Howard's Way (1985) s05e05 Episode Script

OK, that should do it.
Start her up.
Run her at 2,000 revs for two minutes and keep your eye on the water pressure gauge.
- (Engine roars) - Leo! Leo! Cut it! Leo, I'd like to introduce you to Mr Manuel, Managing Director of Poelma of Malta.
Leo Howard, who is head of our powerboat division.
- How do you do? - How do you do? Now, John will show you round Spring II.
I'll be along in a minute.
OK, gentlemen, if you'd like to follow me this way.
Any idea what the time is? Oh! I should have picked Abby up an hour ago.
She'll kill me.
Better grovel.
Won't work.
I've tried it before.
- Dinner, then.
- Dinner? - With me it never fails.
- Right, dinner it is.
Oh, and Leo, make it really expensive, just to be sure.
This is a new technique with fibreglass - Thanks for coming down.
Bye-bye.
- Bye-bye.
# Do you read me any more? # This line is bad, and fading # Ship to shore, answer my call # Send me a signal, a beacon to bring me (Car horn toots) - (Aggressive car horn) - # I have been to see the world # Tasted life at every turn # (Car horn blasts) - (Car horn) - No chance.
(Engine roars and tyres squeal) (Gentle tooting) (Car horn) (Car horn) Orrin bloody Hudson.
- What are you looking for? - That Watson account.
It's way overdue.
I think it might be in the bottom drawer.
Oh, thanks.
On the other hand, it could be on top of the drinks cabinet.
Really? It wouldn't be those (Laughs) And if this was Hollywood, I suppose that would be your casting couch.
Oh, I don't see why not.
Hmm The King was in his counting house, counting out his money Too right.
Come and have a look at this.
Frere Holdings, still dropping.
(Laura) Whilst we are definitely not.
- I wonder if somebody's targeting us.
- Not Frere Holdings, certainly.
- No? - Oh, come on, Ken, they're enormous.
And with their current problems, why should they bother with us? Ah! Unless you think that Charles Frere has found out that it was you who put the fraud squad on to him in the first place.
I told you, I had nothing to do with that.
Frere is a very vindictive man, Laura.
He might see that we're doing well, combine business with pleasure and make a hostile bid.
Then you'd better make damn sure he doesn't find out who shopped him, hadn't you? - Mr Howard, have you got a minute? - Some time next Christmas, Bill.
Gets more like the White Rabbit every day.
- Are you sure it was Orrin? - What do you want, photographic evidence? Yes, I'm sure it was Orrin.
- He's so stupid! - So he's stupid.
- Beats me what you ever saw in him.
- Listen.
It doesn't matter what my mother or anyone says, I've finished with Orrin, OK? What about William? After the investigation I thought our share price had stabilised.
It's started dropping again.
- Hypothetical scenario, Gerald.
- Go on.
Across the pond, my father and Hudson the elder sit monitoring us.
Might they not be putting their heads together to set up a raid? Yes, the thought did occur to me, but then I rejected it.
- Why? - Well, a raid would be too risky.
In order to be successful, they'd need to have some inside information.
- It would appear they already have it.
- And? Young Hudson.
Still works for his father, doesn't he? Yes, as far as I know.
The timing of his reappearance doesn't strike you as more than a coincidence? In my experience, coincidences are usually something more than merely coincidental.
Quite.
So, what if Orrin and Abby were to get back together again? Well, I'd be very happy for her, if that's what she wants.
Oh, yes, her happiness is absolutely paramount.
But I must say I'd be sorry to see her go back to the States.
I'd miss her.
Yeah.
I'd miss her, too.
Yes, of course.
Of course you would.
And that's a fact that my father and Hudson might well try to exploit.
Indeed he might.
But as you say, Charles, we're talking about a hypothetical scenario.
# Oh, whatever you do # Don't pay the ferryman # Don't even fix a price # Don't pay the ferryman # Until he gets you to the other side # (Phone rings) Hello? Oh, yes, she's just come in.
One moment.
- It's for you.
- Who is it? Orrin.
If he phones back, tell him to swim back across the Atlantic.
(Phone rings) So, Malcolm, how do you explain the sudden rise? Yeah, but couldn't that be Frere spreading it around to avoid showing his hand? Are you sure? Yes, of course I believe you.
Yeah.
Yeah, why not, before they go up any further? Oh, and Malcolm, thanks a lot.
I owe you one.
- So it isn't Frere who's buying, then? - Ah.
No, Malcolm says it's small investors.
Little old ladies in Harrogate and the like.
