The Great Lie Page #9

get to sleep till early this morning.

It's 10:
00. I've laid your clothes out.

That wretched lunch.

What am I going to do?

The first thing you'll do is drink your

coffee. Ain't nobody coming for an hour.

And me and Jefferson done got

everything under control.

Well, give them their mint juleps

when they arrive.

And then smoked turkey

and Virginia ham...

...and then all the hot dishes

out on the buffet.

I don't want anything to go wrong,

Violet.

Oh, is Kovak up yet?

Her? Laws, yes.

She was up with the birds.

Had breakfast and then come

to the nursery and took the baby.

Where?

What's the matter with you this morning?

You're as white as the tablecloth.

She just took him for a little walk.

They is down on the lawn.

- He's not a bit afraid, is he?

- No. No.

You're not afraid, are you?

All right.

- Good morning, Maggie.

- Good morning.

Hello, sleepy head.

Hello.

I'm sorry I slept so late.

I'm getting dressed now.

Take your time. I'm getting acquainted

with this young man.

He's a darling.

Yes, isn't he?

I'm thinking of stealing him.

You better not try it.

Here, Miss Maggie.

Pete.

- Pete.

- Maggie.

I've changed my mind since last night.

If you think I'll stand by...

...let Pete think that child is yours

and say nothing, you're crazy.

Why didn't you tell him the truth

when he came back?

Why did you lie to him?

I didn't lie to him.

Pete thinks that child is yours.

He is.

- What?

- I didn't lie to Pete.

The child is mine.

Your part was finished

the minute you gave that baby to me.

From that day on,

I had only one purpose in my life...

...to make that baby mine

and to forget that you ever existed.

So you told Pete the baby was yours.

What did you think I'd do about that?

Oh, I don't know what I thought.

That you'd never come back.

That perhaps you'd marry

and stay away for years.

Perhaps you'd die.

I hoped you would.

But I didn't die and I haven't stayed

away and I want that child.

Sandra, you walked away from

that baby without one backward look.

- I've seen him.

- You could anytime. We made no rule.

I was in Australia.

It takes more than an ocean to keep a

mother from a child she wants to see.

All those months, you never

wrote me one line asking about him.

You were perfectly satisfied to have him

off your hands.

Why, if that had been my child,

I'd have never given him up.

But he's not your child

and you're going to give him up.

You could justify that lie to yourself

but you can't justify it to Pete.

He'll never forgive you, Maggie.

Oh, you're not going to tell Pete,

are you?

You see, you're afraid. You don't dare

tell him how you've lied to him.

I'll tell you something else you're afraid

of. You're afraid you'll lose Pete. You will.

He never loved you as he loved me.

You were second choice.

You caught him on the rebound.

There's only one thing holding him

to you, Maggie, and that's my baby.

I'd be too proud to hold a man

with another woman's child.

Pete...

...come here.

- What's the matter?

- Sit down.

- I've got something to tell you.

- Oh, what?

I've lied to you about Young Pete.

What do you mean?

I mean, he isn't mine.

- What are you talking about?

- He belongs to Sandra.

Sandra's his mother.

He's mine, Pete.

Yours and mine.

I'll tell you as simply as I can.

When you were in South America

before you were missing...

...Sandra told me she was going

to have a child.

Your child.

And then when you didn't come back

and we thought you were dead...

...well, it wasn't an easy situation

for Sandra to face alone...

...so I went away with her and stayed

until Young Pete was born.

Then I persuaded her to let me take him.

It was the only way he could have

the place in life he was entitled to.

He was your son.

So Sandra gave him up...

...so he could have that place.

Wait a minute.

That's why you went to Arizona alone.

That's why you didn't take Violet

or Aunt Ada with you.

- Yes.

- Yes.

I thought there was something funny.

You were always so shy

about taking the credit for Young Pete.

And I remember you saying once:

"No matter who the mother is,

the baby would be perfect."

Yeah.

At the time,

I thought that was rather sweet.

I liked it.

And you, Sandra.

Ever since you've been in this house...

...you've been hammering sarcastically

at Maggie about that baby.

The "proud mother" business.

I thought there was something.

- Pete, don't you see that...?

- Yeah.

You told everyone that the baby

was yours. You lied to everyone.

When I came back, you even lied to me.

How long did you intend to go on lying,

Maggie?

Well, I couldn't bear the thought

of losing either of you.

Well, why are you telling me now?

Because now Sandra wants the baby.

- You're gonna take the baby away?

- He's mine, Pete.

When I gave him up,

I didn't know you were still alive.

- It's different now.

- How is it different now?

Sandra just told me that I was only

holding you because of Young Pete.

Her child.

And that if you knew

I'd lied to you, you...

Well, you'd leave me.

Stop. Stop it.

- Haven't you any sense?

- Oh, but...

Shut up.

Don't act like a crybaby.

Well, Sandra...

...the baby is yours.

If you want to take him...

...there isn't very much I can do about it.

He's a fine little chap...

...and we'll miss him, naturally.

Maggie...

...thank heaven we've got each other.

Oh, yes.

Here they is.

Your mammy and your pappy.

The company is almost here.

It's time for this little rascal

to have his nap.

Now kiss your mammy.

And your pappy.

And wave bye-bye to the lady.

And come on with Violet, honey child,

to your little bed. Yeah.

I wonder if I could have a drink.

Oh, of course.

Maggie, I'm not staying for lunch.

What about Young Pete?

I'm leaving him with his mother.

Come on.

If you look like that,

people will think I beat you.

If you don't stop, I will. Now, come on.

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