Escape Me Never Page #7

They won't do

much jumping in here.

This place is like an icebox.

It was very thoughtful of you, Caryl.

Piccolo will love them.

All right. I'll see

you two at the party.

If the baby is all right

and I can leave him.

He'll be all right.

Just got a bit of a cold.

No, Sebastian.

Not a penny.

Oh, for heaven's sake, Gemma, will

you stop stitching those cuffs?

You're going to

sew yourself blind.

Well, when I finish

these, I get 12 shillings

we can use it, I imagine.

Oh, Sebastian!

Look.

A 5-pound note!

Uh-huh.

Mutton chops for supper.

Did you sponge this off Caryl?

If I did? What he's

solvent. He can afford it.

And there's not going

to be any mutton chops.

You're going to buy yourself

a new dress for the party.

No. I can use my blue one.

Oh, no, I can't.

What? I didn't pawn your blue dress.

No, but I did.

Oh. Well, we'll... buy a new one.

I tell you, I can borrow one

from the landlady's daughter.

That's a good idea.

Yes, the pretty one.

She's just about your size.

And by way of reward,

we shall allow her to

take care of Piccolo

while we go to the party.

You have a nerve.

Oh, go on. Hurry up.

Hurry up!

Amore mio.

It was beautiful, Sebastian.

Very good, my boy.

Thank you, Mr. Steinach.

I must talk this over

with your brother.

Fine. Thank you, sir.

You look lovely, my dear.

You may tell the dance

orchestra to start now.

Yes, madam

We shall have supper later.

Oh, you are very kind.

Not at all, my dear.

May I have the pleasure of

dancing with you, Mrs. Dubrok?

Oh, thank you very much.

Rather odd having

to call you missus.

You don't look to have

a husband, you know.

Oh, sometimes I wonder

if I have.

I suppose wives do wonder

about that at times.

I beg your pardon.

Oh, no, no. It was my fault.

I don't dance very often.

I wish Fenella

didn't dance so much.

She's out practically every

night with her young man.

Never spends the evening in anymore.

Oh?

Restless sort of girl,

but marriage will settle her,

I suppose. At least, I hope so.

Well, then why don't you

let them get married?

Huh?

Well, why not?

You may be right.

By jove, yes.

I think I'll speak to

her young man about it,

tell him it's time to dust off

the wedding bells.

I say, you're a smart

little thing, aren't you?

Oh, I wouldn't be

too sure of that.

Primavera is going to be a

marvelous success, Sebastian.

Of course, I never had

any doubts about it,

not even that first night when

you whistled the theme for me.

Then you do remember Orzano.

Did you think I'd forgotten?

Frankly, I didn't think much

about it one way or the other.

Bad business, thinking.

What do you mean?

Simply that the worst mistake

anyone can ever make in life

is taking it seriously.

It's too unpredictable,

too haphazard.

But you're a musician, and music

is based on order and purpose.

That's exactly why I am a musician.

I pursue art to help me forget

that life is not worth pursuing.

Surely you believe that it's

wanting things and getting them

that brings us happiness.

No. Who knows what they want?

Do you?

Yes. Of course, I do.

Then you're one

of the rare exceptions-

A woman who knows

what she's after.

Not only that, but I

always get what I'm after.

You do? Then you're

a very fortunate girl.

I don't see it that way at all.

My life is nothing

but a flat, stale vacuum.

I hate it, and I loathe it.

And...

if you changed it, would

it make you any happier?

Yes.

Are you sure?

You'd better be.

Once you've made the break, it

might be difficult to get back.

But I shouldn't want to get back.

Never?

Never.

Sebastian!

Sebastian, I have a note. Piccolo

is ill. I think we ought to go home.

Would you try and find a cab?

I'll get your things.

Well, good night.

Fenella.

Fenella, I want to talk to you.

Yes?

This is very different

from Orzano, isn't it?

You are engaged to Caryl,

and Sebastian-

Please take your foot away.

You know, you aren't

the first distraction we have had.

There have been others.

But, you see, once Sebastian

makes a conquest of this sort,

he forgets it.

You're being spiteful,

and you completely

misinterpret our relation.

Oh, do I?

Yes. Sebastian is going to be famous.

He's not an ordinary man.

You are so right. He's an

utterly selfish, cold-hearted pig.

Don't you know

that he's a genius?

I ought to. He's

always telling me so.

Would you mind

my speaking frankly?

Haven't you been?

Gemma, give him up.

So that you can have him?

Yes. There's so much

I could do for him,

Just as I've already

helped him.

Oh, have you?

Yes.

I gave this party

so that he could meet Steinach.

I persuaded Heinrich

to conduct his ballet.

I- I even inspired

Sebastian

to write the ballet

in the beginning.

He got the idea for it in

Orzano the night we met.

So, you see, if you

were to give him up, I-

Don't say that again.

Very well. But you must realize

that no woman can hold

a man like Sebastian

if he doesn't want to be held.

What do you mean by that?

Suppose he were to leave you.

Leave me? Never.

I've got a cab at the side gate.

Thank you.

Darling, I have good news for you.

Your father suggests we be

married early next Spring.

Isn't that wonderful?

My dress is torn.

I must go in and change.

Did you tell her?

Yes.

Good. Then it's settled.

And so's your brother's

ballet, I understand.

What?

Heinrich says that they're going

to start rehearsals immediately.

No, no. That

curtain is 2 bows late.

All right, lads.

This is a quick change.

Now, come on, ladies.

Off the bloomin' stage.

Take your limes off, Fred.

Take up your tableau curtain.

Charlie, douse your foots.

Fred, turn off your limes.

Now, come on, lads.

Get a move on. Props!

What'd you think of it?

Oh, it's splendid.

The orchestration

is very effective.

Yeah? Thanks.

Sebastian.

5 minutes, gentlemen.

I wish it were your ballet

instead of Sebastian's.

You could write a ballet

if you really applied yourself.

I told you in Venice

that I wasn't

a genius, Fenella.

I had my heart set

on you doing something

really important in music

I haven't given it up. I've

merely exchanged composing for a steady job.

You're so utterly

different from Sebastian.

He cares nothing for money.

I wish you wouldn't keep

dragging Sebastian into this.

He has nothing to do with it.

Or has he?

Sebastian's like his father-

a great, cruel, wind of a man

that no one can leave alone...

that women apparently

never want to leave alone.

I resemble our mother-

solid and proper and dull.

There are times, Caryl, when

I'm inclined to agree with you.

Fenella.

Well?

If you have made a mistake about

us, now is the time to say so.

Are you trying to break

our engagement?

I am, if it needs to be broken.

We can't talk here. The

next scene's about to begin.

Stop it! Stop it! It's

impossible! It cannot be done!

But why? You've been

doing it that way for the last 2 weeks.

Well, in short shirts, yes, but

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