Everything’s in order. Anyway, Charlotte’s not a baby.
JERRY No.
Pause.
Are you going to sit down?
ROBERT Well, I might, yes, in a minute.
Pause.
JERRY Judith’s at the hospital . . . on night duty. The kids are . . . here . . . upstairs.
ROBERT Uh—huh.
JERRY I must speak to you. It’s important.
ROBERT Speak.
JERRY Yes.
Pause.
ROBERT You look quite rough.
Pause.
What’s the trouble?
Pause.
It’s not about you and Emma, is it?
Pause.
I know all about that.
JERRY Yes. So I’ve . . . been told.
ROBERT Ah.
Pause.
Well, it’s not very important, is it? Been over for years, hasn’t it?
JERRY It is important.
ROBERT Really? Why?
Jerry stands, walks about.
JERRY I thought I was going to go mad.
ROBERT When?
JERRY This evening. Just now. Wondering whether to phone you. I had to phone you. It took me . . . two hours to phone you. And then you were with the kids . . . I thought I wasn’t going to be able to see you . . . I thought I’d go mad. I’m very grateful to you . . . for coming.
ROBERT Oh for God’s sake! Look, what exactly do you want to say?
Pause.
Jerry sits.
JERRY I don’t know why she told you. I don’t know how she could tell you. I just don’t understand. Listen, I know you’ve got . . . look, I saw her today . . . we had a drink . . . I haven’t seen her for . . . she told me, you know, that you’re in trouble, both of you . . . and so on. I know that. I mean I’m sorry.
ROBERT Don’t be sorry.
JERRY Why not?
Pause.
The fact is I can’t understand . . . why she thought it necessary . . . after all these years . . . to tell you . . . so suddenly . . . last night . . .
ROBERT Last night?
JERRY Without consulting me. Without even warning me. After all, you and me . . .
ROBERT She didn’t tell me last night.
JERRY What do you mean?
Pause.
I know about last night. She told me about it. You were up all night, weren’t you?
ROBERT That’s correct.
JERRY And she told you . . . last night . . . about her and me. Did she not?
ROBERT No, she didn’t. She didn’t tell me about you and her last night. She told me about you and her four years ago.
Pause.
So she didn’t have to tell me again last night. Because I knew. And she knew I knew because she told me herself four years ago.
Silence.
JERRY What?
ROBERT I think I will sit down.
He sits.
I thought you knew.
JERRY Knew what?
ROBERT That I knew. That I’ve known for years. I thought you knew that.
JERRY You thought I knew?
ROBERT She said you didn’t. But I didn’t believe that.
Pause.
Anyway I think I thought you knew. But you say you didn’t?
JERRY She told you . . . when?
ROBERT Well, I found out. That’s what happened. I told her I’d found out and then she . . . confirmed . . . the facts.
JERRY When?
ROBERT Oh, a long time ago, Jerry.
Pause.
JERRY But we’ve seen each other . . . a great deal . . . over the last four years. We’ve had lunch.
ROBERT Never played squash though.
JERRY I was your best friend.
ROBERT Well, yes, sure.
Jerry stares at him and then holds his head in his hands.
Oh, don’t get upset. There’s no point.
Silence.
Jerry sits up.
JERRY Why didn’t she tell me?
ROBERT Well, I’m not her, old boy.
JERRY Why didn’t you tell me?
Pause.
ROBERT I thought you might know.
JERRY But you didn’t know for certain, did you? You didn’t know!
ROBERT No.
JERRY Then why didn’t you tell me?
Pause.
ROBERT Tell you what?
JERRY That you knew. You bastard.
ROBERT Oh, don’t call me a bastard, Jerry.
Pause.
JERRY What are we going to do?
ROBERT You and I are not going to do anything. My marriage is finished. I’ve just got to make proper arrangements, that’s all. About the children.
Pause.
JERRY You hadn’t thought of telling Judith?
ROBERT Telling Judith what? Oh, about you and Emma. You mean she never knew? Are you quite sure?
Pause.
No, I hadn’t thought of telling Judith, actually. You don’t seem to understand. You don’t seem
JERRY No.
