Matt

Episode #11 Monday, 5/7/07 Same Day, Afternoon Meg’s House, Living Room “Mr. Harper, I have some news,” Lt. Alphonso spoke up. “I believe we’ve found the gun.” “W-what?” Ben Harper quickly rose from his seat and went to the lieutenant. “Where? How?” “That’s not important right now, Mr. Harper. This is still on ongoing investigation.” He pulled out a plastic baggie that contained the gun in question and preceded to hand it to Officer Granger, but not so swift as to prevent nearly everyone in the room from seeing the bag’s contents. “Make sure the lab gets that as soon as possible.” “Yes, sir,” Officer Granger replied, taking the plastic bag into his hands. Across the room, Tom Crawford’s eyes grew wide with nervous anxiety. He’d only gotten the briefest of looks at the gun in the plastic baggie the Lieutenant had held on the other side of the room, but it looked very familiar… <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object> Meg’s House, Foyer “Do you have any idea whose gun that is?” Ben asked the lieutenant. “Any idea at all who’d want my mother dead?” “We’re still investigating, Mr. Harper,” Lt. Alphonso replied as he headed for the door. “I promise that I’ll keep you informed of anything new that we learn, but I’m sure we won’t know anything until that gun has gone through the lab. After that, maybe I’ll have more to tell you.” As the door closed behind the lieutenant, Ben spun around, running his hands through his hair. Today – hell, the last couple of weeks – have all been too much for any of them do deal with. How much more would they have to go through? “Ben, I’m sorry,” Tom said as he came up to him, his eyes not looking at Ben, however, but past him at the front door where Lt. Alphonso had just exited. “I… I really had no idea about the endowment. “It’s okay. I over reacted.” Ben wasn’t fully paying attention to Tom, anyway. He had far too many things running through his head at the moment. “And I’m sorry that I have to take off so quickly,” Tom made the prerequisite glance to his watch, “but I’ve got a lot of things at the hospital I left hanging to come here.” “That’s fine, Tom.” Ben waved him away. He was really one of the last things on Ben’s mind at the moment. “I’m sure we’ll meet later with Mr. Powell to go over the terms and administration of the endowment.” As Tom made a hasty exit, Cal Latimer came into the foyer to speak with her brother. “Ben, did the lieutenant tell you anything about the gun? Does he have an idea who might possibly have killed our mother?” “No,” Ben sighed. “All he’ll say is that it’s an ongoing investigation and the he’s not at liberty to discuss all the details. That and they really won’t know anything until the gun is back from the lab. He did promise to keep us informed, though.” “That’s good,” Cal sighed in relief before turning to head back into the living room. “Cal, wait.” He reached out and grabbed her arm. “I… I just wanted to apologize to you for how I sounded in there. I came off like a jerk.” “No more than usual,” she responded dryly. “Look, like I said, if it means that much to you, you can have the house. I don’t care. As you so eloquently put it, Rosehill hasn’t been my home in a very long time. My home is in Quebec with Rick and the kids.” “She wanted you to have the house. I know it sounded like she was trying to control your life again, even after all these years, but I’d like to think it was her way of trying to reach out to you – to make some sort of amends – after all this time.” Ben walked over to the grand staircase and ran his hands along the banister. “Did you know how much she loved this house? Bruce and Aunt Van had moved back into their old house when he retired. After grandma died, it went to Meg because she knew how much she loved it. It only seems fitting that this house now gets handed down to her daughter.” “Oh, Ben, I don’t know…” “Yes, our mother made mistakes – a lot of them – but we’ve all made mistakes, Cal. I know that when I was young, I made a whole lot of them. You made your fair share, too. Can’t you finally let go of the past and forgive her? She’s gone, now. What harm can forgiving her really do?” Cal stood in silence as she considered what he’d said. He’d made many valid points, but had too much happened and had too much time passed to really let it all go? Her head was spinning with all of those questions. “I look at the girls and see what kind of a blessing they are,” he continued. “Even Megan. Betsy and I went through so much trouble to have the twins. I know we spoiled them, but it was hard not to. Vanessa seems to have taken it all in stride. I don’t think she ever takes anything for granted, but Megan, however… She’s so much like I was at that age and it’s starting to worry me.” “What do you mean?” “She has no sense of money. I swear she can run through it like it was water. And she has absolutely no sense of responsibility. For some reason, she seems to think that the world owes her something – that she deserves whatever she wants whenever she wants just because that’s the way its supposed to be. I just don’t know what to do with her.” He paused and let out a heavy sigh. “Why can’t see be more like Vanessa?” “She’s still young, Ben. There’s still plenty of time for her to grow up.” “Well, I need to get back in there and see if I can calm the masses.” He turned and walked towards the living room. “You coming?” “I’ll be along in a minute,” Cal muttered as she stood in the center of the foyer, attempting to drink it all in. Her mother had left her the house. Now what in the world was Cal going to do with it? Rita’s Diner “I just can’t believe my mother freaked like that,” Joy Donovan said before taking a sip of her coffee. “How the hell would she even know about Rosehill?” “I have no idea,” Chaz Aleata shrugged. “Maybe if you asked her about it, you’d find out.” “Easy for you to say. Talking to my mother isn’t the simplest thing in the world. We don’t exactly have what you’d call a cozy relationship.” She paused to take a bite of apple pie. “I don’t think she really relates that well to other women – even her own daughter.” “I can understand. My father and I don’t exactly see eye to eye on a lot of things, either.” “Maybe it’s just the nature of parents and children. Maybe we’re not supposed to get along.” She put her elbow on the table, leaned forward, and propped her chin in her hand. “But she gets along really well with my brothers, though – even my snot of a step-brother.” “Has your mother ever mentioned Rosehill to you before?” Chaz asked, trying to steer the conversation back on topic. Joy’s mother’s reaction had peaked his curiosity, as well. “Maybe in passing?” “Not that I can remember,” she sighed. “Hell, I hadn’t even heard of Rosehill until my editor brought it up because of the Meg Marriott murder and I make several trips to New York a year. This place just seems so removed from everything else. It’s like a little Peyton Place town.” Suddenly, a familiar sound drew Joy’s attention to the television that sat on a shelf up in the corner of the diner. “Shhh… It’s ‘Light of Love’! I haven’t seen it in weeks. I really need to get caught up. Natalie’s been in a coma. I read online that she’s supposed to be coming out of it next week.” “You watch soap operas?” Chaz eyed her with a sense of both shock and amusement. “Not really – just this one. I got hooked on it when I was in boarding school in Switzerland. One of the girls was from Chicago and her mother would mail her video tapes every week and we’d sit around and watch it.” Enrapt by the goings-on on-screen, Joy shoved another piece of pie into her mouth. “Natalie’s been in a coma because the actress who plays her has been off somewhere filming a movie. I just adore Galen Sterling. I think she’s going to be a big movie star.” “Sterling?” Chaz covered his mouth in surprise and anxiousness. He had a sudden feeling that Joy was going to become much more interested in the residents of Rosehill than she ever thought she’d be. Meg’s House, Foyer “John, where are you going?” Suzanne Prentiss asked as she followed her husband out of the living room and into the foyer. “I was just going to go outside and make a phone call.” John Prentiss pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and held it up to his ear. “I want to check in with Andy and see how things are going.” “Can’t you forget about Beaver Ridge for one day?” Despite her best efforts, she knew the irritation in her voice was evident. “We just read my grandmother’s will. Her memorial service was only a few days ago.” “Honey, I know and I’m sorry, but this is business. I thought you understood why I’m putting so much energy into this. It’s for us and our future.” John opened the front door and stepped outside, Suzanne quickly behind him. “Damn. No answer.” He shoved the phone back into his pocket. “Maybe I should drive out there and see how things are going.” “John, everyone’s getting together at Aunt Van’s. I thought we’d go and be with the rest of the family.” She grabbed his arm, almost pleadingly. “I haven’t had much of a chance to catch up with Rick and Cal since the funeral – I have no idea how long they’ll be in town – and I want to spend time with my sisters. I hardly ever get to see Vanessa or Megan since they moved to New York.” “Well, you go right ahead, honey.” He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek, oblivious to exactly what she was saying. “I know your family is important to you. I’ll stop by as soon as I get back, if it’s not too late.” “Too late? How much time are you planning on spending there today, anyway? Don’t you spend enough time at Beaver Ridge as it is? You’re up at the crack of dawn every day and you don’t come home until it’s dark outside. I never see you. I’m not even sure Tess knows you’re her father!” “Suzanne, that’s not fair and you know it!” Why couldn’t she understand? “You know Beaver Ridge is a huge project and there’s a lot involved with it. I explained that to you when I signed on. It’s a lot of work, I admit, but the payoff in the end is going to be huge for us.” He took her lovingly into his arms and kissed her tenderly. “I promise. I won’t be out there long. I just want to see how things are going. I’ll see you at Van’s.” As John quickly walked down the drive towards his car, Suzanne folded her arms across her chest and fought back the tears that had started to well up in here eyes. What if by the time Beaver Ridge is up and running there isn’t an “us” left? <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object>

Well, only Cal/Rick, Tom, & the hospital were mentioned inside actual scenes because those are important plot points that will come into play later. Don't feel too badly for Ben, though. Aside from generous trust funds for each of her grandchildren (not without strings, of course, which we'll see later) & some personal & sentimental items left to Van, Ben pretty much got the remainder of Meg's financial assets. If I'd gone over each and every single item in the will, today's episode might have taken forever.

Episode #10 Friday, 5/4/07 Same Day, Afternoon Meg’s House, living room “Let’s just get this over with,” Ben Harper muttered, running his hands through his hair. “I’m a little uneasy about diving up Maggie’s personal effects like she never existed.” “Dad, that’s not what they’re doing,” Vanessa Harper said softly, putting her hand on her father’s shoulder. “Maggie’s gone, now. I know it’s devastating, but this is what she wanted done with her possessions. No one’s here to be a vulture. We’re just following her wishes.” “She’s right, honey,” Betsy Harper said as she walked into the room with her husband’s aunt Vanessa Sterling, carrying a large tray with coffee and cups. “We have to do this.” “I just hope she remembered me in her will,” Megan Harper spoke up, much to the displeasure of the rest of her family, before taking a bite out of a cookie. Realizing that all eyes were on her – and not in a good way – she slumped back into her seat on the sofa. “What? I’m just saying what everyone else here is thinking. It’s not like anyone liked her, anyway.” “Megan!” Van chastised angrily and then shook her head in disappointment. It was definitely going to be a rather long and trying afternoon. <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object> Meg’s House, living room “Cal, did you and Rick have a nice trip up to Beaver Ridge?” Van asked as she hugged her niece. “I hear that John and Andy have done a lot of work trying to bring that old place back.” “It looks wonderful,” an impressed Cal Latimer replied. “I’m simply amazed,” her husband Rick spoke up. “From everything I heard about that fire years ago, I never thought anyone would be able to restore Beaver Ridge, but they’re doing it. It’s going to be a beautiful place.” “It better be, as much time as he spends there,” Suzanne Prentiss grumbled, half to herself, as she stood behind her aunt and uncle, Cal and Rick. She glanced across the room towards her husband John Prentiss who was involved in conversation with her father Ben Harper. She knew she shouldn’t be resentful of his involvement in Beaver Ridge, but… “Honey, this is important to him,” Van said softly, putting her arm around Suzanne and giving her a reassuring hug. “As soon as everything is completed and Beaver Ridge is up and running, things will get back to normal. You’ll see.” “When are we gonna get this show on the road?” Megan Harper asked, obviously annoyed, as she walked into the room and plopped herself down in a chair. “All of this waiting is getting to be a drag.” “Megan!” Betsy Harper chastised sternly. “Sometimes I can’t believe some of the things that come out of your mouth.” “I can.” Suzanne shot her little sister a icy glare. “As soon as Mr. Powell gets here, we can get started.” Ben propped himself on the back of Megan’s chair and put his hand on her shoulder, more of a cautionary action than a comforting one. “To be honest, I’m not too keen on this waiting, either. And all of those cops roaming around outside isn’t doing my stomach any good, either.” “Ben, what are they doing out there?” Betsy walked over to the window and looked out at two officers off in the distance by the small pond Meg had put in just the summer before. “I don’t know,” he muttered, “but I suspect it’s because they’ve found a lead. I just wish I knew what it was.” “I made more coffee,” Vanessa Harper announced, relieving the sudden burst of tension by breezing into the room with a tray. “I had a feeling we could all use some.” She turned to her brother-in-law John and offered him a cup. “Remind me – cream, no sugar?” “Ah, very good.” John took the cup of coffee from her and took a long sip. “I can’t believe you remembered how I like it.” “Folks, I’m sorry I’m late. I hope you haven’t been kept waiting because of me.” Tom Crawford hurried in the front door, through the foyer, and into the room, oblivious to the many stunned and bewildered eyes on him. “I got tied up at the hospital and thought I’d never get away.” “Tom, what are you doing here?” Ben asked, rising to meet him. “We’re reading Maggie’s will today.” “Yes, I know. I’m supposed to be here.” After several long moments, Tom realized that what he’d said hadn’t fully registered with Ben, so he reached into his briefcase and handed him the envelope he’d received earlier. “It’s all in there, Ben. I was just as surprised as you are. Apparently, your mother has included me in her will.” Carefully reading over the papers, Ben wasn’t exactly sure how to react. Meg’s House, outside “Thank god for chatty secretaries,” Joy Donovan thought to herself as she carefully attempted to step through the rose bushes outside of the living room window. She couldn’t have believed her luck that she’d managed to overhear a couple of woman from Lester Powell’s office in the diner discussing Meg’s estate – and the reading of her will. As she leaned in closer, hoping to get a good look inside while also avoiding the bushes, she felt a string of thorns graze her leg. “Ouch!” she cried out before catching herself. Oh, the things she went through for her job. Maybe life on the European party circuit wasn’t so bad, after all. Just then, she felt an unfamiliar hand on her shoulder. Before she could cry out again in a mixture of shock and fear, a man’s hand covered her mouth. Petrified that she’d been caught, she spun around to face her “attacker.” “You!” she exclaimed in a shocked whisper. “I had a feeling I’d find you here,” Chaz Aleata said as he helped her out of the roses, leading her away from the house. “I knew something was up when I saw you rushing out of that diner, so I followed you.” “You scared the crap out of me!” She gave him a solid slug on the arm. “Where the hell have you been, anyway? You ditched me at the church like your butt was on fire and I haven’t heard from you since!” “I’m sorry I did that, but I saw someone I knew that I really didn’t want to talk to.” He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and leaned back against a tree. “Unfortunately, I ended up having to talk to him anyway.” “You know these people?” Joy’s eyes grew wide with both shock and professional curiosity. Chaz let out a heavy sigh, not sure exactly where to begin. “You remember I told you I’ve got an older sister in Canada that my father adopted when he was married to her mother?” “Yeah.” “Her mother was Meg Marriott.” “The prodigal daughter?” Joy’s mouth hung open as her brain began to work a mile a minute – a source! She had an inside source! “You’ve been doing your research, huh?” He let out a laugh. “Well, I don’t exactly get paid to sit around on my butt all day.” The shrill ringing of Joy’s cell phone – interestingly enough playing the theme to “Light of Love”, her favorite soap – interrupted the conversation. She pulled it out of her purse and scrunched up her nose in annoyance when she immediately recognized the number on the ID. “What, Mother?” she asked, throwing up her hand to Chaz to signify that she’d need a moment. “I’m working on a story of the World Star.” A pause. “Oh, some dinky little town in the States – Rosehill.” A long pause. “Mom, what’s wrong? It’s not that big of a deal.” Another long pause. “Mom?” With a look of utter shock and confusion, Joy closed the case of her phone and put it back in her purse. “What’s wrong?” Chaz had no trouble seeing that her phone call hadn’t been a pleasant one. “I-I don’t know.” Joy shook her head, still in shock. “As soon as my mother heard the word ‘Rosehill’, she absolutely freaked.” Meg’s House, Living Room “Let’s see, where were we?” Lester Powell muttered as he flipped to the next page in Meg Marriott’s will. He looked up, briefly, to see Meg’s family sitting in anxious anticipation. “Oh, yes. Here we are… ‘To my daughter Caroline Aleata Latimer and her husband Frederick Latimer…’” “Oh, god,” Cal muttered with a sense of foreboding as she clutched Rick’s hand tightly. “’I bequeath my house, grounds, and the entire contents thereof.’” Mr. Powell looked up from the will, curious as to what reactions he might see, before continuing. “There’s a personal message -- ‘I hope that now my daughter will finally see fit to come home.’” “Leave it to my mother to try to control my life even from the grave.” Cal shook her head in disbelief and exasperation. “She left you the house?” Ben was absolutely stunned. “You take off over 30 years ago and proceed to have absolutely nothing to do with her – and she even tried to reconcile with you plenty of times over the years – and she left you the house.” “Ben, it’s all right.” Betsy gently placed her hand on his arm and whispered in his ear. “It’s just a house.” She quickly looked up and at Van, seemingly pleading with her eyes. See! This is all just too much for him to deal with! See why I’m worried? “I don’t want the house, Ben!” Cal snapped back. “Rick and I already have a house – a home – in Quebec. You can have the house. I don’t want anything from that woman!” “Ben, Cal, there’s plenty of time to work out the details,” Van spoke up in an attempt to put some wise perspective on the situation. “Mr. Powell, this is a difficult day for all of us. Is there anyway to move this along a little bit? Maybe that would make it easier for everyone.” “Perhaps,” he replied. He flipped through several pages of the will, deciding what was absolutely necessary to go over and what could wait until a later time. “Well, other than a donation to the hospital, there is one last bequeath she’s made – to Dr. Crawford.” “Me?” Tom furrowed his brow. He definitely wasn’t expecting to receive anything from Meg’s estate. “I… I don’t understand.” “Dr. Crawford, to make this as brief and succinct as possible, Mrs. Marriott has left you with an endowment which will continue to fund a research grant for your work at the hospital.” “But that doesn’t make any sense!” The contents of his mother’s will continued to be more confusing for Ben than he’d expected. “She pulled the funding for your research grant! Why would she do that if she was just going to give it back?” “I gave up trying to figure out why our mother did half the things she did a long time ago, Ben,” Cal sighed. “I don’t know, Ben. Meg wasn’t exactly planning on dying, I’m sure.” Of course, Tom was as shocked by the contents of Meg’s will as everyone else, but he didn’t care for his tone or subtly veiled insinuations he was seemingly making. Meanwhile, in the foyer, Lt. Alphonso of the Rosehill Police Department stood alongside Officer Granger, silently observing the scene inside. “Do you think this is a good idea, Lieutenant?” Officer Granger asked. “Do you really want to let them know what you’ve found?” “I’ve got a feeling that whoever killed Mrs. Marriott knew her and knew her well,” Lt. Alphonso explained. “And who else would have something to gain by her death than someone included in her will. This is a calculated move.” Without saying another word, he motioned for the officer to follow him into the room. “Mr. Harper, I have some news,” Lt. Alphonso spoke up. “I believe we’ve found the gun.” “W-what?” Ben quickly rose from his seat and went to the lieutenant. “Where? How?” “That’s not important right now, Mr. Harper. This is still on ongoing investigation.” He pulled out a plastic baggie that contained the gun in question and proceeded to hand it to Officer Granger, but not so swiftly as to prevent nearly everyone in the room from seeing the bag’s contents. “Make sure the lab gets that as soon as possible.” “Yes, sir,” Officer Granger replied, taking the plastic bag into his hands. Across the room, Tom’s eyes grew wide with nervous anxiety. He’d only gotten the briefest of looks at the gun in the plastic baggie the Lieutenant had held on the other side of the room, but it looked very familiar… <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object>

I don't want to give too much away, but Joy will feature *very* heavily in the setup for a future storyline development. At this point, her purpose is as that prerequiste town newcomer through which readers learn a lot about the history of the characters (thanks to her journalistic connections). However, once her real storyline begins, she will prove to be a catalyst through which several lives receive quite a shake up. I'd love to say more, but I really can't without giving away too much because her true storyline is just setting up. Going into the series, I knew that I wanted 2 storylines to be well underway (Meg's murder and the Beaver Ridge endeavor), while the 3rd major storyline was just launching. Joy will factor heavily in that 3rd storyline. Keep reading. I think you'll be pleased with where it all goes.

