Letters to Juliet Page #4

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Do you remember what you were doing

in the summer of 1 957?

The summer of 1 957, l will never forget,

l met the most beautiful girl

with long, blonde hair.

Nana!

We married that year.

-- l curse that woman!

- What?

-Oh, no!

-Right.

l curse her eyes! l curse her teeth!

l curse her mustache!

But why are you asking?

Why you bring up such a horrible memory?

Well, that went well.

Can't say we didn't try, Nana.

l'm sorry. Truly.

Are you for real?

lf l actually knew what that question meant,

l might attempt to answer it.

He can't be the only Lorenzo Bartolini

in Tuscany.

Well, he's the only one around here, so...

l haven't flown all the way here

to pack it in now.

Nana, what do you want to do?

You want to start knocking on every door

asking if Lorenzo's in? l mean...

How many can there be?

Seventy-four?

Seventy-four Lorenzo Bartolinis

and you want to go on a scavenger hunt?

lmpossible.

We're going home in the morning.

Come on, Charlie, will you calm down?

Sophie, what do you think?

Gran, what do you mean,

what does she think? She doesn't think.

This was her brilliant idea. lt's over! Done!

We found Nemo.

The curtains have closed.

-Sophie.

-Listen, this is my job.

l find things.

And through process of elimination

and caveat emptor, which will require

assembling a few more facts,

we can narrow this down considerably.

Did Ms. Awesome For Real

just use caveat emptor?

Oh, please, all right. l went to Brown.

Double Major. Minor in Latin.

This is madness. lt's madness.

Charlie, didn't you say

you wanted to go and swim?

-We are working. Go away.

-This is utter, complete mad...

Work!

l can't believe it.

Ridiculous.

He's a good-looking sort.

lsn't he?

All right. Are you sure that

Lorenzo would never have left this area?

He loved this land. l'm quite certain.

May l?

Our Lorenzos.

Are you sure that you have time for all this?

Ciao. How are you?

l'm good. How are you?

You know what?

l was just witnessing this most incredible,

incredible Sauterne auction.

lt was just beautiful. lt was incredible.

How's it going?

l'm good. l'm in Siena right now.

What? ln Siena?

-What are you doing in Siena?

-l'm writing a story.

We're kind of on a bit of an adventure,

looking for somebody that

she used to know 50 years ago.

You know what, baby? You know what?

l mean, this isn't a good time because

l'm in the middle of something,

but, l mean, l'm glad you called because

l was actually just gonna call you right now.

You know, the opportunities here are really,

really, really incredible, you know,

and l think

l'm gonna have to stay till Friday.

Can l stay or should l skip it?

l mean, l feel horrible, but...

No, do it. Please.

l'm gonna need until Friday, as well.

Great. So Friday, all right? Friday.

Friday's good. Okay. Win-win.

Claire?

l'm free.

-Free for what? Free for what?

-She's coming.

-She's coming with us.

-She's coming? Splendid.

That's splendid! Fantastic!

-Okay?

-Okay.

Good luck.

lt's not him.

Oh, my God. No!

Well, wouldn't this be nice, Gran?

Going from a boy who works the fields

to a man who owns them.

And you got to skip the messy bits.

Life is the messy bits.

Peccato it wasn't me.

Yes.

l would have never let you go.

Believe me.

What is it with you and ltalian men?

They fall at your feet.

lt's such a shame.

l think l could've been happy here.

Happy? Did your grandson just say happy?

l said could have been.

Let's not get carried away.

l have a reputation to uphold.

Charlie, why don't you tell Sophie

about your pro bono legal work?

l can't imagine

she'd have much interest, Gran.

-Try me.

-You know the sort of thing,

defending the defenseless, preserving

human rights, helping refugees get asylum.

-You look surprised.

-l'm so surprised.

l just didn't have you pinned down

as the save-humanity type at all.

Really?

And what type did you have me

pinned down for exactly?

Well, l was leaning towards

elitist Oxford prig,

but now that you mention it,

self-satisfied do-gooder works, as well.

l guess you're a poorjudge

of character then.

But she does deal with facts, Charlie.

Okay.

-l'm off to bed.

-Okay.

-Good night, darling.

-Good night. Sleep well.

-May l walk you to your room?

-Be nice to each other.

She is awesome.

l respect your usage of the word

this one instance.

Oh, l'm flattered. Thank you for approving.

You're very welcome.

Right. Well. Should we hit the sack?

Sorry. l guess l...

Well, as much as l'd love to sit here

and drink the whole bottle of Caparzo...

No, go to bed. You should.

Good night, Charlie.

Right.

-Well, good night.

-Good night.

Forgive me. Where are my manners?

You know, l've been wondering that

since l met you.

Yes, well, l don't know what it is,

but you seem to bring out

the very worst in me.

-Somehow it's my fault.

-All of this is your fault.

You wrote that blasted letter.

Nonetheless, may l walk you to your room?

You know, l'm not the buttoned-up,

buttock-clenching killjoy

you try to make me out as.

Right. And l made you argue that

true love is bollocks.

Guilty.

lt's just that l'm genuinely worried for her.

l know she may seem carefree,

but her life hasn't been all that simple.

ls it that unreasonable for me to worry?

No, but l have a really good feeling

about this. You'll see.

Let's hope you're right.

Signora Claire.

Signor Bartolini.

We're not done yet.

Of course we're not, darling.

Hello.

-Hello?

-Hello.

Hi. ls Claire with you? No?

No, no. She's turned in early, actually.

Okay.

l was gonna ask if you wanted dinner, but...

l just... l wanted to get started on my story.

How's it coming?

lt's coming okay.

Am l in it?

-You may be. Why?

-Can l read just a little bit?

-Are you kidding me?

-Come on, just a little bit.

Absolutely not.

How am l to be sure that

l'm being properly portrayed?

No, you are. Believe me. You are.

-What's that supposed to mean?

-lt means good night, Charlie.

-Good night.

-Okay.

Yeah.

Good night.

-What? Okay.

-ls this

one of those situations

where you're really saying the opposite

of what you actually mean?

No.

Right.

Good night then.

Good night, Charlie.

Good morning.

Gran wants to sleep in this morning.

ls she okay?

l mean, does she need anything?

No need.

She's tough as old boots, that one.

Churchill in a dress.

So, l thought l'd see a bit of Siena

since we're here.

lt's a good idea.

l suppose you want to keep on writing.

l mean...

Work, work, work.

Admirable trait.

Right, of course. Carry on then.

Charlie?

Since we're here...

l hate to compliment you, but what

you're doing for Claire is really...

lt's sweet, and l...

l imagine that you'd rather be spending

your holiday elsewhere,

so did you volunteer your services, or did

your parents? l mean, where do they fit in?

l'd like to think they're someplace nice.

They were killed in a car accident

when l was 1 0.

l'm sorry.

God, l'm sorry.

Thank you, Sophie. l appreciate it.

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