THEME MUSIC PLAYS
BIRDSONG
BIRD TWEETS
BIRDSONG
IMAGINED THUD
SHE EXHALES
I have to tell you something.
Save your breath, I know everything.
THUD
Bella, look at me.
No.
HE GROANS
SHE INHALES SHARPLY
SHE SNIFFS
BIRDSONG
You're up indecently early.
I could say the same thing about you.
Well, I'm catching the first train.
Business in Genoa, is it?
Yes. The consulate. I'm filing a complaint against Danioni.
The way he's handled this ghastly business with my painting. You?
Er...
Of course. What else?
SHE GASPS
SHE INHALES SHARPLY
SHE EXHALES
SHE SNIFFS
SHE SIGHS
TRAIN HORN HONKS
TRAIN HORN BLARES
TRAIN BRAKES SQUEAL
WAVES LAP GENTLY
SEAGULLS CAW
HE CHUCKLES
BELL RINGS, HORSE WHINNIES
HORN TOOTS
Signor Fanucci, I presume.
Mr Ainsworth.
A pleasure to meet you.
HE CLEARS THROAT
Come va? Very well, thank you.
Very well. Yes.
Mm.
I think I tend to agree with you.
Thank you.
Your man is late.
Give him a minute. He's very dependable.
Is that him?
The very same.
I told you he was reliable.
Francesco has been a great help to me, packaging the painting.
Ah!
Do come back down for a glass of brandy and a cigar.
Of course.
Arranging its transportation.
Ten thirty? First floor bathroom.
I'll bring every weapon in my armoury.
'I hate to drink alone.'
And handling the paperwork associated with its delivery.
Which, as you can see for yourself, is very much complete.
Andretti ti ha dato un messaggio per me.
Let's stick to English, please.
I speak a little, Signore.
Though sometimes it's beneficial to pretend he doesn't.
Hmm.
Did Andretti give you a message for me?
Is Andretti happy?
He confirms that the painting
has been handed over in perfect condition.
Excellent! I'll see you when I get back.
Your receipt.
I've included a reserve price of £50,000, as agreed.
Although we are clearly expecting a great deal more.
And this is your advance in the form of a bank cheque.
25% of a reserve price. Less our commission.
Looks about right.
And I have your absolute assurance the sale will be handled privately?
Discretion is our byword, Mr Ainsworth.
HE CLEARS THROAT
HE INHALES SHARPLY How foolish of me.
There you go, Fanucci.
Proof that you now have in your possession, a 100% genuine,
cast-iron, copper-bottomed Rubens.
MAN CHUCKLES OUTSIDE
CHILD YELPS, WOMAN LAUGHS
CHILD LAUGHS
- It was very good. -Was it?
I can see you move when you're speaking.
CHILD LAUGHS, WOMAN GASPS
WOMAN LAUGHS You're too quick!
MAN LAUGHS
That seemed like a bit of a cheat.
BELL RINGS
CAR HORN HONKS
Erm, cashier. Yes?
Thank you.
Er, telegram, please.
' "Sorry. School of Rubens. Not Rubens.
' "Worth a try. Sold anyway. £1,000.
' "Will wire your share. Cecil." '
Margot! Trecentocinquanta lire.
Margot! He's done it again!
Could you pour me a cup of tea, please? With everything.
Thank you. Lucian?
Lucian!
Hmm?
Thank you.
Lucian, play with us.
Uh-huh-huh!
Reporting for duty, ma'am.
You can be Teddy.
Oh, can I?
"Hello."
Teddy likes Annabelle.
Does he? Now, which one is Annabelle?
There. Oh! Then Teddy has impeccable taste.
But he can't be her sweetheart.
No? Just because he's a bear?
It's too soon, silly.
Why is it too soon, Lots?
I don't know. It's what Mummy says.
But they can still sit together.
Lucian!
We're having ourselves a little tea party.
Could I have a word?
Of course you can. Here? In private.
Righto. Aw!
It's all right, Lots. I'll be back in a moment, I promise.
"Bye-bye!" LOTTIE CHUCKLES
It's all right. We'll have our own tea party.
Where did you get this?
Where I got this doesn't matter. What it says does.
Why are you showing it to me?
Oh, Lucian! I mean it, Alice. Why?
To stop you making a bloody fool of yourself!