Episode #9 Thursday, 5/3/07 A Few Days Later, Morning Beaver Ridge Complex, lobby “More problems with Paulson!” Alison Marriott said to her father Andy Marriott and John Prentiss as she stormed into the lobby waving a stack of faxes. “I swear, this entire project is going down the tubes. If one more thing goes wrong, we can kiss this entire place good-bye.” “Let me see those.” Andy walked over to her and took the faxes out of her hands. “Damn, what crap is he trying to pull?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, hurriedly dialed Paulson’s number, and then walked out of the room as he began a counter tirade. “While he’s doing that, I’ve got to go see how the contractors are doing in the club.” John quickly rose from his seat and prepared to leave the room. “What’s wrong, John?” Alison asked as she quickly rushed between him and the door, blocking his exit. “Scared to be alone in the same room with me?” She fluttered her eyelashes teasingly. He could only stand there and take a deep breath as he fumbled for how to answer. <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object> The Sterling Home, kitchen “Morning, Gram,” A.J. Sterling said as he breezed into the kitchen and headed straight for the coffee. “Don’t bother with breakfast for me. I’ve got to get to the office. I’ve got a conference call with that new author and then I’ve got a meeting with the head of the paper division to discuss profits.” “Now, don’t tell me that you don’t have time for at least a bite of breakfast.” Vanessa Sterling eyes registered with disappointment. “First Rick and Cal are up at the break of dawn and out of the house and now you?” “Gram, you know that with Barbara in the hospital and with Hank…” His voice trailed off as he reconsidered bringing up troubling family events. “You know that a lot of the responsibilities at Carlson have fallen in my lap lately. Hank was never really a part of the company and I’ve had to take over all of Barbara’s responsibilities.” “I know,” she sighed. “But I was just starting to get used to having everyone around again. Lynn and Stacy left after the funeral and I’m sure Rick and Cal will be heading home soon. Everyone’s got their own lives to live.” “I guess it’ll just be me and you then,” A.J. smiled. “Oh! I did get a call from Galen this morning.” “You did?” “Yep. She finally got back in cell range. I told her about everything that’s been going on – about Meg. She’s really worried about you and sends her love, but she was getting ready to get on a plane to head back to L.A. She’s due back on the set of her soap in the morning.” He reached over and grabbed a donut off a plate on the counter. “Hmm… Maybe just a bite before work.” “That sister of yours needs to take a vacation. She’s working herself to death.” “Well, you know how she is.” He shoved another bite of donut into his mouth. “Where were Rick and Cal off to so early?” “They said something about heading up to Beaver Ridge to check things out and see how John’s doing and then stopping by to see Suzanne and the baby before the will reading.” Van walked over to the counter and poured herself another cup of coffee. “Oh, I forgot that was today. Gosh, so much stuff going on.” He ran his hands through his hair and then looked at his watch again. “Crap. I’m late.” He shoved the last bite of donut into his mouth, washing it down with the last bit of coffee. “I gotta go.” He rushed over and kissed her on the cheek before hurrying out the back door, leaving Van all alone in the kitchen to start what she was certain would be a very long day. Beaver Ridge Complex, lobby “What are you doing, Alison?” John asked full of annoyance. “What are you trying to prove?” “Prove?” A slight smirk crossed her lips. “What makes you think I’m trying to prove anything?” She paused for a moment and then ran her fingers lightly along his shoulder. “We had something very powerful once, John. Something that intense doesn’t simply disappear overnight.” He reached up and pushed her hand away. “It wasn’t just overnight, Alison. Whatever we had was over a long time ago. I’m married to Suzanne, now! Can’t you understand that?” “Trust me. I’ll never understand what you see in that blonde twit.” She shook her head, unable to fathom the attraction. “Is it because you got her knocked up with your kid?” “I love Suzanne. I’ve told you that time and time again!” John grabbed Alison by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him. “The only thing that’s between the two of us now is business – Beaver Ridge. Nothing else.” “Is that what you told Suzanne?” she smirked. “I’m sure she wouldn’t believe that if she knew where you really were when she was giving birth to your precious little child.” “That was a mistake, Alison. I thought we agreed on that. It was a onetime thing and I thought we were never going to talk about it again.” “Well, I thought we had a really good thing going on between us.” She looked away from him, refusing to let him see the honest pain that was in her eyes. “At least as long as we were still in Las Vegas. But, noooo, as soon as we came back to Rosehill and you laid eyes on her…” Her voice trailed off as she walked around behind John, her back to him. “You know, you’re right. It is over. In fact…” A pause. “I thought you should know that I’ve been seeing someone.” “You have?” John’s eyes were filled with curiosity as he moved closer to her. “Yes. He’s much older. Brilliant. Sexy.” She spun around to look at him with feigned modesty. “And he’s a far better lover than you ever were.” John’s eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened. “I’m done talking about this with you, Alison. Business. That’s all the two of us are going to discuss from now on. Not a single word about anything else.” He quickly turned on his heel and stormed towards the front doors of the lobby. “Jealous much?” Alison muttered to herself with a smile. As John burst through the lobby doors and outside, he ran right into Rick and Cal Latimer, his wife’s aunt and uncle. “John! You’re exactly who we’re looking for!” Cal exclaimed with a smile. “W-what are you two doing here?” John stammered, his eyes darting from one of them to the other. “We went over and saw Suzanne and the baby,” Rick explained. “And we wanted to take a drive up here to see how the place is coming along.” Rick stood in front of the complex and eyed it up and down, in awe of a place that once occupied a great deal of his life. “You’ve brought this place a long way, John. I wasn’t sure I’d ever see Beaver Ridge up and running again after I heard about that fire.” “It’s coming along pretty well,” John half-lied. “There’s still a lot of work left to do, though. It seems like the more that we get done, the more there seems to do.” “Well, if you need any help with the place, just let me know,” Rick said. “I know this place inside and out like the back of my hand.” “And I just want to tell you that little Tess is absolutely adorable.” Cal wasn’t all that enthused with talking about business on a family trip. “I’m sure you and Suzanne are very proud.” “Proud doesn’t even begin to cover it,” John beamed. “Do you mind if Cal and I take a look around?” Rick walked over to the front of the building, examining the new hardware and fixtures. “I’d love to see everything you’ve done to the old place.” He turned to his wife. “I think we have time before the will reading, Cal.” “Oh, the will,” John sighed. “I’d almost forgotten. That’s today, isn’t it?” “Yes, in a couple of hours,” Cal nodded. “Suzanne said she was getting Mrs. Deane to watch the baby and she’d meet us at Mom’s.” “Then I guess we better get moving if you want the full tour.” John opened the doors to the lobby and escorted Rick and Cal in, silently hoping that Alison would be nowhere to be seen. Rosehill Hospital, research lab “Sorry I’m late,” Dr. Tom Crawford said as he rushed into the lab. “I had… some personal business to take care of.” “It’s okay,” Dr. Alex Marriott replied barely bothering to look up from his microscope. “I think I’ve made some progress with that anomaly we found the other day.” He motioned Tom over to the table. “Here. Take a look. I think this could be the strain that’s been causing us problems.” Tom leaned down and peered through the lens of the microscope, carefully examining the sample. He stood back up, turned to Alex, and with a satisfied nod, “I think you could be right. This could really be the break we’ve needed. Just a little more testing and we’ll really have something to show those pharmaceutical guys.” “Well, you better hope you can get everything done in the next couple of weeks,” Dr. Andrew Marriott spoke up as he stood in the doorway. “I just got the orders to shut down the project effective next month.” “Next month?” Tom’s eyes grew wide with worry and concern. “But, Andrew, there’s no way we can have all of this research completed, documented, and ready to submit that fast. We’ve got to have more time.” “I understand that. Honestly, I do.” Andrew sighed wearily. He knew how much this project meant to both Tom and his grandson Alex. “But without Meg’s endowment, there isn’t enough funds to continue the project by then and the hospital’s board of directors simply can’t shell out those funds from the regular budget. There isn’t enough money. Especially since we’re gearing up to build that new wing.” “But, granddad, we’ve got to have more time,” Alex spoke up with just as much concern as Tom. “I’m sorry, guys, but that’s how it’s been put down to me.” Andrew glanced down at his watch. “Look, I’ve got a meeting in about fifteen minutes with some of the administrators. Maybe I can convince a few of them to redistribute some of the funds, but if I were you, I wouldn’t get my hopes up.” As Andrew left the lab, both Tom and Alex slumped back against the table, their once joyous wind quickly removed from their sails. “I guess we better get to work if we have any hopes of getting everything done before they shut us down,” Tom finally spoke after a long silence. “I never would’ve dreamed that Meg would’ve pulled something like this. I’m convinced she would’ve changed her mind about the endowment eventually if only… if only she hadn’t died first.” “Meg’s death has been hard on everyone, Tom,” Alex nodded and then took a long moment of hesitation before broaching a subject that had been on his mind for the past few days. “I saw Vanessa over at Van’s after the memorial service. I can’t believe how much she’s changed since she and Megan went to New York.” “That niece of mine is quite a young woman,” Tom agreed, returning to the microscope and his notes. “Betsy and Ben are very proud of her.” “Do you… know if she’s been seeing anyone in New York?” Tom looked up from the microscope and smiled. “Ah. You’ve taken a liking to little Vanessa?” “You could say that, I guess. I was just curious.” “As far as I know, Vanessa hasn’t been seeing anyone.” He leaned back against the table. “So, I’d venture to say that you have a clear field, if that’s what you’re wondering.” “Dr. Crawford? Dr. Tom Crawford?” an unfamiliar man in a business suit asked as he rapped lightly on the door of the lab. “Yes, I’m Dr. Crawford.” He walked over to him. “I’m here on behalf of Lester Powell.” “Meg’s attorney?” A look of confusion covered Tom’s face. “What can I do for you?” “Mr. Powell is in charge of Mrs. Marriott’s estate.” The man handed Tom a large manila envelope. “You attendance is required at the reading of Mrs. Marriott’s will this afternoon.” “Her will?” Tom opened the envelope and pulled out several sheets of legal documents describing the time and location of the reading of Meg’s will. “Yes, sir. All the information is in that envelope.” The man turned and headed for the door. “Good day, sir.” <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object>

Episode #8 Wednesday, 5/2/07 Same Day, Late Afternoon Whispering Springs Sanitarium, Barbara Marriott’s room Barbara Marriott stared for a few minutes out the window, taking into the beauty of the lush flower gardens outside. However, it wasn’t long before a cloud seemed to cover her face and she reached down under the cushion of the armchair and pulled out a newspaper. The headline? “Rosehill Socialite Murdered”… <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object> The Sterling Home, living room “Eddie, I was worried. I didn’t know what happened to you when you disappeared from the memorial service,” Vanessa Sterling said as she pulled her former brother-in-law off to the side. “Especially when Rick and Cal came.” “I saw Charles,” Edouard Aleata explained. “In the back of the church. I wasn’t sure it was him, at first, but I had to go look for him.” “Charles? Oh, dear. Was it him?” She put her hand on his arm in concern. Van was fully aware of the troubles that had existed between father and son for some time. “It was Charles – or rather Chaz as he seems to like to be called. Honestly, Van, I just don’t know what to do with him. He’s managed to convince himself that he’s trouble for anyone who loves him and that he’s always been an outsider in his own family.” Eddie threw up his hands, both confused and frustrated by the entire situation. “Did he tell you where he’s been all this time? Did he explain why he hasn’t even been in contact with anyone?” “No. Getting him to open up is like talking to a brick wall.” Eddie slowly began to pace around the room. “I’ve done everything I can to show him how much we all love him – Dory and I, Kevin, Kirsten… He just doesn’t seem to want anything to do with any of us.” Van shook her head, as bewildered by it all as Eddie was. “Did he tell you why he’s here in Rosehill?” “He wants to find out about Felicia – his real mother. I’ve told him everything there is to know about her – how wonderful and loving she was. How talented and smart she was. How much she loved him and how much I fought for him after she died… But he seems to want to find out everything on his own.” “I think that’s understandable. Sometimes a person has to find out the answers to questions all on their own.” “He said that he’s going to stay in Rosehill for a while.” And then a thought struck Eddie. “Van, if you happen to see him, could you look out for him for me? I’ve got to go back to Boston and I’d feel a lot better if I knew that there was someone here to keep an eye on him.” “Oh, Eddie, Charles is a grown man. He doesn’t need anyone hovering over him.” “I know, but…” His eyes seemed to plead with Van. “All right,” she finally nodded. “You know Bruce and I always thought of you as family and I know that Cal would love to see him while she and Rick are in town.” “Thank you, Vanessa.” He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. “You have no idea how much this means to me.” Whispering Springs Sanitarium, Barbara Marriott’s room “Andrew was right,” Barbara thought to herself as her eyes focused on the newspaper headline. “You won’t be a problem for us anymore. After every horrible thing that you did, you won’t be able to come between us ever again. I’m going to get better and I’m going to get out of this hospital and Andrew and I are finally going to be together like we always wanted.” “Barbara, she’s fighting the divorce,” Andrew explained as he held her in his arms. “She said that she refuses to give me up after she fought so hard to get me to marry her.” “But you don’t love her!” she cried. “She knows that! She’s always known that! She forced you into marrying her because of Andy. You’ve more than lived up to your end of the bargain. Why can’t she finally call your debt paid in full?” “I don’t know, Barbara. I don’t know.” As Barbara tightly folded up the newspaper and tucked it back under the seat cushion, the memories again came to her… “Oh, my god, Barbara, she did it!” Andrew called out as he burst into the room. “She signed the divorce papers. She finally signed the divorce papers!” “W-what?! She did!” She ran into his arms, unable to believe the joyous news. “But… how? Why? She said she’d never give you the divorce.” “I don’t know. I don’t understand it, either, but she met me in Amy’s office today and signed the papers. She didn’t look the least bit happy about it, but she signed them!” “Oh, Andrew!” She held onto him tightly, not wanting to let him go. “Now we can finally get married!” “As soon as possible,” he spoke up firmly. “We’ve waited too long because of Meg as it is. I don’t want to wait any longer than we have to to finally get married.” So much happiness. So much relief. And then it all started to fall apart. “Bernice, did you hear that?” Barbara’s head spun around when she heard the familiar voice seemingly coming out of the walls. “That voice!” “A voice, Mrs. Marriott?” Bernice Crowley, the Marriott maid, asked in confusion. “I-I’m afraid I didn’t hear any voice.” “But you had to have heard it, Bernice! It was as clear as day!” Barbara frantically raced around the room, looking all over for the source of the voice. “Do you… know whose voice it was?” Bernice watched her employer’s behavior with much concern. Yes, she’d seen a few odd spells, but never anything quite this extreme. “Yes! It’s my mother’s voice! She’s calling to me! She’s trying to talk to me!” “But… Mrs. Marriott, hasn’t your mother been dead for over 40 years?” Barbara shook her head in an attempt to clear the fog that had begun to cloud her mind. The medication was starting to take effect. She inhaled deeply and leaned back into her chair. She had to get better. She simply had to. Sterling & Marriott; Amy’s office “He’s missed how many times?” Amy Marriott said into the phone as she leaned back into her chair behind her desk. As Dr. Tom Crawford stepped into her office, she silently waved him into the room before continuing her conversation. “No, I don’t know why Eric would’ve missed school. Yes, I understand that attendance is important.” She felt her jaw tighten. “Yes, you can believe I’ll have a little chat with him. A meeting?” A long pause. “Yes, my husband and I will be there. Thank you, again, for letting me know what Eric’s been up to.” “Problems with Eric’s school?” Tom sat down in the chair in from of the desk. “Apparently so,” she sighed. “That was Winfield’s head master. It seems my darling baby boy hasn’t been so keen on showing up for class. Andy and I are supposed to have a meeting with him about his lack of attendance and the possibility of Eric having to go to summer school.” “Eric’s not going to like that.” “Well, what Eric does and doesn’t like isn’t high on my list of priorities at the moment.” “I’m surprised I didn’t see you at the memorial service,” Tom shifted the conversation in a different direction. “I don’t know why. You know I couldn’t stand Meg Marriott.” Amy rose from her seat and walked around to the front of her desk. “She made Andrew miserable – everyone knows that. And now he’s saddled with Barbara? Honestly, I don’t know what Andrew could’ve done to deserve that nutso half-sister of mine.” “Well, I thought you might’ve gone to the service for Van’s sake, if nothing else.” “Ah, yes, St. Vanessa.” She rolled her eyes sarcastically. “You mean step-mommie dearest who did everything she could to keep me away from my father. Thanks, but no thanks. The less I have to do with that old woman the better. Now that my father is gone, I don’t even have to put up with her, which is just the way I like it.” “If I remember correctly, when Bruce first found out you were his daughter, you did everything you could to make their lives miserable.” Tom leaned forward in his seat, knowing full well that he was speaking the truth. “I made mistakes, Tom, I admit that,” she sighed. “But I didn’t know the truth. I didn’t know that he didn’t really abandon me and my mother. He didn’t even know he had another daughter. Then when I tried to have a relationship with him, St. Van did everything she could to keep me from him. That woman watch me like a hawk, just waiting for me to screw up so she could run to him with it.” “That’s not exactly how I remember it, Amy.” “Look, do we really have to rehash all of this. It was a long time ago. Besides, I have some free time this afternoon. I’ve cancelled all of my appointments for this afternoon and…” She walked towards him slowly, undoing the top button of her blouse. “I thought we could have a little alone time.” “Here? In your office?” He was shocked by her brazenness, but both enticed and intrigued at the same time. “Don’t you think your secretary might come in? I bet she’d love to run to Andy with that bit of information.” “That loser of a husband of mine can take a flying leap,” she laughed, “and I gave my secretary the afternoon off.” “Well, then,” Tom smiled, drawing closer to her and taking her into his arms, “I guess the afternoon is all ours.” <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object>

