May 3, 1985

Cass returned [somewhat unshaven] to his penthouse rather bitter. He called Peter and said he had to see him. Dee appeared. "Welcome home."

That weird woman is placing an overseas call.

Joyce gave Larry something a nurse had found that said Plains Motel on it.

Sally came back to the cabin after dropping Kevin off with intent to breakfast with her loved one. He was putting on his tie having already eaten and intending to see Brittany. She changed the subject. He asked if it upset her. She said not. He said merely "Sally." She asked what he expected. He asked if she wanted to accompany him. She asked how he'd bring up the divorce again considering Britt's mess.

Peter gave reception instructions to delay Cass 15 minutes. Kathleen came in and was businesslike. Peter tried to chat about Cass but she interrupted him. He asked what was bothering Cass. He said things about her having sway with Cass. She was annoyed. Liz appeared and sent him to Mac. Kathleen asked about Catlin and Sally. Liz said they were all right. Liz asked about Cass. Kathleen said "This place is getting less and less like a publishing house and more like a junior high school" and evaporated.

Cass was weird to see Dee. She said she was leaving. Lily appeared and said he looked TURRIBLE. He said things about cows exploding. Dee said she was staying at Felicia's and Lily's going back to Quinn's. Lily and Dee left amidst a chorus of thanks from Cass. Cass detained Dee briefly for a chat. He said he'd been worried about her and he wanted them to be FRIENDS. [Apparently she'd left without SAYING anything.] Felicia arrived and asked about the country. "Sublime," snarled Cass. Felicia wants him to tout his book on the show at Peter's suggestion. Cass thus reminded of Peter dashed out in pursuit of our Love. Dee wonders why he's so upset.

Catlin asked if Sally were worried about Brittany. She said she was worried about everyone. He asked if she'd talked to Kevin. She said she wouldn't without talking to him first but he knew something was wrong and they had to say something sometime. Catlin got all hostile and said he couldn't bring up the divorce again now. She said she thought they should be completely honest. He said Britt was in the HOSPITAL. She said she meant he should be honest with her and Britt both. He said he was [the poor b'y's so confused by this]. She said they were avoiding the issue: DO YOU STILL LOVE HER?

Zane tried to be chummy with Britt. She doesn't appreciate him as she ought. He gave her some sort of liquid refreshment and chatted about the boat he'd bought. He wants her to name it. She wants to know where Catlin is. He said Catlin SHOULD come but he was in love with somebody else and she had to accept that. At this juncture I believe she chucked the beverage at him.

Sally pursued the point. Catlin said he HAD. And he'd buried her and she was dead. He said he didn't know what he felt. Bits of him are angry and bits of him are guilty and bits of him remember how much he loved her. Sally asked why he was angry. "Because she's coming between me and you," he explained, "and you look jolly silly yourself, in that frilly round hat."^* He said he KNEW he loved her [Sally] and he knew she [Sally] was his wife. She said she wanted to help him and Be Strong for his sake but she didn't know what to do. He said she was doing OK and she need only stick by him. She'll do that. Fond and comforting embrace. She said she'd trust him as long as he kept telling her the truth.

Felicia stopped by the hospital to visit a friend Vera someone with a slipped disc. She smashed into Zane and the LOOK she gave him. One of definite interest.

Catlin asked Joyce about Brittany's moods [testing the waters]. They're not good, i.e. not the sort one would care to drag a divorce through the middle of. Joyce suggested he talk to Zane. Zane told him he should not upset Brittany etc. etc. and just about everything clever Catlin had already figured out. Catlin is certainly rubbed the wrong way by Zane. He made marvelously contrary faces. He said he was going to talk to Brittany now and perhaps they should be left alone. Zane talked to Dr. Edwards. He said Britt could be out tomorrow or next day. Tomorrow, huh? Said Zane to himself. Obviously [for some unknown reason] interested. Does he want her out or in?

