Mysteries abound on the great estate of Collinwood. Mysteries that have prevailed for hundreds of years past. The vengeance of one man in the 17th century has afflicted the Collins family since in ways they could never have imagined. Troubles befall them that seemingly have no connection to the events that caused this maniacal, but in every event, the hidden hand of Judah Zachary was responsible for bringing a curse of tragedy on all the descendants of the one man who brought him to justice. Now in the 20th century, the curse prevails. Roger Collins, who was the target of a madman's bullets, rather than killing him, has left him crippled and bound to a wheelchair. His attempts to age Barnabas Collins to his actual age has also backfired, as his connection to an artificial being has resulted in the aging being transferred to the man known as Adam…
Professor Stokes looked at the paintings that were still located in the drawing room of the Old House. "I see you're modernizing in your taste in artwork, Barnabas. These are from the mid 1800's are they not?" Stokes asks as he scrutinized them closely. "Yes, more specifically from 1846." Barnabas replied. Stokes held one of them up admiring the detail and remarked, "I should think this acquisition put quite a dent in your sizable fortune. These paintings are not easily obtained, even by the most serious of collectors." Barnabas paused for a moment and said, "Actually, you could say I happened on them quite by accident. A certain Collinsport lawyer was redecorating his offices and saw I was impressed with them and sold them both for $2500.00." Stokes looked at Barnabas with an expression of utter shock and said, "Mr. Collins, I don't think you realize just how incredible that is! It's quite apparent you are not a serious collector of art. That is only a fraction of the value of a single one of the paintings!" Stokes gaze lingered on Barnabas as a look of extreme puzzlement crossed his face. (Three dramatic notes sound)
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Barnabas Collins stood awestruck in the drawing room as he looked back at Stokes who had resumed scrutinizing the paintings. "You can't be serious Professor. Why would Halliburton dispose of priceless heirlooms for only a pittance of their actual worth? Are you certain of their value?" Stokes monocle dropped from his eye as he looked back at Barnabas and replied, "I cannot fault you for your lack of knowledge Barnabas, you are a man out of your own century, and in the four years you've been here, you have had considerably more urgent matters to occupy you than period art. Yes, they are worth far more than the price you quoted; Many times over, in fact!" Barnabas paced to the big bay window and said, "Selena said it was highly unusual behavior for Halliburton too, she was quite disturbed by it. She said he engaged in quite an extensive search for these paintings, yet he offered them to me as if they were in his way. Why would he do such a thing? It makes no sense, Professor!" Stokes stroked his chin with his forefinger and said, "I regret that I cannot answer that. I am quite in the dark about your Mr. Halliburton and his actions, I'm afraid." Barnabas still looked puzzled as he remarked, "His secretary, Selena Parker will be joining us shortly, I invited her here tonight as well." Stokes paced in front of the bookshelf and said, "Will the good doctor be joining us as well?" Barnabas nodded and said, "No, she received a call from Windcliff that Gerald Fenton was making progress and she has gone to see if she can learn anything from him." Willie Loomis entered the drawing room and approached Barnabas, "I just came from Collinwood, Barnabas. Carolyn is the only one theah that can come. Dinnah will be ready in about thutty minutes." Barnabas nodded and said, "Thank you, Willie" Willie turned away a moment as if he were about to leave, then he remembered and turned back saying, "Oh yeah, and I saw Rajah. He sends his regahds." Barnabas nodded again and Willie headed off for the kitchen to finish the preparations for the evening.
Julia Hoffman sat across the desk from Gerald Fenton. He sat looking as
hopeless as the last time she had spoken with him. Julia reached into the
desk drawer and withdrew a medallion from it and looked back at Gerald
Fenton. "Now Mr. Fenton, I want you to relax. I want you to look into the
center of this medallion. Look deep into the center of it until you can see
the light at the center. Gaze deeply. Tell me when you see the light."
Gerald Fenton gazed into the medallion looking as deeply as he could. The
medallion rocked gently to and fro. "Do you see the light Gerald" she asked.
Blankly Gerald Fenton replied, "Yes" Julia then returned the medallion to
the drawer. "Now Gerald, I want you to tell me why you were fired from the
Collins cannery." With the same blank stare, he replied, "I was
appropriating company funds for my own use." Julia paused as she noted this
in a small notebook she was holding. Then she continued, "Who discovered you
were doing this, Gerald?" Gerald remained emotionless as he said, "Roger
Collins" Penning this down, she asked, and what happened when he confronted
you with it?" "He came to the Blue Whale and told me to leave town or he
would prosecute Me." he replied. Julia shifted in her chair, poising the pen
against her lower lip and said, "Why did you decide not to leave as he
asked?" Gerald responded, "A lawyer who saw it told me to come by his office
the next day, he said that he could help me." Tilting her head to one side,
Julia then asked, "What was the lawyer's name, Gerald?" Fenton then said,
"Trevor Halliburton." Julia then asked, "And what happened when you met
with Mr. Halliburton?" Still showing no change in his demeanor, he replied,
"He told me to write down everything I knew about the case and to come back
in a week to see what we could use." Julia then stood up and walked around
the desk as she continued, "So you returned a week later?" "Yes," came his
answer. She turned to face Gerald again and said, "And what did he find?"