Episode #7 Tuesday, 5/1/07 Same Day, Late Afternoon Whispering Springs Sanitarium, Dr. Kinmont’s office “Dr. Kinmont, how is she today?” Dr. Andrew Marriott asked as he stood in the doctor’s office. “It seems like she’s been doing better the past few weeks.” “I think she’s starting to show some real progress.” Dr. Kinmot flipped open his chart and carefully examined it. “Yes, she still has her moments, but those episodes are becoming further and further apart.” “Is she well enough for me to see her today?” “Dr. Marriott, I think a visit from you today would be just what the doctor ordered,” Dr. Kinmont smiled before leading Andrew out of his office and down the hallway towards Barbara Sterling Marriott’s room. <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object> Rosehill Church, Cemetery “Hello, son,” Edouard Aleata said as he looked down at Chaz, kneeling by his mother’s grave. “I had a feeling I’d find you here.” Chaz Aleata’s back and shoulders stiffened – he refused to turn around and look at his father. “I guess this means you saw me,” he muttered. “Yes. I thought it was you, but I wasn’t sure. I thought that maybe my eyes had played a trick on me. I haven’t seen you in so long. I never thought that I’d find you here in Rosehill, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You always talked about coming here one day.” “I had to,” Chaz said, finally rising to his feet and turning to look at his father. “I had to see her. I had to know about her.” “Son, anything you ever wanted to know about your real mother, all you had to do was ask. I’ve never hidden anything about her from you.” So, there they stood in silence, looking at one another, so much that needed to be said and, yet, so much neither one of them was able to say. Finally… “Your mother and I miss you,” Eddie began. “Why haven’t you called us? Why haven’t you been in touch? You just disappeared without a word and…” “I figured that’s the way you wanted it,” Chaz cut in. “After the accident…” “This accident was an accident. No one blames you for what happened. I never blamed you and Kirsten never blamed you.” Eddie reached out for his son, but Chaz pulled away. “Mom blamed me,” Chaz corrected, referring to the stepmother who’d raised him from infancy. “No, she didn’t.” “Yes, she did!” Chaz’s voice grew louder and more forceful. “I heard her with my own ears. She was in the chapel praying to God. She said that it was my fault and that if I hadn’t been the one driving the car, the accident wouldn’t have happened!” “You have to understand that we were all under a great deal of stress at the time. Your sister Kirsten was lying in a hospital bed. We didn’t know whether she was going to live or die. Your mother…” “Wished it had been me instead.” “No!” Eddie reached out and grabbed his son by the shoulders, forcing him to look at him. “Your mother would never have wished that. She loves you just like you were her own flesh and blood. We all love you – me, your mother, Kevin, Kirsten…” Again, they stood in silence, Chaz refusing to look at his father. “I know,” Eddie spoke up, decided on a change of direction. “You can come back to Boston with me and we can catch up. We can work on putting all of this behind us. It was a long time ago. I know your mother and Kirsten would love to see you. Kevin can get some time off from work and come home for a visit, too. We all miss you.” “No, Dad, I’m not going to do that. I – I want to stay here in Rosehill. I want to get to know who my real mother really was – how she lived.” “Have you at least spoken to Rafe? The last time I talked to Selena, she hadn’t heard from you in quite a while.” “Why would I want to talk to Rafe or Selena?” Chaz folded his arms tightly across his chest in a silent show of defiance. “He’s your son! I would think that you’d want to, somehow, be a part of his life!” Eddie felt both his temper and his blood pressure starting to rise. Sometimes reasoning with his son was like talking to a brick wall. “Why? So I can screw his life up, too, just like I’ve screwed up everyone else’s?” He again turned away from his father and knelt down in front of the gravestone. “I was born hurting people. I was barely more than a kid when I got Selena pregnant. I didn’t know how to be a father. He’s better off not even knowing me.” “How can you say that?” Eddie knelt down beside Chaz. “You’re hurting him just by refusing to have anything to do with him. He’s at that age now when a boy desperately needs his father. He needs you, son.” “Like I needed you, Dad?” Chaz turned and looked his father dead in the eyes. Realizing some of his own failures as a father, Eddie wasn’t quite sure what to say. The Sterling Home, living room “That really was a beautiful service, Van,” Stacy Donnelley said, handing Vanessa Sterling a cup of fresh coffee. “I think Meg would’ve been very pleased.” “I wish I knew where Eddie took off to,” Vanessa Sterling muttered, not fully listening, as she sat on the sofa forcing herself to nibble on one of the many sandwiches that had been dropped off earlier by concerned and well-meaning neighbors and friends. “I’m sure Eddie’s fine.” Cal Latimer reached over and squeezed her Aunt Van’s hand. “Maybe he got a sudden business call that he couldn’t pull himself away from. I know he’s going to show up here any minute full of apologies.” “You’re probably right,” Van nodded before taking a sip of coffee. She turned to Cal and smiled. “It’s so good to see you, honey. I’m so glad you came. Your mother would’ve been proud of you today.” “I don’t know about that.” Cal fidgeted in her seat and looked away uncomfortably. “I don’t think she was ever really proud of much where I was concerned.” “Nonsense! You and Ben were here children and she loved you both very much. Yes, I know she had a very peculiar way of showing it, sometimes, but she did love you.” Van rose from her seat and slowly began to walk around the room, taking in the feel of home. “You know, it’s moments like this that make me glad that we decided to move back into this house after Bruce retired. Timothy’s mansion was beautiful, of course, but it never really felt like home. This is where Bruce brought me when we first married, when I first came to Rosehill. This is home.” “I wonder what’ll happen to the house now that Meg’s gone,” A.J. Sterling pondered as he came into the room, joining the conversation. “She really did love that place.” “That’s why your grandmother Sarah left it to her when she died,” Van nodded to Cal. “Surely, she’s left it to you and Ben.” “Ben can have it,” Cal muttered. “Rick and I already have a home in Canada. Besides, he’s more suited for that place than I am.” “Well, whatever happens, I’m just so glad to have all of you here.” Van walked over to the kitchen and pushed open the door. “Ben, Lynn, come in here for a minute, I want to talk to all of you.” “Yes, Aunt Van?” Ben Harper quickly stepped into the room followed by Lynn Jennings, her son Alex Marriott, and the rest of the family. “I just wanted to have you all gathered around.” Van stood in the center of the room and looked around, gazing directly at each and every single member of her family. “It’s times like this that family is most important and you are all my family, either by blood,” she paused and looked at Ben and Cal, her nephew and niece, and Ben’s daughters Suzanne, Vanessa, and Megan “by marriage,” she looked at A.J., her late husband’s grandson, “or by heart,” she smiled at Lynn and Stacy, two woman whom she’d thought of as daughters ever since they’d been girls. “I want you to know that I love every single one of you.” “And we love you, too, Van.” Alex walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek. “But, in times like this, we have to remember those members of our family who can’t be with us.” Van looked down at the floor solemnly. “Mine and Meg’s parents and my beloved Bruce are all gone now. And Barbara, Hank, and Galen couldn’t be here.” “I know that if I could’ve gotten hold of Galen, she would’ve been,” A.J. explained. “She’s just stuck out of the country doing that movie right now.” “I understand,” Van smiled. “And Will and Sarah…?” She directed her comment to Cal. “I wish you and Rick could’ve brought the kids with you.” “You know Sarah’s tied up at college and we had to leave Will to watch the resort while we can here.” “Well, I guess it’s okay,” Van teased. “We’re all together right now. That’s what’s important.” “And what’s your take on this big, extended family?” Alex asked as he leaned over to Vanessa Harper. “I kinda like it,” she smiled. “No, we’re not all physically related, but it’s nice to have such a large family. It feels good to be back in Rosehill. I really feel like I’ve come home.” “I’m glad you’re back in Rosehill, too, Vanessa,” Alex grinned. “Really glad.” Whispering Springs Sanitarium, outside Barbara Marriott’s room “You’ve kept her away from the newspapers and the television?” Andrew asked as he peered through the door at his wife. “So much has happened lately that I’m worried that it’ll all be too much for her. She’s made so much progress since she’s been here.” “I agree with you, Dr. Marriott,” Dr. Kinmont nodded. “She only knows what little you’ve told her and I know I have haven’t told her anything otherwise.” “Good,” Andrew sighed and then took a deep breath before he pushed the door open. “Barbara? Are you up for a visitor?” “Oh, Andrew!” Barbara exclaimed as she quickly rose from her chair and threw herself into her husband’s arms. “I knew you’d come see me today! I just knew it!” “It’s so good to see you.” He held her tightly, breathing in the scent of her perfume and feeling the softness of her hair against his cheek. “Dr. Kinmont tells me that you’ve been making a lot of progress in your sessions.” “I’m working so hard, Andrew – really I am.” She pulled away from him and gazed up into his eyes. “I want to get better. I want to get out of this place and come home to you so that we can finally have our lives together that we fought so long for.” She paused and looked at him with some concern. “Meg hasn’t been trying to worm her way back into your life again, has she?” “U-um… no, she hasn’t.” He couldn’t bear to look her in the eye, knowing that he was keeping all of the awful truths of the last few months away from her as a means of protecting her. “She’s been keeping her distance.” “That’s good,” Barbara nodded with satisfaction. “After everything she did to keep you married to her and keep us apart, I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her.” “Meg’s… not going to be a problem for us anymore. I told you that the day I finally got her to sign those divorce papers.” “And what about Hank?” she continued, seemingly adrift in her own stream of consciousness. “I haven’t gotten a letter from him in months. Have you heard from him? I worry about him being over there in Iraq.” “Honey, there’s nothing for you to worry about.” Andrew pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. “Hank will be home just as soon as he can and once you’re well, you’ll be out of this hospital and then we can all be together again.” “Mrs. Marriott, it’s time for your medication,” the nurse spoke up with a light knock on the door. “I’m sorry, Dr. Marriott. But she needs her rest before group this afternoon.” “Oh, Andrew, don’t leave so soon!” “I’ll be back, Barbara, don’t worry. I’m never going to leave you.” He kissed her tenderly on the lips and took her into his arms again before slowly walking out the door. “I think I’ll just sit over by the window for a while before I lie down,” Barbara smiled after taking her pill. Once the nurse had gone, Barbara stared for a few minutes out the window, taking into the beauty of the lush flower gardens outside. However, it wasn’t long before a cloud seemed to cover her face and she reached down under the cushion of the armchair and pulled out a newspaper. The headline? “Rosehill Socialite Murdered”… <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object>

Episode #6 Monday, 4/30/07 Same Day, Afternoon Rosehill Church, Inside “Today I want to remember the good in my sister. No matter what mistakes she made, she brought into this world two fine children.” Vanessa Sterling looked towards her nephew Ben Harper and smiled. “And I know they had their differences over the years and I know her children had their own troubles, but they’ve both grown into such fine human beings.” Her voice caught in her throat. “I just wish… I wish that…” “Aunt Van,” came the familiar voice from the back of the church. Van looked up and towards the sound of the voice, her hand flying up to her chest in joyous surprise. She had come. Her sister Meg’s long estranged daughter Cal was slowly walking down the aisle towards her in the supportive arms of her husband Rick Latimer. <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object> Rosehill Church, Inside “Cal!” Van exclaimed, overjoyed by the sudden appearance of her niece. “You came! Oh, I was so worried that….” “Hello, Aunt Van,” Cal Latimer said softly as she approached her. “To be honest, I… I almost didn’t come, but Rick, he….” “I did a little coaxing,” Rick Latimer continued with a supportive nod and smile towards his wife. “I told her that no matter what Meg did in the past, none of it mattered now. The past is over.” “Yes, it most certainly is.” Van reached out and grabbed Cal’s hands tightly, leading her towards the front of the church where Ben waited to take his sister into his arms. “Oh, Cal, I’m so glad you’re here,” he said softly into her ear as he held her tightly. “I’m… I’m sorry we’re late,” Cal muttered uncomfortably as she turned to look at the gathered crowd. “We… we almost missed our connecting flight and….” “None of that matters – nothing matters now that you’re here.” “We’re… we’re interrupting. I’m sorry, Aunt Van. We’ll just sit down and….” “Wait.” Van refused to let go of her niece’s hand and held fast. “Cal, would you… would you say a few words in memory of your mother.” She softened her voice to a whisper. “I know you two hadn’t spoken in a very long time and I know there were a lot of hard feelings and resentment, but I think this is something that would be good for you to do.” An uncertain Cal looked first towards Rick and then to Ben before taking a long breath. “You’re right, Aunt Van, as usual. I do need to say a few things.” She gave her husband’s hand a strong squeeze. “But not for her. I need to speak for me.” Although Ben’s face registered a look of concern, Van’s radiated confidence. She had faith that Cal would be able to say just the right thing and released her niece’s hand to take Rick’s arm so that he could lead her to her seat next to Ben. “I know that my being here might come as a surprise to a lot of you,” Cal began as she stood by her mother’s casket. “To be honest, it kinda comes as a surprise to me. As many of you know, my mother and I didn’t get along, to put it mildly. A lot of things happened in the past and I held on to a lot of animosity and resentment.” “Yes, my mother made a lot of mistakes, but… she can’t be held totally to blame for the rift between us. I should’ve tried harder to… to reach out to her, to show her the love that I felt for her despite everything that she’d done. But I… well, I held onto a lot of that resentment almost like a security blanket. She’d hurt me and I suppose, in some way, I wanted to hurt her back.” “I cut off all ties to her when I left Rosehill a long time ago and I forced her out of my life. I kept her from knowing her grandchildren under the belief that I was protecting them from her negative influence, but…” Her voice trailed off as she lowered her head, wiping tears from her eyes. “But, really, I was only trying to punish her – to hurt her back. I… I see that now and I’m…” Cal’s chest began to heave as her sobs began to spill forth. “Oh, Mother, I’m s-sorry. I’m so sorry.” Rick quickly rose from her seat and went to her side, grabbing her arm to steady her. “Honey, it’s okay,” he whispered into her ear. “I… I understand now,” she said softly, running her fingers along her mother’s picture. “You only did the best that you knew you. You loved us the only way you knew how….” Rosehill Church, Cemetery Chaz shoved his hands deep into his pockets as he walked through the gravestones. He hoped Joy would understand why he had to take off so suddenly, but he couldn’t hang around that church and risk being seen. It would be just his luck that he would be back in Rosehill after all these years. Chaz prayed to God that he’d managed to get away before he’d seen him. It was then, at that moment, that Chaz saw the last thing he’d expected to see that day – the one thing he’d traveled all the way to Rosehill to see – his mother’s grave. Understandably shocked by the unexpected discovery, he fell to his knees in front of the gravestone, his breathing heavy and labored. It was her – the woman he’d always heard about, but had never met… the woman who’d died giving him life. Chaz carefully ran his fingers across the front of the stone – “Beloved wife and mother, Felicia Flemming Lamont.” So transfixed by the sight of his mother’s grave, he didn’t hear the telltale footsteps coming up behind him, not did he see the watchful, loving eyes that held him in their warm embrace. But he felt them. “Hello, son,” Edouard Aleata said as he looked down at Chaz, kneeling by his mother’s grave. Rosehill Church, Inside “Cal, it’s so good to see you again,” Betsy Harper exclaimed, hugging her best friend as everyone started to mingle after the conclusion of the memorial service. “I’m so glad you’re here.” “So am I,” Cal smiled. “It took a lot of convincing on Rick’s part, but I’m here.” She paused and turned to her brother Ben. “Do the police have any idea who did this? I know she wasn’t exactly the most liked person in the world, but why would anyone want to hurt her like this?” “I don’t know,” Ben muttered with a shake of his head. “I’ve tried talking to the police, but they haven’t exactly been very forthcoming with any leads they might have. It’s like… it’s like they want to keep us in the dark about everything.” “I’m sure they’re doing everything they can,” Van spoke up reassuringly. “But do we… do we have to talk about things like that today. Can’t all of that wait until tomorrow?” “I think your Aunt Van is right, Cal,” Rick nodded. “Today should be about Meg. We should….” “It’s so good to see you, Rick.” Dr. Andrew Marriott held out his hand, firmly grasping Rick’s. “Andrew,” Rick muttered in acknowledgement. He and Andrew shared a spouse – Rick’s former wife Barbara – and that allowed for a slight bit of awkwardness. “I’ve been meaning to call you and ask if you’ve heard anything more about Hank.” “Oh, yes, Rick, what’s the word on Hank?” Van leaned in and listened carefully for news on her stepdaughter Barbara and Rick’s son. “Does the government have any leads?” “All that they’re telling us is that his chopper was shot down somewhere over Iraq.” Rick carefully guided Andrew and Van away from the others as Cal, Ben, and Betsy went over old times. “They recovered the helicopter and the bodies of the men who were with him, but…” His voice caught in his throat, obviously concerned for the life of his eldest son. “There’s been no sign of him. It’s like… it’s like he’s simply vanished off the face of the earth. Officially, he’s MIA.” “Dear Lord.” Van shook her head in disbelief over the latest potential tragedy in the family. “And you still haven’t told Barbara?” “No.” Rick looked towards Andrew with a hard glare. “She has a right as his mother to know, but….” “You know as well as I do that she simply couldn’t handle this news in her condition,” Andrew interrupted. It was an argument they’d had many times over the last few weeks. “She’s made so much improvement since we moved her to the facility here in Rosehill, but news like this could be too much for her and might set her back to where she was before.” “I still don’t understand how this could happen,” Van sighed. “To all of a sudden, just…” “I don’t understand it, either, Van,” Andrew muttered, “but I can’t afford to take chances. Not when she’s come so far.” “Well, you’re her husband.” The subtle sarcasm in Rick’s voice wasn’t lost on either Van or Andrew and Van shot him a look of warning. Ignoring Rick, Andrew turned his attention to Van. “Anyway, I’m sorry to leave like this, but I’m actually going to go see Barbara. I like to spend as much time with her as I can.” He smiled warmly as he reflected on the little time he got to spend in his beloved wife’s company. “Give her my love.” Van kissed Andrew on the cheek before he walked out of the church, leaving Van and Rick to join the rest of their family, reflecting on memories of Meg. <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object>

