317 - (Grayson Hall) - The fate of a little boy trapped in the secret chamber of an old tomb has been a matter of grave concern at Collinwood. Now that the boy has been found, there is the feeling that the crisis has passed--but in fact it has not. As the sun goes down, the little boy's life is still in jeopardy, for at the Old House on the Collinwood estate, there is one who fears that the boy has already learned his dark and evil secret.
3 AM - The church bells toll the hour. Barnabas enters the Old House drawing room and peers out the window. He readies to leave, taking coat and cane. Julia arrives, and he calls her timing "regrettable"--he has business to attend to. I have a way of learning if David must die, he says, and will tolerate no interference from you. I saw David earlier, says Julia, and my guess it, he knows nothing. I want facts, not guess-work, insists Barnabas--get out of my way. After Barnabas departs, Julia follows him.
At the Evans cottage, Sam takes a gun from a table drawer, then returns it. Dave shows up, and Sam tells him he believes there's a connection between David's disappearance in the cemetery and Maggie's--the mausoleum is Sarah and David's secret hiding place!
Woodard isn't sure about this, but Sam wants to go there, and now, even though it's dark. Sam takes out the gun and they leave.
Barnabas senses someone is following him, and Julia backs away to hide in the bushes. Who is it?--who's there? demands Barnabas, but continues along.
Sam and Dave look around as a storm begins.
Barnabas walks up the steps of the tomb and goes in, closing the door behind him. Julia walks in behind him. Spotting her, the vampire tells her to go, but she refuses--he's shared all his other secrets with her, and now must share this, too.
Sam and Dave run into the caretaker of the cemetery,
who goes into his usual "the Collins tomb is cursed" spiel.
Barnabas tells Julia the story of his being locked in the coffin, then reveals the secret room. He shows her his coffin inside, closing the door behind them. Barnabas finds David's pocket knife on the floor and is positive David knows his secret.
Julia protests, insisting this isn't definitive proof at all. Barnabas, however, is stricken with fear and feels he must prevent David from telling anyone.
Dave and Sam enter the tomb. Julia and Barnabas hear them talking and shut up to listen. Thunder roars outside. Dave shines a flashlight on the wall plaques and notes that of Sarah. Hmm, David's friend, SARAH--that old fashioned dress, her manners, that doll!
This is more than a coincidence, asserts Dave--"Maybe little Sarah really is a ghost."
NOTES: Pshaw, we've known about Sarah being a ghost for a long time now! What took them so long to figure it out?
Sounds like David is getting into deep trouble with Barnabas. The vampire is so nervous about his Big Secret, he wants to get rid of anyone who knows about him--or put them in his power. Why not put the bite on Cousin David instead of killing him?
That caretaker does begin to get on one's nerves after a while, doesn't he? Same old, same old. Gets dull.
318 - (Grayson Hall) - Only three people know the secret behind the evil that walks in the shadows of Collinwood, but there are others who may be on the threshold of discovery.
Sam doesn't want to believe Sarah is a ghost, but Dave reminds him Julia said something supernatural was involved here.
Hearing that, Barnabas angrily grabs Julia's throat; she cries out. Both men on the other side hear the noise, but figure since that's a solid wall back there, the noise couldn't have come from there. Sam and Dave are abruptly assailed by terrible fear for Maggie's safety, and Dave tells Sam to pick up Joe and put him on guard at the cottage. Dave wants to go speak to David at Collinwood; he sure he knows more than he's said--and he also plans a showdown with Julia! They leave. In the secret room, Barnabas accuses Julia of arousing Woodard's curiosity. He opens the panel. David must be silenced, insists Barnabas, but Julia protests. Barnabas opens the coffin and shoves her into it violently. "Think about an existence of total darkness and loneliness," he says--"does that appeal to you?" Of course not, she answers. I intend to remain free and take my chances, he tells her. He closes the coffin and they leave.
Outside, closing the panel, Barnabas says that he finds it hard to believe Sarah would betray him by telling David about the secret room. Barnabas feels his sister has rejected him. She will appear to you if she knows you feel threatened, predicts Julia--the best way to silence David is not to kill him, but to find Sarah! Barnabas walks over to his little sister's plaque and touches it.
Dave waits in Collinwood's drawing room. David comes in and reluctantly tells Woodard only that Sarah knows many secrets--and he doesn't know her full name or where she lives--she just appears out of nowhere.
Woodard also finds out that Julia has been questioning David about Sarah, too. Woodard asks the boy why, but Julia interrupts and tries to disrupt the conversation. If your secret place is the mausoleum, Woodard warns David, someone very dangerous also knows about it.
Julia brings David upstairs. Dave asks to speak to her. When Julia comes back down, Dave orders her to tell what she's discovered or he'll take Maggie out of her care. Terrified by the howling outside, Julia asks to discuss this tomorrow morning.
We can just forget about tomorrow then! Dave rages--as of now, Maggie Evans is no longer your patient! He stalks out. Julia looks fearfully out the window. Julia takes her coat and leaves the house.
Barnabas stares out the window, assuring David, "You're going to sleep, Cousin David--you're going to sleep for a long, long time." Barnabas grabs coat and cane and prepares to leave just as Julia rushes in. I've changed my mind about not harming the boy, says Barnabas, a weak moment was responsible for my decision in that regard. Julia begs him not to kill David, but he declares, "Doctor, when I make up my mind to kill somebody, you know you can't stop me--you know nothing on this earth can stop me!" The doors fly open, the candles blow out, and an icy wind rushes through the house.
She's here! cries Barnabas, begging his sister to come to him--"Please let me see you!" "Nothing on this earth can stop you," agrees Julia--"except one little girl."
NOTES: Did you think/hope Sarah would appear to big brother Barnabas and personally ream him out for his plans for her friend, David? Who or what else could have stopped him? Nothing, as Julia said. Barnabas loved Sarah above all others, and will obey her, no matter what.
Julia's now lost Maggie as her patient. What if the young woman remembers, as she did once before, what Barnabas did to her?
Are Sam and Dave closing in on Barnabas and his secret? How much more do they have to learn before they know the full truth?
Love, Robin
