Episode #11 - The secrets of the past have not yet been open to me, says Vicki--it's a strange home for me, but even stranger for those who have spent their lives within its walls.
Good to see you, Burke greets the stone-faced Liz. Mr. Devlin was kind enough to drive me here, says Carolyn, sensing the awkwardness--the least we can do is invited him in for a drink. Where did you meet Mr. Devlin? asks Liz. In my hotel room, says Burke, and Liz' eyes fly open. It was all very proper, Carolyn assures her mother, smiling, I called him on the house phone and invited myself up--and he's really not a monster after all. What are you after, Burke, asks Liz. After? he says, all I did was drive your daughter home--and drop in to say hello. Would you like to go into the drawing room? she asks, hoping he'll say no. Thank you, he says. Let me take your coat, says Carolyn. Burke goes into the drawing room and Carolyn drops her own coat and Burke's on the table against the wall. I'd like you to wait out here, says Liz. Oh, no, says Carolyn, I wouldn't miss this for the world. She smiles and goes in, too. Liz, her face angry, joins them.
Burke gazes around with interest. I've never forgotten this room, says Burke. Gloomy, isn't it? asks Carolyn. How can you say that? he asks, grinning, with all your ancestors looking down from the walls at you? They're just as gloomy, remarks Carolyn. They laugh. It sound like you didn't teach your daughter the proper respect for the people that founded your fortune, says Burke.
Maybe so, agrees Liz, finally sitting down on the sofa--I understand you've made your fortune, Burke. I have more money than I did when I left Collinsport, if that's what you mean, says Burke, sitting down on the seat by the fire--if I had a quarter, I'd have more than I did then. Did business bring you back here? asks Liz. No, ma'am, he says. He wanted to see his old home town, Mother, says Carolyn. That's right, says Burke, ten years is a long time--you get kind of homesick. I thought you always hated Collinsport, says Liz. I did, says Burke, but like I said, ten years--everything begins to see a little bit rosier--to Carolyn, he says, you watch, you go away for a while, this room won't seem so gloomy. I'm willing to try that! says Carolyn. How's Roger? asks Burke. My brother is very well, thank you, says Liz, sounding protective. Carolyn's been telling me he thinks I came back to make trouble for him, says Burke. Carolyn talks too much, says Liz, giving her daughter a disapproving look. Oh, that's ridiculous, says Carolyn, joining her mother on the sofa--after all the fuss, I thought the least I could do was go to see Mr. Devlin and try to smooth things over. You know nothing about it, darling, says Liz. What difference does it make? asks Carolyn, Mr. Devlin's only here for a short visit, I know because he has this...Just a minute, says Burke--remember, your promise. I won't say anything about it, says Carolyn, grinning, but he's leaving in two days, I know it for a fact. Is that true? asks Liz. You're right, says Burke, your daughter DOES talk too much!--all I can say is I wanted to see some friends, and here I am--soon, I'll be gone. But not forgotten, says Carolyn fondly--Mother, did you know Mr. Devlin's been all over the world? I don't think your mother's interested in that, says Burke. Oh, but I am, says Liz--I'm interested in everything you've done and everything you're going to do--Carolyn, would you give Mr. Devlin a drink.
Collinsport Inn - A drunken Sam walks carefully into the hotel lobby. Drink, drink, my kingdom for a drink, he tells the desk clerk--that's my paraphrase from a famous author--by the name of William Shakespeare--is my daughter on duty, Mr. Wells? She's taking her break, says Mr. Wells, but I wouldn't advise you seeing her right now. What's the matter, asks Sam, I don't look well?--my hair's not combined? Your hair is fine, it's your breath, says the clerk. Remind me to resent that, says Sam, will you tell me daughter I'll be at the bar? Mr. Evans, wait, says Mr. Wells. If it's your intention to delay me for the purpose of... My relief will be here in just a minute--I was going to have a cup of coffee, says Mr. Wells, why don't you come and join me? Coffee is not what I had in mind, says Sam. It's what you ought to have, says the clerk, black coffee, lots of it. A sober man is an unhappy man, says Sam--that's a Sam Evans motto free of charge. Wells says motto is of no use to Maggie--you know how she'd feel if she saw you like this. She'd feel no differently, says Sam, grimacing. We can go into the restaurant, she's not there, of course, and have some coffee, and by the time Maggie gets back... You're a nuisance, complains Sam, now if you'll please excuse me. I have something interesting to talk to you about, hints Wells. You can keep your hotel gossip to your flunkies, says Sam. It's an old friend of yours, says Wells. I have no friends, retorts Sam, old or new. How about Burke Devlin? asks Wells, and this stops Sam from leaving. Want to have that coffee? Asks Wells, and Sam closes the door and looks at Wells.
