From: Marni Centor <mccb@idt.net>

GUIDING LIGHT UPDATE - THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1998

HIGHLIGHTS:
* Harley & Phillip bask in the afterglow of their engagement.
* Hart & Dinah argue viciously about the future of her baby.
* Rick catches Blake with Ben & makes accusations.
* Ross catches Blake with Rick & makes accusations.
* Beth goes crying to Ben but doesn't get what she's looking for.

HARLEY'S APARTMENT: In bed, Harley brushes back Phillip's hair & wakes
him up. Phillip's hungry, but Harley is hungry for something other than
food. She says she had a wonderful dream about a man she loves so much,
who asked her to marry him. "Guess what?" says Phillip. "It wasn't a
dream." Harley was just checking. Phillip says he's never been more
serious about anything in his life. He loves her & wants to spend the
rest of his life with her. They kiss.

DINAH'S PENTHOUSE: Hart & Dinah have a screaming fight over the fate of
"their" baby. Hart says he has rights as the father. Dinah says it's her
body & her choice. Hart says he wants the baby & that Dinah is trying to
blackmail him. "What about what I want?!" yells Dinah. If Hart doesn't
keep Cassie out of her life & start treating her the way she deserves to
be treated, she says he can kiss the baby goodbye. 

MARLER HOUSE: Ben learns that Blake still has the tape of them together,
but she hasn't watched it. She claims that she hasn't had a chance to
throw it out yet. Ben knows what they both felt that night in his hotel
room. He swears that he would never use her children against her. Blake
doesn't know what to believe. Ben says Blake is frightened of what will
happen if she stops fighting him for even one meeting. He admits he's
frightened too. Just then, Rick waltzes in without so much as a courtesy
knock. Blake says Ben was dropping off a gift for Jason. Rick asks if
Ross knows Ben's there.

Blake says it doesn't matter whether Ross knows or not. Rick asks where
Jason is. Blake says he & Kevin are at the zoo with Holly. Ben says he's
glad that Jason's OK & he'll come back another time. As a parting shot,
he notes that "Kevin's looking more like his dad every day." Blake sees
Ben out & thanks him for the toy. He leaves.

Blake tells Rick, "It's not what you think." Rick says Blake has no idea
what he thinks. Blake says Ben saved Jason's life; it was the scariest
moment of her life. Rick doesn't believe that Ben was just comforting
Blake. Blake says it's really none of Rick's business, but he gets all
righteous & says since Blake & Ross are raising his son, he has a right
to know what's going on. If Blake doesn't tell him, he'll ask Ross about
it. "So what's it going to be, Blake?!"

PENTHOUSE: Dinah hates that Hart is treating her like a stranger,
telling her to drink her juice & take her vitamins, but not holding her
hand. She understands now that Hart loves Cassie, so he can just go.
"Get the hell out of here!" She says she's going to get dressed. Hart
grabs her arm & asks where she's going. She doesn't know. She could go
to a clinic, or maybe she'll have an unfortunate accident horseback
riding. Hart says he doesn't even know her anymore. "Don't be so
modest," retorts Dinah. "You're the one who made me this way."

HARLEY'S: Harley & Phillip continue to talk in bed. Phillip says the
decision was easy once he started thinking with his heart instead of his
head. Harley tells a story about wanting to be a cheerleader in high
school, because that would make her normal & popular. She practiced for
the tryouts for week. Her biggest competition was a beautiful
big-chested brunette named Loretta. So Harley stuffed her sweater &
during the tryouts, the stuffing came flying out. Phillip thinks Harley
is very cute. And beautiful. And perfect in every way. Harley says
Phillip makes her feel that way. Phillip loves her, stuffed or
unstuffed. ;-)

BEN'S SUITE: Ben enters & sits on the couch, whistling. Suddenly, he
notices Beth, huddled on his bed, sucking her thumb. She reminds him
that he gave her a key & told her she could come over anytime she needed
a safe haven. Ben asks her what's wrong. "I lost," she cries, and
explains that Phillip chose Harley. Ben tries to comfort her.

Beth rocks back and forth, then jumps up. She tried everything, but it
didn't work. She wore all the right clothes, read all the right books...
Anna Karenina was one of her & Phillip's favorites. Ben doesn't see
Phillip as Vronsky. Besides, Anna threw herself under a train. "Yeah,"
says Beth quietly. She gets animated again, talking about how Phillip
used to be a writer & she was the inspiration for his first novel. Ben
thinks that's nice. 

Beth says Phillip used to read Anna Karenina to her every winter, by the
fire, and said that Anna reminded him of Beth. She quotes, "The
quivering light flashing in her eyes and the smile of happiness &
elation that curled her lips." Ben continues, "And the graceful
precision, accuracy & lightness of her movements." Beth says they
debated whether Anna was a tragic heroine or an amoral adulteress. Beth
took the first position. 

