04x14 - The Morning After

[bunniefuu]

Good evening.

I am answering
my correspondence.

I receive some very interesting
letters, threatening and otherwise.

"Dear Mr. Hitchcock, I am a
man of with a wife of .

"We have a handsome young
man of rooming with us.

"Yesterday, I discovered
ground glass in my sugar.

"Isn't this unusual?

"Anxious. "

Dear Anxious,
yes, this is unusual.

I believe arsenic is customary
in cases of this kind.

But your wife is young.
I'm sure she'll learn.

"Dear Mr. Hitchcock,

"we have endured your snide
and impertinent remarks

"about our commercials
long enough.

"This is to
warn you that... "

So much for fan mail.

Now we come to that
part of the program

for which the sponsor
has been waiting.

I am too prudent
to describe it.

Well, give my best
to your mother.

Darling, let's not.
I mean it, Sharon.

I'm perfectly willing
to be friends with her.

I've told you, Ben, she
won't even talk about it.

So I just let her think
I come over in a cab.

Well, next time you'd better
stop around the corner.

I'd better go in, Ben.

Look, couldn't you
skip it for tonight?

I can't do that to her.

If you knew how much she
looks forward to having me...

I don't know why you couldn't
have made it some other night.

You know how hard it
is for me to get free.

I'm hardly to blame
for that, am I?

No. No, of course not.

I made the mistake and I
can't expect you to pay for it.

Darling, I'm sorry.
I didn't mean it.

You mustn't talk like that.

I don't mind waiting,
really I don't.

I love you, Ben.

Well, that's
all that matters.

And one of these days, it'll
work out for us. I'm sure of it.

Mom, I'm here.

Everything's ready.

Mom, you've been crying.

Oh, I was peeling onions
for the scalloped potatoes.

Mom, please. If you'd
only try to understand.

Sit down now, before
everything gets cold.

Mom, if you'd only talk to
me, but you always close up.

Just once, Mom.
Just let me talk to you.

Sharon,
he's a married man.

All the talking in the world
isn't going to change that.

But he is going to change it.

He's going to get a divorce.

He's been saying that
for over a year.

Mom, you make it sound as if
he didn't want to marry me.

He does, Mom, just as
much as you want him to.

He's trying
to work it out.

If he'd had a speck
of decency in him,

he'd have stayed away
from you until he was free.

You said yourself
it's been a year, Mom.

What was I supposed to do,
sit around here and wait?

Oh, Sharon.

Nobody as pretty as you are
has to sit at home and wait.

Remember Steve Mooney?
He wanted to marry you.

Yes, I know.

And I'd have slaved all my
life just the way you did.

Did you ever
hear me complain?

No. No, of course not.

Is it so old-fashioned to want
to see you in a home of your own?

I've got a place
of my own.

Yes, I know.

Mom, please,

we have to take our
happiness when we can find it.

Sharon, did it
ever occur to you

that you might be taking
her happiness away from her?

Oh, that's a laugh!

Mom, she's not
in love with him.

She's only hanging on
to him out of sheer spite.

If she can't have him, she's
not gonna let anybody else.

Well, how do you know what she's
like? Have you ever met her?

No.

Ben's told me
all about her.

Mom, do you really want to know why
Ben can't get a divorce? I'll tell you.

It's because he put
everything he owns in her name.

His house, his factory,
his investments, everything,

and she's not going
to let go of it.

Now do you understand
what kind of a woman she is?

No.

And I don't understand why he
would put everything in her name.

It's for business reasons,
it's very complicated.

I don't understand it
exactly myself.

But it's done
all the time.

And now she's taking
advantage of it.

But you wait.

One of these days, she's
gonna get what's coming to her.

Sharon, don't talk that way.

Well, I just wanted you to know
what Ben's had to put up with.

I only know one thing,

two wrongs don't make a right.

He's a married man and
he's ruining your life.

