It's so wrong, says Catherine, her face crumbling into tears--there's got to be something we can do for her, there's got to be! We can keep on hoping, he says, but remember, Dr. Fletcher said there's no hope whatsoever. Unable to bear it any longer, Catherine runs from the house.
Justin's study - Melanie, holding a candle, warns Kendrick, who is opening and closing desk drawers, please put everything back exactly the way you found it. Julia will never know we've been here, Kendrick assures her. I'm more concerned about her finding us while we are here, says Melanie. Nothing in this desk, says Kendrick, we've searched all over--where else can we look? I'm afraid it would be a waste of time to look elsewhere, says Melanie--remember, I told you Julia found me here once before--I think that if any evidence did exist, she destroyed it then. Kendrick smacks one hand angrily into another and says, "JULIA, JULIA, JULIA--it always comes back to Julia!" Yes, it does, she agrees. I'm convinced she knows the truth, says Kendrick, why won't she tell us?--if we could only guess. Don't you feel she's protecting me? asks Melanie. From what? asks Kendrick, from telling you who your real parents are--there's no understanding to it. I don't know, she says, but we must get out of here. Kendrick pulls out a large desk drawer and searches inside. The desk is deeper than the drawer, he says. You think there's something behind the drawer? asks Melanie. That's what I'm going to find out, he says. He finds a compartment with something inside. It's a wooden box, with a metal label that says "Melanie" on it. Inside is a blue lace handkerchief, a brooch, a bracelet and a letter--"These are for Melanie, when she grows up," it says.
This must have been written by my mother, says Melanie. These things must have belonged to her, says Kendrick. Yes, agrees Melanie, smiling--she wanted me to have them. Why didn't Justin Collins tell you about them when you grew up? he asks. That was after his stroke, suggests Melanie, he was still in a state of shock--I'm sure he'd forgotten all about this box. Kendrick replaces the items in the box--never mind, he says, we found it, we should go. Replace the drawer, she reminds him. He does. They leave.
Daphne lies in bed. When Bramwell comes in, she reaches out her hand and he takes it. You've spent all day here with me, she says, I would have thought, since your ship had come in, you'd be so busy. I have no desire to go anywhere or do anything, he says, I just want to be with you. You mean that, don't you? she asks, her face very pale. Yes I do, he says softly. Why are you so sad? she asks. I'm not sad, he says, but you can hardly expect me to look happy when you're not well. She looks away. Look here, he says, it seems to me I remember a time when you nursed me back to health and hardly left my side--I must do the same thing for you, shouldn't I? You mean nurse me back to health? she asks. Of course, he says. But you know that isn't possible, she says. Not only is it possible, he says, but looks down, unable to continue. Look at me, she says--you know I'm going to die, don't you?
Whatever makes you say a thing like that? asks Bramwell, disturbed. Because I know it's true, she says. It ISN'T true, he insists, you must not think such things! I'm not afraid, she assures him. Daphne, please! he begs. No, she says, you listen to me--I think I've known from the beginning, from the look on Dr. Fletcher's face and the way everyone is reacting--it's not an easy thing to conceive. You've imagined this, he insists, it's not so!
I've admitted it to myself, she says, there's really no reason to pretend anymore--she caresses his face--it's much easier for us if we don't have to lie to each other--please let me be honest, Bramwell, at least with you. Daphne, he says, I assure you, I'm going to make everything all right again. Bramwell, she asks, how much time do I have? Don't talk like that! he pleads, there's a chance--there has to be a chance--I have all the money I need now--we'll send to Boston for a specialist, he'll do what Dr. Fletcher wasn't able to do. No, she says, you've got to be realistic, we both have to face this without fear. Daphne, I will not let you die, he vows, I cannot, not like this--I realize something now I should have known a long time ago--I love you, Daphne--I love you. You said that to me once before, she reminds him, and I didn't believe you then--but you really mean it now, don't you, Bramwell. Daphne, he says, drawing her into his arms, I don't want to lose you! She holds him close.
Collinwood - Melanie closes the double doors. Carrie, who sneaked out of her cottage when her father thought she was sleeping, says, if he finds out I was here, he'll be furious. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this, says Melanie. Did you find anything from either of your parents? asks Carrie. Melanie opens the box she and Kendrick found--choose whatever item you think will work best, says Melanie. Carrie selects the handkerchief--are you sure it belonged to you mother? I'm almost positive, answers Melanie. Carrie holds the handkerchief and concentrates. Her eyes go wide--something's happening, she says--vibrations, very strong vibrations--an image is shaping--a woman--she's leaning over a coffin--your father is in the coffin. Then my father is dead, realizes Melanie sadly. Yes, he is dead, says Carrie, but Melanie!--your mother's still alive, and still somewhere very close by!
Melanie gazes at her in amazement.
NOTES: So, who is Melanie's mother? We shall soon know, and the story behind it will be quite a surprise.
It seems to me that Daphne willed herself to get ill. She realizes her sister and Bramwell still love each other and perhaps wanted to get out of their way. There's still the matter of Morgan, but she probably realizes he's not a major impediment. Now everything is very sad as the clan forgets their differences and gathers around Daphne. Why someone's vital signs would just begin to deteriorate that way tells me this is the infamous Mysterious Soap Opera Heroine's Sudden Disease.
Catherine and Bramwell must feel pretty terrible right now. They deserve to, of course. This is all their fault, and if not for their selfishness, wouldn't have happened. Bramwell seems ready to be a husband to Daphne now, but it appears it will be too little, too late.
Sad scenes between Catherine and Daphne and Bramwell and Daphne. She's a bright girl, and a doctor's daughter, too, she caught all the signs that she's in bad shape, and she's realistic enough to face them herself and want her loved ones to face them, too.
Where will all this end? Anyone notice how weird Morgan's acting, stranger than ever? Between the pistols and the drinking and brooding, it seems his time in the room might have affected him somehow after all.
Love, Robin