Testament of Youth Page #6

ROLAND:

(lightly - the view)

The world at our feet!

EDWARD:

(grimace)

Except we’re nearly back at school.

ROLAND:

We’re here now, Ted, come on. Live

in the moment a little.

VICTOR:

One more term and it’ll all be

over. It’s sort of daunting, seeing

your whole life stretched out in

front of you. I mean, wonderful

too...

ROLAND:

I’ll stick with wonderful.

VERA:

At least you won’t be buried alive

in Buxton.

EDWARD:

Come on, think of all the gossip

you’re providing the local ladies

with!

VERA:

Talking of which, Mrs Fraser mixed

her china sets at dinner last week.

The whole town’s buzzing with it!

EDWARD:

The triviality of female lives...

Salmon Revision 21.04.14 13A

Vera playfully swats Edward.

VERA:

Don’t you dare...!

ROLAND:

(a chuckle)

Have we got a suffragette on our

hands?

VERA:

I would be, given the chance, I

suppose that shocks you?

EDWARD:

You’re talking to the wrong man,

Vera. Roland’s a supporter.

Salmon Revision 21.04.14

14

Vera assumes he’s joking.

ROLAND:

Well, my mother does admire them.

EDWARD:

She’s a novelist, and she writes

for the papers, she supports the

whole family in fact. (To Roland) I

hope you don’t mind me saying...?

ROLAND:

(smiling)

Not now I’ve seen Vera’s face!

Vera is thrown.

VERA:

I had no idea....

ROLAND:

Perhaps you’ve jumped to

conclusions about me.

VERA:

I think that’s mutual.

ROLAND:

No, I’ve researched you quite

thoroughly. I found a poem in the

garden, in fact, and took the

liberty - (of reading it)

As he takes the piece of paper from his pocket -

EDWARD:

(interrupting)

Poems! You’ve kept that very quiet!

Let’s have a look!

He takes it off Roland - Vera snatches it off him

VERA:

Give it back! It’s nothing - it’s

just a - stupid thing!

She pockets the poem, upset and humiliated. Roland realises

his mistake.

ROLAND:

I’m sorry, I thought...you two...

He gestures to her and Edward.

VERA:

It’s fine...

They sit there in awkward silence.

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15

VICTOR:

(trying to lighten the

atmosphere)

I don’t know about anyone else, but

I could do with a drink of

something.

17 EXT. GREEN GLADE, OUTSIDE BUXTON - A LITTLE LATER 17

On the way back - Vera has deliberately slowed her pace to

fall behind the others, needing a moment alone. Roland

carefully approaches her. We can hear Edward and Victor

talking and laughing off-screen.

ROLAND:

I didn’t know you kept it secret

VERA:

Really. That’s why you stole it

from me and stored it to use like

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