We'd better eat this
before it gets cold.

...and I'm confident you'll be as
impressed with our new designs as I am.

They have that out-in-front creativeness
that can't help miss being...

Yes?

There's a lady here to see
you, Mr: Nelson: A Mrs: Trotter:

Well, tell her...

Mrs. Trotter?
What does she want?

She says it's personal:
Shall I send her in?

Yes, but give me a minute.

Mrs. Trotter,
come right on in.

This is a very
pleasant surprise.

Here, take this chair. I think
you'll find it comfortable.

Sit down.

Thank you.

Well, this is
a very pleasant...

So you're Sharon's mother.

Well, it's about time
we got around to meeting.

Mr. Nelson...

I appreciate your coming
to see me, Mrs. Trotter.

I know it took
a lot of courage.

I wonder if you really
know how hard it was.

I think I do.

I've had to face some pretty
trying situations in my own life.

We're all human, Mrs. Trotter,
and we've all made mistakes.

But we do the best we can and I think
the man upstairs understands that.

If you really mean that,
Mr. Nelson,

you'll stop
seeing Sharon.

I was under the impression she was
old enough to make her own decisions.

It's wrong.
You know it.

I can't sit back and
watch you ruin her life.

Isn't your concern
a little late?

I certainly don't agree with you
that Sharon is ruining her life.

But if that's
the way you feel,

why didn't you say
something a year ago?

Sharon knows that
I never approved.

But she kept saying that
you were going to be married.

Well, if that's all that's worrying
you, Mrs. Trotter, let me assure you.

I want nothing more in this
world than to marry your daughter.

You're already married.

That's true, unfortunately.
But as soon as I'm free...

When will that be?

I don't know. We're
trying to work it out.

Suppose you never get your
freedom. What is there for Sharon?

That's the reason that
I've come here, Mr. Nelson.

It's not too late.

Sharon is still young
and she's very pretty.

If you stop seeing her,
she still has a chance

to make the right kind
of life for herself.

Mrs. Trotter,

Sharon didn't know you were
coming to see me, did she?

No, of course not.

Did you ever stop to consider
what would happen if she found out?

Yes, I know the risk.

I've lain awake night after
night, wondering what to do.

And if I've done
the wrong thing,

it's only because I'm her
mother and she's all I've got.

Believe me,
I understand.

And don't you worry.

Sharon will
never know about this.

All I ask is that you
try to see my side of it.

Oh, I'm not going to burden you
with my troubles, Mrs. Trotter,

except to say it's been
bitter and unpleasant and...

Well, I think you understand.

I'm glad we had this talk, Mrs.
Trotter. Thanks for coming in to see me.

Ben, honey.

What's the matter? What
are you so worked up about?

Your mother.

Mom?

Well, why?
What is it, Ben?

Came to see me
at the office.

She didn't! She wouldn't
do a thing like that. Why?

She told me to
stay away from you.

It was a pretty rough half
hour, I don't mind telling you.

Well, it couldn't have been very
pleasant for her, either, Ben.

If you knew her, you'd understand
how hard it must have been.

I won't have her
meddling in our affairs.

Things might change.

You could get tired of me,
fall in love with another girl.

I have no protection, Ben.
I'm not married to you.

You could walk out tomorrow
and what would I have?

But we are going
to get married,

just as soon as
I can work it out.

Yeah.

Yeah, you've been saying
that for a year now, Ben,

and it's no closer
than it ever was.

She'll never let you go.

And I'm not even
sure that you want to.

You know better
than that, Sharon.

If it was just myself, I'd
have walked out a year ago,

given her everything.

But I want things for you.

Like this.

Oh, Ben!

You don't find these in
boxes of cereal, you know.

You shouldn't have, Ben.
You've given me so much.

I want to.

And I'm able to,
because I haven't given in

and let my wife take
everything that's mine.

It's beautiful, darling.

And I love you for it.

