Strange Paradise:  Episode 107
Episode 107:  Slideshow
Cort: "Desmond Hall, wind stirring the trees and moaning thought the crevices of the high cliffs on which the mansion stands. While the river below rushes in treacherous currents. But the ancient house itself seems silent, untouched by the passage of time. For evil has made its home here. Evil as old as time itself haunting the Master of Desmond Hall even as he sleeps."
 
Jean Paul is asleep in his room. "Jean Paul you tried to kill her. Your hands were on Holly's neck when I found you. And on your hand was the devil's sign of death. I saw, I saw." Jean Paul hears a voice that sounds like Helena's.  Helena walks into Jean Paul's bedroom carrying a tray. She sets it down and opens the drapes allowing the daylight to flood the room. Jean Paul wakes up and sits up in bed. "Good morning." Helena says walking across the room and picks up the tray. "Look what I brought you. Raxl didn't want me to bring your breakfast but I insisted." Helena places the tray across Jean Paul's lap.  "Ah well." Jean Paul says with a smile.  "Perhaps she was right; a lady must never enter a gentleman's bedroom until he is dressed. Do you think I'm terribly wicked?"  "I think you're very beautiful and very thoughtful."  "Well for that I’ll pour you some tea." She picks up the pot and pours him a cup.  "Helena did you speak to me before I opened my eyes?"  "Of course not. Why should I?"  "To accuse me of wanting to commit a murder."  "But I don't want to talk of murder. I prefer to think about last night. Of our talk together, our balcony scene and your kiss. Have you forgotten?" Helena asks as she sits on the edge of the bed.  "I haven't forgotten."
"Then why do you want to think about murder? Do you think I came into your room this morning to remind you of attempted murder? Don't you realize I love you?" Helena picks up Jean Paul's hand. "And nothing else matters to me. Only our love."  "What play is that from?"  Helena stares at him then she smiles. "You're right." She laughs. "It was from a play and a very poor one. Oh how you know me."  "Do I really know you Helena?"  "Yes as I know you. But there is one thing I don't understand. Last night when I led you from Holly's room you had a mark on your hand. A sign of some sort. I hadn't noticed it before." She opens his hand and looks down at it.  "There is no mark." Jean Paul tells her.  "Jean Paul we mustn't have any secrets you and I."  Jean Paul glances away from her.
"Very well then. I'm a patient woman. I never insist and I never pry but believe me I will find out. You'll see I will."  Jean Paul glances at her.
 
Cort walks down the staircase and picks up the newspaper. Quito walks into the foyer from another doorway. "Ah good morning Quito. What's new speechless. Would you like to see the morning paper?" He holds it towards Quito, then as Quito reaches for it Cort pulls it away. He circles Quito. "Isn't that how you spend your spare time? Reading, sharpening the mind. Quito I don't like how you treated me the other evening. You kept me in this house by force. I don't like that sort of treatment. I warn you, don't ever do it again." He slaps Quito with the newspaper.  Quito reaches his hands out in anger as Cort walks away.
Cort walks into the Drawing Room. "Good morning Raxl."  "Good morning Master Cort." Raxl says as she dusts the table.  Cort sits in a chair. "Well what's new Mistress Raxl? No murder. No dead bodies found in the river. Desmondton certainly isn't keeping up with its image." Cort says as he looks through the newspaper. Folding it he stands and walks to the couch sitting down. "Ah what a dull morning. Raxl would you fix this pillow? Move it a tiny bit to the left. Do you mind?" Cort asks as he glances back at her.  Raxl walks to the mantel and dusts.
"Oh you do mind. Well I mind it too when you ordered your dependable servant Quito to hold me while you accused me of withholding knowledge of Agatha Pruett's death. Awfully rude of you Raxl."  Raxl looks at him. "You know more than you tell of Desmond Hall."  "Well lack of communication is the secret of my survival."  Raxl walks across the room. "You will regret it. And someday you will suffer for it."  Cort stands. "And what will happen to me Raxl? Will I be condemned to the river caves?" Cort asks as he stands next to Raxl. "I think that would be rather relaxing. And at any rate I would have a vacation from prying servants."  "Master Cort. Tell me; tell me what you know before it's too late."
