That Hamilton Woman Page #2

How pleased he'll be with me.

He will indeed, but there's no great hurry.

It's very nice here just now

and it's not costing us a farthing.

It's all very well for you, but what about me?

''Yes, Your Excellency. No, Your Excellency.

Of course, Your Excellency.''

- Oh, how I miss my Charlie.

- Yes, he's a likely, young fellow.

Burt there's no-one good enough for my Emily,

though it's her own mother who says so.

But, Mother, I wouldn't exist without Charlie.

He's done everything for me, everything.

Well, he's... made me a lady.

I know, darling, I know.

Oh! Look at that mountain

with the smoke coming out of it.

The coachman said it went off a few years ago

and killed several people.

That would never happen in Liverpool.

Oh, Mother, you're hopeless. That's a famous

volcano. People come miles to see it.

What do they call it? Charles told me 100 times.

Smoking mountain. Vesuvius, that's it, Vesuvius.

If Sir William asks you what you think

of it, just say it's lovely.

- Yes, dear.

- It's mixed up with the history of Ancient Rome.

Nero set it on fire and said the Christians did it.

Remember, Mother, it's knowing little things

like that that makes you a lady.

(String quartet plays minuet)

Whenever I have a nice piece of fish,

it always makes me think of the sea.

- The what?

- The sea Your Excellency

Oh, yes.

Charles was wonderful about things like that.

- About fish?

- Oh!

You're so funny, Your Excellency.

Every time you call me ''Your Excellency'',

it adds one year to my life.

- Sir William?

- That's getting better

Tell me, my dear.

Was my nephew so positive about coming here?

Oh, absolutely. He would have brought me here

himself, if he hadn't been detained in London.

Just a second, my dear.

As we're to live together under the same roof

I see no reason why we should not

be perfectly frank with one another

As much as I hate to spoil this beautiful picture

that you have drawn for yourseIf of my nephew,

there's one point that must be made quite clear.

Charles Greville will never come to Naples

But, Your Excellency, Uncle,

he definitely promised.

There is a wide gap between my nephew's

promises and his fulfilment of them

The promise he gave me, he will keep.

Your confidence in him is really touching.

Did he promise you marriage as well?

Why deny it? It must be written all over me.

I'm afraid I've got to destroy

those sweet dreams of yours.

My nephew never had the slightest intention

of marrying you.

Either with my consent or without it.

What did you say, Your Excellency?

I said he's not going to marry you, Emma.

But that's not possible.

Why should he send me here with my mother?

It costs a lot of money, the journey.

Perhaps he feIt you would be better off

with his uncle. A nice vacation.

But I didn't need a vacation.

No. No, there must be something else.

And what's to happen after the vacation,

if he doesn't want to marry me?

He's talked of nothing else for years.

It was his idea. I never urged him.

I was quite happy with him just as it was.

Tell me, Your Excellency,

but please tell me the truth.

Did Charles tell you about me?

Do you know about my

He did. And I imagine that was the only thing

he did not lie about.

Oh but please my dear,

I don't want to make you feel ashamed.

Ashamed? Oh, I'm not ashamed.

There's nothing to be ashamed of.

It's true there were men in my life

before Charles, I admit it.

I made mistakes, I was young, I was stupid.

I believed in men and their promises.

Charles knew about me

before he took me into the house,

before he promised to marry me.

And now I'm different, not only my clothes,

but inside.

I'm good. I know I'm good.

So why should he lie to me?

Why did he send me here?

What am I doing here?

Charles had a lot of debts. Did you know that?

Yes, quite a lot, I know.

His debts have been paid to the tune of 5,000.

Besides he has plenty of cash

to save him from new debts for a long time

Oh, I see.

see

He sold you antiques, paintings, and among

the bric-a-brac, a certain Emma Hart.

(Sobs) That wasn't fair.

That wasn't gentlemanlike.

He shouldn't have raised me up

just to throw me down again.

My dear.

Leave me alone. You're just as bad as he is.

Perhaps you haven't made

such a good bargain after all.

I'm not going to stay here.

I'm going away now. Now!

(Sobs)

Oh, don't take it to heart, my dear.

Forget Charles, forget the old memories,

forget London.

I can offer you a new life

and a far more exciting one.

Naples is a wonderful city.

You'll be a success here. You'll like it.

Perhaps not today, nor even tomorrow.

But you are young and the young heal quickly.

You will learn singing and music

under the greatest masters in Italy.

You will speak French and Italian

with our finest teachers.

Everyone of account in Europe comes to my

house. You will meet them all.

You will dine with famous soldiers,

artists and statesmen.

You can't be presented at court, of course,

but you will have a villa by the sea and a coach.

You will have your private box at the opera.

Ever since I first saw you in London,

I feIt this house of mine to be empty,

missing its greatest and most lovely ornament.

You will be that ornament, my dear.

And except for that absurd presentation at court,

you will have everything in life

that a woman could possibly dream of.

What did you say?

Nothing. Try to sleep.

Goodnight, Emma.

MOTHER:
What's wrong, darling?

Oh, mum!

Dear, dear.

(Sobs) Mum, I'm so miserable.

- What's wrong?

- He never wanted to marry me.

He got 5,000 from the old man

to send me here.

He never wanted to marry me.

Don't cry, my sweet.

You're too good for any of them.

I'm going to pack now.

We'll go right back to London and you can give

that precious Mr Greville a piece of your mind.

Plenty of good men want to marry my Emily.

There, now, darling. Don't cry.

There's just as good fish in the sea

as ever came out of it.

(Emma Sobs)

Darling, precious Emily, there, now.

EMMA:
And I forgot London

and the old memories.

I was young I healed quickly.

I learnt French, Italian, singing, and music.

One day I had more than I ever dreamed of.

I became his wife - Emma Lady Hamilton.

(Singing)

Sshh!

My daughter, Her Ladyship, is still asleep.

- Good morning, Contessa.

- Good morning.

My daughter, Her Ladyship, is still resting.

Perhaps you wouldn't mind waiting a little while.

- How was Her Majesty this morning?

- Her cold is troublesome. Her throat is sore.

- Has it gone out of her nose?

-No.

The best way to cure a sore throat

is to wrap a woollen sock at night, going to bed.

- Oh?

- Good morning. Good morning, Contessa.

Good morning, Your Excellency.

- Is Emma still asleep?

- She is asleep.

In my village, a husband just turns round in bed

and looks for himseIf to know.

Yes, and the Queen of Naples does not wear

woollen socks to pin around her throat.

If the Queen of Naples wore a hefty pair of

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