Tamara Drewe Page #3

NICHOLAS:

No, no I met her when I was on

Desert Island Discs.

BETH:

You put her in your book!

NICHOLAS:

Just the name.

BETH:

And Desert Island Discs was a year

ago.

NICHOLAS:

Yes but -

BETH:

Once or twice?

NICHOLAS:

I was going to tell you but

Beth utters an inchoate cry.

GOLDENROD REVISIONS 20.10.09 11A.

19C EXT. EVENING. STONEFIELD. THE GROUNDS (PATIO)

Tess hears it.

19C

Shhh!...

TESS:

Beth’s pained voice drifts out of the house.

BETH (O.S.)

You lying PIG!

A hush falls over the table.

19D INT. EVENING. STONEFIELD - DOWNSTAIRS. 19D

NICHOLAS (CONT'D)

Beth, I’m a ruin, I know - but I’ve

been in a real state about this... I

didn’t want to hurt you.

Another wounded cry from Beth.

19E INT. EVENING. STONEFIELD. KITCHEN. 19E

In the kitchen, Andy picks up his plate and goes.

GOLDENROD REVISIONS 20.10.09 12.

19F INT. EVENING. STONEFIELD - DOWNSTAIRS. 19F

Beth is incandescent.

BETH:

How can you lie to my face?

NICHOLAS:

Can we talk calmly about this?

There are people out there

BETH:

You look me in the face and LIE!

NICHOLAS:

For God’s sake; we’re surrounded by

novelists

BETH:

You BASTARD!

19G EXT. EVENING. STONEFIELD. THE GROUNDS (PATIO) 19G

A thrilled intake of breath goes round the table. The writers

(with the exception of Glen, who is mortified) are poised

like scavengers, waiting for more.

19H INT. EVENING. STONEFIELD - DOWNSTAIRS. 19H

NICHOLAS:

Beth, we’re like a pair of

compasses...

BETH:

Don’t you dare

NICHOLAS:

Joined solidly at the top but with

the ends able to roam, in freedom -

His phone beeps.

BETH:

That’s from her isn’t it? Are you

keeping her waiting?

Nicholas finally snaps.

NICHOLAS:

We’ve talked a lot about the *

creative mind and we agreed that it *

needs freedom to explore! *

GOLDENROD REVISIONS 20.10.09 12A.

BETH:

(leaving the house)

Take your freedom. I can’t live

like this any more. It makes me

feel WORTHLESS!

20 EXT. EVENING. STONEFIELD - THE GROUNDS (PATIO/PORCH). 20

Casey gawps, fascinated.

Nicholas is following Beth outside. Her agony travels through

the quiet evening air. The writers are open-mouthed.

NICHOLAS:

Calm yourself down!

BETH (O.S.)

Go set up home with Patel. See if

she does your tax return.

NICHOLAS (O.S.) (CONT'D)

Will you please

BETH (O.S.)

Do you love her??

Diggory’s fork stays in mid-air. Glen is horribly fascinated.

GOLDENROD REVISIONS 20.10.09 13.

NICHOLAS:

(Firmly)

This is pointless.

BETH:

Is she young?

NICHOLAS:

For heaven’s sake.

BETH:

IS SHE?

NICHOLAS:

YES!

The guests are hanging on every word. Beth retreats back into

the house.

BETH (O.S.)

If you leave here tonight to be with

her... Don’t come back.

NICHOLAS:

Beth...

For a moment, she hopes he’ll apologise.

NICHOLAS:

You’re making fools of us both.

Beth, tears stinging, picks a plant out of the tub by the

door and hurls it, roots and all. It’s a direct hit.

BETH:

Liar.

Glen cringes. Beth slams the door.

Nicholas wipes soil off his glasses; brushes it off his

shirt. He realises with a sinking heart that he must pass the

writers to get to his car.

DIGGORY:

I didn’t know they provided material

too.

20A INT. EVENING. STONEFIELD - DOWNSTAIRS. 20A

Beth, her back to the door, is regretting her gesture.

20B EXT. EVENING. STONEFIELD - THE GROUNDS (PATIO/PORCH). 20B *

EUSTACIA *

Beth does everything for him you *

know; *

(MORE)

GOLDENROD REVISIONS 20.10.09 13A.

EUSTACIA (cont'd)

types his manuscripts, deals with *

his agent, makes his female *

characters convincing. *

Nicholas still at the door, listening. *

EUSTACIA *

She even came up with the name Dr *

Inchcombe. *

DIGGORY *

No wonder he’s bored. *

EUSTACIA *

I hope she takes him to the f***ing *

cleaners. *

Nicholas walks to his car. Silence. He roars away. *

20C INT. EVENING. STONEFIELD - THE KITCHEN. 20C

Beth comes into the kitchen. Her eyes flicker over pictures

of her daughter and Nicholas. She is in shock.

