Chassés croisés entre Capwell et Lockridge

Cross purposes between Capwells and Lockridges

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As in Romeo and Juliette, a part of the intrigue of Santa Barbara is based on the opposed love of the children of each rival family. When Santa Barbara begins, the young Ted Capwell is madly in love with the sweet and beautiful Laken Lockridge. And very quickly, their respective parents will be fiercely opposed to their love-affair. Moreover, it is because of their affair that C.C. Capwell and Lionel Lockridge, the two heads of the rival clans, will find themselves face to face, whereas that did not occur for more than one decade.

Unfortunately Ted and Laken seem quite insipid, and quite weak to fight against the elements and the weight of the past. Of course, their relationship will reanimate the war that opposes their two families. And consequently everything seems to be bound against them. On the two sides, they must undergo the thunders of their families: Augusta even making toasts of Ted's carrier pigeon. For his part, C.C. is not tenderer, because finding that Ted lacks discipline, he projects to send him to a military school. Moreover, during one moment, Warren, Laken's brother, is suspected of the murder of Ted's brother. This will create real tensions for the young couple. And one thing after the other, very quickly, Ted and Laken end up moving away one from each other. Contrarily to their ancestors, they do not know such a fierce, such a destroying passion for each other.

Their relationship will take a toll when Christie DuVall arrives in Santa Barbara, who has decided to seduce Ted. Ready for everything, Christie will bring reconciliation between them. Because, just like at the beginning of their relationship (where they had to hide themselves and where they had to lie to see each other), Ted and Laken must plot to spend a moment together. Mad with jealousy, Christie does not support that Ted and Laken being together. It seems that it is only in the hastily meetings that their relationship can be open. Once the Christie DuVall problem moved away, Laken decides to leave the town, giving up Ted, her young love. Ted then finds comfort in the arms of Hayley Benson. But, when Laken returns to Santa Barbara, we discover that he could not completely forget her yet, the memories of his young love still remain very present in his memory. Very quickly his marriage with Hayley bursts in pieces and Laken seems to be the one who can comfort Ted. Quickly, Ted and Laken find each other again. Unfortunately, their new adventure will not last long. Once again, their desire to live with their love publicly does not resist the many problems they cross, day after day. Much more than a real passion, it is more the nostalgia of their youth which pushes them into the arms of one another. And Laken, after having recovered Ted, decides once again to give him up. And this is how the love of our two heroes finishes: Ted and Laken, without drama and tears, place a final time limit on their relationship. It seems that the passion decreased with time, or that they were too tired to battle against windmills, they preferred to cease all fights.

But well before the opposed love of Ted and Laken, Santa Barbara knew other stories of impossible love between Capwells and Lockridges. Indeed, progressively in the story of Santa Barbara, it is discovered that Sophia Capwell, C.C. Capwell's second wife, maintained a close relationship with his worst enemy: Lionel Lockridge. Sophia Wayne and Lionel Lockridge knew themselves well before she became C.C.'s wife. It is during the shooting of a film in Hollywood, at the end of the Fifties, on a stage that destiny made Lionel and Sophia meet each other. They love each other at first sight. And very quickly, Sophia yields to the advances of Lionel and she becomes his mistress. Sophia ignores that Lionel is already married with Augusta Wainwright, who spends her holidays in Europe. Sophia is deeply in love with Lionel. It is only much later that she discovers during the whole time of their relationship; Lionel lied to her and betrayed her. Very angry, she immediately breaks up with him, and she tries to forget him. But nothing goes well. Sophia cannot push Lionel out of her memory. This is why she decides to leave for Santa Barbara, in order to join him.

In Santa Barbara, things will become complicated. Sophia then meets Lionel's enemy, a tempting billionaire named Channing Creighton Capwell. Sophia, who came to Santa Barbara with the purpose to win over Lionel's heart, works out a curious strategy. She decides to approach C.C. in order to make Lionel jealous. But things do not occur as envisaged. Admittedly, Lionel is very jealous, when he realizes that C.C. seems very attracted by the young actress. But beyond her revenge against Lionel, Sophia begins to fall in love with C.C.. On his side, very in love with Sophia, C.C., decides to put a term to his marriage with Pamela which is going to end, in order to freely be able to win Sophia. Things then accelerate and the events exceed Sophia very quickly. She realizes the feelings she feels for C.C., are not a game any more. And when C.C. proposes to marry her, Sophia accepts. She has finally just met the person who will be able to make her forget Lionel Lockridge.

