Michelle (Phyllis Logan) and Maureen Whitehead talk about what Shelby had done.
In this two handed episode, Maureen Whitehead (played again by Barbara Garrick, who guest stars today) and her former sister in-law, Michelle Harper discuss the situation which Shelby nearly destroyed Michelle and her family for good.
Scene[]
Los Angeles, California. In a high-rise condo in the Wilshire area of Los Angeles, Michelle Harper and Maureen Whitehead are sitting in the modern living room. They are discussing something very serious.
MAUREEN: You don't need to convince me that my sister was a trouble maker. She was that way most of her life. I just don't know why she did what she did to you.
MICHELLE: She had always been a trial, Maureen.
MAUREEN: Call me Mo.
MICHELLE: All right, Mo. Well, when Michael started going with her, there was something I never really liked about her. She was rather bossy. More so than I thought. I never realized that she could be so bossy. One time, she and Michael went to dinner, and she did nothing but complain! They went to L'Espalier, one of the swankiest restaurants in Boston. To her, nothing was good enough for her! The snails were runny; the wine was awful; the coffee was tepid and she was not happy! A lot of times, I wish he had stayed with Angela Mercier.
MAUREEN: Mother told me once that Shelby had a lot of our father in her. My father, as you know, was a bear. He ran Hull like the Harpers did Harpers Falls. I also liked Angela. I even preferred her to be with Michael over my own sister.
MICHELLE (grinning): No doubt. I always liked your mother, but your father was something else again.
MAUREEN: He had his ways, but he always meant well. I think even he was appalled by Shelby's attitude towards you. One time, he told Mother and I that he even preferred Angela over Shelby.
MICHELLE: Then you know about how the twins were born then?
MAUREEN: Yes. Dylan and Sheila flew out here a few weeks ago and told me the whole story about everything. But I would want to know what happened.
MICHELLE: Well, I was just starting as a cellist for the symphony, and I met a newcomer who was in the woodwind section. He was wonderful. Played the flute, a rarity for a male. He was gorgeous, brown hair and handsome blue eyes. He was very sweet. We went out a couple of times, and one night, we went to bed together. We took a hotel room at the Copley Square Hotel, and it was lovely. It was a few weeks later, and I found out I was pregnant.
MAUREEN: What was his name?
MICHELLE: His name was Craig. Craig Schneider. He is no longer in Boston. He would wind up getting married and he and his strumpet of a wife would move to some burg in the Midwest. They moved to some place called Yankton, South Dakota.
MAUREEN: I have been there, Chelle. I liked it. It's a beautiful city, very old, and very historical.
MICHELLE: I have been too. The symphony went and played at Mount Marty College one year, when I was still new. Craig never went to the concert. The strumpet kept him away. She forced him to get a boring job at a shoe store! A SHOE STORE, can you imagine. He works at Payless, some store in the mall they have there. He is not happy, I can tell.
MAUREEN: Does he know about Dylan and Sheila?
MICHELLE: No, and not by his own choice. The strumpet made sure of that one!
MAUREEN: Well, that is where I can help you out! I know some people who knew Craig. And I wrote him a letter. Craig has called Dylan and Sheila. He talked with them, and he let them know where he stood.
MICHELLE: He did?
MAUREEN: Yes, he did. And he understands what happened. You raised Sheila wonderfully, and you still kept an eye on Dylan to make sure he was all right. My sister had no call doing what she did to you. Michael would have been right to break off with her and to go with Angela, I would have supported that, so would have Mother and Father. Shelby had always had an issue with control. She tried it with Michael, and she tried to do it with your son. She was a troublemaker, and even Father couldn't do anything with her.
MICHELLE: You tried.
MAUREEN: Yes, I did, granted. I am younger than she was, and yet she felt that she was better than I was. She had a wealthy boyfriend, and I was nothing to her.
MICHELLE: But look at what you have done, Mo. You've carved a name for yourself. You carved a wonderful law career here in LA; you proved yourself better than even Shelby could dream of. If anyone was ever envious of you, it was SHELBY! She was always bitter. Even when she married Mike, she was never happy. She had a loving husband, but she wanted more. Even Erica, after Shelby died, found out otherwise. Erica was her biggest ally in the family. And when Erica is against you, then you KNEW the family was against you. Even after she died, she tried to manipulate things from beyond the grave. Trying to turn Dylan against the Harpers.
MAUREEN: She WHAT?!
MICHELLE: I found this letter among some of Michael's belongings when Wendy and I were cleaning out one of his file cabinets. I thought you should look at this.
(Maureen looks at the paper. It basically laid bare Shelby's plans to turn Dylan against the Harpers.)
MAUREEN: That sister of mine! I never knew she was that devious, but this shows everything! I am so sorry, Michelle. I never knew how despicable she was!
MICHELLE: She's dead. And everything is somewhat back to normal. Let the dead bury the dead.
MAUREEN: You know that Dylan and Sheila will always be a part of my family. Since I am the only Whitehead left in the family, I want you to know, I have no ill will towards you, Michelle. I never had. Whatever my sister had against you and Michael was her crimes and her sins. Mother confronted her after she tried to kidnap Dylan from you. Mother lit right into her and so did Father. When you gave your own son to Michael to raise, that showed you had a lot more compassion towards her than she deserved. She deserved no mercy, and had she lived, she would not have GOTTEN any. Had I known what she had done, I would have just told her to stay away from you all.
MICHELLE: I know, love. And what's done is done. But I have Dylan as my son, and he's become a fine young man, with children of his own. And Sheila is a lovely young woman. I am quite happy.
MAUREEN: And you should be proud of them.
MICHELLE: That I am, Mo.
MAUREEN: Shall we go out for dinner? I know a lovely restaurant in the Bonaventure. One of my favorites.
MICHELLE: I am for that. And thanks for being my friend.
MAUREEN: And we will always be friends, Michelle.
(The two women head out to the front door of the condo, the scene fades.)