20D EXT. EVENING. STONEFIELD - THE GROUNDS (PATIO). 20D *

Glen is mortified. *

GLEN *

At the end of the day, this is why *

I’m glad to be single. *

20E INT. EVENING. STONEFIELD - THE KITCHEN. 20E

Beth is going through agonies of self-criticism.

BETH (V.O.)

Nadia Patel. Gazelle eyes. Tantric

sex.

We see her thoughts: An exotic clinch. Nicholas in thrall to

Nadia’s confident passion.

BETH:

(To camera)

Why would he choose me?!

20F EXT. EVENING. STONEFIELD - THE GROUNDS (PATIO). 20F *

The gossip flutters round the table. *

TESS *

Will she take him back, that’s the *

question. *

GOLDENROD REVISIONS 20.10.09 13B.

EUSTACIA *

Would you? *

TESS *

I’d be torn. *

EUSTACIA *

He’s far too up himself. *

TESS *

What about the farm though? *

Splitting up all this? Must be *

worth a fortune. I think she’s *

very rash, making him choose... *

*

GOLDENROD REVISIONS 20.10.09 14.

21 EXT. EVENING. STONEFIELD - THE KITCHEN. 21

Alone, Beth weeps. *

22 EXT. NIGHT. EWEDOWN - OUTSIDE THE PUB. 22

Nicholas is walking Nadia to his car. *

NADIA:

Thought you weren’t going to come.

NICHOLAS:

I was busy. Rowing with my wife.

NADIA:

Where are we going?

Home.

NICHOLAS:

NADIA:

To your farm?

A look of frustration crosses his face. He turns to her. *

NICHOLAS:

We could have gone on just as we

were.

NADIA:

But you said you wanted to be with

me...

NICHOLAS:

Yes. In London. Now and then.

Nadia looks at him. The scales are beginning to fall. Theyget in the car. As they drive away, Tamara’s car pulls up.

She gets out of the car and takes in the pub before entering.

*

*

23 INT. NIGHT. EWEDOWN - THE PUB. 23

Tamara enters. Zoe, a buxom Australian, is behind the bar. *

*

GOLDENROD REVISIONS 20.10.09 15.

TAMARA:

Big glass of rioja please. And I

need a room.

ZOE:

Sure, how many nights?

TAMARA:

Don’t know. Just one.

Zoe pours the wine. She’s disarmingly friendly. *

ZOE:

You here on business?

TAMARA:

No. Business of a kind.

ZOE:

I don’t mean to pry; I’m just

really nosey.

TAMARA:

I’m from here. Sort of.

ZOE:

Nice place.

Tamara smiles her disagreement.

ZOE (CONT'D)

I keep meaning to leave but... Hard

to get away.

TAMARA:

My mum’s house is just up the road.

ZOE:

You’re not staying with her?

TAMARA:

She’s. She died.

Zoe finishes pouring the wine.

ZOE:

Have that on me. And here’s your

key. Up the stairs, right in front.

You can’t miss it.

Tamara utters her thanks, surprised at Zoe’s kindness. She

takes her drink and the key upstairs. Zoe remains, grinning.

We see why.

Andy Cobb has just walked in. Zoe pulls him a pint.

ZOE (CONT'D)

Didn’t think I’d see you tonight.

GOLDENROD REVISIONS 20.10.09 16.

ANDY:

Bit of an atmosphere at Stonefield.

ZOE:

Tell me everything... *

Andy shakes his head. *

ANDY:

Marriage. Remind me never to try it.

ZOE:

Andy, you’re just a sex object. No

one’d have you.

He grins back at her.

24 INT. NIGHT. EWEDOWN - THE PUB. TAMARA’S BATHROOM 24

Tamara is in a deep bubble bath. She glances at herself inthe mirror, scrutinising her beauty. She fingers her nose.

Slowly a look of doubt steals over her - as if she’s not

quite comfortable in her own skin.

25 INT. DAY. STONEFIELD - THE KITCHEN. 25

Glen is eating his breakfast looking at all the Hardiment’s

family memorabilia in the kitchen. Andy is eating toast. *

GLEN:

So the Hardiments have lived here

centuries, huh?

ANDY:

No, ‘bout twenty years. Stillstrangers by local standards.

Beth comes in, tense, anxious and haggard.

BETH:

Andy, come and look at Ingrid. Ithink she’s coming into heat.

She goes out.

GLEN:

She’s a nice lady.

ANDY:

Yeah, I owe her a lot.

GLEN:

Husband’s a sleazebag, huh? *

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