Miss Peach is conservatively dressed in a drab woolen coat and unassuming hat.. Miss Peach turns over the postcard and it reads: “Dearest Walter, I Miss You, New York Misses You.. NIGHT
Trang 1THE LADY IN WAITING
by Christian Taylor
1 EXT FORTLEY MANOR EARLY MORNING
All is quiet as the first rays of sunlight hit FORTLEY
MANOR
At the front gate is a large sign which reads:
“Bartle and Johnson of London announce the sale of
Fortley Manor, an extensive country estate.” Across the bottom is plastered SOLD
2 INT FORTLEY MANOR MORNING
Large rooms lie empty of furniture, everything is
spartan and clean, and nothing moves save the morning light that gradually increases throughout the building A distant RUSTLING is heard
3 INT DINING ROOM MORNING
A pair of woman’s hands sifts through a packing box
filled with newspaper-wrapped objects A small bundle is added, and the box is closed A sticker is placed on the
box which reads AUCTION There is a sigh from the owner
of the hands, MISS PEACH Miss Peach is a grey-haired,
formal-looking woman in her late fifties She sits
awkwardly on a suitcase in the middle of the dining room, which is bare of furniture save a few packing boxes and the odd piece of newspaper Miss Peach is conservatively dressed in a drab woolen coat and unassuming hat Miss Peach lifts a cardboard box from the floor in front of her and places the box on her lap Carefully, she opens the
box and reveals inside an array of letters and
correspondence At the top lies a faded postcard of New
York skyline Miss Peach turns over the postcard and it
reads: “Dearest Walter, I Miss You, New York Misses You
Oh how stubborn you British are! Love Always, Catherine.” Miss Peach replaces the postcard and closes the box
SARAH, a plump rosy-cheeked maid, enters; she too is
dressed in a coat and hat She carries a box
SARAH
I believe this is the last box from his Lordship’s study
Trang 2MISS PEACH Thank you, Sarah This box contains Lord Walter’s private correspondence They can be destroyed
Miss Peach places the box on the floor
3 INT DINING ROOM MORNING (CONT.)
SARAH That lawyer in charge of the will, Mr Case, came
by earlier; he brought this
Sarah withdraws from her coat pocket a white envelope and hands it to Miss Peach
SARAH
He said you would know what it was
Miss Peach takes the letter and examines it It reads:
“Catherine Spencer, 356 Park Avenue, Penthouse, New York, NY 10022.” She pauses and then places it in her handbag STEVENS, a young butler, enters
STEVENS Will that be all, Miss Peach?
MISS PEACH Yes, yes I believe our jobs are finished here
SARAH Miss Peach, I’d just like to say you ran a beautiful house It was a pleasure to work on your
housekeeping staff
Miss Peach gathers her things
SARAH
If his Lordship was alive I’m sure he would have said the same
MISS PEACH Indeed When you’ve finished closing up the house, Stevens, drop the keys at Mr Case’s office
Trang 34 INT HALLWAY MORNING
Miss Peach exits the dining room and walks down the
marble hallway
CUT TO:
3 INT DINING ROOM MORNING (CONT.)
STEVENS Where is she going?
SARAH
I think Miss Peach may be travelling to meet her rival
5 EXT FORTLEY MANOR DAY
Miss Peach exits Fortley Manor, and, carrying her
suitcase, she walks down a quiet country lane
THE TITLE: THE LADY IN WAITING appears on the
screen
CUT TO:
6 EXT NEW YORK CITY SKYLINE NIGHT
Seventies MUSIC builds over a BRIDGE view of New York City, glistening and alive Cars whiz along avenues, and
a myriad of lights shine from an array of windows This
is New York in its heyday—vibrant and energetic
Over the view comes the title card:
Wednesday, 13 July 1977
9:15 p.m
CUT TO:
7 EXT CAB NIGHT
Miss Peach sits in the back of a cab as it enters the city She peers out of the windows, mesmerized as the lights
of the city flash past
CUT TO:
8 EXT APARTMENT BLOCK NIGHT
A taxi drives up and stops outside an apartment
building Out steps Miss Peach dressed similarly as
Trang 4before She looks up at the high-rise block (#8A) and then enters the building
CUT TO:
9 INT APARTMENT BLOCK LOBBY NIGHT
A doorman wrestles with a large bouquet of flowers, which is being delivered by a young man on roller skates The young man holds out a receipt card, which the doorman struggles to sign Miss Peach enters the lobby and walks right past the busy doorman Arriving
at the elevators, she presses the button and waits From her purse she withdraws the letter, takes a quick look, and then quickly returns it to her bag The elevator arrives and Miss Peach enters
CUT TO:
10 INT ELEVATOR NIGHT Miss Peach enters the elevator and presses the button for the penthouse The doors close, and Miss Peach stands alone Miss Peach presses the penthouse floor button again, a DOORBELL sounds The sound of a DOOR OPENING and Miss Peach begins to mumble to herself as the numbers of the floors flick past
MISS PEACH
Oh hello Miss Spencer?
