Savage Grace Page #3

on my doorstep

Telling me

how much you need me

Ain't nobody home

Girl

Ain't nobody home

How many times

I begged for you to come home

But you laughed at me

and said, "Let me alone"

Ain't nobody home

Girl

- I don't know.

- What's she like?

- I don't know. She's Spanish.

- Well, with a name like Blanca...

- Blanca what?

- I don't know Blanca what.

This is not a city, it's a port,

so when we hang out,

it's typically on a first-name basis.

And if what you're asking is,

"Does she come from bonne famille?"...

You know,

if that's what you're asking, well...

aren't there enough

counts and countesses

in that stack of cartes de visite

in the foyer,

just the way that Nini taught you?

The carte from Prince Bernhard is

always on top, and the bills on the bottom.

You will not

speak to your mother like that.

I will not stand for it.

Oh, piss off.

A mother knows.

Hm?

When her son...

when her son might like someone.

The discovery, that was 1907.

In less than ten years

my grandfather was a very wealthy man.

1924, his face on the cover

of Time magazine.

mannequins wear Bakelite accessories.

Then came the Depression,

which hit everyone except the Baekelands.

We were headed the other direction.

Our triumph -

and, of course, our downfall.

How do you mean?

Leo knew the social register,

but it wasn't what moved him,

it wasn't what he prized.

To him, all that was just la parade.

But not to George -

his son, my father.

He valued all that to a fault,

and in the process lost everything.

Camarero!

No one here is drinking enough.

Another round over here.

Tony, let's drink while your father

bores the sh*t out of your little friend.

- She's not very happy.

- Ah!

Then you understand.

Well, it's been a long night.

Bye, kiddo.

- Night, Blanca.

- Good night.

- Are you sure that?

- Yes!

You know, I don't think

I've ever met a family like yours.

All this excitement,

all this history.

- Well, there is that.

- Yes.

You really are

such a handsome boy.

Later, Mummy said

that I had brought Blanca home

like a kitten

that had killed its first mouse...

and laid it at your feet.

And you... and you took it.

Por favor. Adnde hora

esta la aeroplane de Nice?

- Landing? When it lands?

- Oh, it's been delayed.

So, 6p. m.

Anytime after that.

Paging Mr. Baekeland -

to the Aviaco counter, please.

Paging, please, Mr. Baekeland -

to Aviaco.

Your party is waiting.

Boarding time's at 1:30, no?

Let me see.

Yeah, it's 1:
30.

Come, darling.

Coward!

Cobarde!

Cobarde!

That's right, that's you

I'm talking about you, little puta.

You little whore!

- An no estamos embarcando.

- Seor, por favor.

You are truly disgusting,

do you know that?

You and your little Spanish c*nt.

- You're speaking too loudly.

- I am speaking of a c*nt, half your age.

She looked at Tony, looked at you,

thought for about five seconds,

and said to herself,

"Ha! That's where the money is. "

Entiendes?

You go on about your grandfather

and the life of the f***ing mind.

I go away for one week,

and what do you do?

Something very intellectual.

Very intellectual indeed.

Oh, does he f*** you up the ass?

Por el culo?

That's what he likes, you know.

He thinks it's very manly.

I think... quite the opposite.

She bats her eyes at you and says:

"Oh, Brooks, you...

"you big man, you. "

And you honor the great

Baekeland tradition by f***ing her.

OK... f*** her.

F*** her. I understand.

But leave me?

Break my heart?

Break Tony's?

He never broke Tony's heart.

And neither did I.

Much of what you've just said

is an amalgam of paranoia and spite.

Sell yourself to yourself any way you like,

but in your heart, you know.

So does everyone else.

Also...

you're a little old for this,

don't you think?

No lleva equipaje?

No tengo.

You are a very nice man.

Un... hombre... encantador.

Jake was like a devil...

or a magician.

Nothing is true.

Everything is permitted.

He wore little bones and things

on his vest - these certain little bones.

Tony! Jake!

- You might have knocked.

- I did.

I went to the airport today,

to pick up Sam.

Who should I see but your father?

We had a word or two,

I can tell you that.

You can tell me,

you are telling me.

- Don't get harsh with me.

- I'm sorry.

Are you defending him?

Are you taking his side?

You must have had a long drive.

Sit down and let me pour you

something to drink, OK?

So I told Sam

you'd be joining us for dinner.

I'll see you around nine.

How can you live in this shithole?

Sam was often called a walker-

one of those homosexuals who escort

wealthy women to dinner or to the opera

when their husbands are not able.

But Sam's devotion to Barbara

was never about the money.

In fact, he liked us more

when there was less of it.

Do you remember how it was

with Maxime de la Falaise?

There was a difficult period.

I helped her, as much as I could -

a few of us, we did what we could -

and now, well...

no one remembers

the sad period now, do they?

These are the facts we have to face.

One - we are dealing with

an insecure and capricious crowd

who, given any doubt or hesitation,

will always follow the money.

In this case, meaning Brooks.

Second, and this is in your favor...

you were,

to any sensible observer,

the charm and vivacity of the couple.

So, we must make that work

to your benefit.

- I'm so glad you're here.

- It's my pleasure.

Pop across to Cadaqus

for a day or two.

You need to be proud, not embarrassed,

to be seen in public.

And that will give people permission

to be seen with you.

Hola. Un caf...

Let us think

who are those, you know,

from whom others take their cue?

Someone like Pilar Durn

would be terrific.

And then, of course,

we need a doyenne to seal it.

You do, of course,

know Teeny Duchamp?

Teeny Matisse Duchamp?

And I shall, naturally,

make sure that the word gets out.

As will others.

As will others!

You've got to start painting again.

- The difference between...

- An artist and a divorce.

So you understand.

That's for starters.

Some of it will, I've no doubt,

be emotionally unpleasant.

Oh, please.

Where is he?

Oh, I'm sure he'll be along, Barbara.

He's just... being Tony.

Mummy,

what I don't understand is Brooks.

Of all the places

Brooks would want to go for the season,

why choose a place right near us,

and then not want to see us?

Why would Blanca want to go to Mallorca

when she hates me so much?

She doesn't hate you.

- And Brooks?

- He doesn't hate you either.

- Then why won't he...

- I've given up trying to understand him...

explain him, justify his ways.

Men do...

This is something you know very well.

Men do what... what men do.

Mummy?

I think he's writing us a letter.

I think he is writing us a letter,

but in another alphabet,

in Baekeland writing...

no one else can read.

- 'Cause the thing with Brooks is, he...

- Oh, please.

Mummy, don't be angry.

I'm not angry.

I love you.

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