I Could Go on Singing Page #5

I wouldn't want to disturb her.

Go right ahead.

She won't even hear you.

Jenny.

Jenny, it's quarter to 12:00.

Jenny?

What...

Good morning, Jenny.

I'm sorry l...

Good morning, darling.

Is it awfully late?

No, not really.

Weren't we supposed

to be someplace this morning?

The science museum.

But it doesn't matter.

I'm sorry, Matt.

Please come and sit down.

We could queue.

We could what?

Stand in line.

We don't want to do that,

do we?

I've got a much,

much better idea.

She's not back.

Nope. Just a call

to call Canterbury.

Yeah. She's out of

her so-called mind.

More than you know.

Yeah, in the middle

of a six-country tour.

- Seven.

- Seven.

They're gonna murder me.

- Cigar.

- Cigar.

Good afternoon, girls.

Girls, listen, Jenny has

asked me to stand in for her.

Now, wait a minute, now.

Come on, let's be fair.

You know she loves to talk

to the ladies of the press.

She's very disappointed

that she can't be here...

but eat, drink, be merry.

Have any questions, think of me

as though I were Jenny, OK?

When did you start

smoking cigars?

Where is she?

Give me that, will ya?

She had a business date.

Well, it went on

way behind time!

Way, way behind.

What did you say the name

of this place was?

Stoke Poges.

Stoke Poges?

It's where Gray wrote his elegy.

Do you know about that?

No. I know more

about Gray's Anatomy.

- Stoke Poges?

- That's right.

"The path of glory

leads but to the grave."

Oh, dear.

Do you ever look

at gravestones?

- No.

- They're great fun.

Fun?!

Yes. They're not

a bit depressing, really.

Listen to this.

"Here lies my wife.

"Here let her lie.

"Now she's at rest,

and so am I."

That's terrible.

You're a terrible boy.

When I die,

I think I'll be cremated.

- Would you like to be cremated?

- I don't know. I suppose so.

It's very sanitary

and sort of chic, like I said.

My mother was cremated.

Your mother?

Janet. But she's not

my real mother.

She must have

loved you very much.

She liked me.

Come on, let's sit down

for a second, shall we?

Don't you ever wonder about

your mother, your real mother?

Not really.

I mean, who she was and what...

No.

I'll miss you, Jenny.

Will you?

Yes.

Matt, I'm going to go

to Paris in a few days...

and I wish you could

come with me...

just for a little while.

I'll talk

to your father about it...

and I'll make

all the arrangements.

All you have to do is say yes.

Jenny, I don't understand

why you're being so kind to me.

Maybe it's because I've never

had a son of my own...

and I like to pretend...

and you fit the bill.

Will you help me?

Yes, Jenny.

Good, Matt. Good.

- I thought you'd got lost.

- No.

- Miss Bowman's here.

- Is she?

She said she wanted

to talk to you urgently...

as soon as you were back.

Then she decided

to come here and meet you.

- Where is she?

- She's in her car, over there.

I didn't know

what you wanted to do...

so I brought your car

as arranged.

- Is she still at the Savoy?

- Yes.

Look, take my car

back to town, will you?

Take it to the hotel. Leave

the keys with the porter...

- and take that along.

- Yes, of course.

I'll be back as soon as I can.

- How was your trip?

- Fine.

You were in Rome, weren't you?

That's right, yes.

Must have been an opera singer.

They're very delicate creatures,

opera sing...

David, I have

a confession to make.

Really?

Yes. I'm afraid I've done

something that I shouldn't have.

Yes, I know that.

You know?

News travels, Jenny,

even to Rome.

Are you terribly angry?

I'm so sick with anger

that I can hardly speak to you.

I don't know what to say.

I haven't got any excuses

except that it was wonderful...

There's only one thing

I want to know from you.

How far have you

broken your promise?

I haven't said anything,

I swear.

I know you're angry,

but I haven't done any harm.

That remains to be seen,

doesn't it?

If I'm such

a shady character...

why'd you let me see him

in the first place?

Have you forgotten

how you begged...

how you implored,

how you pleaded, how...

I don't beg. I don't beg.

You don't beg.

You just damn well assume.

Everything you want, you get.

- David.

- You haven't changed.

You never will.

You're nothing

but a self-centered...

grasping,

egocentric little b*tch.

And you're a cheat.

Before you go in there and start

to act like the heavy father...

it wasn't his fault.

I brought this about myself.

And you remember that.

Ida? Would you get

Matt for me, please?

Hello, Father.

I wanted to come down

to the airport with Jenny...

but she said better not.

She said that she'd explain

about everything...

about Paris and all that.

Matt, we didn't win.

Jenny explained

everything perfectly, Matt.

All I want you to do now

is to pack up and come along.

- Are you ready?

- No, I'm not quite packed.

Nothing much, though.

It won't take long.

Hurry up, then.

The car's outside.

- Yes, sir.

- Right.

So now it's Paris, is it?

And then the rest of the tour,

Rome, Athens...

For God's sake, don't sulk.

You saw his face.

For God's sake, don't sulk.

You saw his face.

You saw how sorry he was.

And you know how sorry I am.

What do you want us both to do,

just die?

I don't want you

to do anything.

I just want to get out of here

as soon as possible.

What was so terrible

about it, anyway?

He came to see the show,

we took a trip up the river...

and we had a good time.

What's so terrible about that?

We had a wonderful time!

And you're standing there...

as if I'm some kind

of criminal or something...

- like I'm Lizzie Borden!

- For God's sake, Jenny...

"For God's sake, Jenny"!

I stayed out of the way

as long as your wife was around!

And she was good for him!

Well, fine! But what now?

You and your grave demeanor

or your Auntie Beth...

in Canterbury

who's forty years too late?!

What kind of life

are you offering him?!

What you fail

to realize, Jenny...

is that we have a very

good relationship, Matt and I.

We were doing very well

before you came along...

and we'll do a damn sight better

after you've gone!

Boy, you know where to hit,

don't you?

I want to tell you something.

He needs me, and I want him!

He's not yours to have.

You gave him back to me

a long time ago.

I need him, I love him, and...

"You need him, and I want him,

and you want him, and I..."

He's not a bone.

My God, he's a child.

He's my son,

and I'm going to keep him!

There's just one thing

we seem to both have forgotten.

He's my son, too.

I made him.

Now, where do we go from there?

I've packed.

There's some other things

in the bedroom, but...

We'll send

for those later, Matt.

Yes.

Can I have the tape recorder?

It was a present.

Is it true?

Yes.

Why didn't you tell me?

I meant to.

I kept putting it off,

I'm afraid.

But why didn't you tell me?

I made a promise

to your father.

Matt, I think we'd better

be moving along now.

No.

No, I don't want

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