31 Plays in 31 Days, #10 - “On Your Terms”

[breakinglight11]

A scene from Justin’s adventure, a weightier moment from later in the story. We don’t have the whole plot worked out, but we know we want it to be a Wodehouse style criss-crossing of capers and misdirected escapades— one of which will be a family’s special statue whose head gets cut off and disappears. Justin wants the matriarch of the family to invest in his firm, so he thinks solving the mystery of what happened to the statue will help win the woman over. He plans on utilizing the help of his longtime valet, Peter Morgan, who has traveled the world with him and been his closest companion.

But we wanted there to be some significance emotionally to this story, so we wanted to give it some interpersonal meaning. In this, we’re addressing Justin’s cavalier and cynical attitude to everything, facilitated largely by his privilege as a wealthy single man who answers to no one. He and Morgan care about each other beyond just as master and servant, but Justin doesn’t always consider the impact of his actions on those with less power than him. It gives him a journey, and a speed bump for the two of them to get over in their relationship.


Photo by John Benfield

Day #10 - “On Your Terms”
From A Libertine Abroad
By Phoebe Roberts
~~~

JUSTIN HAWKING, a liberated gentleman, late thirties
PETER MORGAN, his valet, early thirties

Venice, 1889
~~~

JUSTIN: For heaven’s sake, Morgan, where have you been?

MORGAN: I’ve been with Cora, sir—

JUSTIN: Well, at least the time hasn’t been wasted! What have you learned?

MORGAN: Quite a few things, sir—

JUSTIN: About the statue, man!

MORGAN: She saw who did it, sir. But she doesn’t want to say.

JUSTIN: She doesn’t want to say? Well, you must worm it out of her!

MORGAN: I don’t know, sir, we’ve rather… made a friendship.

JUSTIN: Why, that’s capital! Make use of that!

MORGAN: I— I’m afraid I can’t do that, sir. I can’t.

JUSTIN: I beg your pardon?

MORGAN: Just as I’ve said, sir.

JUSTIN: Indeed. Well. Forgive me if I don’t know what to say. I can hardly be expected to have prepared for this sort of betrayal.

MORGAN: Don’t say that, Mr. Hawking.

JUSTIN: What would you call it, after eleven years’ faithful service? Haven’t I been your friend in kind?

MORGAN: You have, sir. I’ve no complaints.

JUSTIN: I thought we were in this together.

MORGAN: But we’re not, sir. Not all in that way.

JUSTIN: I beg your pardon?

MORGAN: Don’t take it wrong, sir. We’ve had such fun over the years, and it means loads to me. But it’s all on your terms. I know that’s how it must be, and you’ve been very kind. But this girl… she’s come to mean something to me. I can’t just throw her over.

JUSTIN: Is there an understanding between you?

MORGAN: No, sir. She doesn’t see me the same way, for all I could say. It’s just that… we’re not all like you, sir. Some of us, people leave marks upon. Some of us can’t go on without needing another soul.