The Goldmans Part I
Episode 226
Fade In: Interior. Max’s bedroom. He and Brooke are laying in his bed as he is kissing her gently after making love. He laughs.
Brooke: What’s so funny?
Max: Nothing and everything. You make me very happy, Brooke. Happier than I ever thought I could be.
Brooke: I feel the same. (They kiss again and spoon. She looks at her ring and she looks sad.)
Max: What is it?
Brooke: Nothing.
Max: Don’t tell me that. You look unhappy. It can’t be from our lovemaking.
(They turn to face each other)
Brooke: No, you’re the best lover I’ve ever had, really. It’s just–
Max: What?
Brooke: I’m afraid, that’s all.
Max: Afraid of what?
Brooke: That it won’t last. I mean why should it? I loved Tom and that relationship ended very badly and you loved Sylvia and that ended badly. What makes this so different?
Max: (Rising from the bed naked and putting on his bathrobe): For one thing, Brooke, you may have loved Tom. I can’t question that. I wasn’t around for it but I’ve told you before I never loved Sylvia.
Brooke: You must have thought you loved her.
Max: No. I never thought or imagined or believed I ever loved Sylvia. She was the daughter of the eminent surgeon Doctor Sidney Green. He could get me places and if marrying her is what made that happen then I’d marry her. I did and it did get me places.
Brooke: Where did it get you, Max?
Max: Away from that slums in New York and to Boston and then becoming his protegé and then after his death Chief of Staff at Maple Falls General. I loved being Chief of Staff and I was damn good at it too. Not like Arthur.
Brooke: I thought Arthur was very good.
Max: You’re only saying that because he’s your friend–
Brooke: And my ex-husband.
Max: I’ll never understand that marriage.
Brooke: (Rising naked from the bed and putting on her robe): People were homophobic then. More than they are now and Arthur’s professor would not have passed him if he knew Arthur was gay so we got married.
Max: When he passed his course why didn’t you get divorced?
Brooke: Looking back on it, it was a safety net for both of us. We knew if we ever got into a relationship we could never make a final commitment because we were already married. But I don’t need that safety net anymore since I have you.
(They kiss passionately)
Max: Then you believe me when I tell you I love you.
Brooke: (Turns to the mirror and starts combing her hair.): Yes.
Max: You’re not doubting me anymore?
Brooke: No.
Max: I’d better go take a shower.
Brooke: Why did Sylvia fire you as Chief of Staff?
Max: For revenge because of my affair with Jen.
Brooke: You were very much in love with her.
Max: Yes. For the first time in my life I was actually in love with someone but that’s over. She’s with your Uncle and appears to be very happy and I am very happy with you.
Brooke: Did you know Arthur’s leaving? (He looks surprised) He’s left actually. The hospital that is.
Max: What?
Brooke: He called me. He’s resigned effective immediately for the hospital. He said he had talked to Sylvia about leaving about a month ago and she never did anything about it. He got an offer from Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York and he’s moving there. So the Chief of Staff position is open again.
Max: Yes.
Brooke: I think you should go to Sylvia and talk to her about it. There isn’t any one more qualified and despite her personal vendetta against you Sylvia has to think of the good of the hospital.
Max: All right but I want you to come with me if for nothing else than support.
Brooke: You’re not afraid of Sylvia.
Max: No but I want you to be there when you hear the preposterous reason why she turns me down this time.
Brooke: She’d be crazy too.
Max: Remember who we are talking about.
Close up of Max
CUT-TO: Interior. Sylvia’s living room. She and Paula are seated drinking tea.
Sylvia: Thank God you’re out at least. I knew you didn’t kill him.
Paula: Neither did Jim.
Sylvia: Of course not. He only said it to protect you and Kathy.
Paula: I understand why he did it for me but I can’t understand what that has to do with Kathy.
Sylvia: For Jim the whole world revolves around Kathy. I’m sure he thought Kathy felt threatened because she kidnapped Noel’s child. Maybe he thought Kathy was going to kill him so he did it himself or maybe Kathy killed him and thought she’d get away with it again like she did with Tom so Jim said he did it.
Paula: Sylvia, now you’re talking nonsense. Yes Kathy and Jim did hate Noel but everyone did.
Sylvia: I didn’t hate him. I never understood him especially marrying that Italian ninny. Lena Romano. Where is she? Maybe she killed him.
Paula: She’s staying with me for now.
Sylvia: With you? That seems odd.
Paula: Jim brought her to their house and left her with Kathy and the kids and then went to the Police Station and confessed to the killing. I left the station and went straight to Kathy and told her what Jim had done.
Sylvia: That was good of you since and Kathy have never been particularly close. I used to be friends with Kathy but for some reason now she doesn’t want anything to do with me.
Paula: Maybe when you accused her for killing your husband? (Sylvia shrugs) Anyway, like I said, I went to their house and there Lena was. Kathy ran off to the police station to be with Jim and I told Lena to pack her things and come stay with me.
Sylvia: That was big of you.
