443 - (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 Collins family in the year 1795. There, one young man has discovered a secret which, if he uses it properly, will give him all the power he wants over the Collins family.
Noah comes to see Nathan, who is holding Barnabas' cane, plotting how he's going to make it work for him. As they speak, it becomes apparent that Forbes is using the other, less intelligent man, and that he owes Noah money for helping to get rid of Maude's body-and for something else Nathan has planned, for Millicent. Noah went to Collinwood and stole a fan for Nathan. The Collinsport Strangler--or a reasonable facsimile, is going to strike again, says Nathan, but on a private estate.
He gives Noah the fan and tells him to deliver it to the front door of Collinwood. Whatever this plan is, Nathan expects to end up married to Millicent, rich and respectable.
We actually saw a servant on today's show--the maid who delivered the fan to Millicent and who thought it was from a secret admirer. Millicent says she doesn't use fans--they make drafts, and besides, the mother of pearl fan makes her think of pearls, and oysters, and the latter make her sick. She has no admirers, only common women do. Millicent seems even more flaky than last time we saw her.
Nevertheless, Millicent opens the fan and uses it--and there is a note that says, "Meet me in the garden. Eight. B." She thinks her cousin Barnabas has finally indicated that he will defend her honor and is very pleased. She brings down the case with the pistols and holds one in her hand. She'll leave the masculine details of the duel to Barnabas, but she'll be there, wearing a new black dress. . .the Countess comes in and is unnerved to see Millicent with the gun. The blonde tells the Countess she heard from Barnabas in England, he said to tell Natalie he loves it, just as she said he would. This is too much for Natalie, who reveals to Millicent that Barnabas is dead. When the latter denies it, the Countess says she saw his body, saw his coffin carried out! Millicent insists she has seen him in the last few weeks and wonders why everyone is keeping him from her--she doesn't know what day it is and has nothing to look forward to. When she tells Natalie she got a note, today, from Barnabas, and finally relents and shows it to her, Natalie sees the note was written on Josette's fan and warns her NOT to meet whoever sent it, if for no other reason than propriety--she can't go out alone to meet a man, even her cousin--Barnabas must come to HER! Oh, that's right, says Millicent, hoping the Countess hasn't lost all respect for her, and Natalie assures her she hasn't if she doesn't meet the sender of the note--and she really should put those pistols away, too. Natalie asks Millicent to let her know if Barnabas does come to her, and Millicent is thrilled to have the Countess for her confidant. (Natalie feels Millicent is more than a little loopy.)
Peter comes to see Natalie--he received a letter from Trask exonerating Vicki, but the authorities are suspicious because it was sent to Peter instead of them. Natalie doesn't want to speak to him about it at first, but he insists, then begins to explain that Angelique HAD to be the witch. At first, she refuses to discuss a former servant, and reminds him of Ben's unreliable testimony about her being the witch, then dead, etc. They opened Angelique's grave, says Peter, and her body was gone--witches can return.
He asks her to consider what person benefited most from what happened. Even Natalie realizes that Angelique married Barnabas, thereby changing her position. Everyone on Martinique knows something about witchcraft, admits Natalie. Peter questions her further about Angelique, and she says she hired her because she was young and she felt sorry for her. Ang's mother was a healer who dabbled in potions, another tie-in to witchcraft. Angelique was embarrassed by that, reveals Natalie. Having successfully planted a seed of doubt in Peter's mind, she agrees to look at his letter--and sees the handwriting matches a note Trask sent her. Since Trask has left town, Peter decides to go to Salem to see him, while Natalie says she'll wait and see if Angelique returns.
Millicent, propriety be damned, leaves Collinwood, box of pistols in hand, and heads to the gazebo.
Nathan and Noah are waiting there, and it's obvious Forbes has blackmailed the foolish, greedy and not very bright Gifford into yet another scheme. Nathan ties a mask over Noah's eyes and gives him gloves to cover the fact that he isn't wearing the telltale onyx ring. Millicent approaches the gazebo, calling, "Barnabas?" She takes out one of the pistols, scaring Noah into almost fleeing, but he advances on Millicent and attacks her from behind, strangling her with Barnabas' cane after first giving her a good look at it. Eagerly, Nathan watches.
