Miss Potter Page #6

and this emotion cools with time,

then we will have protected you

against humiliation and unhappiness.

- It will not cool.

- Beatrix, listen to me.

A woman at your age must

consider very carefully...

Mother, the only thing true

at my age is that at my age,

every day matters.

Very well, Mother, Father,

I accept your terms.

Norman and I may decide to

wait in any case.

But make plans.

There will be a wedding

in this house by October.

They're beautiful.

Which carriage, Rupert?

Saunders?

Four carriages down.

This way.

Well...

- This is the Potters' for Windermere.

- Right you are, sir.

Here and those two.

Beatrix!

Mr. Warne!

Oh, I do apologise.

- Miss Potter!

- Mr. Warne!

I was beginning to fear

you wouldn't come.

You're soaked.

It wasn't raining

when I left the office.

I brought you the proof of

the new book for your trip.

- Oh, you'll catch cold.

- I couldn't miss seeing you off.

You know nothing would stop me.

This is going to be the longest

summer I've ever spent.

- It's only the summer. That's all.

- Yes.

And this time is not for us.

It's for your parents.

How can they know what we're feeling?

They've never felt it.

We can afford them

this three months.

I suppose.

This is not how I wish

to say goodbye to you.

Goodbye, Miss Potter.

I look forward to your speedy return.

As do I, Mr. Warne.

Quickly. Here.

Goodbye, Miss Potter.

Goodbye, Mr. Warne.

Goodbye, Norman.

My dear, dear Norman,

this absurd forced separation

is surely a kind of madness,

most notably, that of my mother,

but you are here, my dear, for me.

The beauty of this place seems

magnified somehow,

with you in my mind.

In my occasional lonely moments,

I imagine conversations between us,

and yesterday startled a duck with

my declaration of love for you.

All of my thoughts are with you,

my darling.

I know that you find Harold

and Fruing terribly boring,

but, in fact, I'm having

what I could almost describe

as wild enjoyment working

with them.

You may wake up, one day,

to find yourself married

to a businessman.

Praise the day when I can wake up

to find you beside me.

I took one of the boats out

onto the lake at sunset

to watch the water hens feeding.

They made noises like kissing.

I closed my eyes and pictured you.

I find I love my heart more now,

because that is where I know

I can find you.

Amelia sends her fond love and

wishes for us all

to be together again,

as do I, multiplied a hundredfold.

Sir... Hill Top Farm.

May I ask,

is it a working farm?

Aye. Another great one falls,

but this one breaks your heart.

Really? Why?

Now, miss, a body would have to

be a poet, which I certainly am not.

Excuse me, but I'd swear you

were someone I once knew.

Good heavens, Willie Heelis!

Miss Beatrix! Miss Potter!

- Is that you?

- How good to see you!

Well, hello!

I see you've given up on the law.

Have you decided to make

an honest living?

Ah, yes, the law.

Well, not exactly. No, no.

A country solicitor needs to

be proficient in many skills.

And it suits me to be out of

the office now and again.

Now, I could show you Hill Top,

if you have the time.

Yes. Yes.

Time is exactly what I have.

Good.

- Not a bad outlook, Miss Potter.

- It's sublime.

By chance, I met an old friend

today who showed me

a beautiful farm that's for sale.

It would be a perfect country home,

and though I know we'll live

mainly in the city

I'm very keen to share

my favourite places with you.

The post has arrived and, once again,

no letter from your Mr. Warne.

Is it time for me to start getting

just a little hopeful?

He did mention he might take

a few days' holiday.

The post is no doubt slow

from wherever he's gone.

Indeed.

But there is something that

appears to be from

that interesting sister of his.

Millie? How delightful!

Excuse me.

Norman is ill.

- I'm Beatrix Potter.

- Please come in, miss.

- Ah, Miss Potter.

- Hello.

- Please, come in.

- Thank you.

- I came as soon as I heard.

- Yes. It's very kind of you.

Very, very kind indeed.

How is he?

Beatrix.

Millie?

Millie?

I'm too late.

He was so happy.

He sang songs.

He made me dance with him

in the parlour.

He laughed all the time,

everyone noticed the change in him.

Only I knew the reason.

But all summer, he had a cough,

and then the cough got worse,

and in one night, he was gone.

It was so sudden. I keep thinking

that it hasn't happened.

I keep expecting to see him

in the garden.

When's the funeral?

It was yesterday.

It was only the immediate family,

and I...

Well, I couldn't think of a reason

to ask them to delay it for you.

It was considerate of you to come

and pay your respects, Miss Potter.

Our mother is particularly moved,

and is sorry she isn't well enough

to come down to greet you.

I'll be taking over our late brother's

business affairs, Miss Potter.

Fine.

I want to assure you that F Warne

and company will do everything

in its power to ensure that

our tragic loss causes you

the least possible inconvenience.

Please accept the gratitude

of the entire family.

- They want me to go.

- I'm sorry.

Miss Beatrix!

What are you doing in London?

- Is something wrong?

- A friend died.

I'm sorry, miss.

Was she a close friend?

Miss Beatrix?

Miss Beatrix?

I'll leave your dinner outside

the door, then, miss.

Saunders is here, Miss Potter,

to take you to the station.

I shan't be going back to the Lakes.

Can I get you anything, then?

Nothing, Hilda.

Very well, Miss Potter.

Beatrix, it's Millie.

Look, I know I'm unannounced,

but they sent back all my messages.

Please, please, please, let me in.

We've got to get you out of here.

Come on. Come on.

Let's get you washed and dressed

and out of this room.

Go and find something to wear.

I can't.

Millie!

I can't!

I've been torturing myself.

I should never have encouraged

you with Norman.

I'd have saved you all

this terrible grief.

I loved him.

I loved him too.

But he's gone.

I must leave this house.

I will leave this house.

Congratulations, Miss Potter.

You are now the proud owner

of Hill Top Farm.

Thank you, George.

Well, I'm sure you'll be

very happy at Hill Top.

I spent some time there

as a child.

Is that so? I did have other

plans for it, but...

I'm sure that I will love it

in any case.

Yes. If you need any other

assistance or help...

Thank you very much, Mr Heelis.

Good day.

Good day, Miss Potter.

What I don't understand, Beatrix,

is how you're going to pay

for this farm.

I'm a writer, Mother.

People buy my work.

Our daughter is famous, Helen.

You are the only person

who doesn't know it.

What I don't understand is

why you find it necessary

to leave your home.

It is not a choice, Father.

Beatrix, if I could undo anything...

There's nothing to undo.

This has nothing to do

with you or Mother.

I must make my own way.

So you must.

So you must.

Everybody out.

You see?

I told you we could not know

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