by David Hare
Marion comes back in.
Marion What’s going on?
Isobel ignores her, not noticing her.
Isobel And there’s nothing you can do. You can see it coming, and you still can’t do anything.
Marion Katherine’s going mad.
Tom She won’t get into the pub.
Marion She’s in the kitchen. She seems to be taking up floorboards.
Isobel Oh, God, she must have a hiding place.
Marion anticipates Isobel’s departure by shaking her head.
Marion It’s too late. She’s already got it.
Isobel I thought I’d looked everywhere.
Marion She says you won’t give her a job.
Isobel Well, I can’t.
Tom I’ll go.
Tom goes out towards the kitchen. Marion is looking at Isobel with disdain.
Marion How can you have been so incredibly stupid?
Isobel What was I meant to do?
Marion I’d have thought it’s fairly obvious. You have to pretend.
Isobel Pretend? Pretend what? That I have lots of money? That I don’t have any partners? That we don’t all have to work alongside each other, three to a rather small room?
Marion Why didn’t you say, ‘Well, I don’t know yet. Come to London.’
Isobel That’s exactly what I said.
Marion Keep her calm. String her along.
Isobel I tried.
Marion Lie to her.
There’s a moment’s pause.
Isobel No.
Marion Why not?
Isobel Because I can’t. She pushed me. I could have said, ‘Yes, fine, there’s a job.’ But there isn’t. She’d have found out pretty quickly. What’s the point of lying? (She looks at Marion a second.) Anyway it’s wrong.
Marion Well, that’s it.
Isobel What?
Marion There you are. That’s what it’s about. That’s why she’s crying in the kitchen. With a bottle of whisky in her hand. Because you can’t understand there are actually more important things in life than your wretched sense of honesty.
Isobel looks at her, not rising to the charge.
Isobel Well, in that case why won’t you offer her a job?
Marion Don’t be ridiculous. I’m in the Conservative Party. We can’t just take on anyone at all.
Isobel What, and I can?
Marion It’s different.
Isobel How?
Marion You know perfectly well. It’s quite a different world. With extremely high standards of intellect and conduct. Civil servants have an extremely competitive and highly ordered career structure. In which you get very few marks for being an abusive alcoholic.
Isobel Oh, so you think she’s just right for me.
Marion shakes her head, angry.
Marion No, it’s you who always says there’s nothing wrong with her. You always say, ‘Oh, she’s fine. Just restless.’ But when the moment comes … that’s the end of your so-called principles. You’re so like Dad.
Isobel It’s nothing to do with principles. (She sits down, lost.) I’d just like to be sure we do the right thing.
Katherine returns, silently. She appears quite quickly, then moves towards them, a new gentleness in her manner.
Katherine Well, this is much nicer. I apologize. I was being shitty. (She leans over the top of Isobel’s chair and kisses her.) Isobel.
Isobel It’s fine. (Characteristically, she takes Katherine’s hand for a few seconds.)
Katherine I’ve spoken to Mrs Hurley. I was in the kitchen. Lunch will be ready in three-quarters of an hour. She’s planning a rabbit and vegetable pie.
Suddenly Tom appears. He has obviously been running in pursuit of Katherine. Katherine smiles.
I outsmarted him. I’ve hidden the bottle again.
Tom I’m sorry, Marion. I tried.
Marion looks at him unforgivingly. Now Katherine is suddenly emotional, the alcohol flowing round in her and coming out as tears.
Katherine It gives me confidence, and I must say today I should be allowed a little confidence. Given what lies ahead. (She smiles bravely, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. She sits down.) Your dad never told you, he actually met me when he stopped one night in a motel. It was in the Vale of Evesham, he was coming back from the North. I don’t know how I’d ended up there. I was working the bar. It was appalling. Trying to pick men up – not even for money, but because I was so unhappy with myself. I wanted something to happen. I don’t know how I thought these men might help me, they were travellers, small goods, that sort of thing, all with slack bellies and smelling of late-night curries. I can still smell them. I don’t know why, I’d been doing it for weeks. Then Robert came in. He said, ‘I’ll drive you to Gloucestershire. It will give you some peace.’ He brought me here, to this house. He put fresh sheets in the spare room. Everything I did, before or since, he forgave. (She sits, tears in her eyes, quiet now.) People say I took advantage of his decency. But what are good people for? They’re here to help the trashy people like me.