But I'd trade, you know,
for a plain gold wedding band.

Just so I could
walk down the street

and not be afraid I'd meet
somebody who knew.

All right.

I'm going to Europe in two
weeks on a business trip.

Why don't you
join me there?

Oh, it would
be wonderful.

But I can't do it.

Why not?

You know why.
My mother.

It would be like a slap in the face,
like saying I didn't care how she felt.

But you don't care
how I might feel.

You should have heard how she
talked to me in the office.

What did you expect her to
do, Ben, give us her blessing?

She did it to protect me,
you know.

She could have ruined both
of us. You know the situation.

Let one person in
the office find out,

it'll be back to
my wife in an hour.

I thought
she knew all about us.

Of course she knows.

But not who you are. I've
protected you that much at least.

I'm sorry, Ben.
I didn't mean it.

Baby, don't you understand?

I may have to go into court
before this thing is settled.

I don't want you
dragged into it.

I love you far too much
to ever let you get hurt.

Darling, I love you so much.
If anything ever happened...

Nothing is going to happen.

Just as long as you
keep your mother in line.

Just supposing she'd got
talking to my secretary.

Oh, she wouldn't breathe
a word to her closest friend,

let alone a stranger.

Just one slip,
that's all it would take.

It won't happen again.

That's my girl.

Yes?

Are you Mrs. Nelson?

I'm looking for
the Nelson home.

Well, this is the Nelson
residence. Whom did you wish to see?

Mrs. Nelson.
Mrs. Ben Nelson.

May I ask what it's about,
please?

Well, it's a...
It's a personal matter.

I've just come from
Mr. Nelson's office.

Will you come in?

Good afternoon.
I'm Mrs. Nelson.

I'm Mrs. Trotter.

Won't you come in
and sit down?

I've come here all the way
from the city on the bus.

Maybe I shouldn't
have, though.

I don't see
why you shouldn't.

Mrs. Trotter,
didn't you say?

Yes.
I'm Sharon's mother.

Well, now that you know, I did come
all this way, maybe I will sit down.

Please.

Such a terribly warm day.

With all this humidity,
I'm sure we'll get some rain.

I hope you like iced tea.

Oh, yes.

Now,

you made the long hot trip
out from the city to...

I do hope it's not my
husband you've come to see.

He's at his office,
in the city.

No, I've been to see your
husband and I did no good.

So there didn't seem
anything left for me to do,

but to come here
and appeal to you.

What sort of appeal are
you making, Mrs. Trotter?

Please, Mrs. Nelson,
don't make this any harder.

Really, I'm afraid
I don't...

It's for my
daughter's sake.

Oh, Sharon.

Yes, I thought you knew her.

You mentioned her name
when you first came in.

Mrs. Nelson, I can't...

All this talking around in
circles may be the civilized way,

but I'm no good
at fencing with words.

I can only say what I feel.

I wish you would.

I don't know who's to blame.

Maybe all of us,
me as much as anybody.

Somewhere along the way
I must've failed.

I don't want you to think
I'm making excuses for Sharon.

She's not blameless
by any means.

She knew he was married.

But he's twice her age.

Surely he must carry the
greater burden of the blame.

Are you by any chance
referring to my husband?

Well, if you still loved him,

I could understand
your feelings.

Just one moment, Mrs. Trotter.

I hope you realize you are close to
getting yourself into very serious trouble.

There are laws
about this sort of thing.

I know it's natural to be bitter
and to want to strike back,

but this has been
going on for a year.

Please, let him go.

Really, if your daughter...

If Sharon has told you some
incredible schoolgirl story,

I suppose it's even possible she
imagines herself in love with...

Please,

let me have just a moment.

I've got to try
to understand this.

You did say you've been
to see my husband?

Yes. And he said
he was trying to get free,

so he could marry Sharon.

Oh, you must've...

Didn't you...

You didn't know, did you?

Darling?

