Josette finds Barnabas lying on the floor, bleeding from the neck He doesn't notice her in his delirium, and continues to call her name. She tells him she's here, and he tells her she must go away before he dies. She asks him who the witch is. He turns to see Angelique standing in the doorway and collapses.
Barnabas lies in bed. Angelique tells Josette that she should not have disturbed him. She points out that Angelique said he had gone away. The Countess enters and Angelique tells them she's trying to protect him, and they both must leave. Josette says Barnabas says it was witchcraft, Angelique tells them that it's the plague. The Countess asked what the doctor said, and Angelique says no one must know. The Countess says that a doctor must see him. Angelique says that she will take care of him. Josette says that she may be right. The Countess insists on a doctor seeing Barnabas. Angelique tries to stop her, saying the doctor won't know what's wrong with him, as it's no common malady. The Countess says that's why she's getting a doctor immediately and leaves. Angelique asks Josette to leave, and she agrees to wait in the drawing room until the doctor has seen him. Barnabas continues to call to Josette.
The doctor examines Barnabas. The Countess asks the doctor for his conclusions, and Angelique suggests that the discussion should be between she and the doctor. The Countess counters that, and the doctor says Barnabas appears to have been bitten by a diseased rat. Angelique asks if he means the plague, and he says that is his best guess. He explains there's very little he can do. Josette enters and asks if there's any hope for Barnabas. The doctor says Barnabas must be removed from the house and community immediately. The Countess asks the doctor to leave him with his wife, to avoid creating panic with so little evidence. He reluctantly agrees. Josette says that he will be well again. The Countess escorts the doctor out. Angelique tells Josette that Barnabas should be isolated. Josette says that gives them time to find the witch, and she thinks she knows who it is. She says she hopes to return with the means to save him.
Josette visits Vicki, asking her what she wants. She says she'll do anything to save Barnabas. She begs her to raise the spell to save him. She says if Vicki can save Barnabas, she may be able to save Vicki. Vicki denies being a witch. Josette says if she heals Barnabas, she'll be set free. Vicki says there is something she can do, but for Josette, not Vicki. She tells her she's in danger and that she should leave. She says she doesn't know if one can change the past, but Josette must go away to avoid a terrible death. Josette asks how she could say that if she's not a witch. Vicki tells her to read the book on the Collins family she brought back with her. She implores Josette to find the book, read it, and leave Collinwood.
Angelique checks on Barnabas and says she knows he almost told Josette about her. She says the Countess told his family of his condition, and they will want to speak to him. Angelique tells him that Josette's destruction is certain if she learns the truth.
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.
Our thoughts
John: The plague? Really, Angelique? Wouldn't it be too late for everyone in the house at that point?
Christine: You'd think if the doctor was going to agree not to send Barnabas away, he'd quarantine everyone in the house at the very least to limit the contagion.
John: So Vicki continues to explain she's not a witch, just a time-traveler. When will our governess ever learn?
Christine: Don't blame Vicki for the foolishness of the writers, though if she weren't acting like a witch, Josette might rightfully suspect Angelique.
John: How is it that Josette opens the book directly to her portrait? What will she and the Countess make of this book, and will they share it with the rest of the Collins' clan?
Christine: She opened it to where Vicki had left it bookmarked.
One of the reasons I prefer 1897 over the rest of the flashbacks is because there wasn't any stupid witch trial. The banter between Josette and Vicki makes my brain hurt and I'm sure it made Alexandra and Kathryn's brains hurt, too. Some of these scripts were written like they were done by 10 year olds, no, that would be insulting to them. No wonder both of these women eventually left the show because they were tired of the awful writing. Ok, KLS really left because she was pregnant, Alexandra was pregnant, too.
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