Episode 41
Episode 41: Mid-March, 1876
Scene 1: Kincaid ranch, Joe and Olivia's house, afternoon. Joe has just ridden up on horseback.
Leaving his horse by the porch, Joe walks inside and looks about, but finds the house empty. He returns to his horse and rides away. A short time later, he comes to his brother's house. Inside, he finds Benjamin and Victoria seated at a table, deep in conversation. Both look up when he enters the room.
Victoria: Stands, takes aggressive stance. High time you returned, Joe. Do you have any idea what has happened?
Joe: Yes, actually, I do.
Victoria: You don't seem at all worried.
Benjamin: Slightly less aggressive. Where have you been, Joe? You were supposed to be back a week ago.
Joe: I took a side trip.
Benjamin: Where?
Joe: Mumbles. San Francisco.
Victoria: What was that? San Francisco? You went to see her?
Joe: She is carrying my child, Victoria.
Victoria: So is my sister, but you left her side to pay a visit to the lover who ran away from you. Do you know where Olivia is?
Joe: England.
Victoria: And just what do you plan to do about that?
Joe: Everyone makes mistakes, Victoria. God knows I'm sorry for what I've done. There's no reason for you to continue treating me this way.
Victoria: You broke my sister's heart! How dare you presume to tell me how I should treat you! Olivia is in London and may or may not still be pregnant. What are you going to do about it?
Joe: If you must know, I would like to follow her there to bring her back, but the business deal in Oregon went very wrong and I ended up losing all our money.
Benjamin: Sighs and sinks into a chair, runs his fingers through his hair. Whatever made me think you could be trusted in important deals?
Joe: I deserve more respect than that, Benjamin. I'm still your brother. You didn't lose any money in the deal. I lost all of mine making sure you didn't. I'd like to borrow some money so I can bring Olivia home.
Benjamin: You are my brother, Joe, and I will always love you because of that, but you never grew up. Not really.
Joe: So you won't lend me the money?
Benjamin: I don't trust you with it.
Joe: I'll have to take Livie's, then.
Victoria: Steps just inches from Joe's face. You will do no such thing, Joe Kincaid. That's Olivia's money and you'll never touch it, not now. She left it all under Daddy's control before she left, and her portion of the house and land under mine.
Benjamin: I'm sorry, Joe, but you'll have to get the money from someone else.
Joe: Angry. My God! I expect this treatment from Victoria, but you? My own brother?
Benjamin: I'm sorry, Joe, but you'll never learn a thing if you continue to depend on me. I've been controlling your finances since Dad died because you couldn't deal with it, and when I finally let you do something, against my better judgement, you let it go terribly wrong. Besides, I'm not completely sure it's such a good idea for you to go get Olivia anyway. You cannot imagine the state she was in when she left. Broken-hearted, yes, but it didn't take her long to get over that. No, it was almost as if...
Victoria: As if she knew the marriage was over and she still didn't care.
Joe: Desperate, angry. After one indiscretion?
Victoria: I don't know where you learned your values, Joe, but in my family one indiscretion is one too many. I think Benjamin agrees with me.
Joe looks desperately at his brother, but Benjamin won't look him in the eye.
Joe: Implores. Benny...
Benjamin: I'm sorry, Joe. I'm not going to change my mind.
Joe pounds his hand on a table, curses, and storms out of the house.
Scene 2: Belleterre, some time later. John Henry enters Elizabeth's own private office from the courtyard door just in time to see Joe leave into the hall.
John Henry: I knew the bastard was back but I had no idea he'd have the nerve to come here. What did he want?
Elizabeth: There is no need for foul language, Jean Henri. Joe is sorry for what he did. He made a mistake. He wants to go to England and bring Olivia back.
John Henry: He can't. He has no money.
Elizabeth: How did you know?
John Henry: I hired someone in Oregon to follow him soon after I heard what he did. He lost all his money. I'm glad Olivia didn't give her dowry to him. He would lose that, too.
