A Place to Call Home (2013) s05e08 Episode Script

1 Goodbye, my love.
ELIZABETH: Some memories are best left behind.
I'm not yet strong enough to return to our home.
Prudence has offered hers.
And Anna will stay with her for as long as Mother needs.
Your financial affairs.
Have you investigated? - When Parliament rises - Be forensic.
Instinct tells me that somewhere in your accounts is a road map to his revenge.
The accountants have just discovered that those loans are all owned by Richard.
SARAH: He can call them in.
GEORGE: He can take Ash Park whenever he wants.
It wasn't René who pulled the trigger.
- It was me.
- [GUNSHOT.]
I never believed René shot George.
Believing and knowing are two very different things.
Where is James? ANNA: Livvy, what's going on? - GEORGE: Moved? - The Riviera? He wouldn't.
Not without telling us.
- Please.
- And what of Ash Park? His life here? His responsibilities? You were given every advantage.
And I am not ungrateful, but that house, that life, it suffocates.
Well, shouldn't a father want what's best for his son? And what of Georgie, James? Your son.
What's best for him? You know loving children isn't a quid pro quo transaction.
You've been a good father to him, as you are to David.
And when he abandons me for some bloody kibbutz in Israel? RICHARD: We really should discuss financing your reelection.
You're not getting cold feet on me, George? Why not let him have Ash Park? Why am I fighting for something that no one else wants? - [UP-TEMPO ROCK MUSIC PLAYING.]
- OLIVIA: It's really pointless.
I think we should just give up.
- HENRY: No, let's try again.
- Call it a night.
HENRY: Here we go.
You ready? Just relax.
Ready? One, two, three, go.
- OLIVIA: Whoo! - That's it! - OLIVIA: [LAUGHING.]
- We got it! [LAUGHS.]
I'm not sure that your dancing's ready for anything faster.
[LAUGHING.]
Oh! - [MUSIC STOPS.]
- Sorry.
Hope we weren't too loud in here.
Not at all.
My dancing's out of date, and Henry was helping me brush up.
It's very good.
[EXHALES SHARPLY.]
You must dine here more often, Henry.
Not so long between visits, hmm? Thank you, George.
You're very kind.
Well, good night.
Good night, George.
JACK: [HIGH-PITCHED.]
Highly unorthodox, don't you think, Mrs.
Duncan? Oh, indeed, indeed.
CAROLYN: [LAUGHING.]
Oh! You're dreadful.
Where's the box? I do believe it's what they call a modern erection.
- [LAUGHS.]
- Mm! - GEORGE: [LAUGHS.]
- Oh! Sorry.
Sorry, George.
I do wish people would stop apologizing.
Life goes on.
It It has to.
What were you doing, Jack? [LAUGHS.]
Being the judging panel from the CWA.
Ahh.
It's meant to be Oh, I just thought I'd jazz them up a bit.
You deserve to win a prize.
Oh, no, I don't want to win a prize.
Well, I'll leave you to it.
Mrs.
Collins.
- [LAUGHS.]
- Mr.
Bligh.
Good night, George.
Ah, we we do feel it too.
Mm.
"And the Jews left Egypt at midnight in such a hurry that they did not have time to let their bread dough rise.
They baked it immediately and it came out flat and hard, the first matzo.
" Matzo, ah? Yum-yum! "The people escaped to the Red Sea with the Egyptians in hot pursuit.
When the Israelites stood at the shore of the Red Sea, one said " [BOOK CLOSES.]
To be continued.
- Say good night to Leah.
- LEAH: Good night.
Good night, Leah.
[SINGING IN HEBREW.]
You think you'll stay here, Livvy? I don't know.
London is not feeling particularly hospitable towards me.
My father has me pinned as taking William's side.
And really, this is home for Georgie, but And you, Henry? If I could get a position in town, I'd be out of here in a heartbeat.
Yes, I imagine you would.
Not sure I'm going to be very chirpy at your open day tomorrow.
I have to be there.
For the women's clinic.
GEORGE: [SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY.]
Just tell me who they are.
Seemed to be looking at plans.
GEORGE: Let's talk about this later.
Let's not.
I have a few interested parties coming in.
Right now just taking expressions of interest.
I knew it.
Unilaterally, you've decided to sell off the farm.
I'm exploring our options.
We need to clear those mortgages as soon as possible.
Another drought, rise in interest rates, Sir Richard has the place.