"I don't think it will ever be too late. Not for me because you see I am the youngest of the Desmond family. And I have secrecy and time on my side." Cort sees Holly standing in the doorway. "Good morning Holly."  "Good morning." Holly says.  "Oh Miss Holly will you be having breakfast this morning?" Raxl asks. As she walks to the door.  "Oh no thank you. Helena made some for me."  "Oh I see." Raxl says then leaves the room.  Cort walks over to Holly. "Would you like to go for a walk or go into town?"  "No. I'd like to read." Holly says as she walks to the bookcase.  "Holly?"  "Yes."  "Talk to me."  Holly glances at him. "I do talk to you. Right now I'd really like to read."  Cort walks up to her. "You're avoiding me. Why?"  Holly closes the book and looks at Cort. "Because I don't trust you. The other night you had me believing you were almost dead."  "But you touched me very tenderly." Cort says putting his hand on Holly's shoulder.  "Yes." Holly pulls away from him. "And you've been laughing at me ever since." she says as she walks away from him.  "Oh I'm not laughing Holly. Not laughing at all."  "Yes. I think you were pretending. There was nothing wrong with you at all. Serpents crushing you, come on."  "Does it matter? Does it matter if I was pretending or not?" Cort asks as he walks closer to her. "You held me." Cort grips her arms.
"Cort please."  "And for the first time I could see that you could love me if you let yourself." Cort hugs her.  Helena walks in. "Oh my. Am I interrupting something, I am sorry."  Holly pushes Cort away. "No nothing." She walks away from Cort.
"Yes nothing at all." Cort says as he walks out of the room.  "Fiery young man. I'd say he was in love." Helena says glancing at Holly then at the flowers she is carrying into the room.  "I'd say he thinks he is in love." Holly tells Helena.
Helena walks across the room. "That's just as bad, sometimes worse. I've done that often." Helena walks to the fireplace mantel and picks up an empty vase. "Until I vowed to end that dreary routine and decided that I would play at love on the stage. I promised myself I'd never fall in love again. And I haven't until now of course." Walking to the table Helena fills the vase with water then walks back to the flowers. "Holly would you help me arrange these flowers."  Holly lifts a white carnation. "Erica loved flowers too. She was always out gathering them and filling the house with them. She had a special touch with them. She'd..."  "Yes?" Helena asks as she arranges the flowers in the vase.  "She was the only one who could make flowers grow on Maljardin. I never understood how." Holly looks away from Helena.  "I think that's called a green thumb."  Holly looks at Helena. "No. You see before she came everything that grew on Maljardin was poison."  "Poison? Well she was quite a gardener then." Helena says as she looks at the vase of flowers.  "Helena? Do you love Jean Paul?"  Helena glances at Holly and nods her head.  "Then help him forget Erica please. Oh I try but I keep remembering her too. It's terrible for a man to believe that a woman loved him then finds out that really she hated him." Holly says as she looks away from Helena.  "Yes terrible."  "Then you will help him won't you?"  "I'll do all I can dear. All I can." Helena says to Holly.
 
Jean Paul is changing his cloths. After putting on his jacket he notices a small rose on his dresser and picks it up, he smells it. Also on the dresser is a card. Picking it up he reads it and smiles. Putting the rose in his lapel he looks at himself in the mirror. There is a knock on the bedroom door. "Come in."  Cort enters. "Jean Paul?"  "Oh Cort, good morning."  Cort walks through the room and leans on a chair. "Jean Paul sometimes Philip used to talk to me about the women in his life."  "Oh how wicked. My young brother with women in his life." Jean Paul says jokingly.  "Oh you know what I mean."  "And?" asks Jean Paul.
