Bon Appetite and Other Just Desserts
Episode 203
Fade In: Interior. Violet’s cottage. Brooke and Max are standing in her cottage as Violet welcomes them.
Violet: I’m so glad you are both here. Now let me see your ring. (Brooke shows her the ring.) How beautiful. (Embracing Brooke) I’m so happy for you and you, too, Max. (She hugs Max.)
Brooke: Mother, are you feeling all right?
Violet: Yes, dear. Why wouldn’t I be? My beautiful intelligent daughter is marrying a handsome Jewish doctor. What more could a mother ask for? Let me get the champagne.
Brooke: Champagne? You don’t usually drink.
Violet: Tonight’s a celebration, dear. It is a celebration, isn’t it? You don’t need to get married?
Max: No, we don’t need to get married. It’s a celebration. I am honored to have your daughter accept my proposal and to have you as my mother-in-law and Andrew as my stepson.
Violet: Oh, Andrew, right. Have you told him?
Brooke: Not yet. I haven’t asked you, Max, but would it be all right to drive up to Yale and present Andrew with the good news instead of telling him over the phone?
Max: Sure. I don’t see why not now that we are all going to be family.
Violet: Yes. Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll get the champagne from the kitchen. (She exits.)
Max: Are you all right?
Brooke: Yes I’m just surprised at how well Mother is taking this.
CUT-TO: Interior. Violet’s kitchen. She takes a long sharp knife and stabs it into the cutting board. Then she takes a deep breath and puts a phony smile on her face as she takes the champagne from the refrigerator. We hear a knock on the front door.
CUT-TO: Interior. Violet’s living room. A knock on the front door.
Violet: (Off): Brooke, can you get that, please?
Brooke: Of course. (She opens the door and finds Jen and Richard standing there.) Oh, hi, Mother didn’t mention you were coming. Come on in.
Violet: (Enters from the kitchen with the champagne): Max, be a dear and pop this open, will you? Richard, Jen, come in. (Max takes the bottle and pops it open.) I don’t think you’ve seen my lovely cottage since I moved here, have you, Richard?
Richard: I’ve been by once or twice but no I never actually came inside.
Violet: What do you think?
Richard: I think you have wonderful taste.
Jen: It is beautiful, Violet. You have a great sense of style.
Violet: Thank you, Jennifer. If you don’t mind, Max, could you pour champagne for all of us to celebrate.
Jen: I’ll just have water, please.
Violet: Yes, of course. I’d forgotten about your problem.
(Max hands around the glass of champagne and the water to Jen looking lovingly at her and she at him.)
Richard: What is the cause for celebration, Violet, other than you having us all here for dinner?
Violet: I had no idea about it when I asked you and Jen to join us tonight but well go ahead, Brooke, show them.
Brooke: (Holding out her hand): Max and I are engaged!
Richard: Congratulations!
Brooke: Thank you, Uncle Richard.
Jen: Yes, congratulations, Brooke, Max.
Brooke: Thank you, Jen.
Max: Yes, thank you, Jen.
Richard: Well done, Max.
Max: Thank you, Richard.
Richard: How do you feel about it, Violet?
Violet: Truthfully, Richard, I couldn’t be happier.
Richard: Really?
Violet: I know it sounds odd. I have been against Brooke and Max for some time but like I said to you this morning I am tired of us all fighting. I want us to be a true family and in that effort I welcome Max to our family.
Brooke: As well as Judy and David.
Richard: And by extension Sylvia since she is their mother, well, Judy’s anyway. I never thought I’d ever see you accepting Jewish people in your family considering the way you and your father have hated them for so long, Violet
Violet: Please, Richard, let’s not spoil this evening with any unpleasantness.
Jen: Violet, do you mind if I use your bathroom?
Violet: Of course. Let me show it where it and Silas and I will get the dinner.
Brooke: Silas?
Violet: What? Did I say Silas and I? I meant me, of course. Excuse us.
CUT-TO: Interior. Violet’s kitchen. Violet and Jen enter.
Violet: (Pointing): The bathroom is over there.
Jen: Thank you.
Violet: You’re all right, aren’t you?
Jen: Yes, I’m fine. Why?
Violet: It must have come as quite a shock that a man you once loved is engaged to my daughter.
Jen: Max and I have moved on from that.
Violet: Have you? How nice for you.
Jen: Excuse me, Violet. (She exits as Violet smiles to herself.)
CUT-TO: Interior. Violet’s bathroom. Jen enters. She is obviously upset over the announcement.
CUT-TO: Interior. Max and Jen making love in the backseat of his car.
CUT-TO: Interior. Max and Jen making love in a hotel room.
CUT-TO: Interior. Max and Jen kissing in his office.
CUT-TO: Interior. Violet’s bathroom. Jen is standing in front of the mirror and swigging booze from a nip. She empties it and places the empty nip back in her bag but if falls unknowingly fall her on the floor. She exits the bathroom.
CUT-TO: Interior. Violet’s living room. Jen enters as Violet stands at the table with Richard holding out Jen’s chair and Max and Brooke sitting opposite them.
Jen: (Sitting): Thank you, Richard. Violet, your dinner looks delicious.
Violet: Thank you. I was working on it all day.
Max: Well let’s dig in.
Violet: Yes. Let’s.
(They try to cut into the chicken but it’s tough and when they do Brooke gasps.)
Violet: Is something wrong, dear?
Brooke: Mother, it’s pink.
Richard: I don’t want to upset you, Violet, now that we are newfound friends but should chicken be pink on the inside?
Violet: Oh, my. I mustn’t have cooked it as long I thought I did. Well eat around the edges. Any more champagne anyone? Jen?