Restaurant - Wells pours coffee for himself and Sam, telling him that if you work in this place, you help yourself. Sam, leaning his chin in his hand, says not to tell him his problems, just tell him about Devlin. You want some more coffee, don't you? asks Wells. No, I just want to hear about Devlin, says Sam, waving away the coffee. You want some more coffee, insists Wells, and pours him some--you ever see those commercials they have on TV?--straight from the bean to you!--he sits down at the table--I wonder who writes that junk. And I wonder when you're going to stop talking and SAY something, says Sam, annoyed. Drink up, says Wells. Look, I've already had two cups, complains Sam--do you want me to drown? I want you to be nice and calm and sober when Maggie comes back, says Wells. All right! says Sam, lifting his cup to his lips, I've heard that song before--he makes a face and drinks--there--now tell me about Devlin. He had a visitor, this afternoon, says Wells--another sip... Carolyn Stoddard--from the house up on the hill! Sam looks at him over the rim of the cup--I know where she's from! says Sam, She called him on the house phone and went right up--kinda crazy, isn't it?--I mean what went on between Burke and those people? Did they have an appointment? Asks Sam--did he expect her? Wells says all he knows is, she didn't call ahead before she came, not ahead of time. How long did she stay? asks Sam. He hasn't had a phone call since he's been here, says Wells (yes he did, Strake). How long did she stay? asks Sam again. We were talkin' about that this morning, says Wells, here Burke comes back to his old town after all these years and not one single person calls him, not one! I asked you how long she stayed? Asks Sam. About an hour, hour and a half, says Wells. And then what? asks Sam. They left, says Wells. They?--together? asks Sam. Yup, says Wells--more coffee. Sam drinks willingly--do you have nay idea where they were going? I can make a guess, says Wells, when they left, they were very friendly, arm in arm, talkin' and laughin' like Burke was the best friend she ever had--I never thought Burke Devlin would be friends with any members of that family. He wouldn't, agrees Sam. Oh, then why would Miss Stoddard invite him to her house? asks Wells.
You're joking with me! insists Sam. That's what I figured, he says, he said he was takin' her to his car, and I figured he was driving her home. You figured wrong, says Sam, Miss Stoddard may be no more than a child, but she knows where the best interests of her family lie. Burke sure was friendly, says Wells, that's all I know. The advantages of making your enemy think he has nothing to fear, says Sam.
Collinwood drawing room - Burke tells Liz it's just a visit, as Carolyn said. So you said, says Liz--would you like another drink? If it's no trouble, says Burke. Carolyn is grinning adoringly at him. No trouble at all, says Liz, and tells Carolyn to come help her get the ice. Unhappy, Carolyn goes with her mother. Liz closes the double doors, leaving them alone in the foyer. Arms crossed, Carolyn chastises her mother for being so obvious about it. What was all that about two days? Asks Liz. I promised not to tell, says Carolyn, but when I was in his hotel room, I saw this paper, it was about a business deal in Venezuela, it was a lot of money, but he had to be there in a day or two to get it. How do you know he didn't put the paper there just so you could see it? asks Liz. I thought about that, says Carolyn, but then he got this phone call--he's only here for a short visit and that's all. What phone call? asks Liz. A call from Venezuela about this same business deal, says Carolyn, and he said he'd probably be leaving in a day or two--don't tell him I told you, he'd be furious, says Carolyn. Go get the drinks, says Liz, but take your time. Everything's going to be all right, Carolyn assures her, I'm sure of it. There's nothing I'd rather believe, says Liz. Carolyn leaves. Liz steels herself. In the drawing room, Burke smiles.