Marion looks disapprovingly from the back.
Marion Well, I suppose that’s one way of looking at it.
Katherine It did make me laugh. The ring you gave Robert is missing.
Marion I’m sorry?
Katherine Yes. Today I went into his room. I was planning to give it to you. The funny thing is, I guess you’d already taken it.
Katherine smiles. Marion looks cornered, shifty.
Marion Oh, yes. Actually I did pick it up. For its sentimental value, that’s all.
There’s a pause. Isobel and Katherine are smiling. Tom is looking down.
Isobel Katherine, I’ll take you tonight.
Katherine No, really.
Isobel You say you want a job. You can start with me tomorrow.
Katherine That’s very nice of you, Isobel.
Isobel looks at her warily.
Isobel I’d like to feel it would mean you gave up the whisky.
Katherine I can’t promise. I can promise I’ll try.
Isobel stands. She smiles. Katherine gets up and embraces her.
Oh, Isobel.
Tom stands admiring the couple in each other’s arms.
Tom Perfect.
Marion I must say I’m pleased.
Marion and Katherine embrace now.
Katherine.
Tom Praise the Lord.
Marion What?
Tom No. Nothing. I’ll shut up.
The three women look at him. He stands a moment, cheerful, embarrassed.
I’m sorry. It just slipped out.
At once the sound of Irwin’s voice, almost overlapping as the scene is replaced by Isobel’s studio, which is a room half office, half studio, in which there are three dominating draughtsmen’s desks, each with its own stool. Late evening. The lights are burning, Irwin is returning to his desk with a sheet of tracing paper. Irwin is an apparently modest man, in his late twenties, his curly hair smartly cut short. He wears blue jeans, more or less identical to Isobel’s and a coloured sportshirt. He is calling offstage to someone we do not yet see.
SCENE THREE
Isobel’s office.
Irwin I’ve got everything on file. I can’t help it. I file everything. I even filed at school. (He sits at his desk and resumes working.) Every scrap of paper. Everything in place. I don’t know what it means. Someone once told me it meant I was prematurely middle-aged.
Now we see Isobel joining him, carrying two cups of coffee, one of which she sets down by his desk. She is still in her jeans, but with another sportshirt which is only subtly different from Irwin’s.
Isobel Well, I don’t like to say. I mean, about the filing.
Irwin I know.
Isobel And do you keep private things?
Irwin Certainly.
Isobel I’ll bear that in mind. (She smiles and goes to her own desk, where she also begins to work.)
Irwin It’s silly. I even have a file marked ‘Smashe
d Dreams’.
Isobel Go on.
Irwin You know, when something goes wrong, something you’ve dreamt about, when you know it just isn’t going to happen, I pile up all the bits and pieces, and then put them away.
Isobel smiles.
Isobel Give me an example.
Irwin There was a waitress …
Isobel I haven’t heard this.
Irwin I was seventeen.
Isobel What was she like?
Irwin She was great. I painted her, actually.
Isobel I’ve never seen that.
Irwin Yeah. She has veal parmigiana in one hand and kidneys turbigo in the other. With peas. I was very keen on colour in those days. And she had one of those actual uniforms – like twinkies, you know? The black and white costume. With the colour of the food. The composition was excellent.
Isobel And what was the dream?
Irwin smiles.
Irwin The dream was – oh, you know – we’d have a cottage in Suffolk. We used to go to Liverpool Street, and buy all the local papers. Search through. Even now when I hear the words ‘East Anglia’, it’s like a hand enclosing my heart.
Isobel has got down from her stool and is now standing behind him, looking at his work.
