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breakinglight11) wrote2018-08-31 10:04 am
breakinglight11) wrote2018-08-31 10:04 am
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31 Plays in 31 Days, #31 - "Hard Truth"
And I have done it— accomplished another 31 Plays in 31 Days! Most of it consisting of scenes of the newest Mrs. Hawking play, part V: Mrs. Frost. This last one is a flashback though, not from the play, but another scene from the dumpster fire that was the Hawking marriage. It's not entirely unrelated, as technically Frost makes a very oblique reference to the events of this piece at one point in part V.
SO GLAD TO BE DONE. That's seven years in a row!
Day #31 - "Hard Truth"
By Phoebe Roberts
ELIZABETH CAMERON, a society lady, early thirties
REGINALD HAWKING, RHA colonel on special assignment, late thirties
British China, 1866
~~~
REGINALD: You've been a most gracious host, Mrs. Cameron.
ELIZABETH: I told you-- it's Elizabeth, please. After all, we're practically family.
REGINALD: I suppose that's true. Elizabeth, then. If I may say, it's been very nice to see you. It's been... a lovely reminder of a fond time in my life.
ELIZABETH: When we were all young and fiery. Of course, I imagine some of us still are.
REGINALD: She certainly is.
ELIZABETH: Heaven knows. She can be a handful.
REGINALD: I knew what I was getting into.
ELIZABETH: I very much doubt that. How is my dear girl?
REGINALD: She's well, madam. Though there is... some time between our letters.
ELIZABETH: Have you been abroad long now?
REGINALD: A few months.
ELIZABETH: How lonely you must be.
REGINALD: I'm quite used to being on campaign.
ELIZABETH: But you had no one waiting at home then.
REGINALD: We've both our own matters to attend to.
ELIZABETH: ...Indeed.
(Pause.)
ELIZABETH: So you were pleased to see me?
REGINALD: Assuredly, madam.
ELIZABETH: I'm ever so glad. Because I am to see you. Very much indeed.
(She reaches over and lays a hand on his knee.)
REGINALD: Elizabeth? What's this?
ELIZABETH: I do so hate to see you go on lonely, Reginald. Not when there's no need.
(He draws back, scandalized.)
REGINALD: Madam! I beg your pardon!
ELIZABETH: Come now. Surely you've thought of it.
REGINALD: I don't know what you mean.
ELIZABETH: Yes, you do. You know precisely what I mean.
(Pause.)
REGINALD: You’re married. And so am I. To a woman who is practically your sister.
ELIZABETH: What is it in the least to her?
REGINALD: Would you do that to her?
ELIZABETH: You cannot honestly think she cares one way or the other.
REGINALD: How could you say such a thing?
ELIZABETH: I've known her since she was a child, there’s no one who knows her like me. She’s not like other women. You must have seen it.
REGINALD: Take care how you speak of her to me.
ELIZABETH: You know it's true-- it's why you fell for her, for heaven's sake. But it wasn't like you thought, was it? Under all that fire, she's cold as ice.
REGINALD: Elizabeth--
ELIZABETH: But I'm not. Not for you. I could show you.
REGINALD: Madam, what do you take me for?
ELIZABETH: Of course you're a gentleman. But what's the harm? No one need ever know.
REGINALD: I am devoted to her.
ELIZABETH: But is she to you?
REGINALD: How dare you?
ELIZABETH: Oh, not like that. It's hardly as if she's a slut, isn't it? Indeed, far from it. Tell me, captain, when you go to her, does she ever want it?
REGINALD: This is quite uncalled for.
ELIZABETH: Never, I'd wager-- not once. How do you stand it?
REGINALD: I-- I can’t talk about this.
ELIZABETH: And yet it's true, isn't it? But it needn't be this way. You're so handsome, how could you not know what it is to be wanted? Don't you miss that, Reginald? A woman who can bear for you to touch her? Not just bear it-- reach for it? Crave it?
REGINALD: You are very much out of line.
ELIZABETH: Perhaps so. But the moment I laid eyes on you, I wondered what you might be like. Do you think I would pass up the chance to finally find out?
REGINALD: What about your husband?
ELIZABETH: Some words alone on an altar are not enough to make a marriage. Aren't they, Reginald?
REGINALD: I meant the promise I made. Because I love her. Desperately, completely, I love her.
ELIZABETH: My God. Any other woman— if you'd loved any other woman, you would have been spared this.
REGINALD: But I didn't.
ELIZABETH: And yet look what's become of you. Half a world away, frightened to go home, frightened to stay too long. Face the truth, Reginald. She doesn’t love you.
(Pause.)
REGINALD: She did. I know that she did.
ELIZABETH: Oh, my dear.
REGINALD: I-- I don't know what changed. Something I did, surely. But what, I don't know.
ELIZABETH: And it isn't as if she'd tell you.
REGINALD: But it was there You saw it, Elizabeth. Once, we were... the best of friends.
(Pause.)
ELIZABETH: Yes. You were.
REGINALD: I can't help but want oceans to part. Not when I know we once walked between them.
ELIZABETH: Ugh. Is that what you think, poor dear? Then I fear you never knew her at all.
REGINALD: That's enough of this, madam. That is quite enough.
(He stands.)
ELIZABETH: Reginald!
