Carrington Page #5

I'm going to pull his arms off!

Where is he?!

- So, you were in love with her.

- Yes.

And you say you haven't been f***ing

her. Do you expect me to believe that?

- Yes.

- Look, I know you're pretty feeble,

but what exactly is the meaning

of this heroic self-restraint?

I was always very aware that

you're my friend and she's my wife.

I mean, your wife.

All right. Let's go through this

step by step, shall we?

Now, presumably, you kissed her.

I mean, well, you must have kissed her.

I suppose so, yes.

And did you, for example, ever put

your hand down the front of her dress?

No. I don't think so.

You don't think so?

I'm asking you

if you ever touched her tits!

No. What's the point of all this?

The point is... The point of it is,

this is all important information,

because I have to decide whether

I ever want to see either of you again!

Ow. (sighs)

Another thing.

You realise I can't possibly allow you to

see or communicate with her ever again?

Having to lie to him.

That's what I couldn't bear.

Yes, we know that, Gerald.

But you must understand it was essential.

I suppose so. I don't know.

I don't approve of jealousy

any more than you do.

But, no doubt, if one's afflicted with it,

there's very little one can do about it.

- Yes, but he's so rational.

- We must proceed with extreme caution.

Let me see what I can do.

- What's this? Visitors?

- No. It's by way of a present.

- Who for?

- Since neither Carrington nor I drive...

(embarrassed chuckle)

I didn't expect you so early.

What's all this?

I thought we were going out.

- Well, I thought...

- Caviar?

- Gerald, you can't afford this.

- I know.

I thought I might induce you

to stay the night.

- You know how careful we have to be.

- Otherwise it seems so sordid.

Don't let's quarrel.

There isn't time to quarrel.

Come on.

He keeps wanting me

to go and live with him.

Why is he so demanding?

No doubt because he hasn't understood

that people in love

should never live together.

When they do, the inevitable result

is that they either fall out of love

or drive one another insane.

Tell him.

He wouldn't believe me.

Idealists are nothing but trouble.

You can never convince them

there's no such thing as the ideal.

I can't see what's going to happen.

It's frightening me.

Well, whatever happens,

my dear, you're safe here.

- I shall have to go in about five minutes.

- Aren't you coming back to the flat?

I'd rather not tonight,

if you don't mind very much.

Then I shall just have to

walk the streets until I find a whore.

Yes, I expect you will.

Shall we have another picnic

on the White Horse Hill?

A sentimental pilgrimage?

Come at ten on Sunday.

I'll meet you there.

(Lytton) I can't bear the thought

of leaving this house.

The orchard, the millrace.

My wonderful room.

The Garden of Eden.

Yes, but the rheumatism, the lumbago.

The rising damp and the falling plaster.

The rats in the wainscot.

Very true.

I keep thinking I've forgotten something.

You know the feeling?

FlVE:
HaM SPRAY HOUSE 1924-1931

(Lytton) Ralph!

Ralph!

Ah, Ralph.

This is Roger Senhouse, my young friend

from Oxford. Ralph Partridge.

And this is his friend, Frances Marshall.

- Hello.

- Oh. This is Carrington.

- I'm sure there's a brush here for you.

- Do you think so? I'm horribly bad at it.

Of course you are.

Come, I'll show you the garden.

Good to be on our own again.

I must say I find these new young people

wonderfully refreshing.

They have no morals

and they never speak.

It's an enchanting combination.

I was standing outside a door,

trying to pluck up courage to knock,

when suddenly it... swung open.

I can scarcely believe it's happened.

I thought you were looking

rather sprightly.

No, it's more than that.

It's like being let into paradise.

You wait until Lytton

virtually bankrupts himself,

- and then announce you won't live here!

- I didn't say that.

- I said my life had to be in London.

- Why didn't you tell us this before?

It's only just happened.

We've only just decided!

How can you be so thoughtless?

It's just not fair on Lytton!

It's not fair on any of us to put

our future in the hands of an outsider!

How kind of you to come.

I thought, of the four of us, we were the

ones most likely to discuss this sensibly.

Do sit down.

The fact of the matter is,

if you and Ralph really do plan

to set up permanently in London,

then I shall be forced to resell Ham Spray.

I understand.

You see, Ralph has become

quite indispensable to us.

We rely upon him

for every practical decision.

Well, I certainly have no intention of

stopping Ralph from seeing Carrington,

or interfering in any way.

- It's just that we're...

- I know.

Ralph told me,

when they first got married,

- they lived in London during the week...

- Yes.

It's a question of making

a quite formal arrangement.

Couldn't we do the same?

Come down every weekend?

- I mean, the last thing I want to do is...

- Ha!

I knew you were

the right person to talk to.

Can I get you some tea?

(Carrington) He likes to be called Beacus.

He's not in the least curious -

in fact, rather remote.

In other words, just what I need.

And so beautiful, Lytton.

The brass buckle on his belt.

Oh!

Why don't you wear black stockings?

Or dark brown?

They show off the leg

much better than these things.

And suspenders I like.

Why don't you wear suspenders?

(phone rings)

- Hello?

- Hello? Hello. It's me.

Hello.

- I shan't be coming back tonight.

- Oh.

I've done something rather impulsive.

I've taken some rooms at Gordon Square.

It won't make the slightest difference

to our arrangements. Don't worry.

It's just a way of circumventing

these impossible difficulties.

It means I shan't have to

keep depending on friends,

taking hotel rooms, skulking about.

Sounds a very good idea.

Your key.

Oh, no, Lytton.

You know me. I'd only lose it.

You keep it.

What can you be thinking of,

going out in this weather?

- There's a reason for it, Lytton.

- What? What can it possibly be?

Je suis perdue.

Are you sure?

- And you're sure you don't want it?

- Lytton, I can never have a child.

Unless it was yours.

- Have you told Beacus?

- It's no good telling him.

He'd be angry. I don't know

why he puts up with me as it is.

- I don't know why you put up with him.

- He's the most exciting lover I've known.

And I'm getting old.

- Now you know what it feels like.

- I always did.

Here's the address

of a very good man in London.

(rumble of thunder)

Well, this makes a change.

A very different pair of boots.

- How are you feeling?

- Rotten.

- There.

- Thank you.

I know you don't like him,

Lytton, or approve of him.

It's not that.

I'm sure he's as dim

as a blind owl in a holly tree,

but he never says anything,

so you can't really tell.

(Lytton) Do you suppose they're going

to play that wretched game all night?

SlX:
LYTTON 1931 -1932

What's the matter?

Nothing.

I've had a letter from Roger.

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote