I hardly know what to tell you about the next half hour,
except that it has been reported as true by those to whom it happened.
It has been investigated
And no one as yet
has been able to explain it.
Or disprove it.
lovely Tudor house in the English countryside.
Will tomorrow be the scene of a wedding?
The bride will come down those stairs
and she will join the bridegroom.
Here
By this fireplace.
It should be a joyous occasion,
and yet
the bright June sunshine.
Cannot quite burn away the shadow
cast by a recent death.
The death of one who tomorrow would have smiled warmly on the wedding couple
in his role of best man.
Due to the shock and pain
of this sudden loss,
the church has considerably permitted the ceremony to be held here.
Instead of the chapel 2 miles away.
But if the church
For
Scotland Yard
knew all that is to be known
about the bridegroom.
There would be no wedding.
It all began with two old friends
on the last bachelor holiday.
A holiday in one of the most breathtakingly beautiful spots on Earth,
the spectacular
Swiss Alps.
What better place?
What better way for a man to have his last taste of absolute
soaring freedom.
But part of the exhilaration of this thrilling sport
is the undercurrent of danger.
The ever present threat of accident.
The dizzy leap into space.
This pure white world seems an unlikely place for murder.
But watch these two men closely.
Colin,
Colin.
Peter,
call him,
Peter,
are you all right?
Except for this blasted la.
Oh,
it's lucky I saw you go over.
Yeah,
have you got the rope?
Yeah
One good snow and I might have been here till
the angelvis
bloom here,
catch.
Right,
got it.
Just hold on there a minute and I'll have you out of it.
Uh,
let's hope so.
Oh,
come on,
man,
not it,
not it.
It's a good thing Nancy can't see you.
For your own sake,
I hope you show a little more efficiency as a bridegroom next week.
Oh,
come on now,
Colin,
can't a man lying on death's ledge be allowed a little bit of humor?
The trouble with you,
Colin,
is you're so confoundedly sensitive,
always reading innuendos into things.
You don't have to tell me what you're thinking.
It's written all over your face.
You're thinking,
Nancy again,
as if he knew what she liked better than I do.
Isn't that right?
Well,
con,
man,
what are you waiting for?
Colin,
Cain,
for the love of God.
What are you doing?
Have you lost your mind?
for the love of God,
don't leave me here.
Despite Peter Duncan's untimely death in the Swiss Alps,
Colin's wedding date was not changed.
And so a few days later,
a properly shaken bridegroom arrived at one of England's more stately mansions.
Afterwards,
we became separated.
Eventually when I got back to the lodge,
Peter wasn't there.
And then of course,
I
realized something pretty drastic must have happened,
so I organized a search party.
But then this snowstorm suddenly came down.
How awful,
how simply awful.
Yes,
well,
I,
I think you know the rest.
By the morning when we
finally found him,
was it?
Was he really frozen?
Gillian darling,
I'm sorry to upset you,
Nancy.
I realize I shouldn't have explained it in such detail,
perhaps not.
I suppose you stayed for the funeral.
00,
yes,
I,
you know,
the chapel in the village.
It seemed the simplest way.
Um,
where you were the only one there,
the only one.
But I told you,
Nancy,
I wasn't there.
I,
I lost him.
No,
no,
darling,
I mean at the funeral.
Oh.
No,
no,
his father and sister came from London,
and then there were
other friends
from the lodge.
It's so sad to think of.
Poor sweet Peter.
Miss Little,
won't you come downstairs for a cup of tea?
How long Gilead.
Was frozen solid,
Gillian.
Colin,
I realize
what a strain this all has been.
And
so it would seem to have been to you.
But of course
I was very fond of Peter.
Indeed.
Well,
you know that I was.
Oh yes,
yes,
I believe you were.
Do you like my dress?
Yes,
yes,
it's
quite beautiful.
I'll just take it off.
I'll only be a moment.
Nancy,
you
You seem to be bearing up remarkably well.
I do.
Yes,
no tears.
Unless you shed them all.
But darling,
I didn't cry.
Oh.
Why not,
Nancy?
Why not?
Colin,
I'm afraid I don't understand what's on your mind.
Should there be something?
But I don't know whether there should be,
but
I certainly sense something.
Oh,
please,
Nancy,
please be honest about it.
Honest about what?
About Peter?
You know perfectly well you were more than just fond of him.
In fact,
if you felt you hadn't been obliged to be married to me,
you.
What is true,
perfectly true.
I'm not quite so unobservant as you would Peter may have thought.