And the rest of us.
Lucian!
Oh! There you are.
Look, I... Wait, wait, wait! I have the most wonderful news.
I have... I've just spoken to Heddon.
You're not going to believe this.
It turns out the painting was insured, after all.
We're going to make quite a tidy sum from the payout.
Enough to put a bit towards Lucian's wedding
and pay off a few debts I've accumulated,
and maybe even bung a few hundred your way for this place.
But only if you promise not to use it to pay your father back.
HE CHUCKLES
I... I thought you'd be happy.
Sweetheart...
I can't be happy.
W-Was Billy still locked up?
Billy?
Oh.
Yes, of course.
Perhaps I can, er, see to that myself.
And then maybe when I get back... we can talk.
Bellakins...
It was a nasty shock you gave me.
I mean, how's a chap supposed to react,
if he finds out his wife's been carrying on behind his back?
And the whole town seems to know about it.
I mean, I see now...
..I was perhaps a little more... heavy-handed
than perhaps was necessary.
Yes.
It's really not what you think.
Hush, now. No need to make up excuses for my benefit, honey.
I... I did provoke him, you see.
Don't give me any of that "I blame myself" nonsense.
Most kinds of men don't need provoking.
And I know most kinds of men.
Do you want me to cover you up?
No, no. I'll be fine. Thank you so much.
Well, at least let me put something on that cut.
You know you're stronger than him, don't you?
I don't think my face would agree with you.
I'm not talking about that kind of strength.
Any fool can use his fists.
I've seen everyone here, they... look to you...
..for guidance, for wisdom, for support.
Thank you, Mrs...?
Please, Claudine.
Claudine Pascal.
Mm.
Thank you. It's... it's just terribly sisterly of you.
Now, that's a fine word.
Yes. It is, isn't it?
How do you do?
Yes! Yes.
My name is Alice.
My... name is... Alice.
No. Er, your name is Roberto.
Your name is... Roberto.
No. Erm, my name is Roberto.
No, sono confuso. Well, imagine how I feel.
You can send me the most exquisite gift,
yet you can't even introduce yourself properly.
CLEARS HIS THROAT
I could say anything I like and you wouldn't have a clue, would you?
I could tell you that you are frightfully good-looking...
..but, really, you're just a boy.
I wouldn't be wasting my time on this fool's errand
if there were any half-decent Englishmen left to marry.
Aspetta.
How do you do?
Your name is Roberto.
Huh?
Thank you.
Non ti preoccupare. Con questi ti compri le sigarette
e stai tranquillo. Grazie, Signore.
Francesco? Signore!
What the devil are you doing here?
What is the meaning of this?
It's just one cousin paying a call on another, Signor Ainsworth.
Right? Cousin!
Why am I not surprised?
I was expecting a visit, yes, from the British Consul,
but from Signor Cecil Ainsworth? No.
All right, you've had your fun.
No, really, I'm surprised to see you here.
Not as surprised as I was
to discover we had a spy in our midst all this time.
So you wish to be friends again?
Perhaps some of the language I used the last time we spoke
was a wee bit... Well, in the heat of the moment, you understand,
I may have accused you of one or two things which...
You mean, er, "your greasy little insinuations"?
In light of what we now know, we both know,
don't quite stand up to scrutiny.
Obviously enough.
So you wish to say sorry. Oh, I can do better than that.
Given your... intimate knowledge of my dealings...
..this is the price I'm prepared to pay
to bring an immediate close to the police investigation.
And... to secure Billy Scanlon's release.
As well as make reparations for any hurt feelings.
And this...
Well, let's just call this a gesture of goodwill.
From one dog to another.
HE CHUCKLES
Let's have a drink.
I'll say.
I. I.
You. You.
He. He.
If you'll excuse me, Mr Albani.
Mother?
Mother!
My name... is Roberto.
Mother?
Mother!
Yes. What is it?
What's happened to your face?
Oh, n-nothing. It's just a scratch.
Righto. What is it? I've something I need to show you.
What is it, darling? I thought you should see this.
Letters. Letters to Miss March.
You intercepted her letters?
I found them in her room.
What were you doing in her room? It doesn't matter.
I've known about it for ages.
There's something not right with her and now we have proof.
You have to put these back. Immediately. No! Immediately.
You're not going to read them? Of course not.
