Strange Paradise:  Episode 97
Episode 97:  Slideshow
Ada: "Desmond Hall the ancient home of the cursed and haunted family, standing in death like silence high on the cliffs which overlook a town forgotten by time. Its stone and mortar timeless, to witness many extraordinary happenings. But none more mysterious than the appearance of a woman who looks enough like Erica Desmond to be her walking ghost. That a woman so lovely that Jean Paul Desmond can not suspect her of evil. He can only smile and remember Erica."
 
Helena walks down the staircase dressed in a ball gown of gold. "It's a costume, one of my costumes from the play. I hope you forgive me." she says to Jean Paul who is standing at the bottom of the staircase.  "Oh there is nothing to forgive. You look bewitching." Jean Paul says smiling at her.  "Thank you. My cloths were so grimy from all that traveling. Mrs. Thaxton has offered to have them cleaned." Helena says stepping from the staircase and walking across the foyer.  "Well I hope it takes time, you look charming as you are." Jean Paul says walking towards her, "You're very kind Mr. Desmond. But it does suit Desmond Hall doesn't it." She says holding her arms away from her body showing off the dress.''  "Perfectly. Is that the costume you were going to wear in your play tonight?"  "Oh no not tonight, Lady Guinevere? This is from our other play an Elizabethan tragedy. All brooding and ghostly in which I murder a string of lovers."  Jean Paul laughs. "I can't imagine you as a murderess."  "Oh. Well it was easy to me."  "Amazing, I'd like to see you in this part."  "Oh you will Mr. Desmond you will and soon." she says with a smile as she walks away from Jean Paul.  Jean Paul opens the Drawing Room doors and lets Helena enter first. She walks across the room and turns to look at him. "Oh it's lovely. I must admit I’m not used to all this luxury. Well I played a scene in rooms like this but they were stage sets made of paint and canvas. But this is real. Oh how fortunate I was to have met you last night quite by accident," Helena walks around the room and turns to walk back to Jean Paul. "But why were you alone in the dark streets? The Master of Desmond Hall."  "I was searching for something I lost." Jean Paul says looking away from her.  "Something or someone?"  "Both I think."  "But you came up behind me so quietly. I should have been afraid. A woman a delicate flower alone and unprotected." she says changing her voice so it has a southern accent.  Jean Paul laughs at her. Helena also laughs as Jean Paul walks up to her. "That's another role I played. But I wasn't afraid. Not after I saw your face. You have a very kind face Mr. Desmond. Sensitive warm but tortured, at least it was last night. Are you tortured Mr. Desmond?"  "Not now." He says to her with a smile.  "I'm glad."  "I'm very happy you're here Miss Raleigh."  "Helena, Helena please."  Jean Paul nods.  "And I'll call you what, Philip? Oh that's your brother's name. I'm so sorry."  Jean Paul loses the smile. "How did you know about Philip?"  "Oh a charming young girl told me Holly, she came to my room to talk. She told me she loved Philip very much."  "She thinks she does." Jean Paul says as he looks away from Helena.  "And you don't?"  "What did she tell you about Philip?"  "Well that he's attractive, charming and the loveliest man she ever met. What else does a girl say?"  "Yes I suppose." Jean Paul says as he turns away with a disturbed expression on his face.  "Jean Paul, what is it? Will I meet Philip? Is he here?"  "Oh no he isn't here."  "Poor Holly she talked as if he were. Obviously she misses him very much."  Jean Paul turns away. "Helena?"  "Yes."
"We don't know where my brother is." Jean Paul walks across the room. Turning he looks back at her. "Perhaps he is dead."  "Oh that’s...poor Holly. I must be kind to her. She likes me already I can tell that. Was she fond of Erica?"  Jean Paul turns away. "Very fond."  Helena walks towards him. "Tell me. What was Erica like?"  Jean Paul turns and looks at Helena. "She was beautiful, as you are. She was bright, sophisticated and charming. She was very loving to everyone." Jean Paul says as he walks towards Helena.  "How did she speak?"  "Softly, she had a very feminine voice, but very melodious."  "Like this." She lowers her voice to a quieter tone.  "Yes. When she died I thought my life was over and in many parts I suppose it still is. I seem to have nothing to live for."  "Jean Paul." Helena calls him. "Look at me. If I were Erica now what would you do?"  "Love you."  Helena turns away. "But I'm not Erica am I? And I mustn't remind you of her. It's wrong." She walks over to the fireplace and turns and looks back at him. "But I might as well be Erica or anyone else because I'm no one. I play my roles that's all. Taking on the character that is assigned to me. I take directions very well Jean Paul. I can become whoever I am asked to become."  Holly enters Philip's room. "Philip? Philip are you here? I've come to your old room because you haven't come to mine." Holly says as she walks through Philip's room. "You've heard me though haven't you? I've told them all. I'm not ashamed of how I feel. I've told everyone that I love you."  "But you mustn't." Philip says to her as he materializes.  Holly turns. "Philip."  "No you mustn't come near me. You mustn't try to touch me ever." Philip tells her as she takes a step towards him. "Stay where you are or I will disappear."  "I'll stay wherever you want me to if you'll only talk to me. If I can only see you."  "Holly I have something to tell you."  "I have something to tell you too. I've told everyone but never you. Never when I could see you. Philip I love you."  "Don't say that."  "I have to say it its true." Holly tells him.  "You mustn't love me Holly, don't let yourself love me."  "I can't help the way I feel Philip. I want to be with you. I want to go wherever you are if only you'll take me there."  "No."  "Don't you want me?"  "I'm in darkness and wretchedness."
"I don't care if I can only be with you Philip. Do you love me? I've heard your voice in my sleep telling me."  "No this is impossible. You don't love me Holly you can't."  "But I do."  "Then I can never see you again. I must leave you and never return." Philip fades away.  "Philip?"  "Good by Holly."  "Philip! No please don't leave me! Please I'll do whatever you say but don't leave me!" Holly says as she rushes across the room. "Philip." Holly whispers as she leaves the room.
 
