Letters to Juliet Page #3

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to my grandmother, Claire Smith?

l wrote that.

And l can't believe that it found you.

Yes. We Brits tend to stay

in our family homes.

Yeah. This is amazing.

lt's less than a week since l mailed it.

lt was a very thoughtful letter.

Now, what were you thinking?

l was thinking that she deserved an answer.

Yeah, 50 years ago, maybe. Not now.

l'm sorry. l didn't know true love

had an expiration date.

True love? Are you joking?

Could you imagine what would've happened

if she hadn't seen sense?

Well, yeah, you wouldn't be here,

and that would be an upside.

What are you doing here anyway?

What, are you some lonely American girl

who has to live vicariously through others?

l'm not lonely. l am engaged.

My condolences to the groom.

Excuse me!

So that's it? You've come all the way

from London to give me a lecture?

No, l came because l couldn't let

my grandmother come on her own.

Claire is here? Why?

l think even you might be able

to work that one out.

Oh, my God!

That's awesome!

She's come to find her Lorenzo!

Awesome?

And if Lorenzo doesn't want to see her,

has forgotten her,

is gravely ill or dead,

let's say, just for fun, then what?

Thought so.

l want to meet her. l'd like to meet Claire.

And l want to play for Manchester United,

but l'm sh*t at football.

You don't think that she wants to meet me?

l honestly think

she has no interest meeting a woman

that can manage to jam, "Oh, my God"

and "awesome" into the same sentence.

Gran, they're closing up.

We should go now.

Excuse me. Claire? Hi. Hi.

My name is Sophie,

and l wrote you the letter.

Letter? From Juliet?

Goodness! Thank you.

Thank you. But however did you find us?

-Well, your grandson found me, actually.

-You did?

Right, well, the thing is,

-l thought we should...

-Yeah, well, he's very sweet

and very charming, and he thought

that you might like to meet me.

Uncharacteristically thoughtful of you, dear.

Yes, well, under the circumstances,

it seems a little churlish not

to meet the woman responsible

-for this voyage of lunacy.

-Okay.

Charlie doesn't approve,

which makes this all the more fun.

We were just going for a glass of wine.

Would you like to join us?

Absolutely not.

-What?

-Absolutely not.

lt's been a long day. lt's too long a day.

-Okay, darling. Have a good sleep.

-But l...

Do you know somewhere we could go?

l actually have the perfect place.

l can't believe you're really here.

l was taking an art course in Tuscany,

staying with a family outside Siena,

and they had a son Lorenzo,

and it was love at first sight.

He had such gentle blue eyes.

And he told me l was very beautiful.

And he gave me this ring.

We wanted to get married,

but l'd got exams back in England

and my parents would never have agreed,

and l got scared,

and l ran away.

Now

what l really want is to

tell him that l'm so sorry

l was such a coward.

Of course, a card or letter is just too simple.

So, you've come to find your Lorenzo?

Yes, and l think l know where he is.

Where?

On the farm, just near Siena.

Charlie's driving me down tomorrow.

Only because l didn't want you to hitchhike.

Well, he thinks it's a big mistake.

Because you don't have a romantic bone

in your body.

No, no. lt's because l am a realist.

No. Because you are an Englishman!

Cold as fish!

Right. And who was it

that wrote Romeo and Juliet?

Williamo Shakespearelli, a great ltalian.

They're mad. They're mad.

Sophie, my dear.

Good night. Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Good night. Good night, everybody.

-Good night.

-Charlie, let's go.

-Good night, ladies. Ciao.

-Good luck.

-Bye.

-Ciao.

How wonderful would it be

if she found her Romeo?

lmagine if she did, 50 years later,

all because you found that letter.

Nobody would believe it

if it weren't true, you know.

Wait! Wait!

-Oh, for... Here she comes.

-Sorry.

-May l come with you to find Lorenzo?

-Come with us?

What about this fianc of yours?

You're in the city of love

and you want to come with us?

Yes, l do. Because he's busy and l'm free.

And l mean...

-Of course, if it's not an intrusion.

-No, no, it's not an intrusion.

l just... Listen,

-l do have one thing to tell you first.

-lt's not an intrusion.

This is not entirely selfless.

lt started out as a simple reply

to your letter,

and now l think it's so amazing

what you're doing,

-- and l'd love to write about it if it's okay.

- A journalist.

Gran, a journalist

trying to pry into our private lives.

Charlie, come on.

lt's hardly state secrets, is it?

l'm not a journalist.

l would like to be some day, but...

And you think Gran's story is your ticket?

l think it's a story worth telling.

l'd love to have you with us.

-Really?

-Yes. Of course.

We would.

How much time

did you actually spend with Lorenzo?

Every second that we could.

l'd go to meet him after class,

to the farm where he was working,

and we'd sit under the trees and we'd share

some bread with tomatoes and olive oil.

-lt's so romantic.

-Yeah.

What's so romantic about eating in the dirt?

Really?

The dirt.

Well, you see, he loved the earth.

He loved talking to me about the rain

and the springs of fresh water,

and we'd walk for miles and miles.

We'd lie in the dry grass.

l can still remember

the smell of his sweet, hot sweat and...

Okay. Okay, Gran. We get the picture.

So you must feel like you're about

to find your long-lost soul mate.

Yes.

Her soul mate was my grandfather.

Let's not invalidate my entire existence.

Okay, l'm sorry, l just...

That's clearly not what l meant.

Charlie's just like my husband.

Both skeptics.

My husband always insisted

that love was nothing but hormones.

But you see, underneath,

he had such a warm, passionate heart.

And Charlie's just the same.

Tell me about the guy you're in love with.

Victor.

Yeah.

-Well, Victor is a chef, an amazing chef.

-Wow.

Yeah. He's opening his own restaurant

in New York.

And that's the reason we're here.

We're meeting suppliers all around.

And he's actually... He's in Livorno

at a wine auction as we speak.

That sounds fun.

For him. Yeah.

Well, and do your parents like him?

Yeah, my dad. My dad likes him.

My mom left us when l was nine.

Oh, dear.

-Oh, dear. l'm sorry about that.

-That's okay. lt was a really long time ago.

Slowly, slowly.

How do you want to go about this?

Ring the doorbell.

What if the wife answers

and goes into a fit ofjealous rage? Gran?

Well, l'd be flattered.

l'm more worried that

he won't remember me.

Right. Let's go home then, Gran,

before this all ends in tears.

Come on. There's no one in.

l'm gonna check the back.

There's no... We made our best effort.

There's no need to prolong

the disappointment.

lt's me, yeah.

Good afternoon. l'm Charlie Wyman.

This is my grandmother, Claire,

-and Sophie.

-Ciao.

l'm Claire. Do you remember?

Claire.

lt's not him.

Are you sure?

lt's not his eyes.

Let's make sure.

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