<object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object> Episode #5 Friday, 4/27/07 Same Day, Afternoon Rosehill Church, Outside “I hope we’re not too late,” Joy Donovan said as she hurried up the walk towards the front of the church, Chaz trailing along behind her. She paused long enough to pull her recorder out of her purse. She wanted to make sure that she managed to capture every word of the service so she could use it later in her article. “This feels really weird,” Chaz grumbled, stopping dead in his tracks. He looked down at his jeans and boots. “I’m not even dressed for a funeral. We’re gonna stick out like a couple of sore thumbs. No one’s going to believe that we’re legitimately here to pay our respects to this woman.” “You said you were going to go in with me!” She paused at the front door to put on the black hat that especially matched her black suit – suitable for a mourning guest – and pulled the attached veil down over her face. “It’s not my fault you didn’t pack anything appropriate in your duffle bag!” “Joy, this is seeming like less and less of a good idea.” “Go!” she ordered as she reached into her purse and pressed the play button on her recorder before pulling open the doors of the church. She inhaled deeply, gathering her courage, and then began to stride confidently into the building. Rather awkwardly, Chaz slowly followed along behind her – until he caught sight of him! Chaz felt his draw drop. Out of all the places in the world, why the hell would he be in Rosehill? Now? And then it hit him. The funeral was for Meg Marriott. Chaz felt all the moisture drain from his mouth. “Are you coming?” Joy barked in a stern whisper. “I… I can’t,” he muttered, a sense of panic overtaking him. “I can’t.” Without another word, Chaz turned and bolted out of church, leaving a stunned and bewildered Joy behind. Meanwhile, Edouard Aleata had turned just in time to see the anxious young man leaving the building and couldn’t believe his own eyes. Rosehill Church, Inside “Eddie, what is it?” Vanessa Sterling asked with concern, easily noticing his obvious distraction. “It’s…nothing,” Edouard Aleata replied only half listening to her. “The service is about to start. We should….” “Thank you, Van, but I’m going to go outside and try to call Cal again.” He awkwardly began to move towards the door, all thoughts of Van and Meg’s funeral gone from his head. “Maybe I can get through to her.” Although Van thought that Eddie’s tone and behavior were odd, considering the tragic circumstances surrounding their reunion, it made logical sense to her that no one would be acting in a normal manner. As the light strains of organ music began to fill the room, Van stood at the end of the aisle and inhaled deeply, praying to the good Lord to give her the strength to be able to say “good-bye” to her sister Meg. She began her walk towards the front of the church while the gathered mourners slowly began to take their seats in the pews. She reached out for the hands of long-time friends and loved ones as they extended their own hands to her in silent shows of support and sympathy. And then there was Andrew…. When Dr. Andrew Marriott had married her stepdaughter Barbara, he’d finally officially become a part of the family, but Van had always thought of him as family, even before. He’d been such a pillar of strength for her during the time after her beloved husband Bruce had died, and now here he was being that rock for her once again. Andrew took her by the arm and led her to a seat on the front row next to her nephew Ben, Meg’s son, and Ben’s family. It was such a sad occasion for a family reunion. Yet, still, someone was missing – Meg’s daughter Cal from whom she’d been long estranged. Although the minister spoke comforting words and read verses of scripture, Van could only half listen as her thoughts were flooded with both memories of her sister and concerns for her niece. What finally drew her full attention was Ben, rising to deliver a eulogy for his mother. “I want to thank you all for coming today,” Ben Harper spoke as he stood by his mother’s casket. “There are quite a few faces here that I haven’t seen in a long time. I just wish that it were under better circumstances.” He stopped, looked over at the framed photograph of his mother that sat atop the casket, and inhaled deeply. “As I’m sure you all knew, my mother wasn’t exactly the easiest woman to get along with.” The crowd couldn’t help themselves but to smile and nod. Ben’s comment was an understatement, to say the least. “I think Maggie must have crossed paths with every single one of you in a negative way at some point over the years.” He looked at two of his mother’s former husbands, Tom Crawford and Andrew Marriott. “But I don’t want to talk about that. I want to talk about a woman many of you might not have had a chance to know.” “Yes, it’s true, my mother could be difficult. She could be headstrong and she could be irascible, but she could also be kind and loving. She was a woman who cared.” He paused and looked down at his hands that shakily held a program for the service. “Sometimes she cared too much, yes, and that made her go beyond what some of you would consider decent and noble, but she cared for her children more than any of you could ever know. She bent over backwards numerous times over the years for Cal and me. She cared for her grandchildren. She cared for her sister.” He looked to Van and smiled. “And this life will be a lot less interesting without her in it.” He stopped and took a long breath. “And…well…I guess that’s all I have to say.” He leaned over and ran his fingers lightly along the edge of his mother’s picture, choking back tears. “I love you, Maggie.” As Ben returned to his seat, the room fell absolutely silent because everyone knew that he was right – the world would be a less interesting place without Meg Hart Marriott in it. And then it was Van’s turn to speak…. Rosehill Church, Inside “Dear Meg,” Van muttered softly, not even knowing where to begin to say “good-bye” to her sister. “So many years. So much life.” She paused and inhaled deeply, trying to find the words she so desperate sought. “I remember when we were growing up, Momma would always tell me how I was the baby who never made a sound – who always had a smile on my face – and you… well, you were the one always raising a ruckus. And that’s how you lived your life.” “You were never content to just subtly make your way into a room. You had to make an entrance. You refused to let anyone ignore the fact that Meg Dale was in the room. You lived your life so full of passion, but sometimes you had so much passion that you didn’t know how to channel it. To some people, that might have made you seem overbearing or controlling, but I knew where that was coming from. I knew that all came from that deep seated sense of passion.” Van turned her attention away from her sister’s photograph and towards the congregation. “You see, my sister wasn’t the type of person to idly sit by and let life pass her by. She went out there and grabbed hold of life and shook it. Yes, that did mean she made some mistakes – and some of them were doozies, that’s for sure – but she lived every single moment she had to its fullest. How someone could just so callously and violently end such a…” Her voice trailed off. It truly was beyond her comprehension. “No. I’m not going to dwell on that today. I’m not going to think about the bad. Today I want to remember the good in my sister. No matter what mistakes she made, she brought into this world two fine children.” She looked towards Ben and smiled. “And I know they had their differences over the years and I know her children had their own troubles, but they’ve both grown into such fine human beings.” Her voice caught in her throat. “I just wish… I wish that…” “Aunt Van,” came the familiar voice from the back of the church. Van looked up and towards the sound of the voice, her hand flying up to her chest in joyous surprise. She had come. Meg’s long estranged daughter Cal was slowly walking down the aisle towards her in the supportive arms of her husband Rick Latimer. <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object>

<object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object> Episode #4 Thursday, 4/26/07 Same Day, Afternoon Rosehill Church “Ben, how’re you holding up?” Dr. Andrew Marriott asked as he extended his hand. “I know how difficult this must be for you and your family.” “I think I’m still in shock, Andrew,” Ben Harper replied quietly. “I’m just numb. None of these seems like it can possible.” “I think all of us feel that way.” “I just don’t understand any of this. None of it makes any sense.” Ben nervously fingered one of the flowers in the arrangement by his mother’s casket. “I know… I know Maggie could be a difficult woman. You were married to her, Andrew; you should know that as well as I do. She managed to make me angry more times than I can count, but…but…who could possibly want to see her dead? Who would do something like this to her?” “I don’t know, Ben.” Andrew came up behind him and put his hand on his shoulder. “You know your mother had her fair share of enemies. Back in her younger days she didn’t exactly hang around with the most upstanding of people.” Ben raked his fingers through his hair as he tried to make sense of it all. “The police are going to get to the bottom of this. Meg was an important and influential member of this community. She was our former first lady and she still held a seat on the hospital board.” Andrew gave Ben’s shoulder a firm squeeze. “They’re not going to stop until they find out who did this. None of us are.” As Ben stood silently, looking down at his mother’s casket, he nodded. However, it was not only a nod of agreement with Andrew’s assertions, but a vow – a promise – to his mother that come hell or high water he’d find out who did this to her himself and he’d damn well make sure that they’d pay for it. Rosehill Inn, Joy's Room “Don’t look at me like that,” Chaz said as Joy Donovan slowly pulled away from him. “It’s not like I made it sound.” “You… you said you killed your mother,” she stammered, repeating nearly verbatim what he’d just revealed to her. “How is that supposed to sound? How am I supposed to take that? I mean… I mean, we don’t really know each other and….” “Look, when I was born, my mother died. She died giving birth to me. So, in a sense, I killed my mother.” He paused and looked away from her, trying to hide a feeling of guilt and shame that he’d always felt had been forced upon him. “Oh, Chaz,” Joy sighed, now understanding what he’d meant, as she moved back closer to him. “It’s not your fault your mother died. Sometimes those things…just happen. No one can blame you for that.” “I know that, logically, and my father has never come right out and said that he blames me for her dying, but….” He stopped to take a long, deep breath. “Ever since I was a little boy and found out what happened to my real mother, I’ve blamed myself. I know it’s not logical, but I feel like every time my father looks at me he sees this reminder of what he lost when I was born.” “I lost my father when I was just a little girl,” Joy confessed, her own mind becoming flooded with troubled memories of the past. “It was a fire. I was so young I didn’t completely understand what was going on. I… I thought he’d gone away somewhere because of me. He was my whole world and he was gone. I loved him so much.” She hesitated for a moment, choking back tears. “Now… now I can barely even remember him. Hell, I barely even remember the bulk of my childhood before me, Mom, and my brother moved to Europe.” She wiped aware her tears and looked up at Chaz. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” “Well, I have steps,” he explained. “I’ve got an older step-sister that Dad adopted when he was married to her mother and I’ve got and another older step-sister and brother he adopted when he married Mom – I mean my step-mother. Really, she’s the only mother I’ve ever known. She adopted me, too.” “Yeah, my step-father did that with me and my brother,” Joy nodded. “And then I’ve got a little half-brother Mom had with my step-father. But then my stepfather died a few years ago. Now the man she’s married to – he’s a real jerk. What the hell she sees in him, I’ll never know.” “My step-mom’s always been great – well, as great as she could be. I was kinda the black sheep, always getting into trouble. I was the one who never really fit in. My oldest sister lives up in Canada. She was already grown and married before I was born, so I grew up with my step-mom’s kids. Somehow, I just never quite measured up to the perfect twosome.” A long pause. “But, well, enough of that….” “You’re telling me!” Joy jumped up out of bed when she realized what time it was. “If I don’t get moving, I’m gonna miss that funeral and then I’m not going to have much of a story and I’m gonna blow my shot!” In a flurry, she began rushing around the room, attempting to throw herself together before being stuck with an idea. “Hey, why don’t you go to the funeral with me.” “Me? I… I don’t even know these people.” “I don’t either,” she laughed, “I’m just covering a story. Besides, a little backup wouldn’t hurt.” “O-okay,” he caved. “Just what I came to Rosehill to do – crash a funeral.” Rosehill Church “Vanessa,” came the familiar voice from behind her. As Vanessa Sterling turned around, her hand flew up to her chest and she felt the tears beginning to well up in her eyes. “Eddie! Oh, dear lord, Eddie!” She ran into his arms. “It’s been years. How did you… how did you know?” “I talked to Cal,” Edouard Aleata explained, wrapping his arms around Van in comfort. “She told me what happened. I know it’s been a long time since Meg and I were married, but I couldn’t stay away. I had to come.” “Oh, I’m so glad you did,” Van sniffled back her tears. “So…you’ve talked to Cal? Please tell me she’s coming. I know there’s been bad blood between her and her mother for years, but she’d never forgive herself if she missed her own mother’s funeral.” “I wish I could tell you she was coming, Van, but I can’t. I tried to talk her into it, but she just seemed so ambivalent.” “I spoke with Rick yesterday,” she explained as she took Eddie’s hand and led him over to Meg’s casket. “I promised me that he was doing everything he could to convince Cal to come, but there’s still so much resentment there after everything Meg did to keep them apart all those years ago.” Van paused and looked up at Eddie. “Did you know that Cal never once let Meg see Will or Sarah? Meg never got a chance to lay eyes on her only grandson.” “I tried many times to tell Cal how much she’d end up regretting that decision, but you know how stubborn she can be.” “Well, I hope that stubbornness and resentment don’t eat away at her,” Van sighed with a shake of her head. “I know what Meg did in the past was horrible and I understand how she and Rick had to get away from Rosehill to escape from her meddling and interference. I can even partly understand why they’d want to shield the kids from her influence. Meg could care about her own children almost to the point of obsession, let alone her grandchildren. But I know that if Cal doesn’t put all that aside and come for her mother’s funeral, that’ll be something that she’ll never have a chance to take back. This is going to be her last chance to see her mother and set things right.” She paused and looked over at the framed photograph of her sister that was positioned next to the casket. “If she throws that chance away, one day she’s going to realize what a mistake she made and she’s never going to forgive herself.” <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object>

<object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object> Episode #3 Wednesday, 4/25/07 Same Day, Afternoon Rosehill Church, Outside “Andy, you’ve got to come up with some good news on this,” John Prentiss said into his phone as he paced around the garden outside the front doors of the church. “Paulson cannot pull out of this project!” “John?” his wife Suzanne Prentiss interrupted, coming out of the church. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to spend the entire service out here on the phone. My grandmother died. I need you to….” “Just a second, sweetheart.” He threw up his hand to silence her so that he could finish his phone conversation. “Well, Andy, you get with Alison and see what you can maneuver around. You can’t let me down on this.” He ended the phone call and finally turned his attention towards his wife. “I’m sorry, honey. What were you saying?” Suzanne glared at him. He hadn’t heard a word she’d said. “I was telling you how much I need you today, John. It’s my grandmother’s funeral and all you can think about is that damned Beaver Ridge!” “This is important! I’ve invested a lot of time and money into this project. This is our future!” “I thought Tess and I were your future.” “You are, honey, you are.” He took her into his arms and cradled her head against his shoulder. “But the success of this project could mean more financial security than we’d ever dreamed of. I’d be able to finally buy you that big house out by the lake and we can send Tess to all the best schools.” “I thought that’s what we were saving your trust fund for – the baby’s future.” “We are, honey.” John fidgeted without realizing it, thinking about how he’d already invested his entire trust fund into Beaver Ridge without telling his wife. “But the trust isn’t that big to begin with. Remember, we used part of it to buy the house.” “Yes, I know,” she nodded, “ the house you simply had to have because it was the one you’d spent your childhood in – the one next door to Aunt Van. But now you’re talking about buying some huge house out by the lake….” “Honey, trust me. This is going to be good for our future.” “I just wish you’d never gotten involved with Andy Marriott,” Suzanne muttered, unable to look at him, “or his daughter Alison.” Ah, the real sticker in the equation. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to either John or Suzanne, her little sister Megan was perched at the half-open church door overhearing every word. Rosehill Church, Inside “Megan, someone’s here who wants to see you,” Vanessa Sterling called out, drawing Megan Harper’s attention away from the conversation outside. “Coming, Aunt Van,” Megan replied as she tried not to sound too annoyed. She really wanted to hear the rest of what John and Suzanne were arguing about, but realized that it would have to wait until later and moved over to where her Aunt Van and sister Vanessa were standing, talking to a very handsome man. “Megan, you remember A.J., don’t you?” Vanessa Harper asked as she re-introduced her sister. “A.J.? Sterling?” Megan’s eyes grew wide. She hadn’t seen her Uncle Bruce’s grandson in quite a few years and definitely didn’t remember him looking quite so…cute. “It’s been a long time, A.J.” “Yeah, it has,” A.J. smiled as he looked her over. “I almost didn’t recognize Vanessa. New York must really agree with both of you.” “You could say that.” Megan smiled and fluttered her eyelashes coyly. “So many experiences and so much to do.” A pal fell across her face. “Not like here in dull old Rosehill.” “Rosehill’s not dull,” Van countered. “Yes, it can be rather quiet, but there’s a lot to do here.” “I actually like it,” Vanessa spoke up. “It’s so quaint and charming. Besides, all of our family is here. I’ve missed it.” “You would,” Megan grumbled under her breath. “I feel exactly the same way, Vanessa,” A.J. nodded. “I can’t really explain it, but it’s…well…home. After college, I couldn’t wait to come back here and work at Carlson.” “Well, then,” Megan smiled, her eyes darting from Vanessa to A.J., “I guess if Rosehill gets the stamp of approval from everyone, then there’s something I’ve been missing. Perhaps I need to rethink things.” She smiled warmly at A.J. before taking his arm. “Maybe you could reacquaint me with the place while I’m in town.” “I’d love to, Megan.” As Megan led A.J. away, Vanessa folded her arms across her arms across her chest and shook her head as she watched them. Megan was definitely up to her old tricks again. Rosehill Church, Inside “I got here just as soon as I could,” Dr. Tom Crawford said as he leaned down to kiss his sister Betsy on the cheek. “I got tied up in the lab with Andrew and Alex.” He motioned over to Drs. Andrew Marriott and Alex Marriott who’d arrived with him. “How’s your research project coming along?” Betsy Harper asked, attempting to find anything to take her mind off the funeral. “You said you were making progress?” “Major progress, but we’ve hit a snag.” He looked down at his feet in an attempt to hide his disappointment. “But enough about that. It’s not important right now.” He placed his hand under his sister’s chin and lifted her face so that he could look into her eyes. “Are you all right? You don’t look too well.” “It’s a funeral, Tom.” She pulled away from him and took several steps, her back to him. “How am I supposed to be? Ben’s mother’s been murdered and I’m afraid…” Her voice caught in her throat. “I’m afraid that everything is going to fall apart.” “Betsy, what do you mean? What are you talking about?” He moved behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders. “It’s Ben,” she confessed as she lowered her head. “He’s trying to put on a brave front for me and the girls, but this is killing him. I know him too well. After all these years, there isn’t much he can hide from me.” “Of course this is hard for him. His mother was murdered, for Christ’s sake. Meg’s death is hard for all of us.” Betsy turned to look at her big brother and shook her head with the realization that he did know all too well. “I’m sorry, Tom. I…wasn’t thinking. I know you and Meg were close. You two were married once and….” “That was a lifetime ago, Betsy, but I’m not going to deny that she was very special to me.” He paused and took a long, deep breath as memories of Meg flooded over him. “We had a very special kind of friendship, even after she gave me the divorce. I’m going to miss her.” Betsy turned back to look across the chapel at Ben who was rushing around in a flurry of activity, making sure every flower was in place and every little detail was perfect to honor his mother’s memory. He was nearly manic. Seeing her clear look of concern, Tom pulled his little sister close to him again. “It’s going to be all right,” he comforted. “Ben has you and the girls and Van all around to help him through this. I know how difficult this is, but he’s going to all right.” She nodded silently, desperately wanting Tom’s words to be true. However, she knew more than anyone how Ben could be. His mother’s murder was definitely something he wouldn’t be able to get over or let go of quite so easily. <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object>

