374 - (KLS) - Time has been suspended at Collinwood, while one woman makes an uncertain, frightening journey to the past, back to the year 1795. And the secrets, those too terrifying to be written in the family history, are finally being revealed.
Angelique admires Josette's beautiful room, but when Ben says it's to be Barnabas and Josette's bedroom, she says they will never be together there. Angelique wants Barnabas, and she's gonna have him! She uses Josette's cologne, and tells Ben she has worn her clothes and stolen her suitors. She calls Ben a child who goes by everyone else's rules, which is why he's a convict working out his sentence. SHE makes her own rules! She adds a new ingredient to Josette's rosewater cologne, and tells Ben that Josette didn't love any other man until Barnabas came along. Now Josette is in for some surprises--the spell will make her love someone who doesn't want her, but who will go to Barnabas and tell him.
As they head downstairs to the drawing room together, Jeremiah protests Barnabas' leaving bed over doctor's orders, but Barnabas wants to see Josette, and look at a wedding present together. Jeremiah feels Josette should have brought the gift up to Barnabas' room, and makes her promise to get him back there after they open their first wedding gift. After Jeremiah leaves, Josette tells Barnabas that she feels his uncle orders everyone around and makes her feel selfish. Barnabas knows how protective Jeremiah is, but they are very close, and he wants Josette to like him. Josette changes the subject by saying it's Barnabas she cares most about, but when they start to kiss, and he really gets into it, she pulls away, saying they shouldn't be alone together. Nonsense, says Barn, her aunt and father know the two of them kiss. She says he's too modern, and his face darkens as he remembers what happened with Angelique. He agrees with Josette that perhaps he is.
Josette thinks the gift is a silver vase, Barnabas thinks it's a globe, but they both turn out to be wrong
--it's a skull wearing a wig! Josette screams and Barnabas races to her side. He vows to find out who brought it, and questions Ben first, who has no idea who left the present. They wonder who could hate them so much to send such a grisly gift. Barnabas asks a delighted Ben to watch over and bodyguard Josette, then tells him he plans to have him working for them after their marriage. Ben is grateful, all set to tell him about Angelique, but the moment he opens his mouth, he's struck mute. He runs off as Barnabas and Josette stare, astounded, at each other.
Ben races up to Josette's room, where Angelique is making the bed. She knows he tried to tell, she says venemously. When he makes threatening moves toward her, she renders him motionless, too,
and will only restore voice and movement when he promises to never hurt or betray her. He is forced to promise, clearly hating her.
Jeremiah asks Barnabas to let him handle the gift problem. It might be some disgruntled villager or shipyard employee. Barnabas seems to think it's an inside job, and he calls Angelique into the drawing room to question her. He minces no works and asks her if she sent the cruel gift.
She denies it, but he says he doesn't believe her. He doesn't know her, then, she spits out, not if he thinks she would do anything to make him hate her!
Ben assures Barnabas that he's OK, then adds he just had a feeling about a possible someone. There are many who hate the Collins family and don't realize Barnabas is different. Unfortunately, he can't pinpoint any one person. Barnabas reminds him again that he expects Ben to come stay with him and Josette after they are married, and Ben says he hopes it happens (the wedding or the job--probably both). Nothing will stop them from marrying, Barnabas assures him.
Josette lies on her bed, suffering from a headache. She confides in her maid she's looking forward to her family returning to Martinique; that's when she feels her life will truly start. Angelique rubs some of her cologne on her forehead. Josette asks her maid if she's ever been in love, and Angelique says yes, with someone she met in Martinique. Will she marry him? asks Josette. He's not in love with her--yet, Angelique reveals. Josette tells Angelique her headache is fading.
In his room, Jeremiah is downing his toddy. He has a vistor--Josette, and not only is she dressed to seduce, her manner is very flirtatious. I had to see you, she says, wanted to see you--I can't explain it. She throws herself into his arms and says, "I love you."
He grabs her and pushes her away from him. "NO! You love Barnabas!" he insists, shaking her.
She runs back to her room, sobbing. Angelique is waiting for her, wanting to know where she went. Her aunt and father will be displeased to hear of this. Josette falls on her bed, begging her not to tell anyone, and asks to be left alone. Smirking, Angelique leaves the room.
NOTES: Angelique does BAD so well! She's using everyone as puppets for a hopeless cause. Manipulating everyone around Barnabas could work, but it will never make him love her, will it?
375 - (Grayson Hall) - A seance has been held in the great house at Collinwood, a seance which has suspended time and space and sent one girl on an uncertain and frightening journey into the past, back to the year 1795. The loves and hatreds that were born then, in this house, will never die.
