My impression of those orange things seen thru the window in the rain are that that is the greenhouse and those are flowers blooming on that African plant that has survived all these years without any care whatsoever....does that make any sense and fit in with the story?
Catherine was 'suspicious' of James and the doctor? Do you mean she suspected that her child did not die in childbirth? And that her husband and doctor had it/him stashed away somewhere? Not sure why she is buried outside in the dirt instead of in her coffin in the crypt = maybe so her son/monsterchild cannot find her to eat all of her? I'm going to have to replay this and pay more attention to everything I read to make it all 'come together' better....
Love, Betty Lou

Thanks: Thanks Betty Lou, I guess the idea that they're flowers works for me. As far as "Does that fit?"; I don't know. I thought I had this game figured out until I read all the posts here. Now all of these very perceptive gamers have confused me and I am not sure what went on. Ah well, I'll simply have to play it a third time. it's worth the trouble and Barrow Hill won't get here for a while.

Moogie, that was the impression I got, that the doctor and the wife had an affair (through the letter between the two that was locked up in the desk drawer).

The Haze - everyone has different tastes in games, and naturally everyone doesn't like the same games. Sometimes its difficult to understand why everyone doesn't enjoy something we do. Every year when people show their top ten games, it is unusual to find any matching with someone else! But I do think that if you ponder this game and go slowly and read all the notes, it makes it a better game than if you go through it quickly and take it on face value. I'll be interested to know what your impressions are after playing it again, if after the third time you think of the events even differently than the first and second go round!
My impression is that it is a tragedy, similar in feel to the Blackstone Chronicles.

Great discussion--this reminds me of the ones we had when Black Mirror first came out!

Eastnc, I edited your title for the thread to let people who haven't played the game yet know that there are now major spoilers lurking in everyone's posts...

Finished the game.
Did a Google search on Mrs. Leeds. Found a good site about this.
I think the creature was Robin.
Who was feeding it? Maybe the same father of Rosemary's baby.
MaG and Texaslady - sure would like a copy of those emails you sent out.
Retired

OH! OH! OH! I missed THAT the first time around!!!Did anyone else of you actually READ the label on those medicine/injection medication bottles??? It says TADADADUM!!!!!!*********THALIDOMIDE ~~~~~ That is a very BIG CLUE as to why the baby was born deformed! Whether there is/was also a curse laid on that family or not may also apply, but this clue gives the best explanation of the family 'secret'....... I might have 'caught on' the first time I played this game if I had paid attention to that along with the letters and journals scattered throughout the house... As you can tell I am replaying this and taking more particular attention to the clues that I saw and did not 'read rightly' before, so maybe it will make more sense to me now.....
Love, Betty Lou :kiss:

Betty Lou, you are a genius! I'm on my third time through and still didn't read the bottles. Thank You..... THALIDOMIDE I'll be d____d. Now, have we all figured out who has been tossing the meat and what the cat (Which wasn't eaten) has to do with anything?

What cat? I'd better reload this and play again.

Jean

I still don't get it.... . What is Thalidomide?

Thalidomide = "was first marketed in Europe in the late 1950's. It was used as a sleeping pill and to treat morning sickness due to pregnancy". It was later discovered that it caused birth defects and many law suits resulted - I think the discovery of its bad effects was within the first 2-5 years of its usage....
Thanks for the "genius" "pat on the back", it was so funny when I got to that dresser drawer, opened it and glanced at those bottles, started to close the drawer and did a double-take as I caught the first 4 or 5 letters of the name on the bottles, hard to read, but a closer look with some "focus Betty, focus" words in my ear I figured out what it said. At first (the first time I played this) I thought they were something like Insulin for diabetics.....it went right over my head! Hubby says that he could see the 'light bulb' over my head flashing when I jumped up and danced around the room..... What a feeling when this 'revelation' hit me THIS is what makes a game like this so much FUN! Feeling good about my 'discovery'....wonder how many others missed that CLUE?
Love, Betty Lou :kiss:

Cat? I don't remember a cat in this game or any mention of one, but will pay closer attention now and make sure I don't miss it or mention of it...
Love, Betty Lou

I could be wrong as frequently I am but I don't think the Doctor and Catherine had an affair....the doctor was in agony because he helped James spirit the deformed baby away to a 'cell' somewhere in the house (a secret room somewhere where they kept it alive and allowed him to 'grow up'), kept this a secret from Catherine, and when Catherine was killed they buried her in the yard and faked her burial in the crypt, James was arrested and convicted of her death (wonder why or how the authorities did that, then, without a body, or was her body then released for burial after James' trial?) and James went to prison, (where he died?). The doctor promised James he would destroy the child but couldn't bring himself to do it him being a doctor and all but suffered for years because of the whole mess he had become involved in for his friend James. Also James had resigned himself to being accused so as to 'protect' his son and the doctor had promised to go along with this too. A lot to think about in this game and several opinions occur as to what was really going on.
Love, Betty Lou

With Skyros' and Betty Lou's comment about Thalidomide, it's clear that we significantly different generations playing the game. How neat is that? As for the cat, I may have my games mixed up (That happens more often lately) but didn't we run across a dead, but in no way mangled or mauled, cat somewhere? I think it was in the crypt. I don't even know if it means anything because the game is full of wonderfully pointless red herrings. (e.g. the music box with the crystal rose)

Yes, there was a dead cat in one of the coffins in the crypt. I kept waiting for an explanation on that one too!

I didn't notice the Thalidomide bottles, well done Betty Lou!

BettyLou I loved reading your summary, now could I ask you a question......
do you think the baby was the Doctors baby and that is why the Doctor could not bring himself to destroy the baby? poor thing