Berkeley Square

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1

Well Mr Standish, we've

made good travelling.

Delightful .. today it

is my turn, Clinton.

Here.

Oh lookee gentlemen, Captain Standish

pays with our good English gold.

He knows his Yankee script

has no currency here.

Gentlemen .. I give you the King.

The King!

Well, I owe no allegiance to George III.

However, since the war has

been over a year .. your King.

Well put, sir.

Now I'll give you another

toast, more to your liking.

Your General Washington.

Washington!

You best beware our English ales,

Standish .. it is a strong brew.

Look Clinton, I'll bet you five guineas

I'll drink you under the table in town.

Taken!

Now there Landlord,

what's the talk of London?

Nowt .. excepting last Friday, a

Frenchman flew over the Channel.

Dover to Calais.

Flew?

Hey, where's my Yankee

friend? Hi .. Standish.

It is the very thing you bored me

with all the way from America.

The day would come he

said, when we would all fly.

Aye, and we laughed him down.

By what means did the Frenchman fly?

Why, he flew in a basket sir,

hung under a big bag of hot air.

A "balloon" I think they call it, sir.

It's beginning .. this new

age of speed and invention.

Which we shall never live to see.

Will you take your places

gentlemen, please.

What time shall we reach London, Major?

Mid-afternoon, if you bestir yourself.

Then I shall be able to wait upon

my cousins .. before dinner.

Where do they reside?

Berkeley Square.

Wilkins.

Oh master Tom.

Gad's life Wilkins, when

did you turn prude?

Tell me, why do you slink about so?

Are not maids difficult enough to find

at the beggarly wage we can afford?

Without your making the

keeping of them impossible.

It is me you should thank sister,

that they seek our employment at all.

Your tastes are those of a stable-boy.

You're all alike in the dark.

Children, he's arrived! Our cousin

Peter Standish is in London.

A letter from him.

Oh read it, Ma.

Having arrived within the hour,

I shall do myself the honour ..

To wait upon you and half past

five o'clock in Berkeley Square.

Ten minutes! Ha, the

Yankee wastes no time.

Now Tom, you will meet him

below and bring him up here.

And Kate .. you will welcome

him, on my behalf.

Not alone? Surely, you

will present him to me?

You will do as I tell you.

Would you have me sell

myself to pay our debts?

Oh dear me, the baggage grows bashful.

Now lookee Kate ..

Hook this Yankee Standish, and there's

no more talk of beggary in this family.

I know what you have in mind.

You think to find him drink, women

and cards so that he'll pay for yours.

Will you bag it!

Thomas ..

Ma'am ..

He commends your miniature.

Such blushes too .. art or nature Kate?

More natural than wit in you.

Your husband will find you

sharp of tongue, my lass.

If only he'll have you.

Five o'clock.

Herbert's life! Why, the suitor

of my younger sister is below!

Throstle? Oh, a disgusting little man.

Hush Kate.

As you well know, Mr Throstle

is to enter in our family.

But what of Helen's feelings Ma'am?

You may trust me to act in her interest.

Oh, what's wrong with him Kate?

Teeth none too good perhaps ..

but a man of parts and uh ..

Fifteen hundred a year.

Thomas!

Ma'am ..

Mr Throstle my Lady.

Your servant Lady Ann.

Dear Mr Throstle.

Miss Pettigrew .. your servant sir.

We have great news.

I am aware of it.

I met but now, Major Clinton who

travelled from America with your cousin.

Indeed Mr Throstle, very little happens

in London that you don't hear of.

And Miss Helen?

You will find her in the music

room .. dear Mr Throstle.

And you Tom .. when our cousin

arrives you are not to say "colonial".

The colonists are now independent.

"Yankee puppy" then ..

And you are NOT to mention

the late war with America.

Oh, you don't know those Yankees.

It won't be I who will mention it.

You will ruin everything ..

Kate!

At your service, dear Miss Helen.

I am your servant, sir.

You are aware Miss Helen, that I have

your mother's permission to pay my ..

Mr Throstle .. I am most sensible of

the honour that you would do me.

But I shall never marry.

At least Miss Helen ..

Since your affections are not

disposed elsewhere, my hopes ..

I shall never marry.

Helen .. our cousin Peter

Standish is in London.

And is about to present himself.

Mr Throstle, our cousin has decided he

will buy a townhouse, a country estate.

And a wife!

Thomas!

I hear a coach.

Yes .. it is a coach.

Tom .. downstairs to him.

Good luck with your savage, Kate.

Come, dear Mr Throstle .. come Helen.

Why must mother make it so hard?

I know. But only be yourself, Kate.

Our cousin will not eat you.

Where's your Yankee? I thought

he must have let himself in.

Wilkins said there was no knock.

He did not hear it for the rain.

He's on the doorstep.

No, he's not. I looked myself.

Well someone must let him in.

Well, of course. He's gone around to

the servant's door. Knows his place.

Good afternoon Miss Frant.

Good afternoon Mrs Barwick.

Is Mr Standish in? Or

rather, is he ever out?

Mr Standish was very particular. He

was not to be disturbed Miss Frant.

I suppose you are aware that

Mr Standish and I are to be married?

Oh yes Miss .. I'm sure I

didn't mean to offend you.

Oh that's alright Mrs Barwick.

It's only that I'm so worried about him.

Cooped up in this house for three days.

He's a gentleman of moods, Miss.

Well, he wasn't until he inherited

this house and came to England.

Tell me, what does he

do with himself here?

Well .. he reads a great deal.

It seems he found some old

books and papers in the house.

And then .. he walks about.

Frequently, I'm hearing

him in the night, Miss.

He was here Miss ..

just a few minutes ago.

I'll see ..

Mrs Barwick ..

This house has some queer hold

on Mr Standish .. it isn't healthy.

Yes Miss.

Peter.

Oh, hello Marjorie.

Why a candle?

They used them, you know.

What's that?

Oh this? It's the Crux Ansata.

The Egyptian symbol of

eternal life, I believe.

It came with the house.

You know .. I've made some

wonderful finds since seeing you.

Look .. Peter Standish's diary.

His trip from New York took

twenty-seven days.

The war was just over. He fought

under Washington you know.

Look here .. he says here that

Reynolds wouldn't finish his portrait.

But he did finish it .. it's

obviously all Reynolds.

You might have sat for it yourself.

And his name was Peter Standish too.

It's very odd.

Yes, it is strange, isn't it.

Look. He married the eldest sister Kate

Pettigrew. They lived in this house.

I've got other papers about them.

They had children who died here.

Then there was a younger sister, Helen.

Her people tried to force her

into a marriage that she hated.

Look here, there's even

something about a shawl.

A cashmere shawl that Helen's aunt

gave her, just before Peter came over.

You see .. minute details

about everything.

And I've got all his letters too,

courting Kate before he'd ever seen her.

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