And when did you intend to ask us? Frankly, Carolyn, I don't have much evidence right now that anyone else really, really gives a damn.
And Carolyn has been absent most of her life.
Or she wishes she was.
She couldn't give a toss any more than James can.
I'm more and more inclined just to sell off the land, clear the debt, keep the house.
Really? Or I could just chuck in Parliament.
There's Sir Richard out of our lives.
Is that what you want? The day of Douglas's funeral, when you learned about James, you said something in anger.
I probably did.
That David will also abandon you one day.
"Go off to a kibbutz" was how you put it.
I was upset.
And since then, you've seemed quite distant from him.
One does wonder sometimes, what's the point? All that effort put into raising a child.
You're grieving for James.
Am I? I don't know.
Meanwhile, David's a little boy who needs his father's bedtime stories too.
[KNOCKING.]
Mr.
Bligh, Sir Richard's waiting for you up at the house.
Damn it! It's the new editor of the Mercury, and I've completely forgotten.
Tell them I'll be up shortly, Leah.
I'll see you at the open day.
I don't think I can go.
You have to put in an appearance.
I don't think I can look my constituents in the eye without first extracting myself from Sir Richard.
I can play him but certainly not them.
RICHARD: Just a heads-up He doesn't know you're shacked up down at the outhouse.
Sarah lives there.
I live here.
Well, none of that in the local rag.
Just let him know you'll be announcing the wheat silos at this fete thing.
Wheat silos are pure pork barreling! You want to have this preselection sewn up, you barrel pork.
You're looking a bit peaky.
My apologies.
I'm a little distracted.
Well, they were rough on you in Canberra.
The Jewish thing.
That'll change.
Don't worry.
Douglas's death, it's it's hit us all pretty hard.
Well Douglas'd want you to carry on.
Unless there's something else.
Not at all.
Here we are.
Man of the hour, George Bligh MP.
My new editor, Colin Barrett.
- Mr.
Bligh.
- Colin.
Nice to meet you.
How's this for a brilliant start to the day? George has plans to sell off Ash Park.
- Come again? - Prime grazing land.
We'd have to cut back on stock, then sales drop, and we're in a vicious cycle.
Is it that bad? It shouldn't be his decision to make.
Can I get a hand here, Doc? Ah, fair enough.
It's our identity.
It's not just up to him.
Or do you think it is? Ah, we've got moola to raise.
Talk at the end of the day? Very long day.
Don't be a snob, hmm? Get on the end of this for me.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
Yes, I understand.
Um, Grandmother's quite busy.
Grandmother, it's Douglas's solicitor.
Oh.
I'll just put the phone down and check.
Thank you.
She says she's in her office all day, and she needs to see you urgently.
Douglas's will can wait until I feel up to it.
We've discussed this.
She's very pushy.
More so than the men in that firm.
Thank you, Stanley, very much.
We'll have to return to the system that Douglas set up.
I'll do it while I'm here, but Oh, gentlemen, plates in the tray, not in the sink.
Douglas would have conniptions.
Grandmother, she wants to make sure you received the letter she sent by registered post.
Some of these volunteers simply haven't turned up.
I told her that you had received it.
She asked if you'd opened it.
When I feel up to it.
- [STEAM HISSING.]
- Anna, the custard! Oh! [CLEARS THROAT.]
Sorry! Remember, we've got Frank Gibbs coming down today.
Oh, perhaps some pencils and paper for the men.
We could tempt him into giving some lessons? That isn't why he's coming.
- Hello.
- It's the ginger fluff.
Oh, thank you.
Oh, don't eat that! Mrs.
Duncan! Ohhh! I've been trying to catch you up.
A word, if you please.
Here she is.
Now, it's about your cake.
We've decided we can't possibly sell it.
I'll take it off your hands and give a donation.
No, no, no, no, no.
We're going to raffle it instead.
We've been placing little bets on how much we think it'll raise.
You have elevated the art of cake decoration to, well, an art a modern art.
Ladies, I give you Mrs.
Jack Duncan, and her gâteau extraordinaire! Thank you.
[BANGING ON DOOR.]
- Sir Richard.
- Aren't you gonna invite me in? I'm I'm sorry.
I wasn't expecting you.
Well, you see, Reggie, I'm worried.
Worried you're not much of a mole.
Not much of a mole for an old moll.
[CHUCKLES.]
I told you to go to Goddard's funeral.
It wouldn't have been appropriate, Dickie.
I didn't want to push my luck.
Well, is George intending to run again, or am I being taken for a ride? I haven't heard that he's not.
Is the Jew trying to stop him? - She could well be.
- "She could well be"? Do you hear anything at all from Ash Park, or is it all up here? I do give you information, but George and the Jew You'll be back in the nuthouse in the snap of a finger if you're just stringing me along.
I do have something.
Do you? About my nephew, James.
[CHUCKLES.]
He's a fag? He's move to the Continent.
To the Riviera.
He won't be coming home.
And his poofter surgeon's shattered.
Actually, that is useful.
But first thing, get inside George's head.
He's gone all wet blanket on me.
George is the main game, and you're off yours.
I have his trust.
And hers.
I'll prove it to you.
When? Today.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
Yes.
All right.
[CHILDREN SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY.]
What we'll see play out there today is exactly why we need this clinic to succeed.
Any idea on hangover cures? Eggs, Vegemite on toast, aspirin.
I'll be fine in a minute.
It's all Henry's fault.
SARAH: How's it going out there? Any fete I've ever been to has run off the back of the ladies of the town, - and this is no exception.
- Yes.
They've been slaving away for weeks, making vast amounts of jams and pickles and cakes like so many scientists in their labs.
Meanwhile, the blokes all turn up just in time to raise delirious amounts of money on the raffles, full of themselves because they've given up a Saturday, never mind it's the women who've wheedled the prizes out of people, and all they have to do is sell a ticket or flip a sausage at the barbecue.
Then, at the end of the day, the heroes who have saved the hospital head off to the pub while it's the women who clean up until it's too dark to see and still have to have their husbands' permission before they so much as buy a set of sheets on a layby.
Ugh! It is just a fete.
There are some days when I really do feel like starting a revolution.
Men describe the world from their point of view, which they confuse with the absolute truth.
It affects everything we do.
Ah, our first visitors.
Welcome.
Ah, welcome, ladies.
Please come in.
Make yourselves at home.
JACK: Roll up, roll up! Who wants their photo taken with a doctor or a nurse? Any takers? Don't be shy.
A shilling a time.
Oh, we've got a taker.
RICHARD: George.
George.
Excuse me.
Why don't you hop up later and make a speech? Let these good people know you're gonna stand again.
I'm not certain this is the right occasion.
Oh, they want wheat silos.
They want you to run again for Parliament.
What's wrong with making their day? And mine.
Yeah? That's good.
Yes? It does say open house.
Sir Richard.
Welcome to the zoo.
I feel like a performing seal with all these people traipsing through.
- [DOOR CLOSES.]
- [CHUCKLES.]
Please come in.
All this, very impressive.
Lots of potential, as they say.
Meaning, if the election goes the way it should, won't be too long before the coal mine's up and running.
Population'll double, treble, in the next few years.
This could be a big teaching hospital.
That's very heartening.
Well, the board's impressed with you.
Got you pinned to be the head honcho.
Every surgeon's wet dream, isn't it? Especially one who's not top of the charts in town.
Well, running a teaching hospital sounds very attractive.
Ta.
But we don't want Jack Duncan anywhere near it.
With old Ma Bligh off the board, they're very keen to send him ta-ta.
Think you could find any skeletons in the closet? - He's a very experienced doctor.
- Malpractice'd be good.
Good, clean exit, straight out the laundry chute.
You understand me? I think I do.
You deserve to be running this show and more.
New department, and neurology, that's big.
Best way to prove you're the man for the job is clear out the dross.
Speaking of which, you're well rid of James Bligh.
He very nearly brought you undone.
[CHUCKLING.]
If you'll excuse the pun.
You got time for a snap together for the local rag? Course I do.
Good man.
There you go, love.
- Nurse.
- Yes, Mr.
Fox? None of these tours go into the wards, do they? - No, Mr.
Fox.
- Our patients aren't on show.
Grandmother, um, I've had an invitation to go to a dance tonight.
I invited Olivia to come along.
Just say no if you'd rather we didn't.
ELIZABETH: Douglas wouldn't want everyone's lives to stop.
He'd be the first one to say you and Olivia must go out tonight and have a marvelous time.
Oh, Mr.
Gibbs.
Welcome.
You must feel like a cup of tea after your drive.
Mm, only if you're having one.
Then we'll show you around.
Here's your painting.
It's pride of place.
I'm still not sure it's in the right place.
It looks good to me.
Ah, Mr.
Werren, Mr.