You don't want to know
what kind of girl she is? I know what kind of girl she is.
Anyone can see that.
She's conscientious, she's kind, she's honest.
And the mother of an illegitimate child at 15 years of age!
Where did I go wrong with you?
With me?
How could I have raised a daughter who is so... unsisterly?
I thought you'd be painting.
Oh, I'm not... I'm not really in the mood.
It's our last day tomorrow. Gosh. So soon?
Three weeks have flown by.
Haven't they just?
We may not get a chance again to speak properly.
Oh, I hope we do.
So I wanted to say thank you
for all you've done to look after me.
To make me feel at home here.
It's been my pleasure, really.
And I wanted to give you this.
Oh! I've been working on it in secret.
It's not very good, I know.
I was going to say wonderful.
You don't have to pretend.
No, truly. It's... it's wonderful.
You know, that you've done it for me and that painting isn't your thing.
It's really NOT my thing!
I've tried.
Really, I have. To like it for your sake.
I just don't see what you do in it.
It's all just... colours and shapes to me.
Well, I think it's better to be honest about it.
You're not upset? No, no.
No, I think I'd be rather more upset
if I thought that you were just pretending to like it to please me.
But that's it.
That's all I do -
try to please people.
Your mother, you mean?
And everyone else as well.
I try so hard to be interesting when, really, I'm not.
Rose, you ARE interesting. I'm not even sure I'm very likeable.
How can you say that? I'm not stupid, Lucian.
I can see that people don't warm to others
who can't be true to themselves.
I can't see it myself.
Can't see what? That little love match.
They'd have fine-looking children.
So would we. THEY CHUCKLE
She isn't his soulmate.
Do people have soulmates?
Of course.
But not if they're too afraid to admit who they really are.
Or what they really feel.
Is it that obvious?
To me, it is.
You won't say anything?
It isn't anybody's business but yours.
Have you tried telling him? God, no.
And I never will.
I don't mean how you feel about him.
Just how you feel in general.
Why ruin the best friendship I've ever had?
It isn't much of a friendship if that would ruin it.
So you're just going to let it eat away at you?
What choice do I have?
It is the saddest thing.
I've come to terms with it.
I understand.
I wrote the book when it comes to loving where it isn't allowed.
CHURCH BELLS RING
Now listen to me, Master Scanlon.
You're hurting me. I've paid good money
to have you released, you little bastard.
And I can just as easily pay to have you put back inside.
I have Signor Danioni in my pocket,
which means I have you in my pocket as well.
So from now on, if I say jump,
your only question is, "How high, Mr Ainsworth?"
Do you understand?
Do you understand?! Yes, Mr Ainsworth.
Good.
Now get on with you.
You need to be more careful, ma'am. I know.
I've always been terribly clumsy. The return of the prodigal son.
Oh! Billy!
Oh! I've been worried to death! You've lost weight.
I've not been gone 24 hours, Mam.
Come on. Sit down. I'll make you a sandwich.
Is he out on bail?
Released without charge. They were happy to take my word for it.
I don't believe Billy had anything to do
with the theft of that painting.
What about the bicycle, Mr Ainsworth?
I've persuaded them to overlook it, Betty.
Now that it's been returned to its rightful owner
and a small fee has been paid in lieu of its loan.
Oh, sir, I don't know how I can ever repay your kindness.
Just make sure the boy's nose is kept clean from now on.
That's all I ask.
That's just it, sir.
I've got my hands full here.
But don't distress yourself, Betty. We'll sort something out.
Maybe it would be best, ma'am, if I...
..took the lad home. You know, handed in my notice.
I won't hear of it.
We'd be utterly lost without you, Betty.
Oh, bless you, Mrs Ainsworth.
Best get on with that sandwich.
Welcome home, Billy.
Oh!
Bella! I need to talk to you.
Bella, wait.
Bella, for heaven's sake, wait!
Cecil...
Julia.
You're in an awful rush.
Your creditors after you or something?
That's very droll, Julia. It was just a little joke.
Well, the joke is rather on you.
Shall we? With pleasure.
You catch me at an awkward moment.
Indeed.
Out.
Have you enjoyed your stay with us?
Tolerably.
Oh? I would have preferred
to have seen and heard rather less of some of my fellow guests.
Oh.