NOTES: Millicent grows daffier, Nathan more villainous, Noah, still awaiting payment, does another huge, illegal favor for Forbes and the judges are suspicious of the note from Trask, which does not bode well for Vicki's chances to be freed. We know that Peter won't find Trask when he goes searching for him in Salem, and wish Barnabas had turned the note over to the authorities instead of the lawyer for the defense.
444 - (Joan Bennett) - 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 Collins family in the year 1795. On this night in the garden on the Collins estate, a young woman expects to meet someone who will defend her honor.
Nathan steps in as Noah is strangling Millicent and gives him a couple of realistic punches. Noah hits Nathan with Barnabas' cane and runs off. Now Forbes plays the sympathetic ex-boyfriend, checking to make sure the gasping Millicent is OK. She's sure it was Barnabas who attacked her, and tells Nathan about the note she received from Barnabas, which brought her to the gazebo. All she knows is, she's very grateful to Nathan for saving her life. He pulls a modest "Aw shucks" attitude, but she insists he's brave. Naomi calls to Millicent and the latter asks Nathan to answer; her throat is still sore. Naomi is shocked to see Forbes, wanting to know what he's doing on Collins property, but Millicent quickly explains how he saved her life. Forbes explains that he just stopped by, risking his life, to say goodbye to Millicent. He asks to speak to Millicent alone; she begs Naomi to permit it. The older woman reluctantly agrees.
I'm leaving at daybreak, he says, keeping my promise to Joshua to get a transfer. Oh, says Millicent, must you leave so soon? Yes, he says, playing hurt to the hilt--it would just be too painful to stick around now. I know I hurt you, he says, taking her hand, but not maliciously. He does have a conscience and will live with the guilt of what he did to her forever (it's getting hip-deep in here). You seem different, says Millicent, but Nathan denies it (and is telling the truth)--it's too late to be sorry, and I know how wrong I was--I must go home and pack for the first leg of my trip, to Boston. Millicent asks if he could stick around Collinsport for a while longer; Joshua wouldn't mind, and SHE sure wouldn't. . .As a parting shot, he tells her he loves her very much, kisses her forehead, and hands her the box of pistols. "Goodbye, Millicent," he says sadly, and she responds in kind. Nathan realizes how well it went, and grins after her departing figure.
Upon their return to Collinwood, Millicent tells Naomi she wants to discuss Barnabas with Cousin Joshua, his brutal attack on her, his note, and his strangling her with his cane. Absurd, says Naomi. Millicent insists she must make a "gesture" to Forbes for saving her life, but Naomi thinks it best that she not see him again, let him go, start a new life. Naomi heads upstairs to bed and Millicent starts to leave the house, stares out at the storm, and stops.
At his lodgings, as he packs for his "departure," Nathan brags to Noah how well it went; his plans are going perfectly! Noah, who fears the girl saw his face and will identify him, just wants his money and to get out of town, but Nathan says he must wait until his plan comes to fruition, then there will be plenty of bucks for both of them?right now, he's broke. Nathan confidently insists Millicent is coming to see him, and very soon, and wants Gifford to get out, but Noah doesn't want to let Nathan out of his sight and insists on staying. It takes quite a while, and you can see Nathan getting nervous. Hearing a knock at the door, Forbes hustles Noah out another exit, hides Barnabas' cane under his bed and opens his door to find Millicent there--again, propriety be damned! He tells her he's delighted to see her, although it's going to be painful saying farewell yet again. She wants to know if he HAS to leave, calling him a brave and noble man. Perhaps she misjudged him, murmurs Millicent. He admits he deceived her and she had every right to be hurt and angry; and he feels leaving would be the best thing for both of them. He meant it when he said he was sorry, and that he will always love her. Millicent gazes at him, her heart showing on her radiant face. She can't face never seeing him again! "Please stay here in Collinsport!" she begs Nathan, falling into his arms. Embracing her, he grins over her head, smiling a winner's smile.
NOTES: We already know that even if Millicent insists, Joshua and Naomi will not allow them to marry, so where is this relationship going to go? I have to give the blackhearted Forbes credit--without using the black arts, as Angelique did, he managed to manipulate Millicent into admitting her love for him--and she was ready to have him shot to preserve her honor! Of course, her gray matter isn't firing on all cylinders at this point, but it isn't her brain Nathan loves, just her money--and now that he's wormed his way back into her heart, he's going to continue the journey into her pocketbook.
Wonderful performances all around.
Love, Robin
