The Mousetrap and Other Plays (123 page)

(
ANGELA
rushes in up
C
,
runs on to the terrace and exits down
L
.
ELSA
and
AMYAS
break apart.
MISS
WILLIAMS
enters up
C
,
goes on to the terrace and looks off
L
)

MISS
WILLIAMS
. (
calling
) Angela!

AMYAS
. (
crossing down
L
) She went this-a-way. Shall I catch her for you?

MISS
WILLIAMS
. (
moving down
LC
) No, it's all right. She'll come back of her own accord as soon as she sees nobody is paying any attention to her.

(
ELSA
goes into the room, picks up a magazine from the sofa and sits in the armchair
R
)

AMYAS
. There's something in that.

MISS
WILLIAMS
. She's young for her age, you know. Growing up is a difficult business. Angela is at the prickly stage.

AMYAS
. (
moving up
L
) Don't talk to me of prickles. Reminds me too much of that ruddy hedgehog.

MISS
WILLIAMS
. That was very naughty of Angela.

AMYAS
. (
moving to the french windows
) Sometimes I wonder how you can stick her.

MISS
WILLIAMS
. (
turning to face Amyas
) I can see ahead. Angela will be a fine woman one day, and a distinguished one.

AMYAS
. I still say Caroline spoils her. (
He goes into the room and crosses to
C
of it
)

(
MISS
WILLIAMS
moves to the french windows and listens
)

ELSA
. (
in a whisper
) Did she see us?

AMYAS
. Who can say? I suppose I've got lipstick on my face now as well as paint.

(
AMYAS
glances off
L
and exits quickly up
C
.
MISS
WILLIAMS
comes into the room and moves above the stool, uncertain whether to go or not. She decides to stay
)

MISS
WILLIAMS
. You haven't been over to Mr. Blake's house yet, have you, Miss Greer?

ELSA
. (
flatly
) No.

MISS
WILLIAMS
. It's a delightful walk there. You can go by the shore or through the woods.

(
CAROLINE
and
PHILIP
enter up
C
.
CAROLINE
glances around the room, then goes to the french windows and looks on to the terrace.
PHILIP
closes the door and looks at the carved head on the table up
LC
)

CAROLINE
. Are we all ready? Amyas has gone to clean the paint off himself.

ELSA
. He needn't. Artists aren't like other people.

(
CAROLINE
pays no attention to Elsa
)

CAROLINE
. (
moving to the armchair
L
;
to Philip
) You haven't been down here since Merry started on his lily pond, have you, Phil? (
She sits
)

PHILIP
. Don't think so.

ELSA
. People in the country talk of nothing but their gardens.

(
There is a pause.
CAROLINE
takes her spectacles from her handbag and puts them on.
PHILIP
looks at Elsa, and then sits on the stool facing the head
)

CAROLINE
. (
to Miss Williams
) Did you ring up the vet about Toby?

MISS
WILLIAMS
. Yes, Mrs. Crale. He'll come first thing tomorrow.

CAROLINE
. (
to Philip
) Do you like that head, Phil? Amyas bought it last month.

PHILIP
. Yes. It's good.

CAROLINE
. (
searching in her handbag for her cigarettes
) It's the work of a young Norwegian sculptor, Amyas thinks very highly of him. We're thinking of going over to Norway next year to visit him.

ELSA
. That doesn't seem to me very likely.

CAROLINE
. Doesn't it, Elsa? Why?

ELSA
. You know very well.

CAROLINE
. (
lightly
) How very cryptic. Miss Williams, would you mind—my cigarette case—(
she indicates the table
RC
) it's on that little table.

(
MISS
WILLIAMS
goes to the table
RC
,
picks up the cigarette case, opens it and offers a cigarette to Caroline.
PHILIP
takes out his cigarettes, rises and offers them to Caroline
)

(
She takes a cigarette from her own case
) I prefer these—do you mind?

(
MISS
WILLIAMS
moves to the table up
LC
and puts the case on it.
PHILIP
lights Caroline's cigarette, then takes one of his own and lights it
)

ELSA
. (
rising and moving below the stool
) This would be quite a good room if it was properly fixed. All this litter of old-fashioned stuff cleared out.

(
There is a pause.
PHILIP
looks at Elsa
)

CAROLINE
. We like it as it is. It holds a lot of memories.

ELSA
. (
loudly and aggressively
) When
I'm
living here I shall throw all this rubbish out.

(
PHILIP
crosses to Elsa and offers her a cigarette
)

No, thank you.

(
PHILIP
crosses to
R
)

Flame-coloured curtains, I think—and one of those French wallpapers. (
To Philip
) Don't you think that would be rather striking?

CAROLINE
. (
evenly
) Are you thinking of buying Alderbury, Elsa?

ELSA
. It won't be necessary for me to buy it.

CAROLINE
. What do you mean?

ELSA
. Must we pretend? (
She moves
C
) Come now, Caroline, you know perfectly well what I mean.

