Stoker Page #2

weren't always so distant.

I miss when he was...

...young.

()

(METRONOME TICKING)

(METRONOME TICKING)

(PLAYING SOFT MUSIC

ON PIANO)

(STOPS PLAYING)

(METRONOME TICKING CONTINUES)

(FLY BUZZES)

()

(GASPS)

(RATTLES)

(TICKING CONTINUES)

India!

India!

(FRENCH POP MUSIC

PLAYING ON RADIO)

Mature aroma.

You chose a good year.

You can't compare it

to a younger wine.

Too tannic.

Not ready to be open.

You should have come with us,

India. Oh, the open top,

the air. It felt so good.

We stopped and Uncle Charlie

got some ice cream for you.

CHARLES:

One chocolate, one vanilla.

Did I get it right?

I like the swirl kind.

You can make the swirl yourself,

you lazy thing.

Where's Mrs. McGarrick?

She's still not here.

EVELYN:
What? What

are we supposed to do?

I'm not much in the kitchen.

I can cook a little.

EVELYN:

No, you don't have to do that.

I'd love to.

Charlie, who in the world

are you?

CHARLES:
India, would you take

these down to the freezer, please?

Do as your uncle tells you.

Thank you.

Thank you, India.

(EVELYN AND CHARLES SPEAKING

INDISTINCTLY IN DISTANCE)

()

(KNIFE CHOPPING)

(KNIFE SHARPENING)

CHARLES:

Too cold down there?

No.

(CHOPPING)

EVELYN:
Ahem. You know, there was a time

Richard used to cook meals

like this. Ahem.

Wasn't there, India?

Oh. I'm sorry, of course.

That was before you were born.

Where did you learn

to cook like this, Charlie?

Madame Jacquin.

She ran a Michelin-starred

restaurant

outside of Toulouse

called "L'Institution."

Hmm. A female chef.

Mm. In her opinion, there was

nothing a man could master

that a woman couldn't make.

What do you mean?

It sounds better in French.

Did I tell you on the way home?

Your French accent is perfect.

One of the perks

of a first-class education.

I could stay locked up in this

house for the rest of my life

yet still speak

impeccable French.

CHARLES:
I know you're not

gonna spend the rest of your life

locked up in this house.

How do you spend your days?

I want to know

my brother's wife.

Oh, I don't know

where to start. Heh-heh.

Charlie, you didn't even

touch your food.

Did you put poison

in the food just for us girls?

(CHUCKLING)

But India ate everything.

Practically licked it clean.

(INDIA DROPS UTENSILS)

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Now, can I get you

anything else?

Maybe some ice cream?

No.

"No, thank you."

I mean, no, thank you.

Would you like to play something

for us after dinner?

I don't think so.

Would you?

India.

I mean, no, thank you.

Why didn't you tell me

I had an uncle?

Because I barely knew about

Charlie myself.

I mean, he's been traveling

the world

for as long as I've known

your father.

CHARLES:

You know, he used to say to me:

"What kind of family is family

that never comes home?"

Let's stop talking

about Richard. Excuse me.

I'm sorry.

(DOOR OPENS)

(DOOR CLOSES)

CHARLES:

The year you were born.

What do you want from me?

To be friends.

We don't need to be friends.

We're family.

(CLOCK CHIMING)

FELDMAN:
It takes time

to observe attentively.

Wait for the moment

that our eyes

finally penetrate the inside

of the subject.

Look, Marv,

see that flower?

The way it just hangs there?

My eyes are penetrating

the inside of you.

FELDMAN:
Observe carefully and

you'll note that this plant...

(STUDENTS LAUGHING)

BOY:

Check out Pitts.

FELDMAN:
I want you to really...

Hey.

(BOYS LAUGHING)

(GROWLS)

FELDMAN:

Pitts.

PITTS:
Yes, Mr. Feldman?

(SCHOOL BELL RINGS)

FELDMAN:
Is there something

you'd like to share

with the rest of the class?

PITTS:
Yeah, I've got

something I'd like to share.

With India.

(STUDENTS LAUGHING)

(GIRLS CHATTERING)

GIRL:

He's gorgeous.

(GIRLS CHATTERING)

()

GIRL 1:

Hey.

(GIRLS SQUEALING)

GIRL 2:

Come back.

INDIA:

Mom?

()

It's going to rain.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

()

EVELYN:

Relax.

There.

(EVELYN GIGGLING)

EVELYN:

Curl your fingers.

(PIANO PLAYING NOTES)

No.

Watch me. You see?

(PLAYS SOFT MELODY)

(DOOR SLAMS)

I'm teaching him piano.

Uncle Charlie is

a complete beginner.

Put on some dry clothes

and come play with us.

Why don't you take a hot shower

first or you'll catch a cold.

Come on. Here.

(PLAYING PIANO)

EVELYN:

Good morning, sweetie.

Charlie cleared off

the court yesterday.

So we're just gonna walk

on over.

You don't want to come,

do you?

CHARLES:

Hello, India.

I took one of Richard's belts.

His whites are

a little big.

Ready?

Let's go.

(DOORBELL RINGS)

India?

It's me.

Come and give

your Auntie Gin a hug.

(UTENSILS SCRAPING PLATE)

EVELYN:
What time did

you get in, Gwendolyn?

Around 4.

Oh. That's right.

And when do you fly out?

That remains to be seen.

I'd originally planned

to stay for only a day or two

but now I'm thinking

I should stay a bit longer.

Spend a little quality time

with India.

Hmm. How nice for her.

Charles?

Auntie Gin.

How long have you been here?

Not long.

We're so grateful

that he's taken time away

from his commitments

in Europe.

Europe?

Yes.

Evie, dear, after dinner,

I was thinking perhaps

you and I could talk.

We are talking.

GWENDOLYN:
Alone.

EVELYN:
About what?

Like Richard, for instance.

Richard?

Yes, Evie. Richard.

My nephew, your late husband.

I don't think I'll be forgetting

his name any time soon.

Of course not.

I just thought there might

be arrangements to be made.

Things to be settled.

Our lawyer has said none of this

has anything to do with you.

You're not in the will.

No, dear, I mean something

entirely different.

Like, for example,

maybe we could talk about

your living here

with Charlie like this.

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

EVELYN:
Auntie Gin

isn't shy when it comes

to expressing

her opinions about me.

Like when Richard asked me

to marry him.

What Auntie Gin

might be surprised

to learn is that those opinions

are neither wanted,

needed, or appreciated.

Evie...

You come into my home

and attack me

at a time like this.

GWENDOLYN:
Evie...

I'm sure Auntie Gin

didn't mean anything.

You didn't mean anything

by it, did you?

No.

No, of course not, Evie dear.

Now, would either of you two

like to play something

for us after dinner?

No, thank you.

No, thank you.

(ENGINE STARTS)

Good night, Auntie Gin.

Don't mind Evie.

She's just tired.

Oh, um, what was the name

of your hotel again?

The Biltmore.

The Biltmore.

Maybe we could have

breakfast together.

Just us girls.

Oh, I'm not sure.

CHARLES:
Can you take

her to the Biltmore Hotel?

I'll probably have a headache

in the morning.

CHARLES:
Drive carefully.

Auntie Gin, stay the night here.

Oh, uh...

You made the evening

much nicer.

Oh, thank you, dear.

But an old woman needs time

on her own to recover.

Good night, sweet child.

Call me.

Are there any other hotels

in town beside The Biltmore?

MAN (ON TV):
Even family ties have

no meaning when food is scarce.

This one knows there is no room

for his brother in the hunt.

While this sibling rivalry

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