Richard shows up at Cassie's

 

Cassie:  (At the door with fire poker) FREEZE!

 Richard:  Hang on.  Hang on. Hold on now.  Calm down. You won’t need that; the last thing I want to do is hurt you.

 Cassie:  Richard?

 Richard:  I’m so sorry if I frightened you.

 Cassie:  No I’m just surprised.  What are you doing here?

 Richard:  Well I…I couldn’t stay away Cassie.  I had to see you.  Yes there seems to be a storm brewing up.  May I come in before I blow away?

 Cassie:  Yes.  Yes.

 Richard:  Thank you.  My goodness I did frighten you .

Cassie:  No. No, I um…I’m just… its so strange to see you here.

 Richard:  Yes.  Well its strange being here.   I almost didn’t come.  I didn’t want to burden you again with my problems but… well quite frankly I couldn’t think of anyone else to turn to.  I’ve been in a fog ever since you left Cassie, utterly useless.  I can’t seem to stop thinking about Jonathan.

 Cassie:  You still don’t know where he is?

 Richard:  I feel like I’m losing my mind and you’re the only one who understands.  You were there you saw me on the beach when Reva left and well you were so kind, kinder then anyone I’ve ever known.

 Cassie:  I…I just tried putting myself in your shoes.

 Richard:  No you did a lot more than that.  You had the compassion to see my point of view in spite of your love for your sister.  Have you seen her?  Have you spoken with Reva since you’ve been back? 

Cassie:  Yeah.  Yeah…it just got a little intense. 

Richard:  So you know where she is? 

Cassie:  Yeah I know where she is…wait a minute that’s what this is all about…this late night visit isn’t it.

 Richard:  What?

 Cassie:  Its because you want me to tell you where Reva is.

 Richard:  I just need a few minutes alone with her.  Just a few minutes that’s all.  I know I can change her mind.

 Cassie:  Because you’re Prince Charming, right?  And you thought you could waltz in here and dazzle the farm girl with tons of compliments and I’d turn around and betray my sister is that it.  Well you know what your Royal Highness, you’re wrong.

Richard:  What you’re accusing me of Cassie, I would never never think of abusing you’re friendship like that.  You are a wonderful person and I have the utmost respect for you.  You know that.

 Cassie:  And you could go on with the compliments till you’re blue in the face and I’m still not going to tell you where my sister is.

 Richard:  I just want to talk to her.

 Cassie:  No, you want her back.

 Richard:  I want my son back.  I thought you understood that.

 Cassie:  Oh I understand you Richard, more than you think I do.  Lets see since the kindred spirit line didn’t work what’s next?

 Richard:  I’m sorry?

 Cassie:  I’m so lonely Cassie and you’re so beautiful.  You know what?  That’s a good one.  That’s a good one…

 Richard:  So what, you think I came here to seduce you?

 Cassie:  I bet you think that’s funny don’t you?

 Richard:  No.  Not at all.  You’re a very beautiful woman and…but I assure you, I swear to you that’s the last thing that was on my mind.

 Cassie:  Thanks a lot.

 Richard:  All right.  Look…Look that’s not what I meant. Can we just back this up and start all over again.

 Cassie:  No.  No.  Lets pretend like you were never here.  OK?  Go back to San Cristobel because I’m sure you’re royal subjects are there waiting for you.  I said go.

 Richard:  I’m not going anywhere.

 (Phone rings)

 Cassie:  Hello?

 Josh:  Cassie, Hi it’s Josh.  Listen ah…there may be a problem…it involves Reva.

 Cassie:  Josh!  What’s wrong with Reva?

 Josh:  She’s…She’s all right, for now anyway.  But you’ll never guess who showed up from San Cristobel? 

Cassie:  Who?

 Josh:  Olivia.  And she tells me she thinks Richard’s on his way here, to Springfield, in fact that he may be here right now.  He…he hasn’t tried to get in touch with you has he Cassie?

 Cassie:  Uh…Uh

 Richard:  Please…

 Cassie:  No. No Josh.  I haven’t heard from or seen Richard.

 Josh:  OK. Well that’s a good thing.  If he does try to get in touch with you though you’ll call me right away. OK

 Cassie:  Yeah I will.  You got it.  Bye. 

Richard:  So why’d you do that, you didn’t have to.

 Cassie:  Besides the fact that he would come over here and kill you.  Ah… because…because you have caused my family enough heartache and enough pain, OK?  You’re not going to get what you want here Richard.  We don’t know where you’re son is.  So please go back to San Cristobel.

 Richard:  You have two children Cassie.  Could you so easily just give up on them?  How could you possibly ask me to do the same?

 Cassie:  Make sure you shut the door behind you when you leave.

 Richard:  You want to help me.  I know you do but you can’t and I understand.  It’s all right.  Thank you anyway for your kindness.  Good-bye.