Helena sits in a chair with Jean Paul standing over her. "Why are you looking at me? I'm reading a book. Nothing unusual." Helena says looking up at Jean Paul.
"I enjoy watching you."  "Flattery but unnerving." she says.  Jean Paul kneels next to her chair. "You know you mystify me from the moment I set eyes on you. You welcomed me from the moment I saw you. And then without any hesitation you accepted my offer to come to Desmond Hall. Why?"  Helena glances away then at Jean Paul. "Well I could tell by the cut of your cloths you are a very wealthy man."  "No, no that's not it. Now tell me why?" Helena stands and walks away from Jean Paul. Jean Paul also stands. "Very well then, I told you the truth so now what story should I invent? Or will I use lines from a play."  Jean Paul walks over to her. "Helena you're mocking me."  "No I'm not. I've lived a life of struggling. Towards what? I don't know." She says as she walks to the fireplace. "But I do know. I’m tired of the struggle. I wanted to be an actress because as a girl I thought all actresses were beautiful, pampered and rich. And lounged on white satin sofas like Jean Harlow. Or lured men to their doom while sparking in the shadows. But I found out it wasn't like that at all." Helena walks around the room stopping at the window. "And I'm tired that's all." She turns and looks at Jean Paul. "So I accepted your invitation."  Jean Paul walks towards her. "Perhaps you shouldn't have come here."  "Why because I'm honest?"  "No because I'm selfish and everyone who gets involved with me gets neither diamonds or comfort bur darkness and disaster."  Helena puts her arms around Jean Paul's neck. "Oh you are tortured. How sweet but how sad." She reaches up and kisses him. "But I must stay with you Jean Paul, don't you see that. You need some brightness and hope. It's like a play. All of life is like a play. You won't get rid of me now Jean Paul. You and I must play our roles to the very end."
Jean Paul stares at her.
 
