Hannah marches out of her room and tracks down Bernadette in the kitchen.
Hannah
Bernadette, where is Ms. Pynchon?
Hannah
Take me to her. Now.
Bernadette
Madame does not like to be disturbed after 8 p.m.
Hannah
Well, she needs to be disturbed for this.
Hannah
You’ll be happy to know that I’m quitting.
Hannah
And I’d like to let her know before I leave tonight.
Hannah
So please take me to her now.
Bernadette leads Hannah to Ms. Pynchon’s room in the Green Wing.
She leaves Hannah in front of the closed door.
After an initial hesitation, Hannah knocks.
Hannah
Ms. Pynchon, it’s Hannah.
Ms. Pynchon
Hannah! What are you doing here?
Hannah
I need to talk to you.
Ms. Pynchon
Can’t this wait until morning?
Hannah
No. I’m quitting. I’m leaving tonight.
The heavy bedroom door creaks open.
Ms. Pynchon’s long gray hair is hanging down.
She is wearing a white terry cloth robe.
And her scar stands out more than ever.
To Hannah, she looks so…vulnerable.
Ms. Pynchon
Hannah, why would you want to quit?
Ms. Pynchon
I thought the meeting went well today.
Hannah
Yes, but someone doesn’t want me to be here. And I’m scared.
She tells Ms. Pynchon about the rug.
The statue that almost hit her head.
Hannah
And Ms. Pynchon, I need to tell you something else.
Hannah
Your husband tried to bribe me into leaving.
Hannah
He said he would pay me double what you’re paying me if I disappeared.
Ms. Pynchon
Oh my god. That worm.
Hannah
He’s getting what he wants.
Hannah
And he doesn’t have to pay me a dime.
Ms. Pynchon
Oh, Hannah. I’m so sorry.
Hannah
I don’t understand why you’re still married to that man…
Hannah
And I don’t know what kind of secrets this family is hiding…
Hannah
God, I wish I could find out what they are.
Hannah
Because I know they would make for a great book.
Hannah
But I value my life more than a good story.
Ms. Pynchon
Hannah, please! Wait.
Hannah turns back and sits down alongside Ms. Pynchon on the bed.
Ms. Pynchon
You wanted to know how I got this scar.
Ms. Pynchon
Let me tell you the story.
Ms. Pynchon
It will help you…start to understand.
Hannah
All right. Tell me.
Ms. Pynchon
It was 25 years ago.
Ms. Pynchon
I was taking a rare long weekend away from my job.
Ms. Pynchon
Allison had just graduated from boarding school.
Ms. Pynchon
And Lionel and I wanted to do something special to celebrate.
Ms. Pynchon
I saw her so rarely.
Ms. Pynchon
We took our boat out onto Candlewood Lake.
Ms. Pynchon
It was a beautiful night.
Ms. Pynchon
And I had been drinking.
Ms. Pynchon
Usually Lionel operated the boat…
Ms. Pynchon
But I wanted to steer it that night.
Ms. Pynchon
I thought it would be fun.
Ms. Pynchon
I drank a lot back then.
Ms. Pynchon
And I was drunk that night.
Ms. Pynchon
You can probably guess what happened.
Ms. Pynchon
We crashed into another boat.
Ms. Pynchon
Allison flew out and hit the water hard.
Ms. Pynchon
And disappeared down into its depths.
Ms. Pynchon
I jumped in after her.
Ms. Pynchon
I tried so hard to save her!
Ms. Pynchon
But I was so drunk.
Ms. Pynchon
I cut my face on the boat that we hit.
Ms. Pynchon
That’s how I got this scar.
Ms. Pynchon
After three hours, I had to admit it.
Ms. Pynchon
My daughter had drowned.
Hannah
Didn’t you call the police?
Ms. Pynchon
No, we didn’t notify the police.
Ms. Pynchon
And that’s to my everlasting shame.
Ms. Pynchon
Lionel was busy talking to the people in the other boat.
Ms. Pynchon
About paying them off so they wouldn’t tell the police what I’d done.
Hannah
Maybe she could have been saved!
Ms. Pynchon
Lionel insisted that it would have been too late.
Hannah
What a horrible man.
Ms. Pynchon
We WERE in the middle of the lake…
Ms. Pynchon
But I still wonder…
Ms. Pynchon
Anyway, I went along with him.
Ms. Pynchon
I was weak. And drunk.
Hannah
And so you just left your daughter
Hannah
At the bottom of the lake?
Ms. Pynchon
I see the disgust in your eyes, Hannah.
Ms. Pynchon
But I was the CEO of a big company.
Ms. Pynchon
I had 5,000 employees who depended on me.
Ms. Pynchon
If word had gotten out about the accident.
Ms. Pynchon
I could have gone to jail.
Ms. Pynchon
I didn’t even have a boating license.
Ms. Pynchon
It would have meant the end of my career.
Ms. Pynchon
And possibly the end of my company.
Hannah
Didn’t people wonder when your daughter wasn’t around anymore?
Ms. Pynchon
We went directly from Candlewood Lake to Switzerland.
Ms. Pynchon
We let it be known that Allison died there of a sudden illness.
Ms. Pynchon
And was buried there.
Ms. Pynchon
Can you forgive me, Hannah? Please?
Hannah
Why do you need my forgiveness?
Ms. Pynchon
I want the story to be told. Finally.
Ms. Pynchon
And I want you to tell the story.
Ms. Pynchon
Because you…you understand me.
Hannah
I’m not sure I do now. What you did…
Ms. Pynchon
This biography will be a way for me to make amends.
Ms. Pynchon
And Lionel will no longer have a hold on me.
Ms. Pynchon
He’s been blackmailing me all these years, you see.
Ms. Pynchon
Threatening to tell everyone what happened if I don’t pay for all his luxuries.
Ms. Pynchon
That’s why he wants you to leave.
Hannah
Look, Ms. Pynchon.
Hannah
I’m sorry about what happened.
Hannah
And I feel sorry for you.
Hannah
And this whole family.
Hannah
I even feel sorry for Bernadette—who serves all of you silently.
Hannah
But I don’t feel welcome here at all.
Hannah
And someone wants to physically hurt me.
Ms. Pynchon
It must be Lionel. I’m so sorry.
Hannah
Well, I’m going to take his very strong suggestions and leave.
Ms. Pynchon
Hannah, before you decide to leave for good
Ms. Pynchon
I want to give you something.
Ms. Pynchon opens a drawer next to her bed and pulls out a diary.
Ms. Pynchon
An old school friend of Allison’s gave this to me several months ago.
Ms. Pynchon
She said she thought I should know the truth.
Ms. Pynchon
Read this diary. Please.
Ms. Pynchon
Do it here at the estate.
Ms. Pynchon
Lock the door to your room and read it.
Ms. Pynchon
I’ll make sure Lionel can’t harm you.
Ms. Pynchon
Read it, Hannah, and then tell me your decision.