Joyce asked Brittany how she was doing. The woman chirked right up when Catlin came in. Joyce was fully prepared to vanish into the blue but Catlin wanted her to stay to get the ball rolling. Catlin kept directing his questions at Joyce who kept telling him he could ask Brittany herself. Brittany is of course in wildly good spirits now that he's there. He asked if he could get her anything and she bumped the bed beside her vigorously. Catlin was surprised she didn't have to spell everything out and Joyce spoke about ASL and communication. When Brittany had this new twist in the conversation explained to her she said she'd understand Catlin very well and he never used to talk much anyway. Joyce had to leave to work. Brittany said Joyce was nice. She told him her son had a hearing problem and Catlin said he'd met him. She said the son was seven and Catlin said yes yes just like Kevin. That might have been a little unwise but Catlin is just grateful there is conversation. Brittany signed madly and he confessed he was lost so she grabbed her pad and wrote "You said you'd never leave me" to which he said he wasn't going to leave he was going to stay. [He means while she's unwell; she means forever.] Brittany's going to teach him how to sign.

Dee and Lily are lunching with Tom at Smiley's. Dee's figured out that Cass and Kathleen are not getting along. Lily told her sharply that it was none of her business and Cass was a moody kind of guy anyway. Kathleen came in "Looking as though she'd lost her best friend" and Dee went over to sweetly rub salt in the wound.

Sally wallowing in budgets and making vast mistakes. Aunt Liz thinks she's working too hard and should take time off. Sally said she'd just taken time off for her honeymoon. They talked about Britt. Sally understands Catlin's position but she doesn't like it although she can't get angry. Peter waltzed in blithe and chipper and altogether offensive as Liz left. He asked if she'd talked to a lawyer. She forced him to tell her her legal position. He tried to back off on the grounds that she'd told him to stop interfering but she'd have none of it. He told her with a typical Peterian relish that Catlin hadn't been free to marry anyone [not nobody, not nohow] and legally he was still married to Brittany. Sally said in the eyes of everyone else she was married to him and they'd deal with it when it came up. Peter said he did not want to see her hurt. She said she wouldn't be and she and Catlin were in this together. Peter "hoped" that was true. She said it was. She said Catlin was handling the situation very well and she'd tell him this when the time came. She changed the subject very dextrously.

Larry made a call about the Plains Motel and Plains Iowa clues.

Lily's not pleased with Dee. Tom told her Kathleen could take care of herself.

Dee was sweetly obnoxious. Kathleen figured her out and yelled at her [the look of alarm at being yelled at in so public a place as Smiley's was good]. She protested. Kathleen said things about "Sugarcoated two-faced honey." She said Dee was acting just like Muffy and left. Dee went back to her table and said they'd just talked.

Cass arrived to talk to Peter who was sorry Cass had had to wait 15 minutes. Cass wants more money I think but Peter's ... himself. "You're really rather slimy Peter. Do you know that?" "Better than being rather dull. That's what you used to think of me, isn't it?" "You seem to be able to manage both." Cass gripped his lapels. Peter called him a loser. Cass hit him. He went down as Kathleen appeared in the office doorway.

Felicia arrived at Smiley's and sat down with Dee and Lily and Tom and had eyes only for Zane whom she overheard asking after Wallingford and giving his name. Dee left for RELAXATION.

Catlin can sign his NAME. "Come on, teach me some more." She taught him I love you. [Is it the only a "L" word he knows?] He repeated it as Sally appeared in the doorway. She left unseen.

Kathleen was terribly "impressed" sarcastically. Peter wants him to write articles for Nouvelle. Peter left. Kathleen said Peter was getting the best of him. Cass said he would write the articles. She told him not to punch anyone on the way out. She left.

Sally is not interested in Joyce. Catlin came out and was surprised and pleased to see her. They'll have dinner together. Sally agreed to wait two hours for him considering he just had a break. She began to say "I'll bet you think I'm easy, waiting--" but he caught sight of Dr. Edwards, Brittany's doctor, and left her in midsentence to ask about Britt. Dr. Edward said Britt's hearing loss was merely on account of trauma losing the baby etc. [I hope he doesn't take it into his head to stay with her and hope she'll be untraumatized and able to hear.]

Dee took off most of her clothes and attired only in underclothings got into Cass' bed before he came out of the shower [towelled] surprised to see her.

[The weird woman's still at it. HE LIKES WOMEN SHE SAYS]

Sally went into Brittany's room. Brittany was rearranging Zane's flowers in a vase looking the other way so Sally chucked her purse lightly on the bed. Britt turned around. "I think it's time we talked," said she.

Next!

Previous

Index