This Time for Keeps Page #4

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to go on to this other place and--

Nora, what do you know about this guy,

anyway?.

He`s just somebody

who walked in off the streets.

I`m a big girl now, Ferdi.

You`re not angry, are you?.

Does it matter much?.

Ferdi...

...once when I was a little girl,

you were angry with me...

...or at least I thought you were.

I couldn`t go to sleep for hours

that night.

I couldn`t go to sleep tonight unless l--

Well, unless I knew for sure

that everything was all right between us.

Nora, there will never be a time when

everything won`t be all right between us.

Thank you, Ferdi.

Well, off to sleep, big girl.

It`s getting kind of late.

Yes, I suppose it is.

Good night, Ferdi.

Good night, Nora.

Now, don`t you oversleep in the morning.

You and I are enemies.

[PlANO PLAYlNG]

Getting him that job with Cugle

didn`t help the situation.

He might as well be working here.

-What`s he doing here?.

-Watching.

Yeah, watching Nora.

He should be home exercising his throat.

Instead, he`s around here

exercising his eyes.

You`re the boss. Why don`t you tell him

no visitors allowed during rehearsals?.

Nora might get angry

and a wise doormat wouldn`t risk that.

She`d get over it.

Well, if you`re so sure,

why don`t you tell him?.

All right, I will.

And diplomacy won`t be the keynote.

Who does he think he is?.

Hanging around and hanging around.

I`ll tell him.

-Good morning, Dick.

-Oh, good morning.

What do you think of the change

in the act?.

Fine, I guess. Of course,

anything Nora does is beautiful.

Hey, Ferdi.

We need a little rhythm. Come on.

[MUMBLlNG]

I don`t know what`s the matter.

I should have told him off

right then and there....

[PlANO PLAYlNG]

-Dick, l`m worried.

-What about?.

Well, I think l`m falling in love with you.

I can see why that might worry a girl.

I`m worried because, in my family,

we always do everything together.

Even falling in love?.

Isn`t that hard to arrange

or have you tried it?.

Well, only once before

and that was a big mistake.

Oh, in the end it was all right.

We all fell out of love together too.

[PlANO PLAYlNG MORE LOUDLY]

You`ll like my family, Dick.

Hope they`re not snowed in.

Sometimes the lake freezes over too.

-Where do they live?.

-Mackinac lsland.

You know,

we could make it in a few days.

-What about the show?.

-Oh, I have an understudy.

I have an in with the producer too...

-...or hadn`t you noticed?.

-I had noticed.

Does Ferdi bang music at him too?.

Oh, l`ll fix it with both of them.

-Permission granted.

-Let me get this straight.

Before we can fall in love,

I have to pass inspection by your family?.

No, no, of course not.

Not the whole family.

Just Grandma.

Well, don`t look so worried.

She`s a dear. You`ll see.

-Richard.

-Oh, Harriet.

Sit yourself down.

What`s the matter, Richard?.

I`m worried about my boy.

We haven`t seen much of Dick lately.

I know. He is mixed up.

It`s the late war.

Harriet,

I ask you to do something for Dick.

Of course, Richard.

Right away today,

you announce his engagement to Frances.

What does Dick think about it?.

Harriet, it`s like this.

For five years now,

who has been thinking for Dick?.

Top sergeants.

Now, we who love him, we think for him.

We want him to be married and happy.

No more war nerves.

So I ring up the Gazette for you.

It`s very unorthodox.

But I suppose

we can have a reception later.

I will finger the number.

Well, there`s the home base

of the Cambarettis.

Isn`t it beautiful?.

Well, come on.

NORA:
Hello, Teddy.

-Nice to see you again, Miss Leonora.

Nice to see you.

There are only a few hundred people

here in the wintertime.

Most everything`s all boarded up.

My great-grandfather

bought property here.

In the summertime, I suppose.

Then my grandfather built the house.

Tell me about Grandma.

Well, she was

a very famous equestrienne.

You know,

they`re the aristocrats of the circus.

She turns her nose up at my swimming.

Now, how could just riding a horse

compare with your swimming?.

Just riding a horse?.

Why, Grandma did a double somersault

off one horse to a horse in back...

...and a single somersault

off a running horse...

...to a horse running

in the opposite direction. Ha-ha.

Just riding a horse.

Have I told you there are only two of us

at home now, Grandma and Deborah?.

Oh, really?. Somehow I expected to face

a whole pyramid of Cambarettis.

WOMAN:

Deborah.

It`s Nora and the young man in question.

-l`ll open the door.

-All right. And mind your manners.

Yes, Grandma.

Deborah, there you are.

-Didn`t you expect me?.

-Oh, yes, darling, of course.

Your nose is cold.

-This is Deborah.

-How are you, sixth generation?.

DEBORAH:

How do you do, sir?.

Nora, stop dawdling out there.

Come in.

And close the door.

Hello, Grandma.

-How are you, darling?.

-Nora, darling.

Oh, Grandma,

I want you to meet Dick Johnson.

Dick, this is my grandmother.

Oh, how do you do?.

Nora`s been telling me all about you.

You`re better looking than the other

young men Nora`s brought up here.

Grandma, there was only one other one.

Nonsense, you`re young. You forget.

-Deborah.

-Yes, Grandma.

Show Mr. Johnson where his room is.

Thank you.

DEBORAH:

lt`s upstairs.

NORA:

Hurry down, Dick.

-We`ll be here in the living room.

-Right.

It`s all right, isn`t it, Grandma?.

I mean, you can tell that he`s all right,

can`t you?.

Before I make a decision

about a man`s character...

...I like to see him without his overcoat.

Well, nobody`s gonna rush you,

Grandma.

You take all the time you like to decide.

Why, you know,

I haven`t even kissed him yet.

Nora...

...stop lying to me.

Well, I haven`t given myself up to it.

How does Ferdi feel?.

Oh, he likes Dick.

I mean, how`s Ferdi`s health?.

He`s fine.

He goes around with Dick a lot.

I think he likes him.

Sometime before you leave,

l`ll have a little talk with this young man...

...ask him a few questions.

Grandma, don`t ask him about money.

I`m sure he hasn`t any.

Are you going to support him?.

No, no. He has a job coming up.

A very good job.

Singing with Cugat`s band.

What`s his family background?.

Well, I don`t know.

He doesn`t seem to like to talk

about his family.

In fact,

I rather think he`s all alone in the world.

So l`m not to inquire into his finances

or his family.

What shall I ask him?.

Ask him how is his health.

He made a good impression on me, Nora.

Thank you, darling.

I`m here.

Oh, good.

Great Grandma dropped off to sleep

and Nora`s waiting for her to wake up.

When you`re old, you nod off easily,

but you don`t sleep long.

Oh.

You`re nervous, aren`t you?.

-A little bit.

-l`m on your side.

Thank you, Deborah.

DEBORAH:

Here comes Great-Grandma now.

All right, all right.

I can still totter around.

Yes, Grandma.

Now, young man, Nora`s asked me

for an opinion about you.

Yes, I know.

DEBORAH:
Shall I stay, Grandma?.

-Certainly.

It`s a family matter.

-I like your looks.

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