Angel Page #5

- Whatever's got into her?

- Could it be love?

- Esme!

Esme!

Esme!

Why did you leave?

I wanted to surprise you.

The painting...

- Why do you want

to humiliate me?

I hate those people.

- I thought

it would make you happy.

- Make me happy?

Make yourself happy,

more like it.

- No, that's not true.

I love the way you paint.

I want everyone else

to love you too.

- You're wasting your time,

Angel.

My paintings are worthless!

Nobody cares.

- Don't say that!

You're an artist, Esme.

You just need someone

to believe in what you do!

- When I look

into those eyes of yours,

I could almost believe it.

- You have to believe it, Esme,

you have to believe it.

(thunder crashing)

I could make you happy.

I could pay off all your debts.

You'd be free from all

the horrible sordid things

that keep you here.

Come with me

to Paradise House.

Marry me, Esme.

- Marry you?

Isn't that what the man's

supposed to ask?

- Who cares? I love you.

- You love me?

- I've loved you

since the moment we met,

and I'll go on loving you

until the day I die.

Continue please, Nora.

(crowd, shocked): Oh...!

(donkey braying)

- Oh...

I'm so pleased you're back.

I was so worried,

with all this talk about war...

- It's not because

of that nonsense.

I just missed Paradise!

- And I really missed you.

- Oh, it's so good to be home!

But where's Sultan?

I imagined him bounding down

the steps to meet me.

- Edwina, fetch Sultan

from the library.

- Yes, miss.

- Oh, you put the portrait here.

I'd rather imagined it

in the dining room.

- It's easily moved.

- And the curtains. I thought

we said the drawing room?

- I don't believe so. Of course

that can easily be changed.

(dog barking)

- Oh, Sultan! Hello, boy! Hello.

Oh, Sultan, have you forgotten

your poor mistress?

(laughing)

(dog whimpering)

That's not Sultan.

- I'm sorry, Angel,

I didn't want to spoil things

when you were away.

But Sultan...

unfortunately died.

- No!

- But I tried to find

another one the same.

(Esme laughing)

- Oh, well. Thank you, Nora.

(whispering):
Is it ready?

(whispering):
Yes, the workmen

finished this morning.

- Come, my darling.

- How exciting.

(Angel giggling)

- My word.

- Well, you've never

really had a proper studio.

(Esme whistling)

- Extraordinary.

- You're happy?

- Leave us alone.

- Oh, but I haven't shown you

what I've done to my bedroom.

- Later.

So? What do you think?

- It's... wonderful.

(Angel laughing)

But all this sunlight...

- What?

- It's not really normal

for a studio.

A studio normally faces north.

- So? You can finally have

some sunshine and colour

in your paintings!

- You're right. Fantastic idea.

- Aren't you happy?

- Yes, of course I am.

- This is where you're going

to paint your masterpiece.

- Nobody has ever given me

anything like this before.

Thank you, Angel.

- Can I come in?

- Not yet!

- Ready?

- Almost!

You can come in now.

- Oh. What is it?

- Water from the sacred spring

at Delphi.

Legend says

it has magical powers

and it used to inspire

the greatest of the Greek poets.

(laughing)

I brought it back

especially for you.

- Oh, thank you, Angel.

Oh...

(breathing deeply)

- Good night, sweet, sweet Nora.

- Good night, Angel.

Good night, Esme.

- I'm not sure there's room

for me and Nora

under the same roof.

- Of course there is.

Paradise is big enough.

And I need you both,

don't you think?

Where did you go?

- Walking in the garden.

- And did you find

a vista to inspire you?

- It's too dark to see,

but it's certainly ideal

for shooting.

- Oh, no!

Please don't hunt

the little animals.

Poor defenceless creatures.

- Take care,

I'm about to attack

a defenceless little creature

right now.

- No, Esme! Don't!

Don't! Stop it!

(giggling)

Oh, no, let him stay.

We've all got to be friends.

(dog whimpering)

Not in front of the dog.

- Dogs are used to it.

- "Her pale eyelids

"fluttering down

"over her huge blue eyes...

"... and the great love

of her life...

"... slumbering sweetly

at her side...

"... she whispered

these immortal words:

"'This is the most beautiful day

of my life.

"Together forever...

... living in Paradise'."

And how are my lovely flowers?

Why do you have

to make everything so dark?

What's wrong with using colour?

- But these are colours.

Look:
grey, burnt umber...

This part here's violet.

- But it's ridiculous.

They don't look anything

like that - all faded.

- All I'm doing

is painting what I see.

- In which case, what you see

has nothing to do with reality.

- Since when was my darling

Angel so interested in reality?

Everything you write's

a complete fantasy.

- But I'm not interested

in what's real,

but what's beautiful.

- As far as I'm concerned,

my flowers are beautiful.

- Do you know where Esme is?

- I think he is with Marvell.

- In the grounds?

- Maybe, or at the races.

(knocking)

- What is it?

- Excuse me, madam.

- Did I tell you to come in?

- No, madam. Sorry, madam.

But something terrible's

happened.

- Well? What is it?

- War!

They've declared war!

- Oh, my God, is she ever

going to stop crying?

- Angel, show some compassion.

Her fiance's joining the army.

- John, the gardener?

- Yes.

- Well, I hope he doesn't come

crawling back here

wanting his job back

in a couple of months.

- A couple of months?

A war can last for years.

- Oh, my darling!

Please forgive us,

we've started without you.

- Don't worry.

I've just come

to collect my things.

- To do what?

- I'm going to London.

I'm enlisting.

- Esme!

When are you leaving?

- This afternoon.

- You can't!

You can't do this to me.

We've just moved

into the new house!

- Angel, please don't.

This is not personal.

- Not personal?

- The country's at war.

I can't stay here cut off

from the rest of the world.

It wouldn't be right.

- Oh! So killing animals

isn't enough for you!

You need a war to satisfy

your thirst for blood!

- Don't be so ridiculous.

You don't know

what you're talking about.

It's got nothing to do with it.

- You're all the same:

violent, destructive,

needing to kill

just to prove you're a man!

- Well, if men

are so disgusting,

you'll be much better off

with my sister.

- You have no right

to do this!

You can't!

- Yes, I can.

- I warn you!

If you walk out that door,

you'll find it

slammed in your face!

- Please, Angel...

(sobbing)

... that's enough.

- Take care of her.

She's not as strong as we think.

- Of course I will.

I'm proud of you, Esme.

- I'm doing my duty, that's all.

- God knows how she'd go on

if he was killed.

- You're not to talk like that.

Esme will be back.

(sobbing)

- Good afternoon.

Is my niece at home?

- Oh, I'm sorry, sir,

but Miss Nora's just left.

- Oh.

- Don't tell Miss Deverell,

but she's helping out

with the war-wounded

in the infirmary.

- Well, good.

I do so wish I'd seen Esme

before he left for the front.

- Oh, really?

See, I thought

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