Flannery, would you join us for a cup of tea? Right, Mrs.
Goddard.
Well, the tea's my department.
Make yourself at home.
Mr.
Werren, Mr.
Flannery Mr.
Gibbs.
- Hello.
- G'day.
ROY: Roller, roller, roller! 'Round and 'round she goes! Where she stops, nobody knows! You've got to be in it to win it! Get your tickets here, ladies and gentlemen! - Come on, 1! - 4! GEORGE: Ah! Number 12! It's a green ticket, number 12! 12 green! Where's our winner? Joycie! There she is! Congratulations, Joycie.
Let me see your ticket.
That's the girl.
Heard it said that if the French had taken to playing cricket with the peasants, the revolution might have just fizzled out.
ROY: Righto, let her roll there, Mr.
Bligh! Hey, Mr.
Bligh! You standing for another term or what? About time we knew, isn't it? Well, uh, I'm enjoying my day off.
It's a question for another occasion.
Oh, come on, Bligh! MP's prerogative, mate.
Keep us guessing.
Number 8.
ROY: It's a yellow ticket, number 8! 8 yellow! Here's Scottie! Come on down, Scottie.
- How are you, mate? - Yeah, good, thanks.
ROY: Righto! Next round of tickets.
Oh, it's the pink tickets! Ladies' choice! Here we go, ladies.
Step up here, and you can buy a ticket from Mr.
Bligh or from one of the three very good-looking young blokes I've got roaming around.
Here they are.
One for a shilling or three for two bob.
They're the tickets, not the young blokes.
[LAUGHS.]
Five tickets, please, George.
Regina.
Would you take my hand? He's watching me.
Yes, of course.
- George.
- Just smile.
ROY: Get your tickets there, ladies! It's the big one, the one you've been waiting for! It's a wonderful turnout today.
Very happy.
Yes, it is.
Mrs.
Bligh.
I would never have recognized you.
Sir Richard.
You're looking well.
As do you.
Since returning from Canberra, Mrs.
Nordmann and George have been very kind.
I came to support the hospital.
- Well, it's very nice of you.
- Excuse us, if you would.
There's something over here I I saw earlier you might like.
You don't want to be seen with her too often.
But then again, none of this matters if you're not gonna stand.
Give me a chance to surprise you.
Not one for surprises, me.
I twigged to Santa Claus before I was out of the cot.
I needed to do that.
To bolster your bona fides with him.
Yes.
Yes, exactly.
I should be seen spending money and then make my way home.
Thank you.
Mr.
Fox.
Please go away.
I did read the transcripts of my trial.
Your testimony.
The drug addict that I was, I compromised your career.
I'm sorry for it.
Until today, "ruined" would be a better choice of words.
If you'll excuse me.
Sir Richard is not your mentor.
He will use you as a conduit to destroy Jack Duncan.
And why would he want to do that? It's personal and visceral.
My guess is he's already pushing you in that direction.
I would advise extreme caution.
I don't recall asking for your advice.
And your association with the Blighs has you a marked man.
He will have a spy in here watching you both.
Keep your eyes open.
Yes? Is it possible that Regina Bligh has turned over a new leaf? Well, Caro and Anna think so.
George and Sarah too, from what I saw today.
She suggested we have a spy in our midst.
Working for Sir Richard.
- Any ideas who? - No.
But I suggest that we keep our wits about us.
Especially you.
So it would be possible to expand into temporary accommodation.
Respite for men having trouble finding housing.
Yeah, I see that.
It's impressive, all right.
Excuse me, Mr.
Gibbs.
Grandmother, I really should be getting home for Olivia, Georgie.
Of course.
Lovely to see you, Mr.
Gibbs.
Miss Bligh.
My husband was very impressed by you, as I hope you know.
I felt the same about him.
Um Before he died, Douglas shared with me a plan that he had.
A plan that involves you.
I watched you today.
The way you are with your constituents.
It's always interesting, people's hopes and ideas.
If we could find a way where you could have a second term, without having to sell any of the property and with Sir Richard out of your life, would you stand? Hypothetically speaking.
I've enjoyed Canberra, of course.
You've thrived on it, George.
No, no, no.
What I've thrived on is this.
SARAH: [LAUGHS.]
Us.
You don't have to do it on your own.
If we all put our heads together, we can fight him.
I'll call a family dinner tonight, hmm? - What's left of us.
- [CHUCKLES.]
It was a codicil to Douglas' will.
