East Side, West Side Page #3

later, when you're getting bored with me.

If we wait for that, we'll never get there.

Get some sleep.

You, too, darling.

Just a minute.

Come in, Josephine.

Mrs. Lee is here.

Oh, how nice.

Show her into the library, please.

I'll be down in a minute.

Yes, Mrs. Bourne.

- Helen.

- Jessie.

It's good to see you. Very good.

How are the children, and Owen?

And what are you doing

out in the world so early?

The children are devils, Owen's an angel,

and I'm here to remind you

of our party tonight.

- Coffee?

- Yes, thank you.

Is the party about anything?

Have I forgotten a birthday,

or an anniversary?

No. Strictly business,

and bound to be awful.

Some ex-cop has written a book

Owen wants to buy for the paper,

so this party is to dazzle the poor fool

into signing away the syndicate rights.

His name's Dwyer, Mark Dwyer.

He gets in from Europe today.

We'll drop in

for a few minutes after dinner.

Oh, you've got to do better than that.

Bran's been working very hard. He's tired.

- How is everything with you and Bran?

- Fine, just fine.

- What makes you ask?

- Nothing in particular.

- You must have had something in mind.

- No, really.

- You sure?

- Why, Jess, all I said was...

Oh, what's the use?

I'd better stop trying to be clever.

Here, have you seen this?

Oh, that. That's nothing.

Bran told me all about it.

Is that your real reason for dropping in?

The Marines to the rescue?

Thank you, darling,

it was sweet of you all the same.

- So, this isn't what's bothering you?

- Nothing's bothering me. Nothing.

All right, Jess.

Would you like me to go now?

Or shall I stay

and make what's known as "girl talk"?

Clothes, gossip,

the high price of this and that.

- Helen, you're angry.

- Yes.

At the lies that are told about women.

That they aren't capable of affection

for one another, an honest friendship.

Because the terrible part is

that women believe these lies.

I'm concerned about you,

and I'm afraid to ask.

I'm afraid you'll think I'm prying.

And yet, if I don't ask,

what kind of a friend am I?

You ask anything you like.

I know what kind of a friend you are.

Is everything all right with you and Bran?

We've been getting along

wonderfully well.

- Since Isabel Lorrison went away.

- Yes, since then.

We've never talked about it, Jess, and...

There's a kind of trouble you hate to think

anyone knows about. It...

It's like knowing a safety pin

is holding up your petticoat,

you're ashamed,

but, oh, well, the petticoat is mended now.

Is it?

Owen and I, when we see you with Bran,

and everything seems fine,

we're always relieved.

That means, we're always anxious.

When you've been badly frightened,

it takes a long time to feel safe again.

I was frightened

about Bran and Isabel Lorrison.

How did you stand it?

Why didn't you leave him?

Oh, I was all packed.

In six weeks, I'd be free of this marriage

I'd sworn would last forever.

And then, I stopped and I thought,

in six weeks

will I have stopped loving Bran?

Will the judge who gives me my freedom

promise me that in six weeks,

six years, the rest of my life,

I'll stop loving Bran?

Could you have promised? Could anyone?

And so, I stayed. And I'm glad.

But you had it out with Bran?

You told him you knew?

And raved, and stormed, and sobbed?

No, I can't do things like that.

You forget, Mama was an actress.

Oh, she's mellowed now,

but when I was a child, life in our house

was one crisis after another.

Too much anger, too much laughter,

too much tears, too much everything. I...

I saw what it did to my father.

Away from us,

he was a strong, happy man,

but at home, he was a shadow, apologetic,

doing anything he could

to ward off another scene. I...

I won't do that to anyone I love.

Some men don't think it's love

unless it's full of anger and conflict.

Oh, Bran knows I'm in love with him. I...

- I don't keep it a secret from him.

- I know.

Bran knew a lot of women

before he met me, but he married me,

and he knew then that I was quiet.

Yes, I know he met Isabel Lorrison

after he married me,

but he broke it off

because he wanted me more.

That's why she went away.

What would happen if she came back?

I don't know.

Would you be afraid?

Yes.

Shouldn't there be a time in marriage

when you stop being afraid?

Oh, it will come.

You have to understand Bran.

Something in him hates the idea

of being tied down, settled, responsible,

but he'll change. You'll see, he'll change.

So, everything's really all right.

There's nothing to be anxious about.

Jess, there was another item

in this morning's paper.

Never mind. I know what it says.

"Isabel Lorrison is back in town,

which should be good news,

"or is it bad news, for a certain person

whose initials are 'BB'?"

Yes, I'm afraid.

What are you going to do?

Oh, change my clothes,

check the menus with the cook,

do some shopping at Marianne's,

all the things I'd do if I weren't afraid.

- Cigarette?

- No, thank you.

Could you tell me,

is there a model named Rosa here today?

Yes, ma'am.

She's the one modeling in the beige dress.

Thank you.

- You're Mrs. Bourne.

- And you're Rosa.

Listen, if you've come here to bawl me out

about last night, it's okay with me.

- I just want to say thank you.

- Thank you?

My husband told me how kind you were.

Oh, I'm sorry, I...

It's just that I've been taking

an awful ribbing

about that picture in the paper.

Rosa?

It's all right, Miss Marsh.

I'll send her along in a moment.

- I think I want this dress.

- Why, certainly, Mrs. Bourne.

Sit down, Rosa, and show Mrs. Bourne

how nicely it relaxes.

You don't really want this, do you?

It's not your style.

I'll just wear it at dinner

for Mr. Bourne's clients.

Rosa, what time do you get through here?

As soon as I get out of this dress.

- Could you come and have tea with us?

- Can't. Thanks, anyway.

I've got to go to the airport.

My fella's coming home today

from Europe, and I'm late now.

My car's outside.

I'll drive you to La Guardia.

Gee, that would be swell.

You know, my fella might never see

that picture in the paper,

but then again, he might.

But if you're with me,

I'll just tell him about it.

And he'll know there's nothing to it.

Hurry up and change.

I will.

And be careful with that dress.

Remember, it's mine now.

Then, after the night classes at NYU,

I decided I'd improved my mind enough,

and it was time to start on the body.

I've learned a lot in this job.

Before it, I was with the low-necked

blouses, you know, peek-a-boo stuff.

And all this polishing was for this fella?

Well, he's quite a fella.

I've had a crush on him

since I was eight years old

and he was the cop on the beat.

Oh, to him,

I'm just another kid on the block.

The last time he saw me, I was 15.

He said, "Wipe that lipstick off,

or I'll pin your ears back."

He's in the intelligence service, you know,

and he's awfully smart.

Why, the government sent him to Italy

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