Love Letters Page #2

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was practically wiped out

But he grabbed a flamethrower.

And blasted a pillbox.

Single-handedly.

Well, Jim. I've lost track of everybody.

I didn't know you ended up here too.

Yes. That makes two bad pennies

coming back.

- What about the third one?

- Who?

Roger. Roger Morland.

Ever hear from him?

Roger Morland?

- Why? Didn't you know?

- What?

He's dead.

Dead in action?

No. Here at home. In England.

It was an accident.

I knew something would happen.

Naw. It was just

an unfortunate accident.

Don't think about it, pal.

I'll try not to.

Well, I guess I'll hobble along.

I'm supposed to give it a workout.

- Miss Wentworth.

- Lieutenant.

- Alan.

- Jim.

Who was Roger Morland?

Someone I met at the front.

I don't wanna think about him though.

Or anything connected with him.

That's just what

I was trying to tell you.

You must forget the war.

You must get out and mix with people.

Find some useful work to do.

Helen.

Helen, try to understand.

I think every woman woman

should understand...

that a returning soldier

is not the man she knew

and loved before he went away.

Nor is the woman the same.

Nonsense!

Every returning soldier feels that way.

But he gets over it.

You can't permit yourself

to think about it.

You can't.

Alan, you can't let yourself

go to pieces like this.

Mother, the doctor told me

I've done a wonderful job of putting

all the pieces of me back together.

That's not what I mean.

Why are you avoiding people?

Why don't you show

an interest in anything?

Why do you sit at home with yourself

playing that senseless game?

Because it senseless.

What's the matter with you, Alan?

You've been back long enough

to decide what you want to do.

I have decided.

You mean you're not going

to live in Beltmarsh?

Yes. I'm going there next week. Monday.

But, Alan.

He never told us anything about it.

Mother, why argue?

If Aunt Dagmar has the good sense to die

and leave the place to Alan.

We shouldn't interfere.

It'll be good for him.

Essex is such dull barren country.

There's a place in Essex

called Longreach.

What about it?

Nothing.

It's just a name I heard somewhere.

What are you laughing at?

I think the jokes on you, old man.

You were not too fond of Beltmarsh

nor of Aunt Dagmar, as I remember.

You're right,

I never was very fond of her.

And somehow I'm sorry now that I wasn't.

Good night, Mother.

Helen won't like Beltmarsh.

We'll ask Helen to see it for herself.

As for me, I don't intend

to live anywhere else.

If it's what you want to do.

It's what I want.

Today, mother. Tonight, father.

Good night.

- You know how parents are.

- Yes, here.

Thanks.

You're wise to get out of here.

I don't think they realize it.

But they're glad I'm going.

Of course you can't blame them.

I have nothing to give them.

They have nothing to give me.

How about one last fling

together before you leave?

My leave's up Tuesday. So let's make

it a last party for both of us.

Party? I know a girl in Bloombury.

Just the right sort.

We'll make it Monday night at her flat.

Just a few guests.

You can go to the station from there.

Straight from the train to Beltmarsh.

If you wish, it'll be better than

all the usual goodbye kisses.

Derek, how good to see you.

Dilly, here's my brother Alan in person.

At your own risk. You asked for him...

now take the consequences.

I'll take them. How do you do?

Why all the flattering interest?

Oh, for obvious reasons.

I hope I'm not so obvious.

But I don't mind sharing you

with the others to begin with.

- This is Grace Foley, Lt. Stafford.

- How do you do, Alan?

- This is Grace Campbell.

- How do you do?

And this is Singleton.

Just Singleton?

Just Singleton.

Hello?

What's your name?

What's your name, kid?

Alan is leaving for the country tonight.

And it's up to us to make him regret it.

I am glad my place is the last one

you'll see you before you leave.

Perhaps you'll make it the

first when you return.

lll look forward to it... if I return.

Not certain of it?

I'm not certain of anything

at the moment.

They say this stuff

helps clarify things amazing.

- It certainly does.

- Thank you.

My brother's a gentleman

who doesn't believe in drinking.

Your brother is a gentleman

who doesn't believe.

What makes you say that?

One quarter observation.

Three quarters intuition.

Intuition about me?

About men like you.

What other men are like me?

I don't know.

I've never met one before.

Come and sit down.

And tell us more about yourself.

All men love to talk about themselves.

We'd love to hear all about yourself.

Well, on second thought,

I think I will have a drink.

- Hooray!

- Hooray!

I've never seen her.

And never will see her.

A promise to be reached in spite

of ugliness and instant terror.

A promise I'll never reach.

We commit unspeakable crimes.

We kill each other. We go to war.

Would blast out cities to rubble. We...

We blast all sense out of our brains.

And yet...

Always there before our eyes...

is that vision of beauty.

A beauty we've never seen.

But which makes everything

we do seem unbearable.

Where is everybody?

They've gone.

You've been standing there... talking

to yourself... for the past half hour.

I arranged a guard for you.

Any objections?

No.

You're drunk.

Oh.

Tell me.

What was I saying?

What was my speech?

The usual one. A girl.

- You?

- No.

- Helen, I hope I...

- No, not Helen either.

Perhaps you better run

through the alphabet.

Beginning with Abigail

and ending with Zenobia.

Thank you, I have never known

any Zenobia in my life.

Tell me. Who is Victoria?

I was talking about Victoria?

Not so you could be understood.

Who is she?

I don't know. I've never seen her.

And how did she come in?

Oh, I wrote to her.

Or rather, I wrote

for a friend of mine in the Army.

He was in love with her.

Who?

Roger Morland.

He married her. And then he died.

You wrote letters to Victoria

for a boy called Roger Morland?

Mmm-hmm.

Why are you so interested?

What I heard you say tonight

put me on the track of something.

It gave me an idea.

It may mean nothing.

On the other hand,

it may mean a great deal.

What are you talking about?

I'm afraid your mind is in no condition

to tackle anything subtle.

Hmm.

Just remember my name. You got it?

Dilly Carson.

And I want you to remember this evening.

How I listened in on you

when you were aware of it.

Turn it over in your mind when

you get down to Beltmarsh.

And remember particularly

how mysterious I was.

Mysterious!

Anybody would think a murder

had been committed.

There has. An old murder.

It's all over and done with now.

But a murder remains a murder.

And goes on affecting people.

Look. I wish you'd tell me...

No. No, please. Don't ask me anymore.

I've told you too much already.

You talk about murder.

Then you say

don't ask me any more questions.

We better be going now.

I'll see you to the station.

Where is Derek? Isn't he coming?

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