REGINALD: Captain Hawking. If you please. Thank you for the company, madam. I will send your kind regards to Victoria. She will be happy to hear you wished her well.
(He bows stiffly, then strides out past her.)
REGINALD: Good evening, Mrs. Cameron.
SO GLAD TO BE DONE. That's seven years in a row!
Day #31 - "Hard Truth"
By Phoebe Roberts
ELIZABETH CAMERON, a society lady, early thirties
REGINALD HAWKING, RHA colonel on special assignment, late thirties
British China, 1866
~~~
REGINALD: You've been a most gracious host, Mrs. Cameron.
ELIZABETH: I told you-- it's Elizabeth, please. After all, we're practically family.
REGINALD: I suppose that's true. Elizabeth, then. If I may say, it's been very nice to see you. It's been... a lovely reminder of a fond time in my life.
ELIZABETH: When we were all young and fiery. Of course, I imagine some of us still are.
REGINALD: She certainly is.
ELIZABETH: Heaven knows. She can be a handful.
REGINALD: I knew what I was getting into.
ELIZABETH: I very much doubt that. How is my dear girl?
REGINALD: She's well, madam. Though there is... some time between our letters.
ELIZABETH: Have you been abroad long now?
REGINALD: A few months.
ELIZABETH: How lonely you must be.
REGINALD: I'm quite used to being on campaign.
ELIZABETH: But you had no one waiting at home then.
REGINALD: We've both our own matters to attend to.
ELIZABETH: ...Indeed.
(Pause.)
ELIZABETH: So you were pleased to see me?
REGINALD: Assuredly, madam.
ELIZABETH: I'm ever so glad. Because I am to see you. Very much indeed.
(She reaches over and lays a hand on his knee.)
REGINALD: Elizabeth? What's this?
ELIZABETH: I do so hate to see you go on lonely, Reginald. Not when there's no need.
(He draws back, scandalized.)
REGINALD: Madam! I beg your pardon!
ELIZABETH: Come now. Surely you've thought of it.
REGINALD: I don't know what you mean.
ELIZABETH: Yes, you do. You know precisely what I mean.
(Pause.)
REGINALD: You’re married. And so am I. To a woman who is practically your sister.
ELIZABETH: What is it in the least to her?
REGINALD: Would you do that to her?
ELIZABETH: You cannot honestly think she cares one way or the other.
REGINALD: How could you say such a thing?
ELIZABETH: I've known her since she was a child, there’s no one who knows her like me. She’s not like other women. You must have seen it.
REGINALD: Take care how you speak of her to me.
ELIZABETH: You know it's true-- it's why you fell for her, for heaven's sake. But it wasn't like you thought, was it? Under all that fire, she's cold as ice.
REGINALD: Elizabeth--
ELIZABETH: But I'm not. Not for you. I could show you.
REGINALD: Madam, what do you take me for?
ELIZABETH: Of course you're a gentleman. But what's the harm? No one need ever know.
REGINALD: I am devoted to her.
ELIZABETH: But is she to you?
REGINALD: How dare you?
ELIZABETH: Oh, not like that. It's hardly as if she's a slut, isn't it? Indeed, far from it. Tell me, captain, when you go to her, does she ever want it?
REGINALD: This is quite uncalled for.
ELIZABETH: Never, I'd wager-- not once. How do you stand it?
REGINALD: I-- I can’t talk about this.
ELIZABETH: And yet it's true, isn't it? But it needn't be this way. You're so handsome, how could you not know what it is to be wanted? Don't you miss that, Reginald? A woman who can bear for you to touch her? Not just bear it-- reach for it? Crave it?
REGINALD: You are very much out of line.
ELIZABETH: Perhaps so. But the moment I laid eyes on you, I wondered what you might be like. Do you think I would pass up the chance to finally find out?
REGINALD: What about your husband?
ELIZABETH: Some words alone on an altar are not enough to make a marriage. Aren't they, Reginald?
REGINALD: I meant the promise I made. Because I love her. Desperately, completely, I love her.
ELIZABETH: My God. Any other woman— if you'd loved any other woman, you would have been spared this.
REGINALD: But I didn't.
ELIZABETH: And yet look what's become of you. Half a world away, frightened to go home, frightened to stay too long. Face the truth, Reginald. She doesn’t love you.
(Pause.)
REGINALD: She did. I know that she did.
ELIZABETH: Oh, my dear.
REGINALD: I-- I don't know what changed. Something I did, surely. But what, I don't know.
ELIZABETH: And it isn't as if she'd tell you.
REGINALD: But it was there You saw it, Elizabeth. Once, we were... the best of friends.
(Pause.)
ELIZABETH: Yes. You were.
REGINALD: I can't help but want oceans to part. Not when I know we once walked between them.
ELIZABETH: Ugh. Is that what you think, poor dear? Then I fear you never knew her at all.
REGINALD: That's enough of this, madam. That is quite enough.
(He stands.)
ELIZABETH: Reginald!
REGINALD: Captain Hawking. If you please. Thank you for the company, madam. I will send your kind regards to Victoria. She will be happy to hear you wished her well.
(He bows stiffly, then strides out past her.)
REGINALD: Good evening, Mrs. Cameron.
no subject
That's a good scene...