<object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object> Episode #2 Tuesday, 4/24/07 Same Day, Early Afternoon Beaver Ridge Complex, Lobby “Dad, I’ve got those files you wanted,” Alison Marriott said as she rushed into the lobby and over to her father’s makeshift desk. “I’ve got to warn you, though, these numbers aren’t encouraging.” “I was afraid of that,” Andy Marriott sighed, taking the files from her and quickly scanning them. He felt his jaw begin to tighten, his sense of foreboding coming true, and he slammed the filed down onto his desk. “Damn, damn, damn!” “Dad, it’s going to be okay. We’ll figure a way around this. This isn’t going to keep Beaver Ridge from opening right on schedule.” “How can you say that? You’ve seen the numbers.” He raked his fingers through his hair, his mind going a mile a minute. “And with Paulson threatening to pull out…well, we’re just about done.” “Let me have another look.” Alison picked up the file and carefully made some quick notations in the margin. “Look, I can move some of these numbers around – transfer a little bit from here to there – and I can at least make it look like were solvent. If we show that to Paulson, it could buy us some time.” “Maybe,” Andy muttered, “but it’s not going to be enough. We don’t have enough funds or resources to make the changes he wants. If he pulls out, everyone else is going to follow right along behind him and that’s gonna leave me and John stuck with this rundown heap.” Alison’s eyes followed her father while he paced anxiously around the room. “Why in God’s name did I ever try to cut expenses by cutting those corners? Why did I let you talk me into….” “It’s gonna be okay, Dad. Trust me.” Alison put her hand on her father’s shoulder. “We’re not out, yet. Remember, I talked John into getting on board with this. Let me talk to Paulson. I bet I can charm him into falling in line.” “Well, if anyone can, you can. But… I don’t even think that’s gonna help.” Alison glanced down at her watch, making note of the time. “Dad, shouldn’t you be getting home to get ready?” “For what?” “Meg’s funeral is today. I thought you might want to go and pay your respects. She was married to Granddad for a while, after all.” “Don’t remind me of that disaster,” Andy grumbled. “And why the hell would I want to pay any kind of respect to that old hag. She’s the reason we’re in this mess to begin with. Damn that old woman to hell.” Rosehill Hospital, Research Lab “Alex, the results on those last round of tests just came in.” Dr. Tom Crawford burst through the door, charts in hand. “And?” Dr. Alex Marriott looked up from his microscope, anxious to hear good news. “Did the tests prove our theory?” “They proved it and then some.” Tom could barely contain his excitement. Over a year and a half’s worth of work was finally starting to come to fruition. “If these results hold, this could be the breakthrough we’ve been looking for.” “I’m just glad I could be a part of this.” Alex stuck out his hand and gave Tom’s a firm shake. “I know that I almost didn’t get to come aboard on this one, but….” “Old news, Alex. Old news.” Tom tried to hide his discomfort in discussing recent troubles, but when he realized he couldn’t he quickly changed the topic. “Your mother was here looking for you earlier.” “Yeah, she found me. She came by on the way over to the church for the funeral.” He paused, reflecting on all the difficulties of the past few days. “I’m really worried about Van. I hope she can make it through all this.” “Alex, Van is a strong woman; I’ve known her for years. She’s been through a lot in her life. If anyone can survive anything, it’s her.” “Gentlemen,” Dr. Andrew Marriott spoke up as he stepped into the lab, “I hear congratulations are in order.” “Damn right!” Tom beamed. “Those tests proved everything that we’ve been trying to say for months. I’m positive that with just a few more trials and some more research, we’ll really make significant progress to take to the pharmaceutical company and the FDA. This is going to help a lot of people, Andrew.” “I’m sure it will, Tom.” Andrew couldn’t bear to look at him – couldn’t bear to tell him the awful news. “Tom, I… I have to shut down the project. The hospital simply doesn’t have the funds to continue supporting your research on this.” “But, Granddad, I don’t understand.” Alex looked from Andrew to Tom and back again, trying to make sense of what his grandfather was saying. “Alex, Meg’s grant was the sole source of funding for this research project. When she pulled her backing….” “Meg pulled out?” Alex couldn’t hide his disbelief and disappointment. “Tom, you didn’t tell me she pulled out. I know she threatened to, but….” He slowly began to nod, realizing exactly what the reason was. “It was me, wasn’t it? Meg pulled out because of me.” “Meg pulled out for whatever twisted reason she had for pulling out this time,” Tom corrected. “Everyone knows how she was. She’d get an idea into her head and no one could convince her otherwise until she did something foolish, realized she’d hurt a lot of people she hadn’t intended to, and then begged everyone to forgive her. This is no one’s fault.” The ringing of the telephone interrupted the conversation and Tom answered. “Hello?” “Tom, it’s Amy,” Amy Marriott said softly on the other end of the line. “Can you talk?” “No,” he replied casually. “I’m here with Andrew and Alex right now.” He looked at the clock on the wall and noted the time. “We should be getting ready to go to the funeral in a few minutes.” “I know,” she sighed, “me, too. I still haven't decided whether I'm going or not. I don't know if I can put up with St. Van that long.” She took a lengthy pause. “Can we… see one another after the funeral?” “I don’t know. That just seems so….” “Oh, please, Tom. I need to see you.” “Okay,” he nodded, turning his back towards Andrew and Alex to shield them from the conversation. “After the funeral.” Amy hung up the phone and leaned back in her chair in her office. Everything had gone so much easier than she’d anticipated. Now, it was almost clear sailing. Rosehill Church “Oh, Aunt Van,” Vanessa Harper cried out when she saw her namesake as she walked into the church. “I’m so sorry.” “Thank you, dear,” Vanessa Sterling said softly, her arms around her grandniece. “We’ve all lost a great deal with Meg’s death.” “Aunt Van, I insisted on coming home just as soon as I found out the news,” Vanessa’s twin sister Megan Harper spoke up. “This is just a tragedy.” “Yes, dear, I’m sure you did.” While Van appreciated the sentiment, she wasn’t the least bit blind to her grandniece’s shortcomings. In fact, Van couldn’t help but smile at the thought of exactly how much Megan reminded her of Meg. “Girls, it’s so good to have you both home,” Betsy Harper took her daughters into her arms and hugged them tightly. “I just wish this was under better circumstances.” “We’re here, Mom. We’re a family. We come together in times like this.” Vanessa held Betsy’s hand tightly, attempting to give her support and comfort. “That’s what families do.” “Yeah, Mom, what she said.” Megan rolled her eyes slightly even though she’d tried her best to avoid it. Her demeanor wasn’t lost on her older sister Suzanne. “Cut the act, Megan,” Suzanne Prentiss spoke up in a firm whisper. “Everyone knows you didn’t want to come back her and interrupt your little ski adventure. You don’t have the slightest interest in your family. You never have.” “Don’t start, Suzanne.” Megan folded her arms tightly across her chest and glared at her. “I do care about this family. You and Vanessa don’t hold exclusive rights to that. Don’t you have a husband somewhere you need to annoy and nag instead of me?” “John’s tied up outside with a phone call.” Suzanne did her best to hide the irritation caused by her husband’s preoccupation with business, today of all days. “He’s having some complications with the Beaver Ridge project, I think.” “Probably more to do with Alison Marriott.” Megan tried to make it seem that she was muttering under her breath, but she’d really intended for Suzanne to hear her. “Oh, shut up, Megan.” Suzanne pushed past her and stormed out of the church in search of her husband. “Hmm,” Megan smirked. “I must’ve hit a nerve.” Meanwhile, across the church…. “Betsy, are you all right?” Van asked with concern. “You’re not looking well.” “How like you,” Betsy smiled. “All of this going on around you and you’re worried about me.” She paused and glanced across the room towards her husband Ben who was deep in conversation with the minister. “I’m worried about him, Aunt Van. I’m afraid that all if this is too much for him – to lose his mother like this….” “Honey, we’re a strong family. We’re going to get through this.” “I just hope that the police find out who killed Meg quickly. I don’t know how much of this he can take.” “The Rosehill Police Department is one of the finest in the state, Betsy. I have complete faith that they’re going to find out who did this to Meg.” “I hope so, Aunt Van.” Betsy paused, looking down at her hands which had torn the Kleenex she’d held into shreds in anxiety. “He’s not like you, Aunt Van. You know that. He obsesses over things. He can be like a dog with a bone. Until we find out who did this, nothing else is going to matter – not work, not the kids, not me, not even himself….” She again looked over towards her husband as she tried to keep her own fears at bay. “I’m worried about him. I’m worried that this is going to end up eating him alive….” <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object>

<object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object> Episode #1 Monday, 4/23/07 Late Morning Rosehill Church Vanessa Sterling paused at the doors of the church, hoping for a moment to catch her breath. She wasn’t sure she had the strength to go through with it. It seemed like only yesterday that she’d walked through these very same doors to say her final good-byes to her beloved husband Bruce. Now, she was forced to again say “good-bye” – this time to her sister Meg. “Aunt Van,” Betsy Harper’s voice came from behind her as she placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “It’s going to be all right. We’re almost all here and Ben should be here before too long with the girls.” “I know, Betsy. I know.” Van took Betsy’s arm, took a long deep breath, and slowly stepped through the doors into the church. Despite the solemness of the occasion, she couldn’t help but smile when she saw Lynn and Stacy. Although they weren’t her daughters by blood, they were definitely her daughters in spirit. “Oh, Van, I’m so sorry,” Lynn Jennings sobbed as she put her arms around the only real mother she’d ever known. “This has just been so much of a shock.” “Van, do they know anything more?” Stacy Donnelley asked. After the deaths of her own parents, Bruce and Vanessa Sterling had taken her into their home and their hearts just as they had Lynn. “Do the police have any idea who might have done this?” “No, dear,” Van shook her head. It was all simply too much to comprehend. Her sister Meg had been murdered – shot to death – in her own home. Yes, it was true that Meg Hart Marriott had her fair share of enemies, but surely no one could have hated her so much that they’d want her dead. “Don’t worry, Gran,” A.J. Sterling spoke up, taking her other hand. “The police will find out who did this. They’ll find out who killed Meg.” Bruce and Vanessa Sterling had taken A.J. and his baby sister Galen in when he was just a boy after the deaths of their parents, Bruce’s son Alan Sterling and his wife Olivia, in a plane crash and had raised the children as their own. Like both Stacy and Lynn, Van had been like a mother to him. “Why must it take a tragedy to bring a family back together,” Van muttered, fighting back her tears. “Why?” Rosehill Inn, Joy’s Room “I wonder if Rosehill welcomes all its visitors like this?” Joy Donovan purred as she rolled over in bed to snuggle up against her roadside savior. “If they do, I think I better send a thank you note.” “You do know that I didn’t pick you up just to get you into bed, don’t you?” Chaz wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. “Of course, you didn’t.” She let out a soft laugh. “And if I were you, I’d definite call up that rental agency and chew them out for renting you that piece of junk they tried to pass off as a car. Hell, if I hadn’t come along, you might still be stuck out on the highway all by yourself.” “Don’t remind me,” she groaned. “I would’ve completely screwed up my assignment if it weren’t for you.” She turned and looked at the bedside clock, making note of the time. “Which I still might do if I don’t get moving.” “So, tell me, how does one of Europe’s premiere party girls get a gig writing for a tabloid?” “Not much to tell, really.” Joy reluctantly untangled herself from Chaz’s arms, slid out of bed, and reached for her robe. “I just got tired of all the parties and wanted something else to do. The World Star needed a gossip columnist and since I knew everybody who was anybody in the European social scene, it seemed like an ideal job.” “But now you’re a reporter?” “Yeah. Who was doing what and what they were wearing while doing it got old after a while,” she explained as she hurriedly dressed. “I wanted to do more and I convinced them to let me be a reporter. This is going to be my first big story.” “Here in Rosehill?” Chaz furrowed his brow, trying to make the connection. “This is a long way from the French Riviera.” “I know,” Joy sighed. “But my editor seems to think there’s some big story about some old society matron getting shot to death that’ll make for good copy. Apparently, she was married at one time to some big European shipping magnet who deals in a lot of art, so they think it’s relevant.” She paused and turned to Chaz and smiled before sauntering back over to the bed and sliding in next to him. “So, what about you, Mr. Chaz? What’s your story? Why are you in Rosehill?” He inhaled deeply, trying to figure out just where to begin. “I’m here to see my mother.” “Oh? Is she expecting you?” “No,” he muttered, turning away from her. “She’s dead.” He paused and took a long breath. “I killed her.” Rosehill Airport “I don’t understand why Daddy had to drag us back to Rosehill. We were having such a blast in Switzerland.” Megan Harper pulled her suitcase behind her as she walked with her twin sister Vanessa through the airport. “And that Jean Luc was such a hottie!” “Megan, our grandmother died,” Vanessa Harper reminded pointedly. “Our place is here with our family right now. Switzerland can wait.” “But it’s not like anyone even liked her.” Megan scowled. “Maggie was a mean, cranky old woman. Hell, someone didn’t like her enough to shoot her. That should tell you something. I just don’t understand why we had to ruin a completely good vacation to come back to this dinky little town and listen a bunch of people who could barely stand her suddenly start gushing over how wonderful and beloved she was when we both know that was never the case.” “You really astound me sometimes, you know?” Vanessa had stopped dead in her tracks, unable to believe the callousness her sister exuded. “You’re talking about our grandmother. Dad is just beside himself and I can only imagine how Aunt Van is dealing with all of this. Even if you didn’t like her, I’d at least think you’d want to be here for them.” “Whatever.” Megan couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Vanessa seemed to always be too pristine to be believed. However, once she’d spotted their father across the airport, her tone suddenly and completely changed. “Oh, it’s Daddy!” she cried out, tears quickly filling her eyes as she dropped her suitcase and ran to him. “Oh, Daddy, I’m so sorry about Grandmother. How could this have happened? Who could’ve wanted to do something like this?” Megan threw her arms around her father and hugged him tightly while Vanessa stood back in stunned silence. Megan could really turn it on when she wanted to. “I don’t know, honey,” Ben Harper sighed, extending his arm for Vanessa to join him in a hug. “The police are doing everything they can. I know we’ll find out who did this.” “I’m sure we will, Dad,” Vanessa tried to be comforting. As Ben led his daughters through the terminal and towards the doors, Vanessa’s head was filled with thoughts of how her grandmother’s death was going to affect the family and wonderings of who might have committed such a horrible act. Megan, on the other hand, could only think about how fast she could get the funeral over with and when the first plane back to Switzerland took off. <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object>

Just a reminder that 'Love of Life - Return to Rosehill' premieres with daily episodes tomorrow! If you've forgotten the set up for the series from the pilot episode, please feel free to re-read it to refresh your memory.

FINAL EPISODES Arlene tells Ray she's going to shop and have lunch in Manhattan with her mother. Ray suspects she's really planning a secret rendezvous with Hal. When her mother cancels their lunch date, Arlene arranges to meet Hal. She tells him that she and Ray are having a baby. Hal informs Arlene that he's arranged to be transferred to New York City permanently. Meanwhile, Ray's jealousy grows after he calls Hal's office and learns he's out to lunch.... Back home with Ray, Arlene lets him know she had lunch with Hal, for she wanted to say "hello." Ray retorts he'd be happy if Arlene never saw Hal again. Surprised by Ray's attitude, Arlene says his jealousy is ridiculous. Alone, Ray vows to get the truth about the baby -- even if he has to beat it out of Hal! Mr. Chang (Tran's foster father) informs Kim that Mrs. Chang has an inoperable malignant tumor. And Mrs. Chang wishes to spend as much time as possible with Tran before she dies. To grant his wife her request, Mr. Change offers to pay Kim and Tran's airfare to Denver, where the Changs have their home. Steve admits to Van that she was right when she tried to tell him his love for her was really only a crush. "I've been acting like a fool," Steve adds. Van counters that he acted the way he did out of loneliness. In the hallway, Joel overhears Steve telling Van that he loves her and admires her in a very special way. Will Joel tell Bruce what Steve said? Amy wraps up a locket Bruce gave to her mother, Loretta, in 1956, and place sit on his desk in an envelope. After opening the envelope, Bruce comments how strange this is -- he gave the locket to "someone" a long time ago.... Kelly, Liane's exuberant younger sister, arrives in town to attend Rosehill University. The Trial Begins At Ben's trial, Dr. Marriott testifies that Betsy was rendered sterile after the accident and has a hazy memory of recent events. He admits Betsy's hairline fracture of the skull could have been caused by Ben hitting Betsy over the head with an oar, or when she bumped her head on the boat. Van is called to the stand next and testifies that Ben and Betsy had quarreled bitterly before departing for the lake. Mia, feeling revengeful and angry, testifies that she and Ben were lovers up until a week before the incident on the lake. She lies that she phoned Ben "on business" while he was at the lake with Betsy, but Betsy immediately began attacking her and demanding the details of their affair! Mia also fibs that Ben threatened her over the phone and then hung up. Furthermore, she reveals that Meg tried to bribe her into not testifying against Ben. Ray is hurt when he overhears Arlene confiding in Carrie that Hal is in love with her (Arlene), and has been ever since they met in Des Moines. On the witness stand, Carrie recalls the nightmares Betsy has had about the accident in which she begged Ben to take her back to shore. Carrie confesses Betsy doesn't remember Ben trying to kill a snake that supposedly crawled on her.... Mr. Wilber, the fisherman who photographed the accident, testifies that he didn't see a snake when he helped Ben rescue Betsy. He also says they seemed very angry with each other and were arguing before the boat tipped over. Elliott then presents to the jury the pictures of en holding an oar over Betsy's head. Bruce points out that all the photos show are Ben and Betsy reacting to something in the boat... they stood up, causing the boat to overturn. On the witness stand, Ben explains he took Betsy out on the lake to find out what Mia had said to her over the phone that upset her so much. Ben adds that Mia has always been jealous of Betsy, because Betsy is the only woman he ever loved. He then relates how a snake had crawled on Betsy and declares he would have given his life to save her from it. Meanwhile, Betsy hears on a radio news report that Elliott has accused Ben of making up the story about the snake and that only one witness, "who lies gravely ill in the hospital," can corroborate the tale. Knowing she's the only one who can save Ben, Betsy sobs: "I have to remember the snake. I just have to remember...." While sleeping, Betsy hazily recalls Ben trying to kill the snake. When Betsy awakens, she tells Carrie she must get to the trial to help Ben before it's too late.... In the courtroom, Ben elaborates that he did not hit Betsy with the oar -- he tried to hit the snake into the water, but Betsy panicked and stood up, causing the boat to overturn. After Bruce and Ben receive word that Betsy wants to testify, they both rush over to the hospital. Though Ben tells Betsy she's too weak to go to court, Betsy insists she can make it with his help. Accusations In New York, Ray accuses Hal of being in love with Arlene. Hal admits he loves Arlene, but nothing happened between them in the cabin, although he did make a pass at her. Hal says there's only one man in Arlene's life -- Ray. Unconvinced Hal's telling the truth, Ray charges him with being the father of Arlene's baby -- after all, she was on the Pill before the accident, and now she's suddenly pregnant! After he returns home, a bitterly angry Ray accuses Arlene of getting pregnant by Hal and continuing her love affair with him. Shocked that Ray believes she's been unfaithful, Arlene explains she went off the Pill two weeks before she got pregnant -- she didn't tell Ray about it because she wanted to surprise him when she became pregnant. Arlene admits it's true Hal is in love with her, and the reason she didn't tell Ray was that she knows how jealous he gets. Ray shouts he'll never accept a baby of Hal's like he accepted April, who's another man's child. As he's packing his things, Ray declares he's on his way out of Arlene's life for good! Hurt, Arlene screams: "Get out! I don't want to live with you anymore either!" Ray check into the Rosehill Inn. In his closing statement, Bruce says Ben loves Betsy and should be at the hospital with her while she's recuperating. And Bruce points out Elliott's evidence is circumstantial -- the fisherman didn't see Ben actually strike Betsy. "There was no crime. The was an accident," Bruce declares. Star Witness Elliott counters in his closing remarks that Betsy ran into the boat to escape Ben's rage and that he purposely knocked her into the water. "No, no, it didn't happen that way!" Betsy screams after bursting into the courtroom. Since Betsy's testimony could save Ben, Bruce motions for the defense to be reopened. Betsy testifies she went to the lake to straighten out her relationship with Ben and so they could come to terms with her pregnancy (by Elliott). Betsy sobs that if it hadn't been for Mia's cruel phone call, she (Betsy) and Ben would still be together and she'd still be carrying her baby. After Mia's phone call, Betsy explains, she ran into the boat hating Ben because she didn't know the truth yet, that Ben had ended his affair with Mia. "I think I remember... there was a snake," Betsy recounts, her voice faltering. "I was terrified. Ben really wanted to help me...." As Betsy's remembering the snake slithering up around her shoulder, she faints! While Ray and Arlene are in the midst of a heated argument over her pregnancy, Hal comes to the door. Hal swears the baby Arlene is carrying is Ray's. "Arlene has never loved me or made love to me, " Hal insists. "I'm the loser in this, Ray, not you!" When Ray and Hal get into a fist fight, Arlene pulls the two apart. After Hal has left, Ray sobs he cares about Arlene, he really cares. TO BE CONTINUED... 27 YEARS LATER WHEN WE -- 'RETURN TO ROSEHILL' MONDAY, APRIL 23

After well over a month of planning (as well as writing so that I can have a sufficient backlog of episodes "in the can" for the planned daily posting schedule), I can finally announce that "Love of Life" will return to the "airwaves" on Monday, April 23, 2007. The story of Vanessa Sterling and all the other residents of Rosehill will once again continue just over 27 years since we last checked in on them. Please join me as we "Return to Rosehill" on April 23rd.