she asked? Gerald Fenton paused a moment. Julia stepped closer. Gerald
Fenton's face filled with a look of total confusion. He looked as if he was
struggling to remember, but the answer just would not come. She repeated her
question. He looked at Julia like a child given a question well beyond their
expected level of learning and said," I don't know! I don't know!" Julia
laid a hand on Gerald Fenton's shoulder and said, "It's alright, Gerald. It's
alright. When I snap my fingers, you will awaken. You will not be troubled
by what we have discussed. Do you understand, Gerald?" Gerald Fenton nodded
and said, "I understand." Julia seated herself in the chair once more and
withdrew the medallion again. She then snapped her fingers and Fenton came
to himself once again. "Very pretty isn't it Mr. Fenton?" she said holding
the medallion in front of him. "Yes." He responded. She replaced the
medallion in the desk drawer and summoned an orderly to return Gerald Fenton
to his room. As the orderly led him out, he mumbled," You are alone, Gerald
Fenton, Alone! Alone"
(Music rises then fades)
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Barnabas, Stokes, Carolyn, and Selena are gathered in the drawing room of The Old House having after dinner tea. "That Willie is an excellent cook, Barnabas! I'm surprised you don't have a weight problem with cooking like that!" Selena marveled. Barnabas nodded saying, "Yes, Willie is talented in many different ways. Most of the restoration you see around you was done by Willie. I definitely hired the right man for the job." Carolyn notices the paintings in the corner of the room and steps closer to examine them. "Something new, Barnabas?" she asks. Barnabas acknowledges they are and said, "Yes, with all the preparations for tonight, Willie hasn't had the time to hang them. We will have to see to that in the morning." Carolyn then looked a bit puzzled and asked, "Where did you get them?" Selena smiling said, "I brought them. Well, in a way. He bought them from my boss, Trevor Halliburton." Carolyn turned to Barnabas and said, "I didn't know you knew Trevor, Barnabas!" Barnabas then replied, "Yes, it was through him that I had the delight of meeting with Miss Parker. I went to his office to see if he would continue representing Gerald Fenton through his attempted murder trial. It was there I saw these paintings. He made an offer for them, which I accepted. Selena was good enough to deliver them personally." Walking toward the fireplace staring off into space, Carolyn said, "It's so tragic what happened to him; His fiancée, Cheryl, dying in that fire and him being unable to help her." Barnabas own mind rushed back to seeing his beloved Roxanne burning as he struggled to reach her to no avail. He snapped out of it just in time to see a look of total bewilderment on Selena's face. He started to inquire why she looked so shocked, when Carolyn then said, "I do hope you'll excuse me, but I really must get back to Collinwood. I promised Uncle Roger I'd play a game of chess with him tonight." Barnabas turned and assured her he understood. Stokes then voiced the same sentiments saying, "You were a delightful addition to the party as usual, Carolyn. It was so good to see you again. Give my regards to your mother!" Carolyn smiled and nodded that she would and said, Thank you so much for inviting me, Barnabas. Please pass on my compliments to Willie. Good night." She turned toward the door and let her self out. Barnabas closed the door behind her. Rejoining Selena and Stokes in the drawing room, he walked up to Selena taking her arm and asks, "Why did you look so shocked when Carolyn mentioned Trevor Halliburton's fiancé?" Selena looked at Barnabas in total confusion and said, "I grew up with Trevor Halliburton. I have been his secretary even back in Albany. We moved here at the same time. Barnabas, Trevor has never been engaged! He's never known any woman named Cheryl!" Barnabas mouth parted in shock as looked at Stokes, who returned his puzzled look. (Three dramatic notes sound)
The big grandfather clock in the foyer chimed 9 o'clock as Carolyn entered the front door of Collinwood. She removed her coat and hung it in the entryway. She walked into the drawing room hoping to find Roger waiting for her. Seeing he wasn't there, she decided to go look for him in his room. Heading off toward the kitchen, she placed her purse on the table in the foyer and proceeded on to Roger's bedroom. She knocks on his door awaiting an invitation to come in.. A moment passed with no reply. She knocks again saying, "Uncle Roger?" Again deathly silence prevails. She tries to open the door only to find it locked securely. She then knocks on the door loudly shouting out his name. When no reply came, in desperation she runs to the study and opens a desk drawer. She rummages through it until finally she finds what she is looking for. Brandishing a big brass key she runs back through the foyer, and continues on under the landing toward Roger's room. Fumbling impatiently Carolyn tries to unlock the door. Finally she manages to insert the key. Feeling the tumblers give way she throws open the door. She looks to Roger's bed side and sees an empty wheelchair. She gasps and then her eyes fall to the floor. There beside the bed Roger lay still with a stream of blood flowing from his head. Carolyn's hands cover her mouth in horror. (Long strains of dramatic drum beats followed by one prolonged dramatic note with a crescendo)
