SCENE THREE
6:00 P.M. A bridal shop.
A small section, enough to include a table with sewing machine, a chair or two.
Cathy, an English woman with shoulder-length blondish-brown hair and slightly
provocative clothes, is finishing remaking what was a yellow bridesmaid gown
into a party dress for an extremely lovely young woman: Emma. Cathy is
knowing, sexy, smart. Emma is an intelligent, witty lady with a taste for
champagne and spying with her cousin, Martin King.
Emma (holding out scissors): Please, Cathy, make the neck lower!
Cathy: Stop it, Emma!
Emma: One inch! How much can one little inch do?
Cathy: Too much.
Emma (exasperated): Cathy, I am no longer a little girl, I am a woman.
Cathy: I know that and so will the men. (Glances at Emma's figure) That's the
whole trouble.
Emma: Please! One little inch, Cathy!
Cathy: No, Martin made me promise.
Emma: Martin! One month I have been in this country- do I ever even touch
excitement? They never even let me join the Amateurs. For what did my fine
cousin bring me here?
Cathy: To marry Peter.
Emma: When I look at Peter, nothing happens.
Cathy (in annoyance): What do you expect to happen?
Emma: I don't know. Something. What happens when you look at Martin?
Cathy: It's when I don't look that it happens.
Emma (mischievously): I think I will tell Mother and Father about you and Martin
in the balcony of the movies.
Cathy (threatening the dress): I'll rip this to shreds!
Emma: No, but if perhaps you could manage to lower the neck-
Cathy: Next year.
Emma: Next year, I will be married, and no one will care if it is down to here,
(indicates waist).
Cathy: Then don't wear it and don't come with us to the dance.
Emma (shocked): Don't come! (Grabs the dress) Could we not dye it red at
least?
Cathy: No, we could not. (helps Emma into the dress)
Emma: Yellow is for little girls! I'll be the only one there in a yellow-
Cathy: Well?
Emma: It's a beautiful dress! Thank You!
(As she hugs Cathy, King enters, followed by an annoyingly proper British gent:
Peel)
King: Are you ready?
Emma: Come in, Martin! (Twirls) Is it not beautiful?
King: Yes. (Kisses her) very.
Cathy: I didn't quite hear . . .
King (planting a passionate kiss on Cathy's cheek): Very beautiful.
Emma (beckoning): Come in, Peter, do not be afraid.
Peel (offended): But this is a shop for ladies.
Cathy (teasing): We won't bite you til we know you better.
Emma (impatiently cutting in): Martin, it is of the utmost importance that I enjoy
myself dancing tonight.
King (amused): Why?
Emma (with proper, distinguished air): Because tonight is the real beginning of
my life as a young lady of America!
Emma twirls out of view.
6:00 P.M. A bridal shop.
A small section, enough to include a table with sewing machine, a chair or two.
Cathy, an English woman with shoulder-length blondish-brown hair and slightly
provocative clothes, is finishing remaking what was a yellow bridesmaid gown
into a party dress for an extremely lovely young woman: Emma. Cathy is
knowing, sexy, smart. Emma is an intelligent, witty lady with a taste for
champagne and spying with her cousin, Martin King.
Emma (holding out scissors): Please, Cathy, make the neck lower!
Cathy: Stop it, Emma!
Emma: One inch! How much can one little inch do?
Cathy: Too much.
Emma (exasperated): Cathy, I am no longer a little girl, I am a woman.
Cathy: I know that and so will the men. (Glances at Emma's figure) That's the
whole trouble.
Emma: Please! One little inch, Cathy!
Cathy: No, Martin made me promise.
Emma: Martin! One month I have been in this country- do I ever even touch
excitement? They never even let me join the Amateurs. For what did my fine
cousin bring me here?
Cathy: To marry Peter.
Emma: When I look at Peter, nothing happens.
Cathy (in annoyance): What do you expect to happen?
Emma: I don't know. Something. What happens when you look at Martin?
Cathy: It's when I don't look that it happens.
Emma (mischievously): I think I will tell Mother and Father about you and Martin
in the balcony of the movies.
Cathy (threatening the dress): I'll rip this to shreds!
Emma: No, but if perhaps you could manage to lower the neck-
Cathy: Next year.
Emma: Next year, I will be married, and no one will care if it is down to here,
(indicates waist).
Cathy: Then don't wear it and don't come with us to the dance.
Emma (shocked): Don't come! (Grabs the dress) Could we not dye it red at
least?
Cathy: No, we could not. (helps Emma into the dress)
Emma: Yellow is for little girls! I'll be the only one there in a yellow-
Cathy: Well?
Emma: It's a beautiful dress! Thank You!
(As she hugs Cathy, King enters, followed by an annoyingly proper British gent:
Peel)
King: Are you ready?
Emma: Come in, Martin! (Twirls) Is it not beautiful?
King: Yes. (Kisses her) very.
Cathy: I didn't quite hear . . .
King (planting a passionate kiss on Cathy's cheek): Very beautiful.
Emma (beckoning): Come in, Peter, do not be afraid.
Peel (offended): But this is a shop for ladies.
Cathy (teasing): We won't bite you til we know you better.
Emma (impatiently cutting in): Martin, it is of the utmost importance that I enjoy
myself dancing tonight.
King (amused): Why?
Emma (with proper, distinguished air): Because tonight is the real beginning of
my life as a young lady of America!
Emma twirls out of view.