THE EDGE OF NIGHT
Airdate: June 1975
Transcript By: Mark Faulkner
Hal Simms: Presented live...
OPENING TITLE
Hal Simms: Theee Edgggggge of Night...
DISSOLVE TO:
ACT ONE
Adam's apartment. She are Adam are kissing, but she pulls back.
BRANDY
May I ask you something...?
ADAM
Sure...
BRANDY
What are you thinking about?
ADAM
I never think about anything when I'm kissing a beautiful woman.
BRANDY
(nervous laugh) I don't think I like that answer.
ADAM
What's wrong...?
BRANDY
Probably just my imagination...
ADAM
What were you thinking of?
BRANDY
(implying the kiss) Thinking that your mind wasn't on your job...
ADAM
(softly) Let's try it again...
BRANDY
Let's talk...
ADAM
Nothing to talk about. Are you angry?
BRANDY
No, not angry. You seem...removed...
ADAM
Well, I'm not. I'm sorry I gave you that impression.
BRANDY
Oh, no. Of course, I could understand a man being very tired coming back from Capitol City. That must be almost a hundred mile drive. I'd rather think you were tired from kissing me --
ADAM
I am not tired, and I am not disinterested...
BRANDY
How about if I just go on home and leave you a little time to yourself...?
ADAM
Oh, I hadn't thought about that --
BRANDY
Well think about it now. There's a lot I can be doing back at home. For example, I could be fixing a late night snack for Quentin. He usually...
ADAM
Is Quentin still living with you...?
BRANDY
Yes, he is but not for long...amen...he's about to move into his own apartment
ADAM
Some relief for you, huh...?
BRANDY
Yes...in a way it will be. You should see what he's done with that place. He's converted the whole space into a gigantic kitchen.
ADAM
Oh, he's one of those kind of guys, huh...he likes to cook...
BRANDY
Yeah, he likes to cook. And he likes to eat, too. I never knew anybody so enthusiastic about what they cook for themselves. Although he doesn't have anybody to cook for except me. And then there are his patients, and I'd imagine (ADAM PULLS HER INTO A LONG, LINGERING, PASSIONATE KISS).
BRANDY
Oh, Adam...tell my why I feel like this....
ADAM
I don't know...you tell me...
BRANDY
I'm depressed. That's why.
ADAM
Because of me...?
BRANDY
I don't need a reason to be depressed. If I have to have one --I guess you'll do...
ADAM
(exasperated) I don't even know what we're talking about. (SHE TURNS AWAY). Hey...hey. Are you crying?
BRANDY
No. I am not crying.
ADAM
Then what's the matter...?
TAKE BRANDY AND,
DISSOLVE TO:
COMMERCIAL BREAK
ACT TWO
Scene One
Adam and Brandy continued.
BRANDY
I don't know what's wrong with me.
ADAM
Let's talk about it. This isn't right. Am I doing something wrong?
BRANDY
It isn't you. It's me. You and I are going to have a casual relationship. We are not going to get serious this time.
ADAM
Does that make you unhappy?
BRANDY
I'm not sure I can keep my part of that bargain.
ADAM
That's not much of a relationship. Does it make you miserable?
BRANDY
Not miserable. Not miserable. A little discontented, maybe.But am I going to try to stick to what you said because this is the way you want it. You've just got be patient with me.
ADAM
I thought that's what you wanted as well...
BRANDY
It seemed sensible --then. (PAUSE) I am a married emotional person, and it's hard for me to keep reigning myself in. However, I will adjust to it if you'll give me a little time...
ADAM
I'll give you all the time you need.
BRANDY
(SHE KISSES HIM) I think --I'd better be going. (SHE RISES AND COLLECTS HERSELF)
ADAM
Where're you going...? Brandy, where're you going...? (THE PHONE RINGS. ADAM PICKS IT UP BUT IGNORES THE CALLER) Let me drive you home...
BRANDY
No, I'll get a cab. (SHE OPENS THE DOOR AND EXITS)
ADAM
Brandy...! (Into the phone) Yes...hello.
