249 - June 7, 1967

[bunniefuu]

[narrating]
- My name is Victoria Winters.

Behind a locked door lies a terrible secret,

a secret that if revealed

would alter the lives of everyone at Collinwood.

There is one who is determined

to know that secret, at all costs.


- I don't care what anyone says,

I'm going into that room.


- Yes, but kitten, how do you propose to do that?


- Somehow.
- Well, I'm as determined

to get into that room as you are, but how?


- Carolyn, you might be placing an awful lot of importance

on something that has nothing to do with the problem.


- If that's the case, fine, but I must know it.

I intend to get into that room tonight.


- Carolyn, please,

don't do anything that you're going to regret later.


- But how can you get in the room if it's locked?


- Well, there are two ways:

the first way is to steal the key from my mother.


- I don't think you're gonna do that.


- I don't think so either.

So I'm left with the other alternative...

to break in.


- Well, that will take some doing.

You want my help?


- I'll need your help.

Then it's settled.

We break in tonight,

after Mother goes to sleep.

♪♪

♪♪


- Liz...

I think we better have a fast little chat.


- I'm busy now, Jason,

and haven't we had enough little chats?


- Now we are in the midst of a minor crisis

that requires your immediate attention.


- What kind of a crisis?


- Your daughter Carolyn is determined

to get into that room in the basement.


- How determined?


- So determined that she might even

steal the key from you, or batter the door down.


- I'll stop her immediately.


- No, no, Liz...

Before you do anything about it,

let's stop for a minute and, uh,

give the matter some thought.


- What's there to think about?

She cannot be permitted to go into that room.


- Ah, but can she?

Now, your daughter is aware, as everyone else is,

that there's something about that room.

Now, let's suppose, for just a minute,

that Carolyn gets into that room.

She'll find nothing,

and she'll communicate it to the others.

And then they'll find that their big clue

was nothing but a puff of smoke.

But now, if they believe that

things will go better for you, won't they?


- What are you saying?


- I'm saying let Carolyn get into that room.


- Oh, I
-
- I can't take that chance.


- But, Liz, if I can guarantee that she'll find nothing
-
-


- But how can you guarantee it?


- Because there's nothing to see,

unless you know where to look.

Now, I think it would be a very good idea

for you to give Carolyn the key.


- I can't do that.
- Yes, you can.

Because you'll give it to her after I've been down there

to check that room to make sure.


- Oh. Oh, I
-
- I don't want...


- Now, look, Liz, I'm doing this for you,

to protect you, take the pressure off you.

Your brother and your daughter are going to get into that room

one way or another.

Well, I'm saying let's beat them to it,

so they've got nothing to do but apologize.


- I don't want their apologies.

They're not wrong, you know.


- I know that, but they're plunging ahead blindly,

unaware of the Pandora's box they might open.

I'm telling you, Liz, this is the only way to do it.

Now give me the key.

♪♪


- Oh, Carolyn.

Carolyn.

Well, now, you're not trying to snub me, are you?


- Whatever gave you that idea?


- Well, believe it or not now,

I am working very hard to be your friend.


- Save your energy, Jason, it won't happen.


- Ah, won't it? [chuckles]

Now, I'm not your enemy, you know?


- You're my mother's enemy

and therefore the same to me.


- Oh, Carolyn, how wrong you are.

As time will tell...

I'm more concerned about your mother's wellbeing than anyone.

Her life up to now hasn't been very much, you know?

I'd like to see the rest of it become something...

worthwhile.

That's what I'm trying to do.


- That would be something to see.


- Well, I'm asking you

to be more considerate of your mother,

to take the pressure off her.


- Jason, your hypocrisy overwhelms me sometimes.


- Oh.

So it's hypocrisy, is it?

Well, let me tell you something, Ms. Stoddard,

I am trying to help your mother,

and you won't cooperate.


- I never know when to believe you.


- And I tell you something else.

I'm going to prove my sincerity to you.

This fictional hold you think I have over your mother,

you believe it has something to do with that locked room

down in the basement, don't you?


- What if I do?


- Well, I'm going to see to it that you learn

the truth about that room once and for all.


- How will you do that?


- Just as I told you,

by seeing that you get the key.


- That would be something to see.


- Well, you'll see it.

And then we'll see how easily do you swallow the word

"hypocrisy".

[door opens]

[door closes]

♪♪

[creaking]

♪♪

[creaking]

♪♪


- Well, you can relax now, Liz.


- You've been down there?
- Yes.

And everything's in order.


- You sure it's all right?


- I tell you everything is fine.


- I'm afraid I can't go through with it.


- Oh, of course you can.

Liz, I'm telling you, don't worry.

Now, here.

Put this back around your neck.


- You want me to give the key to Carolyn now?


- No. Not quite like that.

Let's go them one better.


- What do you mean?


- Well, I thought of an idea.

There will be a grand display of our innocence.

You take them down into the basement,

you unlock the door,

and you take them right into that room.

♪♪


- I wish I knew whom to believe.


- Never believe anyone who's good at keeping secrets.


