Episode 13: Visitors

Wednesday, July 13, 1966

My name is Victoria Winters. From the moment I arrived at Collinwood, I’ve been surrounded by tensions, and now the band has grown together, till the great dark house seems alive with ghosts of a past I never knew. Ghosts that draw tight fingers around the present.

Burke greets Roger like an old friend—which he was at one point. Roger wants to know why he’s back. Burke notes that Roger and his sister ask the same questions. He asks Liz to tell Roger. She does: Burke said he came back to visit Collinsport—no other reason.

 

Roger isn’t buying it. Burke says he doesn't know where to begin.

How about beginning with the fact that he thinks it’s Roger’s fault he went to prison?

That was ten years ago, Burke demurs.

Roger says Burke was guilty. The jury decided that—after Roger’s testimony.

Roger wants to know why Burke is asking questions about the Collins family. Burke claims he had coffee with Vicki only because she’s a charming young lady and he didn't want to have coffee alone.

Vicki arrives at Matthew’s. He is not happy to see her, especially since she came in without being invited when no one answered the door. Nonetheless, he makes her supper, turning down her offer of help. Vicki lies that Liz knows she’s there. Matthew tells her the family did have some connection with Bangor—with the Devlin trial. He offers her some tea and advises her to quit asking about the family. She tells him the orphanage story. She only wants to find out about herself. “The only connection the family had with Bangor was the Devlin trial.”

Roger wants to be left alone with Burke.

He wants the truth about why Burke came back. He knows Burke as a person who remembers every hurt and every insult. If Burke hurts the family, the five years he spent in prison will seem like the best time he ever had.

Burke asks about Roger’s wife. “If I remember correctly, you two were married the day after I was convicted, right?”

Vicki is enjoying Matthew’s homemade muffins. She congratulates him on his versatility, listing his accomplishments. “I also make sure nothing happens to Mrs. Stoddard,” he says. He advises her to go to Augusta if she wants answers. That’s where Roger and his wife moved. “The worst thing that ever happened to this house, him coming back.” Which was about a month ago.

Burke asks Roger why he came back from Augusta. Because this is his home. But his sister owns the house and the business? Burke taunts. It’s still Roger’s home. Burke changes tack. Would Liz be interested in selling?

“Which, the house or the business?”

“Either.”

“Well, of course not. You know she wouldn’t. I—”

Burke yawns. It’s getting late and he should be getting back to town. It was great to see Roger, though, and they should try to forget the past. Burke would like to talk with Roger about a business matter. He wants Roger to meet him at the Blue Whale in a couple of hours.

Matthew is doing the dishes. Vicki is drying. He’s telling her how he almost got killed when his brakes went out going down the hill, a few years back. Liz calls to ask for firewood, and Matthew learns that Vicki lied about Liz’s she was there. Matthew is understandably angry and kicks her out.

Vicki finds Burke in the garage where he “just admiring Roger’s car.” He found a wrench in the front seat. Vicki wants to know if Roger knows Burke is there.

He wouldn’t mind, would he?

“Yes, I think he might.”

Burke assures her that he and Roger have patched up their little quarrel.

Roger and Liz do a postmortem on Burke’s visit. They both have doubts about Burke’s sincerity. Roger plans to be careful until Burke has left town. Liz thinks maybe he should avoid seeing Burke altogether. Roger says Burke wanted him to come to the Blue Whale—and maybe he should go.

Liz warns Vicki that Matthew can be very gentle but he can be violent if he thinks problems are being created for Liz. Well, then. Vicki asks if Roger will be using his car tonight. Liz says she doesn’t think so. (Okay, but how about if he goes to the Blue Whale, Liz?) Liz asks why Vicki wants to know. Vicki doesn’t tell her about Burke’s being in the garage.

Cast, In Order of Appearance

                                                    

Victoria Winters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexandra Moltke

Roger Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Louis Edmonds

Burke Devlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mitchell Ryan

Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Joan Bennett

Matthew Morgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . George Mitchell

Fashion by Ohrbach’s

Directed by Lela Swift

Story created and written by Art Wallace