Quito sits in a chair in Jean Paul's room when there is a knock at the bedroom door. "Jean Paul? Jean Paul." Holly calls as she opens the door and sees Quito. "Quito. Quito you ran away. I thought you were lost." Holly says walking into the room and stands next to his chair. She then kneels next to him. "Oh I missed you though." she says taking a hold of his hand. "Oh when I heard those people were chasing you."  Quito puts his hand to his mouth and shakes his head.  "Quito maybe you can help me. You saved my life once on Maljardin. Perhaps I should have died." Holly says looking away.  Quito shakes his head no.  Holly lays her head against Quito's arm. "I don't have anything. And everything I want I can't have." She looks up at Quito. "You see I want Philip. Philip Desmond."  Quito pulls away from Holly as he stands and backs away from her raising his hands in front of him.  "Quito you know something don't you? Something about Philip!"
Quito shakes his head moving away from Holly as she chases him around the chair,  "Please tell me! Please show me what it is! Quito!" she calls out as he opens the door and slips out closing the door in her face.
 
Helena takes another book from the shelf. "Book after book. Generation after generation of Desmonds. All literate people, all with backgrounds and all with wealth." She walks across the room carrying a book. I'm wondering, should I or shouldn't I become a Desmond"  Quito rushes through the doorway of the Drawing Room.   Helena turns and sees him. "Well hello."  Quito stands and stares at her.  "Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. Well how could I hurt you a strong man like you?"  Quito moves his fingers and hands nervously.
"Oh you can't speak, poor man. But maybe we can play games you and I. To help you to speak. I played a role once. I communicated with signs. Signs." Helena demonstrates to Quito. "Understand? Come on you can do it. Me. You. Friends." she says as she shows him the signs for each word.  Quito looks away.
"No. What a disappointment. I wanted everyone at Desmond Hall to know me and like me." she says as she walks behind Quito. "Are you a servant?" Helena asks.  Quito nods.  "Why are you afraid of me? Do I look like the late Mrs. Desmond? Like Erica? Is that why you're afraid?"  Quito holds his hands close to his chest as he looks away from Helena.  "How strange no one has been afraid of Erica before." She steps in front of Quito. "But you are and you hated her didn't you?"  Quito still will not look at her.  "Well never mind, there is time. If you're looking for your Master he's upstairs changing for dinner."  Quito nods and rushes for the doors, as he leaves he glances back at Helena.  "I'm not Erica and I won't hurt you ever." Helena says. Quito quickly leaves closing the door behind him.  Helena turns away from the doors. "You're a very interesting character Mrs. Desmond, very complex. I shall never learn the role."
 
Jean Paul stands in his room as he finishes dressing. "I'm a fool. Erica is dead, gone and I am cursed with the Mark of Death for the rest of my life. I can't ask this girl to replace... Anything that I would offer to her would only lead to one thing. Her death at my hands." Jean Paul says as he raises his hands and looks at them. "With these hands!" he shouts sitting on the edge of his bed. "And yet she smiles like Erica smiled. And she laughs like Erica laughed. My God help me!" He says in misery lowering his head. "Help me to be stronger so that I can live alone and that I suffer alone." He cries out.   There is a knock at the door. "Come in." Jean Paul says looking at the door. Quito rushes in.  "Quito!" Jean Paul says standing.  Quito rushes over to him grasping his arm.  "What is it?"
Quito reached into his shirt and pulls out Holly's pendant that is around his neck.
"What are you doing with that? It belongs to Holly."  Quito shakes his head no.
"Well it's a gift to Holly from Irene Hatter."  Quito nods.  "Mrs. Hatter, yes. What does it mean? What are you doing with it?"  Quito takes the pendant off and shows the sign for witchcraft.  "Signs, symbols, witchcraft again."  Quito nods.
"From Whom? Oh I've had enough of this." Jean Paul says turning away from Quito. "Witchcraft. I don't fear any witchcraft who ever they are."  Quito walks over to Jean Paul. He places the pendant into Jean Paul's hand.  "Quito! I have had enough of magic! I have had enough of amulets and voodoo!" he shouts throwing the pendant down on the floor and smashes it with his foot. "There, it is gone, it's destroyed, it's forgotten it's finished now leave it be. We are beyond the threat of witches. We have problems greater than that. You are being pursued for a crime that I committed and unless I can protect you it will end in your destruction."  Quito looks away in fear.
 
