Matt

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?

Tom comes home from work one day to find that Arlene has collapsed. When he revives her, she is in a state of hysteria. She claims that Ian was in the closet and tried to pull her in with him! Poor Arlene is so emotionally distraught, Tom feels it’s best she be hospitalized. As Tom tries to calm her down, Slater walks in. Ray is also very concerned about Arlene’s state, and on instructions from Tom calls an ambulance. As the two men await medical help, Tom tenderly holds Arlene in his arms, desperately wishing he had told Arlene a long time ago how much he loved her… He reminisces of the time she had loved him so much, and so needed to hear a commitment of love from him also; and he, allowing his pride to stand in the way of his deep love for her, had swallowed the words his heart sent surging to his lips… Tom is adamant that Arlene know now of his love for her – if it isn’t already too late! It is then, as the ambulance attendants lift Arlene onto the stretcher, that Tom, with a hope that is almost a vengeance against his prior behavior, tells Arlene he loves her and won’t let anything happen to her. But how much can Tom protect her? Lt. Hollenbeck and his men show up just as Arlene is being wheeled away. Tom authoritatively tells them his patient is being hospitalized for exhaustion and cannot be questioned. The police back down, but how much longer can Tom hold them at bay? MORE FROM MEG Cal, meantime, confides in Van that she and Rick are planning on renting their house, providing they can purchase Ian’s share in Beaver Ridge. Meg barges in on the two in a flourish of disdain, accusing Cal and Van of deliberately excluding her from their get-togethers. Indeed, when Cal leaves the room for a few minutes, Meg spitefully insinuates that Cal – only married a year – has a roving eye for Michael! Van is disbelieving, but doubts arise when she observes Cal happily hug Michael when he tells her he’s been selected to observe the staff at the hospital in his senior year at medical school. And is that a look of unrequited love flitting across Michael’s face when Cal tells him of her and Rick’s impending plans concerning Beaver Ridge? Carrie, now, has gone to Tom to plead with him to help Arlene. From her hospital bed, Arlene was babbling about guns and Ian ordering Slater to kill Carrie. Tom has a psychiatrist test Arlene; but the psychiatrist’s test points only to a temporary mild emotional disturbance. He tells Tom that may not be enough to keep the police away. And Lt. Hollenbeck, meantime, not only suspects Arlene, but also Tom! Carrie also takes her story to Slater. Ray is forced to tell her that everything Arlene said is true; but that Carrie must not mention it to the police, as people have been convicted before on such circumstantial evidence. When Ben tells Mia that if his book should earn him a lot of money he would go to England to be near Betsy and their child, she becomes terribly depressed. She even thinks of leaving town; but a phone conversation with Andrew helps her think more clearly. Lt. Hollenbeck continues to try and interrogate Arlene. Most of his attempts have failed, as Tom has woven a pretty thick blanket of security around her. Lt. Hollenbeck catches Arlene in the hospital corridors one day and again attempts his questioning; but Tom again intercedes on her behalf, gathering her in his arms and ordering the lieutenant to leave his patient alone. A “darling!” escapes Arlene’s lips as she rushes thankfully to Tom’s arms; but his arms may hurt her instead of comfort: Lt. Hollenbeck is very interested indeed to find such a close patient/doctor relationship! Back at Headquarters, Lt. Hollenbeck confides to his team that he’ll be able to pin Arlene down now that he knows her vulnerable spot is Dr. Tom Crawford! What the lieutenant now wants to know is: where did Tom fit in when Ian Russell was alive? Lt. Hollenbeck then has both Tom and Arlene’s psychiatrist, Dr. Lockridge in for questioning. Tom rather uncomfortably admits his love for Arlene – but what makes Tom even more uncomfortable is after the lieutenant’s questioning when, alone together, Dr. Lockridge tells Tom that, quite frankly, he feels that Arlene’s anxieties stem from some very intense guilt feelings! DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL After Andrew’s phone call, Ben comes over to Mia’s place – with a little girl! The tot was forgotten by her brother on the basketball court where Ben plays. Ben and Mia take care of the tyke till her brother comes to pick her up, and Mia, touched by Ben’s concern for the child, gently tells him she now more than ever can understand his need to see Betsy…Ben hugs Mia then – almost desperately – and tells her she helped him so much. Charles, meantime, has been left to care for little Eddie by himself for awhile. Mrs. Grimes had to leave, and the sitter still hadn’t arrived. Charles can’t seem to stop the baby from crying, so he calls Bruce for help – and the timing couldn’t have been worse! Edouard is visiting Bruce, and hears the baby crying over the phone! Both men rush over to Charles’ house, and, finally, it is Edouard who is able to stop the crying – by merely burping the baby! All three men are entranced by the baby, and, for a moment, ill feelings between Charles and Eduoard are forgotten – but not for long. Charles explodes to Edouard to get out – to leave him and the baby alone. Eduoard replies in a calm but deadly serious voice he’ll leave – but that next time he leaves it will be with the baby with him – by legal custody! Joe calls Bruce to come in for an examination concerning his tired spells. Bruce tells him he won’t have the time for a checkup till after his New York trip concerning his election campaign. Joe isn’t too pleased at this postponement – and neither, frankly, is Bruce! His tired spells are getting worse – is it wise to wait? Arlene is out of the hospital now, and her fears seem to have grown with her freedom! Indeed, what excuse will she now have to dodge Lt. Hollenbeck’s piercing inquisitions? And to top it off, she still seems truly perplexed – her mind “fuzzy” as to what really happened concering Ian Russell! Is she really nearly a possible breakdown, or