WHAT SHALL WE DO ABOUT LIL?
THE SCENE IS THE LIVING ROOM OF ROSE’S HOUSE.
ENTER ROSE, CARRYING MILK JUG WHICH SHE PUTS ON TRAY SIDEBOARD~. PICKS UP A LETTER AND PUTS IT ON THE TABLE. LOOKS AROUND, MOVES FLOWERS THEN SITS IN ARMCHAIR AND CLOSES HER EYES. PAUSE.
ENTER DAISY, CLUMSILY KNOCKING THE CHAIR WITH HER BAG. ROSE SITS UP STRAIGHT WITH A START.
ROSE Er..er... What? Who’s that?
DAISY It’s me Daisy. Sorry I woke you up, I didn’t....
ROSE (INDIGNANTLY) I wasn’t asleep...I never doze off in the afternoon. Anyway, why do you have to creep in the back way, frightening the life out of me. Can’t you come to the front door in a civilized manner?
DAISY I was thinking of you. I know you have trouble getting out of your chair....
ROSE (INTERRUPTING) I can get out of my chair all right. It’s just my knee plays me up sometimes. I twisted it walking on the Moor last week.
DAISY Oh Rose, don’t be so prickly, I don’t mean to upset you.
ROSE Oh well, all right. I was just worried you weren’t coming. You’re late. I said half past two and now it’s twenty to three.
DAISY Yes, I know, I’m sorry. Charlie came round and we got talking.
ROSE Charlie? Charlie? Oh, that Charlie! Are you still seeing him?
DAISY Yes, you know I am. Sometimes he comes to me, other times I go round to him.
ROSE You want to be careful my girl, I reckon he’s after moving in with you. That’s a nice little cottage you’ve got there.
DAISY (STANDING UP) Now look here Rose, Charlie and I understand each other and we are quite happy as we are. He has his place and I have mine. Neither of us wants to marry again, we just want companionship and that’s what we share.
ROSE Well you have to be careful. You’ve always been trusting and look where it got you. A baby and no husband.
DAISY (turning away, obviously upset, turns back to Rose) I
might have guessed THAT would come up. You and all the rest of you in this one eyed town won’t let anyone forget a mistake, you make me sick. At least I kept her, in spite of everyone saying I should have her adopted.