How can you stand there and insinuate?
Oh,
that's ridiculous.
Peter never meant anything to me,
except that he was your friend.
And if he hadn't been your friend,
well,
I don't think we would have exchanged a half dozen words.
Are you suggesting for one second that Peter and I'm not suggesting anything.
Colin,
well,
you two always seem so,
so what?
devoted.
Devoted.
What do you mean?
Nothing,
Nancy,
nothing.
Do have some of these fresh strawberries that Bromley sent.
It was very thoughtful of them,
don't you think?
Oh my dear,
my poor boy.
Well,
what I mean to say is here I've been prattling on like a fool,
and all the time I,
I planned something so differently.
Colin
Oh,
this has been such a nasty business for you,
and such a shock.
Yes,
yes,
of course it was,
I can't deny that.
Well,
it
just doesn't seem fair.
Not fair.
Well,
I mean after the beastly time you had after the war,
goodness me,
you,
you certainly had your,
your share of emotional
stress.
Oh dear,
I'm not putting it very well,
am I,
but you do understand.
Oh yes,
yes,
I understand very well indeed.
I do understand what you're trying to say.
You're referring to my
crash in the Spitfire's finest hour,
and I became a patient in the hospital for mental disorder,
a surprise patient.
Of course,
after that long trying time and,
and now this.
But I can hardly see any collection,
Elizabeth.
Well,
I'm simply saying,
dear,
that it doesn't seem fair for you to have so many emotional upsets.
Oh,
I see.
I mean,
Peter Duncan was your best friend.
Yes,
of course he was.
Believe me,
the first thing that Nancy said when we heard.
Let me see,
your letter came,
um,
well,
what did,
what was the first thing that Nancy said?
00,
yes,
of course.
Well,
she,
she read it
and then there was a very long pause and
She said
Oh no.
Oh no,
mummy.
Oh no.
I see.
Well then,
I took it and read it.
And all I could see was Peter's lovely smile.
And his,
oh,
his dashing way.
He was such a dear,
dear,
naughty boy.
No,
it's just too much to accept,
too much,
as Nancy said.
What did Nancy say?
Well,
Nancy said it was positively ironic.
Ironic
What else could you call it?
Big strong man like Peter who'd come through the wall without a scratch,
sound and whole and
Both physically and oh dear,
well
anyway,
I
I suppose you
You must get very upset when you think about him alone at the last,
with no one.
Oh my dear,
I'm just turning the knife in your heart with every word.
Oh,
I am so sorry,
do forgive him.
Call on love.
Listen to me.
I've been so upset during dinner and even after,
well,
as a matter of fact,
ever since this afternoon when you walked out like that,
please darling,
maybe we,
maybe we forget about it.
But I don't really see how we can forget about it,
darling.
After all,
we're getting married tomorrow.
Yet there's this,
this barrier between us.
God love,
if I said anything to possi.
No,
no,
you said nothing,
darling,
but I must have.
Colin,
do you love me?
You know I do,
and you must know that I love you.
Yet I feel that
I am to blame for upsetting you because I know you so well
and I know how sensitive you are,
and I know how much Peter meant to you.
Please,
darling.
Can we just not talk about Peter anymore?
Of course not,
of course not.
But I do want you to know,
darling,
that we are not mere childhood sweethearts anymore.
Well,
all last year,
ever since the war,
I've watched you come back
and I've watched you come back to me after.
Well,
sometimes Colin I was even afraid
that you would never get back to yourself,
even.
So darling,
please don't withdraw.
Don't withdraw again.
And don't let's have any secrets.
What secret do you mean?
Well,
it occurred to me
that since that outburst today,
That
you were probably trying to tell me,
well,
since the ordeal you've been through,
that you would rather postpone the wedding.
Postponed it?
You mean call it off?
Please believe me,
darling,
it doesn't have to be tomorrow.
I mean,
we could wait a bit longer,
uh,
a week or a month even.
I see,
I see.
So that's what you really want.
Oh no.
Colin,
that is not what I want.
I want you.
That's all I want,
and I want you to be happy.
But darling,
please marry me now.
If I felt I'd ever lose you.
I'd rather be dead myself.
What is it,
my dear?
What is it?
Ah
I don't know,
really.
Suddenly felt a chill.
Peculiar gill.
It's nothing,
darling,
it's,
it's just an idea.
Oh,
Colin,
I do love you,
darling.
Ah,
thank you,
Wilson.
Everything all set now,
I think so,
sir.
Excuse me,
sir.
What's the matter?