is it merely acute anxiety – or guilt feelings? Poor Arlene’s life has become such a paradox! When she couldn’t have Tom, she frittered away her time in a vicious lifestyle – mistress to Ian Russell. And now that Tom is finally offering himself to her – his heart, his life, she cannot accept! FATE IS IN THE STARS What will happen with these star-crossed lovers? Tom, now finally knowing his own mind, proposes marriage to Arlene after dinner (and after Carrie coyly retired for the night so the two could be alone!) – but she cannot accept! She says she needs time. Tom is gentle with her, and assures her he understands and will give her time, but he’s perplexed. And so is Carrie – until Arlene tells her that she’s afraid she would ruin Tom’s life! Arlene is quite certain that once she married Tom, she would end up going to prison or the murder of Ian Russell! Ray, meantime, has been spending his free time in the bar – drowning his sorrows! He sent Arlene roses in the hospital, but she had checked out before they reached her – leaving with Dr. Tom Crawford, no less! Ray would just love to chuck the entire, tangled mess of things, expect for one thing – Arlene! Ray vows he’ll not leave until he is certain that Arlene will come out of the mess all right. MORE FROM MEG Someone creating quite a mess for herself is Cal! On the eve of her and Rick’s anniversary party, she gets drunk – with Michael, no less! Needless to say, such antics created quite a bit of trouble for Cal – especially with Meg constantly focusing in on the incident to Rick! And is Meg brazen! She has a personalized, monogrammed bathrobe made especially for Rick, and, catching him alone, tries to force it on him! Rick wants nothing to do with it, so the scorned Meg quite acidly reminds him of Cal and Michael getting drunk together, going to night classes together, visiting during the day – and that concocts some pretty pungent food-for-thought for Rick! When Tom guesses why Arlene has refused his marriage proposal – she is worried that, if convicted of murdering Ian Russell, she could ruin his career, indeed his life – he quite lovingly tries to persuade her otherwise. He tells her that she didn’t murder Ian Russell, and that in no way could she ever hurt him – unless she continues to refuse to marry him! But Arlene cannot be swayed. In fact, she is already beyond Tom’s help! Lt. Hollenbeck has arrested Arlene! Catching an unsuspecting Arlene all alone, a devious Hollenbeck infers that they will soon be placing Tom under arrest for Ian’s murder! That causes Arlene to blurt out that they can’t do that because Tom didn’t murder Ian – and she knows because she was there! And despite Arlene’s protestations that although she was there she didn’t murder Ian, either; her confession that she had lied previously and was indeed at the scene of the crime, is enough to arrest her! A concerned Tom sends a prominent private attorney – Dorian Patten – to represent Arlene. Arlene says she cannot accept Tom paying for her attorney. Dorian, however, says Arlene will be quite able to pay legal fees herself – Arlene has been named co-owner of Beaver Ridge! COUPLES Ben is upset to hear of Arlene’s arrest – but this man seems to have plenty of upsets impending in the near future to keep him in constant turmoil! Cal has received a letter from Betsy in England, and it sounds very much like she is planning on returning to the States – but with an American “gentleman friend” – one Elliot Lang, to be exact, who seems to be taking very good care of Betsy and her daughter! Where does this put Mia and Ben? She doesn’t seem to know where she stands with him – or even with her own feelings! And Cal and Rick seem to have a rough road ahead of them. Rick is becoming increasingly suspicious of her and Michael!

the 'Love of Life' theme For the first time in years, Felicia finds herself laughing and almost carefree, but she is unable to maintain her mood. The past comes back to haunt her. Eddie sees her turmoil and tries to understand, to help, but she shies away from his queries about the past. Gradually he convinces her to confide in him and she does, to a limited extent. She alludes to a nervous breakdown, but shows by her demeanor that it is something she is deeply ashamed of. When she lets go enough to let Eddie see that her problems, her shyness, her lack of confidence stem from her great attachment to her father, she once again draws into herself. She has let Eddie see that she has an Electra complex. Embarrassed, she runs upstairs, to her room. With the burden of guilt from the past, how will Felicia cope with the guilt that will come when she learns of Charles's condition? Rick and Cal are enjoying a storybook honeymoon in the Caribbean. She does her best to distract him from the pressing concerns of making a living. To the naive Cal, such things are merely mundane. Trouble Ahead for Rick and Cal? Is Meg correct in her assessment of her daughter's maturity? Rick seems to be chafing at bit under the strain of wanting to keep Cal happy, but also needing to settle business matters. Bliss is not always total, even when it is hard won. Cal is distressed when Rick laughingly refers to himself as a workhorse and then expresses his determination to get back Beaver Ridge. He has not given up on that, not by a long shot. Betsy will go back to work for Jamie full-time soon. She is trying very hard, still, to keep from worrying about Ben, but the continued lack of word from him is upsetting her. Yet she is reluctant to write him herself, afraid of encouraging him, leading him to think she would take him back. She would be horror-stricken if she knew that in prison he has been beaten unmercifully by Duke and his minions, that Ben can look to no one for protection because even the guard, Solly, is under Duke's thumb. Arlene does not know how to react when Ian tells her that she will be grandly rewarded for her "exclusivity" -- to him. His silken web is entangling her more and more, blinding her to the goodness and gentleness Tom is ready to offer her. Love's Strong Intuition Meg cries for Ben. There is something desperately wrong, she is sure of it. Betsy tells Meg she never intends to go visit Ben, but she, too, senses some trouble, and determines to go visit