The Paradise

Season #2 Episode #16

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EXT. TOLLGATE STREET - DAY 1

Close on the sign above the shop: Lovett’s Drapery.

EDMUND is staring up at it, mesmerised by it.

DENISE passing, full of purpose.

DENISE:

What are you doing, Uncle?

EDMUND:

Having your name above a shop --

it’s no small thing.

DENISE:

(laughs)

You’ve only just noticed?

She passes on and into the store.

EDMUND shakes off the regret that haunts him.

MORAY and DUDLEY on the move. DUDLEY teasing MORAY.

DUDLEY:

You’ve forgotten, haven’t you.

MORAY:

Clearly I have or I would know what

you are talking about.

DUDLEY:

Five years. This week. Five years

since that sign went up -- since

this place stopped being Emmerson’s

Drapery and became The Paradise.

MORAY finds himself looking up at his sign.

2

EXT. THE MAZE. GARDENS. BELVILLE HOUSE - DAY 2

FLORA in the maze, running, enjoying herself.

She turns a corner and is startled to find TOM right there.

Before she can squeal, he puts his finger to his lips: be

quiet.

He takes FLORA by the hand and leads her away.

2.

KATHERINE is moving through the maze, searching. She has been

like this for some while, growing baffled, growing

increasingly anxious.

KATHERINE:

Flora? Flora, darling, where are

you?

3 INT. MORAY’S OFFICE. THE PARADISE - DAY 3

Tap-tap on the door. DENISE enters in a hurry. She finds the

office empty, turns on her heals, heading away again.

But she stops. A thought has taken her. A naughty thought.

She considers it for a moment.

Now she walks into the office and -- she can’t resist it --

she sits in Moray’s chair. It feels good.

DENISE is basking in this bliss when someone comes in. She’s

caught ... by MORAY. He sees her there like this. It throws

him, disturbs him.

DENISE laughs and -

DENISE:

You caught me. I’m sorry, darling.

I couldn’t resist. I have always

wondered what it must feel like to

sit here.

MORAY:

Perhaps I ought to be careful where

I leave my trousers lying.

It’s teasing between them, loving.

4 EXT. GARDENS. BELVILLE HOUSE - DAY 4

In the garden, TOM sits with FLORA at a table with tea and

cakes, a smile on his lips. He speaks quietly to FLORA.

TOM:

It’s a game. Whatever Katherine

says, we don’t speak to her.

KATHERINE comes out of the maze and sees TOM and FLORA at the

table.

KATHERINE:

Heavens! What a trick. I might have

been searching for you the whole

day.

She gets to the table and joins them.

3.

KATHERINE (CONT’D)

It has quite jangled my nerves.

TOM flicks a look to FLORA: The game is on: they ignore

KATHERINE.

KATHERINE (CONT’D)

Tom, darling, did you hear me?

But TOM has ears and eyes only for FLORA.

TOM:

Flora, shall we go and play in the

maze?

FLORA:

Yes, Papa.

FLORA dare not even look at KATHERINE.

KATHERINE:

Tom! Flora. What are you doing? I

am talking to you -

TOM:

Flora, sweetheart, will you chase

me or shall I chase you?

FLORA:

You chase after me, Papa.

They are going. It’s too much for KATHERINE.

KATHERINE:

Do I not exist today? What is going

on? Speak to me! Tom, you have been

like this for days. Like a ghost

staring at me but saying nothing.

What is the matter?

But his look of ghostly indifference makes her fraught.

KATHERINE (CONT’D)

I demand that you speak to me.

TOM simply takes the watch from his pocket and regards it for

a moment, before returning it to his waistcoat.

He takes FLORA by the hand and leads her to the maze.

KATHERINE is left plagued with guilt and fear.

5 INT. LADIESWEAR. THE PARADISE - DAY 5

LUCILLE BALLENTINE is in her thirties: jolly, sparkling,

kindly, fun, she's also a working class lass.

4.

LUCILLE:

What a dress this is. I feel like

I’m wrapped in butter. It’s

heavenly.

(but doubt takes her)

Is it heavenly? I mean, do I look

foolish in it? Should I buy it?

SUSY:

It’s perfect, Ma’am. I think so.

Perhaps ... What do you think,

Clara?

DENISE returns and is watching LUCILLE.

CLARA:

I promise you, Madam, it is a most

tasteful and fashionable choice.

LUCILLE:

When do I wear it? I know some

dresses are for evening ...

CLARA:

Ma’am, this dress can be worn at

any time.

LUCILLE:

Oh, but this is all such fun and

you are so kind to help me. What

shoes does a lass wear with this

dress?

CLARA:

What kind of footwear would you

prefer, Madam?

LUCILLE:

I would prefer you to choose.

Everything you have chosen so far

is just perfect.

DENISE is taking all of this in, curious ...

CLARA:

The Gibson, with the low heel.

Would you like to try a pair?

LUCILLE:

If you can have them all wrapped up

my husband will come in to pay.

CLARA:

Of course, Mrs. Ballentine.

LUCILLE:

Darling Ballentine does love to

spoil me. It’s not too much, is it?

(MORE)

5.

LUCILLE (CONT'D)

It’s not coarse and unladylike to

buy so much?

CLARA:

Not at all, Madam. We will have it

all ready for you.

She’s escorting LUCILLE back to the changing room, but

LUCILLE doesn’t want to go: she feels clinging, needy.

LUCILLE:

I was a nurse, y’know. With hardly

a pair of boots to my name. Look at

me now. Who would have dreamed ...?

SUSY:

I never dreamed I would have such a

fine uniform to wear every day, and

such fond friends to share a dorm

with.

This seems to affect LUCILLE: she hides it with an even

brighter smile.

LUCILLE:

Who will deliver the parcels?

SUSY:

The Delivery Lads deliver, Ma’am,

on the delivery wagon.

LUCILLE:

Oh. I was rather hoping it might be

you, Susy. Or you, Clara. So I

could try them all on and you could

tell me if ... And you could see

our chandeliers and feel how thick

the carpets are ...

DENISE:

If you would care for a morning

fitting at home, Mrs Ballentine,

that can of course be arranged.

LUCILLE:

Yes. I like the sound of a fitting.

We could have tea and scones. Oh,

but perhaps scones are only eaten

in the afternoon?

DENISE:

My apologies, Ma’am, what I meant

to say was:
an afternoon fitting.

She’s made LUCILLE laugh. Still she doesn’t want to leave.

MORAY and DUDLEY are passing through.

6.

DUDLEY:

Of course we must mark the

occasion. Window displays, flags

and bunting throughout the place --

I thought perhaps Birds of

Paradise, hung from the ceilings.

All manner of decorations.

MORAY:

I appreciate the sentiment, Dudley,

but are these times for us to revel

in our position?

DUDLEY:

Every bright bauble will be a poke

in the eye of Tom Weston. I like

the thought of him seeing what we

have achieved here.

MORAY:

Yes. Then let us do it.

6 INT. THE THREE CROWNS - NIGHT 6

EDMUND is at the bar with SAM and MYRTLE when DENISE comes in

with SUSY and CLARA.

DENISE:

Uncle Edmund, that’s the third

night I have found you in here.

Audrey will be wondering where you

are.

EDMUND:

Don’t fret, our Denise. Hell’s

teeth. I sent her a note to say I’m

on my way.

SAM:

Far be it for me to interfere in

another man’s marriage, but ...

Wouldn’t it have been better if

you’d taken the note yourself?

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