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breakinglight11Ugh, another lame, awkward scene. This is some drafting for an idea for another Justin Hawking story, which we have a half-decent idea developing. But this scene is really awkward and poorly realized. I’m sure it could be saved with editing, but with a scene to bang out every day for a month, editing is not something I can afford to spend time on right now. So… right now it’s pretty bad.
Day #13 - "Two or Three Birds"
From A Lady Always Knows
By Phoebe Roberts
~~~
JUSTIN HAWKING, a rakish gentleman, early forties
PETER MORGAN, his valet, late thirties
WILLIAM GARDNER, the steward of the club, late forties
ALGERNON PIKE, lord baron of Lavery, mid thirties
~~~
(ALGERNON strides in, with MR. GARDNER on his heels.)
ALGERNON: I tell you, this is an outrage, Mr. Gardiner. An absolute affront!
MR. GARDNER: Please, Baron Lavery, there’s no need to raise such a panic—
ALGERNON: I should say there is! I daresay the whole house must hear of it.
JUSTIN: Here, now, what’s the trouble, Lavery?
ALGERNON: The trouble is putting it mildly! I entrusted my Kimberley gemstones to the safe in the main office for the duration of my stay. And then, when I asked to access them this morning to make a gift of one, they had vanished!
JUSTIN: Vanished from the safe? I say, Gardner, do you have a Rocambole on your staff?
MR. GARDNER: Please, Mr. Hawking! How can you suggest such a thing?
ALGERNON: The fact remains that my jewels have gone! If not a member of your staff, whoever could have done it?
MR. GARDNER: I assure you, my lord, this establishment employs only the most trustworthy of servants. It could only be that we have been infiltrated by some nefarious sort. You have my word every effort shall be made to track down the culprit and recover your property.
ALGERNON: I should certainly hope so, Mr. Gardner. I should hate to think of what such an incident could do to the reputation of your club.
(Pause as MR. GARDNER shivers.)
ALGERNON: Now, if anyone should have need of me, I shall be in the lounge, attempting to think of some way of soothing my frayed nerves.
MR. GARDNER: Perhaps… the ten-year port?
ALGERNON: Let’s start with the twenty and go back from there.
(MR. GARDNER scurries out after him. MORGAN rushes up to JUSTIN.)
MORGAN: Mr. Hawking, we have got to find out what happened to those gemstones.
JUSTIN: Why, Morgan! And they say a good servant knows what you need before you do. If we can hand those back over to Algie before he climbs out of the port barrel, he’ll be so grateful he’ll simply have to invest with us.
MORGAN: Mr. Hawking! If those gems aren’t found, it could ruin the reputation of every soul who works here!
JUSTIN: Ah, yes, that too. But you’re right, of course. And we’re heard of it before Rosaline has a chance to sniff it out, so we’ll kill two birds with one stone.
MORGAN: Including yours truly, so unless you’d like me pressing your suits in a jail cell, we’ll have to sort out the real culprit!
JUSTIN: Hmm, that sounds terribly inconvenient. So, three birds, then.
Day #13 - "Two or Three Birds"
From A Lady Always Knows
By Phoebe Roberts
~~~
JUSTIN HAWKING, a rakish gentleman, early forties
PETER MORGAN, his valet, late thirties
WILLIAM GARDNER, the steward of the club, late forties
ALGERNON PIKE, lord baron of Lavery, mid thirties
~~~
(ALGERNON strides in, with MR. GARDNER on his heels.)
ALGERNON: I tell you, this is an outrage, Mr. Gardiner. An absolute affront!
MR. GARDNER: Please, Baron Lavery, there’s no need to raise such a panic—
ALGERNON: I should say there is! I daresay the whole house must hear of it.
JUSTIN: Here, now, what’s the trouble, Lavery?
ALGERNON: The trouble is putting it mildly! I entrusted my Kimberley gemstones to the safe in the main office for the duration of my stay. And then, when I asked to access them this morning to make a gift of one, they had vanished!
JUSTIN: Vanished from the safe? I say, Gardner, do you have a Rocambole on your staff?
MR. GARDNER: Please, Mr. Hawking! How can you suggest such a thing?
ALGERNON: The fact remains that my jewels have gone! If not a member of your staff, whoever could have done it?
MR. GARDNER: I assure you, my lord, this establishment employs only the most trustworthy of servants. It could only be that we have been infiltrated by some nefarious sort. You have my word every effort shall be made to track down the culprit and recover your property.
ALGERNON: I should certainly hope so, Mr. Gardner. I should hate to think of what such an incident could do to the reputation of your club.
(Pause as MR. GARDNER shivers.)
ALGERNON: Now, if anyone should have need of me, I shall be in the lounge, attempting to think of some way of soothing my frayed nerves.
MR. GARDNER: Perhaps… the ten-year port?
ALGERNON: Let’s start with the twenty and go back from there.
(MR. GARDNER scurries out after him. MORGAN rushes up to JUSTIN.)
MORGAN: Mr. Hawking, we have got to find out what happened to those gemstones.
JUSTIN: Why, Morgan! And they say a good servant knows what you need before you do. If we can hand those back over to Algie before he climbs out of the port barrel, he’ll be so grateful he’ll simply have to invest with us.
MORGAN: Mr. Hawking! If those gems aren’t found, it could ruin the reputation of every soul who works here!
JUSTIN: Ah, yes, that too. But you’re right, of course. And we’re heard of it before Rosaline has a chance to sniff it out, so we’ll kill two birds with one stone.
MORGAN: Including yours truly, so unless you’d like me pressing your suits in a jail cell, we’ll have to sort out the real culprit!
JUSTIN: Hmm, that sounds terribly inconvenient. So, three birds, then.
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