Collinsport Inn - Annoyed, Sam orders Wells to stop following him around. Maggie will be here any minute, says Wells, don't go getting anymore to drink. Do you think I'd let you fill me full of that black poison, then spoil it all with a lovely drink of whiskey? Demands Sam--not a bad idea, but I've more important things to do--do you have a dime, Mr. Wells? He feels in his pockets--a dime, I don't have any change and want to make a phone call. Wells gives him the dime. I'll pay you back, says Sam. Don't worry about it, says Wells--you're coming right back to the restaurant? Yes, says Sam. He goes into the phone booth and dials. The phone rings at Collinwood. Liz answers. I wonder if I could talk to Mr. Collins, asks Sam. He's not in the house at the moment, says Liz, who's calling, please? Could you tell me where he could be reached? Asks Sam. He's somewhere on the grounds, says Liz--who is this, please? Burke exits the drawing room, wondering if Liz deserted him--he apologizes when he sees she is on the phone, and she tells him she'll be with him in a minute.
Hearing Burke's voice shocks Sam, who hands up just as Liz tells him she can have Roger call him back. Left holding a dead phone, Liz says hello a couple of times. Hang up on you? asks Burke. Seems that way, says Liz. They return to the drawing room. Burke tells her he's been admiring the paintings; pointing to the one over the fireplace, he asks if that one is Jeremiah. Yes, says Liz. He must have been quite a man--to build this house, says Burke. I used to like you very much, says Liz. And I was always fond of you, says Burke. The way things happened, it was unfortunate, says Liz. I told your daughter, says Burke, and I told you and meant it--whatever happened 10 years ago is past history--I only want to think about the future--what do you think it would cost Jeremiah if he were to build this house today? Why do you ask? Liz inquires. I was just wondering, says Burke, what you would expect if you decided to sell--$200,000?--a quarter of a million? (That's cheap today!)
It's not for sale! Says Liz. In my experience, says Burke, everything is for sale--where is Roger, by the way, one of my main reasons for coming here today was to see him. Don't you think it would be better if you didn't? asks Liz. We were always very good friends, says Burke. I know that, says Liz. If he thinks I came up here to work out some kind of revenge, I want to tell him to his face it isn't true--doesn't that sound reasonable enough. Liz looks like she wishes she could believe that.
Collinsport Inn - Sam returns, staggering, and asks Wells if she's back yet. No, says Wells--that sure was a long phone call! I went to the bar, says Sam, returning Wells' dime to him. But you promised you wouldn't chides Wells. Promises are sometimes made to be broken, says Sam, going to the counter--I needed a drink--in fact, I need many more. Is there anything I can do? asks Wells. Sam puts his hand on the clerk's shoulder and says you're really a very kind man, Mr. Wells, which I am not. That's not true, says Wells, you drink a little too much, maybe, but I've always liked you--and you know how fond I am of your daughter. Dear Maggie, says Sam--I'm a scoundrel, Mr. Wells--I've created my own hell. Wells says he just doesn't understand. It's fear, says Sam, fear that makes a man do those terrible things--he was there, I heard his name. Who are you talking about--Burke? asks Wells. The Trojan Horse, says Sam, the smiling gift rolled into the stronghold, waiting to spread its fear--I will be the fist victim of that fear. Why you? asks Wells, isn't there anything you can do? It's too late, says Sam, that the doorman, what there is to do is too late to do--now all I can do is wait--or run!