"What's that?" Cort asks.  "What?" Jean Paul turns to look at Cort and glances down. "A flower from a lady." he says with a smile.  "That's what I mean. That is well I hope that I see the day when I would give flowers to a woman." Cort says with a smile and walks around the room. "But to get a woman to give flowers to me." He turns and looks at Jean Paul. "How do you do it?"  Jean Paul looks at him. "To do what?" Jean Paul laughs. "Now you're not going to involve me in one of those father and son conversations. Surely you've gone beyond that?"  Cort turns away. "I'm not a child anymore cousin and I'm not a country bumpkin. It's just that I don't know that much about love. Real love between two honest people." He looks down and sees the note from Helena. Picking it up he reads it and slips it into his pocket. "Love has to be learned you know. And I've seen very little of it. Especially from the people from around here. Because their love seems to be filled with torment and a lot of pride. And people call that love." Cort turns and looks at Jean Paul. "Well never mind cousin you've been most helpful. I think I got what I need. And in celebration of my accomplishments I will wear a flower in my lapel." Cort says then leaves the room.  Jean Paul smiles as he looks at the flower. 'Darling wear this and forget everything but me. Your's Helena.' He thinks about what was written on the card. Leaving his room he walks down the staircase and goes into the Drawing Room. He sees the vase of flowers; walking to them he bends and smells them.  "Pretty don't you think?" Helena says walking to his side. "Very pretty."  "Oh you wore your boutonniere." Helena says touching his jacket.  "Yes and thank you."  "You're a very handsome man."  Jean Paul laughs then glances down.  "Jean Paul I'm ashamed. I've not been honest with you, not really. You see when I first came here at your invitation it was a lark. A chance to grab some creature comforts along my not so merry way." Helena turns away from Jean Paul and walks a few steps. "And that was all it was to me. If I could enjoy some Desmond money by amusing you, by mystifying you, by being interesting I saw no harm in that. I did not intend to harm you Jean Paul."
"You haven't."  "Yes but I might. I mean when we talk about love now it's not a game. It's not a first act in some hearts and flowers play." Helena walks towards him "And I could play that role I assure you and play it very well. But I won't do that to you. Not to you because it's too serious with you. Too tragic really, you see you don't love me at all. You love Erica."  "That's not true."  "Yes it is." Helena turns away from him. "I know it is. It's one thing if you fell for my shallow tricks. If you thought, that actress she's a snappy one. I could play that part, I'm used to it. But I am not Erica." Helena turns to Jean Paul. "And I can not play Erica."  Jean Paul steps closer to Helena "Helena the Erica who was destroyed at Maljardin was a specter, a ghost blessed with evil. Something whose only reality was to bring a holocaust down upon us all. But you are real. You’re not a dream." He touches her face. "You’re unpredictable, exciting and slightly mad perhaps." Jean Paul says with a laugh.  "Yes. That's me, that's what I am."
"And that's what I love." Jean Paul tells her.  Helena turns and walks away. Entering the foyer she picks up her coat and puts it on. The outside door opens and Holly walks in. "Helena you're not crying?"  "No. I just want to get some fresh air that's all. I think I'll take a walk, alone." Helena slips out the door.  "Let me go with you Helena."  Jean Paul stands in the Drawing Room doorway. "Holly I think Helena would rather be alone." Jean Paul glances at the staircase and laughs. "Oh no, no." He laughs as Cort walks down the staircase wearing a suit with a flower in the lapel.  "Hello all, lovely day, lovely day don’t you think Holly?" Cort asks as he walks through the foyer to get his coat. "A lovely day." He says smiling. In his hand he holds a card and drops it on the floor.   Holly glances down. "Cort?" She calls to him as she picks up the card. "You dropped this Cort."
Jean Paul stands watching with his arms crossed.  "Yes, yes well it is a lovely day. I think I’ll go for a walk." Cort says as he walks out the door.  "Cort?" Holly calls to the closed door. She looks at the card in her hand then reads it, then glances at Jean Paul. "I think this must be for you."  Cort stands outside the door listening.  "It’s from Helena." Holly says.  Cort turns away from the door pulling his coat tightly around him.