Ben right away. The waves of love are very strong because Ben is in trouble, and it is big. Solly, the guard, deliberately unlocks Ben's cell door so that Duke and Pearson can more savagely attack Ben. This time the knife is involved. In the guard's wardroom, Solly is bothered by whatever remnants of conscience he has. He tries to chain-smoke his worries away and finally, leaving a burning cigarette, goes to see if the battle is over. While a fire builds, Solly encounters a riot in the cell block. It is the smell of smoke and resulting panic that saves Ben's life. Ironically, it is Ben who saves Duke -- and many others -- from the fire. The warden comes to see Ben in the prison hospital. Ben's attitude is truculent, he avoids telling of the beating he underwent, but the warden is not so easily deceived. Meg and Betsy join forces when they learn of the fire at the prison. They rush to see Ben. After Betsy visits with Ben, Meg has great hopes that one day the two will be reunited. Ben dares not hope for reconciliation, but he swears to Betsy that he has changed. Betsy does not confess her undying love, but she can see that Ben has changed. Later, Ben is once again visited by the warden, who asks him to sign some papers, an application for parole. Ben is almost afraid to try for parole because of the fear of being turned down, but the thought that he could be out soon to prove to Betsy that he can provide for her and the baby gives him the courage to try. Ben has paid for his sins, and dearly. It Is Too Late for Felicia Felicia finally confesses to Eddie the true cause of her shame. She is a virgin. The thought of physical love is abhorrent to her, even though she knows that Eddie is the one man who could lead her into a happier and fuller life. She found the man of her dreams, the man she would not have to share, too late. Carrie wants that man Ian out of her daughter's life. Arlene doesn't know what she wants, only that she resents Carrie's assumption that she is of very easy virtue. If Arlene Could Care Arlene is very much afraid that Joe will tell tom who paid Carrie's hospital bill. Although she has done nothing to be ashamed of, she is afraid what Tom will think. He is becoming special to her, and she dreads losing his good opinion. Every time they are together, she finds it easier to relax, to be herself. She sees the difference between Tom and Ian very clearly, and if ever she felt she could care for a man again, Tom would certainly fill the bill. Joe, pressed by Tom, does let it slip that someone paid Carrie's bill in full, prompting Tom to check with the administration office at the hospital. He learns just who the someone is, and that night when he goes to pick up Arlene for their date and she sees that something is troubling him, asking if she can help, Tom tells her that he just might let her know.... Will he declare his feelings about her...or about the payment of Carrie's bill and all that it implies? Van is scandalized when Meg asks for Bruce's intervention in the matter of Ben's parole. Meg has already approached one of the parole board members with an offer of a large contribution in return for his support of her son's release from prison. Ben is Afraid When word of her attempted bribery reaches the warden, he immediately asks Ben if he asked his mother to intervene. From Ben's reply and obvious distress at the news, the warden can see that Ben was ignorant of Meg's ploy. Ben is now desperately afraid that his parole will be turned down. Afraid that he will turn into an animal, like the rest of the inmates. All he wants is freedom -- to prove to Betsy that he can take care of her. Felicia, under the gentle tutelage of Eddie, is introduced to the wonders of love. For the first time in her life she feels whole. Her desire to freeze in her memory this time with Eddie may be the cornerstone of complete disintegration when she learns, as she soon must, that Charles is lying in a coma. Back from their honeymoon, Rick and Cal are given Meg's wedding present -- she is dropping the lawsuit and wants to sell her share of Beaver Ridge -- if Rick will take the project in hand. Ray Slater has done his work well. Will Ian be the one to buy her out? Return to Rosehill Their idyll in Danvers at an end, Eddie and Felicia return to Rosehill determined to tell Charles, together, that Felicia plans to leave him. She feels strong enough now not to lose what she has discovered: true love and the ability to show it and share it. The news of Charlie's condition is more than she can bear. She begins to crumble under the weight of guilt that she is again the cause of injury to Charles. And yet...she is not the same woman who ran away; but who can ever throw off the guilt that is the price of trying to escape? Loving Mother, one side of Meg, takes umbrage at a decision Ben makes, when his parole is granted. He is able to overlook the fact that Meg almost lost him his freedom by her attempted bribery, but he is determined never again to become enmeshed in her intricate web of possessiveness. He will stay at an hotel until -- he hopes -- Betsy will take him back. After all, she did kiss him when the warden broke the news of his parole and she was there! Betsy, frightened by that same kiss, is in turmoil. She is afraid that she is so weak she will take Ben back. Only she knows how much she still loves him, regardless of her attempts to dissuade herself. She even tries being a "new" Betsy and invites Jamie to a candlelit dinner. He is elated, but she cannot convince him anymore than herself that she is no longer in love with Ben. Jamie's growing interest in her, and his hurt -- although he tries to hide it -- that she tried to "use" him in a desperate effort to become interested in someone new, prompts him to accept a job offer in New York. Arlene is prepared for Tom's disgust when he learns who paid Carrie's bill, but she is taken by surprise when he declares that he believes her totally. They kiss. After so long, they are very happy. Meg is making sure that if she cannot, then business will come between Cal and Rick. If Cal's unhappiness is a gauge, Meg is succeeding beyond her dreams. Lynn quietly hands Bruce her mother's name and address, a mother, the girl feels, does not love her.