You can't go far enough, Burke tells Liz, that's the thing--as many places as you run to, you can never get away from what you are. But you tried, is that it? asks Liz. Growing up in that shack near the water, says Burke, watching my father scrounge for work preparing lobster pots--or whatever he could get--I wanted to move, and fast--but instead I got stopped cold--it wasn't any fun, I can tell you that, sitting still in one place for five years--hearing the world spin for everyone else--knowing I could never be part of it--waiting. It must have been terrible for you, says Liz. You ought to know how it felt, says Burke. Me? she asks. You're still here, aren't you, he says--how long has it been now since you've been off this hill, 18 years? Yes, says Liz, but... We all have our prisons, says Burke, that's all I'm going to say--some have bars, like mine did--the real prisons, the ones you can never escape from, are in here--and he indicates his heart. Liz nods in agreement and says that's true--he's become something of a philosopher since the last time they talked. I've been to a lot of places since then, says Burke--believe me, when I was released from that prison, it was as if coiled wire has been triggered--I wanted to run, look and get things done--I did, and I'm wealthy now, and I picked up a little more understanding along the way. I wish I could believe that, she says. Mrs. Stoddard, says Burke, we've all lived with what happened to me--you, me, Roger--for 10 years we've lived with it, and there's nothing I can do to him, or you, or anyone else for that matter--that could add up to as much as the pain we've all lived with--so I decided to forget it--it's over!--the world is still spinning--but I'm in it now, and that's all that matters to me. One bucket of ice, coming up! announces Carolyn, carrying in a silver ice bucket, is everything squared away with you two? I don't know, says Burke, it's really up to your mother--and they look at each other.
The phone rings. Upstairs, a door opens, but no one comes out. Carolyn answers it in the foyer phone. Hi, Joe, she says--why should I be angry?--the world is just great!--well, we have company and some old troubles could be over and maybe there might be some joy in this place--I'd rather tell you when I see you--sure, we had a date for tonight, didn't we?--dinner and a movie, right--you just ring the bell and I'll be ready--oh, and Joe, don't worry about ghosts--I think they've all gone--see you. She hangs up. Liz comes out. Isn't he great? Demands Carolyn excitedly, isn't he marvelous? Joe? Asks Liz. No, says Carolyn, him--aren't you glad I brought him here?
I'm not sure yet, admits Liz. Oh, you're just an old worrier, says Carolyn--I bet Uncle Roger would be glad. I don't know, says Liz, but we'd better find out--go ask Uncle Roger to join us in the drawing room--he's on the grounds somewhere. You're really going to bring them together? asks Carolyn. Yes, says Liz, I hope I'm not making a mistake. She head back into the drawing room and Carolyn puts on her coat and leaves. Upstairs the door that opened closes by itself.
NOTES: There is definitely a curious ghost wandering around Collinwood, isn't there? I never realized the somewhat large role Conrad Bain played as the hotel clerk, kind of a focal point that other characters revolve around. He meets a sad end later in the series.
As for Sam, the philosopher, a man doesn't drink that destructively unless he's feeling really guilty about something, and he clearly does. Like Roger, he's afraid of Burke's return to town. What is the sad secret that draws these three men together?
You know that Burke's asking Liz about what Collinwood would sell for indicates that he has something on his mind and up his sleeve. It's not for sale, she tells him, but Burke says he knows that everything is--a clue, for sure, that he isn't truly putting the past behind him, as he claims--he's just lulling the Collinses into a false sense of security.
Carolyn adores Burke already. She's so young, idealistic, impressionable and optimistic. If she had any idea what happened 10 years ago, why Burke went to prison, and Roger's role in it, she would be less wide-eyed and more realistic.
Episode #12 - Vicki climbs to the top of Widows' Hill, letting the wind buffet her. I've decided to stay and continue my search, she tells us, but there have been no answers. She hears the wailing sounds of the widows and appears frightened. She sits down on some rocks and looks around. Roger, wearing a turtleneck, approaches, scaring her. You nearly frightened me to death! she tells him. Perhaps that was my intention, he suggests, and she says that's not even funny. I saw you come down here, he says seriously--I want to talk to you--sit down. She does, looking up at him. He gazes at her, not smiling.
