Friday, July 29, 1966
My name is Victoria Winters. The
tension at Collinwood had almost made me forget the purpose for which I’d come.
But now, a letter has arrived, a letter that once again has raised the spectre
of my past. A letter that intrudes upon the present and heightens the growing
fears of a nine-year-old boy.
David is in Vicki’s room. Roger catches him
about to read Vicki’s letter. (Why is Roger coming in to Vicki’s room without
knocking, by the way?) Roger wants to know if David had permission to read Miss
Winters’ letter. David says he didn't think she’d care. (Similar to how Burke
told Vicki Roger wouldn't mind his examining Roger’s car.) Roger is attempting
to lecture David when he runs away—his backup plan when anyone doesn't approve.
Roger follows David to his room and tells
him that the letter is addressed to Miss Winters, it’s private, and reading it
is the same as stealing. Roger makes a real effort here to explain right and
wrong to David.
David admits he thought there was something
about him in the letter, that Roger was going to send him away to the foundling
home. Roger says he might have to send him away if he keeps doing things like
this. He wants David to promise he won’t do this again. David wants to know
what difference it makes—Roger won’t believe him.
Vicki tells Liz that there might be someone
else besides Burke who wants to kill Roger. Liz assures her there’s no one
else. Roger enters the drawing room with Vicki’s letter and says, “Except my
loving son, of course.”
Vicki wonders why Liz hasn't told Roger
about the letter yet. Liz sends her back upstairs to teach David.
David tells Vicki that his father loves to
get him in trouble.
“David, nobody gets you in trouble but
yourself.”
David wants to know what’s so important
about that letter.
Maybe it’s as important to her as his
magazines are to him. He learns a lot from those magazines, doesn't he? How to
fix things, take them apart, put them together, break them? Why was he so
worried when the constable was there? Why is he always talking about going to
jail?
David says his father wants to get rid of
him, maybe send him to the foundling home.
Vicki tells him the foundling home is only
for children without parents, so his father couldn't send him there if he
wanted to. Anyway, there’s no reason to send him away. She’s there to take care
of him now.
Why should he believe Vicki when she
doesn't believe him? He didn't do anything to his father’s car.
Vicki doesn't remember accusing him.
Liz tells Roger about Vicki’s letter. Roger
thinks Burke is the one who had the private detective digging about Vicki. Liz
doesn't want the police informed, even though it might help with the case
against Burke. She wants her reasons for engaging Miss Winters kept private.
She wants to keep Miss Winters from prying again.
Roger’s been wondering why she hired Miss Winters. How could she know about a girl who was a total stranger?
“All I know is what you told me,” Liz tells
Roger, with a perfectly straight face. She engaged Miss Winters because Roger
told her he got a recommendation from someone at the foundling home. That’s
what he’s going to tell Miss Winters. She refuses to tell him why she wants him
to lie. She refuses to acknowledge that it’s a lie. It’s just a certain story
she wants him to tell. If he doesn't do as she asks, he can pack his bags and
go tomorrow.
Vicki is giving David a history lesson
again.
Roger interrupts to talk with Vicki about
the letter. David wants to know if Burke has been arrested yet. Roger says
David couldn't be more anxious than he is for that to happen. It’s almost a
family moment.
Vicki and Roger leave David alone. He goes
to Vicki’s room.
In the drawing room, Roger tells Vicki’s
Liz’s fake story. He adds that he believes Burke is the one who hired the
private detective.
Vicki protests that no one at the foundling
home knew of him or his sister. Roger improves on Liz’s story here. He says it
was a donor to the foundling home who was impressed with Vicki on more than one
occasion—and who wishes to remain anonymous.
Roger answers a phone call from Constable
Carter. He becomes upset when Jonas tells him that Burke has not been arrested.
After he hangs up, he advises Vicki to tear up her letter, throw it out, forget
about it.
Back in her room, Vicki finds her letter
missing. She goes to David’s room to look for it and finds the bleeder valve in
his drawer.
Cast,
In Order of Appearance
Victoria Winters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexandra Moltke
David Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .David Henesy
Roger Collins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Louis Edmonds
Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. . . . . . Joan
Bennett
Fashion by Ohrbach’s
Directed by Lela Swift
Story created and written by Art Wallace
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