Episode 8: The Famous Ghosts of Collinwood

Wednesday, July 6, 1966

My name is Victoria Winters. The devils of a forgotten time have found their home on the crest of Widow’s Hill, and the great house echoes with their pain. It’s a lonely and frightening world.

But for me, it’s a place of hope, a place where the winds of the past can bring the answers for the future.

Carolyn and Liz worry

Liz is in Vicki’s room. She picks up some papers from the floor and starts to read one. Carolyn comes in and tells her mother pointedly that Vicki is out. Liz explains that the windows were open and the papers scattered. 

Carolyn asks her mother why she picked Vicki for the job instead of getting someone local. Liz goes into her recommendation spiel. Carolyn says she hopes Vicki believed that, because she thinks Vicki went to town to call the orphanage and check the story.

Miss or Mrs. Hopewell?

 Vicki asks Miss (she says “Miss”; this is inconsistent) about the recommendation. No one there had heard anything about the Stoddards or Collinses before that letter offering Vicki the job. 

She checked with everyone.

Vicki--lost and lonely

 Liz wonders if she was wrong to bring Vicki there. “Because she’s lost and lonely, because she looks in shadows.”

Carolyn thinks Vicki has improved the place and thinks of her as a friend.

Liz says part of the reason she brought Miss Winters there was so Carolyn would be free to leave, and preferably to marry Joe.

Joe's surprise

Carolyn doesn't like waiting

Joe arrives with two bouquets of flowers for the ladies—“compliments of Joe Haskell, ex-fisherman.”

Bill Malloy promoted Joe to a position in the fleet office at $25 more a week. Joe and Carolyn kiss and she says she’s an idiot. Joe says maybe he’ll name his boat that. He’ll be able to get his boat sooner now. And another. And another. Carolyn suggests maybe she can get her mother to make it $30 a week. Joe says no, he got this on his own. That’s how he wants to live.

More kissing and Carolyn says she loves Joe. He proposes marriage (again). She pulls back.

They tell Liz the news and soon realize she’s behind the promotion—part of her campaign to make their road to wedded bliss easier.

Joe is no longer so adamant about making it on his own. He and Carolyn have switched sides. He wants to marry Carolyn, after all.

Liz and Carolyn

Someone is at the door. It’s Vicki, who forgot for a moment that she had Carolyn’s key. Carolyn starts to take her upset out on Vicki. Then she admits she has the chance to get away and she’s scared.

Liz tells Joe she knows Carolyn loves him. Only this far and no further, Joe notes. “What scares her away, Mrs. Stoddard?”

“The ghosts, perhaps. The famous ghosts of Collinwood.””

Joe tells Liz about Burke’s offer to pay him for information. And that he knew some things about Vicki.

Carolyn comes back and apologizes. Liz goes up to see Vicki. Carolyn tells Joe every time she likes or needs someone, she seems to push them away.

Liz tries to question Vicki, who tells her no one at the foundling home ever heard of her or Roger. Liz tells Vicki she’d like her to stay, but she cannot allow everything she says to be probed and questioned. There are many people connected with the foundling home and perhaps Mrs. Hopewell didn’t contact all of them.

Mrs. Hopewell dictates a letter to Vicki. A detective has been there looking for information about her.

Cast, In Order of Appearance

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

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

Carolyn Stoddard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nancy Barrett

Joe Haskell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Joel Crothers

Mrs. Hopewell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Elizabeth Wilson

Fashion by Ohrbach’s

Directed by Lela Swift

Story created and written by Art Wallace