Roger tells Vicki he'd hate to be out there tonight? Aren't you cold? she asks, hugging herself. Yes, he says, but I'm used to it--you grow up in this place, you get used to many things. You said you wanted to talk to me, says Vicki. The sobbing wind howls again, and Vicki asks him what IS that sound? The wind, he replies, or the widows--yes, you hear them? he asks--moaning with grief as they have for hundreds of years. Don't they get tired? Quips Vicki. It's not a joke, Roger says--haven't you ever wondered why this is called Widows' Hill? Standing beside him now, she says no--but it's a frightening sound. Unhappy, mournful--the agony of restlessness, says Roger, they used to walk this hill, the widows, walk, stand and look out to the sea for husband to return that would never come back--the hours and days would pass, and there would be no masthead over the horizon, no sails, just emptiness, loneliness and grief--and then even that was taken from them--almost 150 years ago, when Jeremiah chose to build this house, he chose this hill, the highest in Collinsport, and they were no longer permitted here
--all the wives and sweethearts of the sailors on Jeremiah's ship were turned away, sent back to their homes, told to keep their grief to themselves. How terrible! Says Vicki. The winds/widows howl. They never went, says Roger--they never left. But that is only the wind, says Vicki. Is it? asks Roger--listen--carefully. If you're trying to make me nervous, you're doing very well, says Vicki. There are old men in town, says Roger who swear they've seen them, roaming the top of this hill in a high wind, crying bitterly, staring out to sea with empty eyes. Only a legend, says Vicki. Legends aren't real, he says, but we do have out ghosts up here and they are very real. I'm afraid I don't believe that, says Vicki. You've only been with us a short time, he says, hugging himself, you'll believe it. I think I'll go in, says Vicki, holding her coat closed against the wind. They cry, he says, but they won't harm you--you're my son's governess, not a member of the family--did you meet any strangers up here today--someone who was looking for me? Yes, says Vicki, so much has happened, I'd almost forgotten. He gave you a message for me, says Roger. He wouldn't even tell me his name, says Vicki--just Sam, that's all--and to tell you he was looking for you. Are you sure that's all? asks Roger. Yes, says Vicki, looking nervously around as the winds howl like human voices again--it does sound frightening, does it? The ghosts of the past are always frightening, says Roger.
Collinsport Inn coffee shop - Why, Pop, why? Maggie demands of her father. Maybe it's because I'm tired, he says, because in the morning I can't look in the mirror anymore and say it's a wonderful world, you should be glad you're in it. Pop, to think of moving away from Collinsport, she objects, it makes no sense. It makes more sense than staying here, he says, and giving more torture to you. What are you talking about? she demands--that's ridiculous! Maggie, he says, do you want to see me dead? What are you talking about? she asks. I'd better go back to work, he says. Does this have anything to do with Roger Collins? she asks. No, of course not, he says, why do you ask. I don't know, she says, just the way you were chasing around looking for him. Collins is in a fine house on top of a hill, says Sam, I'm just a tired artist who drinks too much--what possible connection could there be? I don't know, she says--Pop, what is it--why are you so afraid? Darling, I love you more than anything in the whole world, he says, and leaves the coffee shop.
Vicki notes to Roger that the sound stopped. The widows have gone back to wherever, he says. You mean the wind has died down, she amends. As you wish, he says. He tosses a rock out over the cliff. Was there anything else? she asks. About the man on the hill this morning, no, says Roger--unless there's something you haven't told me. He continues tossing rocks into the ocean. After he told me he was looking for you, says Vicki, he made me promise not to tell anyone else. I see, says Roger--and did you keep that promise? Yes, says Vicki, actually, so many other things happened since then, I didn't have time to think about it. Like having coffee with Burke Devlin? demands Roger, angry now. Vicki looks at him. You see, he says, I do know about it! It was an accident, says Vicki, he was having coffee in the hotel and I stopped in to make a telephone call--why should I apologize for having coffee with him? I didn't know that I'd asked for an apology, says Roger, I'm merely fascinated by he fact that you did meet him--especially after out last conversation on the subject. Is it possible that you're mistaken about the man? asks Vicki. I don't think so, says Roger. He certainly seems pleasant enough, says Vicki. Are you in the habit of making total judgment on the basis of one cup of coffee? He asks. No, says Vicki. I told you last night and I'll tell you again--he's a dangerous man--if he seems pleasant, then it's a tactic--Devlin hates me and my family--and he's come back to town for only one purpose. Why does he want to harm you? asks Vicki. He did ask for me, didn't he? inquires Roger. Yes, she says. Roger: What did he want to know? How you'd reacted when you found out he came back, says Vicki. What did you tell him--that I was terrified, brave, unconcerned? asks Roger. I didn't answer him, says Vicki, I told him he ought to ask you that himself. And did he say he would? asks Roger. Yes, she says. Roger looks fearful on hearing this news.
