The Ploughman's Lunch Page #12

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Somewhere in the house a PHONE RINGS. There are footsteps.

James crosses to a window which faces out over the garden

which is large and well-kept.At some distance away a

gardener is raking leaves. Another man comes and talks to

him and then disappears from sight. This is MATHEW, Anne

Barrington's husband.

The door opens slowly. TOM, the ten year old son of

Matthew, stares at James.

After a pause.

JAMES:

Hello.

TOM:

Hello.

JAMES:

I'm waiting for your mother.

TOM:

She said awfully sorry, make

yourself comfortable, she won't be

long. .

JAMES:

Thanks.

TOM:

Why not sit down and wait?

JAMES:

Okay, I will.

TOM:

She's not my mother, anyway. My

mother's in Italy.

JAMES:

Oh, I see.

TOM:

Have you come to talk about me?

JAMES:

Not at all. History.

At this Tom leaves the door and advances into the room.

TOM:

What period?

JAMES:

Suez. 1956.

TOM:

Do you want to hear my list of

English Kings and Queens?

JAMES:

All right.

TOM:

It goes from Henry VIII.

(In rapid monotone)

Henry VIII, Edward IV, Mary,

Elizabeth I, James I, Charles I,

Charles II, James II, William and

Mary, Ann, George I, II, III and

IV, Victoria, Edward VII, George

V, Edward VIII, George IV, Elizabeth

II.

JAMES:

What about the Cromwells?

TOM:

They don't count.

Anne Barrington comes in. Aged about fifty-five, very

attractive still, and fit.

ANN:

Mr. Penfield. I am sorry to have

kept you.

JAMES:

It's kind of you to see me.

ANN:

Tom, Daddy would like to see you

in the garden. And will you ask

Betty to bring us some coffee.

And remember to say 'please'.

Tom leaves. They watch as he closes the door with

exaggerated care.

ANN:

He's a little unhappy. I hope he

wasn't a nuisance?

JAMES:

He was delightful.

INT. STUDY - DAY

Ten minutes later. Anne sits behind her desk, James sits

across from her. The HOUSEKEEPER sets down a tray and

leaves.

Anne appraises James and deals with the coffee, and for

the first time in the film we take a long, hard look at

him too. The light flatters. The notebook at his side,

his patience and deference, the well-cut suit...he is at

least credible.

ANN:

My first husband worked for the

BBC. I doubt if anyone there

remembers him now, just another

long dead diligent administrator.

He would have been useful in the

fight to preserve the BBC's

independence during the Suez crisis -

one of the few things he was

passionate about. I became involved

too. I started work on a book

that would have been published on

the tenth anniversary of Suez.

Then he died, and I loots the will

to write it. By the time I was

over his death, other books had

been published, and it wasn't worth

going on.

JAMES:

What a shame.

ANN:

It wasn't much more than a pot

boiler.Suez was very important for

our generation. I didn't want it

to be forgotten. And that's why

I'd like to be able to help you.

But really Mr. Penfield, I looked

through my notes before you came,

they're all very much out of date,

there's been so much published

since. I don't think I'm your

man.

JAMES:

(smiling, uncertain)

Well, I am a great admirer of your

work. I read your books on Chartism

when I was still at school. I'm a

journalist, not a historian. There

are questions of method, and

approach. I wondered--

ANN:

I see. Are you a socialist, Mr.

Penfield?

JAMES:

Yes.

ANN:

Good. Suez was a minefield for

both parties.

EXT. GARDEN - DAY

The Garden, same time. Tom wanders aimlessly near the

house. He comes to one of the library windows and peers

in.

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