Episode 66: A Charming Evening

Monday, September 26, 1966

My name is Victoria Winters. My origin is cloaked in mystery—as deep a mystery as the one that has engulfed Collinwood, where efforts are being made to discover how a man died and whether or not someone caused his death.

“What are you doing here?” Roger asks.

“Having tea,” Burke says.

Liz says she thought it was best to treat Burke like a guest and put him in a good mood. (Why she announces that in front of Burke is another matter.)

Roger says it’s a shame he wasn’t there to make the tea himself.

Burke says he wouldn’t have risked drinking it in that case.

Roger says he’ll talk to Burke alone.

Vicki and Liz discuss the situation in the hall, with Liz wondering why Burke is behaving the way he is, Vicki giving explanations, and Liz saying she doesn’t care.

Burke and Roger go over the case(s) again while Burke drinks tea. Burke asks Roger whether he killed Bill Malloy. Roger says he just slipped in the water and drowned, but Burke isn’t buying it. 

Roger says that Burke’s time in prison has left him mad. Burke says he has sense enough to know that Roger is involved in Bill’s death.

“You’re judge and jury, aren’t you?”

Burke says he is.

Liz visits Vicki in her room. 

Vicki tells her she’s been writing a letter to herself. That’s how she gets mail. 

It’s a habit she got into at the foundling home. 

Liz says Vicki must have a pretty complete record of her whole life. 

Vicki says not much ever happened to her—until she came to Collinwood.

Burke and Roger go through the timetable of Roger’s movements on the night of Bill’s death. Roger says he left the house at ten to eleven. Roger claims Vicki can confirm this.

Burke wants to hear Vicki say it.

Roger thinks she’s probably gone to bed.

Burke thinks she and Liz are waiting to make sure there’s no violence.

Liz tells Vicki she understands why Vicki writes letters to herself. Vicki says she wants to find out who her parents were, even if they are dead. Liz wonders if it isn’t enough to know where you are now. Vicki says it isn’t.

Roger comes in to get Vicki to agree he left at 10:50. 

Vicki isn’t sure what time he left. Finally, she agrees.

Liz asks Burke why he thinks Roger would kill Bill Malloy.

Burke thinks it’s all about protecting the Collins name. The same reason Matthew tried to kill him.

Roger brings Vicki in. Vicki says she has every reason to believe Roger left when he said he did.

Burke isn’t too happy with that. He intimates that he made a mistake about Vicki, a big mistake. He thanks Mrs. Stoddard and Miss Winters for a charming evening. “I’ll be back in Collinwood. Possibly to stay.”

                                          Cast, In Order of Appearance

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

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

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

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

Fashion by Ohrbach’s

Directed by Lela Swift

Written by Francis Swann