For over a century and a half, the Collins family has been haunted by a mysterious curse. To appease the evil spirit, one member of each generation has been chosen by lottery to spend a night in a mysterious locked room. All who have remained there have either died or gone insane. When Gabriel Collins drew the marked lottery slip, he hired a villager to take his place, but the villager was discovered dead, and Gabriel roams the wood insane. Today the lottery has been held again. This time it is Catherine Collins who has been chosen.
After Catherine is chosen to spend the night in the locked room, Morgan declares he is not going to let her go through with it.
Act I
Catherine says she is fine with going into the room, but Morgan begs her to let him take her place. He even goes as far as suggesting they leave Collinsport. Catherine reassures him she will be fine, because she doesn’t believe in the curse.
Act II
At the Old House, Bramwell sits by the fire, thinking of the recent events. Daphne returns home, but Bramwell doesn’t initially seem happy to see her. There is a knock on the front door, and Julia arrives to deliver a wedding present on behalf of the family. It’s a portrait of Barnabas, and Daphne remarks on how much Bramwell looks like him. As Bramwell leaves to get brandy, Julia informs Daphne that Catherine drew the slip with the “X” in the second lottery. Bramwell overhears this and orders Julia to stop her from going into the locked room, but Julia tells him that Catherine is already resigned to her fate. He turns around and finds that Daphne has left the house.
Daphne rushes to Collinwood and begs Catherine not to go into the locked room.
Act III
Catherine says her mind is made up, and she will honor the pact she made. As Morgan arrives, Daphne wonders if Catherine actually WANTS to go into the room, because her life is miserable. Catherine doesn’t deny it, but Morgan kicks Daphne out of Collinwood.
Late that afternoon, Catherine visits Bramwell at the gazebo. She insists she must try to end the curse, so their child won’t have to live through it in the future. Realizing he may soon lose her to the curse, Bramwell grows despondent, and Catherine kisses him.
Act IV
Despite Bramwell’s final plea, Catherine leaves and heads back to the house.
Morgan returns to Collinwood after a few hours away. Julia meets him in the drawing room and admits she wondered if he was trying to interfere with Catherine going into the room. Morgan asks Julia to take Catherine to the locked room, because Morgan doesn’t think he has what it takes to lock her inside. Julia agrees, as does Catherine, who had overheard their conversation. The two share a kiss.
Bramwell returns to the Old House. Daphne is upset, but understanding, about Bramwell wanting to see Catherine one more time. Daphne insists that she loves him and wants to give him a son, which only makes Bramwell more distraught.
At nightfall, Morgan bids Catherine goodbye, and Julia takes her into the West Wing. As Julia goes to open the door, she finds that the key doesn’t work. Suddenly, they hear Morgan’s voice on the other side of the door; he admits he changed the locks and is taking Catherine’s place in the locked room.
Memorable quotes[]
Bramwell: In times of crisis, one can never completely erase the past. Memories come back... memories that demand certain actions.
Morgan's behavior in this episode where he refuses to let Catherine spend a night in the locked room contrasts with his actions in 1243 where he forces her to stay in the room.
INTERNAL MONOLOGUE: Bramwell: (recalling Catherine's words about pregnancy).
TIMELINE: Catherine will enter the locked room at dusk. Daphne has been married to Bramwell for less than a day (occurred in 1219). 5:10pm: Catherine is led to the room.
Bloopers and continuity errors[]
When Morgan and Catherine argue in Act I Keith Prentice says "Collinmoog" instead of "Collinwood."
Grayson Hall stumbles over her line when telling Daphne about the lottery in Act II: "But I feel you should know that Catherine drew the...losing..."
When Daphne enters Collinwood to speak to Catherine, the shadow of a boom mic can be seen on the drawing room wall to the right.
Keith Prentice flubs a line: "I don't think I could dread going with her..."
As Julia takes Catherine away to go to the lottery room, a boom mic shadow can be seen moving on the right drawing room door.