Elizabeth: You must not be so harsh, chèri. People make mistakes. Olivia must come to realize that. They cannot live in poverty. Think what it would be like for little Joey and the new baby.
John Henry: Olivia and my grandchildren will want for nothing, you know that. I wouldn't blame Livie at all if she decided to leave Joe.
Elizabeth: Upset, surprised. How can you say such a thing?
John Henry: Perhaps it was one indiscretion, but that is nothing compared to what he did afterward. For God's sake, the man spent what he didn't lose in Oregon so he could go down and visit the lover who wants nothing to do with him. He lost all his money making a very naive mistake. I'd sooner trust Gracie with our entire fortune than I would that imbecile with the money to bring her and Olivia back from England.
Elizabeth: Marriage is marriage, Jean Henri. Whatever mistakes man or wife make, they are still married and must remain so regardless.
John Henry: Becomes almost hysterical. My God, Elizabeth! Olivia is our daughter. He paces the room several times, running his hand through his hair and mumbling. I'm going to Will's.
He takes long strides as he heads for the door, which he swings open but does not close as he disappears down the hall.
Scene 3: England, the Lake District, the next day. Grace is riding with her Cousin, Carey, in a closed coach bearing the Stancliff crest. Grace appears quite nervous.
Carey: Leans over, gently touches Grace's hand. Olivia was fine. The doctor said so. If anything happens, we will be notified immediately. She told you to have fun. You'll have fun here.
Grace: Just how large is this country cottage, as you all call it? Sally told me about country cottages in England.
Carey: Smiles. Marshall House isn't so large as Will and Mari's house, but it is certainly larger than Libbie and Philip's.
Grace: Scoffs. Some cottage!
Carey: You will like it, I promise. There is a well-stocked stable, a garden that I hear is already beginning to bloom. The weather has been surprisingly clear, with little rain. We'll have a lovely spring. All the fellows will be there to meet us, I hear.
Grace: The fellows?
Carey: My childhood friends. Well-to-do famililies, some gentry, wonderful, charming fellows. Their sisters have since married and moved away, but the fellows stay for one reason or another.
Grace: Sounds like you're sweet on 'em.
Carey: Them? No! They're like brothers. I never had any. The best part about it is that you may say whatever you wish and act whatever you wish and the darlings won't spread it to all of society. They're very protective of my sisters and me, and they will be of you if I tell them to be.
Grace: I don't need protection.
Carey: I am well aware of that, but I also know you miss your brothers, even though you won't admit it. Don't let the actions of few destroy your opinion of all. She leans out the window a bit and points. There, look. Isn't it the most darling little town?
Grace: Leans out the window. I suppose. Like Liberty Creek, only much different.
Carey: That is because Liberty Creek is a new town. Some of these buildings have been here for over two hundred years in one form or another. Long before our family rose to a dukedom, we made our home in Marshton.
Grace: It has a certain quaintness. She pauses. Are those the "fellows"?
Some distance ahead, five young men in their early- to mid-twenties wait at the side of the street just inside town, all holding small bouquets of flowers.
Carey: You see? What did I tell you? They're darlings, all. Now, we're coming up. Remember, you've just turned seventeen. For all intents and purposes, you're Julia.
As they near the young men, the coach does not stop.
Grace: Aren't we going to stop for them?
Carey: The driver knows what they'll do. Just watch.
As they pass the men, two run around to the other side while the other three enter one-by-one through the door Carey opens for them. Grace is so intent upon watching them, that the two entering through the far door startle her when they suddenly appear at her back. It is a tight squeeze, but they all manage to sit together, the shortest of them all opting for the floor.
Man: Seated on the floor, with curly hair. You've stayed away from us for far too long, my dear. You know how we get.
Carey: So sorry, Scotty. I did have a wonderful time visiting my uncle, though. I believe you'd like it there.
Scotty: And who is your beautiful young friend?
Carey: This is my cousin, Grace Marshall. Grace, I present to you Gilbert MacLeod.
Scotty: Takes Grace's hand and kisses it. At your service, Miss Marshall. Please do call me Scotty. They all do.