 

(Richard outside on the phone)

 

Richard:  Yes I want you to drive to the end of the farm road.  Where the farm road meets the main road.  Yes there’s a bridge there; I want you to block it anyway you can.  Just make sure no one can get in or out of Jessup farm. OK?  Is that understood? Fine.  (Hangs up)  No I’m not going anywhere my dear Cassie and neither are you.  Not until you tell me where Reva is.

 

(Cassie answers knock at door)

 

Richard:  Hello!  As you can see the storm has picked up and a … well the bridge at the end of you’re road is out and my driver can’t get through to pick me up.

 Cassie:  Great! (Lets Richard in) 

Richard:  Thank you.  Yes well it’s rather unfortunate and embarrassing really, particularly after I made such a fuss at saying a final farewell as I did before but anyway I find myself at you’re mercy.

 Cassie:  You need to spend the night here I guess?

 Richard:  I don’t see as I have much choice.

 Cassie:  (On phone) Look…No this isn’t an emergency.  I was just informed that there’s a bridge out at the end of my road.  My name is Cassie Lane.  I live out at the Jessup farm.  Can you please check on that…Fowler road.  Yes I’ll hold. 

Richard:  Remind me to add a healthy dose of skepticism and common sense to your list of virtues.

 Cassie:  Hello?  Well could you tell me how long…OK? Thank you.  It looks like it won’t be fixed till morning.  So I guess I’ll go and get you a blanket and a pillow.

 Richard:  Great!  Where shall I sleep?

Cassie:  I have a very cozy place for you to spend the night.

 (Out in Barn)

 Richard:  (mumbling to himself) Sleeping with the horses.

 Cassie:  Well a palace it ain’t but beggars can’t be choosers.

 Richard:  Yes, well its positively quaint.  Thank you very much.  I’m sure I’ll sleep like the proverbial log.  Is something wrong?

 Cassie:  No…No I was just looking…at your medallion.

 Richard:  Yes.  It’s a family heirloom.  Edmund has one just like it

 Cassie:  Well goodnight.

 Richard:  Goodnight.  Thank you.  Sweet dreams eh.   Sweet dreams and tomorrow you will tell me where Reva is.

 (Next Morning)

Richard:  All right boys right this way.  Let’s take all this stuff into the kitchen.  When I tell you bring out some of the plates.  Here I’ll take that.  That also into the kitchen.  Very good.  Good morning.

 Cassie:  What do you think you’re doing?

 Richard:  Well I’m preparing breakfast for you.  Yes there wasn’t much in the cupboards and being that the bridge is out and all I took the liberty of flying some stuff in.  I hope you don’t mind?  So what’s it going to be pancakes…frenchtoast…bacon and eggs.  You know Fisk in here is quite a good cook.

Cassie:  It’s not going to work.

 Richard:  What’s not going to work?

 Cassie:  I’m not going to tell you where my sister is.

 Richard:  Well hang on you’ve misjudged my gesture.

 Cassie:  No.  I understand the only reason you’re here is because you want me to tell you where Reva is and when your charm didn’t work your going to what…come in here and start…

 Richard:  Feeding you.  Yes.

 Cassie:  It’s not going to work, OK? So I want you to get all that stuff and chopper it out of here because I will never tell you where my sister is.  Never.

 Richard:  Cassie I am not trying to bribe you or to charm you or anything of the sort.  I am merely trying to repay you for your kindness not to mention the ah…wonderful accommodations of last night out in your barn.

 Cassie:  Oh, you didn’t sleep well?

 Richard:  No, on the contrary.  I slept well…I slept like a prince.

 Cassie:  Funny.

 Richard:  You on the other hand well it looks like you didn’t get much sleep at all.

 Cassie:  That’s because I have a child to take care of and an unwanted visitor that doesn’t understand the meaning of the word no.   Now I want you to get in there and I want you to get all that stuff out of my kitchen.  Now…

 Richard:  All right.  All right.  OK

 Cassie:  and if you don’t mind I’m going to put my son down.  Come on sweetie. Oh gosh you no what I forgot your blanket.  I also got a phone call from the police they said that the roads clear.

 Richard:  Oh that’s…I’m glad to hear that…that’s great.

 Cassie:  Really?  Because they also said that it looked like someone deliberately blocked it.  Now you wouldn’t now anything about that would you?

 Richard:  You know, as much as I enjoy your hospitality and your accommodations I… you must have some vandals running around here in this neck of the woods.  And here we thought San Cristobel was so dangerous. 

Cassie:  Uh-huh.  Well you know what if you and all of your merry men can’t fit into the helicopter then you can hit the road. OK?

 Richard:  Let’s have a little breakfast…come on.

Cassie:  You are unbelievable what… when your bribes not working you go right back to the charm.  I am not going to tell you where Reva is OK.  And all this stuff might work in San Cristobel but your crown doesn’t mean anything here. OK?

 Richard:  May I speak?

 Cassie:  No.  No you’re not going to get what you want from me.  So if you don’t mind I’m going upstairs to get my sons blanket and when I come back down I would like you to be gone.

 Richard:  There’s always a way Cassie.  There’s always a way.

 (Cassie comes downstairs)

 Cassie:  Oh my God.  Oh my God he took RJ.  Oh my God he took my son.

 Josh:  (picks up phone) Hello?

 Cassie:  Josh?

 Josh:  Cassie?

 Cassie:  I didn’t tell you the truth last night.  Richard was here and he took RJ.

 Josh:  He what?

 Cassie:  Look I wouldn’t tell him where Reva was and I guess he got mad and I went upstairs for a minute but he took RJ, Josh.  He took my son.

 Josh:  I’m coming over right now, OK?  We’ll get him back OK?  We’ll find him.

 Cassie:  (Hangs up) Oh God please please let him be OK. 

Cassie hears singing from outside walks over to window

 

Richard:  (Outside singing to RJ) Hush little baby don’t say a word papa’s gonna buy you a mockingbird and if that mockingbird don’t sing papa’s gonna buy you a diamond ring…  You know Jonathan’s mother use to sing that to him when he was about your age…he had a smile like yours also.  Oh God, I’d almost forgotten what it’s like to hold everything that’s precious in the world.  But I won’t forget you Jonathan.  I’ll never forget you Jonathan.  Hush little baby….

 Richard: Cassie what’s wrong?

 Cassie:  I just…I came down and you were gone and RJ was gone and…

 Richard:  Yeah, he was fussing a bit, looked like he was about to cry so I thought you know I’d pick him up, walk him around a bit.

 Cassie:  (Takes RJ from Richard) Hi. Hi sweetie, Oh its OK.

 Richard:  You thought I’d taken him didn’t you.  My God, you really thought that I had taken you’re child.

Cassie:  You were so angry when I wouldn’t tell you where Reva was and I thought that you took RJ to force me to tell you…

 Richard:  Then you have an even lower opinion of me than I’d imagined.  How could you think that of me, really?

 Cassie:  No wait.  I’m sorry.  I’m sorry I just freaked when I didn’t see RJ and I…I thought that you were going to use him so I would tell you where Reva was.  I’m sorry.

Richard:  You’re right.  You’re right.  You weren’t wrong Cassie, you were right.  I am here for only one reason.   I want to find Reva, your right… so don’t ah…don’t blame yourself for your suspicions.  I don’t blame you but try not to blame me either, please.  Try to understand six years ago my wife, your sister disappeared, my son was taken from me. It took me six years of searching for them and out of the blue like a miracle your sister reappears and I find my son.  I find Jonathan. I have him.  I see him.  I hold him.  I talk to him.  I had my son back. And then your sister doesn’t want to raise him, No and then she doesn’t want me to raise him.  So I did everything that she asks me right.  I let her go.  I agree… I agreed not to acknowledge my own son for Gods sake but I’d have him next to me right at least he’d be there a part of my life somehow.  No.  No she decides that I don’t even deserve that.  She takes him from me again.  I’m sorry I know she’s you sister.  I need to be alone.  I’m sorry

 Cassie:  No.  No you came here because you wanted my help and I’m going to give it to you.

 

(Back in house)

 

Richard:  Cassie if you want to help me tell me where she is.  Please. Just tell me where she is.

 Cassie:  Richard go back to San Cristobel.  Just go back to San Cristobel.  You know your going to meet someone and your going to fall in love and you can have other children.

 Richard:  No one can replace Jonathan Cassie, no one.

 Cassie:  I know that but you know every child makes his own place in your heart and especially when it’s been broken, you know.  Do you remember when I told you how I felt when Hart died?  Dying seemed easier than living without him.  Then I remembered how hard he fought to stay alive for me even in the end when it seemed like there was no hope he kept fighting and then I realized he’s not fighting to stay alive for me.  He’s fighting to show me how to fight if he died.  How to get on without him.  That was his gift to me.  To learn how to live without him.

 Richard:  And have you?  Have you been able to do that?

 Cassie:  It’s been hard sometimes you know.  When I think about the way we were or what might have been.  You know when the night gets lonely or I try running this farm but I get through it.  Because life goes on and I know…I know that it can be good again if I just let it. You know I know that this isn’t what you want to hear but Reva she’s…she’s in agony too she is. I mean I can hear it in her voice when I talk to her at Cross Creek.  She…She is so sad too and she needs the same thing that you need.  And that’s to move on.  Will you …will you watch him?  I’m going to go get his bottle. 

Richard:  You trust me with him?

 Cassie:  Yes.

 Richard:  (Steps outside) I want you to find out where Cross Creek is? Quickly.

 (Back in side with Cassie)  Well that’s my ride.

 Cassie:   Your leaving?

 Richard:  Yes I am and well you’ve convinced me that it is for the best.

 Cassie:  It is.  You’re going to be happy.

 Richard:  Anyway I want to thank you for everything especially your…your understanding.  Although sometimes I wish you didn’t understand quite so much.  Good-bye Cassie.

(Outside)  Did you find out where this Cross Creek is?  Good lets go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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