The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond Page #2

make sure he comes down

to be presented to Aunt Cornelia

impeccably dressed

in the contents of that box.

This is going to be the first

debut party of the season

at which I will shine

with pride.

- Fisher,

Mr. Van Hooven's waiting.

- What?

Oh, my goodness.

Did I forget to tell him

that my escort tonight

is James Dobyne V?

- What?

- What?

- Oh, Van, don't get up.

- You're relieved

of duty tonight.

I have another escort.

So you and Aunt Cornelia

can spend the evening together

discussing old times.

- I don't understand this

at all.

- I don't understand.

- The explanation

is about to enter.

Mr. James Dobyne,

Aunt Cornelia Fisher

and her attorney,

Craig Van Hooven.

Well...

- Dobyne?

- Dobyne?

- Oh, Aunt Cornelia,

surely you remember

Governor Dobyne.

- Governor Dobyne.

- And this young man is-

- His grandson.

Good night, Auntie.

We're terribly late.

Have fun together.

Play cards

or discuss litigations

or consummate

the long romance between you.

Aunt Cornelia,

may I wear the teardrop

diamond earrings tonight?

- Those earrings

are worth $10,000, Fisher,

and the clasps

are getting loose,

and you're so careless

with things.

- It's such a special occasion.

Please, Auntie?

- Oh.

Jimmy,

fasten them for me?

My fingers are shaky tonight,

too much black coffee.

The receiving line's

breaking up.

- What do I do?

- Wait till the lady

extends her hand.

Then just take it and smile.

Why, Caroline.

Why, you've got that band

that played so divinely

at Jessie Strutt's.

I bet when I walk in,

they'll strike up

my favorite number.

- Which is what?

- One moment.

Let me appear.

Fats!

Fats, my song.

Come on, let's dance.

- She tips that band leader $50

for every dance

he plays for her.

- I wonder what she tips

the governor's grandson.

- Shall I inquire?

- I dare you.

- Accepted.

Mr. Dobyne,

I've been released

for the waltz.

- I'm sorry, Miss...

- Caroline.

- But I'm not employed by you.

Excuse me.

- Thank you.

Jimmy.

Where on Earth were you?

What were you doing?

- I promised Dad I'd call him

about Mama's condition.

- Did you?

- It was a promise.

I said I found her fine.

- Your instincts

are infallible.

And you're the cynosure

of all female eyes at the party.

Let's, uh...

- Yes?

- Cool off on the terrace.

- Whatever you say.

- Fisher.

- Yes?

- What lovely earrings.

- Thank you,

my teardrop diamonds.

- Your ears

are weeping diamonds.

- Where'd you get them?

- Naturally, from Woolworths.

Will you let us get through?

This room is suffocating.

How cool,

the river wind.

- Music is so much nicer

from a distance.

See the boat

go round the bend

Good-bye, my lover,

good-bye

All loaded down

with boys and men

Good-bye, my lover,

good-bye

Bye, oh, my baby

Bye

Jimmy?

- Jimmy!

- Murderer's daughter.

- Shut up.

Are you hurt, Fisher?

- Where'd you go?

- If I said, "To pee,"

would it be embarrassing to you?

Oh, Lord, Jimmy.

I'm not sure if embarrassment

is still an emotion

I could feel.

- Let's go.

Come on, Dad.

Let's go.

Come on.

- Lead the way.

- I got you.

- Is this my mail?

- Go through it

right after breakfast.

- I have to go through this

right now.

Another, please.

- Fisher,

you shouldn't begin the day

with two cups of black coffee.

- What should I begin it with,

Auntie?

I must have missed it.

This is the latest

that it could have arrived

if it was ever going to.

- What are you referring to,

Fisher?

- My invitation

to Susie Bracken's party,

the most important

coming-out party of the season.

- Let me go through

the mail for you.

- You wouldn't find it either.

She ignored me completely

last night,

so I'm not surprised.

- I am.

- It's not the end

of the world.

- Nor the beginning.

- Who knows?

I have

an excellent alternative,

an invitation

to a Halloween party

at Julie Fenstermaker's place

next month.

- Where is her place?

- North of Father's, of course,

and so less affected

by the incidents surrounding

last spring's floods.

- Thank you, dears,

for coming today

to support

the Memphis Park Commission.

I have invited a precious group

of Memphis youths to my garden

to perform one of their

darling little pageants.

And this one, I believe,

is entitled

The End of Summer.

- I'm sorry, Mr. Dobyne,

but your mother says

she does not wish to see you

this afternoon.

Come back some other time.

I'm sure she'll be feeling...

differently soon.

Oh!

- Son.

- Yeah, Dad?

- If your mother

don't recognize you anymore,

wouldn't it be better

not to visit her anymore?

Your mother got pride,

you know?

And I think maybe

it might be a relief to her

if you stopped

going out there...

like I did.

She don't want to be seen

by her son

in her present,

awful condition.

- Somebody's got to check

on her present, awful condition

to see that it doesn't

get worse.

- How could it get any worse?

- There are very few conditions

in life that can't get worse

if nothing's done

to at least try to...

check 'em.

Dad, you know

what I could do?

I could serve Fisher Willow

as more than an escort

to parties.

She's hinted repeatedly

that she'd like...

intimacy with me.

- Well...

I just...

- The intimacy would have

to end up in marriage,

maybe not soon

but eventually.

Here comes the Pierce-Arrow.

- Well,

I'll just step inside.

I'll just step inside.

- Take your bottle, Dad.

- Light a cigarette for me,

will you, please?

Am I crowding you?

- No.

No.

- What?

Camels?

- Yeah.

- Good.

I'm gonna test your powers

of observation.

Describe to me

the scene on the package.

Tell me what's all in the

picture on the camel package.

- A camel, man on a camel,

palm tree,

pyramid in the background...

That's all I can remember.

- Most people forget

the figure behind the camel,

the man on foot

behind the camel rider.

- I hadn't noticed him either.

It's so lovely,

so peaceful here.

I almost never feel

really peaceful, you know?

When I accepted

Julie's invitation

to this Halloween party,

I was killing two birds

with one stone.

- Which two birds do you mean?

- Julie was really

my only good friend

at All Saints' College before

I went to the Sorbonne in Paris.

The other bird, well...

I've missed you,

Jimmy,

my only attractive escort

to Memphis parties.

Don't.

Don't go yet.

Why are you so anxious

to leave?

- I'm not anxious.

- Fisher,

you're shivering.

You must be chilly.

- People don't always shiver

because they're chilly.

And how could I be chilly

in my leopard-skin coat?

Really, you are silly, Jimmy.

Isn't that why I like you?

- Hey,

why'd you do that?

- What?

- Jumped out

before the car stopped.

You could have got hurt.

Hurt? Me?

Never, but thanks

for your solicitude.

Oh, Lord.

Do you know what's happened?

One of my teardrop diamonds

has fallen off.

I mustn't move.

Oh, I-I think it fell off

right here where I'm standing.

Look in the car.

It must have come loose

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