An Education Page #5

Russian Sobranies.

Where did they come from?

She probably bought them from

the Savoy, or Claridges...

...or the opera,

or some fancy nightclub.

Who knows, with Jenny?

Paris. You can't buy them here.

- You never bought them yourself?

- No. I never.

Shut up, you stuck-up cow!

But I'll bring you some back,

if you like?

- You're joking?

- No.

- He's taking you to Paris?

- Yes.

- This term?

- May be.

Wait.

Isn't it your birthday

next Thursday?

Might be.

Oh, my God! Your birthday!

I would not like to be you.

All those supper's

you've had off him.

Ouch!

You've such a Victorian attitude

to sex, you two.

Your parents wouldn't let you

swan off like that, would they?

Well, he haven't told them yet.

But David will come up with some story,

he usually does.

Yeah, I've noticed that.

Chanel perfume,

Chanel perfume.

Chanel lipstick,

Chanel lipstick.

Those funny cigarettes

you were smoking. Sobranies.

Ten packets each.

How much is that Chanel perfume?

Are you the girl going to Paris

or are you not? Because...

Tina, top button.

Jenny, the headmistress

wants a word with you.

The, uh, legend Mr. Rochester may have

travelled further than you intended.

Come.

Ms. Mellor.

We're all very excited about...

...your forthcoming trip to Paris.

Our excitement, indeed,

knows no bounds.

Some of us can talk of little else.

An older man, I understand.

A word of warning, Ms. Mellor.

There may well have been the odd...

...sixth-form girl who has lost...

...an important part of herself,

perhaps the best part.

while under our supervision.

These things happen, regrettably.

If, however, we are made aware

of that loss, then...

...of course the young lady in question...

...would have to continue

her studies elsewhere,

...if she still has any use

for A-levels.

Do I make myself clear?

- Can I go now?

- If you want.

What are you doing in there?

Well, I imagine she's lighting

the candles on my cake.

You're seventeen

not two hundred and fifty.

- Thanks for inviting me.

- Oh, it was Marjorie's idea, not mine.

- Not even Jenny's for that matter.

- Dad!

Well, blow them out,

before the house burns down.

Wait up!

Okay, don't wait.

Bravo.

- Who'd like a piece?

- Me, please.

Come on. Come on.

Presents.

What's that?

It's a new Latin dictionary.

Thank you.

I needed a new one.

Oh dear.

Snap!

Oh, good grief!

- Jenny, you'd see this.

- It's a special day.

- She's a special girl.

- I know it.

Bit of help?

Makes your dictionary look

a bit feeble, eh, Graham?

Gosh!

These are for you.

- Hello, young man.

- Oh, David...

- David, would you like a drink?

- I'd love one.

I'd better be going because...

...I have a stack of

homework to do, so...

Thank you.

- Bye.

- See you.

- Goodbye, Mr. Mellor.

- See you, young man.

Thank you.

Wonderful to see you, Graham.

- Goodbye, Jenny.

- Bye, Graham.

- Little something warming?

- You know me so well.

- Can I open anything yet?

- Wait for me.

Before you open that lot,

I got a surprise.

Next weekend, we're all going

to Cafe de Flore...

...to celebrate Jenny's

birthday.

Lovely.

Cafe de Flore is in the Boulevard

St. Germain, in Paris.

- What do you mean Paris?

- You know the one, Dad.

No! No!

No, no, no...

No, we don't have any French money.

And besides, it's...

Well, I don't think

he would agree with me.

Dad?

The French don't like us, Jenny.

You know that.

John Sutton from work,

he went there last year.

They were very rude to him.

I don't want to spoil

anyone's fun,

...but it's just not for me,

Europe.

- You'll have to go another time.

- You've just said you don't like Europe.

So what's going to change?

It'll have to be Europe, won't it?

Because it certainly won't be you.

- I'll take her.

- To the continent?

- Why not?

- And leave me here on my own?

Oh, for God's sake!

What do you think?

You know, what Jenny's

like about France, Jack?

French films and books

and music.

- Of course, I do.

- Sorry.

Yes, because without saying,

she's your daughter.

Jenny likes to joke about...

...how you're a stick in the mud

and all the rest of it.

But I know that's not

who you are.

Otherwise, she wouldn't be,

who she is.

No.

But I can also see that,

I've acted out of turn and...

...I'm sorry.

What about your aunt Helen?

An hour late!

- We'll make it, I promise.

Okay, there's a flight at eight

in the morning.

Good.

There's no bed!

I pushed the boat out

and got us a suite.

- A suite?

- Yeah.

Well, if work stops us from getting

to Paris until tomorrow, then...

...work can buy us

a nice hotel room.

Anyway, it's a special occasion,

isn't it?

I'd have thought that tonight

of all nights we only need a bed.

Hold on... one second.

I've got something.

I thought...

I thought we might

practice with this.

With a banana?

I thought we might get

the messy bit over with first.

What?

David!

I don't want to lose my virginity

to a piece of fruit.

I'm sorry.

Oh, I think the moment

might have gone.

- I think we should wait until Paris.

- I'm sorry, um...

Minnie.

I'm an idiot.

I'm sorry.

David...

...if tomorrow night does happen,

it's only ever going to happen once.

Why? Why it only ever happen once?

Because the first time can only

ever happen once.

So...

No, baby talk.

No Minnie.

Just... treat me like a grown-up.

Okay?

I know. Let's go and sit

in our sitting room.

Alright.

I'll order us some champagne.

Room service!

bSur Les Quais Du Vieux Paris

performed by Juliette Greco/b

Do you still feel like a schoolgirl?

And it wasn't too uncomfortable?

Not after the... first bit.

It's funny, though,

isn't it?

All that poetry,

and all those songs...

...about something

that lasts no time at all?

Yeah.

All your exercise books

on my desk in a pile, please.

I bought this for you.

That's very kind of you.

But I can't accept it.

Why not?

It's because of people like you...

...that I plough through illiterate essays

by Sandra Lovell about her pony.

But I know

where this came from, Jenny.

And if I took it...

...I'll feel I would be

betraying both of us.

Jenny.

You can do anything you want.

You know that.

You're clever

and you're pretty...

Is your boyfriend interested

in clever, Jenny?

I'm not quite sure

what you're trying to tell me.

I'm telling you to go to Oxford,

no matter what.

Because if you don't,

you'll break my heart.

- Where did you go?

- Cambridge.

Well, you're clever

and you're pretty.

So presumably,

Clever Miss Stubbs won.

And here you are

with your pony essays.

I don't know.

These last few months...

I've eaten in wonderful restaurants,

and went to jazz clubs,

...and watched wonderful films,

...heard beautiful music.

- Jenny, are you taking precautions?

- It's nothing to do with that.

Isn't it?

Maybe all our lives are going

to end up with pony essays.

Or housework.

And yes, maybe

we'll go up to Oxford.

But if we're all going to die

the moment we graduate,

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes