Belle Page #10

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He trails off awkwardly. She falters.

DIDOQuite.

A beat as they regard each other - then she moves off.

CUT TO:

61.6:
The whirl of the pleasure gardens...DIDO alone -

searching hard for OLIVER or the others. Her pace quickens as

a hand comes down on her shoulder, taking her breath away.

OLIVERI did not dare return to Lady

Mansfield without you.

DIDO(relieved)

I..I am terribly sorry. I thought

I saw the others, I went after

them....and found myself lost.

OLIVER studies her - she is so nervous...what is she

hiding? A moment - then his eyes become forgiving.

CUT TO:

61.7 ON LADIES MANSFIELD, MARY, ASHFORD, seated on a bench.

LADY MANSFIELDIt’s almost dark!

LADY ASHFORDLook, here are James and Miss Murray.

ELIZABETH and JAMES approach, sit on the bench opposite.

ELIZABETHI do hope you know how well I

think of you.

JAMESAs I do you.

ELIZABETHThen I hope, Sir, you plan to honour

your attentions...as not to would

leave me looking... quite foolish.

JAMESAnd I should not call myself a

gentleman!

Satisfaction washes over her. As DIDO and OLIVER appear, LADY *

MANSFIELD lets our a cry of relief, goes to say something -*

LADY ASHFORD lays a finger across LADY MANSFIELD’s lips.*

53.

LADY ASHFORDSay nothing! This has all been

for the good of the future, I

assure you!

CUT TO:

61.8:
The two couples and ladies stroll back to the carriages.

LADY ASHFORD (CONT’D)

Elizabeth is a determined spirit.

LADY MANSFIELDShe is.

They stare at the couple ahead.

LADY ASHFORDShe will need a gentleman who

can temper her. Quite a task.

She fixes on LADY MANSFIELD, lets her eyes do the talking...

LADY MANSFIELD exchanges a look with LADY MARY.

LADY MANSFIELD(to Lady Ashford)

Do I sense that an address is

finally to be made?

LADY ASHFORD goes carefully...

LADY ASHFORDShe is an exquisite girl...

(with relish)

And...since there is no male heir

and...it will therefore fall upon

Elizabeth and her husband to

eventually inherit all of Kenwood

and its lands...

Colour drains from LADY MANSFIELD. LADY MARY closes her

eyes, dismayed.

LADY MANSFIELD:

Lady Ashford, may I...

LADY ASHFORD...I realise there will be no end

of worthy addresses to consider.

ON LADY MANSFIELD as she too closes her eyes at the strain.

LADY ASHFORD (CONT’D)

My dear? Lady Mansfield, what is it?

54.

INT. ASHFORD CARRIAGE - NIGHT.116262*

JAMESPenniless?

LADY ASHFORD(disgusted)

Without an inch of property, or

shilling to her name!

OLIVER chuckles. LADY ASHFORD rests her hand on JAMES’ knee.

LADY ASHFORD (CONT’D)

Your situation can attract so

much better, James. She brings

nothing but name. A real lady is

blessed with SO much more.

OLIVER(sardonic)

Do you hear that, James? A lady’s

good breeding alone will not do!

LADY ASHFORD(to Oliver)

Your brother needs a wife who

will bring him further land!

LOTS!... if he is ever to exert

more political influence than your

father has.

JAMESBut what of her own father?

LADY ASHFORDThe Seventh Viscount Stormont is a

scoundrel. Ensconced in Vienna

with the girl’s vicious step-mamaa

and his new offspring - who I am

told is to inherit EVERYTHING.

She shakes her head, stares through the carriage window.

LADY ASHFORD (CONT’D)

I must say, pen-ni-less!

Thankfully her cousin is not.

It is true that on each occasion

I lay eyes upon that girl, she

becomes more beautiful.

OLIVER shifts, perturbed - DIDO, indeed, on his mind.

JAMESShe has the colouring of a farmer.

LADY ASHFORDJames, we do not talk about that,

any longer.

55.

JAMESIs this really the very best you

aspire to, Oliver? To introduce

some woman of obscure birth into

the family lineage?

LADY ASHFORDJames - you are my first boy -

blessed by law to inherit your

father’s wealth. Be sympathetic

to your brother. Like the

unfortunate Miss Murray - a good

family name and empty pockets

will only get him so far!!

OLIVER closes his eyes, privately humiliated.

INT/EXT. BLOOMSBURY SQ. DRAWING ROOM - DAY.126363*

LADY MANSFIELD looks up from her embroidery - SOUNDS of a

carriage rounding into the square. At the window.

