couldn’t be jealous of Casey. I’m his agent. I advised him about his divorce. I read all his first drafts. I persuaded your husband to publish his first novel. I escort him to Oxford to speak at the Union. He’s my . . . he’s my boy. I discovered him when he was a poet, and that’s a bloody long time ago now.
Pause.
He’s even taken me down to Southampton to meet his Mum and Dad. I couldn’t be jealous of Casey. Anyway it’s not as if we’re having an affair now, is it? We haven’t seen each other for years. Really, I’m very happy if you’re happy.
Pause.
What about Robert?
Pause.
EMMA Well . . . I think we’re going to separate.
JERRY Oh?
EMMA We had a long talk . . . last night.
JERRY Last night?
EMMA You know what I found out . . . last night? He’s betrayed me for years. He’s had . . . other women for years.
JERRY No? Good Lord.
Pause.
But we betrayed him for years.
EMMA And he betrayed me for years.
JERRY Well I never knew that.
EMMA Nor did I.
Pause.
JERRY Does Casey know about this?
EMMA I wish you wouldn’t keep calling him Casey. His name is Roger.
JERRY Yes. Roger.
EMMA I phoned you . I don’t know why.
JERRY What a funny thing. We were such close friends, weren’t we? Robert and me, even though I haven’t seen him for a few months, but through all those years, all the drinks, all the lunches . . . we had together, I never even gleaned . . . I never suspected . . . that there was anyone else . . . in his life but you. Never. For example, when you’re with a fellow in a pub, or a restaurant, for example, from time to time he pops out for a piss, you see, who doesn’t, but what I mean is, if he’s making a crafty telephone call, you can sort of sense it. Well, I never did that with Robert. He never made any crafty telephone calls in any pub I was ever with him in. The funny thing is that it was me who made the calls—to you, when I left him boozing at the bar. That’s the funny thing.
Pause.
When did he tell you all this?
EMMA Last night. I think we were up all night.
Pause.
JERRY You talked all night?
EMMA Yes. Oh yes.
Pause.
JERRY I didn’t come into it, did I?
EMMA What?
JERRY I just—
EMMA I just phoned you this morning, you know, that’s all, because I . . . because we’re old friends . . . I’ve been up all night . . . the whole thing’s finished . . . I suddenly felt I wanted to see you.
JERRY Well, look, I’m happy to see you. I am. I’m sorry . . . about . . .
EMMA Do you remember? I mean, you do remember?
JERRY I remember.
Pause.
EMMA You couldn’t really afford Wessex Grove when we took it, could you?
JERRY Oh, love finds a way.
EMMA I bought the curtains.
JERRY You found a way.
EMMA Listen, I didn’t want to see you for nostalgia, I mean what’s the point? I just wanted to see how you were. Truly. How are you?
JERRY Oh what does it matter?
Pause.
You didn’t tell Robert about me last night, did you?
EMMA I had to.
Pause.
He told me everything. I told him everything. We were up . . . all night. At one point Ned came down. I had to take him up to bed, had to put him back to bed. Then I went down again. I think it was the voices woke him up. You know . . .
JERRY You told him everything?
EMMA I had to.
JERRY You told him everything . . . about us?
EMMA I had to.
Pause.
JERRY But he’s my oldest friend. I mean, I picked his own daughter up in my own arms and threw her up and caught her, in my kitchen. He watched me do it.
EMMA It doesn’t matter. It’s all gone.
JERRY Is it? What has?
EMMA It’s all all over.
She drinks.
1977 LATER
SCENE TWO
Jerry’s House. Study. 1977. Spring.
Jerry sitting. ROBERT standing, with glass.
JERRY It’s good of you to come.
ROBERT Not at all.
JERRY Yes, yes, I know it was difficult . . . I know . . . the kids . . .
ROBERT It’s all right. It sounded urgent.
JERRY Well . . . You found someone, did you?
ROBERT What?
JERRY For the kids.
ROBERT Yes, yes. Honestly.
Pause.
He’s even taken me down to Southampton to meet his Mum and Dad. I couldn’t be jealous of Casey. Anyway it’s not as if we’re having an affair now, is it? We haven’t seen each other for years. Really, I’m very happy if you’re happy.
Pause.
What about Robert?
Pause.
EMMA Well . . . I think we’re going to separate.
JERRY Oh?
EMMA We had a long talk . . . last night.
JERRY Last night?
EMMA You know what I found out . . . last night? He’s betrayed me for years. He’s had . . . other women for years.
JERRY No? Good Lord.
Pause.
But we betrayed him for years.
EMMA And he betrayed me for years.
JERRY Well I never knew that.
EMMA Nor did I.
Pause.
JERRY Does Casey know about this?
EMMA I wish you wouldn’t keep calling him Casey. His name is Roger.
JERRY Yes. Roger.
EMMA I phoned you . I don’t know why.
JERRY What a funny thing. We were such close friends, weren’t we? Robert and me, even though I haven’t seen him for a few months, but through all those years, all the drinks, all the lunches . . . we had together, I never even gleaned . . . I never suspected . . . that there was anyone else . . . in his life but you. Never. For example, when you’re with a fellow in a pub, or a restaurant, for example, from time to time he pops out for a piss, you see, who doesn’t, but what I mean is, if he’s making a crafty telephone call, you can sort of sense it. Well, I never did that with Robert. He never made any crafty telephone calls in any pub I was ever with him in. The funny thing is that it was me who made the calls—to you, when I left him boozing at the bar. That’s the funny thing.
Pause.
When did he tell you all this?
EMMA Last night. I think we were up all night.
Pause.
JERRY You talked all night?
EMMA Yes. Oh yes.
Pause.
JERRY I didn’t come into it, did I?
EMMA What?
JERRY I just—
EMMA I just phoned you this morning, you know, that’s all, because I . . . because we’re old friends . . . I’ve been up all night . . . the whole thing’s finished . . . I suddenly felt I wanted to see you.
JERRY Well, look, I’m happy to see you. I am. I’m sorry . . . about . . .
EMMA Do you remember? I mean, you do remember?
JERRY I remember.
Pause.
EMMA You couldn’t really afford Wessex Grove when we took it, could you?
JERRY Oh, love finds a way.
EMMA I bought the curtains.
JERRY You found a way.
EMMA Listen, I didn’t want to see you for nostalgia, I mean what’s the point? I just wanted to see how you were. Truly. How are you?
JERRY Oh what does it matter?
Pause.
You didn’t tell Robert about me last night, did you?
EMMA I had to.
Pause.
He told me everything. I told him everything. We were up . . . all night. At one point Ned came down. I had to take him up to bed, had to put him back to bed. Then I went down again. I think it was the voices woke him up. You know . . .
JERRY You told him everything?
EMMA I had to.
JERRY You told him everything . . . about us?
EMMA I had to.
Pause.
JERRY But he’s my oldest friend. I mean, I picked his own daughter up in my own arms and threw her up and caught her, in my kitchen. He watched me do it.
EMMA It doesn’t matter. It’s all gone.
JERRY Is it? What has?
EMMA It’s all all over.
She drinks.
1977 LATER
SCENE TWO
Jerry’s House. Study. 1977. Spring.
Jerry sitting. ROBERT standing, with glass.
JERRY It’s good of you to come.
ROBERT Not at all.
JERRY Yes, yes, I know it was difficult . . . I know . . . the kids . . .
ROBERT It’s all right. It sounded urgent.
JERRY Well . . . You found someone, did you?
ROBERT What?
JERRY For the kids.
ROBERT Yes, yes. Honestly.
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