6

Caretaker Matthew Morgan accuses Victoria of snooping in the Collinwood basement. Victoria attempts to learn why she was hired by Elizabeth.
== Synopsis ==
: Opening narration
: The top of Widows' Hill is a strange and lonely place, and the great hulk of Collinwood sits like a sleeping monster on its crest. I know I should leave and yet I can't. Not as long as I feel the answers I've been looking for might be here, here in the darkness and the dust of hidden years. Surrounded by the ghosts of the past and the fears of the present, I've decided to search and hope and wait.
Teaser
Victoria goes down to the basement, looking for David. She doesn't find him, but sees a locked door and starts to pound on it calling for David. At the sound of footsteps, she turns around and sees a man on the staircase, glaring at her and brandishing a fire poker.
Act I
The man confronts Victoria, demanding to know why she is snooping around in the basement. Matthew is furious and accuses her of lying and trying to hurt Mrs. Stoddard and grabs her by the arm, when Elizabeth arrives and stops him. Elizabeth explains that this is Matthew, who works for her, and asks him what happened. He explains that he was getting ready to clean out the fireplace when he heard a noise and investigated, only to discover Victoria trying to get into the storeroom. Elizabeth tells Victoria that the room is always locked and David could never get in there. She tells Matthew that Victoria is going to be living with them from now on, then sends him away. 
Elizabeth asks Victoria why she would be looking for David in the basement and assures her that the boy would never come down here. She asks Vicki to go up and wait for her in the drawing room after checking David's room again. Elizabeth goes to check in the storeroom, but hears a noise nearby. She finds David hiding inside a crate.
Act II
Elizabeth questions David about why he's hiding in the basement. He's afraid she's going to hit him, but she assures him that won't happen while he's at Collinwood. David thinks that Miss Winters wants to hurt him and spy on him, but she tells him how preposterous that is. 
In the drawing room, Victoria and Matthew introduce themselves. She asks about Mrs. Stoddard's husband, but he knows nothing about him. He tells her that Mrs. Stoddard is a great lady and explains his loyalty to her. He tells her he used to clean up the cannery until eighteen years ago when she gave him a house and a job for the rest of his life. He explains that Mrs. Stoddard fired all of Collinwood's servants the day her husband left and hired him as the sole employee. When she asks why, he tells her to mind her own business, just as he does.
Act III
In the basement, Elizabeth finds some old "Rover Boys" mysteries and tells David he would like them and they were his father's favorites growing up. David doesn't want them and says his father hates him and told him so. David doesn't want Miss Winters there and figures that his mother won’t return if Victoria's around. Elizabeth assures him that Victoria knows what it's like to be without parents and would never wish that on anyone. 
In the drawing room, Carolyn pressures Victoria to ask her mother about the eighteen-year connection between the money from Bangor and her father's disappearance, but Victoria tells her the connection is ridiculous. Elizabeth comes into the room asks to talk to Victoria alone. Joe Haskell telephones for Carolyn and she takes it in the hall after asking if anyone needs anything in town. When they're alone, Elizabeth tells Victoria they've got many things to discuss.
Act IV
Joe tells Carolyn that he's got some news, but can't tell her over the phone. 
Elizabeth stresses to Victoria how important it is that David doesn't see her as a threat. She tells her that he's very attached to his mother, who is not well and probably not coming back for a long time. Victoria asks Elizabeth how much she knows about her, telling her about the coincidence between the arrival of the money and her husband's disappearance. Elizabeth claims to know nothing of her past, saying there is no connection between the two events. Victoria wants to know why she specifically was chosen and Elizabeth restates that someone at the foundling home recommended her to Roger. When Elizabeth won't say who it was, Victoria postulates that there's no such person. 
Elizabeth is offended by Vicki's accusations and investigation and tells her to accept what she's told her. She leaves the room and Victoria goes to the phone to call the foundling home in New York. She hangs up when Carolyn comes in and Vicki asks her for a ride into town, but Carolyn is no longer going into town since Joe wants to meet her and her mother at the house in an hour. Carolyn says there's a bus and then asks how she made out with her mother. Victoria doesn't know yet and leaves the room.
Carolyn meets Victoria in the foyer and offers her car keys to get into town. Elizabeth hears Victoria leaving and thinks someone's come in. Carolyn says it's just one of the ghosts starting to rattle around.
== Memorable quotes ==
:Matthew: I asked you a question, miss, and you'd better answer me.
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: Matthew: Who are you, and what are you doing down in the basement of this house?! I want the truth, miss!
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: Matthew: I do know Mrs. Stoddard is a great lady. And don't you forget it!
== Dramatis personae ==
* ← Joan Bennett as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard →
* George Mitchell as Matthew Morgan →
* ← Nancy Barrett as Carolyn Stoddard →
* ← David Henesy as David Collins →
* ← Alexandra Moltke as Victoria Winters →
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
* Unusual for this period of the series, this episode's opening voice-over does not begin with "My name is Victoria Winters." However, it is still spoken in character.
* First appearance of actor George Mitchell and the character Matthew Morgan.
* First appearance of the Collinwood basement.
* This is the second episode where all the scenes take place in Collinwood.
=== Story ===
* Victoria reads the book America Sails the Seas by John O'Hara Cosgrove II.
* Matthew started working at Collinwood eighteen years ago. Elizabeth fired all her servants just before he started, the day after Elizabeth's husband left.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* Actress Joan Bennett has a hard time saying Matthew's name while in the basement with David. 
* In the teaser, Vicki pulls the chain switch on the basement overhead light, but the lamp doesn’t light up. Meanwhile, studio lighting for the set - meant to be the illumination from the hanging light - comes on anyway, despite the fact that its alleged “source” is burned out. The bulb in the hanging lamp was replaced during commercial break, and is working at the top of Act 1.
* As Matthew descends the basement steps to confront Vicki, there is a sound effect to accompany his footsteps. When Matthew pauses two steps from the basement floor, the sound effect continues two more times before stopping.
== End credits announcements ==
* Dark Shadows has been a Dan Curtis production.
==External Links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 6 on the IMDb
The Collinsport Historical Society - Dark Shadows Diary - Episode 6
Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 6: Winters! Victoria Winters!
Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 6: 7/4/66
== Gallery () ==
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