Well, I'm sorry to hear you didn't find the company congenial.
And rather more of you.
Perhaps... that might be possible.
What?
In the, er, 18 hours we have left?
Well, I intend to be in London
rather more than I have been of late.
Something changed?
My circumstances.
And, of course, there is this wedding to arrange.
You have the means to go ahead?
I do.
Oh, Cecil,
you have no idea how long I have waited
to hear you say the words "I do".
And, er... do you?
I most certainly do.
Playing Hide And Seek?
Something like that.
Who are you trying to avoid? Er... myself, as much as anyone.
Oh, God, don't be such a bloody misery.
I have something I want to share with you. Do you?
Your engagement is announced.
Between Lucian,
son of The Right Honourable Mr and Mrs Cecil Ainsworth
of Portofino, Italy,
and Rose, daughter of Mr and Mrs Ivo Drummond-Ward of London.
What do you think?
I thought we might, er...
wander down to the telegram office tomorrow.
Of course, it does mean you'll have to get your skates on.
Of course.
Is that going to be a problem?
Uh, um... Oh, Christ.
Is it Rose you're trying to avoid?
Not exactly. Then what's the problem?
I'm not sure that...
You're not sure what?
I'm not sure that Rose and I are...
sympathetic. I don't even know what that means.
It means we're not well matched.
Well matched?
Our families have been marrying into one another for generations.
I mean emotionally.
Now, look here...
..all this womanish malarkey's got to stop.
Yes, you've had a rotten go of it, and a nasty scratch,
but the war's been over for nearly eight years now.
Yes, I know that... Well, then, pull yourself together!
You're alive, aren't you? Capable of thinking, breathing.
Walking. There are millions who weren't so lucky.
You don't think I'm aware of that?
You don't think I spend every day and night
overshadowed by the very thought of them?
Then step out into the sunlight, man. Learn to live a little.
You're being offered the hand of a beautiful girl
from an excellent family.
And a house in London and an income of 1,500 a year to go with it.
Most young men with a drop of blood in their veins
would be champing at the bit,
not mooning around worrying about emotions.
This will be in The Times next week. You...
..do your duty.
Yes, Father.
Like I did mine.
KNOCKING Mm?
I was wondering where you'd got to.
Not you as well.
Is something wrong?
My father's given me an ultimatum.
HE SIGHS
Ah...
Er... congratulations.
Well, steady on, I haven't even spoken to her yet.
So, when do you plan to?
There's no time like the present. What do you...?
That one. Thank you.
Sorry, did you... did you want something?
It's nothing important. Are you sure?
It can wait.
Come here.
Stupid thing.
Do you ever wish we could go back to that time
we spent in France after the war?
The convalescence depot in Marseille? Yeah.
We were just so giddy it was over.
To know we'd survived.
Things were much simpler back then.
Happier.
Thank you.
- But I have to pack. -That can wait.
Why you being so mysterious? Because...
I'm sorry, I need to speak to you.
I've been thinking about what you said about
how difficult you find it to be true to yourself,
and the truth is I feel exactly the same way.
You do?
Yes.
I've spent my whole life
trying to live up to other people's expectations of me and...
not liking myself very much as a result.
The whole time we've spent here... you've seemed so sure of everything.
Well, maybe it's this place, maybe it's Italy,
maybe I... Why are you telling me all this?
Because I want you to know that I feel we have...
more in common than you realise and...
I don't want you to worry about feeling yourself around me.
Please, Lucian...
..you don't need to do this.
No, I don't need to do it, I want to.
I think you're very lovely, Rose.
Just as you are.
Will you marry me?
GULLS SQUAWK
INDISTINCT CHATTER
Julia, Julia, come and stand by me.
Now, where is the happy couple? That's you. Here she is.
Ah, come on, Rose. Don't be a wallflower.
And where is Lucian? Don't tell me he's done a runner already.
I'm here, Father.
Here he is. Darling, does everyone have a glass
of something wet and bubbly? Yes. I believe so.
Jolly good. Now, ladies and gentlemen,
if you could raise your glasses,
I would like to propose a toast to our happy couple.
Lucian and Rose.
Lucian and Rose!
No, no, don't run, go back to your station, please.
Just serve drinks. I'll go after her.
Good lass, just serve the drinks, all right?
Oh, thank you very much.
