Scene II
*This is the second scene of a play that I posted awhile back probably in June or July. You might want to read Scene I first.
ACT I
Scene II
AT RISE: It is morning and we are in the apartment of Rebecca and Nicholas. Grace still lies asleep on the couch covered with the blanket. Rebecca is in the bedroom. Nicholas fully dressed for work enters and sits on the bed drinking his coffee as he watches Rebecca preparing for the day putting on makeup at her vanity.
Nicholas
She’s still asleep out there.
Rebecca
Good.
Nicholas
Is everything okay?
Rebecca
I don’t know.
(For a moment there is silence as Nicholas drinks his coffee and Rebecca angrily tugs at her hair with a brush. Nicholas gets up from the bed and walks over behind his wife. He reassuringly puts a hand on her shoulder and kisses her cheek.)
Nicholas
You’re beautiful.
(Nicholas nibbles on Rebecca’s ear.)
Rebecca
(Laughing)
Nicholas! Not now!
(Rebecca turns around and gently pushes him away from her. Nicholas looks at her with a playful pout.)
Rebecca (continued)
(Trying to keep a straight face.)
Grace is in the next room!
1-2-7
Nicholas
That’s never stopped you before.
(Rebecca gasps and looks at him startled.)
Rebecca
I haven’t a clue what you are referring to.
Nicholas
(Playfully)
Surely, the prim and proper Mrs. Standish has not forgotten her wilder days! You know you loved every minute of those midnight rendezvous in your bedroom. The daring of it would get both of us going…..
Rebecca
(Feigned shock)
Mr. Standish!
Nicholas
Don’t you deny it Rebecca! You got all excited knowing that Grace was on one side of you and your old man on the other.
Rebecca
(Laughing)
Well maybe I did.
(Nicholas is behind Rebecca and pulls her so that she is leaning against him.)
Rebecca (Continued)
But let’s not forget how excited you would be after climbing up that trellis! (Pause) Do you remember that time you almost fell off?
Nicholas
How could I forget?
Rebecca
Father came (holds up thumb and forefinger a small distance apart) that close to catching you!
(Nicholas shakes his head laughing.)
Nicholas
I was so afraid of your father…..
1-2-8
Rebecca
(Interrupting. Laughingly.)
Who wasn’t?
Nicholas
Grace wasn’t.
(Rebecca goes rigid and sadness is cast upon her at the mention of her sister. Realizing what he has said Nicholas leans down to kiss Rebecca reassuringly on the cheek.)
Rebecca
Five years. It has been five years since I last talked to her. (Sighs) I should have tried to contact her. I should have gone out and found her. I shouldn’t have let it be five years. Why didn’t I try harder?
(Rebecca breaks down in tears. Nicholas gets down beside her chair and gently guides her head to his shoulder.)
Rebecca (Continued)
You…. Saw her didn’t you?
Nicholas
Yeah, I saw her.
Rebecca
She looks horrible. (Pause) That bruise… the one on her face. (Pause)What’s happened to her?
(Nicholas rubs Rebecca’s back as he listens to her sympathetically.)
Nicholas
I know, I know.
(Lights slowly fade into darkness ending the scene.)
ACT I
Scene II
AT RISE: It is morning and we are in the apartment of Rebecca and Nicholas. Grace still lies asleep on the couch covered with the blanket. Rebecca is in the bedroom. Nicholas fully dressed for work enters and sits on the bed drinking his coffee as he watches Rebecca preparing for the day putting on makeup at her vanity.
Nicholas
She’s still asleep out there.
Rebecca
Good.
Nicholas
Is everything okay?
Rebecca
I don’t know.
(For a moment there is silence as Nicholas drinks his coffee and Rebecca angrily tugs at her hair with a brush. Nicholas gets up from the bed and walks over behind his wife. He reassuringly puts a hand on her shoulder and kisses her cheek.)
Nicholas
You’re beautiful.
(Nicholas nibbles on Rebecca’s ear.)
Rebecca
(Laughing)
Nicholas! Not now!
(Rebecca turns around and gently pushes him away from her. Nicholas looks at her with a playful pout.)
Rebecca (continued)
(Trying to keep a straight face.)
Grace is in the next room!
1-2-7
Nicholas
That’s never stopped you before.
(Rebecca gasps and looks at him startled.)
Rebecca
I haven’t a clue what you are referring to.
Nicholas
(Playfully)
Surely, the prim and proper Mrs. Standish has not forgotten her wilder days! You know you loved every minute of those midnight rendezvous in your bedroom. The daring of it would get both of us going…..
Rebecca
(Feigned shock)
Mr. Standish!
Nicholas
Don’t you deny it Rebecca! You got all excited knowing that Grace was on one side of you and your old man on the other.
Rebecca
(Laughing)
Well maybe I did.
(Nicholas is behind Rebecca and pulls her so that she is leaning against him.)
Rebecca (Continued)
But let’s not forget how excited you would be after climbing up that trellis! (Pause) Do you remember that time you almost fell off?
Nicholas
How could I forget?
Rebecca
Father came (holds up thumb and forefinger a small distance apart) that close to catching you!
(Nicholas shakes his head laughing.)
Nicholas
I was so afraid of your father…..
1-2-8
Rebecca
(Interrupting. Laughingly.)
Who wasn’t?
Nicholas
Grace wasn’t.
(Rebecca goes rigid and sadness is cast upon her at the mention of her sister. Realizing what he has said Nicholas leans down to kiss Rebecca reassuringly on the cheek.)
Rebecca
Five years. It has been five years since I last talked to her. (Sighs) I should have tried to contact her. I should have gone out and found her. I shouldn’t have let it be five years. Why didn’t I try harder?
(Rebecca breaks down in tears. Nicholas gets down beside her chair and gently guides her head to his shoulder.)
Rebecca (Continued)
You…. Saw her didn’t you?
Nicholas
Yeah, I saw her.
Rebecca
She looks horrible. (Pause) That bruise… the one on her face. (Pause)What’s happened to her?
(Nicholas rubs Rebecca’s back as he listens to her sympathetically.)
Nicholas
I know, I know.
(Lights slowly fade into darkness ending the scene.)