Complete Works, Volume III (14 page)

WENDY
. Right?

DISSON
. People tend, very easily, to leave out the first R and call him Everley. You haven't done that.

WENDY
. No. (
She turns
.)

DISSON
. Just a minute. How did you spell Turnbull? You needn't show me. Tell me.

WENDY
. TURNBULL.

DISSON
. Quite correct.

Pause.

Quite correct Now what about –?

The screen goes black
.

Where are you?

Pause.

I can't see you.

WENDY
. I'm here, Mr Disson.

DISSON
. Where?

WENDY
. You're looking at me, Mr Disson.

DISSON
. You mean my eyes are open?

Pause.

WENDY
. I'm where I was. I haven't moved.

DISSON
. Are my eyes open?

WENDY
. Mr Disson, really . . .

DISSON
. Is this you? This I feel?

WENDY
. Yes.

DISSON
. What, all this I can feel?

WENDY
. You're playing one of your games, Mr Disson. You're being naughty again.

Vision back.

DISSON
looks at her.

You sly old thing.

Disley’s surgery.

A torch shines in
DISSON’S
eyes, first right, then left. Torch out. Light on
.

DISLEY
. There's nothing wrong with them.

DISSON
. What then?

DISLEY
. I only deal with eyes, old chap. Why do you come to me? Why don't you go to someone else?

DISSON
. Because it's my eyes that are affected.

DISLEY
. Look. Why don't you go to someone else?

DISLEY
begins to clear away his instruments
.

Nothing worrying you, is there?

DISSON
. Of course not. I've got everything I want.

DISLEY
. Getting a holiday soon?

DISSON
. Going to Spain.

DISLEY
. Lucky man.

Pause.

DISSON
. Look. Listen. You're my oldest friend. You were going to be the best man at my wedding.

DISLEY
. That's right.

DISSON
. You wrote a wonderful speech in my honour.

DISLEY
. Yes.

DISSON
. But you were ill. You had to opt out.

DISLEY
. That's right.

Pause.

DISSON
. Help me.

Pause.

DISLEY
. Who made the speech? Your brother-in-law, wasn't it?

DISSON
. I don't want you to think I'm not a happy man. I am.

DISLEY
. What sort of speech did he make?

Disson’s house. Sitting-room. Evening
.

DISSON
. Tell me about Sunderley.

WILLY
. Sunderley?

DISSON
. Tell me about the place where you two were born. Where you played at being brother and sister.

WILLY
. We didn't have to play at being brother and sister. We were brother and sister.

DIANA
. Stop drinking.

DISSON
. Drinking? You call this drinking? This? I used to down eleven or nine pints a night! Eleven or nine pints! Every night of the stinking week! Me and the boys! The boys! And me! I'd break any man's hand for . . . for playing me false. That was before I became a skilled craftsman. That was before . . .

He falls silent, sits
.

WILLY
. Sunderley was beautiful.

DISSON
. I know.

WILLY
. And now it's gone, for ever.

DISSON
. I never got there.

DISSON
stands, goes to get a drink.

He turns from drinks table
.

What are you whispering about? Do you think I don't hear? Think I don't see? I've got my memories, too. Long before this.

WILLY
. Yes, Sunderley was beautiful.

DISSON
. The lake.

WILLY
. The lake.

DISSON
. The long windows.

WILLY
. From the withdrawing-room.

DISSON
. On to the terrace.

WILLY
. Music playing.

DISSON
. On the piano.

WILLY
. The summer nights. The wild swans.

DISSON
. What swans? What bloody swans?

WILLY
. The owls.

DISSON
. Negroes at the gate, under the trees.

WILLY
. No Negroes.

DISSON
. Why not?

WILLY
. We had no Negroes.

DISSON
. Why in God's name not?

WILLY
. Just one of those family quirks, Robert.

DIANA
(
standing
). Robert.

Pause.

Come to bed.

DISSON
. You can say that, in front of him?

DIANA
. Please.

DISSON
. In front of
him
?

He goes to her
.

Why did you marry me?

DIANA
. I admired you. You were so positive.

DISSON
. You loved me.

DIANA
. You were kind.

DISSON
. You loved me for that?

DIANA
. I found you admirable in your clarity of mind, your surety of purpose, your will, the strength your achievements had given you –

DISSON
. And you adored me for it?

WILLY
(
to
DISSON
). Can I have a private word with you?

DISSON
. You
adored
me for it?

Pause.

DIANA
. You know I did.

WILLY
. Can I have a private word with you, old chap? (
To
DIANA
.) Please.

DIANA
goes out of the room
.

DISSON
looks at
WILLY.

DISSON
. Mind how you tread, Bill. Mind . . . how you tread, old Bill, old boy, old Bill.

WILLY
. Listen. I've been wondering. Is there anything on your mind?

DISSON
. My mind? No, of course not.

WILLY
. You're not dissatisfied with my work, or anything?

