Page 61 of The Gathering Storm

Oliver cut a sliver of Wensleydale. ‘I can only say that there is a feeling abroad, these days, that the pursuit of individual satisfaction is the primary purpose of life.’

‘I blame the cinema,’ Verena said.

‘My dear,’ Oliver protested, amused, ‘are you starting a moral crusade against Hollywood?’

‘I would if I could. It does nobody any good – you wouldn’t claim otherwise, I hope?’

‘It seems to me films have become intensely moral. The baddies always suffer and the goodies prevail. But let’s not argue about that. We were talking about the Matrimonial Causes Bill.’

‘What will the new grounds for divorce be?’ Kit asked.

‘Adultery, desertion for three years or more, cruelty, incurable insanity, incest and sodomy. From what my fellow peers are saying, it will have no difficulty in getting through the Upper House. I only mention it in the context of the King disporting himself publicly with a mistress who will soon have been divorced twice. It might be acceptable to the spirit of the age to pursue happiness at all costs, but the King is supposed to represent an ideal, especially to the lower classes. They won’t like it.’

Kit, tired at last of talking about the fabled couple, cracked another nut. ‘Since we’ve dragged your children away from the sea, and we’re about as far away from the coast as you can be in England, I thought I’d arrange for us all to go over to the Endberbys at Kilworth tomorrow. They have a splendid lake, for boating and swimming. What do you think?’

David O. Selznick had offered $50,000 for the film rights of Gone With the Wind, and Al Feinstein was disinclined to outbid him. In typical fashion he immediately lost interest in the whole thing. ‘He wants Clark Gable for Rhett Butler,’ he said to Lennie, with a shrug. ‘Good luck to him. MGM will never release him.’

‘I heard that Warner’s offered him Errol Flynn in return for the distribution rights,’ Lennie said.

‘That movie will never be made,’ said Al. ‘Anyway, I’ve got an idea for your girl. Listen, you’ll love this. William – Shakespeare!’ he pronounced, with a dramatic pause between the two halves.

Lennie was surprised, but pleased.

‘Shakespeare’s hot,’ Al went on. ‘Warner did The Midsummer Dream last year. MGM’s just released Romeo and Juliet.’

‘I’ve seen it,’ Lennie said. ‘Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard. A bit middle-aged for the star-crossed lovers, I thought. But it’s a pretty good production. They certainly made an effort to be faithful to the play. They sent the set designer to Verona to make sketches.’ He knew that because the designer had been Eric Chapel, any news of whom always caught his eye. He had a morbid fascination with the man, wondering whether there had been anything between him and Polly in New York back in May.

‘The buzz is that it’s gonna get Oscars. And we’d better get in on the act before all the good Shakespeares are snapped up. Reznik’s suggested The Merchant of Venice. Gondolas I like, but it reads like a slow day on Wall Street. Loans and interest and bonds? Where’s the action? George Cukor got a great fight scene into Romeo. Now, Reznik’s other suggestion is Twelfth Night. Whaddaya think about that? I’ve not read the outline yet.’

‘That could work,’ Lennie said. ‘It’s all about mistaken identity. The heroine dresses up as a boy—’

‘Rosie’s got a great pair of pins!’

‘She goes to work as a page to a duke, and falls in love with him. But he’s in love with a rich countess and sends this page to woo her on his behalf. The countess falls in love with the page—’

‘Who’s a girl, right?’

‘Right. Then our heroine’s twin brother, whom she thinks is dead, arrives. Everyone thinks he’s her, the countess marries him, and the page reveals she’s a girl and marries the duke.’

‘It’s farce, right?’ Al said, frowning.

‘Romantic comedy. But the heroine falling for a man who doesn’t know she’s a girl so he can’t fall in love with her – that’s poignant. A tear-jerker.’

Feinstein’s face cleared. ‘And no need to splash fifty grand on the film rights, because Shakespeare’s dead!’ He swivelled his cigar from one side of his mouth to the other. ‘Forget the Wall Street doohickey! We’ll go with Twelfth Night. Have to change that title, though. It’s not sexy.’

‘If you change it, no-one will know it’s Shakespeare,’ Lennie pointed out.

Lennie was waiting for Rose when she came off the set at the end of the day’s filming and gave her the news.

‘Shakespeare!’ she said, as they crossed the lot. ‘But that’s great! I’ve about had my fill of cowboy movies. How did you talk him into it?’

‘It was his idea.’

‘It’s a romance, right?’ Rose said. ‘I haven’t read it.’ He gave her a quick outline of the plot. ‘It sounds complicated.’

‘But if it’s done right, it’ll be a big hit for you – as long as you behave yourself.’

‘I will. I’m over all that stuff. I just wish—’ She stopped, with a sigh.