Josette and the Countess search for the book Vicki referred to. The Countess is interested in Vicki's claims of coming from the 20th century. Josette finds the book on the Collins family in America. It says it was published in Bangor, Maine in 1965. Josette opens the book to her portrait that only just arrived from Europe. She reads the entry saying she arrived in Collinsport in 1795, and then says she would never do what it says. The Countess asks what—and Josette says she dies by her own hand in 1795.
The Countess says Miss Winters is the devil, and takes the book from Josette. She says the book is full of lies. People can't come from the future, and Josette would never take her own life. Josette asks for the book. The Countess says she'll read it first. Josette says she needs to read what happened to Barnabas. She says it's no different than her Tarot cards. The Countess tells her to let her read it first, and Josette tells her to read it out loud. She agrees, and says Jeremiah met her in Martinique. She points out that didn't happen. The Countess continues saying Josette came to Collinwood to marry Jeremiah. Josette points out that it's almost accurate, as if written by someone who didn't know the truth. The Countess continues, saying legend has it that Jeremiah's nephew Barnabas was in love with Josette, but knowing he could not be with her, he moved to England. Josette points out that means he lived. She asks the Countess to continue. The book slams shut and the candles in the room go out.
Naomi watches over Barnabas as he moans about a bat. Joshua arrives to check on his son, and Naomi tells him Barnabas will fight harder knowing he's there. Joshua tells him that everything will be all right. They will make right everything that went wrong. Joshua tells him that it was wrong for him to interfere with Barnabas' marriage. Barnabas asks his father if he remembers being wounded in the war. He says he cried then, but he knew his father would be angry. He says if Joshua lived, they'd never fight again. He then deliriously says the bat is coming for him.
Joshua checks in on Barnabas again. He tells him that Josette is here. Barnabas asks his father to help him sit up. He tells his father to keep Angelique away from him, and to let Josette in. Joshua does, leaving the two of them alone together. She says he looks better, and he says it's because he sees her. He asks her to promise to stay with him. She tells him he's going to live in England and be very prosperous. He tells her he keeps hearing the bat. In a moment of clarity, he tells her that he never stopped loving her. He tells her that he'll be back for her, and asks if she'll wait. She says she will wait for him. Barnabas goes limp, and Josette calls for Naomi.
Downstairs, Naomi and the Countess see a large bat fly through the room which then disappears. Joshua comes downstairs, and Naomi asks if he's dead. He nods.
The Countess uses smelling salts to wake Josette. She says he's gone. The Countess says it will grow easier, and Josette says that she loves him. She says the book is wrong. She wanted to believe it was right about Barnabas.
Naomi sits downstairs, distraught, when Joshua comes in. He asks if Angelique is with Barnabas, and she says yes. He says he will stay in the old house, and she and Josette will stay in the new house. She asks what decisions he made, and he asks what the people in town would think if Barnabas died of the plague. Josette and the Countess come downstairs. Joshua asks them to escort Naomi to the new house. He explains that for various reasons, he wishes to keep Barnabas' death a secret. He says he will tell everyone tomorrow that Barnabas left on a trip to England. Josette turns to the Countess and tells her that what the book said was true.
Our thoughts
John: Let's be honest. If the Countess had a book that claimed to have future history documented, she'd have read it cover to cover in a single sitting. I can't believe we're getting stuck with the Reader's Digest version of events!
Christine: Did you want to see an entire episode of the Countess reading the Collins history book? Do you remember the last time Grayson Hall carried the majority of an episode by herself? It was touching to see Joshua's concern for his dying son and to learn that he actually has a soft side.
John: Okay, I don't mean to beat a dead bat, but it's almost like they keep trying different ways of doing bat effects more successfully. Unfortunately, they are not succeeding. Today's chroma key work was particularly unsophisticated after having recently seen what could have passed for a real bat's head...
Christine: Are you sure they were trying to do a bat effect more successfully, or perhaps more efficiently? I'll have to agree this time that it was the weakest effect we've seen so far, though it's easy to criticize and forget they were putting this stuff together on live tape. I would have preferred to see Bil Baird's bat, though it was probably a lot more expensive than Chroma-bat. Why is there a bat flying flying around at the moment of Barnabas' death anyway?
John: Interesting to see how the Collins history is being written. Kudos to the writers for not just taking the easy way out and ignore what has come before.
Christine: We can't blame them for making a few changes. Back in Episode 45, Carolyn read the following from the Collins family history book:
Jeremiah Collins, sixth generation descendant of the founder of Collinsport. In 1830 married Josette la Frenière of Paris, France. The construction of Collinwood, the family mansion, was begun the same year.
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