Feeling more like her old self again, Meg informs Tom that she's having her lawyer pursue the malpractice suit. Tom expresses his disappointment and asks Meg to reconsider pressing charges against Liane. He reiterates that he cares deeply for Meg and wants to remain her friend. Tom can't understand why Meg is determined to destroy the career of a person who saved her life... When Tony presses Bambi to reset their wedding date, she points out that it would be very cruel of him to pull away from Kim. Tony insists Kim is strong enough to make peace with the fact that he's in love with Bambi. "You're the only woman I love, and I can't face a life without you by my side," he reaffirms. "Please let's set a wedding date...." Liane laments to Dr. Marriott that she's lost her self-confidence as a surgeon and wants to practice general medicine, rather than surgery. She's afraid of what would happen if she ever tried to operate on anyone again. "I just can't. I just can't," Liane sobs. ...Later that day, Maggie's (Liane's friend) little boy gets something stuck in his throat and can't catch his breath. Because there isn't enough time to get him to the hospital, Liane forgets her anxieties and performs an emergency tracheotomy on the child. After successfully completing the operation, Liane exclaims: "I did it! I really am a surgeon!" That evening, she telephones Dr. Marriott with the news that she's decided to return to Rosehill Hospital and resume her surgical residency there. The Masterplan... Commenting on how attractive and "special" Mia is, Elliott makes a pass at her. She pulls away and shouts that he should stop pretending he's attracted to her when he's really thinking of Betsy. "I'm sick of being a substitute for Betsy!" Mia complains. "Look where it got me with Ben!" Elliott admits it's true that he can't get his mind off Betsy. He figures the only way to get her back is to put Ben behind bars long enough for him (Elliott) to regain her affections. Elliott suggests that if Mia really wants Ben back, she should testify against him! After Ben is sent to prison, Elliott will arrange for him to be paroled early. Mia and Elliott seal their "masterplan" with a kiss.... Much to Tom's surprise, Meg tells him she might have been wrong about Liane. Since destroying Liane would diminish Meg's own life, she's decided to drop the lawsuit. Meg claims she is doing it for Tom, as she wants to marry him! Meg points out that Liane will have her career, and she (Meg) will have Tom! Though Meg is aware that Tom doesn't love her the way she loves him, she's willing to settle for "friendship." Playing on Tom's guilt, Meg explains that she needs him -- he's the only reason she wants to go on living. "I'll be good for you," Meg adds. "We can make a life together." Betsy, obsessed with the accident, has a frightening nightmare during which she screams that what happened is all Mia's fault. When Carrie tries to calm her, Betsy thinks that Carrie is Mia! Unable to stand the sight of Carrie, Betsy shouts for her to leave the room. After injecting Betsy with a sedative, Paul tells Tom that she's suffering from aftershock; her condition is getting worse. Every day, Betsy grows more agitated.... Anxious to wed Tom, Meg presses him for an answer to her proposal. "You're the most important thing in my life," she utters. Meg resolves to make Tom love her if he agrees to marry her. Optimistic about the future, Meg announces to Ben that she wants to make the best of a bad situation (her paralysis) by starting a physical therapy program. When Meg declares Tom is going to marry her, Ben becomes infuriated. Ben bursts into Tom's office and demands to know why he's planning to wed Meg. "What's in it for you?" Ben angrily asks. Tom replies he cares deeply for Meg and wants to make her happy. Ben accuses Tom of wanting to marry Meg because he feels guilty for pushing her down the stairs! Their tempers flaring, Ben and Tom get into a punching match. When they both realize how ridiculous it is for them to be fighting, they apologize to each other. To make certain Tom will marry her, Meg offers to drop the lawsuit as a wedding present. Because he loves Liane and wants to spare her the humiliation of a court battle, Tom agrees to marry Meg! "You're making me very happy," she exclaims. Liane returns to Rosehill Hospital and is given a warm welcome by her co-workers. At Ben's hearing, a fisherman, Mr. Wilbur, testifies that he saw Ben and Betsy arguing in the boat. While Ben was shouting at Betsy, the fisherman says, he was holding an oar over his head, and it looked as though he was going to hit her with it! Mr. Wilbur elaborates that he heard a scream, and the next thing he knew, the boat overturned. The judge announces that Elliott's evidence is more than sufficient for Ben's case to go to trial. Ben, who's been praying the case would be dropped, is enraged. Elation After apologizing for not getting in touch with her while she was in Lockridge, Tom tells Liane that Meg's dropping the lawsuit. Liane is elated -- this news is much more than she'd hoped for. The next day, Liane, unable to really believe that Meg's decided to drop the malpractice suit, asks Tom if he's sure he is not holding back anything about Meg's change of heart. Tom responds he'd rather not spoil Liane's delight over being back in Rosehill by discussing anything serious.... Paul notifies Arlene that she's pregnant! Arlene jumps for joy and can hardly wait to tell Ray the good news. Determined to endear herself to Tom, Meg sends him a centrifuge for his cardiovascular research project. When Meg later stops by Tom's lab, she apprises him that if he doesn't wed her soon, she'll revive the lawsuit. Tom reassures Meg he'll make her his wife, but she's got to give him time to work things out with Liane.... Mia explains to Wesley she's testifying against Ben at his trial because she loves him! Mia believes the only way she can get Ben back would be to cause, with Elliott's help, a permanent rift between Ben and Betsy.... Ben tries to help Betsy recall the accident. When he mentions the snake, she gets hysterical and shouts: "No, there wasn't any snake! I don't remember a snake!" All Betsy recalls is Ben holding an oar over her head before the boat capsized. Meg attempts to bribe Mia into changing her mind about testifying, but Mia turns Meg down, refusing to be "bought." Tom and Liane make love; the next morning, he asks her to marry him right away. Tom now realizes he loves Liane too much to give her up to wed Meg. Liane tells Tom she can't get married until she finishes her residency -- in five years. After meg finds out Tom spent an evening with Liane, she bawls him out, saying she can't trust him. Tom counters he's been honest with Meg all along: he loves Liane. Although Tom doesn't love Meg, he promises he'll do everything he can to make her happy, should they marry. Meg points out she has the time and the money to make Tom a leader in his field -- Liane can't do that for him. Since Ray had urged her to have a baby, Arlene expected him to be ecstatic to learn she's pregnant. Instead, Ray says he's uncertain it's the right time for her to have a baby. Ray explains he thinks Arlene isn't strong enough, having recently suffered through the ordeal in the mountain cabin... Is Ray really afraid the child is Hal Carson's? Because he needs a deposition from Betsy, Elliott grills her about the accident. Betsy reveals she ran out of the lake house because she was angry with Ben. They rowed out on the lake. Although she'd like to remember the snake, Betsy can't recall Ben trying to kill it when it crawled on her. Talking about the accident causes Betsy to become hysterical again, so Dr. Marriott orders Elliott to leave her alone, as she's in no condition to be interrogated. Mia swears to Ben that she never meant to hurt Betsy -- what happened is going to haunt her (Mia) the rest of her life. Furthermore, Mia insists Ben and Betsy were never meant to be together, for Betsy can't satisfy him the way she (Mia) does! And, Mia continues, Betsy can't make Ben happy. Ben retorts he despises Mia for what she did -- she's a manipulator. Mia counters she loves Ben -- everything she did was for him. When she offers to help Ben at his trial, he demands that she stay out of his life once and for all! Bruce asks Elliott to postpone Ben's trial, but Elliott adamantly refuses, more determined than ever to do Ben in. Later that day, Elliott stops by Mia's office and tells her Betsy doesn't remember the snake. Noticing that Mia's crumpling several pieces of torn paper in her hand, Elliott inquires what they are. Mia reveals that it's the check with which Meg tried to bribe her into not testifying. Seeing the check as potentially explosive courtroom evidence, Elliott pastes it together. "Another nail in Ben's coffin," he snidely remarks. "Oh, no, it's happening!" Meg exclaims. For the first time since the brain operation, she ahs feeling and movement in her left leg. The following day, Meg has movement in both legs. Tran's foster parents show up in Rosehill, worrying Kim that they might try to take her little boy away.... Arlene, upset that Ray's been brooding the last few days, presses him to tell her what's bothering him. Ray admits he'd been thinking about Arlene and Hal together in the mountain shack. He wonders how things really were: what did Arlene think about... what were her feelings? Arlene recounts how tired, scared, and hungry she was, but Hal kept her going. She adds that they became very close and shared their deepest feelings. Arlene points out that Ray should be grateful to Hal -- if it hadn't been for him, she wouldn't be alive today.... Liane apologizes to Tom for taking his marriage proposal so lightly. She explains that if she married Tom, her heart wouldn't be totally in her work, and she's committed to being a top-notch surgeon. Liane fears her work would keep her so busy she wouldn't be there for Tom when he needed her.

Betsy tells Tom she overheard her doctors discussing that she can't have any more children and begs him to let her know if it's true. Since Betsy's weak and emotionally drained, Tom refuses to discuss it with her. When Joel urges Amy to enlighten Bruce about being his illegitimate daughter, Amy reveals that Bruce abandoned her mother when she was pregnant because he wanted to pursue his law career. "I'm going to make him pay for what he did," she vows. ...During a break in the office routine, Bruce tells Amy, his secretary, that before he married Van, he had a son and a daughter, Alan and Barbara. Elliott asks Mia to testify against Ben at his trial for manslaughter and intent to commit murder. A revengeful gleam in her eyes, Mia affirms: "Ben deserves everything a jury can pin on him. I want to see him suffer as much as he made me suffer!" Worried that Elliott will cause Betsy further grief by pressing charges against Ben, Tom pleads with him to drop his vindictive plans. Elliott retorts that he won't let the man responsible for "murdering" Betsy's unborn child go unpunished: "I'm not playing a game -- I intend to prove my charges against Ben!" At the arraignment, Elliott announces that Ben has a violent nature and should be locked behind bars because he's a threat to society! Seething with hatred towards Elliott, Ben grabs him and shouts: "Why don't you tell them what you did (Elliott raped Betsy) to Betsy?" The judge holds Ben in contempt of court for his outburst and sends him back to jail, denying him bail. Kim and Tony return to Rosehill with their young son, Tran. Tony informs Bambi that he's letting Kim and Tran live in his apartment until they find a place of their own. In the meantime, Tony will be staying at a nearby inn. Found! Ray and a rescuer spot smoke coming from a mountain shack and, hoping that Hal and Arlene are inside, they head for it. When they reach the shack, a recluse opens the door. After Ray and the rescuer explain about the plane crash, the recluse agrees to take them to another shack in the area, to check if Hal and Arlene might have taken refuge there. When they arrive at the cabin, they find Hal and Arlene weak from hunger and cold. They're taken to Rosehill Hospital. Bruce arranges for a new judge to preside over Ben's hearing and also gets him out of jail on bail. Meg, intent on destroying Liane's medical career, hires a lawyer, Mr. Lewin. He assures Meg that she has sufficient evidence to sue not just Liane, but the hospital, too. Mr. Lewin advises Meg to have an examination by a neurosurgeon from another hospital.... When Tom learns what Meg's planning to do to Liane, he begs her to reconsider. Meg bluntly refuses. "I know you're more sensitive, honest, and good than most people see. I just can't believe you'd ruin Liane's life and career, but maybe I'm wrong. You're not at all like the Mg I knew and cared about so much...." Meg thinks Tom's trying to con her into changing her mind about suing Liane, and says: "Nice try, Tom..." Wanting to avoid daily contact with Mia, Ben quits his job at Views magazine. When Mia offers to help Ben get out of trouble, he tells her she's the cause of the charges against him! "I stopped loving you a long time ago, Mia. There's nothing left between us," Ben adds. Mia cries that she loved him and he can't erase their relationship. Since there haven't been any job openings recently at Rosehill Hospital, Wes asks Ray if he can re-open the disco room at Beaver Ridge. Though at first Ray's reluctant to hire Wes because of what happened with Gina last summer, he later has a change of heart and offers Wes a job as disc jockey. Betsy, still weak, murmurs to Ben that the accident happened because they were never meant to be a couple...and now she can't even have anymore children. "I'm sorry about the baby," Ben says, "but we still have Suzanne..." Betsy sobs that since she's sterile she doesn't want to live! Ben begs Betsy to think only about getting well and promises her they will be together.... Bruce informs Van that Betsy can't remember what happened at the lake because she's suffering form hysterical conversion...she's blocking out a painful memory. Later, Bruce tells Van he fears that without Betsy's testimony on Ben's behalf, he can't prevent Ben's case from going to trial.... Before Meg is released from the hospital, Tom assures her he's going to do everything within his power to see that she has a full life. "You can keep your job...you can keep me. I want to be your good friend and make up for all the pain I've caused you," he says sincerely. "I care for you, Meg, and I want to take care of you. I don't want you to ruin Liane's life. You must drop the malpractice suit..." Tom believes that deep down Meg's not a vicious person and therefore wouldn't be able to live with the guilt she'd feel if she destroyed Liane's life and career. Liane Gets a Surprise Liane, who's out of town at her friend Maggie's house, is surprised to hear Dr. Marriott inform her that the hospital board of inquiry has voted her a commendation for saving Meg's life! Pointing out that Liane's not the type of person who runs away from trouble, Dr. Marriott urges her to return to Rosehill Hospital and fight Meg's lawsuit. When Bruce opens a letter Amy placed on his desk, he exclaims that it's like hearing from the "beyond" -- the letter is from a woman he knew a long time ago. "Just someone you knew, or my mother -- the woman you got pregnant and deserted?" Amy asks silently.... At home, Bruce re-reads the letter from Amy's mother, Loretta King. She writes that she has a score to settle with Bruce because he had an affair with her in Nebraska in 1956 and then abandoned her. Loretta threatens to come to Rosehill and resolve things to her satisfaction...she's intent on paying Bruce back for walking out on her. Wes assures a despondent Mia that she's a "terrific lady," much too good for Ben. He advises Mia to forget Ben, for he doesn't deserve anyone as wonderful as she! Mia promises Wes she'll try to put Ben out of her mind... Can she do it? Dr. Marriott apprises Liane that if she doesn't come back to the hospital soon, she stands to lose her residence, as Dr. Tucker is having second thoughts about re-admitting her. "I want you to get back here!" he says. Liane declares that she's never returning. Liane reveals to her friend Maggie that she plans to stay in Lockridge and either set up her own practice or work in a clinic. Since Tom hasn't tried to contact her, Liane feels there's no reason for her to go back to Rosehill.... Ben tells Dr. Marriott that he can't stand seeing Betsy so depressed and confused -- what's being done to help her? Dr. Marriott assures Ben that Betsy will be all right, but it's going to take time. Ben frets that she'll fall into a deep depression from which she'll never recover.... Prof. McCauley, anxious to make Sarah his wife, again proposes to her. Much to his surprise, she finally says yes! Meg, home from the hospital, announces to Tom that she can imagine being happy again and has asked her lawyer to hold off on the malpractice suit for now. Breathing a sigh of relief, Tom says he loves being with Meg...talking to her...discussing his work with her.... Tony begs Bambi to reset their wedding date. He reaffirms his love for her and assures her they can have a good life together if she'll just give him the chance to prove it. Paul informs Ray that although Arlene is basically all right, she does have anemia and a hormonal imbalance. Also, since her back was pretty badly shaken up when the plane crashed, Paul advises Ray to abstain from sexual relations with Arlene for at least two weeks... Because of all the tragedy surrounding them, Sarah and Prof. McCauley decide they need a little happiness in their future. With family and friends gathered around them, Sarah and the Prof. are wed. In Lockridge, Dr. Marriott orders Liane to return to Rosehill...she belongs there, he points out, and she's needed. Liane insists she's going to remain in Lockridge and work in a small clinic. Betsy is finally out of intensive care, but she remains weak and tired. Sitting by her bedside, Ben assures Betsy there's nothing wrong with her that his love can't cure. He blames himself for the accident and promises he'll make up for the pain he's caused her. "Please get well," Ben whispers. After Betsy falls asleep, Tom warns Ben that he can't count on any help from her at the trial -- talk of the accident could worsen Betsy's depression. Dr. Marriott mentions to Liane that if she returns to Rosehill, she has a good chance of winning the lawsuit, especially since the surgical review board exonerated her and voted her a commendation. Liane maintains she can't face a court battle that might drag on for months. Dr. Marriott remarks that Liane has become a "quitter" -- he doesn't understand it, as she used to be such a fighter... Finally, Liane confesses a big part of the reason she'd rather not live in Rosehill is that she can't forget Tom -- it hurts her deeply that he hasn't been in touch. Dr. Marriott assures Liane that Tom does care about her; he hasn't contacted her because he's been taking care of Betsy. Liane retorts that Betsy's out of intensive care, so Tom has no excuse for not calling. Liane reminds Dr. Marriott that Meg is determined to keep her away from Tom... it's no use going back to Rosehill as long as Meg's paralyzed. Because of Meg's vindictive nature, Liane believes she doesn't stand a chance with Tom. As far as Liane's concerned, her residency at Rosehill Hospital is also lost.