Isobel It’s very good.
Irwin I like the gun. I’m pleased with it.
Isobel I like the wound.
Irwin Oh, really? (He hands her a photo.) I used Reagan’s. I found it in a paper. I looked at Kennedy’s. But it was too much.
Isobel is looking thoughtfully at the photo.
Isobel The only thing I remember is, Alexander Haig ran through the White House screaming ‘I’m in charge! I’m in charge!’
Irwin It was funny.
Isobel I know. But I have to tell you – this is shocking – it’s the only time I’ve ever found a politician sexy.
Irwin God!
Isobel I know.
Irwin That is really not good.
Isobel I know. It’s appalling. It makes no sense to me. It annoys me. (She smiles.) There ought to be some justice.
Irwin (quietly) That’s right.
Isobel There is no justice. A woman responds to the most deplorable things.
She stands a moment. They are both completely quiet, not looking at each other. Then she blushes bright red, looking down.
Irwin You’re blushing.
Isobel No. I’m sorry. (She looks away, half giggling, very embarrassed.) I was thinking of something you do.
There is a contented silence. Neither of them moves or looks at the other.
Irwin (quietly) Do you think we’ll have a child?
Isobel Mmm. There’s a fair chance of it.
Irwin Will you marry me?
Isobel turns and looks at him.
Will you marry me now? If I ask?
Isobel I think we will get married.
Irwin Uh-huh. (He sits, thinking.)
Isobel It’s something Dad said – for no reason – a few days before he died. Absolutely no reason. It was weeks since I’d mentioned you. He only met you once. He said, ‘Will you marry Irwin?’ I said, ‘Yes, I rather think I will.’ (She suddenly looks up, sharply.) What’s that? I heard something drop. (She goes to the door and opens it, picking up an envelope as she does.) It’s a note.
Irwin Is anyone there?
Isobel No. They’ve gone.
She closes the door, having looked down the corridor. She opens the envelope and reads. Irwin hunches down over his work.
How extraordinary. It’s from Gordon.
Irwin Oh, yes?
Isobel He says if he sees me, I’ll dissuade him. But he’s decided it’s time to move on. (She looks up.) What has got into him? (She moves quickly across the room to the telephone.) Shit, what’s his number?
Irwin He won’t be home yet. If he dropped off the note.
Isobel What a fathead! Why couldn’t he face me? Really! Irwin?
Irwin Because he can’t resist you. He thinks you’d get him back.
There’s a silence. She looks at the note, then at Irwin.
Isobel What’s going on? Did he talk to you?
Irwin Just a little.
Isobel Did he tell you he was going?
Irwin Not in so many words.
There’s a silence.
Is it Katherine?
Irwin doesn’t answer. But Isobel is surprisingly calm and gentle when she speaks.
Why didn’t you tell me if that’s what it is?
Irwin Because, really, it’s none of my business. He was slightly put out, it is true.
Isobel I should have asked him first?
Irwin Not that. You know she’s quite difficult.
Isobel She’s impulsive.
Irwin Yes. Also she’s proprietorial. We work very hard, the money isn’t brilliant …
Isobel I’m trying to improve it.
Irwin I know. I’m not criticizing. But before Katherine came, Gordon had job satisfaction to compensate. And I think he probably felt that had gone.
Isobel thinks a moment.
Isobel (decisively) I’ll call him up.
Irwin Also – let’s be fair – it was always a bit odd, even before Katherine came. He was in love with you.
Isobel You think so?
Irwin I haven’t any doubt.
Isobel looks at Irwin uneasily.
Isobel He never said.
Irwin Of course not. He was fifty. And looked like Sydney Greenstreet. He was also very sweet. My guess is he’d never loved a woman. So think about it. He’s living at a certain level of pain. But there are privileges. Like, he sees you every day. You give him your attention. Things are pleasant. And stable. Till Katherine.
Isobel is suddenly quiet, looking at Irwin.
