Seeds of Yesterday

Fifteen years after the Thorn family events, Cathy and Chris arrive at their son Bart's home, which is an exact replica of Foxworth Hall. The house radiates old secrets and the weight of the family’s past lingers in every hall. Bart greets them with a practiced mix of charm and entitlement as tension simmers beneath the surface.

Joel, Corrine's brother long believed dead, explains that he survived and spent time in a monastery. He has returned and is installed as the head butler at Bart's request. He begins to steer Bart with bleak ideas about God and punishment.

Jory visits with his wife Melodie and moves in, bringing new energy to the house. Melodie announces she is pregnant, sparking Bart's jealous, protective reaction. The atmosphere grows tenser as Bart's hostility toward the family deepens.

Cindy, now sixteen, arrives to join the household. Cathy tries to keep the peace, but Bart tightens his control and targets Cindy's behavior, reflecting his need to regulate the family's morals. The rift between Bart and the others widens.

A reckless accident leaves Jory paraplegic, placing a heavy burden on Melodie. Bart's interest in Melodie grows into an affair, further fracturing the family. Cathy senses trouble but struggles to stop the slide into bitterness.

Cathy confronts Bart about the affair, but he dodges accountability and feigns love for Melodie. Jory eventually discovers the affair and, though hurt, tries to reconcile with Melodie. Melodie abandons Jory and their children and moves to New York.

Melodie goes into labor on Christmas Day and gives birth to twins, Darren and Deirdre, who Cathy says resemble her deceased twin siblings. Melodie shows little interest in the babies, and Cathy steps in to care for them. The arrival intensifies the sense of chaos in the household.

Unable to cope with a disabled husband and two infants, Melodie abandons Jory and the children and moves to New York City. Cathy continues to care for the babies, hoping Melodie's mood shifts. Jory remains affected by the upheaval and isolation.

Under Bart's influence, he bans premarital sex for Cindy and violently attacks two boys he catches with her. He offers no real justification, instead venting anger at Cathy and Chris. The household atmosphere grows poisonous as the cruelty spreads.

A nurse, Antonia 'Toni' Winters, is hired to help Jory recover, and Bart and Toni become lovers. Bart’s possessiveness alarms Toni, and she ends the affair. She later falls for Jory, and their relationship helps lift Jory out of his depression.

Bart builds a chapel and commands the family to attend sermons led by Joel. Cathy and Chris refuse to participate, repelled by the fire-and-brimstone atmosphere. Bart secretly brings the twins to the chapel; Cathy insists they stay away and plans to leave, while Cindy departs for a school in New York.

Chris dies in a hit-and-run accident, echoing their father’s fate. Bart delivers a moving eulogy and expresses remorse, admitting he loved Chris. Cathy feels heartbroken and begins to distance herself from the family as she contemplates leaving.

Bart reclaims a sense of purpose as a televangelist, and Cindy and Bart seem to make peace. Joel returns to the monastery to spend his remaining days. Jory and Toni marry, and Toni becomes pregnant, signaling a fragile but hopeful turn for the family.

Despite some closeness returning, Cathy remains heartbroken and dies at the attic window after decorating with paper flowers while remembering Chris and family pasts. The death is ruled natural, but the author hints it was a broken heart.