Gosford Park Page #9

He's an actor.

Yes, I want you to wake him up.

How else do you suggest

I talk to him?

Yes. Right.

Well, what'd he say?

What, he's talking about

Clara Bow again?

Listen, you tell Sheehan I think

Clara Bow is a really nice person,

and she's not coming within

ten miles of my picture.

I don't want her

in the f***ing movie.

There is one thing. The bastard's

death may have saved my bacon.

For God's sake, be quiet.

What's the matter with you?

Arthur.

- Oh, are these tomatoes?

- Yes, milady.

That's exactly what I want.

- Good morning.

- Good morning, dear.

Have you heard?

It's too tiresome. That frightful

inspector won't let anyone leave.

So we're to be treated to another day of

Mr. Weissman shouting down the telephone.

He has some problems with his work

in Los Angeles, I'm afraid.

Well, I must say,

he conducts his affairs very oddly.

Coming downstairs just now, I thought I'd

been transported to a bar in Marseilles.

Jennings? Excuse me. I'm sorry.

I'm expecting

a really important telephone call.

- Will you get me the second it comes through?

- Very good, sir.

And I'd like, uh, oh,

tomato and eggs. Thank you.

Of course, sir, but...

perhaps you would prefer to

choose for yourself, sir?

What do you mean,

like cafeteria style?

The Englishman is never

waited on at breakfast.

Really?

Well, that's interesting.

Because an American is.

Wow.

I'm going to make a note of that.

Good morning.

I'd like some coffee, Jennings.

There it is.

- You haven't made a lot of friends.

- Ah.

Good. Good morning, ladies, gents.

Um, I wonder...

Excuse me.

Uh, will Lady Sylvia

be coming down soon?

I shouldn't think so.

She has breakfast in her room.

Then she usually goes for a ride.

Yes, but she won't be doing that

this morning, will she?

Well, I see.

Well, in that case,

I wonder, Lady Trentham,

if you would be kind enough

to join us for some questions.

If you wish, Inspector.

I'm afraid I won't be much help,

but I suppose on a day like this

we all have to pull our weight.

Mr. Denton made

a right chump out of Mr. Jennings.

Never mind that.

Did you hear about Sir William?

Apparently he wasn't stabbed after all.

Well, I mean, he was,

but that's not why he died.

He was poisoned.

That's what killed him.

The inspector told Mrs. Croft.

They don't know why the killer stabbed him

as well, but he must've been dead already.

That's why there was no blood.

Dead bodies don't bleed, you know.

Trust Sir William

to be murdered twice.

Of course he wasn't murdered.

Not that sort of murder.

Some ruffian broke in...

thinking the library was empty.

Sir William surprised him

and paid the price for it.

And very tragic it is too.

I can't see that, Mr. Jennings.

I don't think ruffians go about poisoning

people and then stabbing the corpses.

Apart from anything else,

they're usually in a hurry

to get away, aren't they?

What are you suggesting?

- I'm not suggesting anything. It's just

- Just what?

Well, it looks to me like Sir William

was killed deliberately, that's all.

No wonder they're not

letting any of us go.

Tough luck on whoever's

got any secrets to hide.

Now they've canceled the shooting,

muggins here has got to pull a luncheon

for God knows how many out of the hat.

- Is Her Ladyship back yet?

- No.

Then she'll have to take

what she gets.

Why would anyone

want to kill Sir William?

Well, he wasn't exactly

Father Christmas.

Get on with your work.

And take that filthy dog out of here.

He made a few enemies

in his time, that's all.

What do you mean, enemies?

When?

Is this before the war, Mrs. Croft,

when you were a factory worker?

I was not a factory worker.

I was never a factory worker.

I was a cook in one of his factories.

He had two in lsleworth and two

in Twickenham, and all full of girls.

So you can imagine.

Wasn't that risky with factory girls?

Suppose they complained?

Who to, exactly?

But what if they got,

you know, in trouble'?

- What sort of trouble?

- Here, take these. Whites only, all right?

Didn't happen very often.

When it did, he arranged

to have it adopted.

But what if you didn't

want it adopted?

- Say you wanted to keep it.

- Then you got kicked out, lost your job.

You can take my word for it,

he was a hard-hearted, randy old sod.

Ah, come in, Miss Maceach...

- I'm Inspector Thom...

- This is all too tiresome and absurd.

He's making the most dreadful fuss.

If you don't mind, I would like

to ask the young lady some questions.

Well, I'm not leaving,

if that's what you think.

Well, does it bother you

if Lady Trentham stays?

Why should it?

- Sir, someone's traipsed a load of mud in down here.

- Not now, Dexter, please.

I understood there was some...

difficulty between the late

Sir William McCordle and your employer.

This is too vulgar to be believed.

I wasn't aware of that, sir.

They got on well as far as I could see.

- You were not conscious...

- Inspector, there's a broken coffee cup down here.

Dexter, they have people to clear these

things up. You get on with your own job.

So you were not aware

of any trouble...

over the matter of an allowance?

An allowance, I might add, that

Sir William's death has now made secure.

What sort of an allowance

would that be, sir?

Ah, there you are.

Have you got enough light?

Black on black? We don't want you

going blind on top of everything else.

They've got to be done,

Mr. Jennings,

but the outside staff

need them for the funeral.

I'm sorry that this business with Elsie

has landed you with so much work.

That's what comes

of being so reliable.

- Never mind me.

- Hmm.

Mr. Jennings, have you...

have you spoken to the police again?

Not yet, no.

I suppose they have to ask

their questions, don't they have to?

Well, yes.

Will they be talking to all of us?

I shouldn't think so, no.

Well, I'll leave you to it, then.

Mr. Jennings.

You know... You know

I'd say anything you want me to.

- What?

- Anything at all.

I don't care what I tell them, if it'll

help you. Y-Y-You know that, don't you?

You've only to ask.

So, let me, uh, let me pour you

a cup of tea, eh?

Yes, thank you. Would you mind

putting the milk in afterward?

Of course.

Of course.

Don't know what came over me. I usually put

the milk in after, but on that occasion...

- Sir.

- Not now, thank you.

So sorry.

Mrs. Inspector Thompson prefers the milk in

first, so I get used to pouring it for her.

I don't know why. Some nonsense about

bacteria. You know what women are like...

Well, what wives are like.

No, she's a funny old...

Sugar?

No, thank you.

Of course they'll give her

a good reference.

Otherwise they'd have to explain

why they're giving her a bad one.

- Mr. Parks.

- Robert.

Robert, then.

It's just...

last night when you said

you'd surprise me,

you didn't mean anything by it, did you?

Why?

Don't you like surprises?

Where shall we begin? Yes, now...

Oh, Mr. Stockbridge.

By now I assume

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