Belle Page #12

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A huge figure approaches. JOHN stops mid speech, stares up.

HARRYMr Davinier?

JOHN takes a moment - he’s alarmed, but somehow, this man

is familiar - then...uncertain...

JOHNHarry?

EXT. COACHING INN/INT.MANSFIELD CARRIAGE. DAY.157878*

DIDO waits nervously. Suddenly, her breath is taken away

as the carriage door opens.

JOHNMiss Lindsay!

As he climbs inside. He is stunned, flustered.

JOHN (CONT’D)

I...

DIDOMr Davinier.

It makes him breathless just to see her there. A beat passes.

JOHNI didn’t expect...! Are you to

come inside?...Are...?

DIDONo...It would be dangerous.

JOHN(feeling foolish)

Yes. Indeed.

DIDOOh Mr Davinier...I am so proud of

you. I am so proud of what you

are doing and...achieving.

JOHNNo. We’ve achieved little....

She lifts his face to hers, earnestly.

DIDOAt least thirty per cent of

insurers are with you! It is a

start. It is a real start.

They are staring straight into each other’s eyes. She pulls

her hands away, self consciously.

66.

DIDO (CONT’D)

I have something to show you.

She collects the two scrolls beside her, each ribbon tied.

She hands one to JOHN, smoothing the other on her lap.

DIDO (CONT’D)

It is said all of the ship’s

papers have been ‘lost’...

but...here...I found these in

Papaa’s library.

JOHNWhat are they?

DIDOPapaa’s notes on the ship’s log.

It seems the First Mate has come

forward with it - one Mr Stubbs. I

could not find the log itself, but

look at Papaa’s markings - See the

map positions - From December

29th, Captain Collingwood and

his men directed the ship past noless than eight ports where, you

see....

(she points to map)

...there was every opportunity to

stop and replenish the ship’s

water supplies.

JOHN studies the log and map together.

JOHNGood Lord!

DIDOAnd they did not! They either

ignored the possibilities, or

they were never in need.

JOHN’S gaze darts from notes to the map, absorbed.

JOHNThis...This is remarkable.

He looks up from the papers. DIDO is still tentative.

DIDOIs it? Perhaps if you made these

facts known, Mr DavinierJOHNBut this places you in an

impossible position with Lord

Mansfield.

67.

DIDOWhat is the alternative?

His face searches hers...

JOHNWalk with me, Miss Lindsay.

The back of the Inn has the

canals,

(he laughs)

Nobody but blind drunks.

INT. BLOOMSBURY SQ. DRAWING ROOM. LOW SUN. DAY.157979*

A beautiful light fills the room. MABEL distributes candles

as LORD MANSFIELD enters - informal and without wig.

LORD MANSFIELDWhere is everybody, Mabel? The

carriages are gone.

MABELLady Mansfield and Miss Murray

are out calling, your lordship.

LORD MANSFIELDAnd Dido also?

MABELErm...I believe so.

LORD MANSFIELD stares at her irritated - peculiar girl!

LORD MANSFIELDWell is she, or isn’t she?

MABEL wavers, attempts to sound convincing.

MABELYes. She is, M’lord.

LORD MANSFIELD watches as she stiffly moves from the room.

He goes to ask something more...then thinks better of it.

EXT. KENTISH TOWN. CANAL SIDE. LOW SUN:LAST EMBERS.EVE.158080*

The sun is almost down. A hooded DIDO walks beside JOHN.

DIDOPapaa would rather I see no ill,

as though by ignoring it, it some

how escapes me - perhaps by

position but not...not by blood68.

JOHN(conciliatory)

The fault was never with you.

He stops a beat as he catches her gaze on a painted metal

sign swinging from the back of an inn. It shows a gent,

hat in hand, his black servant bowing behind him.

JOHN (CONT’D)

(unsure)

Miss Lindsay?

DIDOJust as in life, we are no better

in paintings...

He follows her gaze back to the image and realisation hits.

JOHNYou were afraid.

DIDOAfraid?

JOHNTo be painted - to be painted

beside Miss Murray(off her discomfort )

And I ridiculed you.

(swallows hard)

I feel ashamed.

She looks back at him earnestly...

DIDODo not feel ashamed.

(she observes him)

Elizabeth said something when we

arrived in London. She said:

(recounting)

we are but their property.

JOHNWhose?

DIDOGentlemen’s. We women are but

the property of gentlemen. That

is the way it is, in law and in

life, is it not?

JOHN nods, uneasily. DIDO thinks aloud.

DIDO (CONT’D)

And it came into my head that I

have been blessed with freedom

twice over? As a negro and as a

woman?

69.

JOHNI suppose you have, yes!

DIDOOr have I?

((her mind ticks over)

Must not a lady marry, even if

she is financially secure? For

who is she, without a husband of

consequence?

(she ponders)

It seems silly - like a free

negro who begs for a master!

JOHNUnless she marries her equal. Her

true equal - A man who respects her.

DIDO is silent. She steals a glance at him.

DIDOI remember my Papaa’s eyes. They

were kind, gentle... a little

like yours...

JOHNMine?

DIDO(embarrassed)

I mean...in colour. Grey.

(long beat)

He showed me much love, though

I knew him only a few hours.

JOHNThat is terribly moving.

(off her reaction)

What of your mother?

DIDOShe is a ghost in my life -

present in my reflection,

in each scowl I receive, yet I

know very little of her than the

colour she has given me.

JOHN(moved)

Then at the least, you know she

was beautiful.

They come to a halt. DIDO’s eyes begin to sting.

DIDOI had never felt it.

70.

JOHNHad?

They observe each other a moment. Will they kiss? Dido

pulls back, nervous of the intimacy.

DIDOI am to marry, shortly - Mr Ashford.

JOHN falters but tries to recover.

JOHNOh!

She begins to walk again - composing herself.

DIDOHe is amiable and of good family.

JOHNIs it...what you want?

She stops. The question strikes her.

DIDOThe alternative is to replace

Lady Mary in her responsibilities

at Kenwood.

JOHNBut she is a spinster.

DIDOPapaa did not trust I could

achieve a match that might raise

my rank - or even equal it.

JOHN searches her, then gently...

JOHNYou...are above reducing yourself

for the sake of rank.

She stares at him, frozen - his words bury somewhere deep.

She studies him, harder. He moves towards her, letting his

breath settle on her face. They are both deadly nervous.

JOHN (CONT’D)

I pray he would marry you without

a penny to your name - for that is

a man who will truly treasure you!

DIDO searches him. He takes her hand, brings it to his lips,

kissing it gently sending a shiver through her.

JOHN (CONT’D)

I will take you back to your coach.

71.

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