EXT. PASTURE - NIGHT
Francesca and Robert walk through the pasture. She sniffs herarm.
FRANCESCASmells like dirt.
ROBERTYou get used to it.
FRANCESCAWhen
ROBERT(laughs)You want to go back in
FRANCESCANo. I'm all right. It's working.
Silence. They walk. It is a beautiful night.
ROBERTYou've got it all right here, youknow. It's just as beautiful as anyother place I've seen. God, itknocks me out.
FRANCESCAWhat
ROBERT(indicating the night)This "... Of what I call God andfools can Nature." Who wrote that
FRANCESCAUmm, I don't know. I can look it up.
ROBERTI'd appreciate it. I like knowing whoI'm stealing from. If you can'tcreate art I think the least you cando is recognize it around you, don'tyou think? There is...
genuinely affected)... so much beauty.
She watches him with great appreciation. He smiles at her.
Instead of looking away, their eyes remained locked for amoment. There is clearly an attraction. They simultaneouslylook away and continue walking.
Francesca's heart is beating a mile a minute yet she can'tdeny she is enjoying herself. Walking side by side insilence, Francesca turns back occasionally to look at herhouse as they get further away from it. Suddenly, the moredistant the house becomes, the more frightened she starts tofeel. Something inside her knows she's going too far withthis man -- too far from home. Although a part of her wantsit, she is surprised to find a larger part of her findstoo unknown. She stops.
ROBERT (cont'd)What's wrong
Francesca looks confused for a moment, not knowing what shewants. She can't move. She searches for a way out.
FRANCESCAWould you like some coffee? Or maybe,some brandy
Somehow Robert can sense her uneasiness. He obliges.
ROBERTHow about both
INT. KITCHEN - NIGHTFrancesca moves about the kitchen preparing coffee -- droppingthe coffee pot basket, spilling the grounds. She acts tense.
Robert sits at the table opening the brandy bottle Francescaalmost opened the night before, aware of her mood.
Francesca gets the coffee going then sets the table with cupsand saucers.
ROBERTYou sure you won't let me help youwith those dishes
FRANCESCA(coldly)No. I'll do them later.
ROBERTFrancesca
FRANCESCAWhat
ROBERTAre you all right
FRANCESCAYes.
ROBERTFrancesca
FRANCESCAWhat
ROBERTWe're not doing anything wrong, doyou.
Francesca freezes. He has read her mind again.
ROBERT (cont'd)(smiles)Nothing you can't tell your childrenabout.
Once again, he relieves her of fear and anxiety. He hands hera glass of brandy...
CUT TO
INT. KITCHEN - DAYCarolyn and Michael have come to the end of a notebook.
MICHAELHe's getting her drunk. That's whathappened. Jesus, maybe he forcedhimself. That's why she couldn't tellus.
CAROLYNOh, he did not. He's such a nice guy.
MICHAELNice? He's trying to sleep withsomebody's wife.
CAROLYNI don't think so. Not yet anyway. Andbesides, something like that doesn'tmake you a bad person. He reminds meof Steve in a way. Steve's weak,immoral and a liar but he's still areal nice guy. He just shouldn't bemarried.
laughs)At least not to me. You gettinghungry? I'm hungry.
Michael nods, then speaks with sincere compassion.
MICHAELI had no idea it's gotten that bad,sis.
CAROLYNOh, don't feel sorry for me. Please.
No one's forcing me to stay.
MICHAELThen why do you
CAROLYNAnd do what? Live alone? Go back toschool? Find someone else? Start amagazine for confused woman? ... Whatif I can't do any of those things
Michael can't answer her. Carolyn looks through the cabinets.
CAROLYN (cont'd)There's not much here to make.
MICHAELLet's go into town and get a bite.
We'll take the books with us.
Carolyn nods. Michael looks for the next notebook, checkingthe dates.
INT. CAR - EARLY EVENINGMichael drives as Carolyn opens the next notebook and reads
FRANCESCA (V.O.)"We sat sipping brandy. I thought ifanybody walked through the door nowthere'd be no explaining it. But Ididn't care. And I loved that Ididn't care. I almost wanted it tohappen. Then there'd be no turningback. I wanted to be like him. Ilived this life of his. We talkedabout his wife and I was jealous --not of her -- but of his leaving. Hisfearlessness. He knew what he wanted.
How did he do that.
CUT BACK TO
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHTFrancesca sips her brandy. Robert sits in the easy chair.
FRANCESCADo you mind if I... ask you why yougot divorced
ROBERTNot at all. I wasn't around much...
So why did I get married? Well, Ithought it was a good idea at thetime. Have a home base. Roots. Youcan get lost moving around so much.
FRANCESCASo what happened
ROBERTI never got lost. For some reason,I'm more at home everywhere than atone place. So I decided I'll think ofmyself as some kind of world citizen.
I belong everywhere and nowhere. I'mkin to everyone, and no one inparticular. See, once you get intothe habit of not needing anyone, it'skind of hard to break.
FRANCESCAYou must get lonely at times.
ROBERTNever touch the stuff. I've gotfriends all over the world. Goodfriends I can see when I want, if Iwant.
FRANCESCAWoman friends, too
ROBERTI'm a loner, I'm not a monk.
Francesca averts her eyes, before continuing her investigation.
FRANCESCAYou really don't need anyone
ROBERTNo, I think I need everyone! I lovepeople. I want to meet them all
I just think there are too many outthere saying "This is mine." or"She's mine." Too many lines havebeen drawn. World's breaking apartbecause of man's weakness for sometestosterone conquests over territoryand power and people. He wantscontrol over what deep down he knowshe has no control over whatsoever andit scares him silly.
FRANCESCAWhy doesn't it scare you
ROBERTI embrace Mystery. I don't knowwhat's coming. And I don't mind.
FRANCESCADo you ever regret it? The divorce,I mean.
ROBERTNo.
FRANCESCADo you ever regret not having afamily
ROBERTNot everybody's supposed to have afamily.
FRANCESCABut -- how can you just live for whatyou want? What about other people
ROBERTI told you, I love other people.
FRANCESCABut no one in particular.
ROBERTNo. But I love them just the same.
FRANCESCABut it's not the same.
ROBERTThat's not what you're saying. I knowit's not the same. What you're sayingis, it's not as good. Or it's not asnormal or proper.
FRANCESCANo, I'm just saying --ROBERT(interrupting)I'm a little sick of this AmericanFamily Ethic everyone seems to behypnotized by in this country. Iguess you think I'm just some poordisplaced soul doomed to roam theearth without a self-cleaning ovenand home movie.
FRANCESCA(irritated)Just because someone chooses tosettle down and have a family doesn'tnecessarily mean they're hypnotized.
Just because I've never seen agazelle stampede doesn't mean I'masleep in the world.
ROBERTDo you want to leave your husband
Francesca is completely stunned and thrown off guard.
FRANCESCANo. Of course not.