Jeremiah agonizes over his dilemma--how can he tell Barnabas his fiancee came to him the previous night, professed her love? How can be risk hurting his nephew? Angelique comes in and when he asks if Josette seems disturbed by this different culture, she assures him her mistress is behaving exactly as she does at home. That's even worse, Jeremiah realizes; Josette is a slut wherever she is, and she's fooled Barnabas completely! Jeremiah decides he must tell Barnabas, before the marriage, and heads off to do just that, Angelique grinning after him.
In his room, Barnabas teaches Ben to write, but the poor guy is getting his p's and q's mixed up. Jeremiah interrupts, wanting to speak to Barnabas. His face is very serious, and Barnabas thinks Josette has been in an accident. Barn goes on about how much he loves Josette, how she moves and listens, the respect she shows others. He can't figure out why she chose him. Jeremiah suggests that Barnabas doesn't know Josette as well as he thinks, but Barnabas reminds him that his uncle has taught him people perception well, and has always felt his people-sense is good. He is concerned that Jeremiah doesn't like Josette, and wants them to be friends.
Barnabas suggests that, while Josette likes his uncle, she's perhaps jealous of Jeremiah's influence over him. Barnabas believes Josette will do anything to please him, and they love and trust one another. Jeremiah vows no one will come between Barnabas and Josette, and will be happy, if he has anything to say about it.
Ben has eavesdropped on this conversation, and relates it to Angelique, who is pissed off that Jeremiah didn't tell Barnabas what really happened. Well, she's going to have to send a special toddy to Jeremiah this night, and Ben will deliver it. Ben is fearful of taking chances, but she reminds him of how she made him mute and promises that the only thing he has to fear is HER, because she can mete out far worse punishment. Jeremiah will now fall in love with Josette. Angelique tells Ben she felt sorry for her mistress, loving a man who didn't return it--she well knows that feeling.
Josette enters the house, passing by Jeremiah silently. He demands to speak to her, and they go outside. She tells him she couldn't sleep, how embarrassed she is, she never did such a thing before. Jeremiah tells her he was all set to tell Barnabas, but didn't. She loves Barnabas, she tells him, and has no idea why she came to Jeremiah that way. She'd better figure out why, he warns her, and had better not hurt Barnabas. She vows she would kill herself first, and, entering the house, she glances at herself in the mirror with confusion and horror.
Josette comes downstairs later and Natalie tells her that Mrs. Collins was quite upset that she didn't come down for lunch, terrible food nothwithstanding. Barnabas came home for the meal, too. Josette tells her aunt she wasn't feeling well, and asks her to go with Barnabas to the cabinetmaker to choose their furniture. Natalie is perturbed, reminding Josette she'll have to live with that furniture for the rest of her life--she should pick it out herself. Natalie delicately asks if Josette is fearful of marriage--or Barnabas (I guess she was talking about sex). No, Josette assures her, she'd marry Barnabas tonight if she could. Natalie questions her further, and mentions how handsome Jeremiah is. Josette nervously disagrees.
Natalie asks her niece to go along with Barnabas to the cabinetmaker, but if she wants her to cover for her, she's going to have to be more forthcoming. . . Barnabas interrupts and teasingly chides Josette for avoiding him. He meant it as a jest, but his fiancee bolts upstairs, leaving him very upset. He wants to follow Josette, but Natalie discourages it; Josette is behaving like all brides, and he should leave her alone. She asks him to take her along to the cabinetmaker instead, and Barnabas, still concerned, asks her to go talk to Josette. She has no idea what to say, Natalie admits. Barnabas frets further to Natalie later when Josette passes on dinner, too. Jeremiah comes in, and the three of them strike up a conversation.
Angelique hands Ben the love potion to put into Jeremiah's toddy.
Barnabas refuses a drink and Natalie asks for brandy. Natalie, trying to make Barnabas feel better, tells him Josette said she would marry Barnabas tonight, if she could. Natalie encourages this, but Barnabas points out that they are expecting so many guests, etc.
Ben makes up Jeremiah's toddy, adding Angelique's special ingredient.
Natalie chides Barnabas and his family for being too rigid and conventional. Later, Natalie shoos Barn upstairs to be with Josette and he tells her if there's no other reason for marrying Josette, it's because Natalie is her aunt. (great sucking up, Barn!)
Natalie is playing cards in the drawing room when she sees Josette heading downstairs. She couldn't sleep, and Angelique (!) took care of her headache already (another application of love potion #9?). Her niece wants to take a walk, and although Natalie discourages it, Josette leaves the house, Natalie following. Jeremiah is waiting in the gazebo for Josette. They aren't sure why they've come, but they do know they are there for each other. "I love you," he says. That's what I wanted to hear, she murmurs, and goes into his arms for an embrace and kiss.
Appalled, Natalie watches from the bushes.
NOTES: The poop has hit the fan now! Forcing these two together can only have tragic consequences, but perhaps that's what Angelique seeks. I can understand her being jealous of Josette, but why drag poor Jeremiah into it? Because he's there, I guess.
Love, Robin
