Room At The Top Page #8

I'll smear you both across the headlines.

It will make fine reading, Elsbeth's flat, the naked bathing in Dorset

and all the rest of it.

How did you know?

I make it my business to know. It'll break you because you

can't stand a scandal like that and you know it.

And you won't get Alice either. Because I still won't let her go.

You can't hold her. Maybe she can't divorce you but she can leave you,

you can't stop her from leaving you.

Can you keep her?

I can keep her because I love her.

She's 10 years older than you and she hasn't a penny of her own.

If she leaves me, I'll sue you for enticement.

Then you won't be able to support even yourself.

You got everything pretty well worked out, haven't you?

I have, there are no loop holes, get it clear from now on you'll leave Alice alone.

Understand me?

Why won't you let her go? Why?

Because she's my wife. That's why.

You trying to tell me you still love her?

I'm not trying to tell you anything.

I've let you off lightly. There will be no more warnings.

Say that again.

I said, June and I decided to go steady

and I wanted you to be the first one to know.

That's just wonderful.

Oh, Joe show some enthusiasm.

Well I seem to remember you wanted a girl with no responsibilities

and a small family business in the background.

Well that don't seem to matter much anymore.

Oh, what about the invalid mother?

Oh, I get it.

She's died and left you a large insurance policy.

Hah, Joe...

No seriously, what about her invalid mother?

Well don't seem to matter much either.

(PHONE RINGING)

June is a fine kid, you couldn't have done better Charles.

As a matter of fact, I'm thinking about settling down myself.

That might be June. I'll be right with you Joe.

Hey, Joe, it's for you, Mr. Brown.

Who ?

God allmighty Brown, that's who. He wants to talk to you.

Tell him my mother sent me touring on the Riveria.

Ohh, no Joe, come on quick, he's waiting.

Oh, let him wait.

Joe, what's got into you lately?

I had enough threats for one day.

Come on!

Allright, I'm coming.

Yes? Are you sure it's me, you want to speak to Mr. Brown?

Oh, yes.

What did he want?

He wants me to have lunch with him at the conservative club at 1 o'clock.

Sit down. You're late.

We'll have the game soup.

First time you've been in this club, is it?

This or any other Conservative Club.

My father would turn in his grave if he could see me now.

Who would mind? But we are not bound by our fathers.

I've got a proposition for you.

You're a clever young man, you don't want to stay in the Town Hall

for the rest of your life, do you?

Now is the time that accountants can do well for themselves.

Now, I'm willing to set you up in business.

Buy you a partnership.

Well, what do you say?

There's a catch somewhere.

Not a catch but a condition.

I'll set you up on condition that you never see Susan again

or communicate with her.

Now just what's so funny about that young man?

Nothing I could explain.

If you agree I'll make you a rich man.

You'll be a damn sight better of than you'll ever be in local goverment.

Well, what do you say?

Are you trying to buy me off?

That's right. I'm buying you off and I'm paying a damn fine price for it.

Come on now, use your head.

You want to improve yourself, you want to get in among the money.

Allright, I don't blame you for that.

But you're not getting my brass through Susan.

You wouldn't talk to me like that I if I were Jack Wales and had a rich daddy behind me.

I don't give a damn for Jack Wales.

A nice business merger between the two families.

I don't barter my daughter.

You tried to barter her now.

That's enough!

I told you my offer, it's the best chance you'll ever have.

Now take it or leave it but get this into your head, if you refuse it

I'm going to break you.

And what's more, I shall run you out of Warnley!

Everybody wants to run me out of Warnley.

Let's say you kick me out and I take Susan with me.

She's in love with me you know.

Susan's too young to know her own mind, she'll do as I tell her.

If she disobeys me I'll cut her out without a penny.

You mean throw her out.

If necessary... I thought that might interest you.

No! ...

I say "No" to your bloody rotten offer!

Wait a minute!

Now I'll tell you what you gonna do.

Sit down.

You're marrying her with my concent, right quick.

Am I?

That's right.

But I don't understand.

Don't you? The reason's very simple.

Well, I'm glad you have the grace to blush.

But why didn't she tell me?

Chicken again?

I'll be turning into one soon, we'll have the pie.

I'll have scotch please, a large one.

She didn't tell you because she didn't want you to wear her out of her sense of duty.

And I didn't tell you because I wanted to try you out.

Hmm.

There's no need to laugh like that young man.

It isn't the way I planned to have my daughter wed.

Now listen, you're gonna throw up your job at the Town Hall.

I need somebody to reorganise the office,

I want some effiency in that side of the business.

Well? ...

How about salary?

Naught, if you don't make a success of it.

And that's just one of the matter to be cleared up.

If you don't, it's all off.

You've been too runny about it already.

Leave off Alice Aisgill. Now, I'm not gonna have my daughter hurt anymore

and I'm not gonna have my son in law in the divorce court either.

Not on account of an old whore like that.

There's no need to talk about her in that way.

I use words that fit.

Now get done with her.

I'll not gonna have it put off anymore.

Bring coffee for two.

I'm driving over to L.

I'll drop you off at their house, Susan wants to talk to you.

But... I've got to get back to the office.

I told Hoylake you are taking the afternoon off.

You can fix just about anything, can't you?

Just about.

I'll tell Miss Susan that you are here.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

Joe!

Joe isn't it wonderful? I'm so happy.

And now we are really going to be married.

Why didn't you tell me about the baby?

I don't know, you seemed so strange lately.

As if you didn't like me very much.

But it's allright now, isn't it Joe?

Yes, yes it's all allright now.

Joe, people have told me even daddy said that you,

you were having an affair with Alice Aisgill.

How could you?

She's so old!

Just an old whore like her, that's what you mean, isn't it?

Well, it's all over now. So just forget about it.

How do I know that?

Because I'm telling you.

Listen Joe, if you so much as look at her again we are through.

I don't care about the baby or anything, I mean it! I won't be second best!

Promise me, you never ever gonna see her again!

I can't do that.

I'm going to see her just one more time and tell her about us.

You could write to her.

I'm going to see her!

Joe, you do love me, don't you?

May I come in? Oh, hello Mr. Lampton.

I suppose now I better call you Joe.

The sooner we get on with the arrangements the better.

We decided on a white wedding inspite of the circumstances.

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote