The Bride Wore Red Page #7

- Ride the merry-go-round, boy?

- Well, you can take a ride.

Are you sure you can spare me,

Cousin Giulio?

Don't fall off, cousin.

- Thank you, sir.

- Giulio.

Oh, hello there.

You climbed high

for that edelweiss?

Higher

than I've ever been before.

Higher than anybody's ever been.

If I'd fallen...

- Giulio, you'd do that for me?

- No, for myself.

I think I look very pretty

when I wear flowers.

Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no.

Oh, please.

- Oh, ho!

- Good evening.

- Good evening.

- Good evening, Giulio.

Edelweiss and so beautiful.

Rudi, look.

Some young lady's gonna

be very proud of that.

- Isn't it lovely, Anne?

- Very.

You may have it if you like.

That's quite a tribute.

He must have risked his life

for those blossoms.

I don't like to wear flowers.

They look so lovely

for such a little while.

And they die and look ugly.

No, thank you very much,

postman.

That looks like a nice table

over there, doesn't it, Rudi?

- Oh, none for me, thank you.

- But you must.

New wine never hurt anyone.

Very well.

Oh!

What interesting knees

you have, admiral.

- Those are knees, aren't they?

- They were.

What a wonderful background

for Maddelena, Rudi.

You really should have her

painted in it.

What? Oh, yes, certainly.

After you're married, of course.

I love portraits

of young brides.

They're always so clean-looking,

sweet and stupid.

Thank you.

I was one myself.

Three or four times.

Look, Maddelena, the perfect

image of that young duke..

What's his name? Who followed

you all over Vienna last winter.

Duke in Vienna?

We weren't in Vienna

last winter.

Well, then, Budapest

or whatever it was.

'I mean that young duke

who sent you all those flowers'

'and made such a fuss over you.'

You never told me

about that, Maddelena.

Do you think

she tells you everything?

She can't sit at home

very well and knit

while you run around

making a fool of yourself.

He's such a baby, Anne.

Gets himself constantly involved

with all sorts of women

and then comes running

to Maddelena for help.

Oh, I can't believe that.

I think Rudi knows

what he wants.

You've developed

a taste for wine, I see.

It's very nice.

There must be many things

I've never had

that are just as pleasant.

Oh, there's a fortune-teller

over there.

- I want my fortune told.

- Shall we all go? Maddelena?

No, no, that-that would be

much too embarrassing.

We'll be back as soon as

I find out about my future.

Too bad these fortune-tellers

can't read past.

Forgive me, dear. I'm a fool.

But I do love you.

I must seem

pretty foolish myself.

Loving him as much as I do.

Rudi.

I'm not sure that

I want to be told my fortune.

- It might be very good.

- It might be very bad.

- Are you happy this minute?

- This very minute, mm-hmm.

And this minute stretched into

infinity shall be your future.

- You sound very professional.

- I am. I'm a witch.

I've worn out many a broomstick

in my day riding to the stars.

The stars, but I thought you

disapproved of them as common.

I consult them

for purely professional reasons.

They supply the information,

without which no--

Tell me.

Under the stars.

Wine.

Venus as you may or may not know

is terribly jealous of Mars.

Matter of fact,

she's much more in love with him

than he is with her.

Who says so?

It's common gossip

all up and down the Milky Way.

I'd much rather talk

about your eyes.

The stars, Rudi.

The stars, Anne.

She'd pull the tail of any comet

that even passed by.

Where did you get all

this information? From Mars?

I know Venus intimately too.

Your teeth is so white, and you

laugh deep down in your throat.

Stars, Rudi.

The stars, Anne.

Have you ever seen

falling stars?

- Mm-hmm.

- You know what makes them fall?

- No.

- Venus.

She catches them

winking at Mars.

Oh, look. Now you can

point them all out to me.

Each star by name.

There are millions of stars,

Anne.

I have a good memory.

There's Venus. See, how

she glares at Mars over there.

What's, uh, what's that star

over there?

- Over there?

- Mm-hmm.

Oh, he's just a star.

Comes and goes

every now and then.

No one pays much attention

to him.

His name is Otto.

He never amount to anything.

Everyone says that

he's kind of a drifter.

Anne.

You better take me

back now, Rudi.

I've enjoyed hearing about the

stars. It's been very amusing.

No, Anne.

- Maddelena will be wondering.

- I can't help it.

- But I can.

- You can't either.

You can't go back now.

You can't leave me tomorrow.

- You're insane.

- Of course, I am.

I've seen you every day

and every night

for as many days and nights

as I can remember living.

- I'm in love with you, Anne.

- You love Madellena.

I love you.

You're going to marry Maddelena.

Anne.

Anne, why should my marrying

Maddelena be a problem to us?

I was afraid

you felt that way, Rudi.

I wish you hadn't said it.

- Oh, forgive me, Anne.

- Forgive you?

That's all you can think of.

Yourself.

What you've been through,

what you feel. What about me?

Haven't I been with you

those same days and nights?

Haven't I felt the touch of

your hand when it touched mine?

Haven't I looked

into your eyes too?

- Listen to me--

- No, I'm sorry, Rudi.

I can't see it just your way.

Maybe I want

what Maddelena wants.

To wear my love in the open.

To be proud and happy with you.

It's too bad you never

thought of me like that.

Or maybe you did.

Maybe that's just not enough

of you to go around.

But I want you to love me.

I want you to marry her,

and I want my love to haunt you.

To make you lie awake at night.

To burn your heart,

to make you sick with pain.

I want you to think of me

and to ache for me.

I want never to see you again.

- You can't leave me, Anne.

- You can't hold me.

- As my wife, you'd stay.

- Oh, careful, Rudi.

I might think you meant that.

I never meant anything

in my life before.

Think, Rudi.

You don't wanna marry me.

- Marry me.

- And Madellena?

- What about Madellena?

- She'll have to understand.

- I'll tell her.

- When?

I couldn't tonight.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

'All the world has come

to our festa tonight.'

The night in her bluest gown.

The moon

in his more silver face.

There are pearls on the grass

where tomorrow there'll be dew.

And the signorina to blind

them all with her light.

Wonderful, Giulio.

I've never heard you say

that much before in a week.

I've been known to say

much less, signor

and I've been known to say more.

Fine, you've said just enough.

Shall we go, darling?

- Of course.

- A moment, please.

Since this is the night of the

festa, signor, I beg permission

for one dance

with the signorina.

Certainly not.

Well, this is the one night

of the year, darling

when we forget about..

Giulio is a harmless sort.

I trust him with you anyway.

I've never been known

to damage the wing of a fly.

- You're drunk.

- Signor Pal says it's over.

I'm harmless.

- Drunk? I must be pitiful.

- Where will you be?

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