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Barnabas paces in front of the fireplace pondering the mystery posed earlier. Why should Trevor Halliburton tell Carolyn about an event which never happened? The front door opens and Julia Hoffman enters the drawing room. Now more concerned with Julia's findings than with the present puzzle; Barnabas looks expectantly in her direction." Sitting in the big arm chair she sighs and says, "Well, we are making progress, but we still don't have anything useful. At least he can now talk about Roger without losing control and growing wild. It's a start at least." Both Stokes and Barnabas looked disappointed that she didn't bring better news. The desk phone rang and Barnabas answered it. "Hello? Yes Carolyn, she just got here. What's the matter?" Barnabas eyes grew wide as he listened. Then he continued, "It's alright Carolyn, we'll be right over." He hung up the phone and turned to Stokes and Julia. "Roger has had an accident, he's hurt Julia. Carolyn needs our help. Please make yourself at home, Selena, we shouldn't be gone long." Stokes, Julia and Barnabas rushed out the door. Selena not quite understanding it all sat down in the arm chair to wait for their return. After a few moments the phone rang once again. She wondered whether she should answer it and take a message or just let it continue ringing. Deciding it may be something important that Barnabas may need to know, she decided to answer it. She picked up the phone and said, "Hello, Collins residence" She listened for a reply when suddenly her face went totally blank. She then slowly nodded in the affirmative and emptily said, "Yes. I understand." With the same blank expression, she hung up the phone and walked up the stairs to the second floor of the Old House. (Stinging music out)
Julia Hoffman stood by the bed side of Roger Collins as Barnabas, Carolyn, and Stokes looked on. He was conscious now and the cut on his head had been bandaged. She withdraws the stethoscope from his chest and turns to Carolyn and said, "He'll be fine Carolyn. He apparently hit his head when he fell." Carolyn rushed to the bed side and asked, "What happened, Uncle Roger?" Roger looked up at her and said, "Oh there's no need to worry now, Kitten. I just took a nasty spill, that's all." Julia looked at him skeptically and said, "Oh come now, Roger, you tried to walk and when you couldn't you fell and hit your head on the bed post. I know you don't want to accept it, Roger, but you cannot walk. We told you that in the hospital. The next time you could be hurt even worse. You mustn't try to walk again." Roger said nothing but just looked at the ceiling pouting. Barnabas then looked at Carolyn and said, "Everything seems to be back to normal now Carolyn. Julia will stay with Roger a while longer to make sure he's alright. The Professor and I will take our leave now. We left Miss Parker at the Old House. Good night, Roger. I hope you will be better in the morning." Roger mumbled an acknowledgement of his statement and said no more. Stokes tipped his hat and the two left the room. A moment later they enter the foyer. They pause for a moment and Barnabas turns to Stokes. "Adam going into town to the library was a godsend tonight. I planned this event tonight before he entered the picture. I hate to think what manner of disaster could have occurred had he been there tonight." He said with a look of great relief. Stokes smiled and said, "The collected works of William Shakespeare was a strong stimulus. He has a voracious appetite for higher learning. I'm quite pleased at his progress." Barnabas nodded and then said, "Come, we should be returning." With that, they both departed the house. (Music rises and fades.)
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Selena Parker descended the stairs in the Old House and blankly walked into the drawing room. She walked to the phone and in a trance-like state, picked up the receiver and dialed a number. She stood waiting a moment, and then said, "It's here. I found it." She then hung up the receiver and returned to the arm chair. Sitting she stared at the ceiling as her eyelids grew very heavy. She blinked four times struggling to stay awake, but finally succumbed to a deep slumber. Moments later, the front door opened and Barnabas and stokes entered the house. Upon entering the drawing room they saw the sleeping form of Selena Parker. Barnabas waked to the window seat and took a knitted afghan and spread it over Selena, and said, "It's quite late. She shouldn't make the drive into Collinsport tonight. If she awakens before Willie gets back I'll have him drive her home." Stokes nodded, "I should be glad to take her home myself if Rockport were not in the opposite direction. I'm afraid I must be going myself. Give my compliments to Mr. Loomis as well. Good night Barnabas." He then exited through the front door. Barnabas stood for a moment looking at Selena. Then he extinguished the candles in the drawing room and climbed the steps for bed.
(Music rises and fades.)