Helena sits on the couch reading about the present Desmond family. "Two, there are only two brothers left. Jean Paul and Philip and if you've disappeared Philip then that only leaves one doesn't it?"  The books start sliding off the bookcase. Helena glances at the bookcase then turns away. "All right Philip all right. I know you're here."  Jean Paul enters the Drawing Room. As he closes the door he sees Helena picking up books. "Helena what is it? What happened?" he asks as he walks over to the bookcase.  "I was just terribly clumsy. I fell against the bookshelf and sent all the books flying."  "Oh you didn't hurt yourself? You're all right aren't you?"  "Oh no I'm fine. I just hope I didn't harm the books. They are interesting books you know. The Desmond family is a very illustrious one."  "Yes, oh please don't pick up anymore I'll have Quito come in." he says as he places a book on the shelf.  "All right, very well then. I see you've changed for dinner."
"Yes." he says with a laugh glancing at his cloths.  "Thank you. I will feel a little less ridiculous in this costume." she says as she walks around the room. "I'm finding Desmond Hall very interesting. I'm getting the Desmond atmosphere. It's evident in your books. Full of ghosts, spirits and curses. I was in a play once when I played a witch. Now you stand there."  "All right." Jean Paul says as Helena walks to the table picking up a knife.  "And I took up the knife." She raises it above her head. "And with a mesmerizing gaze I advance upon the hero while his back is turned." Helena says as she walks towards him holding the knife above her head. "Well turn your back." She says to Jean Paul lowering the knife.
"Oh yes." Jean Paul says as he turns around.  "And gripping the knife high I gripped the handle and I." she says walking towards Jean Paul.  "Jean Paul!" Holly screams from the doorway of the Drawing Room.  Jean Paul and Helena turn and start laughing. "Holly it's only a play. It's only make believe."  Jean Paul walks over to Holly.  "I'm sorry." she says.  "Well that's understandable, now and then I'm a quite convincing actress.  "Come in Holly. You've met Miss Raleigh." Jean Paul says to Holly.  "Of course we have and we've talked and we've become friends I think." Helena says leading Holly into the room.  "Yes." Holly says to Helena.  Helena sits down. "And we'll talk some more." Holly sits next to her.  "Well listen I'll leave you to it and go and see how Ada is coming along with dinner. Then we will have a cocktail and toast Miss Raleigh’s arrival. All right?" Jean Paul says as he walks from the room.  "He's a charming man isn't he?"
"Yes." Holly says glancing down.  What's the matter Holly?"  "I can't tell you."
"Is it Philip?"  Holly nods. "Yes."  "Well tell me, trust me and tell me."  "He's gone and he'll never come back to me."  "Now you mustn't say that."  "It's true." Holly says sadly.  "Oh Holly don't cry." Helena says putting her arm around Holly's shoulder.  Holly looks at Helena. "He won't come back ever."  "Holly tell me something. Is Philip Desmond dead?"  Holly looks away. "I don't know."  "Oh come, come. You're in love with the man and you don't know whether or not he's alive?"  "It's true. I don't know." Holly says standing. Helena stands and watches Holly. "I don't know anything about him except, except that I love him." Holly says with her back towards Helena.  "Didn't he tell you anything?"  "Just that he's a prisoner in darkness. Oh Helena what should I do? What would you do?"  "I should get another man."  "No! There's no one like him." Holly says as she walks towards the door.  "Why, because he's unreachable? Because he doesn't exist?" Helena says walking towards Holly.  "He does! I see him, I talk to him!" Holly says walking away from Helena.  "Holly you only think you have. Holly if I were to tell you that I must have Jean Paul Desmond." She walks around Holly to face her. "Jean Paul Desmond is the only man in the world that would make me happy only Jean Paul. What would you say?"  "I'd be sympathetic. I would understand that you know what you wanted and needed. I wouldn't torture you the way you're torturing me."  "I'm only testing you."   "Testing me?"  "To find out how much you love Philip. If you really do love him."  "Well I do."  "Yes I know that now and I also know that Philip isn't gone. He's here, I know that and I'll help you Holly. I'll help you find your Philip. I'll help you fulfill you're love with him. I'll help you Holly if you help me." She reaches out her hands to Holly as Holly grasps them.
 
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Summaries written by Debby Graham .  The slide presentation is the work of Ron Janick.
~Ron/Bella~
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Episode 98