She says she brought the book with her to Springfield. She quotes
another passage that reminds her of Phillip: "He only knew that what he
told her was true; that he would go wherever she was. That happiness,
that the sole meaning in life, lay in seeing her and in hearing her."
Beth had hoped that Phillip would read it again to her this winter &
Anna wouldn't seem so tragic to her. 

Beth breaks down. She doesn't know what she did wrong. She wore her hair
the way Phillip liked it. He always said she had beautiful hair. "You
do," says Ben. Beth thought he would love her again. But he said he
couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't try to love her, so he's marrying
Harley. Ben is so sorry. He wants to get her something, but Beth just
wants him to hold her. He takes her in his arms & says it will be OK.
She cries into his shoulder & he comforts her.

MARLER HOUSE: Blake sees no point in upsetting Ross by telling him that
Ben stopped by. Rick knows that Ross can't stand Ben. He has no problem
with Blake's relationship with Ben as long as it doesn't affect his son.
Blake says she has no "relationship" with Ben; he's just her
brother-in-law. Rick reminds Blake about the night that Ross brought
Kevin to the ER & she was nowhere to be found. But she called Rick from
Ben's hotel room, worried that she had killed him. Blake says she
explained that, but Rick knows she was lying. "You stutter and
hyperventilate when you lie," he notes. 

Besides, there have been other weird things lately. Like leaving town
for 2 months. Blake says that was business, but Rick reminds her that
she had promised she was going to be a stay-at-home mom; no more power
suits. Blake says the boys are older now & don't need her as much. "And
excuse me for wanting to wet my feet & figure out if I want to go back
to work part-time!" She tells him to just slap a scarlet letter on her
chest & be done with it. Rick says he's only asking all these questions
because Kevin is living with her & Ross. He'll continue to be OK with
the arrangement as long as he believes it's a happy, stable home
environment with two parents who love each other. Blake says of course
she & Ross love each other; how can Rick doubt that? Ross walks in &
asks what's going on. 

HARLEY'S: Harley brings some doubtful-looking food back to bed on a
tray. Phillip looks at it & suggests they go out. Harley convinces him
that it would be better to stay in their own world for a while, and
drops a grape into his mouth. He says it feels so right to be there with
her. They're going to get married & live happily ever after together.
Harley asks how Beth took the news. Phillip says she was disappointed.
Harley can imagine; she felt like her world had ended when she thought
Phillip had chosen Beth. She asks if Beth will be all right. Phillip
hopes so, but it's all up to her. He was honest; he can't pretend to
feel something for her that he doesn't. Harley admits to feeling sorry
for Beth, because she knows what Beth is losing. Phillip was her white
knight for a long time. Phillip says he can't go running to her rescue
anymore. There's only room for one woman in his life, and that's Harley.

BEN'S: Ben asks when Beth last ate. She doesn't know. He sits her down &
offers to call room service. Beth keeps going on about Phillip. He said
she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She misses the way he
used to look at her. Ben begs Beth not to do this to herself. She cries
& says she just wants to feel like she used to feel. Ben says of course
she will. Beth kisses him hard & asks him to make love to her. He looks
down at her face as if he's about to kiss her back.

DINAH'S: Dinah says Hart should leave because it's what he does best. He
can't believe how selfish she is. "I didn't do this to you; you did it
to yourself." He thinks maybe Dinah's plan is the best thing for the
baby, because what kind of mother would she make? A mother who uses her
baby as a bargaining chip? He thinks she'll resent the child its whole
life. Dinah says she resents Hart & Cassie, not the baby. Hart yells
that if she wants to terminate the pregnancy, she should go ahead. He
can't stop her & he won't try. "Because god help the child who has you
as a mother, Dinah. And god help you." He slams out of the apartment.
After a minute, Dinah calls after him & runs to the door. She bangs it &
then leans against it, crying.

A little later, Dinah is back in bed. She gets up, sniffling, when she
hears a knock at the door. It's Hart. She opens the door. "You came
back," she says quietly. Hart says he didn't go anywhere. He's been in
the hallway all along. She asks what he wants. He says he doesn't want
her to terminate the pregnancy. [Why can't anyone on this show ever just
say "abortion"?!] Dinah says she doesn't want that either. He asks why
she said all those things. She says she's scared. This isn't the way
it's supposed to be for them. Hart can't help that. He apologizes for
the way he yelled at her before. She says she deserved it. She's a
horrible person. She would never get rid of their baby. She loves it.
She says it's OK for Hart to care about her. She takes his hand & holds
it.

Hart pulls away & says they need something to eat. He offers to go out &
get some food. Dinah says she feels well enough to go out. Maybe just to
the Towers. Hart isn't sure this is a good idea, since the doctor told
her to stay off her feet. Dinah thinks it would be good for her to get
out a little. She leaves the room to get dressed.

