Great post, MT. I posted some thoughts about Barn in PT in the previous episode, but I suppose you're right. Barn will have to learn all over again that inevitably he'll get involved with people just by being with them.
This is the first full episode in PT. Grayson seems to having a blast channeling Mrs. Danvers.
We get our first inkling of PT Elizabeth's status when she frets to Hoffman that the checks haven't arrived.
So PT Quentin is married to PT Maggie! In our time, Maggie Evans is an only child. She probably would have liked a sibling, poor thing. Elizabeth talks about the two Evans girls and concludes, It will be odd having one of them come back as Quentin's wife. (Evidently parallel Sam Evans was successful enough to move to New York.) Hoffman agrees concisely, but looks very displeased. Not noticing, Elizabeth continues, I’ve been worried about Quentin since Angelique died. I hope he will be happy now. He was happy before, Hoffman says sourly, happier than he will ever be again. He had everything. Did he tell you what room he wanted? Elizabeth asks. No, Hoffman replies, I will take care of it. Elizabeth watches her stalk out of the drawing room and up the stairs.
Ever the gentleman, Barn apologizes to Carolyn and is concerned when she feels faint. And we also get an inkling of Carolyn and Will's financial status. Carolyn will tell her husband that Barnabas is a kind of parlor boarder. With a smile she says, I can tell him you rented a bedroom; we have talked about renting rooms. We are not rich as others are. Barn has to hide when Hoffman returns to glare at Carolyn. Carolyn asks Hoffman if she can sit for a few minutes. Hoffman stares at her, not bothering to hide her disbelief or her disapproval. Carolyn says irritably, Even when _She_ was alive, I was allowed to sit here. Hoffman tells Carolyn, I’ll be opening the suite down the hall, as Mr. Collins will be returning tonight. With his bride? Carolyn says with a big smile at the portrait of Angelique. Hoffman hesitates, then says yes and offers to look in on Carolyn later. That won’t be necessary, Carolyn replies. After Hoffman leaves, Barn is amazed to learn the name of Quentin's bride.
In their Boston hotel room, Quentin broods about returning to Collinwood. Even though she has never been there, Maggie is doing her best to fit in by wearing a smart pale green suit with an amazingly short skirt. She says gently, You used to sit this way in London when we first met--as if you were thinking about things I couldn’t possibly understand. You haven’t spoken since phoning Collinwood. Maybe we should have stayed away longer, Quentin says. You wanted to come back, Maggie reminds him. I think I made a mistake, he replies. Why do you hate going back to that house so much? Maggie asks. I didn’t say I hated it, he answers. It’s obvious that you do, Maggie says. Is it Angelique? Quentin starts at the name and walks out onto the balcony. I’m sorry, Maggie says contritely. Is it me you’re worried about? His distant look changes to a rueful smile as he turns toward her. I promise, I’m not as inefficient as I look, she says with a smile. I’ll be very good at managing the house. Offhandedly, Quentin tells her, Don’t worry about that--Miss Hoffman is very good at that. Then what is it? she asks. Oh, Quentin, please love me! I do love you, he tells her. I know you do, Maggie answers, staring into his eyes. You must never forget that--never, he says and they kiss passionately. Maggie suggests, If you don’t want to go back tonight, we could stay here in Boston and go to a concert. No, we leave tonight, he answers but softens the stern reply with a smile. As he holds her close, she can’t see the worry in his eyes.
At Loomis House, Barnabas gets his familiar basement room back to sleep in during the day. Carolyn is surprised when he brings her there. I never knew this room existed, she says. My husband still doesn't. Now I must find a coffin, Barnabas says. How do you know so much? Carolyn asks. He explains about parallel time and the different choices people have made in each time band, but she only stares at him blankly. He tells her, I came here hoping to escape what I am--but I failed. What choice did I ever have? Carolyn asks bitterly. In my own time, Barnabas tells her, you are the heiress of Collinwood. I would like that, Carolyn says. But Barnabas explains that our Carolyn's happiness is somewhat marred since her husband has just been killed. If he was expecting parallel Carolyn to feel sorry, he's disappointed--apparently there's little love lost these days between Carolyn and "Will" Loomis. He also tells her that Julia Hoffman is a doctor. Perhaps she is happier there, Carolyn comments. How did she come to Collinwood?Barnabas asks. Carolyn says, Hoffman came to Collinwood with Angelique. Sometimes it was hard to know who was in charge of the other. What do people know about Angelique? Barnabas asks. Everything, Carolyn replies. Ever since she was a little girl, Angelique always wanted to marry Quentin. She was Tim Stokes’s daughter. (Barnabas reacts to the name. Presumably in parallel time Ben Stokes married Angelique Bouchard, who came from Martinique with her mistress, Josette DuPres, in 1795.) Carolyn adds, Angelique outgrew her father when she became a Collins. Barnabas marvels at how much the same everything is, but how different. I’m starting to believe what you said about parallel time, Carolyn admits, but I don’t want to think about it right now. Did you like Angelique? Barnabas asks, but Carolyn whirls away from him with a frown. Barnabas notes dryly, You have answered my question. They leave for the cemetery to find a coffin before dawn.
Up in Angelique’s room, Hoffman addresses the portrait of her late mistress. So, _He_ is coming back--bringing _her_ with him. Even he must know that there can only ever be one Mistress of Collinwood.
In full Mrs. Danvers mode, Hoffman completely sabotages the bridal couple's return to Collinwood. Quentin storms out in a perfect fury--and not for the last time either, leaving an utterly bewildered Maggie to fend for herself. I’m afraid that coming back to Collinwood has upset Mr. Collins very much, Hoffman comments with a pleased smile. Suddenly alone in a great house that now seems dark and forbidding, Maggie watches Hoffman walk upstairs.
And we get our first dead-wife note[spoiler]--but far from our last![/spoiler]
