Summer in February Page #4

- Yes, as long as she takes her time.

No, no, no, no, Knighty.

Strike while the iron's hot, Harold.

That's what Florence and I do,

isn't it, mm?

Ah, the old boy.

Gilbert, old boy,

haven't seen you in a while.

Terribly busy spell.

You know how the colonel is.

- I've been up to London.

- Yes? Another exhibition, is it?

No, I wish it was. Old Carter-Wood.

Prospects, all that nonsense.

How did you find him?

I found him a silly old bugger.

There they are, the love birds.

I'm only resting my eyes.

Please do carry on.

May I ask you something?

Of course.

When you're painting,

you often hit the canvas quite hard.

It's so different to Laura and Harold

and the technique

that they use to apply paint. I...

- It often looks quite er...

- What?

- Clumsy?

- No, not clumsy at all.

- I was just wondering -

- Just wondering?

Just wondering, were you?

You'd better just take

a bloody good look.

Look at my right eye. Do you see?

- Look at my right eye. Look.

- I'm looking.

And the reason for this,

my dear Florence,

the reason for this clumsiness,

my dear Miss Carter-Wood,

is that I'm completely blind

in my right eye.

Blinded as a boy, by a blackthorn,

chasing a bloody, silly dog.

And that is why this...

...bumps into that.

Flo, come on. Hey.

It's a big change ahead of you...

and it's a big step.

But he's a great man AJ.

He's going to be famous.

Yes. You're right.

Of course you're right.

Yes?

Hey.

All right.

Any luck?

Not yet.

I don't suppose

there's any news on my hut.

Surely once you're married,

you'll have everything you need.

No, I still need a place of my own.

Do you?

Yes. Somewhere that I can be

away from everybody else.

I'll have a word with

the colonel when I get back.

Back? From where?

I'm wanted for a training exercise.

You won't miss the wedding,

though, will you?

When is it, exactly?

Two weeks from Saturday.

- Two weeks Saturday?

- You'll be there, won't you?

Please.

Fancy a drink?

Now?

- Can I come in or was I...

- No, please do.

Bit of a strange request,

to tell you the truth.

Sit down.

I have to go up to London early,

a few things to do, this and that.

And one way or another,

I won't be back before the wedding.

And it's soon, I hear.

Mm, the point is...

...Florence and I would like you

to accompany her to London.

Me?

- What about Joey?

- No, it has to be you.

I think she needs you with her.

You mean a great deal to me, Gilbert.

You mean a great deal to both of us.

You know that.

You do realise

what you're asking me?

Yes, of course I do.

We need your help.

All right.

Top man.

Morning.

- Florence.

- I know what you're thinking.

I know what you're going to say,

but please don't.

Come on! Come on!

None of this mooning about.

Plenty to see in here.

Plenty to see.

One thing in particular.

What would Constable

make of this lot, eh?

I cannot believe that I've dreaded

rejection from this bunch of pansies.

- I rather like this one.

- Huh?

It has something.

You do, do you?

Yes, the blues and reds,

I think they work.

I'd leave the art to the artists

if I were you, my love.

I've seen better work

in a Cornish urinal.

And this is why you're here.

May I present "Morning Ride".

What do you think?

Is it me?

Well, it's a picture of you.

What about the other one?

Yes, he has caught them, hasn't he?

No, I mean the gypsy woman.

I hadn't noticed her.

Well, have a good look...

...because she...

because that

is one of his as well.

- And Dolly.

- Dolly?

You didn't know? You're his friend

and you didn't know.

No, not Dolly, I doubt they...

Because now the whole world

knows about AJ and his women,

of whom I am one.

Then why...?

Why?

Why am I happy one day

and bored the next?

I can't begin to account for it,

can you?

It's all so... unaccountable.

It is a strange feeling,

having given oneself away so lightly.

Lightly?

But then...

...AJ is a genius.

And there's no one else

in the world like him.

And he loves me.

I'll ask him

to take that down and he will.

Excuse me.

A quick word.

I'm not going to do it tomorrow.

- Oh, you're not?

- No.

But you will be there?

I don't know.

Oh.

But I...

I'm sure Joey will step in.

Up to you.

People at the back,

a little bit in, thank you very much.

- AJ, if you love me, take it down.

- Take what down?

A-J, I meant what I said.

Take it down.

If you love me, take it down.

My portrait? My portrait of you?

Are you mad?

No, I'm not. Leave your other women

up there, but take me down.

Well, friends, my Suffolk friends...

- Sons of the soil.

- Yeah!

And my... Cornish friends.

My Cornish family in a manner of

speaking,

who see the world as I do,

who capture the world

as it passes...

...who see the sparkle of the sea,

or the shimmering coat of a horse.

And the light of a beauty

on a lovely day.

Hear, hear.

And what a beauty she is.

Hear, hear.

I'm truly a very lucky man,

because

I get to see this wonderful woman

for the rest of my life,

but if you want to see Florence

you don't have to go to Florence.

You don't even have to go to Paris.

If you want to see

this beautiful woman,

captured for all time,

all you need

do is go to the Royal Academy.

Yes, go directly to room nine.

The rest is a load of old nonsense

in my opinion.

And go and see my beautiful wife.

I'd like to raise a glass

and toast Mrs AJ Munnings.

To Mrs Munnings.

I wanted to say...

- To you, Gilbert.

- Cheers.

I say-

I'm not interrupting anything.

Florence!

Florence!

Call a doctor! Florence?

Did she fall?

Where and when

she got the poison I do not know.

They took her to the London Hospital

and, thank God, saved her life.

Now they're coming back to Lamorna

and staying here...

...at the hotel.

Gilbert...

Gilbert.

Good to see you, old boy.

What's for dinner, hmm?

Come on.

- You heard Joey's staying in London?

- Yes, very sudden, wasn't it?

No appeal, I'm afraid.

Father was adamant.

He preferred life to art,

didn't he, our Joey?

- What exactly do you mean?

- He preferred life to art.

Nothing wrong with that.

Preferred Dolly to daubing.

So what's he up to now?

At it hammer and tongs, I imagine.

You can hardly blame him... Dolly.

Time for a drink, I think.

Gilbert?

Yes, thought as much.

Mrs Jory!

He insisted on coming back

straightaway.

I'm sorry?

He seems on top form

when you're near.

He wanted you to come back here?

Yes.

And... and you had no choice?

I had a choice.

As my father would say,

I've made my bed.

Now it seems as though

I must lie on it...

and in it.

So you'll still want

that studio, then?

More than anything in the world.

It's good to see him, though.

Very.

Good old Gilbert.

It feels better being here.

Yes, I think it will be better,

for both of us.

Yes, I thought it would have...

...pleased you.

It does.

You could always talk to Laura...

...about things.

You know, woman to woman and all.

- It's perfect.

- There's a few things need doing.

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