380 - (Lara Parker) - A seance has been held in the great house of Collinwood, a seance which sent Victoria Winters back on an uncertain and frightening journey to the past, back to the Collins family who lived in the year 1795. There, in the old Collins house, it is learned that a lasting tragedy can be averted if the course of history can be changed.
Josette's room - Angelique is helping Josette get ready when Andre and Natalie come in and tell her she must marry Barnabas tonight--before it's too late. Angelique overhears and is, of course, upset, eyes bulging.
Natalie explains that someone in the house is convinced that, if Josette doesn't marry Barnabas, she will marry someone else. Andre asks his daughter if she loves Barnabas, and she assures him she does. What about Joshua? Andre frets, wishing they'd held the wedding someplace civilized, like Paris, and he's even pissed off enough to suggest they all get back on the boat and return to Martinique, except that both Josette and Natalie protest that it would be too embarrassing for his daughter to return home without a husband. Natalie assures Josette that Barnabas has no problem with them marrying tonight, but the bride to be wants to talk to him herself--this should be their decision. After Andre and Natalie promise to set it up, they leave. Angelique brings over the rosewater, all set to give Josette another of those "Jeremiah-lovin'" forehead massages. Josette refuses, even pushing Angelique away, then apologizes to her maid for being sharp with her. Angelique promises to think of something to help her mistress and Josette thanks her for being so sweet (gag me with rosewater, please). Angelique pretends to be grateful, but is clearly infuriated.
The Joshua-cat sits on Angelique's bed, and Ben comes after it with an axe. Angelique stops him, but promises he will eventually get his revenge against Joshua for his cruel treatment of him, she'll see to that! She orders him to get a handkerchief from Jeremiah's room for her latest spell.
Down in the drawing room, Barnabas assures Josette he'll gladly marry her tonight. She promises to make him happy, her face glowing with love, and they kiss. Beaming, he gets ready to leave and bring back the minister; they'll tie the knot at 9 PM. They hug and smile happily at each other,
but Josette looks thoughtful.
Ben brings one of Jeremiah's blue handkerchiefs to Angelique in her room. She will turn it into a flower, sprinkle it with the "I love Jeremiah" rosewater, tell Josette it's an amulet, then pin it to her wedding gown. Ben isn't pleased; he points out that Josette didn't hurt her. "Except that she wants the man I love," Angelique says coldly, and when he reminds her Barnabas loves Josette, she assures him she can and will change the course of true love--Barnabas will hate Josette because she will belong to another man!
Josette's room - Natalie helps a radiant, nervous Josette get ready for her wedding. She's anxious to marry Barnabas, and wishes he'd hurry back with the minister. Angelique tells Josette how beautiful she looks, and Natalie puts on and adjusts the bridal veil. When Angelique offers Josette the tainted blue flower, her only gift offering, Josette refuses to wear it--good luck notwithstanding, it will look too conspicuous on her gown. Angelique starts to cry over this rejection of her present, and it's Natalie who points out what a good, faithful servant Angelique has been to Josette and says wearing it will do no harm (oh, Natalie, you are SOOOO wrong)! Josette relents and agrees to wear the flower. Angelique, declaring herself honored, smirks as she kneels to pin it to the waist of her dress.
The minister has arrived, not at all pleased with this quickie wedding. Barnabas introduces Reverend Brooks to Natalie. Angelique pours some pre-wedding champagne, a shock to the scandalized minister, as an impatient Andre heads upstairs to fetch Josette for the ceremony. Barnabas, staring anxiously upstairs to where his bride will appear, refuses any champagne.
Andre knocks on Josette's door and, getting no response, opens it and walks in. There is no sign of Josette, and her trunk is empty of clothing. "Josette," he says, upset, wondering what she's done.
Natalie is downstairs relating the story of Marie and Andre's huge wedding, at which the Archbishop officiated. Andre reports that Josette is gone,
then runs outside, calling for her. Barnabas stands there, clearly shaken, as Angelique raises a glass of champagne to smiling lips and drinks to the success of her plan.
NOTES: How much did you hate Angelique in this episode, or do you really think she's right in treating Josette this way? GREAT episode!
381 - (Lara Parker) - A seance was held in the great house of Collinwood, a seance which sent Victoria Winters back on an uncertain and frightening journey to the past, back to the Collins family who lived in the year 1795. On this night, those within the Collins mansion will suffer the shock of discovery that deceit and betrayal are guests in this house.