Evans cottage (a great set with a huge bay window filling almost one wall!) - Sam returns home and turns on a lamp. The studio is filled with paintings. He starts to dial the phone, then stops and puts it down. He starts to pour himself a drink, then stops that, too, deciding it won't help--Burke Devlin, Collinwood--nothing will help., Maggie, upset, returns home. What are you doing home? Demands Sam, you have a lot of work to do! I can't let you do it, she insists. I'm going to pack, he says. Where will you go? she asks desperately. I'll take one step at a time, he says, first I'll get away from here, then I'll find out where I'm going. But why? she asks, holding his arm--why, Pop--this is your home--you have your studio, your paint. Believe me, he says, it's better for you and me if I walk out that door and never return, he says.
What's happened? she asks. Whatever it is, it won't affect you, he promises. How can you say that? she asks, Pop--do you remember something you once told me--I never forgot it--it was right after Mom died--the world is full of pain and unhappiness, but you and I can hold off as long as we stand together--now how can you say it won't affect me? Honey, that's why I have to leave, he says--maybe it will keep you away from this pain and unhappiness. What do you think I'm made of, cotton candy? She demands--Pop, if you're in trouble, maybe I can help you! Maggie...Maggie, she says. We used to be so close, she says sadly, and then it changed--everything! With me, it wasn't you, he says. We used to be able to talk to each other, she says sadly, no matter what was on our minds--what's happened to you, why did it have to change? Because too many things can't be said, he tells her, can't be faced! And he turns away from her and goes into a back bedroom.
You made a remark, says Roger, that Burke Devlin seems pleasant enough--well that attitude can be dangerous to me--you meant what you said--you work for us, for my sister and me--you're in a household that is moving closer and closer to a struggle with this pleasant Devlin--we'll have difficulties enough becoming vulnerable through you. All I did was have a cup of coffee with him, points out Vicki. And talk, says Roger, he's a clever man, and you've no way of knowing when things repeated in innocence can be of help to him. What do you want me to do, cross the street when I see him? she asks. I want you to go back to New York, says Roger, back home. Just because I spoke to Burke Devlin begins Vicki. There's going to be a brutal struggle, Roger warns her, I know it, and no one who lives at Collinwood will be untouched. He's not going to murder all of us, is he? jokes Vicki. It won't be the first violent death on this hill, says Roger. Carolyn calls to her uncle from a distance. Go back home, advises Roger, go back before you're unable to--go home! Vicki calls back to Carolyn, and joins them and asks what they're doing here--planning a suicide pact? We're just having a little talk, Kitten, says Roger, what's up? Mother wants to see you, says Carolyn, she's in the drawing room. Is it important? asks Roger. I think so, says Carolyn, yes, very important. Remember what I told you, Roger smiles at Vicki, and leaves. What was that all about? asks Carolyn. Burke Devlin, replies Vicki. Carolyn smiles--that's interesting, she says--Burke Devlin is with my mother right now--in the drawing room! Vicki reacts with surprise
Roger enters Collinwood and stands for a moment outside the double doors. He picks up the phone in the foyer and dials the Evans house. Maggie answers and asks for Sam. Maggie calls to her father to come to the phone. Sam takes it. I want to see you, says Roger. What about? asks Sam. Maggie listens closely. Devlin, says Roger, what do you think? I can't talk to you now, says Sam. I think it would be a good idea if you got out of town, advises Roger. I can't talk to you now! insists Sam, hanging up the phone. Who was that? asks Maggie. Leave me alone! begs Sam. It was Roger Collins, says Maggie, wasn't it? Leave me alone! demands Sam again. I recognized his voice, says Maggie, holding out a tie he was going to pack--he is connected with this, isn't he?--isn't he? The phone rings again. They both look at it, and at each other, but neither answers. Maggie races to get the phone, but Sam beats her to it, warning her to stay away from there. He picks up the phone and hits the cut-off buttons, then apologizes to her. I want to know what you're so afraid of, says Maggie. I said I was sorry, Sam tells her. OK, she says, so you're sorry, but that doesn't answer my question--it WAS Roger Collins, wasn't it? No, he says. Then who? she asks--Pop, answer me! He sits down in a chair. I used to be so proud of you, she says, I used to tell everyone my Pop was the greatest man on the face of the earth--he knew more than Einstein, could paint better than Michaelangelo!