I witnessed it, which is how I know it's there.
It involves funds for a special program here, for Aboriginal ex-servicemen down on their luck.
Douglas' hope was that you would run it.
He mentions you as his preference.
It's a paid position, of course.
With all respect to Kuminjay Goddard, this is never gonna happen.
I did try and explain it to him.
Well, you wouldn't have to be here full-time.
As an advisor, perhaps.
Missus, blackfellas are never gonna walk through those doors.
Not in a million years.
This place is not for them.
But it could be.
Look at today.
The men greeted you warmly.
You fought side by side.
And look where we are now.
We're back to being classified as flora and fauna.
We don't need that.
We just want to be treated as human beings.
I know you mean well.
Well, then perhaps a separate refuge somewhere else, if you think that would work.
The money's there, I know.
Would it reassure you to speak to Douglas' solicitor with me? What do you think the solicitor's gonna do when I turn up? You can vouch for me till the cows come home.
I understand why No, I don't think you do understand.
You're trying to come up with solutions, and you don't even know what the problems are.
Well, what if your people were given these funds to run a place like this of their own? So you're saying "your people" like there's someone in control? There is no "my people.
" We all come from different mobs.
There's no one boss.
I mean, the amount of times that I hear Oh, um, I'm sorry.
I I think I should leave because I'm gonna say something I'm gonna regret.
No, no, please tell me.
The more times I hear And the white people, they're always telling me what to do and how I should do it and what I should try.
It was not my intention to upset you, Mr.
Gibbs.
You know, when the white soldiers, when they came back from the war, they got given land so they could farm.
I know Aboriginal people who were booted off their land to make way for them.
They made a lot of promises to us when we went over there to fight.
And when we came back, yeah, what? Nothing.
No pension, nothing.
Kuminjay Goddard, he's a good man.
And this is a fine establishment.
But for whitefella soldiers.
We live in two different countries.
I wish you all the best, Mrs.
Goddard.
Really.
So, what was the pantomime at the fete? Apart from losing George votes and you winning an acting prize? May I offer you one for the road? No.
He's not gonna stand, is he? It's a bit more nuanced, Dickie.
Stop tooling me around, Reggie.
George is getting bolshie.
Say again.
You'll lose him if you're not careful.
Well, how's that? The more you push him, the less likely he is to run.
I'm assuming if he does balk, you have a trump card or two up your sleeve? Too bloody right I do.
For now, don't push him.
Let him believe he's his own man.
Anything else? - Our Mr.
Fox - Yeah? will do anything to be rid of Jack Duncan.
I've heard as much, but it's good to have it confirmed.
- Keep me posted.
- I will.
She's still hanging in there, old Ma Bligh.
I can see her funeral announcement plain as day in the paper.
Just got to get her there.
Oh, hello! Look at you! Oh, my goodness, you're so big! Welcome to our temporary digs.
And all these terrible harbor views.
A bowl of ice cream for Georgie? GEORGIE: Yes, please, Auntie Anna.
ANNA: Neapolitan, I think.
OLIVIA: [CHUCKLES.]
You be a good boy now, Georgie.
Come on, Georgie.
I'll take you to the kitchen.
What? Let's get you dolled up.
OLIVIA: I'm not sure I have anything to wear, so ANNA: I've got something, and I'm certain it's going to fit.
Are you sure Elizabeth doesn't mind? She's positively pushing us out the door.
I cannot believe you are talking me into this.
[PLAYING CHOPIN'S "TRISTESSE".]
[STOPS PLAYING.]
[GASPS.]
Miss Berry.
I am so sorry to intrude, Mrs.
Goddard.
We agreed that you would give me some time, that you would deal with matters of Douglas' estate until I felt up to doing my duty.
This isn't actually to do with your role as executrix.
This is something that Douglas shared with me when he made his final will.
It's in the registered letter that I sent.
I have a copy with me.
- [LAUGHS.]
- Oh, my goodness! You look like a movie star.
- It isn't too much? - No, no! - Perhaps if I have a stole? - [LAUGHS.]
We don't do stoles, sister.
[LAUGHS.]
Come on.
Let's get you out on the town.
We'll stick together, right? Through thick and thin.
Aah! [LAUGHS.]
[UP-TEMPO JAZZ MUSIC PLAYS.]
Oh! Sorry.
- [LAUGHS.]
- Anna! Hi! [WHISPERING.]
That's my friend.
Excuse me, there.
Excuse me.
They're with me.