Miss Peach pauses
Miss Spencer? Miss Catherine Spencer? I am Miss Peach I have a letter from Lord Walter Could I come in?
The elevator continues to rise, 25 26 27 28, and, PING, it comes to a stop Miss Peach is jolted from her day dream as the doors open, and there stands SCARLET, a stunning and heavily made-up black woman She boasts a pair of sunglasses, a large wig, a fancy theatrical dress, and a large leather zipper bag She rushes in, ignoring Miss Peach, and presses the lobby button The doors close and the elevator continues to RISE
Trang 5I don’t believe this
Miss Peach stares at the dramatic and chaotic figure of Scarlet who now stands slumped against the wall Miss Peach is silent but continues to stare Scarlet stares
back
10 INT ELEVATOR NIGHT (CONT.)
SCARLET
I know It’s like a crash on the highway—you can’t look at it and you can’t look away
Miss Peach attempts a smile, but Scarlet stares blankly back Miss Peach quickly turns away There is a moment
of awkward silence as the elevator continues to glide up Suddenly the lights in the elevator begin to flicker, and
there echoes a loud SOUND of energy being drained
CUT TO:
11 EXT NEW YORK CITY NIGHT
A traffic signal goes blank
A DON’T WALK signal stops blinking
A street light fades
Blocks of apartment buildings go dark
The Empire State Building switches out
SOUNDS of a chaotic city echo out
CUT TO:
12 INT ELEVATOR NIGHT
The DRAINING SOUND CONTINUES; the lights in the
elevator become dimmer and dimmer and dimmer; there
is a loud ZAP; the elevator comes to an abrupt halt,
followed by a bright flash and then BLACK
MISS PEACH What’s happened?!
Silence in the dark A lighter is lit revealing Scarlet
SCARLET Lady, we’ve broken down
Trang 612 INT ELEVATOR NIGHT (CONT.)
MISS PEACH
Oh dear we can’t do that what now
Miss Peach stares at Scarlet utterly nervous and mesmerized Scarlet reaches down into her large leather bag, which is on the floor
MISS PEACH Wait! What are you doing?
Scarlet ignores Miss Peach and crouching over her bag continues her search Miss Peach opens a panel and removes an emergency telephone
MISS PEACH Hello I’m trapped in the lift anyone there?
There is no reply Miss Peach fiddles with the telephone and then replaces the receiver Scarlet continues to rummage in her bag
MISS PEACH How long do you think how long are we going
to be stopped?
SCARLET
I don’t know
Scarlet continues to rummage in her bag An emergency light flickers on
MISS PEACH
Oh We might be trapped for hours
Scarlet finds some cigarettes and looks up frustrated
SCARLET Lady, I’m aware of that!
Trang 712 INT ELEVATOR NIGHT (CONT.)
MISS PEACH
I wish you would stop saying that I’m not a Lady
No Lady this, Lady that Just Miss Peach My name’s Peach
Scarlet stands
SCARLET Scarlet How do you do?
Scarlet lights a cigarette Miss Peach gives a disapproving cough
SCARLET
I have to smoke!
MISS PEACH Scarlet is that a stage name?
SCARLET You could call it that
MISS PEACH
I knew it My mother was a theatre person And what do you do in the theatre, Miss Scarlet?
SCARLET People hire me for private parties and things
I sing mostly
MISS PEACH All that excitement never saw the point really
Scarlet notices an ornate diamond broach on Miss
Peach’s lapel and removes her sunglasses to make a
closer inspection
SCARLET
No room for glitter maybe, but give me diamonds anytime
12 INT ELEVATOR NIGHT (CONT.)
Miss Peach makes a small protective gesture to check
her broach