Ben, hoping to set things right between him and Betsy, begs her not to run off to England. "What happened to us?" he asks. "Why did we let so many unimportant things come between us? Betsy, I love you and I want us to be together always..." Betsy points out she's five months pregnant with Elliot's child, and that's hardly unimportant. She emphasizes that Ben can't love her and hate the baby she's carrying. Ben swears he doesn't hate the baby and is willing to accept Betsy's decision not to go through with the abortion. "I love you and the baby. Please give me a chance," Ben pleads. When Betsy mentions his recent affair with Mia, Ben insists it didn't mean anything to him -- Betsy's the only woman he loves and will ever love. Ben suggests that he and Betsy go up to Meg's cabin on the lake for a last try at planning a future together. Betsy agrees to spend a few days alone with him.... When Elliot informs Mia that Ben and Betsy have gone up to the lake, Mia is devastated. "I can't believe it!" she screeches. "Ben never told me anything about it." If it's the last thing she ever does, Mia vows, she's going to get Ben back.... While sitting in front of a glowing fireplace, Ben and Betsy resolve to put the past -- especially Mia and Elliot -- behind them and think only of the future from now on. Ben passionately kisses Betsy and asks her to marry him -- right away. She accepts his proposal, but tells Ben that they owe it to their families to notify them first before they get married. When Ben later tries making love to Betsy, he's reminded that she's carrying Elliot's child because he raped her. Ben loses his desire for intimacy with Betsy and begs her to understand that it's going to take him a while to get used to the idea of her pregnancy. "We have our whole lives to make love," Betsy says. Crash! While Ray is out of town for the afternoon, Hal invites Arlene to go flying with him. (Hal's a licensed pilot.) Arlene eagerly accepts the invitation. After a few hours of flying, Hal's plane develops engine trouble and crashes in a desolate wooded area in the mountains! Although Hal has badly hurt his leg, Arlene manages to pry him loose from the plane before it bursts into flames and explodes. The two take refuge under some trees, but a few moments later, it begins snowing heavily. How long can Hal and Arlene survive in the bitter cold without food and water? At Meg's bedside, Tom reiterates that he cares for her. Tom urges Meg to undergo physical therapy. "You've got to help yourself!" he says emphatically. Meg shouts that she won't start doing exercises because she doesn't want to associate with "a bunch of cripples" in the hospital's physical therapy program. She then accuses Tom of wanting her to recover only so she won't prosecute Liane. "She ruined my life, and I'm going to ruin hers," Meg screams. "I want her to suffer!" Ray, nearly at wits' end worrying why Arlene hasn't returned home, regrets pressing her to have another baby, instead of being content with just her and April. Furious that the search planes have been grounded because of heavy fog, Ray vows: "I'm going to find Arlene if I have to go up in a plane and look for her myself..." Meanwhile, Arlene finds a tree branch for Hal to use to support his injured leg so they can go for help. Hal blames himself for the crash... if only he hadn't tried to fly in the storm... if only the plane hadn't exploded. Arlene, ever understanding, assures Hal that the crash wasn't his fault. Despite the excruciating pain in his leg, Hal insists on moving to an area where he and Arlene might stand a better chance of being spotted by a rescue plane. "We'll come out of this alive," Hal promises. They soon discover a dilapidated mountain cabin and struggle toward it. When they safely reach the shack, Hal starts a fire inside to keep them warm. Her clothes soaking wet, Arlene develops chills, combined with a high fever. Hal undresses her and wraps her in an old blanket... In a vicious mood, Mia telephones Betsy at the cabin and sarcastically inquires how the "romantic reunion" between her and Ben is going. Mia mentions that she's surprised Ben didn't tell her that he was spending the weekend with Betsy, for they (Ben and Mia) are "very close." She also says she's introduced Ben to "creative lovemaking" and that he couldn't get enough of her in bed! "Ben and I have been practically living together," Mia continues. Pointing out what a virile man Ben is, Mia tells Betsy that she has too many "hang-ups" to satisfy him! Furthermore, she drones on, Ben hates the idea of Betsy carrying Elliot's baby and he'll never love the child. "Ben needed so much and I gave him everything I have," Mia adds, then demands, "Now may I speak to him?" Betsy calls Mia crude and disgusting, drops the phone, and dashes out of the cabin. Ben catches up with Betsy down by the lake and insists on taking her for a rowboat ride until she calms down. When Ben demands she tell him what Mia said, Betsy recounts that Mia gloated about her great sex life with him. Ben explains that Mia, because she has every reason to be vindictive, was trying to get at him through Betsy. Suddenly, Ben sees something in the boat and swings his oar. The boat overturns, dumping Ben and Betsy into the water! Two men fishing nearby witness the mishap and one photographs it.... The fisherman help Ben pull an unconscious Betsy to shore. After she's rushed to Rosehill Hospital, the fisherman tell the local sheriff that Ben had been waving an oar and screaming at Betsy before the boat tipped over. They hint that the mishap might not have been an accident! ...At the hospital, Dr. Marriott informs a distraught Ben that Betsy has a hairline fracture of the skill -- apparently, she hit her head on the boat. "She's gotta make it," Ben pleads, "don't let her die..." Once Elliot learns that Betsy's been hurt, he storms into the hospital waiting room and attacks Ben! "I'll hold you personally responsible if anything happens to Betsy or my baby," Elliott threatens. "I'll make you pay if it's the last thing I do!" Betsy, barely conscious, goes into labor and aborts her baby, a boy. Bambi informs Paul that Kim and Tony have found Tran and are bringing him back to Rosehill. Though she's happy for Kim, Bambi fears that her relationship with Tony will come to a swift end now. When Arlene's fever dissipates, she regains some of her strength, but she's desperately hungry and cold. Arlene feels that if she and Hal don't get out of the cabin themselves, no one will find them and they'll die! Hal reassures Arlene that he won't let anything happen to her. "You do know how I feel about you, don't you?" he asks. Though Arlene says she doesn't want to hear it, Hal tells her that he's been in love with her ever since they first met in Des Moines. "Please let me love you, Arlene, please," Hal begs. He kisses her and she responds.... Faithful to the End Arlene explains to Hal that she loves Ray and can't be unfaithful to him, even knowing that she and Hal may die soon. Hal replies that he'll settle for Arlene's respect if he can't have her love. "You'll always have that," she says. Mia tells Ben she's sorry about Betsy's accident. Angry with Mia for upsetting Betsy on the phone, Ben accuses her of causing the accident. Mia retorts: "I didn't force Betsy into the boat, I only told her the truth, that you and I were lovers -- something you didn't have the guts to do!" Furious, Ben shouts, "We were never lovers, Mia, just damned good bed partners!" After screaming that she hates Ben, Mia, orders him to get out of her life. She bursts into hysterical tears. When Betsy regains consciousness, Tom asks her what she remembers about the accident. Betsy recalls that she and Ben were arguing, but she can't remember why the boat tipped over. Meanwhile, Elliot contacts Mr. Wilber, the fisherman who photographed the accident, and asks him for the pictures he took that day. Although most of them are out of focus, there's one clear shot that shows Ben standing over Betsy's head with an oar in his hand... it looks as though he was about to bring it down on her head! While Ben's visiting Meg, a police sergeant informs him that Elliot has a warrant for his arrest, on charges of manslaughter and intent to commit murder! Ben is handcuffed and hauled into jail. Elliott, who's been sworn in as Rosehill's new D.A., lets Ben know that he intends to prove Ben tried to kill Betsy and deliberately caused the death of her unborn baby. "I love Betsy too much to try to hurt her," Ben shouts. Elliott declares that Ben hated the baby and wanted to destroy it. Ben retorts that Elliott has a sick mind, and furthermore, his motivation is jealousy -- Elliot can't stand the idea that Betsy left him to return to Ben. As far as Ben's concerned, Elliott will be laughed out of court as a jealous ex-husband carrying out a personal vendetta. Elliott counters that he has an "airtight" case, complete with witnesses, and suggests Ben had better get himself a good lawyer! "You'll need one," Elliott sneers. An Explanation Ben calls Bruce for legal help and explains what happened on the lake. ...The reason the boat tipped over, Ben says, was that he saw a huge black snake underneath Betsy's seat. When he lifted his oar to try to kill the snake, the boat overturned. "How can that be called manslaughter and attempted murder?" Ben screams. "I'm telling the truth -- that's the way it happened!" Ben repeats his story to Elliott, but he refuses to believe it. Elliott points out that he has photos as well as sworn statements from the fishermen, who'll testify that Ben and Betsy were having a heated argument before the accident. "I don't have any evidence of a snake underneath Betsy's seat," Elliott bellows. He then turns to the sergeant and orders him to book Ben!

Dr. Jessup, an eminent surgeon at Rosehill Hospital, suspects Liane was trying to buck the system by operating on Meg without authorization and wants to see her punished for it. He urges Dr. Marriott to have the surgical board thoroughly investigate Liane.... When Tom learns that Dr. Marriott took away Liane's surgical duties because she performed surgery without permission, Tom accuses him of using her as a scapegoat and looking for an excuse to oust her from the hospital staff. Dr. Marriott assures Tom that Liane's career isn't over -- she'll have a chance to clear herself. But what if Meg hits Liane with a personal malpractice suit? Carrie, who's working as a nurse at Rosehill Hospital, urges a very despondent Meg not to give up hope. Meg snaps that she was "butchered" by Liane and will never walk again! All she's living for now is to ruin Liane's life! Bitterness flashing in her eyes, Meg declares that Liane has destroyed her life. Sheepishly, Liane says she's sorry, very sorry. "All you can do is say you're sorry? I want you to suffer!" Meg shouts. "I'll have you fired and make sure you never walk into an operating room again and cripple someone else!" Liane runs out of the room, nearly in tears. After insisting that Steve has mistaken her interest and concern for love, Van suggests he find a girl his own age. "What you think you feel for me isn't reciprocated in any way," she says emphatically. Steve maintains that he loves Van: "You're the most important person in my life and I'm not ashamed of the love I feel for you. I know you're afraid to admit it, but you have feelings for me, too..." Van shouts that he's wrong and must stop carrying on like this. "Please pack up and leave!" she demands. Steve promises he won't let his feelings for Van come into the open if she'll let him stay. "Please let me prove that I can handle this. Don't push me away. Trust me," he pleads. Van agrees to let him stay only until he gets another place. She adds that moving out would be the best thing for Steve. One Last Attempt The day Elliot and Betsy's divorce hearing is scheduled, he makes a last-ditch attempt to patch things up. "You need me," Elliot points out. When Betsy refuses his help, he utters ominously, "Then you leave me no choice..." ...As the judge is about to grant Betsy her freedom, Elliot bursts into the courtroom and announces he wants to see Betsy -- alone. Outside the courtroom, Elliot reiterates: "I love you, Betsy. I want to take care of you and the baby. I'll love the baby, I promise. Please give me a chance. Please say you'll come back to me..." Betsy retorts that she doesn't love Elliot and would rather manage on her own. When the hearing resumes, she's granted her divorce decree. Although Ray would like Arlene to bear him a child, she tells him she'd rather spend her time doing volunteer work at a teenage clinic and postpone having a baby. "I love you and I don't think we should wait any longer," Ray persists. "I'd like to have a son, an heir...." Hal Carson, the detective who helped Arlene and Ray in Des Moines many months ago, calls her from a phone booth in Rosehill. Arlene, elated to hear from Hal after all this time, invites him over for dinner. Jealous of Hal's attraction to Arlene, Ray is distressed to learn that the detective has been assigned to a police case in New York City, which isn't far from Rosehill. Ray's especially disconcerted to hear that Hal doesn't have a special woman in his life at the moment... When Liane sobs that her medical career is over, Tom reassures her she's a competent surgeon and she'll come through the impending hearing with flying colors. "I believe in you 'cause I love you very much," he adds. "I'm going to marry you as soon as your residency is finished." Tom tenderly holds Liane in his arms and they make love. The next morning, Tom assures Liane that he loves her far too much to let anybody, including Meg, hurt Liane or her career. He urges a depressed, worried Liane to go into the upcoming hearing with a positive attitude and stress that she saved Meg's life. Later that morning, Dr. Marriott drops by Liane's apartment and lets her know Dr. Tucker, her former nemesis, has signed a deposition in her behalf. Still, Liane is scared to death about what Meg could do to her.... More determined than ever to ruin Liane's future as a surgeon, Meg asks Bruce to help her file suit ("the biggest malpractice suit in medical history") against Liane and Rosehill Hospital. Bruce reminds Meg that she may not have sufficient grounds to sue Liane, for she operated under very unusual circumstances. After calling him too "sweet" and "genuine" to handle a case like this, Meg sends Bruce out of her hospital room. He lacks the "killer instinct" Meg's looking for.... Blaming himself totally for causing Meg's fall, Tom tells her that he never meant to hurt her, either emotionally or physically. Meg replies that she'd like to put the whole incident behind them -- however, she cannot forgive Liane for "butchering" her. After pointing out that Meg's test results indicate there isn't any physiological reason for her paralysis, Tom suggests she start therapy sessions with Dr. Clark, a psychiatrist. Infuriated, Meg accuses Tom of trying to get Liane off the hook by convincing her (Meg) that her paralysis is all in her mind! "Liane bungled the surgery and I'll make sure she pays for it!" Meg screams. Ben wants to get to the bottom of how Meg's accident really happened and prods her to tell him the truth. "I want to help you, Mother," he says. Meg insists that Tom isn't to blame, she tripped and fell because she was upset. "If you really want to help me, you can find me an aggressive lawyer who knows how to fight to win," Meg suggests. Betsy is heartsick when she glances down at the morning newspaper and reads that Elliot has been elected to the D.A.'s office! Feeling she's a burden to her family, Betsy announces she's going to England so she can have her child in peace. She needs to make a fresh start and doesn't want Elliot coming around once the baby's born. When Tom mentions Ben, Betsy says he's forgotten about her... Can Tom stop Betsy from leaving? Steve, concerned about Betsy, takes it upon himself to let Ben know that she's hurting and needs a man to care for her. Ben admits that even though he and Betsy have been at each other's throats lately, he loves her so much that it hurts. He wants more than anything for her to trust him again.... Although Van's aware it's killing Ben that Betsy's carrying Elliot's child, Van urges Ben to forgive Betsy for becoming pregnant and accept the child as his own after they're married. Van pleads with Ben to swallow his pride and convince Betsy not to run away to England: "Go to her before it's too late..." Mia, tired of Ben using her as a sexual substitute for Betsy, presses him to make up his mind: Who does he want -- Mia or Betsy? Later Mia regrets pushing Ben to make a decision and apologizes. "Can you ever forgive me?" she meekly asks. He accepts her apology and they discuss Betsy. Hoping to plant doubt in Ben's mind, Mia implies that perhaps Betsy wasn't raped by Elliot -- maybe they fell into each other's arms and she willingly allowed him to make love to her. If Betsy's baby really was conceived by rape, Mia contends, she would have gone through with the abortion. Ben now wonders what the truth is... Change of Plans Because Ray loves children and desperately wants a son, Arlene plans on becoming pregnant and surprising her husband when it happens.... As Tony's begging Bambi to reset their wedding date, Kim bursts into the living room with news that an agency out west may have located Tran! Bambi wants Kim to have happiness, but if Tran is found, he will need Tony to be his father... Where will that leave Bambi? Point blank, Meg accuses Tom of planning her accident so he could throw her over for Liane. "I can't walk, I can't dance, I can't make love... you're free of me now. If the board doesn't demolish your darling Liane, I will!" she threatens. At Liane's hearing, Dr. Marriott testifies that Meg would have survived if Liane had waited for another doctor to operate. Tom testifies that he urged Liane to operate and considers her a qualified surgeon. When it's Liane's turn to defend herself, she announces that she won't apologize for her actions. If she had it to do over again, she'd do the same thing -- she obeyed the oath she took as a doctor to save her patient's life. "You don't have to fire me because I quit!" Liane shouts, then runs out of the board room. Cleared! The next day, Dr. Marriott informs Tom that Liane has been cleared of the charges against her.... Wesley tells Mia that Princeton University dropped him because his grades weren't high enough. When he starts berating himself for being a disappointment to his parents, Mia reminds Wesley that he's a bright, wonderful person and he'll do well at another school. Later that day, Wes asks Dr. Marriott for a hospital job that will leave him time to attend evening classes at Rosehill University. Dr. Marriott replies that there aren't any openings, but he'll keep Wes in mind. Meg launches into a tirade when she finds out that the board exonerated Liane, certain all the doctors are covering for her. "I know who is really behind this whitewash -- Dr. Marriott," Meg tells Sarah and Prof. McCauley. "He's head over heals in love with her..."

Bambi, unable to bear the thought of Kim living in a tiny, seedy hotel room, invites her to share her apartment indefinitely. She also asks Paul to help Kim get a job nursing at Rosehill Hospital. Kim's landlady informs Tony that Kim moved out of her hotel room after Bambi visited her and left no forwarding address. Tony wrongly concludes Bambi must have said something to drive Kim away and angrily confronts her about it. Before Bambi has a chance to explain Kim is living with her, Tony berates her so relentlessly she can't get a word in edgewise. Hurt that Tony thinks she'd do anything to upset Kim, Bambi orders him to leave her apartment. A couple of days later, Tony apologizes to Bambi for making such thoughtless accusations. She gives him the cold-shoulder, though, and says they're finished as a couple! A muck-raking political reporter tells Elliot that Betsy is planning to have an abortion. Worried the abortion might hinder his campaign for D.A., Elliot demands Ben reveal what hospital Betsy's in so he can stop her from terminating her pregnancy. Ben says he has no idea of Betsy's whereabouts, then orders Elliot to stay away from her once and for all -- he's caused Betsy enough trouble! After Van mentions Tom knows where Betsy went, Ben pays him a visit at his lab. "You know the whole story, and I want you to tell me," Ben pleads. Tom reluctantly confesses the name and address of the clinic Betsy checked into and insists on accompanying Ben to see her. But when they arrive at the clinic, Betsy's room is empty! Her doctor tells them she discharged herself. That evening, Betsy returns to the Sterlings', where Ben is waiting for her. "I've been worried sick about you," he says, pulling her toward him. Betsy confesses she couldn't go through with the abortion, even though the baby was conceived by rape. When Ben says they've got to talk about her decision, Betsy excuses herself for bed, and he's left wondering why she'd want to carry this pregnancy to term.... Shocking Fact Amy, one of Bruce's law students, begs her classmate Joel to return the diary she left at Steve's apartment during study group. Joel torments her, saying there must be something awfully juicy in the diary or she wouldn't be so anxious to get it back. A sadistic glint in his eyes, he reveals he peeked into the diary and read that Amy is Bruce's illegitimate daughter!!! Mortified, she threatens: "If you say a word about this, I'll make sure you never graduate. I'll ruin you any way I can!" When Van accidentally runs into Steve at the university, she tells him their relationship has taken a wrong turn. Although she's fond of him, she doesn't have romantic feelings toward him and is considerably older than he. "You've very beautiful. Don't you realize how important you are in my life?" Steve asks. Van is flattered by Steve's compliment but urges him to find someone his own age... Steve then invites Amy tot he movies and she, much to his surprise, accepts! Tony pleads with Kim to let him help locate their son, Tran. Feeling guilty about coming between Tony and Bambi, Kim replies she'll look for Tran by herself. Tony emphasizes he's responsible for Tran and wants to find him as much as Kim does. "Tran will always be a bond between us," Tony says. "I'm not going to give up -- we'll find him..." ...Kim's face lights up when Dr. Marriott, chief of staff at Rosehill Hospital, offers her a job as a volunteer until she gets her American license to become a practical nurse. (Kim worked as a nurse in Vietnam.) Tom, realizing he's losing Liane, doesn't want to further jeopardize their relationship by carrying on an affair with Meg any longer. "Whatever we had, Meg, is over," he blurts out. "I'm not in love with you! It's (the affair) got to stop!" Tom explains he's not even fond of Meg -- the night they made love was an "accident" and he's sorry it ever happened. "I am in love with Liane," Tom announces awkwardly. "There can't be anything between you and me..." Angry over Tom's rejection, Meg shouts: "You had a good time at my expense. You used me to get your grant!" To gain his sympathy, Meg clutches her chest, faking another heart attack. Tom isn't fooled, however, and orders her to stop pretending. Embarrassed that he's seen through her scheme, Meg runs upstairs to get away from Tom. He catches up with her and they struggle at the top of the stairs. Meg loses her balance, tumbles down the stairs, and hits her head! ...An unconscious Meg is rushed to Rosehill Hospital. Leaning over her bed, Tom begs God: "Please help Meg get well..." He blames himself for her condition. If only he hadn't been so cruel. If only he hadn't expressed his feelings in such a clumsy way... Ben reaffirms his love for Betsy and says he understands that she couldn't have the abortion. When Ben asks why she didn't tell him about her pregnancy, Betsy retorts she tried, but he was too busy sleeping with Mia! Ben explains the reason he slept with her was that he and Betsy weren't lovers and Mia was available. Though Ben beseeches Betsy to forgive his past mistakes so they can resume their lives together, she cries she's unsure of Ben's love and feels he blames her for being pregnant with Elliot's child. Before Ben and Betsy have a chance to call a truce, Bruce informs him that Meg had an accident. Ben runs out of the room without bothering to inquire whether Betsy would like to accompany him to the hospital.... At the hospital, Ben gets the bad news that Meg is critically injured and has a severe concussion! Later, her brain begins hemorrhaging. To stop the bleeding, she's wheeled into the operating room and scheduled for surgery. On the way over to the hospital to perform Meg's brain surgery, Dr. Tucker has a coronary, so Liane, a first-year resident, performs the operation! Tony begs Bambi to let him back into her life: "I love you and I want to marry you." Bambi responds she needs to put things into perspective first and become a stronger person. She's also uncertain about marrying Tony knowing that Kim's a part of his life again. Van assures a guilt-wracked Tom that he did everything he could to help Meg the day she fell. "The accident was my fault," Tom counters, "but I didn't mean to hurt her." Glancing around his lab, he realizes that Meg made his research project possible. If it hadn't been for her... Liane manages to pull Meg through brain surgery, but she's still not out of the woods. When Dr. Marriott arrives at the hospital and learns that Liane performed the operation without authorization, he rebukes her for taking it upon herself and removes her from Meg's case! Prof. McCauley, anxious to secure the divorce for Betsy, hands Elliot the property-settlement agreement. "Does she still want the divorce?" Elliot asks, then says: "Under the circumstances, I'd expect her to get in touch with me..." Puzzled by Elliot's meaning, Prof. McCauley reminds him that Betsy has met all of his demands, so there's no reason for them to see each other again. When Mia suggests there might have been foul play involved in Meg's accident, Ben declares he'll get to the bottom of what really happened between her and Tom. Meg awakens from her coma and mumbles, "I want Tom. Tom, please don't leave me..." Gently, Tom explains to her why she's hospitalized and reassures Meg she'll be fine. Or will she? "I can't feel my legs," Meg cries. "What happened to my legs? I can't feel anything from the waist down!" Because Liane disobeyed hospital policy by performing surgery on Meg, rather than waiting for another doctor, Dr. Marriott suspends Liane from her surgical duties! Anger rising, she declares: "If it hadn't been for me, Meg wouldn't be alive! I couldn't have waited to operate or I would have lost her. I had to go ahead -- it was the only decision!" Dr. Marriott advises Liane to get hold of her emotions and keep her temper in check. "It's my job to take this action, but I'm still your friend," he says, hoping to soften the blow. As far as Liane's concerned, he's just using Meg's incident as an excuse to dump Rosehill Hospital's only woman resident! Meg, paralyzed below the waist, is horrified to learn from Ben that Liane operated on her! She thinks Liane crippled her so she could get Tom away from her. "Why didn't they just kill me?" Meg sobs. "How could they do this to me after all I've done for this hospital? My life is over, all over..." Tom attempts to persuade Ben, who's enraged over his mother's paralysis, that Meg's condition may be a temporary reaction. But Ben angrily accuses Tom of using Meg for all he could get, and when she asked for a little friendship in return, he pushed her down the stairs and conspired with Liane to cripple Meg! "You and that surgeon are going to have to pay for what you've done!" Ben threatens. Impossible When Tom informs Liane that Meg is paralyzed, she says it can't be possible because she wasn't in the area of Meg's brain that would cause paralysis. "I know I didn't make a mistake!" Liane cries. Elliot reiterates that he still loves Betsy and asks her to postpone their divorce until after the baby is born. Betsy refuses. "If you contest the divorce," she warns, "I'll make sure the facts about the rape come out, and they'll hurt you a lot more than they'll hurt me!" To avoid gossip about her pregnancy and because Ben is emotional and unpredictable, Betsy considers going back to England. She doesn't think she and Ben will ever get together...