Carey: Those two chaps sitting next to you are the Pritchett brothers, Frank beside you and Johnny next to him. Frank is the elder brother, but you must watch yourself around him. He's the vicar.
Frank: It would be an honor to marry you some day, Miss Marshall.
Carey: He has for two years assumed that joke is humorous. He has no interest in being married to you.
Frank: It has nothing to do with you, Miss Marshall. My heart is bound to another. I must apologize, Carey, but I'm no longer pining for you.
Carey: Is that so? You will have to tell me all about her. Now, this handsome devil to my right is Edwin Graham. The man blushes. He's shy. The local justice of the peace. And finally, across from you, is Paul Moody, the baby of us all at just twenty-one.
Paul: A pleasure to make your acquaintance, I'm sure.
The last one, Paul, had blond hair and blue eyes. The look in Grace's eyes when he kisses her hand makes Carey laugh. The seven continue to chat as the coach makes its way along the road.
Scene 4: Belleterre, the next day. Elizabeth is walking down the hallway toward John Henry's office.
She softly knocks on the door, but it is Will's voice that bids her enter.
Will: Good morning, Maman.
Elizabeth: Where is your father?
Will: Pauses, takes a deep breath. He went out to the stables for something, but he has been gone quite some time. I was about to go out and see what's happened to him.
Elizabeth: I will go.
Elizabeth goes through the door and into the courtyard. She seems nervous, but gains confidence as she nears the stable. Smiling, she enters and makes her way down the hall to the small office John Henry keeps at the back. She nods to several workers on her way, but does not stop. At the door, she does not knock. Smiling, she enters, but the smiles leaves her face quickly as she looks on in horror. John Henry stands in front of a woman, blocking her face. He has shed his jacket and his shirt is untucked and partially unbuttoned. He steps aside, revealing a disheveled Marietta, her blouse partially unbuttoned but revealing nothing and her long hair let completely out.
John Henry: Darling, I can explain.
Elizabeth: Please, do not. I understand. I... I... Bastard!
She spins around, slamming the door behind her. With tears beginning to form in her eyes, she heads back toward the house. Inside the office, John Henry and Marietta turn away from each other as they right themselves.
John Henry: Thank you for doing it, Mari.
Marietta: I hated it. I hated the look in her eyes, the look she gave me.
John Henry: She knows how Olivia feels now, why I was angry with her. We must give her time now.
Marietta: She will forgive us?
John Henry: Eventually. She'll hate that we tricked her, but Will will make sure she knows what was really happening.
Cut to: Inside the house, a short time later. Elizabeth is standing at the foot of the stairs preparing to go up.
Maid: Passes by. Ma'am, are you all right? Can I get you something?
Elizabeth: I am fine. Have someone pack a change of clothes for me and prepare a carriage. I am going to spend some time with Libbie... She pauses, thinking. No, with Victoria. I am going to Victoria's house.
Maid: Confused. Yes, ma'am. Right away.
Slowly, Elizabeth walks up the stairs.
Scene 5: Benjamin and Victoria's house, a short time later. Joe has just entered and been met in the hall by his brother.
Joe: Before you say anything, I just want to tell you that I'm not angry that you didn't lend me the money. I understand, I really do.
Benjamin: I'm glad.
Victoria appears behind her husband.
Victoria: Why are you here, Joe?
Joe: Because I'm sorry, I really am. For everything I've done. I want to tell you that, and I want to tell Livie that. I want them back, Livie, Joey, and the baby.
Victoria: We're not giving you the money.
Joe: I know, that's not why I'm here. I came to say goodbye.
Benjamin: Goodbye?
Joe: Yes. I'm going to England... to get Olivia. So... um... goodbye.
He turns and leaves, closing the front door behind him.
Victoria: Angry. Who gave him the money?
Who did give Joe the money? John Henry's little show caused
Elizabeth to have a change of heart, but something else happens to pull the two
apart Grace begins to have a grand ol'
time in England.
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