The Scapegoat Page #5

- You're not angry?

- No. Why should I be?

She seemed to expect it.

She loves you,

but she fears you also.

The truth is I'm the one

who should be afraid.

She almost jumped out of a window

because I didn't say good night.

I think she loves me.

It's quite an unusual feeling.

You're in a strange mood.

Did something happen in London?

What do you mean?

I don't know.

You seem different.

You were different just now.

- How?

- Not sure.

Gentler, perhaps.

I like that.

- People change.

- That's not so usual.

I'm the proof.

I don't think we know what we're capable of

until we're given the opportunity.

That I do believe.

I have seen what people are capable of

if they are given the opportunity.

- That's why I'm here.

- Why are you here?

We agreed, no stories.

Please? I'd like to know.

You would not understand.

The English do not know what it is like

to be occupied by an enemy.

- I'm sorry.

- Don't be.

That was a long time ago.

But now, you are the hero of war,

with your plate from your loyal men

to their brave captain.

I don't feel very brave.

You're ticklish.

You've been lying to me all that time?

I told you, people change.

You mean ticklish one day,

not ticklish the next?

I don't think that's possible.

- Ahem.

- How did you know I was here?

They said at the bank that you left before lunch,

so I thought I might find you here.

- Oh, I see.

- There's a funeral to attend, sir,

and I'm under strict instructions to

ensure you're not late.

Our father in heaven,

who notices even the falling of a sparrow,

must surely, then, have noted the

untimely passing of Mrs Simpson.

We commend her to His care, and ask His comfort

for those on earth who mourn her passing.

In the name of the Father,

Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

- Amen.

- Amen.

Throw some on there.

Come on, Piglet.

I think it's an early bed for you tonight.

Do fishes go to heaven?

I'm sure they do.

There are rather a lot of them.

Well, if you'll excuse me, I need a chance to

even the score with your mother before she has her rest.

Could I possibly have

a word with you first, Father?

Yes, of course.

It's true a priest cannot reveal

the secrets of confession?

That is correct.

- Can I make one? Please.

- Now?

Well, it is possible.

God's ear is everywhere.

How do I begin?

Dear me, Johnny!

I know it's a long time, but you must remember.

We learnt it together.

- Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.

- Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.

It is a very long time

since my last confession.

- This is going to be a little unusual.

- I think it already is.

I want to talk about

me and my sister.

I see. Go on.

- I think you understand why.

- I do?

Do I? Oh!

- That unfortunate girl, the glass designer?

- Yes.

Yes. That's exactly it.

Alice, wasn't that her name?

Alice Farr.

Quite.

Terrible, quite terrible.

I think, in some ways,

what happened was my fault.

It certainly was not!

The coroner was very clear that no-one

in the family was in any way to blame.

The girl was of unsound mind,

with no respect for the sanctity of her own life.

Your sister, as you know,

took it very personally.

Too personally, in my view,

and your mother agreed.

And then, of course, there was the

very sad business of the poor child.

Never drew breath, of course,

but because of the girl's selfish act,

it could not enter the presence of God

because it carried the stain of mortal sin.

Surely, if there was sin,

it was that of the father?

The father, whoever he was,

had, of course, sinned,

but he can be forgiven.

He would just need to confess

and be given absolution.

- And can he be forgiven for what he did?

- Of course.

You can be forgiven for anything,

provided you make a proper act of contrition.

- Thank you, Father. That was very helpful.

- But that wasn't a confession.

No. No.

Would you mind awfully if I had some

time alone with my mother this evening?

No. No, of course not.

My vow was poverty.

Thank you.

How was the funeral?

Very moving.

I heard about your performance

at breakfast.

It made me laugh.

- What were you thinking, giving your sister perfume?

- I wasn't thinking.

Anyway, Frances loves her locket.

Why the sudden concern for that

barren stick of a girl?

She's not barren.

She has a very beautiful daughter.

Exactly, and that nearly killed her.

Sometimes, I wish it had.

- No, you don't.

- Don't I?

Don't pretend you haven't

thought of it yourself.

If she'd died,

you needn't have worried about a son.

You'd have inherited everything and the family

and the foundry would have been safe,

which is why we chose her

in the first place.

- Is it?

- Well, you know it is.

Well, if we want to keep the foundry safe,

we have to pay the wages,

so I'm thinking of selling the

Vermeer in the study.

Really?

- You don't mind?

- Of course I don't mind.

Although I don't see how it will help.

It's a fake, as you well know.

You've left it a little late to play the saint,

my dear.

The best pictures went long ago,

with the land.

- So, how do you expect to survive?

- I don't.

It's the end for houses like this.

No-one can support them any more.

I mean, look at poor Freddy Thynne,

opening Longleat to the public.

Well, I don't intend to be around to see

strangers gawping at this house.

Zeus once decided to punish a king by

setting out a huge feast in front of him every day,

but each time the king

reached for something to eat,

a winged harpy snatched it away from him,

and so he starved in the face of plenty.

There's a banquet

in front of you here.

There are no harpies,

but you're all still starving.

The inevitable has to be accepted.

Does it? Or is the inevitable something

that comes in a syringe of morphine?

I take my pleasure where I can,

just as you take yours.

What if we stopped, both of us,

just for one day?

Why don't you come down

and greet your guests tomorrow at the shoot?

This house needs you.

It's too late to change.

We are what we are.

I can't see anything at all.

It's like that night we drove to

Inverness on our honeymoon.

Oh, my goodness!

Look, there's a man!

- Oh, yes.

- What are they saying?

- You have to turn up the sound control.

- Oh, yes. Sorry.

New coins for the coronation of

Queen Elizabeth.

The design of the new coins has

already aroused spirited controversy,

with some commentators saying that

Her Majesty looks too girlish.

I'm sorry.

There's something I want to say.

I haven't been

strictly truthful with you all.

I didn't do a deal with Leverton's

in London last week.

I did one this morning.

It isn't a very good arrangement.

In fact, it's pretty bad from our point of view.

So it was a lie all along?

- Why?

- I was a coward.

What I should have done...

What I'm trying to do now is ask for your help.

It's a bit late for that,

don't you think?

I don't see what we can do.

- We shut it down. That's his plan.

- Abandoning the foundry won't save us,

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes