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Mary comes over to the Buzz's to catch up with Mother Isabel.
Pearl: She'll like that. Do you like that?
Mother Isabel: Oh, hello, Mary! (to Pearl) This is the luncheon companion I was expecting.
Pearl: Oh, I see. All right. What I'll do is: you can look into these menus and you just wave when you're ready to order, OK?
Mary: Thank you, Pearl. Have you been waiting long?
Mother Isabel: No, not really. Pearl's been entertaining me. Something's bothering you, isn't it? I thought you sounded rather solemn when you called.
Mary: I need to talk to you. I hope you don't mind.
Mother Isabel: Mind?! Didn't ever. You should know that.
Mary: Mother Isabel, I am so confused. I... I've... I've been wondering may be I was a little premature in leaving the Order. I mean I don't think I was ready for the real world. May be I should've waited a year or two.
Mother Isabel: No, I don't think so. People who are going to do things some day seldom get around to it. Tell me what it is you find so confusing in the real world.
Mary: Ahm... personal relationships. The more personal they are, the more confused I get.
Mother Isabel: I take it all this has something to do with Mason Capwell.
Mary: He told me that he talked to you about me, and I wasn't very happy to hear that.
Mother Isabel: You don't need to worry about that. You know I wouldn't repeat anything.
Mary: Of course I know that. It's not that...
Mother Isabel: It wasn't a long or particularly intimate talk that Mason and I had, Mary. I saw him when I went to the house early this morning looking for you. Actually, I started the conversation. I told him I thought that you were very different from the girl who left my convent a few months ago.
Mary: Really? In what way?
Mother Isabel: You don't have the inner peace you had then.
Mary: No, that's true, I don't. I am... Well, a lot of... things have happened since then. I mean you know about my little sister and my step-brother.
Mother Isabel: Oh, yes. And I felt so full of compassion for all of you when I heard.
Mary: I was just getting over that. And then Mason had to walk into my life. May be I walked into his life.
Mother Isabel: Do you care for him?
Mary: You know... It's… it's hard not to care for him! He is so charming and he is so polished. And... and I guess I was just swept of my feet. But… you know... lately I've been feeling like... like I am just one in a long string of conquests of his and... all the more interesting because of my lack of experience and... Oh, life was so much easier in the convent.
Mother Isabel(smiles): Yes... Life is always easier when we can live it on our own terms. When you made the decision to leave I felt you were making a mistake. But I don't feel that way now.
Mary: Why not?
Mother Isabel: Because you've fallen in love.
Mary: Oh, I don't know. I... I mean I thought I had, but I'm really beginning to have some doubts now.
Mother Isabel: Well, you had doubts when you came to us at first too, Mary. Most intelligent people question themselves when they are on a brink of making a serious commitment. Oh, better that than walking into things blindly.
Mary: Mother Isabel, what would you say if I told you that I was thinking of coming back to you, to the Order?
Mother Isabel: I'd say 'No'.
Mary: You would?!
Mother Isabel: I think running away would be a dreadful mistake. Ah... I'd rather see you stay here and face it all head on. And I'm talking specifically about your relationship with Mason. Besides, I have a hunch that Mason's in love with you too. Now, I think it goes far beyond what you call making a conquest. I think it's genuine. And I think you are very fortunate. And I think we'd better order I find it very hard to give advice on an empty stomach.
* * *
Mason comes back to the house and notices Gina's bags in the atrium.
Mason: Place Verdun... Oh, good heavens! Gina's home.
Gina: That's right, Mason. I am back. Did you miss me?
Mason: Well... of course...
Gina: Oh, good! Because I missed you terribly. I wish you could've come to Paris with me. It's a very lonely city when you are by yourself.
Mason: Well, you seem to have found some destruction in the shops.
Gina: Shopping! Isn't it wonderful?! What else is a solitary woman supposed to do?!
Mason: Certainly made a quick trip of it.
Gina: Well, I didn't... wanna leave you alone for too long. Mason, I think you gonna like some of the things I bought. The French make the loveliest lingerie. I can't wait to model it for you.
Mason: Yes, well... Actually, I'm glad you are back. Gina, we... we need to talk.
Gina: About what?
Mason: About us.
Gina: Us? How wonderful! I have some ideas about us! And I have some very unusual suggestions to make. But that's going to have to wait because I have to pick up Brandon now. (pulls Mason by the lapels of his jacket and kisses him on the lips) You know how wildly attractive you are to me.
