Born to Be Bad Page #4

Nick bradley

is here, john.

You tell him. You handle

these things better than i do.

Besides,

i've got to go.

You look tired.

You work me

too hard.

Nonsense. It takes your

mind off your wedding.

Send nick bradley

in, please.

Really, john, he'd rather hear it from you.

Hello,

mr. Caine.

Hello.

Have you read any good books lately?

Ha!

Nick, i've got to go

and keep an author

from talking

to the press.

You're

a good writer, nick,

with a genuine gift

for words.

Our eastern office

agrees with me,

and they've

accepted the book.

Of course,

it needs cutting,

and i want you to work on

it with one of our editors

when he gets back

from boston.

Yes?

Mr. Caine's car

is here.

All right.

You take over

from here, donna.

Thank you very much,

mr. Caine.

Nonsense.

I hope it makes a lot of

money... for both of us.

What do you know?

You sold a book.

That's what you've been telling

me all the time. Celebration.

No.

Come on.

You call curtis,

and we'll have

a great big celebration.

No, nick. I can't.

Look, i'm happy,

and i have a habit

of wanting the people i like to be happy.

Anything wrong?

No. Nothing.

Not at all.

Correction-yes.

Here. I've got

a nice, dry shoulder.

You cry on it.

Nick, if you were

very wealthy,

would you know if someone was marrying you

for your money

or for you?

If i were curtis, i wouldn't

have any doubts about you.

You don't miss much,

do you, nick?

In my pursuit

of truth

and the elusive

christabel,

i've seen an awful lot of you and curtis.

It doesn't take

much savvy to know

that things aren't

the way they were.

Maybe it's my fault.

Maybe. Maybe you're not

fighting curtis' doubts.

You can't fight

doubts, nick.

At least i can't.

Either curtis has faith

in me, or he hasn't.

The old pride, eh?

Come on. I'll buy you a

drink, and we'll drown it.

I can't. I have to

meet curtis.

Why don't you come

with me?

Where to?

The osbourne gallery.

Gobby's one-man show.

Oh, yes. I promised gobby

faithfully that i wouldn't be there.

Let's go.

Thanks for

the shoulder, nick.

Use it any time.

Personally, i think curtis is

the all-time all-american sap.

You know,

john is right.

You have a gift for words,

but you do need cutting.

Come on.

Yes, ma'am.

Peasant.

Who was it?

It says,

"gabriel broome."

Oh. So is this.

All of them are.

Is he living or dead?

Dead, of course.

Living.

Ida mae, look.

That's the girl

in the portrait.

Hi.

Maybe he is alive.

Hello, gobby. Is this

your dull, blue period?

How's it going?

People are just

beginning to arrive.

Have you sold me yet,

gobby?

No. The olsons were here, but they

still think you're too expensive.

Something is missing.

Where's donna?

She's still at the office, i suppose.

Oh.

The olsons are back.

Excuse me, will you?

Gobby knows too much

or thinks he does.

It's just because

you're upset about donna.

It makes you oversensitive,

and you shouldn't be, curtis.

Donna loves you.

I'm sure she does.

I wish i were sure. Most men have to go out

and make their successes. I didn't.

All my life, i've had to prove one thing-

that people wanted me and not my money.

You don't have to

prove it to me, curtis.

I know that.

I didn't think

i had to prove it

to donna, either.

Now l-i don't know

anymore.

If two people

are really in love,

they should accept

one another

with trust

and understanding.

That's a big if.

Isn't there some way you

can find out how donna feels,

just to satisfy your own foolish doubts?

If i let donna suspect

i have any doubts,

i'll lose her

altogether.

But she needn't suspect. I know

very little about these things,

but isn't there

some arrangement,

the sort that

lawyers work out

between a husband

and wife?

I don't think i understand what you mean.

I'm not very sure that

i understand, either,

but when two people marry,

isn't there something

about rights and things?

Dear, i'm getting

all mixed up.

You aren't suggesting that i ask donna

to give up any rights to my estate?

Curtis, that's

a wonderful idea.

But it's your idea, not mine.

I wouldn't dream

of such a thing.

Of course not,

not really,

but i just meant

as a sort of a test.

No. That's out

of the question.

But, curtis, you're

not being fair to donna.

At least you ought to give her the chance

to prove

that she loves you.

That's what i would want

you to do if i were donna.

The olsons have decided they want something

that looks more

like an ancestor.

I guess i'll have to

do a self-portrait.

I'm glad

you didn't sell it.

It would be just like

living in a stranger's house.

I have to eat,

christabel,

and what's more,

i like eating.

Then go right ahead

and sell it.

Gobby, before

you sell it,

check with me,

will you?

Oh, there's donna.

Where?

Oh, excuse me.

Please be nice

to her, curtis.

Isn't that terrific,

donna?

Look at the skin texture

on that girl.

And just the suggestion

of the men

watching this beautiful

creature as she stands poised

on the threshold

of life.

Look at those eyes.

Have you ever seen

such depth?

That picture happens

to be called

hungry man

digging potatoes.

My error.

Hello, gobby.

Hiya.

I'll thank you to stop

scaring away the customers.

We're all down in front

of christabel's picture.

All kneeling?

Hungry man

eating potatoes?

Digging.

Oh, digging.

Donna, i thought you'd

never get here. Nick.

Hiya.

Hi, nick.

Hello, darling.

Lucrezia borgia

or peg o' my heart?

Don't start

that again.

Have you sold it yet?

I'm not

quite sure.

Now that it's finished,

you'll have to dream up

another excuse

for breaking dates.

Just for that, you can take me to dinner.

You've made

yourself a date.

What's the quickest way out of here?

The window.

I wonder if nick is the right

kind of man for christabel.

Do you feel responsible

for her, curtis?

Yes, in a way.

Don't you?

You know, she was so

unhappy- like a kid-

when she thought of some

stranger owning her portrait.

Let's give it

to her.

It's your money.

Do you always have

to talk about money?

It seems to be very much

on your mind these days.

If it's going to

upset you,

i won't give her

the portrait.

The portrait has nothing to do

with what we're talking about.

I simply thought it would

be a nice thing to do.

After all, christabel has so little.

I wouldn't worry too much

about christabel.

She'll get more.

Donna, has christabel done anything to you?

I wish i knew.

I happen to know that

she's extremely fond of you.

Only a few moments

ago, she told me

how wonderful you were,

how much you loved me.

Do you need

her reassurance?

Why, of course not.

Donna.

I'm sorry

if it hit home.

This isn't like you.

It's not like

either one of us.

Donna, not so loud.

Things are getting worse

all the time.

It's as though

you no longer trusted me.

I wonder if we can ever

get back to where we were.

I don't know. There

might be a way.

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