Oh, yes. It's lovely, isn't it?
Oh, I do so love a wedding, don't you, Melissa?
I've not been to any.
Well, there's only one that really matters.
You must have a few suitors, don't you, my dear?
Goodness, what a question!
I don't know, I feel that there's so much more to do yet.
Oh, really?
Well, I'm very fond of you and all I want is your happiness.
I want to be a writer.
A writer?
CHUCKLES If you say so.
I do say so.
Awfully decent of them to throw me a victory party.
Plum, darling, you're back?
So, you won? Ah, not quite, old girl.
Lost to some Frenchie in the third round.
Oh, you don't seem put out.
I had a little wager...
on the other chap.
So, are we all right? We're all right, my darling.
I might have some even better news. Oh, yes? Er...
I, um, I've been feeling a little strange and...
I know it's probably far too early to tell, of course,
but I think that I might be... You know.
Oh, bugger.
Ah, Wingfield, you're back.
Ah, so it would seem.
Has your wife been filling you in on all the drama you've missed?
Bits and pieces.
Have you told him he was almost implicated?
Implicated?
In the theft of the painting, man!
I was just getting round to it. Oh...
I don't mind telling you,
there were one or two here who were ready to try you in absentia.
But I told them, "He's an Englishman and a sporting hero.
"Plum Wingfield is beyond reproach."
CECIL CHUCKLES
Constance...
I'm sorry, Mrs Ainsworth.
What is it? I hate to see you so distressed.
I've lost something very dear to me.
Ah...
Yes, I... Are these what you're looking for?
You've read them? No.
But somebody has. But you know everything?
I know of your misfortune, yes.
Then I'm dismissed.
Dismissed?
You cannot want me here. Looking after Lottie.
I can't think of anyone better than a mother to look after a child.
A mother who has never had a husband.
And has done her utmost not to be defined by that.
Who has abandoned her child.
But holds him closest to her heart.
Constance...
..this is my Lawrie.
Or Lawrence.
He was my youngest.
We lost him to influenza.
He would have been 14 next month.
Is he the reason you came here?
Yes.
A new beginning.
I thought you would judge me.
I've learned not to judge people.
I think everyone... should be given a chance to make amends.
Until they prove themselves unworthy.
I don't know where to start.
Well, why don't you start by telling me something about your boy?
Ha...
A hearty occasion, isn't it?
Hmm. My brother is a lucky man.
Oh, yes.
Miss Drummond-Ward is very charming.
You are leaving tomorrow?
At nine.
Well, then... I look forward to seeing you again soon.
You and Roberto. Before you go...
I'd like to clear up a misunderstanding.
Of course.
I hope you will reconsider.
It is very pretty.
As are you, Alice.
Count Albani...
I must speak the truth.
But what about Roberto?
I speak on my own behalf.
You will grow old waiting for him.
But you said... It was a lie.
This is absurd. Why?
Alice... I am a man of experience and means.
I'd like to look after you and... your child.
HORSES WHINNY
'What would I do in Turin?'
'You will learn to resist.'
Ah...
Mr Sengupta. Mrs Drummond-Ward.
Rose.
I wasn't aware that we would be travelling back together.
We're not, I'm afraid. I'm heading for Turin.
I'm needed there.
That was entirely... I'm going to delay...
Do you have other guests arriving?
We do, we have a party of eight arriving from Zurich.
Zurich?
Fortunately, we have a few days to organise ourselves.
Well... it's certainly been... eventful.
We do try our best.
My aunt and I have both grown very fond of the Hotel Portofino.
Thank you. Yes, we have.
I'm going to tell all my friends about the hotel
and the genteel lady that runs it.
Thank you.
Might I see you again?
Well, who knows, dear, at my age.
Hardly. You will write to me, won't you?
Of course I will. Now go.
Thank you.
Lady Latchmere, I do appreciate how understanding
you've been about everything.
Well, I wouldn't have missed it for the world,
it was like being in an Agatha Christie novel.
Not sure even she could imagine
quite such a cast of unconventional characters.
A nonsense, my dear, it's the 1920s.
Driver...
Arrivederci.
I thought...
I thought it might help make us friends again.
I don't want to be friends.
And I'll never take a penny from you.
And if you ever touch me again...
I've lived by your rules for long enough.
It's time I started making up some of my own.