Julia is having an unaccustomed brandy in the drawing room when Elizabeth enters. Julia tries to tell Elizabeth about the third boy at the antique shop--who also has a scar on his arm. Elizabeth realizes that Julia has become a danger to the Leviathans, but aloud she dismisses the birthmark as an unusual coincidence. Julia says she intends to solve the mystery. Unaware of Elizabeth's growing coldness and hostility, Julia says she wants to talk to Paul, who was the first to become alarmed about the antique shop. Elizabeth says he's being cared for by Dr. Reeves (who survives by wisely remaining off camera) and constantly sedated. And anyway, you no proof, do you? she asks. I intend to investigate further, Julia says. If there is a conspiracy as Paul Stoddard claims, then I will find out. Elizabeth warns Julia to be very careful; Julia doesn’t realize the warning is actually a threat.
Elizabeth leaves and Chris arrives, looking spiffing in a tan trenchcoat (some nice frame grabs over at DS Wiki) and desperate for any news about Harrison Monroe. Julia describes her visit and says that Harrison Monroe is "slightly mad" (what she says!), and what’s more, he looks just as young as he did in 1897. Chris wants her to go back to the painter because the moon will be full tonight. But in the next breath, he despairs. Why are we fooling ourselves? he asks bitterly. There’s no hope for me. There is! Julia insists. If “Grant Douglas” doesn’t transform tonight, that will be proof that Quentin’s portrait exists. [Actually, she already has proof that Quentin’s portrait exists--if Grant Douglas is Quentin Collins, then he hasn’t aged since 1897!] And I’m still hoping to persuade Tate to do a portrait of you. I’ll make arrangements for you to go to Windcliff, she adds reassuringly. And I intend to be with Grant Douglas starting at dusk.
Elizabeth has made a beeline to the Old House and tells Barnabas about her conversation with Julia. It was very wise of you to come to me at once, Barnabas says. Elizabeth says Julia is determined to continue investigating. Barn decides there's only one solution: Julia must become one of "us." Reassured, Elizabeth wants some clarification about the Grand Leviathan Plan, about which Barn has given out only vague hints. I’m asking because of something Julia said, Elizabeth says. What are we trying to do? What has Paul got to do with it? You will know when the time comes, Barnabas replies. He adds with a smile, Meanwhile I can tell you that we will bestow on a particular person a very great honor. Who is this person? Elizabeth asks. He replies, Someone that we are all going to be very proud of, Elizabeth. That is all I can tell you.
Julia is doing still more research on lycanthropy when Barnabas steps behind her, startling her. He asks about Chris Jennings, but irritably Julia accuses him of writing Chris off. Barnabas yet again accuses Julia of mistaking his motives and says he was discouraged when he returned from the past without a cure of Chris. Julia says Chris will stay at Windcliff tonight. Julia is still sitting on the sofa with her back to Barnabas, but suddenly becomes aware that he is staring at her intently. What are you doing? she asks, turning to face him. What do you want of me? Holding her gaze with his eyes, he replies, I’m concerned for your well-being. Have you been resting enough? Doctors are often neglectful of their own health, he comments. Julia is still enough in control to be dubious about his concern. I hope you find what you are looking for, Barnabas says with a smile. Julia may not trust Barnabas at the moment, but her eyes betray her when Barnabas gently strokes her face twice and tells her goodnight. After he leaves, Julia comes out of her semi-trance. What just happened here? she wonders. She gets up and starts upstairs, feeling strangely tired.
Grant/Quentin is very drunk when Olivia arrives. He greets her as Jenny Lind. [Quentin Collins would have known of the famous "Swedish Nightingale," the operatic soprano whose triumphant tours of the USA were still fresh in everyone's minds in the late nineteenth century.] Unfortunately they have a quarrel and he storms out after accusing her of never knowing who she really was. She picks up one of her framed photos and stares at it sadly.
Julia is lying on top of her bed, still fully dressed and with only the lycanthropy book for company, when she starts dreaming. To the accompaniment of thunder and lightning, she hears Barnabas’s voice telling her, You will believe someday soon. We will be close once more, as we were long ago. We need you, Julia, he tells her urgently. We need the resources of your mind. Come to us, he begs her. Slowly she descends the Great Staircase. When she’s nearly at the bottom, she sees Barnabas enter the house, holding the Leviathan box against his heart as if in a ceremonial procession. She follows him into the drawing room. What do you want? she asks. I want you to have the box, he replies. Remember how it interested her when you first saw it. You wanted to open it then, but I stopped you. As the sound of heavy breathing fills the room, Julia asks, What’s inside? Open it and look, Barnabas suggests. She raises her hand to turn the key, then shrinks back with a horrified No! You have no choice, Barnabas says sternly. No, no! Julia exclaims. I don't want to know anything more about it now! I don't want to see it! I don't want to see! she cries, and hurries out. But Barnabas slowly follows her, telling her, Yes, you do. It is too late to run now, Julia. You will be unable to resist anymore. When you see this box next, you will be compelled to open it. He laughs, as he almost never does, and sets the box down on the table. Suddenly Julia wakes up.
Downstairs in waking life, Barnabas tells Elizabeth that Julia has had the dream. (Elizabeth is wearing her black velvet dinner dress with the serpent brooch.) Barn orders Elizabeth to stay with Julia until she opens the box. He leaves the room and goes through the servants’ door. A moment later, Julia comes down. Elizabeth smiles pleasantly as she tells Julia, Someone left you a present. She shows Julia the box. Instantly wary, Julia asks, Who left it? I don’t know, Elizabeth replies, but don’t you want to open it and find out what’s inside? Open it, she repeats, making it almost an order. Julia is terrified and resists with all her strength, but it is not enough. She is about to turn the key when there’s a knock at the front door. Ignore it, Elizabeth practically commands her. Open the box. Finally Julia manages to break away and race to the door. She lets Chris in, and he practically has to hold her up, since she’s still reacting to what just happened. It’s three o’clock, he reminds her frantically, when I was supposed to meet you here. Without even stopping for her coat, Julia gratefully hurries out to take him to Windcliff.
Barnabas returns, and Elizabeth tells him what happened. She will never open it, Barnabas says with regret. He explains, Certain people can’t be absorbed, and Julia is one of them. It’s something to do with their genetic structure. Julia will have to be dealt with, he concludes, and you must find a way to do it.
After taking Chris to Windcliff, Julia arrives at Olivia Corey’s suite with the cleaned painting. She tells Olivia, I did what you did and had the painting x-rayed. You knew there was a portrait under the landscape, but you didn’t know whose. I’ve taken the next step and had it cleaned. She unwraps it and shows Olivia the portrait of Amanda Harris. It has no value to me, Olivia says dismissively. I have several portraits of my grandmother. It has no value to you because it isn’t Quentin’s portrait, Julia replies. I want to show it to Grant Douglas, since Quentin had a relationship with Amanda. This isn’t the right time to see him, Olivia suggests discreetly. He was disturbed by something, got drunk, and is sleeping it off. Julia smiles and says, Then this is definitely the right time to see him. The two women go to Grant’s room, but when they open the door, the room is an absolute shambles--and empty..............