- On the one hand I have my mother telling me

things about my father,

that he didn't love me or care for me.

But then on the other hand there's Jason,

who tells me the exact opposite of that.


- Jason is a congenital liar.


- I know, but he did know my father

better than anyone else, and why would he lie to me?


- Out of habit.


- Which one of them should I believe?


- I don't know, kitten. I wasn't around at the time.

I was at school when Paul Stoddard was here,

but obviously he lacked certain qualities.


- He must have had some good qualities.

My mother married him.


- Your mother is not the best judge of men.


- Carolyn, maybe she spoke about your father in that way

in order to justify her

starting the divorce proceedings.


- That's possible.

But somehow I wish she wouldn't go through with it.


- Carolyn, she's got to.

Otherwise Paul Stoddard could march right in here

and take over.

He has certain legal rights, you know.

Although I'm sure your mother would fight it in court.


- Yes, she does have to protect herself.


- All of us.


- But if she does get the divorce...


- Well, then she'll be free of one menace

and fair game for another:

our houseguest.


- It would be a terrible thing for my mother

to have been deserted in her first marriage

and then blackmailed into the second.

I can't let that happen, I can't.

I've got to find out what it is he has over her.


- All right, we'll try, tonight.


- I'm glad you're all here together

because I have something I want to say to you.

I think it's time that everything be brought out into the open.


- Well, I'm for that.


- You've all been worried and upset about nothing,

and I want to put an end to it.


- Mother...

it's that room in the basement.


- You really think that room is the answer to everything?


- I think so.
- Well, you must admit, Liz,

keeping a room under lock and key for years

is bound to invite a certain amount of curiosity.


- Doesn't it go beyond that?

Don't you think that because of that room

Jason has some mysterious kind of hold on me?


- Yes, I do believe that.

It has to be proven otherwise.


- And you think the answer is going into that room?


- I think so.


- This is the key.


- Is it?


- Do you want it?


- Very much.


- Are you prepared to go downstairs?


- Yes.


- Prepared for anything you might find?


- Yes.


- Then I'll open the room.


- You mean you'd open the door?


- I'm going to open it now.

That room may never be opened for another years,

so I suggest you come with me

to find out what's inside.


- Well, this is the chance you have been waiting for.

Let's go.


- You see? I am proving my friendship.


- Are you, Jason?

We'll see.

♪♪

♪♪


- Liz, do you want me to open the door?


- No. I'll do it.


- You can tell it hasn't been used for years.

I'm surprised it even worked.


- There.


- Mother, you don't have to go in there.


- No, Carolyn, your mother will take you in

and she'll show you everything,

before we settle this matter once and for all.

♪♪


- Well...

your wish has come true.

You're in here.

And you have my permission to poke in anything you see.


- Liz, I know this must be terribly personal to you.


- This is what you wanted...

and you're having it.


- Old clothes.


- It's a dusty place.

The accumulation of years.


- Yes, years of spider webs, too.


- I wish you weren't here to see this.


- You think you're going to find what you're looking for?


- I don't know, Mother.

I don't know.


- Well, junk.

Nothing but junk.


- If I may say so,

I think this is the most pitiful exhibition

I've ever seen.

You are all subjecting this woman

to something that she does not deserve.


- Jason, please.
- No, Jason is right.

This time...

what we're doing is wrong, very, very wrong.

I apologize, Mother, very deeply.

I'm sorry.


- Forgive me, Liz, for this terrible intrusion.


- I understand.


- Let's go upstairs.
- Yes, let's.


- Come on, Mother.


- Oh, no, you go on, Carolyn.

I think your mother wants to be alone for a moment

before we close up this room for all time.


- All right.

I'll see you upstairs, Mother.


- Well, Liz,

I think you've pulled it off rather nicely.


- Yes. I pulled it off.


- And I think I've sufficiently demonstrated

at least one of the many ways that I can be

a protection to you.

I doubt that you'll hear another word

about this room again.


- [sighs] I hope.


- Well, now we've taken care of the past,

I think it's only the future that needs tending.

They're together upstairs now, Liz.

I think now would be the proper time.


- Proper time?


- To announce our marriage.


- Jason.


- You can't back out now, Liz.

The wheels are turning.

I've taken the chains off you.

And I think you know what your obligation is to me.


- Yes.

Yes, I know.

♪♪


- I need this.

That was one of the worst,

most embarrassing moments of my life.

I feel like the worst heel imaginable.


- I put her through something she didn't deserve.

I caused her so much anguish.

To see those old clothes of my father's...


- Oh, Carolyn, that's the past.

It's over.

You can't be of any help to your mother that way.


- She's right. There has to be another way.


- Your mother has something she'd like to say,

something that I'm sure you'll all be delighted to hear.


- What is it?


- Tell them, Liz.


- I've decided that I...

cannot go on living the life I've been leading.

I must remake it the best way possible,

for everyone's happiness,

so I want to say...

I
-
- I want you to know that...


- Well, go on, Liz.

Tell them what you're planning.


- That Jason and I are

planning to be married.

♪♪

♪♪


- "Dark Shadows" is a Dan Curtis production.