the 'Love of Life' theme Charles is more than happy to accept Felicia's protestations that she is fine. He even cancels the nurse Sara had forced him to call. As he remarks on Felicia's "endless strength," his devoted, driven wife falls, unconscious, to the floor while helping him back into bed. He has no choice now, but manages to crawl to the phone to get help. Joe diagnoses viral pneumonia. Felicia must have full bed rest for several weeks in order to recover fully. Charles is not very pleased to learn not only that, but also of the imminent arrival of Mrs. McCreary, a nurse hired by Joe. Betsy has come a long, long way. When she runs into Arlene at Beaver Ridge, she is able to tell Tom that she is now able to see that Arlene, too, was just a pawn of Ben's; but now Arlene has nothing, while she -- at least -- has the baby. She is right. Arlene has nothing except many worries -- mostly about money. Rick pleads with Meg for more time. Meg, who feels she is saving Cal, accuses Rick of greed -- for her money, her power, and her daughter. He, in turn, accuses Meg of jealousy and while he begs for the chance to tell Cal himself, Cal walks in and asks, "Tell me what?" It is Meg who answers. "You'd better sit down," she says. Knocked breathless with the shock of learning that her lover was also her mother's lover, Cal runs out and races off in her car. Rick and Meg are then both frightened out of their wits when Rick reminds Meg of Cal's accident the last time Meg tried to "save" Cal. All she has saved, says Rick, is him -- from her. Meg suffers for what she has done. She must endure another hollow victory. Unaware that the police have been alerted to her disappearance, Cal is driving badly and gets her car struck in a rutted road. She gets out and begins to stumble through the woods, not caring where she is going. She is discovered by a hunter who makes her comfortable in his camp while he, surreptitiously, calls for help. When the hunter leads the authorities back to camp, Cal is gone -- and so is his rifle. He then recalls her saying that all she wanted to do was to fall asleep...and never wake up! In a white-hot rage, Eddie vows to Rick that he will settle things once Cal is found, safe. Cal is soon found by Joe. Holding her in his arms, while she sobs, he tells her everything will be all right. Rick's punishment begins when he calls out to her and she turns to Joe for protection -- from him. Physically, all Cal needs is rest. Mentally and emotionally, she will need more, and will need time. Time to grow up? That's what Joe thinks. It's Up to Cal Joe feels that Cal has a choice to make now: she can become a stronger, wiser woman, or she can remain a stubborn little girl. He hopes she makes the right choice, but it must, he insists, be hers. Van wonders if perhaps he is right. At the same time, Cal is pouring her out her heart to Betsy. Van and Eddie only hinted at Rick's duplicity they never told her. They were probably trying to make up for the love she never got from Meg. She never had a mother, only a rival who almost destroyed her. Alone, Meg suffers for Cal. She does love her daughter, in her fashion. And in the same fashion she is barging into Betsy's life once again. This time to prevent Betsy from the new "Birth Without Violence" technique. Meg calls her lawyer to ask some questions; armed with answers, she smugly comes to inform Betsy that Ben (and Meg, by inference) has certain rights with regard to the baby, who will be recognized, under law, as being legitimate. Therefore, Meg will go to court if necessary to see to it that her grandchild is born safely. Betsy tells Jamie that Ben promised to stay out of her life, but Jamie cautions her against illusions. It takes strength of character to hold out against Meg. Does Betsy really think Ben can do it? Ray continues his relentless campaign to get Arlene totally under his thumb. He manages to get her fired form her job and then he slithers into her apartment while she is in the bath. He wants his money or her love. Desperate for more money for Carrie's operation, Arlene says she will...try. That is not exactly the response he had in mind. Rather cleverly, Carrie finds out just how much this special operation she needs will cost, and with firm resolve she manages to get out of bed and...home. Arlene blanches when she sees her mother standing in the doorway. Carrie tells Arlene, "If it's time for the Lord to bring me home, let the time come." Arlene can only hold her mother and cry. Can Cal Survive? Cal wants to run away, to escape the pain she is enduring, but Eddie makes her see that it is not possible to run fast or hard enough to escape our memories. They must both, he says, stay in Rosehill and face what the future holds. Cal's first step is to return to work at the Free Clinic. Joe is delighted to see her and will do all he can to help her. One thing he suggests is dinner at Beaver Ridge, to show Rick, Meg, and Cal, herself, that she is a survivor. His plan backfires when Cal and Rick see each other across the room. Hastily, she begs Joe to take her home. He tries to tell her how much he cares for her, but Cal stops him. She likes Joe, but she still loves Rick. In spite of Jamie's cautions that he could lose everything by withdrawing from a partnership with Meg, Rick retorts that he has already lost everything -- of importance. Ray Slater, hovering on the outskirts like a hungry shark, attempts to play both ends against the middle by telling Rick he may be able to arrange financing if Rick needs it, and in the next breath telling Meg he may be able to keep her informed of Rick's activities, for a price. After Rick tells her he never wants to see her again, Meg is interested in Ray's proposal. Carrie obstinately refuses to return to the hospital in spite of Tom's pleas and arguments that it would not be fair to Arlene. He arranges medication for her through the Free Clinic. At long last, Arlene has good luck on her side. She gets a job selling cosmetics in Rosehill's most exclusive department store.