What, playing the market with their old age pensions? Ken, if you and Charles Frere want to beat each other's brains out, that's your business, but just make damn sure you leave me out of it.
(Intercom bleeps) - Ken? - Yeah.
- Mr Cowan's here to see you.
- Tell him to wait, will you? Laura! Laura, I hadn't quite finished what Laura! (Sighs) - Partners.
- What? You and Laura.
You're supposed to be partners.
Yes, I know.
Don't you think you should act like it? At least in front of the customers.
Vicki, let me give you the Ken Masters definition of a perfect employee.
It's someone that, A, knows when to speak out, and, B, when to keep their mouth shut.
So anything you hear or see within the four walls of this office my office, goes no further.
Is that clear? I'll show Mr Cowan in.
Frere's six metre? The mast.
Carbon fibre with cobalt steel rigging.
If it was made of wood, I could suggest where Charlie boy could stick it.
- What? Wood? - Yeah, more splinters with wood.
Oh.
Yeah.
- Can I take these? - What? Abby's first set of snaps.
She left them for you to look at.
- Yeah, I haven't had time to look at them.
- No matter.
Do you know, when Vanessa suggested a photo file of the Mermaid Yard, I thought it was the daftest idea I'd heard for a long time.
- And now? - Well, maybe it wasn't.
Do you know, Tom, I think I could have made it as a male model.
Yeah.
Yeah, you could.
- Modelling what? Sweaters? - No, long johns.
Right, back to your carbon fibre.
I'm off.
- Off? Off where? - Erm Town.
What, at 4:30 in the afternoon? - Yeah.
I'm going to the flori Er, the shops.
- Oh, for crying out loud! Orkadian's weeks behind schedule.
Charlie Frere's breathing down my neck.
Avril and Ken Masters are never off the phone, and you are sliding off to go shopping! Yes.
And I'm taking tomorrow off, as well.
Like hell you are! Listen, Tom, in case it's slipped your memory, I've been guv'nor of this yard for 25 years.
And in my book, that means I can come and go as I please.
All right? Oh, sorry to butt in, but if you've got a minute, Jack, we've got a problem with a keel mounting.
Oh, there's nothing you can't handle, I'm sure.
Ta-ta.
I reckon he's sickening for something.
You can say that again, Bill.
Good to see you again, Jack.
Are you well? Hello, Charles.
Hello, Tom.
So, how's it all going? Oh, we're getting there, slowly.
- Is this the new mast? - Yeah.
When the opposition sees how that performs, they won't know what's hit 'em.
How long will it take to construct? - Hard to say, precisely.
- And the cost? A little bit more than I expected, I'm afraid.
High-tech materials, the latest fabrication techniques.
Bound to be snags.
Such as not meeting your deadline and exceeding the budget? We're talking state-of-the-art boat building, Charles.
World beaters.
They don't come cheap or easy.
Maybe not.
But this one has to come in on time and on budget.
And, er what if it doesn't? There are penalty clauses in the contract to cover all eventualities.
So I suggest you sort out your priorities, give my six-metre your undivided attention.
Hm? I don't like personal vendettas, Charles.
Leave me to do what I do best, design boats, for you and whoever else I damn well please.
Your fight with Avril is none of my business.
There's nothing personal in any of this.
My interest in Relton is strictly professional.
Let's both try and remember that, shall we? Night, Sally.
See you in the morning.
- Good night, Jan.
- Night.
James.
James? - What do you think you're doing? - God, you gave me a fright.
I said, what do you think you're doing? Searching through my personal files! I'm sorry.
I didn't mean anything.
I was looking for your notes on the promo brochure.
I just happened to knock it off.
My notes.
When you've finished with them, put them on the desk.
(Car drawing up) Oh, no! - Abby! You didn't say you were going out.
- You didn't ask me.
But I've made arrangements, booked a table.
It was a surprise.
- I'm not a mind-reader.
- It's important, Abby.
I'm sorry.
I've got other plans for my evening.
- Hi.
- Abby.
Mrs Urquhart.
See you later.
- Oh, you look great! - Thank you.
You don't look so bad yourself.
- Ah, freesias, my favourite! - I know.
I thought we'd eat at the yacht club and then look at Abby's snaps.
I thought we'd eat in and play the rest of the evening by ear.
- Buy a girl a drink, mister? - I was just leaving.
Please.
All right.
Could I have a dry white wine, please? - And what's yours? - An orange juice, please.
And an orange juice.
- Shall we? - Sure.
James, it was an accident.
- I wasn't trying to pry.
- I know.
I know.
It's my own fault.
I should have taken the damn file home.
So why did you give it up? I didn't.
It gave me up.
I can't believe that.
Your designs are great.
Oh, yeah! What you saw was my first and my only collection.
- Did you happen to see the press cuttings? - No.
The fashion writers hung me out to dry.
Cosmo said I should have been designing foul weather gear for trawler men.
Yeah, that was terrific, compared to Vanity Fair.
Their fashion hack said that with a lot of very hard work I could be very big in Dumbarton.
- There must have been one good review.
- Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
- Two lines on the Guardian's fashion page.
- Oh, dear.
The first one said, "James Brooke is a designer 20 years ahead of his time.
" The second said "For the sake of the British fashion industry, let's hope he stays there.
" So on the strength of one bad set of reviews, you give the whole thing up.
No, not quite.
Thank you.
Thank you.
No, I brooded on it for about a year.
I ended up believing they were right.
That's when I threw in the towel.
- But they were wrong.
- Very easy to say, 15 years on.
- You should have stuck at it.
- I had 30 quid to my name! I'm sorry.
I I'm sorry.
Anyway, by that time there were signs I was going to fall apart.
- In what way? - It's none of your business.
True.
- So, what did you do then? - What else could I do? I went out and I got a proper job.
Trainee buyer.
- And? - That's it, end of story.
You never tried again? No.
No, two years later, I opened my first shop and the rest you already know.
It takes a hell of a lot more than just talent to get to the top, Jan.
When it came to it, I found I didn't have what it takes.
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to sound judgemental.
Huh! No.
There really is no need to apologise.
I've learned to live with it.
- Funniest looking cruiser I've ever seen.
- Good God! Laura! What are you trying to do? Finish me off for good? Ken Masters might suggest it if he knows you're working on that instead of our cruiser.
Is that why you've come? To check up on me? Yes, and not before time, by the looks of things.
- Nine o'clock.
- What? The table for four at nine.
That's what you said this morning.
You were going to book it.
- Oh, that's cancelled.
- Oh.
Oh, well, don't blame me.
Blame Abby.
Evidently, dinner with us is low on her list of priorities.
- Oh, so you booked a table for two? - If you're hungry, there's food in the freezer.
- Look, Polly, we have to talk! - See you later, Gerald.
It was a good idea.
- What? - To come here tonight.
Well, I do have some good ideas.
It gives us a chance to talk.
Talk? Now, why does that one word, spoken in that tone of voice, put the fear of God into me? - It's not meant to.
- Women are so devious.
No, not really.
You lull a man into a false sense of security, then bang, the axe has fallen before he knows it.
- I just want to pick the right moment.
- Exactly.
Well, go on, say it.
Put me out of my misery.
- Orrin.
- What? - Orrin and my mother.
- What about them? They're there.
God! That's what she had in mind.
How dare she? - Abby - Well, it's the bloody limit, isn't it? Yes, it is.
But play her at her own game.
Sit tight, don't give her the satisfaction.
- All right? - All right.
Abby? I don't think so, Orrin.
Butt out, Leo.
This is none of your business.
Well I'm making it my business.
Come on.
Well? That's more like it.
What about the deadline? Oh, there or thereabouts, barring further distractions.
What, distractions like that, do you mean? Ah Yeah.
Some things are hard to say no to.
Charles Frere's set his sights on Relton, and that boat is a winner, providing we can go into production fast.
Then the shareholders, well, they just might tell him where to get off.
I see.
You know I spent some time in the States, don't you? Yeah.
Well, while I was there I took a postgraduate course in business administration.
Do you know what the first rule in the book was? Beware of bald Englishmen in flashy suits? Never mix business with pleasure.
Don't bring your personal life into the office.
Ah, of course.
You and Avril, you go back a long way, eh? No, Avril hasn't said anything to me.
Oh? Then it must be Ken stirring the muddy waters.
I was away for five years.
I was out of touch.
Ken was simply giving me a history lesson.
In that case, you'll know that I am a member of the board of Relton.
Yes, a non-executive director.
Well, to bring you up to date, even though it's none of your business, my relationship with Avril is strictly professional.
What about Frere's relationship with Avril? - No comment.
- Charles Frere must be quite an operator.
You'd better believe it.
Tarrant is littered with the corpses of those that didn't.
- Jack? - Mmm? If you could live life over again, is there anything you'd do differently? - Oh, just about everything.
- For instance? Well, first of all, I'd emigrate.
Preferably at a young age.
Then go somewhere warm, like the Caribbean, build boats, and charter them to rich Yanks.
Anything else? Er Avoid women.
And drink lots of rum.
No, I don't know, really.
One thing I do know, though.
I'd steer well bloody clear of that Frere family.