Isobel You seem to understand this. Do you feel the same way?
Irwin puts down his pen, serious.
Irwin It’s different for me.
Isobel Why?
Irwin Because we’re together. I have you.
Isobel So you mean you’ll put up with Katherine?
Irwin Partly. (He looks down.) Anyway, now it’s a practical question. Who’ll do the books?
Isobel Well, she can. Can’t she?
Irwin Accounts? Katherine?
Isobel Katherine can do maths. She’s not incompetent.
Irwin It’s just we used to be running a business. Now you want us to do social work.
Isobel stands, brought up short by what Irwin has said. She looks at the telephone.
Isobel I can’t call him. Not if that’s the situation. Oh fuck, why is everything so hard?
She stands, lost. Irwin watches her a moment.
Irwin What actually happened at the funeral?
Isobel Oh … (She waves a hand uselessly.)
Irwin I didn’t like to ask before.
Isobel No. I didn’t like to say.
Irwin You never said anything. You just came back with Katherine.
Isobel I haven’t had time to decide what I feel.
Irwin How was Marion?
Isobel All right. (She laughs in anticipation of her story.)
Did I tell you, they’re building a swimming pool in their back garden?
Irwin That sounds very nice.
Isobel That’s what I said. Till I realized it’s for Tom to do his conversions. I was looking at his suit trousers, I noticed they were wrinkled. He said they’re always like this. It’s because he wades in. If you look carefully round his chest, you can see a sort of watermark. I said, why can’t you baptize people in swimming trunks? He said, the Lord expects a certain level of decency.
Irwin is smiling.
Irwin What did Marion think about Katherine?
Isobel Oh. She was desperate I give her a job.
Irwin looks at Isobel significantly.
Don’t look at me like that
Irwin I’m sorry.
Isobel I hate it. What are you thinking?
Irwin I don’t know, I wasn’t there
at the funeral, I can’t gauge. But it seems to me everyone landed her on you.
Isobel No, it’s not true.
Irwin Does Marion like her?
Isobel Of course not.
Irwin Well!
Isobel That’s not the point. I just feel – she hasn’t said this – I just know that if I tried to get rid of her now, it would be disastrous for her self-confidence. She’s just lost her husband. She couldn’t face the future. She was frightened. She was lonely. If I hurt her now, it’ll put her right back on the drink.
Irwin pauses, doubtful.
Irwin Yes, I’m sure, but …
Isobel What?
Irwin Isn’t that a form of blackmail? I’ve had friends who’ve been through all this. The threat is ‘put up with everything I do, or else I’ll drink again’. Don’t alcoholics just drain everyone around them?
Isobel Yes, but she’s stopped. She’s ex-alcoholic. She’s been here three weeks and not touched a drop.
Irwin Not in front of us.
Isobel That’s really unfair.
There’s a pause. Irwin looks down.
We’re doing something for her. We’re helping her. She’s happy here. I know all the problems. But we can’t just pull out of it now.
Irwin smiles.
Irwin Do you want to go to bed?
Isobel No. I did. I wanted to, ten minutes ago.
They are both smiling.
What are you laughing at?
Irwin Now Katherine’s climbing into our bed.
At once Katherine comes in. She is wearing a large coat, and underneath it a smart shiny blue dress. Her arms are full of flowers.
Katherine Flowers! Flowers! Flowers for everyone!
She dumps armfuls down on the table, then takes some across to Isobel.
Look, Pacific orchids. They’re incredibly rare.
She sets these down beside Isobel, then starts to take off her coat.
Isobel What on earth’s going on?
Katherine The man’s outside. I’ve bought his whole stall.
Isobel What time is it?
Irwin Nine.
Katherine Do you have any money? The wretched man’s followed me. I’ve said I’ll go back tomorrow.
Isobel Irwin?
Irwin shrugs slightly and goes out to pay the man
Katherine I walk that way every day. Why can’t people trust you? Stupid little man.
Isobel What are you celebrating?
Katherine I’ve sold the house.