But destiny seems to overtake Sophia every time. Right before the wedding, Sophia discovers that she is pregnant by her lover: Lionel Lockridge. Sophia cannot reveal the truth to her future husband: she realizes the shock if C.C. learns that she is waiting for a child of his worst enemy. Sophia then finds comfort in faith. She confesses her painful secrecy to a nun. Unfortunately for her, Minx Lockridge, Lionel's mother, is not far and hears Sophia’s whole confession. And Sophia Wayne marries in 1961, the powerful oil tycoon Channing Creighton Capwell. They go on a honeymoon in Bruges, Belgium. And very quickly, Sophia announces to him that she is waiting for a child. C.C. is happy; he does not suspect the lie which surrounds this child. In the case that the child is a boy, Sophia would enthusiastically wish to name him, following the example of his father, Channing. And a few months later, Sophia gives birth to a boy: Channing Capwell Junior. But Minx, not wanting her grand-son to be raised by the Capwells, exchanged the child with the one of another couple: the Wallaces.

But, if the first years of marriage are perfect, slowly C.C. forsakes his wife and is more devoted to his work, Capwell Enterprises knowing a very difficult situation. In spite of the presence of their four children, Sophia is not happy. And Sophia then turns towards Lionel. Lionel still seems to find the time, the words to comfort her. They then take up their relationship again where they had finished it years earlier. Sophia is plagued between the two men she loves. Understanding that C.C. still did not notice that with time, and in spite of their love, they do not cease moving away from one another. Sophia then requires, in 1968, a lawyer to edit the documents for a possible divorce. Not managing to make a choice in her feelings, she does not sign the documents, allowing the doubt.

One year passes by and in 1969, Sophia makes a significant decision; she finally made her choice. Understanding that Lionel will certainly not break up with Augusta, his wife, she decides to break up with him and to remain at the side of C.C., her husband. At the time of C.C.’s business trip, she goes to Lionel's yacht and announces to him her firm intention to put an end to their relationship. There, Lionel does not accept it like that. They start to fight. Sophia falls into the sea and Lionel, injured to his head, breaks down unconscious. And in Santa Barbara, C.C. must announce to his children the death of their mother. This sentimental foul play will reach its pinnacle when it is discovered that Brick Wallace is the child exchanged by Minx, and that he is thus in fact Channing Capwell Junior, the link between the Capwells and the Lockridges.

But well before the love triangle between Lionel Lockridge - Sophia Capwell - C.C. Capwell, another story of impossible love had shaken the small world of Santa Barbara. Because everyone knows that the Capwells and the Lockridges are enemies since generations. Already during the time of Lionel's and C.C.'s parents, namely at the time of Emmett Capwell and Douglas T. McDonald Lockridge, their families were tearing. But at any time is discovered the object of their so tough hatred. And it seems much more anchored than a simple hatred based on their fortune and their respective capacity. It seems more obvious, according to the stories which will be told in the future, that a love-affair finished badly between the members of these two families is at the origin of this conflict. And the year 1984, with the rescue of the Amanda Lockridge, seems to bring us a part of the answer. To understand the present and the future, let us plunge in the past.

Under the Californian sun of Santa Barbara, a ship containing various Master paintings (one Leonard de Vinci for example) travelled towards the coast. This ship is called the Amanda Lockridge, from the name of a very beautiful woman. Amanda Lockridge is Lionel's grandmother. Amanda is married with Horatio Lockridge, the head of the Lockridge clan. Before accosting on the coast, the couple is joined on their boat by a man: Nathaniel Capwell, the father of Emmet Capwell. It would seem that the two men are in love with the same woman, Amanda, and that in the past they fought for her. Why did Amanda choose Horatio and not Nathaniel? We do not know the answer to this. Did Amanda maintain a relationship with Nathaniel during her marriage with Horatio? We do not have any idea of the answer. But it would seem that the treasure that the Amanda Lockridge was transporting had a lot of importance for Horatio and Nathaniel. Did they both speak about the Master paintings? Or about Amanda herself? From there, all assumptions are possible...

The only certainty that we have, is that the Amanda Lockridge has been victim of a shipwreck in the bay of Santa Barbara, carrying its secrecy to the bottom of the ocean. And even if Lionel discovers one day the wreck of the boat, he cannot make a description of the last events. Thereafter, we will never hear any more talk neither about Horatio, nor of Nathaniel. Did they die during the shipwreck? On her side, Amanda survived since she knew her grand-son, Lionel. She would even have known C.C. and according to the statements, she would have finished her life totally insane. But what did actually happen? Unfortunately, we do not have any answers. Only the future could have informed us on the past, on the reason of this war between the Capwells and the Lockridges. War which, if it had been explained, could have avoided many dramas and which could have joined Ted and Laken together, and can thus put an end to this war which opposes the two families.

Text written for this site by Lilian