--braver than Daniel. Easy to be brave when you're not in the lion's den, comments Sam. Who is this lion? she asks--is it Burke Devlin? He begs her to stop asking questions. But Pop, she says, hugging him, what do you want me to do--pretend I don't love you?--I'm not very good at that--you weren't this frightened before Burke Devlin came back to town--and then so much started happening--Roger Collins suddenly so anxious to see you--it just goes round and round in my head. I don't know what you're talking about, he says. All these years of wondering, muses Maggie, then it was Roger Collins, and Burke. Please don't, he says. Then you changed, she continues, you suddenly became, I don't know, different, I was only a kid, Pop, but I remember what was happening at the time. This has nothing to do with it, says Sam. Maggie kneels before him and says things like a man getting killed, and Burke going to prison, and Roger Collins coming back here to live. I told you, that has nothing to do with any of it! cries Sam. Then what does? she demands--why are you running away? I can't tell you, it's too late! says Sam. How far are you going to run? She asks, and how long? I don't know! he says. OK, says Maggie, resigned, but I'll only ask one more question--whatever is tearing you apart, do you really think you can get away from it? No, he says miserably. OK, Pop, we stand together, you and I'll--we'll lick 'em all--I'm willing to take my chances if you are. He looks down at her and rises to his feet, thinking it over. Maggie, he says, put the phone back on the hook. She does, pleased, and covers her mouth, grateful she has won this one.
Carolyn and Vicki return to Collinwood. Vicki asks her if she knows why her uncle gets so upset over Burke Devlin. Nope, says Carolyn. What about the caretaker, do you think he'd know? asks Vicki. Matthew? says Carolyn, he knows everything--he might even be able to answer some of your questions. I've tried, says Vicki, he's not very friendly. The understatement of the year, giggles Carolyn--why don't you try him again?--his cottage is right through the trees, only about a hundred yards away. I know, says Vicki, maybe you're right. Go ahead, says Carolyn, he's been here longer than I have, if anyone knows anything, it's him. Vicki leaves the house. Carolyn drops her coat on the table and listens at the closed double doors for a few moments. Not hearing anything, she wanders away. Roger comes downstairs and Carolyn is surprised--she thought he was in the drawing room. I have to go to town, says Roger, there's someone I've got to see. What about Mother? asks Carolyn, did you talk to her yet? No, it can wait, insists Roger. But it's important, says Carolyn. So is this, insists Roger, heading for the door. Carolyn hurries after him, telling him Burke Devlin is in there with her.
Roger stares at her, stunned. He wants to see you, says Carolyn--he really seems like a very nice person. Did you bring him here? asks Roger. Carolyn nods. How could you? asks Roger. I wanted to help, she says plaintively. Seeing the fury on his face, she turns and runs upstairs. Roger slowly approaches the double doors, as if walking to his execution. Then he turns, about to leave the house. Finally, he slips off his trench coat and, taking what must be all his courage together,
he puts his hand on the doorknob leading into the drawing room.
NOTES: It almost seems as if we don't really progress much from one episode to another at this point in the series. We know there is a big secret shared by Roger, Burke and Sam, and that it's ruined all their lives in one way or another. Today we got another clue--a man was killed, something Maggie remembers from long ago.
There is great love between this father and daughter, Sam and Maggie Evans, but whatever he did has negatively affected their once-close relationship, and she's horrified that whatever it is, he refuses to share it with her--and actually wants to run away from its fallout--leave town and leave her. For the moment, she's managed to convince him to stay, but for how long?
I remember feeling chilled by the cries of the widows on Widows' Hill, and it's still quite frightening to hear it. Vicki doesn't believe in ghosts, and is more afraid of the human beings inhabiting her world right now, understandably so. Carolyn, so idealistically bringing Burke home to smooth things out between her family and Devlin, as only a know-nothing teenager would do, was brought rudely back to earth as she became the target of her uncle's ire at the end of this episode.
Vicki is spunky, with a wonderful sense of humor. She refuses to be dragged into the concept of ghostly visitors, but that widows crying sound sure is scary, as even she admits.
So, what do you think of Collinwood and other town denizens so far?
Love, Robin
