Gosford Park Page #4

No time for loitering.

I'm not serving tonight,

Mr. Jennings, am I?

Not tonight, Elsie,

but probably tomorrow.

Where is Mrs. Croft?

Always eats with her own staff.

Does she take her pudding to

Mrs. Wilson's room? Our cook does that.

Fat chance. They hate each other.

- Can I ask a question?

- Certainly, Mr. Weissman.

How can we help you?

I just wondered, how many people here

had parents in service?

And was that why

they chose to go into it?

What an interesting question, and one to which,

I'm afraid, I cannot provide the answer.

All of you whose parents

were in service, raise your hand.

- My father was.

- Both... nanny and groom.

- Not you, Dorothy?

- My father was a farmer, Mr. Jennings.

A tenant of Lord Carton's

- Mr. Meredith?

- Factory hands, both of them.

And if you ask me,

they were better off.

What about you, Mr. Stockbridge?

What's the matter? Don't you know?

Yeah, I know what they did.

But it didn't have any effect

on me or my choice of work.

- And why's that?

- Because I grew up in an orphanage.

Thank you, Mr. Weissman,

for giving us all

a little something to think about.

Oh, Her Ladyship.

Oh, I'm so sorry to disturb you.

Please, do sit down

and finish your supper.

Mrs. Wilson, a major crisis has arisen.

I have just found out...

that Mr. Weissman won't eat meat,

and I don't know what to do.

I can't tell Mrs. Croft.

I simply don't dare.

Everything's under control,

Your Ladyship.

Mr. Weissman's valet informed us

as soon as he arrived,

so we've prepared

a special version of the soup.

He can eat the fish

and the hors d'oeuvres,

and we'll have a Welsh rarebit

for the game course.

I don't know what we're going to do about

the entree, but we'll think of something.

Thank you, Mrs. Wilson.

Ten steps ahead as usual.

Which one of you

is Mr. Weissman's valet?

I am, Your Ladyship.

Are you, indeed?

Yes, heavens.

Um, thank you for your...

efficiency.

- You're all set, then.

- Yes, George?

Nothing, sir.

I should hope not.

I'm very hungry.

I was, uh, wondering, William,

if I could have a word

with you alone after dinner.

I can't leave my guests, can I?

You'll make that dog sick.

Isobel, did you know

that William and I...

are going into business

together in the Sudan?

- No, I didn't know that.

- It's quite exciting.

What's happened is apparently,

there are hundreds and hundreds

of Sudanese native soldiers,

entire regiments

wandering around the desert,

willy-nilly, without

any thing on their feet,

which causes some hardship, I imagine.

No, I grew up in Leicester.

- My father had a glove factory.

- Really?

One thing I do know is

how a glove should fit.

Really, darling. You're boring

poor Mr. Novello to death.

- No! - I think he's going

to explain everything to me...

and kind of show me

how it all works.

There's gonna be a pheasant hunt

in my picture.

There's a large market in modernizing

the armies in the Sudan...

and providing them with boots.

And then the old bag

just served it to all the servants.

I couldn't believe it.

Aren't you cold?

It's better than that kitchen.

Here. I thought

you could do with this.

Oh, that's kind, love.

Elsie, hello.

- Good evening, Your Lordship.

- We've got bags and guns and everything and no man.

If I give you the keys,

will you sort it out for me?

- Of course, Your Lordship.

- Thank you.

- We'll get your bags, sir.

- Thank you. That's very kind of you.

Good evening.

Right. In the boot, is it'?

Sorry, can I trouble you

for a light, please?

- You got that bag?

- Yeah.

Thank you. Good evening.

You mean you think he's

losing interest in that sort of thing?

Well, not just that.

The whole Empire.

I think he said

the steam's gone out of it.

William?

That's not true, is it...

that you think the Empire's finished?

- I've been what?

- Well, the Empire was finished after the war.

Well, because of the war.

It changed everything.

- Empire Leicester Square?

- Well, I don't care what's changed or not changed.

As long as our sons are spared

what you all went through.

Oh, not all.

You didn't fight, did you, William?

L did my bit.

Well, you made a lot of money,

but it's not quite the same thing as

charging into the cannon's mouth, is it?

Thank God for Raymond.

At least the family...

had one representative

in the front line.

Raymond, tell them how many times

you were mentioned in the dispatches.

- I forget.

- No, you don't. Come on.

- Is he being modest?

- Yes, he's being very modest.

What do you think

you're doing here'?

Mrs. Wilson asked me to tell you

that the others have arrived.

Good.

Lord Rupert Standish

and Mr. Blond are here, milady.

No, they're too late. They can

have a tray in the billiard room.

- They can join us later.

- Very good, milady.

- Is Rupert here?

Shall I go and say hello? - Yes.

No, I don't think so.

Face it. You're a younger son...

with the taste of marquees

and the income of a vicar.

Her mother likes you.

She does too.

Now, I know she's not

exactly a show-stopper...

- Her father's not keen on the idea.

- He'll come around.

"Have you met my daughter,

Lady Rupert Standish?"

He thinks I'm in it for the money.

Of course he does.

But you can't let that put you off.

He's much more of an obstacle

than you think.

Then you must overcome that,

mustn't you?

Her Ladyship asked if you would join her

in the drawing room when you've finished.

All right, ladies, off you go.

Gentlemen.

Gents, move down. Move down.

Louisa, look after Pip

for me, will you?

I wonder if we could have

a word or two later on, William?

Do you think so?

Ah, good, good.

- Jennings, could I...

- Certainly, sir.

There's more in here.

I'm just getting them.

I need all the knives there.

All the knives.

Come on, Maude.

Let's go and get the fish kettle.

Fred? Albert?

Ready?

- There he is.

- Who?

Lord Stockbridge's valet.

Apparently, he grew up in an orphanage.

Arthur said they made him

shout it down the table.

Makes you feel

sorry for him, really.

It's nothing to be

ashamed of. It's not his fault.

Would you like me to ask Lord Rupert

and Mr. Blond to join you, sir?

No, leave them be.

They can entertain the ladies.

Give Mr. Novello a rest.

Anthony, did I overhear you

at dinner saying...

- you were going into business with Sir William?

- I beg your pardon?

- Is it very old?

- Possibly, possibly.

If you need an expert

in changing money,

especially Africa,

I'm your man... expert.

Yes, the expert.

No, it's not here.

And Mr. Jennings is certain

he hasn't got it?

Oh, so he says.

But if it's a silver carving knife,

he must have it.

It's just gone in the wrong drawer

in the silver pantry.

- It wouldn't have been put in here.

- Well, that's what I told him.

How old would you say

that Mr. Stockbridge was?

Don't know. About 31, 32.

- Why?

- Oh, no reason.

I think I'll turn in.

We got an early start.

You can tell Mr. Jennings

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