The Paradise Page #4

Season #2 Episode #16

---

DENISE:

And what is so wrong with that?

MORAY:

Nothing is wrong with that.

DENISE:

When he talks about business

matters he is as sharp as the best

of us. I believe that if we were to

approach him with a proposal -

MORAY:

He has a pretty bride who has taken

a fancy to the store -- darling,

those are not grounds for us to

believe the man is a suitable

investor.

DENISE:

Are you against it because I have

brought the suggestion to you?

MORAY:

I’m sorry. I’m not at my best ...

19.

DENISE:

What is it that is making you so

irritable, so distracted?

MORAY has to hide the guilt and fear that are riding him.

DENISE (CONT’D)

Is it Katherine?

MORAY:

What do you mean?

DENISE:

I saw her when we went to dinner.

She hardly spoke a word. She was

festering with rage.

MORAY:

I think she’s unhappy in her

marriage. She almost said as much.

DENISE:

You went to see her?

MORAY:

Yes. To plead with her to rein back

her husband. His dabbling in the

business of the store is making

life here quite impossible.

DENISE:

But you didn’t tell me you were

going to see Katherine.

MORAY:

While they are our masters, we must

deal with them, my darling. As best

we can.

DENISE:

Please be careful. She has not

forgotten. She will never forget.

MORAY:

We will find a way to be free of

them and The Paradise will be mine

again. Then our lives can begin. I

promise you.

18 INT. KATHERINE’S BEDROOM. BELVILLE HOUSE - NIGHT 18

KATHERINE stirs from her sleep, her eyes opening slowly.

There is someone standing there in her room. A MAN.

She is afraid to look, but makes herself, and she sees ...

20.

It is MORAY standing there. He smiles at her. Takes a step

towards her.

It is too bewildering for KATHERINE: she buries her face in

her hands.

When she looks again he has gone.

19 INT. THE GREAT HALL. THE PARADISE - DAY 19

DUDLEY has laid out drawings of the store decorations. MORAY

examines them.

MORAY:

Quite a splash.

DUDLEY:

And a small flag for every

customer.

He pins a Paradise flag onto MORAY’s collar.

ARTHUR brings messages for MORAY.

ARTHUR:

Mr. Moray, sir, your messages.

MORAY glances through the missives and hands them to DUDLEY

with a teasing wink.

MORAY:

Dudley can deal with these.

20 INT. DRAWING ROOM. BELVILLE HOUSE - DAY 20

TOM is brought in to find FENTON and JONAS waiting for him.

FENTON:

Mr. Weston. Let me th-thank you for

agreeing to see me. We parted on

bad terms:
I would b-be indebted

should you allow me to show you the

r-r-r-respect you deserve.

TOM:

I am listening, Mr. Fenton.

FENTON:

You do not w-wish to sell. I accept

that. We shall both of us proceed

on that understanding. But it would

be d-d-duplicitous of me were I not

to advise you of my intentions.

FENTON waits, but TOM simply nods for him to go on.

21.

FENTON (CONT’D)

My brother and I have a store in

Manchester and one in Liverpool. We

wish to expand South and, indeed, N-

N-North. Our intention is to be the

f-f-first and, sir, the only

national formation of Emporiums.

TOM:

You propose to build here?

FENTON:

We have a site. Plans are being

drawn.

JONAS:

Until now, Mr. Weston, the battle

has been between the small shops

and The Paradise. That war was

easily won.

FENTON:

If I b-build there will be an

almighty clash on an altogether

different s-scale. A price war.

Your best staff might well be

tempted by better offers. Customers

will b-b-be at the very least

divided.

TOM:

Why would you wish to forewarn me?

It means that I might arm myself

against your intentions.

FENTON:

It is a battle I will w-w-win. But

it will be a costly affair. I would

prefer you -

TOM:

To accept defeat now? In the

comfort of my own home.

FENTON:

Not defeat, n-no. Perhaps a more

personal triumph. You will

appreciate that a businessman must

be -- sh-shall we say single-

minded? If I build I intend to

employ Moray as my store manager

and I will provide him with

whatever funds are needed to

succeed. If you sell The Paradise

to me, I will cast Moray into the

wilderness. Never to return.

TOM takes his time, looking from FENTON to JONAS. Then -

22.

TOM:

No.

FENTON:

I understand that em-m-m-motion

might get the better of judgement,

sir, so I will wait for one week

whilst you allow yourself some ref-

f-flection on the matter.

FENTON is leaving, but TOM stops him.

TOM:

Let me explain. What you describe,

Mr. Fenton, are the circumstances.

But what you are dealing with is a

man. If I buckle to your demand it

will be because I am a coward.

(that word is difficult to

get out)

I will never do that.

FENTON and TOM nod tense farewells and FENTON goes.

JONAS watches TOM, alone now: he has seen something in that

last exchange which still reverberates around the room.

21 EXT. LOVETT’S DRAPERY. TOLLGATE STREET - DAY 21

EDMUND is scrubbing and scraping at his shop front.

SAM and ARTHUR are supposed to be helping.

ARTHUR:

Once you take your name down, that

really is the end, isn’t it.

EDMUND:

It is.

SAM:

But you have to. Take it down. I

mean, you can’t paint Edmund Lovett

up there again in bright new

colours because -- well, what’s

that going to look like?

EDMUND:

But if my name isn’t above the shop

then what is it I am supposed to be

selling? Anyone interested will

want to think they are buying a

going concern.

It’s true, but he is wriggling.

23.

ARTHUR:

You could just write up there:

Draper’s Shop.

SAM:

There you are, see. From the mouths

of babes.

EDMUND:

Yes. Well. It is for you to have

opinions and for me to decide.

There’s a grudge about him, something building.

It’s Sunday and the GIRLS are heading out for their picnic.

EDMUND looks across the street to where DENISE is laughing

and chatting with her FRIENDS, in the thick of things,

belonging.

It sends him back to his work with a renewed rancour.

22 EXT. GARDENS. DEERNESS HOUSE - DAY 22

A picnic blanket on the ground. Hampers bearing a banquet of

treats. Champagne aplenty. LUCILLE is already tipsy, with

that affected gaiety about her again.

LUCILLE:

Eat up, girls. You’re not allowed

to leave until you are properly

indulged.

MYRTLE:

Five girls on a blanket and not a

man in sight! No one’s going to be

indulged today.

They ALL laugh, but CLARA and DENISE see how much LUCILLE is

drinking.

LUCILLE:

Have more meat. There’s peasant. I

mean pheasant.

DENISE:

Where I come from, peasant is a

delicacy. We have them with an egg

on top.

It’s such a jolly, giggling-girl mood, but DENISE and CLARA

know that LUCILLE is fragile, that the mood could shift in an

instant.

LUCILLE:

I’m a peasant. As good as. I know

you all know it. I don’t know how

to dress, how to walk, how to talk.

(MORE)

24.

LUCILLE (CONT'D)

You must be wondering how I got

myself a husband like Ballentine.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes