Part 17
| The detective calls Mason and reports about Mary's movement. She went from the hospital to the Mission, then to the Chambers Department Store, and at the moment she is at the Orient Express. She's just ordered a drink. |
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| Mason answers that he will be right over and hangs up. Mary is at the restaurant putting on her lipstick hesitatingly. |
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At the restaurant Mason sees Mary with a distracted smile on her face but he passes by and sits at the table to the detective.
Talking to the detective then to Cruz and finally to Santana he keeps glancing at Mary. Finally he sits at her table. |
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| Mary says she knew he'd come. As soon as she made her decision she knew that he would swoop down on her and try to take advantage of her. But he'd better watch out, because she can fight just as dirty as he can. |
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Mason wonders what she is talking about.
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| A waiter serves Mary a drink. Mason asks how he "plays dirty". Mary answers that he never confuses while talking to her. She sips her drink and says it is not what she ordered. |
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| Mason denies her accusation, then takes Mary's drink and identifies that it is Ginger Ale that's got something else added, Rye or Bourbon. Mary answers it doesn't matter. Mason asks ironically if it is him who driving her into drinking. What will Sister Mary sink to next? |
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| Mary says that she doesn't care for what he thinks about her. Mason says that liqueur and naughty words won't change his mind. Mary is upset and she asks him to go away. Mason asks calmly what happened. |
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Mary answers that Council of Nicaea happened in 325 AD. Some 16 hundred years later a little girl was born in Ventura, California. She read about it in her Catechism booklet. She thought how nice it would be to belong to something that old and that holy.
"Was she right?" Mason asks.
Mary doesn't answer, and continues. There's nothing she ever belonged to before in her life. It'd be very holy and last very long of all. Mason asks again whether she was right. Mary doesn't answers again and says that she did not wanted to be ordinary; she wanted to be better. |
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Finally Mason realizes what happened. "Mary, have you left the convent?" His eyes are sparkling.
Mary continues talking. She wanted to be like those people. She has seen them, She has even met some of them, who are so far above everybody she knew before that they are not hurt by anything except other people's sorrows, 'cause they don't have any of their own. They don't think about themselves. They pray, they meditate, they don't hate anybody. They work hard. And when they go to sleep at night, they don't see what she sees: scraping the face of the man who raped her sister with her fingernails, and his brother's face. Those people forgive, she can't.
Mason answers that in spite of her hesitations he has helped a lot of people and she should not discount that. |
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Mary says that she doesn't discount anything except the way she thought about herself. She is ordinary. And she is selfish, and she is vengeful. She has got her good qualities too, but she couldn't stay where she was and be what she is. Something had to change, she couldn't. So, she left. Mary takes a big gulp out of her tumbler.
"I wish I could tell you how I think of you and have you believe it," Mason says and adds that her family's been through a lot lately, it's bound to hurt her.
Mary says that she is hard on herself only when she is around Mason. Mason answers that he'd have to believe it if somebody told him he'd driven somebody into the convent. Never expected to hear he'd driven somebody out. Mary calls a waiter and asks him for the same drink. In a moment she asks for the menu. |
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| Mason recommends Mary the chicken and says that she has a nice dress on. He also says when she bought it and when she was this day. |
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"You had me followed!"
Mason says he'd follow her himself but she get so annoyed. Mary asks why he does it to her. He says that he admires her and she even believes him. So why is he tormenting her like this when he knows she is going through the biggest upheaval in her whole life?! Mason apologizes, and says that he didn't know that his presence is a tournament for her. He just wants to understand her and to help. |
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Mary doesn't understand for what. What does she mean to him? If it's about Ted's trial, she is not going to help him. Mason says that it's only partly about Ted's trial. There's something in Mary that's like something in him. Mary leans on the back of a chair and says that it is what she thought. Mason says that he needs to be right too. To be respected; and for revenge. Mary says she needs it only in proportion to the crime. Mason says that at the Perkins' he looked at the way Christie looked at Ted, and at the way Mary looked at Ted, and it was Mary who looked like a woman who was raped.
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Mary orders one more drink when a waiter goes by her. Mason says that it is the fourth one. "But who is counting?"
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| Mary says that he is and she finds it extremely annoying. Mason says seriously that the children of alcoholics are much more likely to become alcoholics themselves. |
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Mary says that he is just a fountain of information. Yes, her mother had a drinking problem... briefly. It's over now.
"And how long is yours going to last?" Mason asks.
"Aren't we pious all of a sudden?" Mary says ironically. |
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Mason apologizes: he sees the way she is drinking wanting to get numb, not liking the taste of it... Mary ruches towards him and says that if he would go away, may be it would be different.
"Me and how much else, Mary? How much of the world has to go aw... away before you're satisfied with it? Now, if you forgive me that I'm concerned, but you opened a very big door this morning and I'm not sure you're ready to see what's on the other side of it." |
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Mary says indignantly that she was not in prison! Mason thinks nobody's lived 'cause they haven't lived like him? He is reaching heights of arrogance before her very eyes.
"I try." Mason answers. |
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| Mary says that she remembers the very first time he coerced her into having dinner with him. She would've died laughing except that he kept saying things that made her jaw drop open. Mason notices that at least he made an impression. Mary quotes his words: "Let me be a catalyst to release the hidden passion." |
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| Mason says he doesn't think she's being fare. Mary continues recollecting their first meeting and the expression on his face when he found out she was a nun. Mason says that she seems to have sprung that little trap before. There was a little too much of a tease in her, luring a victim into a web and then pouncing when he was exposed and vulnerable. That's not very charitable. |
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| Mary agrees that it wasn't very charitable, it was very uncharitable and she loved it. She loved outwitting the Capwell playboy. It was a one shot deal. Just for him. |
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Mason asks if she is going to repeat the trick and says that there's nothing to hide behind now.