LADY MANSFIELDGood heavens, Lord Mansfield has

arrived a day early!

LADY MARY moves quickly to look down on the street. Her

POV:
below, LORD MANSFIELD’S carriage outside.

LADY MARY(calls out)

Mabel! Freshen the flowers!

INT./EXT. BLOOMSBURY SQ. ENTRANCE HALL - DAY.126464*

A trunk hits the flagstone. A FOOTMAN enters with another.

INT. BLOOMSBURY SQ. BREAKFAST ROOM. DAY.136565*

A beautifully laid out breakfast - A spray of purple

lavender, silver and porcelain.

MABEL smiles privately at DIDO as she lays some bread on

the table. DIDO watches her leave.

DIDO looks to the newly arrived LORD MANSFIELD, as he sits.

DIDO(facetious)

Is Mabel a slave?

LADY MANSFIELD almost chokes on her porridge.

LORD MANSFIELDI beg your pardon?

56.

DIDOIs-Mabel-a-slave!

LORD MANSFIELD swallows hard, his jaw tightens.

LORD MANSFIELDShe is free and under our protection.

DIDO(twice as facetious)

O! Like me!

ELIZABETHHardly, Dido!

LORD MANSFIELDAnd paid a very respectable wage.

DIDO takes a mouthful of breakfast, goads her father further.

DIDOHow is the fraud appeal Papaa?

LORD MANSFIELDFraud?

DIDOThe marine insurance. It is a

Fraud case, is it not?

LORD MANSFIELDThat would depend on to whom you

may speak.

DIDOTo cull your ‘cargo’? To do it

solely to claim insurance because

it was too diseased to achieve a

good price at market? If not

fraud, then what?

LORD MANSFIELDDo you speak on my behalf, Dido?

LADY MANSFIELDOh will you please stop!

She slams down her napkin.

LADY MANSFIELD (CONT’D)

This is a vulgar subject to be

discussing at breakfastDIDO and LORD MANSFIELD are locked in a stand-off.

A bitter silence. LADY MARY ventures to change the subject.

57.

LADY MARYI learned yesterday that Mr

Davinier is in town.

DIDO stiffens. ELIZABETH stares across at her, privately.

LORD MANSFIELDMakes sense. Dido is beginning

to sound very much like him.

DIDO has lost her appetite.

DIDOExcuse me.

She gets up and is gone.

INT. LORD MANSFIELD’S LONDON CHAMBERS. HALLWAYS DAY.136666*

LORD MANSFIELD moves through hallways, robed, wigged, his

full authority apparent. LORD ASHFORD walks beside him.

LORD ASHFORDI had the pleasure of laying eyes

on your adopted girl.

LORD MANSFIELD(facetious)

Which one?

LORD ASHFORDYou have raised a lovely young

lady...And, though I understand she

is kept under interesting rules,

She raises questions.

LORD MANSFIELDSpit it out.

LORD ASHFORDHer introduction to society comes

at a key time in the insurance

appeal. Parliament is nervous that

your ‘family situation’ will

colour your judgement.

LORD MANSFIELDI will neither be pressured from

the inside - or the outside.

LORD ASHFORD comes to a stop.

LORD ASHFORD(calm)

You are the highest judge in the

land.

58.

(MORE)

In you, they see a man who is of

the persuasion and position to

bring down the major trade of our

time and the commercial health of

this country. Some will say, next

to our king, you are the most

powerful man in England. And the

same will ask how you, our Chief

Justice can be fair?

LORD MANSFIELDHow? RULES are in place to

dictate how we live - were that

not the case, I would not have

had the mandate to give shelter

to my nephew’s child.

He struggles with his emotion.

LORD MANSFIELD (CONT’D)

She is his blood - MINE! And

rightfully had entitlement to

grow up on the family estate.

(aggrieved)

The parliamentarians may challenge

me - let them! I can tell you all,

if the law supports the Zong’s

slave owners as strongly as Murray

blood runs through Dido Belle’s

veins - make no mistake - the

insurers will be forced to pay up!

LORD ASHFORD is affected. He regards LORD MANSFIELD.

LORD ASHFORD(softly)

I believe you.

He raises an eyebrow. Then...

LORD ASHFORD (CONT’D)

I have reason to speak with you

on another matter.

LORD MANSFIELDOh?

LORD ASHFORD(tentative)

I have a wish to seal the bond

between the Ashford and Mansfield

names. It would, however, require

some relaxing of your most

stringent rules, I must add!

LORD MANSFIELD comes to a halt again.

59.

LORD ASHFORD (CONT'D)

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