<object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object> Pilot Morning Alongside State Highway 32 “Damn,” Joy Donovan muttered angrily as she leaned under the hood of her rental car, a waft of smoke drifting up towards her face. She reached down into the engine and began to wiggle a few fires. Although she had no idea exactly what she was doing – or exactly why she should be doing it – it always seemed like something they did in the movies. After all, simple auto repairs weren’t something they’d taught in the poshest European boarding schools. After another stream of smoke billowed out of the engine, streaking her carefully made-up face, she realized that any attempt on her part to get the clunker moving would be futile. Damn that rental service for this hunk of junk and for suggesting that a scenic drive into town would be relaxing after her long flight. Joy slammed the car hood down and reached into her purse for her cell phone. She was definitely going to give her editor hell for this fiasco. “Oh, come on!” she screamed at the phone and its telltale absence of bars. “You can’t tell me that there’s no service out here!” With an exasperated sigh, she stuffed the phone back into her purse and slumped back against the car. What in the world was she going to do now? Just then, off in the distance, Joy heard the faint rumblings of an engine. Someone was coming! She lowered her Dolce sunglasses and looked down the nearly deserted highway in time to see a motorcycle speeding in her direction. “Hey! Stop!” She ran into the middle of the road, waving her arms wildly in an attempt to flag down the rider. To her relief, the bike began to slow down as it approached her, eventually coming to a stop behind her broken-down car. She watched in nervous anticipation as the rider climbed off his bike and took off his helmet. Thankfully, he didn’t look like some reject from the Hell’s Angles – he was 30ish, dark hair, dashing good looks – quite the hottie, she thought. “Having a bit of trouble, I see,” he smiled, walking over to her. “You could say that.” “Any idea what’s wrong?” He moved to the front of the car and lifted the hood, allowing another stream of smoke to escape. “Do I look like a mechanic?” Joy folded her arms tightly across her chest and glared at him in response to what she’d perceived as a stupid question. The man could only look back at her and grin smugly. “Well, I could give you a ride into town.” He paused, carefully examining her stylish clothes, clearly from the top designers. “That is if you’re not too scared to ride on the back of my bike.” “Not much scares me,” she stated matter-of-factly, drawing a chuckle out of her Good Samaritan. “I’m Chaz, by the way.” He wiped his dirty hand on his jeans before extending it to her. “I suppose we should at least be on a first name basis if you’re going to be riding down the highway with your arms wrapped around me.” “I’m Joy,” she nodded with a smile, receiving his hand with her own. “Where are you headed, Joy?” Chaz walked back towards his bike to retrieve a spare helmet for her. “Rosehill,” she replied, following him. “I’m going there on business.” “Isn’t that funny,” he laughed as he climbed back onto his bike. “That’s exactly where I’m headed, too.” Rosehill Beaver Ridge Complex The loud banging of hammers echoed throughout the room and the smell of saw dust filled the air as construction workers went about their daily routine. Over in a corner in a makeshift office that consisted of little more than two sheets of plywood stretched over four aluminum saw horses, Andy Marriott sat in front of his laptop computer, various technical diagrams, plans, and notations strewn about by his side. He leaned back into his chair and began to massage his temples in a valiant attempt to prevent the throbbing headache that he’d noticed was already beginning to build – even before his second pot of coffee. “Andy, what’s going on?” John Prentiss asked as he hurried through the front doors of what was supposed to be the lobby, past the workers, and towards his business partner. “What’s so important that you called me and drug me down here? Don’t you know what’s going on with my family right now?” “Look, John, I’m sorry. I know you’ve got other stuff to deal with right now, but this really couldn’t wait.” Andy rose from his chair and took a deep breath before handing a ledger to John to look at. “Where’s Suzanne?” “She’s in the car with Tess – waiting on me.” John examined the ledger closely, running his finger down the page, checking every line. He turned to paperclipped page to see a billing statement from their architect and another from their contractor. “But…these can’t be right.” His eyes were wide with shock and disbelief. “I went over those numbers myself. I talked with Paulson personally! We had an agreement!” “Apparently, he’s forgotten all about it.” Andy anxiously began pacing around the room. “John, this isn’t good. If we don’t make the changes he’s requiring – if we can’t afford to make the changes and pay him his fee – he’s pulling out of the project. That’s the phone call I woke up to this morning.” “He can’t do that! If he pulls out, how the hell are we going to find another designer and contractor this far into the project? How are we going to stay on budget?” John paused and ran his hands down his face, the full impact of the news starting to sink in. “Andy, if Paulson pulls out, we’re done. Do you understand that? We’ll lose everything!” After a long silence, Andy carefully began to broach a topic that had long been on his mind, but hadn’t felt it had been his place to ask. “Does your wife know exactly how much money you’ve put into this?” “No.” John’s voice echoed inside his own head, his brain running a mile a minute. “All I told her was that I was dipping into my trust fund to partner up with you on this project. Suzanne doesn’t have a clue that I funneled the entire trust – including what we set aside for the baby – into Beaver Ridge. If this thing goes under, I’m going to lose a lot more than every single dime I have to my name. She’s going to….” “John?” His wife, Suzanne Prentiss, called from the doorway, their infant daughter Tess cradled in her arms. “Don’t you know what time it is? Can’t this wait until tomorrow?” “Y-yes, dear, of course.” John’s eyes darted from her to Andy and back again. “We need to go meet your family.” He turned back to Andy and shot his a stern look, silently warning him to both not say a word to Suzanne and to fix the mess that had been created. As John & Suzanne hurried out of the lobby, Andy reached for the coffee pot to pour the last remaining bit of the first pot into a cup. However, looking at the now burnt coffee with disgust, he realized that he was in dire need of a much stronger start to the day and reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a flask, and proceeded to fill his mug with whiskey instead. The Sterling Home Vanessa Sterling stood silently by her living room window and gazed out at the morning. Outside, children were playing; neighbors were walking their dogs – people simply going about their daily lives. She paused and leaned down to sniff one of the flowers in the bouquet that always kept sitting by the window. Today they were filled with red roses. They’d always been her favorite. Vanessa had to laugh since she, herself, had always much preferred yellow. She let out a weary sigh. It had only been a few years since she’d lost her beloved Bruce after over 40 years of marriage – well, combined years, but she didn’t like to dwell on past mistakes – and now this. “Aunt Van,” Betsy Harper spoke up as she entered the room from the kitchen, two cups in her hand, “I made coffee. I thought we all could use it this morning.” “Thank you, dear,” Van smiled, taking the cup into her hands, before seeming to realize someone was missing. “Ben? Where’s Ben?” “He went to the airport to pick up the girls,” Betsy explained. “Their flight from Switzerland should be landing any minute. And I talked to Lynn this morning; she’s going to meet us before the service. She wanted to stop by and see Alex at the hospital.” “Of course,” Van muttered with a nod. “Stacy and A.J. are already at the chapel. They went early to make sure everything was taken care of. None of us wants you to worry about a thing.” But Van was worried. She walked back over to the window and set her cup down onto the table before smelling the roses again. She took in a long, deep breath and then exhaled slowly as Betsy came up behind her and took her into her arms. Since childhood, they’d been polar opposites, each approaching life from opposite ends of the spectrum. Oh, sure, they’d had their battles through the years – some even quite nasty – but, in the end, they’d always been there for one another. And now…. Van’s sister, Meg Hart Marriott, had been murdered and today was the day of her funeral. The only source of strength that she’d been able to find during the last few days had been from her family and friends. She nodded slowly with that acknowledgement. Thank God for them, because if it weren’t for them, Vanessa surely didn’t know if she’d be able to survive this. <object width="352" height="240"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="352" height="240"></embed></object>

Arlene insists on taking the witness stand! She confesses that she did indeed have a gun with her when she lured Ian to the penthouse, and that she fully intended to shoot him! But as the jury recoils in horror, Arlene continues to unfold her story, and it is not the lurid, sordid picture which prosecutor Earl Merrick painted. Instead, it's a story of a love-starved and basically moral woman who was trying to force herself to kill Ian -- the man who had tried to hire Ray to kill her mother! And being brought up as she was with a strict sense of moral standards, Arlene could not go through with her plan. Instead, she drops the gun as she is overcome with hysterical crying, and crumples to the floor! When Dory later gives her summation; she reminds the jury that Arlene is on trial for murder -- not for having an affair with a married man. She also reminds the jury that the coroner's report showed merely that Ian died from injuries sustained from a fall down an elevator shaft. The idea that Arlene pushed Ian is purely conjecture on the part of the prosecutor. Indeed, with a penthouse in the midst of construction, it's entirely possible Ian tripped -- that his death was an accident! But what is Arlene to do, even if she is proven innocent? Her doctor has confirmed that she is indeed almost five months pregnant, and, though she asks for one, he refuses to give Arlene an abortion! He says it would kill her! Arlene is hysterical. She is certain Tom will never marry her if he knows she is carrying Ian's child. Triangles Ben seems to be spending a great deal of his time (much to Mia's aggravation!) thinking of Betsy! Ben again asks Mia if she is certain that nothing happened that morning Betsy walked in on Mia and Ben -- Ben with his arms around Mia, and Mia wearing Ben's shirt! It seems Betsy (understandably!) couldn't believe that Ben was merely comforting Mia -- his platonic friend! Rick, meantime, is getting quite fed up with Cal constantly calling up and cancelling plans at the last minute because she and Michael must stay late at school! When Van and Charles discuss the sad but real possibility that Arlene may go to prison, Mary, baby Eddie's nurse, makes a disturbing statement! She says that if fate has it in store for you to go to prison, you go! It doesn't matter if you're young or pretty -- or even innocent! What does Mary's past hold? And now that the case is over, Dory breaks down and cries. She really believes, now, that Arlene is innocent, and is afraid she didn't do enough for her. Edouard, however, is there to comfort Dory... With the trial for the murder of Ian Russell finally over, the jury retires to deliberate. Will Arlene be found guilty -- or will she be acquitted? Dory gave a very honest, deliberate, persuasive summation -- but will that be enough to pull Arlene safely through? Meg, meantime, certainly has her sticky fingers in everyone's business! First, she has lunch with Ben and Cal at Beaver Ridge, and cannot resist making snide remarks to Cal as to the whereabouts of hubby Rick! Indeed, she quite pointedly questions Cal as to why Rick hasn't shown up to have lunch with them! Tricky Triangles And what kind of games are these few young people of Rosehill playing with each other? First, Mia invites ex-hubby, Andrew to Christmas dinner at her place! What does Mia want? First it's Andrew she wants, then Ben, then back to Andrew, and now Ben! Indeed, Mia is decidedly upset when she learns from Andrew about the Christmas party at the Sterlings! And at another session with Ben, Mia, through her constant prodding, finally, gets Ben to admit that the character in his book, Annabelle, was, in part, fashioned after Mia! What is this character Annabelle like? Michael, meantime, studying with Cal under the Christmas tree, is again beset by memories of holidays past! This time, his memories are again of himself as a young boy -- and again he seems to be watching a woman who seems to be a prostitute -- but this time, it seems the woman is his mother! Meg, meantime, continues to dampen everyone's holiday spirit! First, she warns Ben against Mia, and then, her behavior and constant snide innuendos anger Cal so much, till she finally blows up and says her mother should get a man of her own! Guilty! Finally, the jury has reached a decision! But what a decision! They have found Arlene guilty of the murder of Ian Russell! Everyone is in shock! Finally, collecting her wits, Carrie sends Ray to get Tom, who has been tied up at the hospital with surgery. Poor Tom! No words can describe his complete look of hope and utter despair... Oh, his beloved Arlene! How could he let this happen to her? He rushes to her side, and they embrace... Later, Tom visits Arlene in jail. He gives her a Christmas present, and, as he holds her close to him, sings soft songs of love to her... With the jury's verdict now in, the judge then sentences Arlene -- to 25 years in prison! Of course, Dory immediately readies for an appeal, but what kind of chance will Arlene have for a future acquittal? And, meantime, she must begin fulfilling her sentence! Poor Arlene! And what will she do about the baby? The doctor has told her that there is no way the baby can be aborted, as she is now going into her sixth month! But Arlene is not ready for a baby emotionally -- especially Ian's baby! Oh, what will she do? Finally, needing someone to talk to, Arlene tells Carrie that she is pregnant, but warns her not to tell Tom... Mixed-Up Mia! Mia, meantime, tells Wendy that she is very happy with her relationship with Ben! But how can that be when he continually rebuffs her? Indeed, how can she be happy with her relationship with Ben when she is still pursuing Andrew? Ben obviously wants to untangle himself from the clinging vine that is Mia, despite her pretension of being the purely business-like editor! When Mia tried to give him a puppy for Christmas, he gave it right back to her! Finally, when little Susie gives Ben a bag of jellybeans for Christmas, and expects a present in return, the two give the little girl the puppy! Still, Mia is very happy with her Christmas present from Ben -- a music box which plays "Somewhere, My Love"... Meanwhile, over at the Sterlings, Andrew tells Bruce and Van that Meg roped him into coming to their New Year's Eve party. Bruce understands Andrew's not wanting to start any kind of a social relationship at all with Meg; but Van tends to play the role of matchmaker, trying to reassure Andrew that he would enjoy Meg's company... (Meg had first asked Ben to escort her, but he declined saying memories of last New Year's Eve with Betsy were too painful for him to do any partying...) Unspoken Feelings? Later that night, at home, Andrew can't seem to get Mia out of his mind. He remembers the other evening when Mia pleaded with him not to divorce her, and then, sorrowfully trying to accept the reality of it, she then pleaded with him to just put his arms around her and comfort her and stay the night with her... Thinking about all of this, Andrew calls Mia. Once she answers, however, he realizes he really has nothing to say, so he finally just says that Meg roped him into going to the party, though he doesn't want to. Finally, at a loss for words (though emotions seemed to be running strong between the two) Andrew bids Mia goodnight. Lynn, meantime, continues her overtures of friendship to the secretive, aloof Mary. Though Mary still seems frightened and hesitant, Lynn is able to draw her out of her shell somewhat -- enough so, in fact, that Mary lets it slip that ever since she was a baby, she had heard about Rosehill! A surprised Lynn asks how that could be -- did Mary know someone from Rosehill? But Mary is now tight-lipped, and leaves immediately... It's New Year's Eve in Rosehill, and it's a bitter-sweet time for all concerned. Arlene, most of all, has quite a cross to bear from the old year. She is now being moved from the local jail to prison, to serve time for the murder of Ian Russell! She and Tom have a loving, tearful farewell; but for Arlene, the farewell is something she fears will be permanent. Over five months pregnant with Ian's baby, Arlene has yet to tell Tom! She is putting off the inevitable as long as possible, for once Tom finds out she is pregnant with Ian's child, Arlene is certain she will lose Tom... Carrie, however, knows Arlene's secret, but she cannot persuade her daughter to confide in Tom. What will happen when Tom finds out? A Man Around the House? Meg, meantime, so envied for her wealth and glamour, is in a less than enviable position. New Year's Eve is so often a time when people reassess their lives, and the new year finds Meg alone, lonely, and desperate for male companionship! She is so desperate, in fact, that she tries to get Ben to escort her to Bruce and Van's party! When Ben refuses, saying New Year's makes him miss Betsy more than ever, Meg sets her sights on Andrew! Andrew really doesn't want to go with Meg; but she can be a very persuasive and domineering woman, and, somehow, Andrew finds himself roped into it. Later, when Van and Bruce discuss Meg, Van actually suggests that not only would Andrew be good for Meg, but Meg would be good for Andrew! Bruce can't quite accept that, but Van says, if Andrew had Meg, he would have someone to take care of him! Later that night in bed, an amorous Van makes romantic overtures to Bruce. She is surprised to discover that he has his pajama tops on. Bruce is wearing his pajamas to hide the needle marks from his extensive medical test; but, as he still hasn't told Van of his terminal illness, he simply tells her he is "christening" his new pajamas, just as she is "christening" the negligee he got her for Christmas! Still, Van senses something is wrong when their attempts at lovemaking are aborted early on because Bruce doesn't have enough energy! Poor Van is understanding, of course. She is very worried about Bruce. And Bruce is upset at this new symptom of his illness -- being unable to fulfill his wife's sexual needs. News From Abroad! And Mia, also, spent a very upsetting New Year's Eve. She didn't hear from Ben all weekend! She is furious, until Ben comes over with the latest chapter of his book completed and in fine form, they even kiss, wonderingly, exploringly, passionately! But the next day, Ben gets a call from Betsy in London! He is so excited. He entertains thoughts that she misses him and is coming back to him. But when he asks her if she's coming home, she says that all depends on the arrangements of her "friend." To Ben, that "friend" sounds like a boyfriend, and that means rejection to him. Ben is again thrown into the depths of despair, and poor Mia guesses why! Oh, what will happen when -- and if -- Betsy returns to Rosehill?