- Oh, dear! Avril? - Yeah.
Charlie boy is giving her one hell of a time.
- How? - Pressure on supplies.
They put the word out that Relton is having difficulty completing orders, share prices drop, and there's young Charlie boy waiting to pick 'em up.
You know what really bugs me? Yes.
That he's supposed to love her.
Hmm.
He's even asked her to marry him.
Ah, sometimes I despair of the human race.
- Children.
- Hm? Men like Charles Frere.
Hey've got the money and power, but when it comes to something they want and can't have, they lash out and try to destroy it.
Just like silly, spoiled children.
Hmm.
Well, maybe his old dad should have done us all a favour, and clipped him about the ear a bit more often.
- Oh.
No pop left.
- I've got another one in the fridge.
Oh.
Oh, let's save it for tomorrow.
- Tomorrow? - I thought we'd go sailing in Proud Lady.
I'm sorry, Jack.
I can't.
- Oh? - I have to go up to town.
- What for? - Business.
Oh.
Can't it wait? - No.
- Oh.
What sort of business? Well, just business.
If you'd mentioned it earlier, given me notice, I could have changed the day.
Oh.
Ah, well, forget it.
I didn't realise I had to make an appointment.
Of course you don't.
Well, can't you cancel your meeting or whatever it is? I mean, the Met Office has forecast a beautiful day tomorrow.
No, I'm sorry, Jack, I can't.
Oh, fine.
Right.
Jack I thought you might stay tonight.
I've got an early start tomorrow.
Good night, Vanessa.
Did you get a chance to look at Mark's revised drawings for the daytime collection? - Mmm, that's where I was.
- And? Yes, that's what I thought.
Look, my office tomorrow at nine, eh? - We'll get our heads together.
- OK.
I need that collection, even if it means starting from scratch.
James, I'm I'm glad we talked.
Bye-bye.
Good night.
(Door closes) - Avril? - In here, Dad.
I was just, erm passing.
- I hope you don't mind.
- No, of course not.
- How are you? - Oh, fine.
- And you? - Ah, so-so.
What happened? Did she throw you out? I saw your car.
Ah, spying on your old man now, are you? No, if you must know, it was me.
I walked out on her.
I've run out of Scotch, Dad.
And I'm in no mood to give absolution tonight.
Guilt is a funny thing, Avril.
- Mum? - Mmm.
I thought after all these years it would have gone.
But it hasn't.
And all of a sudden, up pops Vanessa.
I never thought I'd get a second chance.
But? Well, I'm er I'm just frightened of making the same mistakes.
And something is saying to me, you don't deserve her.
Don't listen, Dad.
- Gerald? - Hmm! (Slurring) Oh, I must have dozed off.
Er Time? Oh, after midnight.
Abby? Er She's gone to bed.
Did she tell you what happened at the restaurant? Briefly.
I was rather hoping you might fill in the detail.
Oh, there was no conspiracy.
You know me.
I'm a traditionalist at heart.
I still believe that families belong together.
Even when the relationship between parents is no longer viable? Relationships have to be worked at.
Unfortunately, that's something Abby hasn't learned yet.
I mean, look at us! Over the years we've had more than our fair share of problems, but somehow or other we've always managed to scrape through.
- Because we both wanted to.
- Until now.
Time is running out, Gerald.
Abby's no longer a child and Edward is offering me something I've always wanted.
The possibility of being my own boss.
Number one.
Answerable to no one.
- A position vastly overrated, in my opinion.
- In your opinion.
But perhaps that's something I have to find out for myself.
You know there's a job waiting for you over there, don't you? With Sir Edward Frere? Huh! First the son, and then the father.
I must say it does have a certain ironic appeal.
- However, I think not.
- Well, it's your decision.
No! The decision is yours.
I don't want you to go, Polly.
But if your mind is made up, so be it.
Just don't expect me to make it easy for you.
(Knock at door) Leo? I'm in here.
- Is something wrong? - No.
- I'm just shattered.
- Abby? OK.
You've been worrying about problems with your collection.
Leo, these designs are 15 years old.
Well, everything goes in cycles, Mum.
These could be the smash hit of the new season.
Erm Ah! - Have a nice day.
- Bye.
I'm sorry, Abby.
The restaurant was childish, but Orrin just wanted to talk to you.
Well, I don't want to talk to him.
Or you.
I'm sorry, but you made me so angry.
And you embarrass me.
I've no idea what you're up to with the Hudsons or Edward Frere, and I don't care, as long as you stop interfering in my life.
But it isn't just your life, is it? It's William's.
And as Orrin is still your husband, the least you can do is listen to what he has to say.