the 'Love of Life' theme Lynn Henderson, the teenage runaway alcoholic is, like a lemming, rushing to destroy herself. She is desperate to be home with her mother, but her mother can offer only good schools -- not a home. In the girl's pain and confusion of being rejected, she absconds with $40 of the clinic's money. With money she can completely ignore Joe's warning that the deterioration of a teen-ager from alcoholism is much faster and more drastic than for someone of greater maturity. Joe can only hope that she is found in time: he fears brain damage could result form another bender. Cal and Rick are each alone, each unutterably miserable. Cal accepts, but does not entirely believe Rick's story that he and Barbara plan to reunite -- for Hank's sake. Cal asks a dumbfounded Van for some word about Barbara. Van, distressed over the possible return to Rosehill of her nemesis, rushes to ask Rick if it is so. When she learns, to her relief, that is not, that it was the first plausible excuse Rick could come up to break off with Cal but still hurt her the least, Van can only ask: how did he hope to keep this lying up? Rick has no ready answer, but Van does realize the depth of his love for Cal. A Self Portrait Cal finds no comfort in Meg's efforts to console her. Without realizing it, Meg, with her statements to her daughter, paints -- with her words -- a self-portrait, a study in loneliness and bitterness when she tells Cal that it is not as though she were an older woman with all her chances running out. Carrie is so worried about the mounting hospital bill that she attempts to leave. Joe and Tom try to convince her that the hospital is the only place for her right now. Arlene is also concerned about her mother's medical bills and she may be forced to take -- against her wishes and common sense -- the job with Ray Slater, after all. Ray calls on Rick with the same proposal he made to Meg. When Rick also sneeringly turns him down, Ray becomes nasty and, promising to warm things up for Rick, he leaves. Ben's desperate wish to see Betsy comes true. To his astonishment, she comes to say good-bye before he is transferred to prison. It is clear, when Betsy and Ben have their last meeting, that their love for one another is deep and lasting and futile. She can see that he has changed, but there can never be anything more between them. He knows it is too late, but he asks her to tell the baby, someday, that his father wanted to welcome him into the world. Goodbye is etched into their hearts by the tears they shed privately. Other Tears, Other Sorrows Cal and Rick are also beset by tears. Rick is being cleverly maneuvered by Meg into signing a "contingency" agreement before she will ante up her share of the money for the Schuyler Mountain project. Jamie advises Rick that this particular agreement has some very sticky ramifications and, knowing Meg, these must be taken into account. She could legally pull out, leaving him with full fiscal responsibility. So that if Rick were ever to THINK of Cal, in effect, he would lose everything else. As Rick says to Meg, he wonders if ambition is worth the cost. Cal sees little Hank in Charles's bookstore and mentions his mother's return. Hank, of course, knows nothing because there is nothing, but he is thrilled at the prospect of his mother's coming home to him. From the boy's reaction, Cal realizes that something is afoot and she decides to confront Rick, who, backed into a corner, tells her that as far as they are concerned, it is over, finished. "It just has to be," Rick cries out. With tears in her voice, but not her eyes, Cal replies that it won't happen again. She leaves his office, perhaps his life, forever. Ben pleads with Eddie to look after Cal carefully. Eddie is only mildly shocked at the confirmation by Ben of his suspicions of an affair between Meg and Rick. Ben is of the opinion that the affair is not "past" for Meg, although he feels it is for Rick. Eddie decides to postpone his trip and remain in Rosehill. Cal, he realizes, needs her father. Ray is attempting to tangle Arlene in a web of gratitude. She is unable, because of her record, to get a job. He offers to lend her the money she will need for her mother's medical bills. The interest he charges is total possession. Can Arlene pay that -- when she still loves Ben, even though she has no hope of ever getting him back? Meeting accidentally at Beaver Ridge, Tom and Arlene find themselves mutually attracted until Meg puts a stop to it by drawing Tom aside to let him know that Arlene is Ben's ex-wife. He is shocked, because hew as not expecting the arch-villainess in the piece to be so warm and vulnerable. The next day, Arlene asks Tom if he is sure that he can treat her mother, knowing now who she is. He admits he considered the question himself, but he points out to her that he is uniquely qualified by his training to care for Carrie. He feels he is needed; however, he will let Arlene decide. Will her cynicism force her to make a faulty decision herself? Ray Slater's life is built on the promise that he makes no errors in judgments. When Arlene comes to tell him she needs the job he offered her, the job is, regrettably filled; he reminds her how deeply in debt she is to him. Arlene's back is against the wall now. Precisely where Ray wants it. Meg is heartbroken, at least as far as she is capable, when Ben requests to be sent to prison a few days early. For once, her manipulations fail her and she weeps at the prospect of Ben sitting and stifling in prison. He, on the other hand, looks forward to it (as much as one can) as a means of really making something of himself, an endeavor sadly neglected until now. A Gambler Takes a Chance Against Jamie's advice, and despite Meg's position of seeming strength in the matter of the contingency agreement for Schuyler Mountain, Rick goes ahead. He makes the deal with Meg, explaining in no uncertain terms that their agreement is a business deal. Picking up the phone, she smugly calls her bank to arrange the transfer of money. She feels she has won, but Rick obviously has something up his sleeve. "Come, Fly with Me" What Rick has up his sleeve is his overpowering love for Cal. They cannot live apart and -- to Cal's everlasting joy -- he comes to her. And, taking her in his arms and engulfing her with kisses, he tells her he has figured out a way to outsmart Meg. They will force Meg to accept a fait accompli -- or risk another public scandal. They will elope. Lynn takes her first real step toward recovery when she shows up on Van's doorstep. Carrie trusts Tom and she wants him to remain on the case. When Arlene learns that an operation for Carrie will cost in the five-figure range, she takes a deep breath and tells Tom she will find a way to pay for the best surgeon there is. Di makes Jamie face the reality that their love is now past. She asks his forgiveness, saying she "used" him to make a last grab for romance, for motherhood. Jamie does not want to let her go, but she convinces him that their beautiful memories are all that they can share now. When she leaves, Jamie is struck forcibly with the realization that he needs to be needed; he chastises himself for being selfish, for using Di to build up his own strength. Betsy, seeing his unhappiness, asks to be allowed to help him -- as he helped her. When he remarks that everything is pointless, with Di gone, Betsy knows exactly what he means. She has been there. At Van's urging, Lynn faces a disciplinary meeting at Halfway House, but the committee turns thumbs down because Lynn will not admit to being an alcoholic. She is really at the bottom now, but she is afraid of hurting Van -- as she feels she has hurt everyone who has ever been kind to her -- so she does her best to rudely chase Van off. She will not succeed, because Van is beginning to realize just what the girl is doing. Charles may be forced to get help from the outside. Sara dropped by the house and found Felicia prostrate on the floor; the wise lady does not buy Felicia's story that she feels fine now, nor does she allow Charles to. Sara forces him to call the doctor and the nurses' registry, as well. A Lost Chance Rick and Cal plan to leave in the afternoon for Las Vegas, where they will marry and honeymoon, but their departure becomes entangled in the complications of...fate? Between a call from Jamie telling Rick that he must sign some important papers right away, plus other difficulties -- mainly Meg, Rick will not get to Cal's apartment at 5 p.m. Between Ray's remarks of seeing Rick with a beautiful young woman, Hank's slips of the tongue and Rick's sudden, unannounced weekend trip, Meg puts two and two together. She hastens to Rick's apartment to confront him and tells him that now it is time for Cal to know all about Rick's past -- with her mother.