It's
just that these are so
icy cold.
The rushes are.
What are you talking about?
See for yourself,
sir.
It's just as if they've been left out in the snow all night,
sir.
Oh nonsense.
You've been left out in the snow all night,
I think.
When are they coming,
Aunt Elizabeth?
Hello Aunt Hazel and Unclerey here.
Acle Liz.
Oh,
Gillian,
do contain yourself.
The whole family will be here soon,
soon enough indeed.
Come and help me with the these flowers.
Oh,
how beautiful.
Oh,
how heavenly.
Colin,
look,
it's a bridal bouquet,
just arrived.
Oh,
lovely.
Gillian,
come and hold this for me,
please.
Yes,
Aunt Elizabeth.
Carlin,
let me see how handsome you are.
Yes,
dear.
Oh,
marvelous.
You should get married every day.
Aunt Elizabeth,
look what's happened to the flowers.
Oh,
They're frozen stiff.
Oh,
that all flourished.
He must have left them in the refrigerator all night.
Oh,
I swear
they're like ice.
But Aunt Elizabeth,
they weren't
just a moment ago when Colin and I.
Well,
don't worry about it,
Elizabeth.
They'll fall out in a minute or two,
Colin.
The flowers will be all right.
Don't let it upset you.
I'm not upset.
Oh yes you are.
It's only natural.
All bridegrooms are nervous.
Oh,
but cooking and make it all right.
Cook it simply marvelous with catastro.
They're frozen stiff.
I'm really glad it's just a small wedding,
aren't you?
There'll be all the more cake.
Why,
that's wizard.
I didn't think anyone could do that
except in the winter.
When it's cold,
Colin,
please show me how.
Please,
Gilliam,
would you leave me alone for a little while.
I'm sorry.
Um
Oh,
I beg your pardon,
sir,
but uh if you'll permit me,
yes,
please,
please.
I understand it won't be long before the guests begin to arrive.
Why don't you tell me how you do it?
Dearly beloved
We are gathered together here in the sight of God and on the face of this congregation
to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony.
Wilt thou have this woman
to thy wedded wife,
to live together after God's ordinance
and the holiest state of matrimony?
Will I love her,
comfort her,
and keep her in sickness.
And in health
and forsaking all other,
keep thee only untoheard.
So long as ye both shall live.
I will
Wilt thou have this man
thy wedded husband
to live together after God's ordinance.
In the holy estate of matrimony,
wilt hou obey him and serve him
love,
honor.
And keep him in sickness and in health.
And for seeking all other
Keep thee only unto him.
So long as ye both shall live.
I wish.
Who'll give this woman to be married to this man?
I do.
I,
Colin,
take the answer to my wedded wife.
I call and take thee in answer to my wedded wife.
To have and to hold from this day forward,
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better,
for worse,
for better for worse,
for richer for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish,
to love and to cherish.
Shall death do us part.
Death do us part according to God's holy ordinance,
according to God's holy ordinance.
And therefore I plight thee and therefore I plight thee my troth.
I,
Nancy,
take thee Colin to my wedded husband.
I,
Nancy,
take thee Colin for my wedded husband.
To have and to hold from this day forward,
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better,
for worse,
for better for worse,
for richer for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
in sickness and in health.
To love,
cherish,
and to obey,
to love,
cherish and obey till death us do part according to God's holy ordinance,
to death us do part,
according to God's holy ordinance.
And therefore I give thee my troth and therefore
I give thee my troth.
3
With this ring
I thee wed
With my body,
I thee worship.
With this ring I thee wed.
With my body I thee worship,
and with all my worldly goods I thee and thou,
and with all my worldly goods I thee endow.
In the name of the Father,
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Son and of the Holy Ghost and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen,
amen.
I now pronounce you
man and wife.
what
Yeah.
That
You ready,
Nancy.
What is it done?
What's wrong?
Nothing.
Yes,
there is.
No.
Yes,
Sonny,
please tell me what you do.
What's the matter?
Let me go.
Please let me go.
Nancy,
Nancy.
Nancy,
Pansy
Nan
Soon
the guests will become impatient to see the newlyweds.
To wish them well on their honeymoon.
But there will be no honeymoon.
Instead,
there will be long years spent in the veterans hospital
in the psychiatric ward.
During which Colin Chandler will mumble his confession of murder
over and over again.
The psychic phenomenon
which brought this about,
well,
it's called a poltergeist.
which ordinarily
means a mischievous ghost.
But in this case,
It was a ghost that brought terror.
Cold terror