CAROLINE
. I assure you I've no idea.

ELSA
. (
aggressively
) Oh, don't be such an ostrich, burying your head in the sand and pretending you don't know all about it. (
She turns, moves to
R
of the stool, tosses the magazine on to the armchair
R
and moves up
R
) Amyas and I love each other. It's his house, not yours.

(
ANGELA
runs on down
L
,
crosses to the french windows, stops outside and listens.
PHILIP
and
MISS
WILLIAMS
are frozen
)

And after we're married I shall live here with him.

CAROLINE
. (
angrily
) I think you must be crazy.

ELSA
. Oh, no, I'm not. (
She sits on the sofa at the left end
) It will be much simpler if we're honest about it. There's only one decent thing for you to do—give him his freedom.

CAROLINE
. Don't talk nonsense!

ELSA
. Nonsense, is it? Ask
him.

(
AMYAS
enters up
C
.
ANGELA
,
unseen, exits by the door up
L
)

CAROLINE
. I will. Amyas, Elsa says you want to marry her. Is it true?

AMYAS
. (
after a slight pause; to Elsa
) Why the devil couldn't you hold your tongue?

CAROLINE
. Is it true?

(
AMYAS
,
leaving the door open, crosses to the armchair
R
,
picks up the magazine and sits
)

AMYAS
. We don't have to talk about it now. (
He looks at the magazine
)

CAROLINE
. But we
are
going to talk about it now.

ELSA
. It's only fair to Caroline to tell her the truth.

CAROLINE
. (
icily
) I don't think you need bother about being fair to me. (
She rises and crosses to Amyas
) Is it true, Amyas?

(
AMYAS
looks hunted and glances from Elsa to Caroline
)

AMYAS
. (
to Philip
) Women.

CAROLINE
. (
furiously
) Is it true?

AMYAS
. (
defiantly
) All right. It's true enough.

(
ELSA
rises, triumphant
)

But I don't want to talk about it now.

ELSA
. You see? It's no good your adopting a dog-in-the-manger attitude. These things happen. It's nobody's fault. One just has to be rational about it. (
She sits on the stool, facing upstage
) You and Amyas will always be good friends, I hope.

CAROLINE
. (
crossing to the door up
C
) Good friends! Over his dead body.

ELSA
. What do you mean?

CAROLINE
. (
turning in the open doorway
) I mean that I'd kill Amyas before I'd give him up to you.

(
CAROLINE
exits up
C
.
There is a frozen silence.
MISS
WILLIAMS
sees Caroline's bag on the armchair
L
,
picks it up and exits hurriedly up
C
)

AMYAS
. (
rising and crossing to the french windows
) Now you've done it. We'll have scenes and ructions and God knows what.

ELSA
. (
rising
) She had to know some time.

AMYAS
. (
moving on to the terrace
) She needn't have known till the picture was finished.

(
ELSA
moves to the french windows
)

(
He stands behind the bench
) How the hell can a man paint with a lot of women buzzing about his ears like wasps.

ELSA
. You think nothing's important but your painting.

AMYAS
. (
shouting
) Nothing is to me.

ELSA
. Well, I think it matters to be honest about things.

(
ELSA
rushes angrily out up
C
.
AMYAS
comes into the room
)

AMYAS
. Give me a cigarette, Phil.

(
PHILIP
offers his cigarettes and
AMYAS
takes one
)

(
He sits astride the stool
) Women are all alike. Revel in scenes. Why the devil couldn't she hold her tongue? I've got to finish that picture, Phil. It's the best thing I've ever done. And a couple of damn women want to muck it up between them. (
He takes out his matches and lights his cigarette
)

PHILIP
. Suppose she refuses to give you a divorce?

AMYAS
. (
abstracted
) What?

PHILIP
. I said—suppose Caroline refuses to divorce you. Suppose she digs her toes in.

AMYAS
. Oh, that. Caroline would never be vindictive. (
He tosses the spent match out of the french windows
) You don't understand, old boy.

PHILIP
. And the child. There's the child to consider.

AMYAS
. Look, Phil, I know you mean well, but don't go on croaking like a raven, I can manage my own affairs. Everything will turn out all right, you'll see.

PHILIP
. Optimist!

(
MEREDITH
enters up
C
,
closing the door behind him
)

MEREDITH
. (
cheerily
) Hullo, Phil. Just got down from London? (
To Amyas
) Hope you haven't forgotten you're all coming over to me this afternoon. I've got the car here. I thought Caroline and Elsa might prefer it to walking this hot weather. (
He crosses to
LC
)

AMYAS
. (
rising
) Not Caroline
and
Elsa. If Caroline drives Elsa will walk, and if Elsa rides, Caroline will walk. Take your pick. (
He goes on to the terrace, sits on the stool and busies himself with painting
)

MEREDITH
. (
startled
) What's the matter with him? Something happened?

PHILIP
. It's just come out.

MEREDITH
. What?