Jen: (Rises): No thank you, Violet. I hate to spoil a lovely evening but I’m not feeling that well. I think I’ll go up to the house and lay down.
Richard: (Rises): Why don’t I go with you? Thank you, Violet, for a lovely albeit brief evening.
Violet: (Rises): Oh, that’s a shame. I hope you feel better in the morning, Jen. I’ll come by and check on you. Goodnight. (They exit.)
Max: (Rises): We should probably be heading off as well. I want to see Judy before she goes to bed.
Brooke: (Standing with Max): Yes, thank you for a lovely evening, Mother.
Violet: Oh, well. Yes. (Embracing Brooke) I’m very happy for you, dear, (Embracing Max) and, Max, once again welcome to the family. I don’t know what your family is like but the Eaton’s are loyal people. Goodnight.
(They exit as Violet smiles especially after she closes her door. She takes the empty bottle of champagne and begins to head into the kitchen.)
CUT-TO: Interior. Violet’s kitchen. She happily enters, looks up and drops the bottle of champagne and it shatters. Henry stands at the counter with a filled champagne glass in his hand.)
Henry: Hello, Vi. Have you missed me?
Violet: (Screaming): Henry!
CUT-TO: Close up of Sylvia. There are screams of laughter behind her.
Sylvia: Stop your screaming! I’m trying to have a conversation here.
(Widen shot to show that we are inside Clarke’s. Sylvia is seated at a table with Noel. They are both drinking.)
Sylvia: Go on. You were saying something?
Noel: No I wasn’t.
Sylvia: Yes you were. You were complaining about your beautiful young wife Lena. Let me tell you something. She isn’t that young and she isn’t that beautiful neither. She’s fat and ugly. Hell, if beauty counted for anything I’d be married a thousand times.
Noel: I thought you were. (She stares at him for a moment and then they both laugh.)
(Pull back further to show Charlie entering the crowded bar. Olive is seated alone at the bar looking over at Noel and Sylvia. Olive sees Charlie come over to the bar and look at Sylvia and Noel, too.)
Olive: What are you looking at?
Charlie: What?
Olive: I said what are you looking at? She’s never gonna notice you. You ain’t rich.
Charlie: (To the bartender): I’ll have a beer and (pointing to Olive) get another one for my friend here.
Olive: Thanks.
Charlie: So listen, friend, I did you a favor. Now you have to do one for me.
Olive: I don’t even know you.
Charlie: Are you sure? We met in here a few times before and you always looked at me as if you knew me. (The beers come and he pays for them.) So who are you?
Olive: The name isn’t going to mean anything to you. You wouldn’t remember me but I’m your mother’s cousin Olive Dunbar.
Charlie: You’re right. It doesn’t mean anything to me but you obviously know my name is Charlie Syms.
Olive: ‘Course I do. I used to babysit you a lot when you were little and your mother would go out on dates trying to find a husband.
Charlie: How old was I?
Olive: Maybe two or three. I don’t know. Then one day I went over and you both were gone. Split. Ran out on the rent you did. I never knew what happened to you.
Charlie: How did you end up here in Maple Falls?
Olive: What is this? Stop asking so many questions. I mean who the fuck knows where or how anybody ends up anywhere.
Charlie: I’ll tell you exactly how you do by taking advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.
(Charlie looks again at Sylvia and Noel, who are getting chummy.)
(Camera should go back on Sylvia and Noel.)
Sylvia: (Laughing):…even when you and your ex-wife Paula were living with me I couldn’t stand you but you seem okay now.
Noel: I hated you too but tonight I think I’ve finally found the friend I’m looking for.
Olive: Excuse me! Excuse me!
Noel: Yes?
Olive: Are you Noel Tremayne? The big movie producer?
Noel: Why yes. I’ve seen you before.
Olive: Yes I know but I never knew who you were before. I loved that movie ‘Blue Is Day.’
Noel: ‘Black is Night’?
Olive: That’s the one. Could you tell me all about it?
Noel: Tell you all about it? Haven’t you seen it?
Olive: Yes.
Charlie: I’m sorry. Is she bothering you?
Sylvia: (Together): Yes.
Noel: (Together): No.
Sylvia: Hey, what is this? I’m being pushed aside for her?
Noel: No one’s pushing you aside, love, it’s just that I have a fan. You are a fan, aren’t you?
Olive: I’ve loved everything you’ve ever done, Mister Tremayne.
Noel: Of course you have. Let’s see. Where should I start?
Sylvia: What a lousy day this has been. First my kids don’t want me and now I’m being pushed aside for someone like her for someone like him. I’m outta here.
Charlie: I’ll take you home if you want me too.
Sylvia: I can take myself home thank you very much.
(She rises and falls flat on her face and everyone reacts. Charlie bends down and helps her up.)
Charlie: Come on, Mrs. Moore. Time to go. (He exits with her as she is still drunk and sleepy.)
Noel: Let’s see. Where do I begin?
Olive: (Sees that Charlie and Sylvia have exited): Begin where?
Noel: You wanted to hear about my illustrious career.
Olive: Hey, Pal, blow it out your ass.
CUT-TO: Interior. Elsie’s cabin. Elsie checks on a sleeping Kathy and Declan in the other room and then sits down in her rocking chair. As she sips her cup of tea, she opens the Gull Island Gazette.
Elsie: (Letting out a slight gasp): Now I know who she is. She’s not Kathy Hogan at all. She’s Kathy Burke. I remember her now.
Close up of Kathy’s picture in the newspaper.
Fade to Black
Everlasting Love 