the 'Love of Life' theme When Ben and Arlene are formally charged, they are at odds and so are their mothers; but the shock is too much for Carrie, she collapses and is rushed to the hospital. Arlene is understandably bitter when Ben is released on bail (Meg and her money come in handy) but Ray Slater comes forward, promising Arlene he will do all that he can to help her. Meg hits upon the perfect defense strategy for Ben. She has managed to retain Mark Belder, the famous lawyer, to defend Ben (despite her son's wishes to the contrary). Diminished responsibility is the plea she decides will get him off. Right or wrong, Meg is determined to save Ben -- even from himself. Cal faces turmoil on many fronts. Her concern for Ben, for Betsy, and her growing fear that something is going wrong with her involvement with Rick. Joe tries to comfort her, Meg warns her that she is a romantic -- and they are always hurt by the world. Rick, in his way, tries to warn her about himself but she pays no heed. Rick's Dilemma Rick is on the horns of a dilemma: does he want to be Cal's husband, Meg's lover (with its rewards and strings)... or neither? He honestly doesn't know, but how he wishes he did. Betsy moves into the riverhouse despite its memories and she accepts Jamie's offer of a job. Ben comes to see her there. She rebuffs him, but he pledges his love and his desire to do what she wants him to do. Later, Ben tells Cal that if Betsy would take him back, he would plead insanity and let Belder get him off, but now he wants to learn if he can depend on himself. He knows he can always depend on the family. Meg is not so taken with Ben's problems that she is blind to the threat posed in her campaign to have Rick for herself. She sets in train a strategy to try to wear Cal down: she refers to Cal's "crush" on Rick, and older man. Charles chooses to belittle Joe, making snide remarks about his doctor and referring toh is advice as two-bit psychology, accusing Joe of trying to strip away his few remaining pleasures. On Charles's insistence, he and Felicia go to see Eddie Aleata. As she looks at Eddie, Felicia's face betrays the stirring of longing she feels. Charles is quite upset when he looks at her. Felicia's New Love? When Charles reminds Felicia that she once said she was ready to be a full woman, a full wife, but now... he cannot satisfy her needs, Felicia hastily demurs, saying that the intimate part of her life is not important to her; Charles is happy to believe her. She fails in her attempt to paint out her frustrations and is horrified to find herself sketching Eddie; worse, when she looks in the mirror she sees herself as withering away and undesirable. Her inner voice reminds her of Eddie, Eddie. ...She may be able to deceive Charles, but how much longer can she deceive herself? Arlene's Revenge Ray Slater arranges Arlene's $6,000 bail -- for a price -- but not before insuring that she will be good and grateful. The price is not cheap: it never is with the Rays of this world. Temporarily free, Arlene hastens to her mother's bedside and soon Ray arrives, too. Carrie neither likes nor trusts her daughter's benefactor, but she agrees with him that Arlene should "cop a plea." Arlene wants to fight, to make sure she isn't left holding the bag for Ben if he goes free, but for Carrie's sake, she agrees. At a meeting with the court's representative who will make recommendations to the judge, Arlene (who can imagine nothing worse than jail) drops a bombshell: Ben's divorce papers were forgeries, she says. Rick's dilemma may be forcibly solved for him. Meg, crying out how much she has been hurt by him, gives him an ultimatum: either he breaks off with Cal immediately, or she will tell Cal about their affair. Rick does not take kindly to her threats, but he is quite neatly boxed in by them. Ben begs Betsy to accept all the money he had earned working for Sara, nothing he offers her comes from Meg. Betsy's efforts to steel herself against him are about to dissolve under the onslaught of his persistence when his chances are destroyed in one fell swoop: she is asked to testify in Ben's behalf and suspects trickery. Poor Ben must face his sentencing without hope of getting Betsy back. Ben a Man at Last Almost as a last request, Ben asks Cal to tell Betsy for him how much he loves her. Before being sentenced, Ben addresses the bench. He forfeits all chance for an appeal when he accepts full responsibility for what happened, and he apologizes to Arlene, begging the court to let her go free. Meg is horrified, and Betsy heartbroken, when the judge pronounces sentence: Ben will have to serve from one to four years in prison; Arlene is given six months' probation. Joe Cusack suspects that Carrie's illness may be caused by a weakened aorta, although it is too soon to be certain. Arlene is, of course, quite worried about her mother, and she blames herself for causing Carrie so much concern. Carrie knows her daughter, and she confides in Jamie that, although Arlene has a lot of spunk, she is not as tough as she pretends -- what she needs is to be loved and cared for. Deep down, Carrie feels she has not much longer to live and she asks Jamie to make her will. She wants to make sure that Arlene will receive what little she has. Ray Slater expects his payment for helping Arlene. When she rebuffs his advances, he is at first angry, but then he tells her he can wait. For something he really wants, he can be very patient. What Price Freedom? Arlene chafes at the strictures placed on her by the probation officer. Carrie reminds her that she should be grateful for probation; but Arlene feels that the price for it is too high. They both get very excited during this talk and Arlene is horrified to see Carrie have an attack. Felicia's and Eddie's mutual joy over some tapestry reproductions excludes Charles, to his