Brief Encounter Page #7

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I want my dinner.

You go on down.

I won't be fve minutes.

- Number, please?

- Ketchworth 3-7, please.

Ketchworth 3-7.

- Hello?

- Hello, is Mrs. Norton there, please?

- Yes. Will you hold on?

- Yes, I'll hold on.

- Hello?

- Hello? Is that you, Mary?

Oh, Laura! Fancy hearing from you.

I thought you were dead.

No, I haven't seen you for ages.

Listen, my dear,

will you be a saint and back me up

in the most appalling domestic lie?

- As bad as all that?

- My life depends on it.

Well, today, I went into Milford,

as usual, to do my shopping.

With the special intention

of buying a far too expensive

present for Fred's birthday.

Well, Spink and Robson's

hadn't got what I wanted,

which was one of those clocks

with barometers and everything in one,

but they rang up their branch in

Broadham and said there was one there,

so I hopped on the 1:30 train

and went to get it.

- Go on.

- Well, this is where

the black lie comes in.

Fred asked me if I'd had a good day,

and I said yes,

and that you and I had lunch and

that you had gone to see your in-laws...

and I had gone

to the pictures.

- If you run into him,

don't let me down, will you?

- Darling, of course not.

- I'll do as much for you, I promise.

- Let's really lunch one day.

- Yes, that'd be lovely.

- What about next Thursday?

No, I can't on Thursday. That's

my Milford day. What about Friday?

- Fine, better make it here.

- All right, perfect.

You know what my cook's like.

It'll have to be early.

Yes, all right.

- Good-bye.

- Good-bye.

That week was misery.

I went through it

in a sort of trance.

How odd of you not to have

noticed that you were living

with a stranger in the house.

Thursday came at last.

I had arranged to meet Alec

outside the hospital at 12:30.

- Hello.

- Hello.

I thought you wouldn't come.

I've been thinking all week

that you wouldn't come.

I didn't mean to really,

but here I am.

I hadn't been inside the Royal

since Violet's wedding reception.

It all seemed very grand.

He actually ordered

a bottle of champagne,

and when I protested, he said

that we were only middle-aged once.

We were very gay during lunch and

talked about quite ordinary things.

Fred, he really was charming.

I know you would have liked him

if things had been different.

As we were going out he said

that he had a surprise for me...

and that if I would wait

in the lounge for five minutes,

he'd show me what it was.

He went out

and down the steps at a run,

more like an excited schoolboy

than a respectable doctor.

Suddenly out of the dining room

came Mary Norton and that rich

over-made-up cousin of hers.

They must have been

in the dining room all the time...

and seen Alec and me

and the champagne and everything.

Laura! So it was you after all.

Hermione said it was.

- How are you?

- You know how shortsighted I am.

I peered and peered

and still couldn't be sure.

I never saw you at all. How awful of me.

I expect it was the champagne.

I'm not used to champagne for lunch

or for dinner either, but Alec insisted.

Alec? Alec who, dear?

Alec Harvey, of course.

Surely you remember the Harveys.

I've known them for years.

- No, I don't think I ever...

- He'll be back in a minute.

You'll probably recognize him

when you peer very closely.

He looks very charming

and very attentive.

He's a dear. One of the nicest people

in the world and a wonderful doctor.

- Oh, Alec, you remember

Mrs. Norton, don't you?

- I'm afraid I don't.

It's no use, Laura.

We've never seen each other

before in our lives, I'm sure.

How absurd. I made certain

he and Madeleine were there

when you dined with us...

just before Christmas

last year.

- Alec, this is Mrs. Rolandson.

- How do you do?

- Horrid weather, isn't it?

- Yes.

Of course, one can't really

expect spring at this time

of the year, can one?

No.

Well, we must be going.

I'm taking Hermione with me

to the in-laws as moral support.

- Good-bye, Dr. Harvey.

Good-bye, my dear.

- Good-bye.

- I do so envy you your champagne.

- Good-bye.

Good-bye.

- That was awful.

- Never mind.

They had been watching us

all through lunch. Oh, dear.

Forget it. Come out

and look at the surprise.

There at the foot of the steps

was a little two-seater car.

Alec had borrowed it

from Stephen Lynn for the afternoon.

I tried so hard to look pleased,

but it wasn't any good.

I kept thinking of those two

laughing and talking,

laughing and talking about us,

and I couldn't get them out of my mind.

When we were out in the real country...

a few miles beyond Brayfield...

we stopped the carjust outside

a village and got out.

There was a little bridge

and a stream,

and the sun was making an effort

to come out, but really

not succeeding very well.

We leaned on the parapet of the bridge

and looked down into the water.

I shivered,

and Alec put his arm round me.

- Cold?

- No, not really.

Happy?

No, not really.

I know exactly what

you're going to say.

That it isn't worth it.

That the furtiveness and lying outweigh

the happiness we might have together.

Isn't that it?

Something like that.

I want to ask you something,

just to reassure myself.

What is it?

It is true for you, isn't it?

This overwhelming feeling

we have for each other...

it's as true for you

as it is for me, isn't it?

Yes, it's true.

We must have stayed

on that bridge for a long time,

because when we got back to Stephen

Lynn's garage, it was getting dark.

I remember feeling as if

I was on the edge of a precipice.

I think Alec felt that too.

You see, we both knew

how desperately we loved each other.

Alec said he had to leave the keys

of the car in Stephen Lynn's flat...

and suggested

that I came up with him.

I refused rather too vehemently.

Alec reminded me that Stephen

wasn't coming back till late,

but I still refused.

I'm going back.

I'm going to miss my train.

- Back where?

- To Stephen's flat.

- Train Whistle Blowing]

- Oh, Alec.

Alec, I must go home now.

I really must go home.

A cup of tea, please.

- Good afternoon.

- Afternoon, lady.

- Afternoon.

- Couple of whiskeys, please.

- Very sorry. It's out of hours.

Well, just sneak 'em to us under

the cover of them poor old sandwiches.

Them sandwiches were fresh this morning,

and I shall do no such thing.

- Come on, be a sport.

- You can have as much

as you want after 6:00.

My throat's like a parrot's cage.

Listen.

I'm sorry. My license does not

permit me to serve alcohol out of hours.

That's fnal. You wouldn't want

to get me into trouble, would you?

Just give us the chance, lady. That's

all we ask. Just give us the chance.

- Beryl!

- Yes, Mrs. Bagot?

- Ask Mr. Godby to come here

a moment, will you?

- Yes, Mrs. Bagot.

- Oh, and who's he when he's at home?

- You'll soon see.

- Coming in here cheeking me.

- Come off it, Mother. Be a pal.

- I'll give you "Mother,"

you saucy upstart.

- Oi, who you callin' an upstart?

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