Hope and Glory Page #23

CLIVE is packed up, ready to go. The family has come to bid

farewell, all except BILL, who suddenly appears with a

triumphant whoop.

BILL:

I found it! I found it!

He hands the little ring box to DAWN. She opens it and looks

at the ring, but does not put it on her finer. CLIVE and

GRACE watch tenderly.

DAWN:

You needn't have bothered, Bill.

They watch CLIVE as he rides away. Behind them, the Christmas

tree can be seen in the window. As they turn to go in, GRACE

looks warily at DAWN.

GRACE:

That letter this morning, was it

from Bruce?

DAWN nods.

GRACE:

What did he say?

DAWN:

He said I was right. I shouldn't

wait for him. I was better to make

a clean break.

GRACE:

I think it's very sensible in the

circumstances.

DAWN:

Now he's gone and made me fall in

love with him, which I never wanted

to do. I told him that.

She runs into the house and up the stairs.

EXT. SEASIDE RESORT - DAY

GRACE, MAC, BILL and SUE are finishing a frugal picnic on the

beach. They are muffled up against the nip of early spring.

The sand is criss-crossed with pointed iron spikes and coils

of barbed wire. Curt signs warn against mines and other

hazards. BILL and SUE start to play happily and messily in

the sand. In the distance, they hear MUFFLED, deep-throated

EXPLOSIONS.

BILL:

What's that?

MAC:

Big Berthas, shelling France.

Twenty-five-mile range, they have.

BILL:

Wow!

MAC:

They send over a few every day, to

let them know we're still here.

Each shell costs as much as a Ford

8.

BILL:

Who pays for them?

MAC:

We will, you will, for the rest of

our lives?

BILL gets out a rubber ball, and spins it in is fingers.

GRACE:

Remember this beach, Mac? All those

summers. Out two families,

together.

MAC:

Happy days.

(watches Bill's efforts

with the ball)

When you're bigger, Bill, I'll

teach you the googly.

BILL smiles a secret smile.

BILL:

Thanks.

GRACE starts to sing.

GRACE:

(singing)

There'll be blue birds over,

The white cliffs of Dover...

MAC and the children join in. BILL practices his spin, finger

and wrist.

ALL:

(singing)

...tomorrow.

Just you wait and see...

Another CRUMP from Big Bertha.

BILL:

There goes another Ford 8, Uncle

Mac.

EXT. RAILWAY - NIGHT

The train is unlit to comply with the blackout, the only

illumination being as the fire-box door of the loco opened.

INT. TRAIN COMPARTMENT - NIGHT

Moonlight flickers intermittently into the compartment,

lending a jerky, monochrome quality to the scene. SUE sleeps,

thumb in mouth. BILL dozes in the corner of the compartment.

GRACE and MAC sit side by side.

GRACE:

(softly)

Mac, did you ever find out who

Molly went off with?

MAC:

A Polish pilot. It's like one of

those jokes on the wireless.

He stares out of the window, the pale broken light making

patterns on his face.

GRACE:

You miss her. I know you do.

He smiles ruefully.

MAC:

She said, 'I know you love me, Mac,

but you've never loved me enough.'

GRACE:

Not loving enough. That is a

terrible thing to do to someone. I

suppose I did it to Clive. Always

held something back.

BILL stirs and fidgets, half hearing, squinting through

drooping lids. MAC and GRACE lower their voices further

whispering.

MAC:

It's all better left unsaid, Grace.

GRACE:

You were never apart, you and

Clive. He kept asking and asking.

And I waited and waited for you to

say something. And you never did.

MAC:

Clive had a job. I didn't. I

couldn't.

They fall silent. GRACE smiles ruefully.

GRACE:

He could always make me laugh.

MAC:

We did the decent thing.

GRACE:

This war's put an end to decent

things. I want to close my eyes and

jump and give myself for once, hold

nothing back.

MAC:

We can't change what's past. Not

even the war can do that.

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