Churchill's Secret Page #4

And it's Wardle to Hassett

on the fifth ball of this over.

Easily pushed out towards the Pavilion End.

And the umpire's signalling a four.

For those of you who've just joined us

in this second test here at Lords

the sun is shining on a capacity crowd...

Hello?

Hello?

Hello?

Randolph.

Good of you to come.

Why are you thanking me

for turning up to my father's deathbed?

How's Eden?

- It's touch and go.

- Well, why don't I know about this?

Why doesn't the party know

the two pillars of government are down?

- The situation is being handled.

- Bugger is it, it's being sat on.

By greasy little

margarine-eaters like you.

- Why is the house so silent?

- Your family are in the garden.

Okay, you can go now.

Enjoy the cricket.

Hello, Randolph. Your father's very tired,

I've just been with him.

Could you wait

until he's slept a little...? No.

Sir, he's too tired

to see anyone at the moment.

- I'd like to be alone with him now, please.

- He needs to rest.

You don't know who I am, do you?

I don't care if you're the Queen of Sheba,

you're not going to disturb my patient.

I'll sit. I shan't say a word.

Has he been asking after me?

Are you Randolph?

Yes, he has.

Marriage is like a garden.

You have to work it through the winter

or you don't get that gorgeous month

of rhododendrons in May.

Or three weeks of... well.

I trust you're appreciating the metaphor.

I've sometimes felt more married to him

than I have to either of my husbands.

- That's silly.

- No, it's not.

There is no hiding from the world

who my father is.

- So when did you get down?

- About an hour or so ago.

He seems quiet peaceful.

Colville was being preposterous as always.

Why? He's just doing his job.

It was simpler when we were children.

But the minute we had our own ideas,

our own lives

and we stopped worshipping him,

everything changed.

- He loves you, he loves all of you.

- No, he loves you because he needs you,

I don't know how much

he needs the rest of us.

Sarah...

- So, where did you stay there?

- Nicholas took that time...

The Beverly Hills Carlton Hotel,

oh, Diana it's just marvellous.

It had these hourglass pools,

parties every night.

- Oh, darling, you must come.

- I'd love to.

What are you two wittering on about?

- You, Randolph.

- Are you?

- I'm only asking.

- Charles has been there.

He's been more than that,

Christopher's only trying to help.

I'm only asking, I'm only asking.

Thank you, Mrs Lacey.

Mrs Lacey has gone to great trouble

in the last two days.

- Thank you.

- Thank you.

Well done for doing your job.

Do you have to be so rude, Randolph?

I think it'll be easier

for everyone if he dies.

Well, Sarah can go off and marry any old

low-life she likes it'll be easier for you,

you can move out of Downing Street

you can sell this place, which you hate.

- And you bugger off to the south of France.

- That's a wicked thing to say about your father.

I love my father, it was a wicked thing

to say about you. Get it right, dear.

All the opportunities he's given you, all

the times he's helped to campaign for you!

Not that you needed any help

losing elections, Randolph.

And I suppose cos you've appeared in a

couple of films that no-one's even heard of

that makes you an authority on success.

Sarah received

very good notices for her...

Well, we've all seen the notices

of Sarah in America, drunk in the street...

Be quiet, Randolph.

Brings disgrace on Papa.

My mistakes reflect on me, not on Papa.

You really are thick.

Everything we do reflects on him.

Everything he does

reflects on us, we are...

We're moons to the big planet,

we're one being.

And now with him sick in there,

sick and dying

with him near the end...

with him near the end,

with him near the...

I promised myself I would not cry

in front of you people.

That's enough drink, Randolph.

I'd really like to see you

try and stop me.

- I know you would.

- You never stopped him drinking, did you?

No, you just sit by.

You sit by, that's what you do.

And you watch the disasters unfold

like the lives of these two intellectuals.

- Don't be so foul to Mama.

- Oh, Mrs Soames, shut up, Mrs Soames!

And then you have the audacity to say...

Randolph, please, none of this

is Mama's fault, you can't blame her

- Isn't it?

- Oh, Diana, don't.

Because she could have mothered us,

only she was too buy mothering Papa.

He was her surrogate baby.

And how is your psychoanalyst, Diana?

- May I go and visit him?

- Not now, my darling.

Look, here's the proof.

Have you seen the photographs of them?

This one and this one and oh, this one.

The adoring gaze, almost every picture

but, it's the way a mother

looks at her child.

- Sit down, Diana.

- No.

- ...children, who we marry...

- You see what you've done?

Sarah's marriage to Vic you dismissed.

You called him a...

"a ridiculous little tinkerbell of a man."

That was the man she wanted to spend

her life with! Who cares what you think?

I don't even know

what "tinkerbell of a man" means.

It means he's a fairy you half-wit.

That's what she said

about the man you loved, Sarah.

- Actually, it was Papa who said that.

- No!

Well done for remembering something.

I remember all of it Randolph,

every bit of it and so do you.

Every bit of criticism,

every look of disappointment...

I remember every single day.

- Diana, this is not the time.

- Then when is the time, Sarah?

When?

I've been trying to say

these things for years now

but nobody ever listens to me

I don't care what you say about me,

I really don't

but your father is lying next door

very sick, very sick.

- Have some respect for him.

- She's just defending her baby again now.

And what about everyone else

in this house?

Do you want them to hear all this?

Ooh, I wouldn't worry about them,

they'll love a bit of excitement

they can scribble it in their diaries.

Will you stop fiddling around, Mary.

- They know not to keep diaries.

- Of course they...!

Open your eyes!

We need to stop this.

I'll go and find Sergeant Murray.

- I think you should leave.

- I know you do.

- Jock will get you a...

- I don't need Jock to get me a bloody taxi!

I think you do.

Ooh, there's quite an audience here.

Sarah, you can come and do your Desdemona.

Randolph, please keep your voice down,

your father is sleeping in the...

- I know where he is!

- Randolph.

If you're going back to London,

let me drive.

Tell Papa I love him.

He knows you do.

He'll kill himself

if he drives in that state.

- Are you alright Mama?

- Mmm.

Go after them.

Randolph, let me take you back.

Get a taxi.

Come on darling. Come on, don't be silly.

Get off, get off.

- Jock.

- Don't let him drive.

Get out of the way!

This is ridiculous!

Randolph...

Out of the way!

- Get that gate!

- Randolph!

Open the gate, open the bloody gate!

Get out of the way! Get out of the way!

Get out of the bloody way!

Come on, darling, come on.

- Have you got him?

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