In the wake of the aborted wedding and disappearance of Josette and Jeremiah, Andre questions Angelique about Josette. Barnabas enters and tells them that the Reverend was very upset and wants to be kept posted. Ben reports Josette's and Jeremiah's horses are missing from the stable. Despite all these revelations, Barnabas stubbornly refuses to believe his close-as-a-brother uncle had anything to do with Josette's leaving before the wedding. Andre goes upstairs to see if Jeremiah is in his room, and Angelique sidles over and grins at Ben, who tells Barnabas how sorry he is. Barnabas, saying insisting he's sure there's a simple explanation for it all, asks Ben and Ang to keep quiet about all this, and they both promise. Ben shoots Angelique a look of hatred. Andre comes down to report that Jeremiah and Josette's luggage is missing, but again, Barn insists Jeremiah couldn't be that deceitful and that this is a shocking assumption.
Andre calls it a disturbing coincidence. Barnabas resolves to get his pistols and go into the woods to search for Josette--despite the fact that her horse is missing. It might have been stolen, he insists.
Angelique lies on her bed and Ben comes in without knocking, pissing her off. He calls her M'lady, sarcastically. He congratulates her for having them all dancing like puppets, and she tells him she always gets what he wants. Then he tells her that, in the meanness department, Joshua is a saint compared to her! She is angry that a convict dares to speak thusly to her and calls him stupid. He tries to strangle her for that, but of course can't follow through. She suggests he stick around and watch the fireworks. She wants Barnabas to know about Josette and Jeremiah before they return as a married couple, and she's going to hasten that. He'll feel humiliated and turn to her--without having to use a spell. She doesn't want to get Barnabas that way;
she wants him to be truly hers, of his own free will--and it's going to happen! Ben is upset to learn Barnabas is alone in the woods, but Angelique assures him he has plenty of company...
In the woods, Barnabas calls to Josette. He hears a rustling and draws his pistol, demanding the person show himself. An apparition in a hat and coat appear to Barnabas, claiming to be his Uncle Jeremiah. "Poor Barnabas," says the ghostly figure mockingly-- Josette is gone, she has left you, she doesn't love you, she's in love with me. She has left you to marry me!"
He mocks Barnabas, calls him a fool, bringing the distraught man to such a fever pitch, he fires at the apparition, which disappears, laughing at him. Andre joins Barnabas in the woods, hears the story of the disappearing man, and urges him to return home. Barnabas hears Angelique's voice calling. Andre doesn't hear it and wonders what the hell Barnabas is listening to. The voice orders Barn to go to the road to Collinsport, and Barnabas promptly drags Andre along to check it out. What Barnabas finds is Josette's torn, mud-splattered bridal veil caught in a tree branch on the road to Collinsport.
Angelique, watching from the fire, tells Ben now they have to wait--Barnabas will be changed. Upset, Ben says he doesn't want to see his master different, sad, but Angelique wants him to view her bitchy handiwork. He tells her again how mean she is. She says they must go downstairs separately, and he leers, "Why? Do you think they'll think there's somethin' between us?" She orders him not to make her angry, or she'll turn him into a moth, and he calls her a mean, unmerciful woman. Respect me, she warns.
Drawing room - Barnabas is holding Josette's veil when Andre joins him. Barnabas, unable to face reality, can't figure out how the veil got where they found it--perhaps Josette was abducted. Ben comes downstairs and asks Barnabas if he's all right. No, Barnabas responds, and Ben apologizes for not being there when Barnabas was looking for him to help search for Josette. They found nothing of importance, Barnabas says with dignity. Angelique troops down after Ben has gone, and Barn tells her there's no news. Andre suggests to Barnabas that he rest, but Barnabas is determined to await Josette. After Andre has left, Angelique suggests, too, that Barnabas rest after all he's been through. Barnabas, clutching the veil, says quietly, defiantly, to Angelique, "In spite of what I've been through, I still love her. No matter what has happened or what will happen, I will always love her."
Angelique, livid, just looks at him. Foiled?!
NOTES: Great acting on the part of Frid in that last scene. Everyone was great today.
Nothing works out the way Angelique plots for it to, does it? She assumes that her spells will bring Barnabas to her willingly, but fails to see how much he loves Josette, and how much she's hurting him. When you love someone, you want for them what they want for themselves.
Angelique is being exceptionally selfish here. Aside from hurting Barnabas, who she might have a semi-acceptable case against for unceremoniously dumping her, Angelique's treatment of Jeremiah and Josette is inexcusable.
Love, Robin