"No habit, no cross, no convent walls... Out here a tease is a tease, and people who play with other people's feelings have to answer for it. And when a man acts like he wants a woman, then she responds to it. Nobody's gonna come along and whisk her away. She's got to say "No", or "May be" or "Yes, I want you too". You'd better start practicing."
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| Mary looks in surprise at the meal that a waiter brought. She doesn't understand when she ordered it. Mason says that he ordered it. He told her to eat and began eating. |
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| Mary's eyes grow big, she says it will be so strange not to go back there, and to pay rent, find a job, buy clothes. She didn't know what her size was. Sales lady laughed at her. Mason says it must all be a little frightening but also exciting. Mary agrees. She hopes the feeling would go away. She is really tried to make it go away. Mason doesn't understand what she means. |
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| Mary asks if he has ever been in a situation where everybody seemed better than him. Mason answers he hasn't. Mary continues: like the things that came really easy for them were like really hard for him. That's what she felt. It wasn't her faith. Her faith was really strong. It was just the rest of her that wasn't... but she really did try. Mason smiles and says that Mary doesn't have to justify herself to him. |
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Mary says that he is just disappointed. Why? Because he thought it was all about him and Ted. And it was about her.
Background music starts to play. Mary looks startled. She asks if Mason recognize this. She says that this song used to play on the radio when I she little. She used to... |
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"You used to sing it?" Mason asks.
"I used to dance to it." Mary answers. "All by myself in front of my mirror in my slippers. And I used to wonder if I would ever grow up and grow pretty and leave home."
"You did... and you are... and you left." Mason says.
"Yeah, I left. Didn't have to be pretty in the convent. My mom always said that Christie was the pretty one Mary was the smart one. Christie didn't look very pretty though after this... And I don't think I am very smart anymore." |
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| Mason says with a smile that she doesn't need food. She needs sleep. He suggests that he would drive her home. Mary refuses; she says she will get home by herself. Mason congratulates her with becoming a civilian. She just told her first lie. He helps her to go out of the table but while he is paying the bill, she begins dancing in the middle of the restaurant. |
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| Mason comes back and grabs her arm. In a minute he reminds her that people don't dance alone in restaurants. Not this kind of restaurant anyway. Mary shrugs her shoulders and says that another rule is broken. They dance are dancing. Mason says that he likes her breaking the rules. |
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| They lean to each other and almost kiss. But at the last moment Mary moves over. She says she doesn't like him to think of her that way. Mason says that of this morning he can think of her any way he wants. But she shouldn't worry. Right now he thinks she is just drunk, and tired, and needs to be take home. |
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Mason tries to walk Mary away. This moment Steve Basset approaches them. He grabs Mason by the shoulder and when Mason turns around Steve punches him in the face. Mason falls on the floor.
"Leave her alone!" Steve demands, and says to Mary indignantly that they looked for her everywhere! |
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| Mason stands up and explains that she was having dinner with him. Steve punches Mason again. CC, who was sitting at the table, leaps up from his seat, and in spite of Sophia's objections approaches Mason. Mary says to Steve that Mason didn't do anything bad. Mason stand up. His nose is bleeding. He says he didn't but he could be persuaded to change his mind. Steve is ready to hit him again but this moment CC Capwell stands between them. |
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| "Get your hands off my boy!" He grabs Steve's shoulders. Steve wants to punch him but doesn't. Steve says to Mary in a loud voice that they are leaving, and says to CC with indulgence that he'll drop it out of respect for your age. CC answers that at his age he can knock Steve crew out of town without lifting a finger. Steve sneers. |
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| Mason rise his face, trying to stop bleeding. Worried Mary answers whether Mason is all right. Mason answers that he is, he always get nose bleeds at this altitude. Mary says she doesn't mind if he is a little hurt. Mason says that she must've been a wonderful nurse. Steve grubs Mary's arm and pulls her out of the restaurant. He says that they leave and tomorrow all the news papers will says that Mason Capwell assaulted a nun. Mason offers him to talk to Mary first. |
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CC tell to Steve to get out of his hotel, and not to come back. "Gladly!" Steve replies, and says to Mary that this gave her some ideas what kind of friends she can make around here.
Mason call Steve, and when he turns, Mason punches him in the face. Steve falls on the floor.
"It's a cheap shot," Mason says. "But it should've felt good." |
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| Steve attempts to get to Mason, but is being stopped. Steve shouts that Mason is trying to get to Christie duping Mary. But it won't work. Ted's going behind bars like the animal he is. And if Mason ever lays a hand on Mary again, Steve will brake it off! Steve and Mary leave. "Neanderthal." Mason called after Steve. |
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"Are you all right?" CC asks.
"Yeah..." Mason a little surprised with such a care
"Why the hell didn't you hit'im any harder?"
They laugh.
"Well, may be I would've, if you'd held him down."
"If I was only twenty year younger!"
"You did just fine." Mason thank his father for jumping in there and asks why he didn't you just let him beat him to a pulp?
"Because..." CC answers laughing.
"Oh..." Mason says. |
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This moment worried Sophia runs into the restaurant. CC explains that he is all right.
Sophia notices the blood on Mason face and lead him to the table. |