Just let them through.
ANNA: Thank you.
Sorry.
Whoo! [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE.]
[SLOW PIANO MUSIC PLAYS.]
Yeah! - To the table? - Yes.
Yeah, great.
Oh! You are one hip chick.
Ohh.
And I don't even know your name.
ANNA: Oh, Olivia, my sister.
Hey.
Olivia.
That's my mother's name.
May I have the pleasure? Not right now, thank you.
Hey, Sammy! Same again.
Martini.
- [GASPS.]
- [UP-TEMPO JAZZ MUSIC PLAYS.]
- You're naughty.
- I am.
Let's dance.
CAROLYN: Dinner with George.
I can hardly wait.
I think everyone's pretty well stonkered after the fete.
Let's see how he digs himself out of this one.
Perhaps we can view dinner tonight as a war council, explore what possible choices we have in relation to Sir Richard Bennett.
We need to find a way to cut him off at the knees.
Without selling any of the property.
Why don't we take a measure of the whole situation, hmm? Why don't we agree that selling off the property isn't an option? As we know, if I'm to be reelected with his backing, he will hold these debts over my head unless I do exactly what he wants.
You can't live like that.
Or we could quietly sell off enough land, clear the debt without him getting wind of it, and then he has nothing over us.
I'd really like to know how we got into this mess.
Oh, Carolyn, as I've explained before, we had a drop in the wool prices, the shearers' strike As did every other property.
And for some reason we didn't come out of it as well as we could have.
Why not? You tell me.
I'm sorry? Well, I was in Canberra most of the time.
James was left in charge.
More's the pity when I see the choices he made.
But you were here too.
Meaning? Were you offering to give James a hand running the place? With the accounts? Or were you just swanning around the place complaining you were bored? Fuck you, George.
Fuck you! [SILVERWARE CLATTERS.]
[SLOW JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING.]
Would you like to dance? Ah.
No.
But thank you.
[SLOW JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING.]
You go.
[HORN HONKING.]
Why is it so important to you, not selling off the land? It's not because you're sentimental.
Because if Mother didn't die of a coronary, she'd die of a broken heart.
We can't do this to her at the end of her life.
I couldn't have it on my conscience.
Could you? Probably not.
But you didn't storm out of the room because of Mother.
Did you? Ash Park is us.
It's who we are.
And I'm not sure how I can be Carolyn Duncan if I'm not also Carolyn Bligh.
Why don't we go back inside and put our collective heads together? And I'll apologize to the staff.
Hello, my dear.
Elizabeth, you're still up.
Don't tell me where Anna is.
I don't want to know.
Is everything all right? I think I've had a bit of a shake-up.
That makes two of us.
Don't you ever underestimate yourself.
One just needs to find a new way.
You're freezing.
Is it presuming too much to hope that you will always consider yourself part of the family? That is not presuming too much at all.
Dear girl.
CAROLYN: How about Go on.
Well, why can't you we refinance without him knowing? Find other people who could take over the mortgages.
Pull a bit of a swifty.
He finds out when it's done and dusted.
Have to be something pretty damn subtle for him not to notice.
Well, what if he was busy, so distracted that he was thinking about something else? I, um Carolyn's had a thought.
What if Sir Richard was so distracted over the next how long would it take? A month.
A few months.
So distracted that George was able to work quietly to find another avenue for the mortgages? Pull it out from Sir Richard's hold before he knew what was happening.
What would distract him? A plunge in the market.
A printers' strike.
Out of our league, I would have thought.
Surgery.
A long recovery.
- Jack.
- I'm just running with it.
- A long trip to Europe.
- He has an empire to run.
Oh, sounded like a good idea a minute ago.
We do have someone in our midst who knows him inside out.
Yes.
I'll ride over there first thing in the morning.
I must say, I've let this matter with James get the better of me, to the extent I haven't been thinking straight.
Well, I am thinking straight now.
We fight.
[HORSE WHINNIES.]
I don't mean to sound offensive but I need your calculating mind.
- Good morning, Grandmother.
- Morning.
I'll apologize to Olivia, just so you know.
If you're upset with me, I'd rather you just say.
I'm expecting a visitor, if you don't mind.
[DOORBELL RINGS.]
Thank you.
Mrs.
Goddard? I'm Douglas's son, Matthew.
I've come with a solution.
Please.
It will likely go against every fiber of your being and rely totally on the cooperation of one man.
Who is? Jack Duncan.