Churchill's Secret Page #3

some time with him?

- Clemmy...

- No.

You've kept him propped up

on pills for years, Charles.

If you have any love for him,

if any of you do, you would get him to stop.

You would let him come home to his family.

Winston has two families,

one at Westminster...

He has one family, Max.

He's given enough, we both have.

We'll keep this quiet, one day at a time.

I think we all want the same thing here,

just time for him to recover

so he can make up his own mind.

Don't you agree?

A toast, to Winston...

- To Winston

- ...and our country.

Our country.

What's your name?

Nurse Appleyard, sir.

No, not your rank. Your name.

Millie.

Minnie?

- We'll talk in the morning.

- Fine, fine.

Running the world on our own, then?

So it would seem.

Do you have family?

Me Mum and Dad.

And my fiance.

Although he's not family yet.

What's his name?

John.

Well...

this is our family.

Diana...

Sarah...

Randolph.

And that's Mrs Soames.

No, Mary wasn't born then.

- When are you getting married?

- We're going to emigrate to Australia.

He's going in a few weeks and

then I'll join him. We plan to marry there.

And start your family?

In time.

Will someone help me

with this silly thing, it's stuck.

Diana?

Thank you.

How is he?

He's much better today, actually.

I thought Sarah was

supposed to be on that train.

She missed it, I'm afraid,

we're going to have to wait for her.

Where's Duncan?

He's away, of course.

I tried to telephone him first thing, but

he wasn't where he said he would be, and...

I was thinking, on the train,

should I have brought the children?

Better not.

I've been keeping

Nicholas and Emma out of the way.

Well, I did think about it.

- I'll take it.

- They shall think you're moving in.

I only just got back from Los Angeles,

I haven't had time to unpack.

I thought you'd both stay

with Christopher and me down at the farm.

I can't do that,

I've got to get back for the children.

Oh, I'm dreading this.

Thanks.

- Hello, Mrs Pearson.

- Shh! Mama's sleeping.

I'll let her know you're here.

Jock.

The spider emerges from his lair.

Diana.

Sarah.

Do spiders have lairs?

Let's just neaten you up a bit, shall we?

Make you presentable.

Oh, here they are.

He's expecting you.

Papa.

Papa...

It's Diana.

Puppy kitten...

Puppy kitten, yes.

And the mule is here, too.

Hello, Papa.

She only flew in from

America two days ago.

Children...

Children, no.

...aren't here?

No, I didn't bring the children.

It's only me. I thought

the children would be too much.

He wants to hold your hand.

We all hope to see you

up and about soon, Papa.

Amer...

Americ...

America? Oh, America was a great success.

Your husband?

Tony, oh, uh, Tony's doing okay,

he's directing television now.

Ah.

Ah, not a good time.

No, it's not.

I want to see him.

Come on, Diana.

We'll come back soon, Papa.

- We've only just arrived.

- Well, he wants to work.

See you later.

Well, it's past 12 and I need a drink.

What are you doing?

Making breakfast for Mama,

she was up all night. How is he?

He looked terrible and sounded worse.

Ooh, olives. Who wants a dirty martini?

- Yes, please.

- Ice?

- Try the dining room.

- It's here.

I've got the jug.

- Is Randolph coming?

- This afternoon.

I heard a very funny story about Randolph.

Sarah Macmillan had some

guests for the weekend and suddenly

one of them comes in and whispers

' Randolph Churchill's in the hall' so,

they all peer round the door to have a look

anyway, he's driven up, drunk as a skunk,

thought the house was an hotel

marched in and ordered a gin

from one of Sarah's guests.

- Who's this?

- Randolph at the Macmillans'.

- He thought it was an hotel.

- What happened?

Oh, he sat in the hall, drank it,

left a tip and drove off.

Why didn't anybody say anything?

- They're all petrified of him.

- I'm petrified of him.

Just like the old man.

I dread what life's

going to be like without him.

To Papa.

To Papa.

Mama?

Room service.

Darling Mama.

Darlings...

- Is Randolph here?

- No, not yet.

- When did you get back?

- Two days ago.

You must be exhausted, darling.

She missed the early train,

so she can't be that exhausted.

How's your father this morning?

He seemed more interested

in seeing Christopher than us.

- It was frightening last night.

- Why, what happened?

- That nurse saved his life.

- No, no.

He just had a little trouble

breathing, that's all.

I don't know what Christopher's doing,

Duncan doesn't even know that Papa's ill.

He was told with the cabinet this morning.

But it's important that we

keep this to ourselves.

What about the papers?

Your father spoke to Max last night.

- Don't get crumbs on the bed, darling.

- Oh, sorry.

Oh, I love Mrs Lace's marmalade.

I want best behaviour, everyone.

Your father must not be upset,

not when he's like this.

I will have no raised voices

in this house, understand?

I gave a professional medical opinion,

not a party press release

that you can fiddle with

like some groggy little...

- That is what?

- The disturbance of the cerebral circulation

- that was the phrase I used.

- It was felt to be too strong, politically.

Felt by who? By you?

Politicians.

"The Prime Minister has had no respite for

a long time and is need of complete rest."

Well, it's piffle! It's no news that

the Prime Minister has been overdoing it.

He's been overdoing it his entire life!

If you want the Daily Mirror to smell

a rat, well, here's the cheese!

Is that funny?

Such a silly thing to say.

Cheese?

This is what Butler and Salisbury

wanted to put out.

Well, I disassociate myself completely.

It misrepresents my professional opinion.

Where are you going?

Fresh air.

This is from President Eisenhower.

"Dear Winston,

I'm deeply distressed to hear

your physicians have advised you

to lighten your duties

I look upon this as a temporary deferment

of our meeting in Bermuda."

Ah.

"Your health is of great importance

to the world."

Millie.

What do you mean?

Eisenhower.

Eisenhower.

Ike, he never wanted the conference.

He doesn't believe that we can

talk our way to peace with the Russians.

Say it again.

Eisenhower.

And again.

Eisenhower.

Leave that, we haven't finished.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I don't imagine you'd like one of these.

- No, thank you.

- What's your name?

Nurse Appleyard.

What's he calling you?

- Millie.

- Millie.

Yes, I suppose you're in love with him.

This house is normally crawling with Millies,

all busy with their little fantasies.

- I should take this to him.

- I'm sorry.

Don't be embarrassed.

I'm not. But I should take this to him.

Did you ever think of getting divorced?

That's quite a question

to ask your mother.

Sorry.

I did think of not marrying him.

When I finally accepted his proposal

he promised he'd keep it a secret

until I'd told my mother.

Within 5 minutes,

he told his whole family.

I realised then that it was

always going to be all about him.

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