Pause.
Are you going to sit down?
ROBERT Well, I might, yes, in a minute.
Pause.
JERRY Judith’s at the hospital . . . on night duty. The kids are . . . here . . . upstairs.
ROBERT Uh—huh.
JERRY I must speak to you. It’s important.
ROBERT Speak.
JERRY Yes.
Pause.
ROBERT You look quite rough.
Pause.
What’s the trouble?
Pause.
It’s not about you and Emma, is it?
Pause.
I know all about that.
JERRY Yes. So I’ve . . . been told.
ROBERT Ah.
Pause.
Well, it’s not very important, is it? Been over for years, hasn’t it?
JERRY It is important.
ROBERT Really? Why?
Jerry stands, walks about.
JERRY I thought I was going to go mad.
ROBERT When?
JERRY This evening. Just now. Wondering whether to phone you. I had to phone you. It took me . . . two hours to phone you. And then you were with the kids . . . I thought I wasn’t going to be able to see you . . . I thought I’d go mad. I’m very grateful to you . . . for coming.
ROBERT Oh for God’s sake! Look, what exactly do you want to say?
Pause.
Jerry sits.
JERRY I don’t know why she told you. I don’t know how she could tell you. I just don’t understand. Listen, I know you’ve got . . . look, I saw her today . . . we had a drink . . . I haven’t seen her for . . . she told me, you know, that you’re in trouble, both of you . . . and so on. I know that. I mean I’m sorry.
ROBERT Don’t be sorry.
JERRY Why not?
Pause.
The fact is I can’t understand . . . why she thought it necessary . . . after all these years . . . to tell you . . . so suddenly . . . last night . . .
ROBERT Last night?
JERRY Without consulting me. Without even warning me. After all, you and me . . .
ROBERT She didn’t tell me last night.
JERRY What do you mean?
Pause.
I know about last night. She told me about it. You were up all night, weren’t you?
ROBERT That’s correct.
JERRY And she told you . . . last night . . . about her and me. Did she not?
ROBERT No, she didn’t. She didn’t tell me about you and her last night. She told me about you and her four years ago.
Pause.
So she didn’t have to tell me again last night. Because I knew. And she knew I knew because she told me herself four years ago.
Silence.
JERRY What?
ROBERT I think I will sit down.
He sits.
I thought you knew.
JERRY Knew what?
ROBERT That I knew. That I’ve known for years. I thought you knew that.
JERRY You thought I knew?
ROBERT She said you didn’t. But I didn’t believe that.
Pause.
Anyway I think I thought you knew. But you say you didn’t?
JERRY She told you . . . when?
ROBERT Well, I found out. That’s what happened. I told her I’d found out and then she . . . confirmed . . . the facts.
JERRY When?
ROBERT Oh, a long time ago, Jerry.
Pause.
JERRY But we’ve seen each other . . . a great deal . . . over the last four years. We’ve had lunch.
ROBERT Never played squash though.
JERRY I was your best friend.
ROBERT Well, yes, sure.
Jerry stares at him and then holds his head in his hands.
Oh, don’t get upset. There’s no point.
Silence.
Jerry sits up.
JERRY Why didn’t she tell me?
ROBERT Well, I’m not her, old boy.
JERRY Why didn’t you tell me?
Pause.
ROBERT I thought you might know.
JERRY But you didn’t know for certain, did you? You didn’t know!
ROBERT No.
JERRY Then why didn’t you tell me?
Pause.
ROBERT Tell you what?
JERRY That you knew. You bastard.
ROBERT Oh, don’t call me a bastard, Jerry.
Pause.
JERRY What are we going to do?
ROBERT You and I are not going to do anything. My marriage is finished. I’ve just got to make proper arrangements, that’s all. About the children.
Pause.
JERRY You hadn’t thought of telling Judith?
ROBERT Telling Judith what? Oh, about you and Emma. You mean she never knew? Are you quite sure?
Pause.
No, I hadn’t thought of telling Judith, actually. You don’t seem to understand. You don’t seem
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