The Paradise Page #8

Season #2 Episode #16

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JONAS (CONT’D)

It is not a failure of a man’s

nerve, sir, to buy or sell. I know

you will have seen cowardice --

seen men collapse with fear ... And

I sense how much you deplore

cowardice. A man of your standing,

an officer, decorated -- to you

cowardice must be a despicable

trait in any man -

TOM:

Enough.

It is not the volume but the ferocity of this that makes

PEOPLE stop to look.

TOM feels exposed, under scrutiny --

TOM (CONT’D)

I’m sorry ... I ...

And two images flash into his mind:

FLORA seeing the scars ...

TOM (CONT’D)

My daughter ... Flora ...

FLORA asking her FATHER will the scars ever go.

TOM pulls himself back, makes himself face JONAS.

TOM (CONT’D)

She was distressed this morning and

it has left me ... I am not quite

myself.

42.

JONAS:

I understand, sir.

37 EXT. THE PARADISE. TOLLGATE STREET - DAY 37

DENISE climbs into a carriage.

EDMUND sees her, dressed so fine and looking so

authoritative. It bemuses him, like a great, painful distance

between them. He calls her name, but his shock makes his

voice low, timid -

EDMUND:

Denise ...

She has not heard him, and the carriage sweeps her away.

DUDLEY is watching too, from the entrance of The Paradise.

38 INT. MORAY’S OFFICE. THE PARADISE - DAY 38

MORAY turns away from the window. He saw too.

JONAS is already in the room.

JONAS:

There is something about Mr

Weston’s time in the army, sir.

Something he cannot bear to speak

about.

MORAY:

Denise has just left the street in

a carriage. Where has she gone to?

JONAS:

You might be better asking Mr.

Dudley about that, sir.

39 INT. LADIESWEAR. THE PARADISE - DAY 39

LUCILLE is pursuing CLARA, anxious, trying to mask her

desperation as she walks through the store with CLARA.

LUCILLE:

Clara, I don’t know what possessed

me to say such things to you --

about my husband.

CLARA:

Like I said, just a few doubts.

LUCILLE:

I couldn’t sleep for fear that -

43.

They pass SUSY and it makes LUCILLE clam up.

By now they are on the stairs, heading for Ladieswear.

LUCILLE (CONT’D)

You didn’t tell anyone what I said

to you, did you?

CLARA has a decision to make ... She just wants done with it.

CLARA:

There was nothing to tell.

LUCILLE:

Because ... I couldn’t bear it if

Ballentine found out. I mean, found

out what I had been saying.

CLARA:

But your mind is made up?

LUCILLE can’t face it, turns away.

She is quick to get in amongst the goods for sale.

LUCILLE:

Oh, I have not see these shawls

before. Do you like them? We must

both have one, Clara.

CLARA:

There is no need for that, Mrs.

Ballentine.

LUCILLE:

I just want to show you what you

mean to me. I have a friend. I have

a true friend.

She looks around to see that they can speak privately. Now

LUCILLE pulls off a ring.

LUCILLE (CONT’D)

I want you to have this.

CLARA:

I can’t accept that from you.

LUCILLE:

You must. Please. To show you.

Friends. Trusted friends.

It is so hurtful to CLARA: to be bought, to be bribed like

this.

44.

CLARA:

There are rules about such things

in the store. If I accept it I

could lose my position.

LUCILLE:

Then don’t tell them. It will be

between us.

It is too much for CLARA: she can’t stop herself -

CLARA:

Do you think you can buy my

sympathy, my friendship, my

silence?

LUCILLE slaps CLARA hard on the face.

CLARA takes it, gathers herself, then -

CLARA (CONT’D)

You are a customer. You are no more

to me than that.

LUCILLE turns on her heels and goes.

40 EXT. GARDENS. BELVILLE HOUSE - DAY 40

FLORA is dancing. She spins around in what seems like joyful

circles. TOM is close by, watching her.

But FLORA is spinning out of control, like she can’t stop

herself. She is spinning wildly now, so that she stumbles and

falls.

By the time TOM gets to her, FLORA is crying helplessly.

TOM:

Did you hurt yourself?

But by now TOM is holding the CHILD and sees that it is

distress that has gripped her.

FLORA:

It’s the same.

TOM:

What is the same, Flora?

FLORA:

The way you are with Katherine. The

same as it was with Mama. Before

she went away.

It’s a shock for TOM, and he holds FLORA tight to him. We see

something shift in TOM -- a moment of reckoning.

45.

41 INT. BALLENTINE’S OFFICE - DAY 41

BALLENTINE finishes reading papers.

BALLENTINE:

The projected income for the next

year ...

DENISE:

Yes, sir?

BALLENTINE:

I imagined it might be more. Is

there a problem?

DENISE:

I erred on the side of caution,

sir. False expectations create

disappointment and a sense of

failure. What I have predicted and

what we reach for are not the same

thing.

BALLENTINE:

(smiles, enjoying this)

Do you have the figures of what you

might “reach for,” Denise.

DENISE produces more papers and BALLENTINE likes what he

sees.

BALLENTINE (CONT’D)

Why did Moray not make this

presentation himself?

DENISE:

Please don’t hold this one small

omission against him, sir. He has

built The Paradise from nothing. He

knows better than anyone what it

takes to make the store successful.

BALLENTINE:

The proposal meets with my

satisfaction, Denise. But I have

other considerations to take into

account. I will not keep you

waiting for an answer too long.

DENISE:

Thank you, sir.

She’s up and ready to go.

BALLENTINE:

He’s a fortunate fellow. I hope he

knows it.

46.

She smiles at him and nods shyly before she goes.

42 INT. BELVILLE HOUSE - NIGHT 42

TOM comes to the door to KATHERINE’s room. He turns the

handle, but the door is locked -- blocked by a chair on the

other side.

43 INT. KATHERINE’S BEDROOM. BELVILLE HOUSE - NIGHT 43

KATHERINE looking at the door as TOM tries to open it.

A whispered voice from the other side of the door.

TOM (O.S.)

Katherine ...

But she buries herself in her bed and pulls the blankets up.

44 INT. THE PARADISE - DAY 44

DUDLEY finds MORAY staring at the Birds of Paradise.

MORAY:

The Birds of Paradise -- were they

Denise’s idea?

DUDLEY:

You underestimate me, Moray.

MORAY:

I do sometimes forget what you are

capable of, Dudley. I found her

sitting in my chair. As though she

were trying out the throne.

DUDLEY:

(laughs)

Do you suppose I haven’t done the

same? And Sam? I once found Arthur

sitting there. We are all allowed

to daydream, Moray. There is no

harm in it.

MORAY:

I seem to be jumping at shadows,

don’t I.

DUDLEY:

You know why ...

MORAY looks at him, asking for the answer.

47.

DUDLEY (CONT’D)

You are consumed with such

underhand business with Jonas and

Fenton that you refuse to notice

that Ballentine is the perfect

financier for you. Why is that?

It is MORAY’s own moment of reckoning and he can’t deny it.

MORAY:

Because Denise found him. She wooed

him.

DUDLEY:

Denise brought you a gift. She did

it for you. Because she loves you.

You have lost sight of what

matters. You prefer to dally with

Katherine Weston in the belief that

you can -- who knows what ...

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