displeasure. The tapestry of their lives is becoming more intricate, more interwoven, even though Eddie silently tells himself not to be a fool: Felicia and he can share the beauties of art -- and that is all. Meg pulls no punches in her effort to break up Rick and Cal: he breaks off with her daughter or the money for Schuyler Mountain will not be forthcoming. He mentions to Arlene that tonight he must do the hardest thing he has ever done in his life. When Cal comes to the club to tell him she will not allow her mother to interfere in her life, Rick forestalls her, saying there is something he has to tell her. Hearts are Broken When it comes to the point, Rick is not a match for Meg. She holds all the aces. He breaks off with Cal, who is devastated by his announcement, but she will not give up: someday Rick will come back because he still loves her, as she loves him. Rick, for his part is not pleased by a visit from Meg. Has she come to gloat? He loathes her for what she forced him to do. Meg is not glorious in victory. She has lost her children... and now Rick is the only thing left that she does want, and she has not the strength to bear another failure, another loss. Eddie wants to take Cal away from Rosehill for a while. A cruise on the Ariadne would help lift her spirits. His own spirits would do with some lifting. He and Felicia can no longer pretend there is no great attraction between them, drawing them ultimately toward what involvement? They have one beautiful moment of complete understanding. It will not be easy, but they must end before they have begun. At Tom's insistence, Betsy calls their parents, in England. She will got to visit them for a while, but she fully intends to return to Rosehill for the birth of her baby. The baby is of prime importance to others besides Betsy. Ben feels, no matter what rights he may have forfeited, that the baby will always be his; he asks Sara to protect Betsy and the baby from whatever plot Meg may come up with to gain control of them. Betsy Will Fight At the same time, Betsy is facing up to Meg. Meg's offer of her home and the best medical care available, are of course declined by Betsy. Meg then threatens Betsy with legal action if the young woman attempts to wipe out the baby's true heritage. If Meg wants a fight, she may well be very surprised. Betsy will give her a fight, alright, a fight she says Meg will never forget -- if she dares even think about Betsy's baby. Betsy has changed: she is now a woman to be reckoned with in her own right. Ray Slater offers a job to Arlene and the only payment he wants is for her to love him the way she loved Ben. Ray then offers to buy into the Schuyler Mountain project, to Meg's surprise. At her refusal, he smiles and tells her never to say never.

the 'Love of Life' theme On this day in Rosehill, two doors slam: Ben slams Arlene's car door saying he can't run away with her, he loves his wife; Arlene slams the Hart's front door lashing out at Betsy: "Ben is my husband, not yours. We've been married for three years; you never were his wife." Betsy looks at Arlene in amazement and shouts: "You're lying. You're crazy, that can't be true." "It's true, sweetie," Arlene continues bitterly, "And it's about time you knew." Betsy's searching and pained eyes are still trying to discern whether what Arlene says is the truth when Ben walks in the door. Betsy runs into his arms and cries: "Arlene has been saying terrible things about you; tell me they're not true." Ben observes his wife's shaken state and realizes he owes her the truth. He takes Betsy aside and tells her the whole sorry tale. Ben couldn't have hurt her more if he had taken a butcher's knife and plunged it into her chest. Betsy runs to her room, crying in pain. Ben's guts are twisted into a knot, his eyes fight to hold back the tears; he realizes he may have lost the best thing that has ever happened in his life. He runs after Betsy and corners her in the bedroom. Ben tries to touch her, but she recoils in disgust. Her tear-streaked face speaks of the pain he has just caused her. Betsy tells Ben that as soon as her brother Tom arrives, she's going to leave this house. She never wants to see him again. Ben declares his love for her and begs her to stay, but in Betsy's eyes Ben has already showed his true colors and these declarations of love fall on deaf ears. Felicia's new life with her husband brings back memories of a childhood spend caring for her invalid father. She's trying to remain strong for Charles, but the strain is beginning to show. Charles observes these cracks in her facade and worries that he may be placing too big a load on her shoulders. This is a frustrating realization, for he already knows he'll always have to rely on her for some things. Cal is still getting flak about Rick from Eddie and Van. Both of them feels he's not the right sort of man for her. He's been involved with a lot of women and Cal is just too innocent to handle him. Cal tells them, in no uncertain terms, that it's her life -- and her love -- and to please stay out of it. Betsy's World Crumbles Betsy's whole world has gone into a tailspin. Her romanticized vision of the perfect love and marriage has been shattered like priceless stained glass. She sits in Cal's apartment trying -- unsuccessfully -- to put the pieces back together. Her friends and family rally around, attempting to nursemaid her back to emotional health; but it does very little good. Betsy is too wrapped up in her cocoon of grief to respond to their kindness. The crude and callow cad (?) who did this to Rosehill's Pollyana is also suffering greatly for his sins. Ben desperately wants his wife and baby back. He's using every emotional ploy in the book to try to convince Betsy that he loves her; but it's all in vain. It's like the iceberg meeting the Titanic. Betsy's icy demeanor sinks all chances of Ben's ploys succeeding -- even when he shows Betsy some real divorce papers (Ben flew down to Haiti and got a divorce from Arlene), it does little to crack the ice. Wallowing in his grief and agony, Ben's now a man to be pitied. Ben's Troubles Increase Ben may be in for more than emotional grief if Jamie has his way. Jamie tells Meg he wants to prosecute Ben to the full extent of the law. He wants her darling son to pay for his actions. Jamie goes to see Betsy and asks her to sign a statement of the facts of the case. Betsy declines, saying she's not interested in vengeance; she doesn't want anything to do with Ben. Jamie's not about to take no for an answer. He leaves the statement with he saying: "Think about it Betsy. This isn't vengeance; it's justice. Don't you want Ben to pay for what he's done?" Ray walks into the bar at Beaver Ridge. He spies Arlene sitting alone and in his usual gentlemanly manner, plops right down in the seat next to hers. Arlene tells him to get lost. Ray develops an immediate case of deafness and the words don't penetrate. He sees the distraught state Arlene's in and seizes upon the opportunity to make his move. Despite the repugnance she feels when she looks at this oily gent, Arlene responds a bit. Her need to talk -- or spew venom -- wins over any disgust she may be feeling. Stretched to Her Breaking Point Betsy is being pressured by Jamie to sign a complaint against Ben -- an action which could result in Ben's imprisonment. In her pain and confusion, she cannot feel joy at the first movements of her baby. In anguish, she goes to see Dr. Albertson, telling her she does not want the baby. The doctor manages to calm her down, reminding her that no matter what the state of things with the baby's father, Betsy's love for the baby is just as real as the baby itself. Don't, pleads Dr. Albertson, make the baby pay for the pain his father has caused. Calmer now, Betsy goes home feeling able to cope somehow with the things she must face. Van rushes to smooth the waters until Betsy is calmer. Although she agrees with Bruce, that Ben probably deserves it, what purpose would it serve to have him put in prison? And how would Meg react? Van is further distressed by this situation when she learns that Rick knew all along about Ben's deception; with Rick and Cal so deeply involved, Van is concerned about the kind of man Rick is -- how can he help but, eventually hurt Cal? Ben, busy packing a bag to leave Rosehill, will not be stopped, even by Meg. He almost wishes, he tells her, that Betsy would sign the complaint. Ignoring Meg's pleas that she will, somehow, get Betsy back for him, Ben replies that this time she can't buy an out for him. It is time he grew up and became a man, and maybe then Betsy would return to him. Desperate, Meg goes to Betsy to beg her not to sign the paper and to offer a substantial trust fund for the baby. Once again she is coldly rebuffed. Betsy will not allow Meg's money to destroy her baby the way it destroyed Ben. Feeling Utterly Deserted Meg tells Rick that she wants out of the new project because she doesn't want Rick destroyed too, with her money. He is frantic, because this project is, to him, the answer to all his dreams, but philosophically he suggests they forget it for now and have a drink. Van's, as well as Eddie's, fears for Cal's happiness seem very well founded when, well into their cups, Rick and Meg embrace quite passionately. He seems to have forgotten that he is secretly engaged to Cal and that he has given his word to Van that he would never, intentionally, hurt Cal. Rick may be getting more than he bargains for when he says "go" to the Schuyler Mountain project. Meg will provide the financial backing -- without, she says, strings. He hopes she means it when she assures him that it is not a trade-off for their night together. Cal Losing Out? He asks himself what he has done, and when Cal arrives at the club, he is so preoccupied that he calls it short. Meg, standing unseen in the background, smiles when she hears Rick tell Cal not to mention their secret engagement to anyone. Jamie tells the District Attorney about Ben's bigamy. The D.A. begins an investigation into the matter. Compelled by honor, Bruce hands over a letter he secured from Betsy. In the letter, Ben admitted to Betsy that he was already married to Arlene. Bruce is fearful that his action will destroy the new family feeling -- the only good thing arising from this mess. He is right, at least as far as Meg is concerned. She will never forgive him. Her first move is to attempt to get Ben to leave the country. He says no. Her second is to get him a lawyer. At a meeting called at the D.A.'s office, Arlene, under subpoena, tries to stonewall the D.A. when he asks her about the bigamy; she is forestalled by her mother, who begs Arlene to be truthful. Horrified when she sees the damning letter, Arlene cannot understand how Betsy could supply the evidence against the father of her unborn child. After talking to his grandmother and Eddie Aleata, Ben takes heed of their heartfelt advice not to run away this time, to face up to the consequences of his actions and prepare the way for a kind of rebirth: to become a man. Ben Faces the Music To the surprise of everyone present in the D.A.'s office, especially the three important women in his life -- Betsy, Arlene, and Meg -- Ben walks into the meeting. He admits writing the letter and states that what it says is true. When formally charged, Ben calmly says that he has got a long way to go to make up for what he has done, but he regards this as a good start. Felicia, overwrought by her intense caring to Charles, finally has the beginning of a breakdown. Joe firmly tells her she must have some rest and orders to hire a nurse. Felicia looks worried at the announcement, and Charles's face mirrors displeasure.