DISSON
. Quite the contrary. Absolutely the contrary.

WILLY
. Oh good. I like the work very much. Try to do my best.

DISSON
. Listen. I want you to be my partner. Hear me? I want you to share full responsibility . . . with me.

WILLY
. Do you really?

DISSON
. Certainly.

WILLY
. Well, thank you very much. I don't know what to say.

DISSON
. Don't say anything.

Disson’s office.

WILLY
at the door.

WILLY
. Coming, old chap?

DISSON
. Yes.

WILLY
(
to
WENDY
). Important lunch, this. But I think we'll swing it, don't you, Robert? (
To
WENDY
.) Great prospects in store.

DISSON
and
WILLY
go out
.
WENDY
clips some papers together.

DIANA
comes in through the inner door
.

WENDY
. Oh, hullo, Mrs Disson.

DIANA
. Hullo, Wendy.

Pause.

DIANA
watches
WENDY
clip the papers
.

Do you like being a secretary?

WENDY
. I do, yes. Do you?

DIANA
. I do, yes.

Pause.

I understand your last employer touched your body . . . rather too much.

WENDY
. It wasn't a question of too much, Mrs Disson. One touch was enough for me.

DIANA
. Oh, you left after the first touch?

WENDY
. Well, not quite the first, no.

Pause.

DIANA
. Have you ever asked yourself why men will persist in touching women?

WENDY
. No, I've never asked myself that, Mrs Disson.

DIANA
. Few women do ask themselves that question.

WENDY
. Don't they? I don't know. I've never spoken to any other women on the subject.

DIANA
. You're speaking to me.

WENDY
. Yes. Well, have you ever asked yourself that question, Mrs Disson?

DIANA
. Never. No.

Pause.

Have lunch with me today. Tell me about yourself.

WENDY
. I’ll have lunch with you with pleasure.

DISSON
comes in. They look at him. He at them. Silence
.

DISSON
. Forgotten . . . one of the designs.

DIANA
smiles at him
.
WENDY
clips her papers. He goes to his desk, collects a folder, stands upright
.

DIANA
looks out of the window
.
WENDY
clips papers
.
He looks at them, goes out
.
DIANA
and
WENDY
remain silent
.

Disson’s house. Games room.

DISSON
and
WILLY
playing ping-pong. They are in the middle of a long rally
.
THE TWINS
watch.
WILLY
is on the attack
,
DISSON
playing desperately, retrieving from positions of great difficulty. He cuts, chops, pushes
.

TWINS
(
variously
). Well done, Dad. Good shot, Dad. Good one, Dad.

WILLY
forces
DISSON
on to the forehand
.
He slams viciously
.

DISSON
skids
.

The screen goes black
.

Good shot!

DISSON
. Aaah!

Vision back
.

DISSON
is clutching the table, bent over it.

WILLY
throws the ball on to the table.

It bounces gently across it
.

Disson’s house. Sitting-room. Evening.

DISSON’S
parents.

MOTHER.
Have I seen that mirror before?

DISSON
. No. It's new.

MOTHER
. I knew I hadn't seen it. Look at it, John
.
What a beautiful mirror.

FATHER
. Must have cost you a few bob.

MOTHER
. Can you see the work on it, John? I bet it must be a few years old, that mirror.

DISSON
. It's a few hundred years old.

FATHER
. I bet it must have cost you a few bob.

DISSON
. It wasn't cheap.

FATHER
. Cheap?

MOTHER
. What a beautiful mirror.

FATHER
. Cheap? Did you hear what he said, Dora? He said it wasn't cheap!

MOTHER.
No, I bet it wasn't.

FATHER
(
laughing
). Cheap!

Pause.

MOTHER
. Mrs Tidy sends you her love.

DISSON
. Who?

FATHER
. Mrs Tidy. The Tidys.

DISSON
. Oh yes. How are they?

FATHER
. Still very tidy. (
Laughs
.) Aren't they, Dora?

MOTHER
. You remember the Tidys.

DISSON
. Of course I remember them.

Pause.

How have you been keeping, then?

FATHER
. Oh, your mother's had a few pains. You know, just a few.

MOTHER
. Only a few, John. I haven't had many pains.

FATHER
. I only said you'd had a few. Not many.

Pause.

MOTHER
. Are the boys looking forward to their holiday?

DISSON
. Yes, they are.

FATHER
. When are you going?

DISSON
. I'm not.

Disson’s office.

DISSON
. Tighter.

WENDY
ties the chiffon round his eyes
.

WENDY
. There. You look nice.

DISSON
. This chiffon stinks.

WENDY
. Oh, I do apologize. What of?

Pause.

You're very rude to me. But you do look nice. You really do.

DISSON
tears the chiffon off.

DISSON
. It's useless. Ring Disley. Tell him to come here.

WENDY
. But he'll be here at four o'clock, for your tea party.

DISSON
. I want him now! I want him . . . now.