Like you do with Daddy? Come on, Romeo.
She'll wait.
What are you two looking at? Go on, get on with it.
What do you think this is, a holiday camp? Looks like things are back to normal again.
Morning.
What the hell - Tom.
Tom.
- Hmm? Hell's teeth, man, it's nearly half past eight.
What were you up to last night, then? Working.
Oh.
Really? All night.
So don't even think it, let alone say it, OK? OK.
- Coffee? - Oh, yeah.
On drip-feed.
- Er Jack? - Yeah? I thought you were taking the day off.
While you're slaving your guts out here? No.
Changed my mind, didn't I? Oh.
Yes, send her in, please.
- (Knock at door) - Come in.
- Oh, good morning, Miss Wilde.
- Morning.
I'm Gerald Urquhart, Chief Executive, Frere Holdings.
- If you wanted Mr Frere, I'm afraid he's - In Malta.
Yes.
His secretary told me when I telephoned to make the appointment.
Well, in that case, how can I help you? An enquiry.
On Ken Masters' behalf? Not directly.
Perhaps we could discuss it over lunch.
Look, Mark, I understand what you were trying to do.
No, now, I am not saying that! Now you're jumping to conclusions.
Look, the idea in principle is fine.
The problem is that Well, to be honest with you, I'm not entirely sure what the problem is.
No.
No.
I've got an idea for these.
- Now, listen, if you - No.
No, Jan, absolutely not.
just out of collegel I have international status and I decide what I - Morning, Vicki.
Any calls? - Oh, nothing I couldn't handle.
You never said.
- Said what? - You were going to take the morning off.
Ken, the business world does not revolve around you and your electronic toys, you know.
- I shall be lunching at the yacht club.
- Right.
- What is going on? - Oh, it's just as you said yesterday, Ken.
The perfect employee knows exactly when to keep her mouth shut.
- Bill? - Hello, Miss Avril.
- Is Tom about? - He's in the office, chained to his computer.
And Dad? - Tom? - Down here.
I know, I know, I should be at my duty post.
- I'm not here to nag you about Spring.
- Oh, then, what? Dad and Vanessa.
Sit down.
(Bicycle bell rings) You coming for a pint, Jack? (Avril) this morning, and it wasn't the first time.
I've also seen him leaving her house on another occasion.
But last night, Dad said she was going to be away all day in London on business.
- And you think she had other ideas? - I don't know.
Dad's very taken with Vanessa.
If she's really seeing another man, I think it could break him.
(Receding footsteps) Yeah (Barrier clangs) - Why here? - I didn't want you at the house.
This is neutral ground.
- Like the OK Corral for the Clantons? - What? It's good to see you, Abby.
You've got five minutes, Orrin.
You'd better get on with it.
- You sure don't make it easy, do you? - Five minutes.
OK.
Back home, things have changed some over the past year or so.
I'm doing real good in business and I've gotten into politics.
- You what? - Politics.
Public service and all? Oh, nothing fancy, mind.
Just hick town stuff, up in Vermont.
You know the kind of place.
Clapboard houses, folks with no imagination or tolerance of new ideas.
Sounds wonderful.
I don't see what it's got to do with me.
I'm trying to sell you the new image.
The new Orrin Hudson.
Why? Cos me and William need you, Abby.
Bottom line is, I want you to come home with me.
- Don't do this to me.
- He's a great kid, and I do the best I can.
But at the end of the day, life just ain't what it should be without your mom.
- We've been through all this.
We agreed.
- We agreed lots of things we shouldn't have.
- But I'm willing to try again if you are.
- I can't.
Well, if you need time, the Hudson spread's big enough for you to have your own apartment.
It's not as simple as that any more.
You could even live somewhere else for a while if you want.
All I ask is that occasionally we go out together, get to know each other again.
- Where? - What? Where would we go out to get to know each other again, Orrin? I don't know.
Movies, out to dinner.
- Fund raising dinners? - What? - The party convention, perhaps? - No! This isn't about me or William.
You just want a social hostess, a regular family image to impress your redneck voters.
So what's wrong with a guy wanting to show off his wife in public? I was just trying to make it easy for you.
- You bastard! - Come on, don't be stupid.
Hear me out.
- Let go of me.
- I just want you to come home, Abby.
- Please! - She said let go of her.
I told you before, Leo, butt out! - This is between Abby and me.
- That's what you think.
Leo! Leo, he can't swim.
He can't swim! Abby, help me with him.
Hold him! Abby! Look.
Over there.
He'll live.
He asked you to go back with him, Abby.
I didn't hear your answer.