Mason: I... I don't have a clue. (wipes Gina's lipstick off his lips)
Gina: Oh, I'll be glad to tell you all about it in great detail when I come back. Better yet... I'll show you. Ooh!
Gina leaves.
* * *
Pearl(taking their payment): Ooh. Thank you very much! I hope it was… palatable. (leaves)
Mother Isabel: And from what he said I have the distinct impression that Mason thinks you've been seeing another man.
Mary: What?!!! That's ridiculous! I haven't been going out with anybody.
Mother Isabel: You're forgetting Mark. You've been spending some time with him and...
Mary: Mark... Mark is a friend of mine. He's an old friend.
Mother Isabel: Not old enough to reassure Mason, I imagine. Perhaps, that's the answer. He's gotten it wrong about you two. Is it possible? Do you think that he could've seen you walking around the estate, the two of you together? I am the one who told him you were going there.
Mary: Oh... I don't know... I… I was... trying to... comfort Mark, and I… suppose Mason could've seen... I bet, that's it! I bet... I bet it's... a... a complete misunderstanding. Oh, that's wonder... Mother Isabel, I don't know how to thank you!
Mother Isabel: Well, I'm glad to see you smiling again at least.
Mary: Wow…
Cruz comes over to their table.
Cruz: Excuse me, ladies.
Mary: Cruz, hi!
Cruz: Hi, Mary. Listen, I hate to interrupt, but I need to ask you a couple of questions.
Mother Isabel: Oh, I was just running along anyway.
Mary: Oh, I'm sorry, Mother Isabel, this is Cruz Castillo. This is Mother Isabel. Ahm, Cruz is with the Santa Barbara Police, as well as being a friend of mine.
Mother Isabel: How do you do?
Cruz: Hi. I'm fine. Nice to meet you.
Mother Isabel: I'll call you later, Mary.
Mary (takes Mother Isabel's hand): Wonderful. Thank you so much.
Mother Isabel: And make sure you straighten that out as soon as you can.
Mary: I will.
Mother Isabel: It's nice to meet you Mr Castillo.
Cruz: Nice to meet you.
Mother Isabel leaves.
Cruz: Oh, I hope I didn't show up at too bad a time.
Mary: No, not at all. What shall you like to ask me, Cruz?
Cruz: Well, Mary... Again, I'd like to go over with you the things you told me about the night of the attempt on CC's life. Now a... (looks through his notes) You said you were down in the study, and you heard the alarm, and ran upstairs through the atrium. You went straight up the ustairs, right?
Mary: Right.
Cruz: And Mason was with you the whole time?
Mary: Yeah...
Cruz: Ahm...
Mary: Ah... not the whole time...
Cruz: Well... when wasn't he?
Mary: Well, he did... he went down to the wine cellar to get a bottle of wine.
Cruz: Oh... Well, how... how long was he gone? Do you recall?
Mary: Oh... Five or ten minutes. Oh, he called me from the atrium on the house phone to say that he was on his way downstairs and he was going to be back in a minute.
Cruz: Are you sure he called from the atrium?
Mary: Well, I... I mean I can't be absolutely sure, I guess. I'm... I just assume that's... No, come to think of it, I... I don't think he mentioned where he was calling from.
Cruz: OK, so... so he went to get wine for you?
Mary: Well, no, not for me. I wasn't drinking. I was working.
Cruz: And then what happened?
Mary: Well... then after he got back, I've heard the alarm, and I don't know how long it's been going on. It was very faint.
Cruz: And your beeper didn't go off at all?
Mary: No. Which I thought was strange at the time. But later I found out that it was not working.
Cruz: Yeah, it is odd for it to malfunction on that particular evening, I think, you know. I wonder if it was merely coincidental or someone actually planned it that way.
Mary: Cruz, that's a very frightening thought.
Cruz: Yes, it is. Anyway... go on.
Mary: Well, that's it. I mean... Then I went upstairs to CC's room and that's when I saw... or... thought...
Cruz: Yeah...
Mary: ...that I saw...
Cruz: Yeah, I know... you... you thought you saw Eden going out of the window. But before then when you were still downstairs Mason wasn't with you the whole time then. So there were what five - ten minutes when you had no definite knowledge of his whereabouts.
Mary: Yeah, I guess that it was about that long. Cruz, I... I don't like what you are getting at.
Cruz: I'm just trying to get to the truth, Mary. It's as simple as that.
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