Friday, July 29, 2016

Episode 25: Boundaries



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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