Darling, why are you
sitting here in the dark?

Mrs. Trotter came
to see me today.

Mrs. Trott...

I can't understand
what she'd want here.

From what she said, I think
Sharon must be a nice girl.

Just very, very young.

She's just somebody
who came in for a job.

She couldn't handle the work,
so I had to let her go...

Please, Ben,

you should know by now I can
always tell when you're lying.

You told that girl
you were going to marry her.

Have you forgotten?
I'm already married.

Of course, you'd have
to get your freedom first.

I believe that's
the way you phrased it.

Darling, the girl doesn't
mean anything to me.

I never had any thought
of marrying her.

I don't think there's
much chance of it now.

I'm going to give you
your freedom anyway, Ben.

I don't want it.

Only I'm afraid that's
all I'm going to give you.

There isn't anything
I could do about it anyway,

even if I were foolish enough
to want to give you a settlement.

Everything my father
left me is in trust.

So, when you
get free from me,

you'll be free
of my money, too.

Mom!

Sharon!

For heaven's sakes, what are
you doing out this time of night?

Oh, my baby!

You're soaked to the skin.

Come on, Mom, let's
get those wet things off.

No, I was...

Mom, where have you been?

I tried to call you
a dozen times tonight.

I've been walking around,
trying to think.

Sharon, I did
a terrible thing today.

You're telling me. Mom, why
did you go to Ben's office?

That was the worst thing
you could have done.

Mom, you've got to promise me that
you'll never do anything like that again.

Sharon, he deceived you.

He was lying to you. He
didn't intend to marry you.

Now, stop it. I'm not going
to listen to you anymore.

From now on,
it's a closed subject.

But I haven't told you the
things I came here to say.

Now, Mother, I mean it.

I know Ben
better than you do.

Everything is
gonna be all right.

Now, I'll go fill
the bathtub for you

and we'll get you
some dry clothes.

Okay?

You won't listen to me.

Hello?

Hello, Sharon: Now, listen carefully,
I've only got a few minutes:

I may have to hang up:

Now just listen, because
everything depends on it.

My wife...

My wife's dead.

What?

She d*ed this evening:
I'll explain everything later:

The police have been
questioning me for hours.

I tried to keep you out of it,
but I couldn't.

I had to tell them
I was with you.

They're on their way
to question you now.

You've got to say
I was in your apartment

from : until
after midnight.

Have you got that? Sharon?

Yes.

That's all you have to say.

Just stick to it, no
matter what they tell you.

You stand by me now, baby, and
I'll make it all up to you later.

As soon as it's over,
we'll get married.

I've got to hang up now:
Goodbye, baby:

Your bath's ready.

Mom, you have
a nice long soak.

Mom, what are you doing?
Who were you calling?

It rang.

I was going to take the
message, but he talked so fast.

Was it Ben?

Yes, it was Ben.

What did he want?

He said his wife d*ed tonight.

Oh, no!

What happened?

He really didn't explain.

He said the police were
there asking him questions

and they know
about you and him.

And they're coming
here to talk to you.

And Sharon,
you mustn't get involved.

And you must stick to
your story no matter what.

What story? What am I
supposed to tell them?

Ben wants you to say that
he wasn't here all evening.

Do you understand?

Ben wants you to say that
he wasn't here all evening.

I hope you liked our play.

We now have a
one-minute soap opera,

which I'm sure you'll love.

This is the story
that asked the question,

"Can a poor, lowly, advertising
man from rural Madison Avenue

"win customers
for his sponsor

"and find happiness in
the upper income brackets?"

I'm afraid I may
have done it again.

However, if I am sacked,

moving out will
be no great problem.

I'm a clean desk man.

This is a type of desk where
everything is out of sight.

The waste basket.

The telephone.

And here is my secretary.

That will be all,
Miss Whiteleather.

Suppose you tune in next week
to see if I'm still on the job,

I can at least promise you
another story. Good night.