BEN'S: Ben tells Beth to wait. He thinks she doesn't really want this.
She thinks he doesn't want her. He says that's not true, but the
timing's not right. Beth thinks it's because of Blake, and she warns him
not to make the mistake of believing that love will win out. Ben thinks
Blake loves him already. "Blake loves Ross and Phillip loves Harley,"
says Beth. "Don't you see? I'm all you've got."

MARLER HOUSE: Blake says Rick came by to check on Jason. Ross, carrying
a bouquet of red roses for Blake, says that it was thoughtful of Rick,
but the boys aren't there. Rick says he has to get back to work. Blake
walks him to the door & thanks him for stopping by.

Blake tells Ross the roses are lovely. He says he bought them intending
to apologize. He said some awful things. Blake knows he didn't mean
them. Ross asks why Rick was there. Blake says he wanted to check on
Jason. Ross asks what they were talking about. Why did Blake say, "Of
course we love each other. Why would you even doubt it?" Why would Rick
doubt that he & Blake love each other? Blake can't believe Ross thinks
something is going on between her & Rick. "What kind of woman do you
think I am?" Ross says it's a good question.

HARLEY'S BED: Harley wonders how Lizzie will react to the news that she
& Phillip are getting married. First she was the woman who gave Lizzie
her daddy back; now she'll be the woman who took him away. Phillip
doesn't want Harley to worry about that; he's going to explain it all to
Lizzie. They'll still be going to family counseling together with Beth.
The most important thing for Lizzie is to have a stable family
environment. They'll explain to her the way things are going to be, and
then stick to it. 

Harley doubts that Beth will still be willing to do that. Phillip says
Beth wants what's best for Lizzie. Harley is worried about Beth. She
obviously has a lot of problems, and this is one more. Phillip said he
asked Lizzie's doctor for a referral. Harley doesn't think Beth will see
a shrink. Phillip says that's her decision. Harley is glad to hear
Phillip say that. He knows he can only do so much. He's not responsible
for Beth. If she wants help, she knows where to find it. 

BEN'S: Beth throws herself at Ben, who pushes her away. He says he can't
do it. Beth slaps at him and spits, "You're saving yourself for Blake,
is that it?!" Ben says he has to try. Beth says Ben is a bigger fool
than she ever was. Blake will destroy him just like Phillip destroyed
her. Ben says Phillip didn't do that. Beth thinks he means it's all her
fault. She says she came there for a friend, but it's obvious she
doesn't have one. Ben urges her to stay & talk, but she says there's
nothing left to talk about. "I am SO sorry that I bothered you," she
adds, before walking out the door. Ben sighs.

MARLER HOUSE: Blake says she's a woman who loves her husband & children.
"That isn't enough," replies Ross quietly. Blake says it's more than
enough; it's everything. Ross asks if she's ever wondered what it would
be like to be married to someone you wanted to trust, but couldn't.
Blake says Ross is being irrational. Ross says they have a problem
that's getting worse every day. He starts ripping the roses to pieces.
He's sick of pretending he doesn't see things, and he's sick of
apologizing all the time. He throws the roses at Blake as she pleads
with him to stop. "We can't go on because you have feelings for someone
else!" he yells. He slams out the door as Blake calls after him. She
cries out in frustration, then goes to the desk & takes the tape out of
the drawer. She puts it in the VCR & runs her hands through her hair as
she waits for it to start.

DINAH'S: Dinah returns wearing a slinky blue dress that she won't be
able to wear for much longer. Hart asks if she's feeling OK. She says
the cramps are gone & she's not dizzy anymore. Hart asks how she's
feeling otherwise. She doesn't know what to say to him. He doesn't want
to hear her when she's being honest. Hart apologizes. He knows what
she's going through is tough & he's not there for her the way she wants.
She's sorry about that too. But she knows she can't make him love her.
She's tried. But she knows he'll love their baby. Hart promises to stand
by her side through it all & to be a great father to the baby. They
leave to get some dinner. 

After they go, Dinah's phone rings. Her machine picks up & Rob leaves a
message. He says he hopes she got his postcard. He's been thinking about
her a lot since their night together. He was wondering about a repeat
performance, maybe tonight. He's back in town just for the night. He's
going to drop by & hopes she's around. 

MARLER HOUSE: Blake sits on the couch & starts watching the tape with
fear & loathing. She starts crying & says, "Oh, Ben was right."

HARLEY'S: Harley & Phillip stand at the open door to her terrace,
wrapped in a blanket. Harley says there was a time when she & Beth had
developed a bond. She thinks maybe she should talk to Beth. If she's
going to be married to Phillip, she & Beth will have to have a
relationship. Phillip thinks it's sweet of Harley, but the last thing
Beth needs now is her sympathy. He says Harley shouldn't fall into the
same trap he did. Beth isn't made of glass. She's a lot tougher than he
gave her credit for. The best thing they can do is let her get on with
her life, and get on with their own.

A BALCONY: Beth leans on the railing, crying. She looks over the edge,
then closes her eyes, as the screen fades to black.


