Love & Friendship Page #4

- You're in good health, I trust?

- No.

How's Mother?

What brings you to these parts?

Take a seat.

I won't dissemble and say I

have business in the district.

What I've come about is more important.

What's of such importance?

I know young men don't admit inquiry

into affairs of the heart,

but, as the sole son

of an ancient family,

you must know that your conduct

is most important to us.

Your happiness, ours, the credit of

the family name, its very survival...

- Father.

- No, no, no. Hear me out.

I know that you'd not deliberately form

an engagement without informing us.

But I can't help fear

that you'll fall into an obligation

which everyone near you must oppose.

- What do you mean, sir?

- Well, Lady Susan Vernon's age alone...

Father, you astonish me.

What surprises you?

Impugning such ambitions to Lady Susan.

She'd never think of such a thing.

My sole interest has been to enjoy the

lively conversation of a superior lady.

Catherine's prejudice is so great.

Prejudice? Lady Susan's

neglect of her late husband,

her extravagance and dissipation,

her encouragement of other men

are so notorious...

These are vile calumnies.

I could explain each

but would not so dignify them.

- I know you spend little time in society.

- Oh, none.

Should you have frequented it more,

you'd know the astonishing degree

of vile, hateful jealousy

in our country.

Don't deprecate our country, sir.

I can't prevent you

inheriting the family estate,

and my ability to distress

you during my life

is not the kind of revenge

that I would choose to take.

- Father, this is unnecessary.

- No, no. Let me continue.

A permanent connection

between you and Lady Susan Vernon

would destroy every

comfort of our lives.

It would be the death

of the honest pride

with which we've always considered you.

We'd blush to see you, to hear of you,

to think of you.

Father,

with the utmost humility,

let me say that what you imagine...

is impossible.

Susan:

Poor Mrs. Cross was obliged

to accept a paid position

in Buckinghamshire.

As there was an element

of friendship between us,

I realized the paying of wages

would be offensive to us both.

You value friendship highly.

Yes. I hope I was

of some help to her.

And your friends don't neglect you.

Thank you, Charles.

It's from Frederica's school.

No.

I can't believe it.

It defies comprehension.

- What?

- Frederica has run away.

- She's run away from school.

- Heavens. Where to?

- They don't know.

- She's lost?

No. They detected her plan

early enough to intercept her.

What folly. Where could she

have thought of going?

Surely here.

No, this is the last

place she would come.

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