 
Helena checks her reflection in the mirror as Holly walks into the foyer. "Why Holly you look charming."  "So do you." Holly tells her.  "A little older but charming." Helena says taking hold of Holly’s hand.  "Have you finished crying?" Holly asks.  "Yes. I’ve finished." Helena says as she puts her arm around Holly’s shoulder as they walk into the Drawing Room.  Cort is standing in front of the fireplace. As he sees them walk in he turns his back to them. "Helena I’m glad you’re here so early. I wanted to talk to you alone." Cort turns. "Oh hello, Holly." Cort greets her with a smile. "I didn’t know you were here."  Helena steps forward. "What did you want to talk to me about Cort?"  "Oh nothing. I was wondering if you received the flowers I put in your room?"  "Were they from you?" Helena asks with a smile. "Oh how sweet."  "Someone left flowers in my room too." Holly tells them. Cort turns and looks at Holly. “Who?"  "There wasn’t any card. I really didn’t bother to look for one." Holly says as she walks around the Drawing Room.  "Well I think that’s cruel. Don’t you Helena?" Cort says.  "I’ve received so many flowers that were wrapped in acres of green tissue paper trying to locate the cards and it’s usually signed a secret admirer." Helena says as she walks to the window and glances out. She turns and looks at Cort. "No. You promised you weren’t going to do that Helena. You are going to be sweet, domestic and earnest." Helena says as she walks up to Cort.  "I’m always earnest." Cort tells her.  Jean Paul walks into the room. "Ah and I’m Jean Paul...", he says with a laugh. "Helena."  "Jean Paul you’re absolutely glittering." Helena says as she walks to him.  He touches her hands then kisses her.  Helena pulls back. "Jean Paul, Holly and..."  "Yes and Earnest. Good evening." he says to Holly and Cort. "Did you get my flowers?" He asks Helena.  "Oh yes I loved them."  "For you Miss Raleigh." Raxl says carrying in a bouquet of flowers.
"Raxl have you seen Mr. and Mrs. Thaxton?" Jean Paul asks as he takes the flowers from Raxl.  "They are not down yet." Raxl says. "The way things are going around here I wouldn’t be surprised if they are off on a second honeymoon."  Jean Paul laughs. "A joke Raxl. I never knew you had it in you."
"Yes Master." Raxl says with a bow then leaves the room.  "Would you open them darling? I have an aversion to green tissue paper. Is there a card in there?" Helena asks.  Jean Paul opens the tissue paper. "Yes. ‘To Helena Raleigh from a secret admirer.’"  "Thank you darling." Helena says to Jean Paul.  "Oh no. No it wasn’t me. My admiration for you is no secret. I didn’t send them."  Cort glances at Helena. "I did."  "Did you? Cort how sweet." Helena says as she takes a hold of his arm.  Holly looks at Jean Paul. "I’m hungry." She says.  "For attention." Cort tells her.  "Cort you really are a child.” Holly says as she walks around the room. "You may look attractive and may seem to be the young man that some girls would be attracted to but believe me you are just a child." Holly leaves the room.  "Holly?" Cort calls to her.  "Well?" Jean Paul hands Cort the flowers. "Go!"
Cort looks at Helena and follows Holly.  Jean Paul laughs and takes Helena in his arms. "Tell me am I still your darling? Have you decided that?"  "Yes, yes." Helena begins to laugh holding his hands as Jean Paul laughs with her.  Holly grabs her coat and walks outside. Cort follows her. "I don’t know why I did it. I sent the flowers to Helena." Cort says to Holly.  "And took the card that she gave to Jean Paul?"  "Yes." Cort says.  "Like a common thief."  Cort sits on the steps. "Yes."  "Why?"  "I wanted to make you angry."  "Make me angry? Well you didn’t. I haven’t been angry all evening." Holly says as she sits next to him.  "What I really hoped is that you would be jealous."  "Why would you want to make me jealous?"  "Because I didn’t know what else to do and I had to do something. Because we don’t have much time you and I."  "Time?"  "I’m young; they keep reminding me of it. And you’re young too. But they, where they were able to measure time isn’t ours Holly."  "Yes?"  "Nothing is going to stand still. They think it might Jean Paul and Helena but we know the awful things, the evil things that keep following us all around are moving faster and faster. We fight them and we shake our fists at heaven and we protest that evil should be allowed to exist at all. But we haven’t stopped it yet. And we haven’t any time."  "Oh Cort." Holly lays her head on Cort’s shoulder as he holds her. Holly pulls away as Cort lowers his head.
 
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Summaries written by Debby Graham .  The slide presentation is the work of Ron Janick.
~Ron/Bella~
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Episode 108