Touring The Mansion

 Picking up where we left off... 

Maisie:  Don't say anything that's gonna give away where we are.  She still thinks I'm in Arizona.

Dionne:  I got your back.  (Answers the phone)  Stop calling Maisie.  She can't afford to bail you out, financially or emotionally.  Grow the hell up, you lunatic!  (listens for a moment)  Oh, it's never your fault, it is?  Who's to blame this time?  Your lover of the week?  The president?  Godzilla?  Get over yourself.  (disconnects the call)

Maisie:  That bought me a couple of hours while she tells all the cops what a bad daughter she has, at least.  Or how you're brainwashed her innocent little baby.  (heavy sigh)  I wish I knew how she manages to find me.   I never even told her my married name, but she...  

Dionne: I know.  We better hurry, we're gonna be late to meet Boudica at the place.  

****

Boudica:  These last few rooms are basically attics.  They were servant's quarters back in the old days, but over the years we had fewer live-in help and more junk.  Especially considering that both my parents were historians.  

Dionne: You're leaving all this stuff?

Maisie:  Zenobia said they've removed anything of value to them.  We can use all this stuff for our foster children!  

Dionne:  I guess we don't need to worry about the place looking too institutionalized.  

Maisie: No wonder your aunt was so confident we could do this at low cost.  She knew it was coming with furniture and all!  

Dionne: I have to ask.  Why are you giving all of this away?  It must be worth millions and, as you said, it's been in the family forever. 

Boudica:  We're doing it to spite Dad, frankly.  Can't pay expensive defense lawyers if we give away the bulk of the estate, can we?  (notices Dionne's confusion)  Oh, you don't know about our dad, do you?  I thought Rose-Grace would've told you.  

Dionne: I have no idea what you're talking about.  

Boudica:  He's a murderer and one of his victims was Mom.  And no, he didn't do it here.  Anyone who died here did it a century ago and not through violence.

Maisie:  I like this room.  Very light and airy, if you know what I mean.   Way different from the rooms I had when I was a foster kid.

Boudica:  I didn't realize you'd been in the system. 

Maisie: My mother and I left my dad when I was little, and then she got into all kinds of legal trouble.  I spent most of my life going in and out of care, never knowing where or with who I'd end up.  That's why our big thing is stability - this way any Doll County foster kid will know exactly where they are going.

Dionne: There's also a level of supervision that's just not available in individual homes.  Most foster parents mean well, but there's always the abusers.  And sometimes the kids abuse each other.  

Boudica:  We do have one request.  Would you consider calling the place Helena House?  After Mom? 

Note to readers: 

Backdrops inside the mansion are from a book called Find The Cat.