Paula: She was saying crazy things. Like Jim loves her and she has to go to Jim. She’s gone right round the bloody bend.
Sylvia: You sounded like Noel there.
Paula: (Laughs): I did, didn’t I?
Sylvia: If you ask me Lena’s always been crazy but you have to expect that. She’s Italian. The’re all crazy. Look at her father. Shot in the head. Wrong place wrong time. (Sips her tea. Makes a face. Rings her bell) This has gone cold. Would you like more tea, Paula?
Paula: No, thank you. I should probably be on my way.
Sylvia: I know that Noel was quite the scoundrel but he wasn’t necessarily a bad person, was he? He certainly made your career. You became what you always wanted to be. A big Hollywood movie star. An Oscar winner and all with Noel’s guidance.
Paula: Yes it is what I always wanted.
Sylvia: Few people get that in life. Cherish it. I know that your marriage fell apart when you came to Maple Falls but you must have been happy at one point. You must have known each other very well.
Paula: Yes. Very well.
Ginny’s voice inside Paula’s head: Did you know your ex-husband was really Ned Turner? That Noel Tremayne never existed until you met him in Hollywood?
Sylvia: Paula, are you all right? You look faint.
Paula: No, I’m fine.
(Charlie enters)
Charlie: Yes, Mrs. Moore?
Sylvia: There you are, Charlie. I rang the bell for what seems like an hour ago.
Charlie: I’m sorry I was fixing the pipe under the sink–
Sylvia: I’m not the least bit interested in where you were or what you were doing. Take away the tea-tray after you hold the door open for Mrs. Tremayne.
Paula: Ah, Sylvia, the reason I came here today. (Sylvia looks confused.) Well money is um well my money–
Sylvia: You must have so much money from your Hollywood days. I wish I had the money you do. (Her phone rings. She looks at it.) Oh, I must take this. Goodbye, dear.
(Paula and Charlie exit)
CUT-TO: Interior. Sylvia’s foyer. Paula walks slowly to the front door as Charlie opens it and Paula starts to walk through it. Hesitates and then exits. Charlie closes the door and grins.
CUT-TO: Interior. Sylvia’s living room as Charlie enters to pick up the tray. She is on her phone.
Sylvia: Yes, Max, if you and Brooke wish to stop by that’s fine. No trouble at all. There are a couple of things I want to discuss with you anyway. Well for one I want Judy to help me with creating a statute for Papa that I want to put in the Maple Falls Park. She’s very excited about the idea but we will be working late on it some nights and I thought it might be fun for her to stay here with me. Well you just think about it. See you in about an hour. (Hangs up her phone. To Charlie) What are you grinning at?
Charlie: (Shrugs): It sounds like Mrs. Tremayne was about to the pinch on you for some money.
Sylvia: I’m not in the habit of having my servants eavesdrop on my private conversations.
Charlie: Eavesdrop? I couldn’t help but hear it. I was right in the room.
Sylvia: Don’t you get impertinent with me, Charlie Syms. (He laughs) What are you laughing at?
Charlie: You just crack me up, that’s all.
Sylvia: I am not here for your amusement. Nor you mine. Now go do whatever it is you do.
Charlie: Yes, Mrs. Moore. (Picks up the tray and starts to exit)
Sylvia: Do you really think that’s what she wanted?
Charlie: Definitely. You shoulda seen her face when she left. She was almost crying.
Sylvia: That’s a shame. I hate to think of my dear friend Paula as upset but what am I to do about it? I suppose I could offer her money. I’d loan it to her. She’d agree to pay it back. She never would and then we’d argue and that would end our friendship. No. She means too much to me. I cannot give her my money. That’s settled. Now go about your business. I have to get dressed for Max. (She exits as Charlie laughs. Off) And stop laughing.
CUT-TO: Interior. David’s bedroom. He’s on his phone.
David: Oh, no, I understand, Mrs. Donahue. I heard about your injury. I hope you’re feeling better. Go to Crest Haven and fill out the application and I can start tomorrow. Thank you, Mrs. Donahue, thank you very much. (He hangs up his phone and smiles.)
CUT-TO: Interior. Rosie Benson’s room at Crest Haven. She lays in the bed as Olive brushes her hair.
Olive: I know I shouldn’t a done it, Rosie, but I was pissed. He promised me half of the money and then he laughed at me and called me a stupid cow. I saw the gun and–I was getting the money for you, Rosie. It’s always been for you. People like them. They think they can laugh at us and get away with it. Violet Eaton. Adam Eaton. Throw money at the problem and it all goes away. Well it don’t. We have to live with what they did and that money from Violet. It’s coming later and later each month. I can’t keep you here if we don’t have money. That’s why I needed my half. Sure it was blackmail but so what? It was for your care, Rosie, you gotta understand that. So I took the gun and I shot him once or maybe twice and I ran. I didn’t think he was dead. When I heard he’d been killed, I woulda gone to the cops and told them what I did but then who would take care of my Rosie? No. It’s just you and me, Rosie, like always. Just you and me.
Fade to Black
Everlasting Love 