SERENA
Hello, Adam...it's Serena.
ADAM
Oh. Hello, Serena. How are you?
SERENA
I'm fine, thank-you. Or atleast I'm a lot better than the last time I spoke to you. Ah, did I catch you in the middle of something?
ADAM
No. No, no. No.
SERENA
Well, that's good 'cause you never know what people might be up to at this time of night. Adam, I am calling to invite you to come to Capitol City and spend the weekend with Timmy and me.
ADAM
What...? You mean this weekend?
SERENA
Yes, if you can. I'm gonna pick him up at school tomorrow and take him home with me. And --well, I really think it would be nice for him to have some male companionship for a change. I mean, he and I have a lot of fun together, but he really does need to be with a man again.
ADAM
Yeah, well...Serena I'd love to but...
SERENA
If you're going to say no, I wish you would think about it very seriously. You'd be doing me a big favor... and not just me --but Timmy also.
ADAM
Serena, not this weekend. I can't do it. It's out. I can't possibly do it.
SERENA
I see. Well, it's -it's very short notice, of course. I should have realized...
ADAM
Perhaps some other time.
SERENA
Yes, of course some other time. The problem is that I told him you would be with us this weekend, and he's looking forward to it. However, if you can't...you can't, and we'll just arrange it for later on...that's all.
ADAM
Ah....yes. Yes, we will. Look, Serena...say hello to him for me...will ya?
SERENA
(cold) I certainly will. And, I'm sorry I bothered you, Adam. Good night.
ADAM
Good night.
DISSOLVE TO:
Scene Two
Kevin's bedroom at the Whitney mansion.
KEVIN
Well, everything's out in the open now. Geraldine heard it all through the door. So Noel had to come clean about the whole thing. At least that's what I think he did.
PHOEBE
You don't sound very sure about it.
KEVIN
It's hard to be sure about anything Noel says. Especially when I know he was backed into a corner. But, I'm not a hundred percent sure he was telling the truth.
PHOEBE
Didn't he admit to having an affair with Tracy?
KEVIN
He admitted it all right. But I’m not so sure he’s gonna break it off…
PHOEBE
But wouldn’t he be foolish not to…?
KEVIN
He’s foolish to have let the whole thing get this far in the first place.
PHOEBE
And you say that Tiffany still doesn’t know about it…
KEVIN
We agreed we wouldn’t tell her anything.
PHOEBE
See, I think that’s very weird. I think it’s really strange that Geraldine didn’t just throw him out of the house on his ear.
KEVIN
I think that was her first impulse. It must be a little hard for Geraldine to countenance that kind of thing. But –we talked about it, and she felt as I do… Tiffany’s happiness comes first. So, if Noel keeps his agreement, and he gives Tracy up –there’s no reason that Tiffany has to know anything about it.
PHOEBE
If he gives her up. Did he say that he would…?
KEVIN
Well…he said he would. But I’m not so certain he’s gonna go through with it.
PHOEBE
You sure don’t have a high opinion of Noel Douglas…do you?
KEVIN
I have only the lowest opinion of him. And nothing he does seems to improve it any. Do you blame me?
PHOEBE
No! I think it’s crazy that he’s been running around like that since he first got married, but – I would just like to think that he would keep his word…for Tiffany’s sake. I mean, if she found out…I think it would be shattering.
KEVIN
I know it would. Unfortunately, she loves him. It’s amazing how some women can get wrapped up in the wrong man.
PHOEBE
I wouldn’t know. I happen to think I’ve got the right one. When I have him… that is.
TAKE KEVIN’S REACTION AND,
CUT TO:
COMMERCIAL BREAK
ACT THREE
Scene One
Kevin and Phoebe continued.
PHOEBE
I get a little upset with you sometimes, Kevin.
KEVIN
Don’t I know.
PHOEBE
You know, I should be an old married lady by this time, but I’m still a spinster.
KEVIN
Well, you’re spoken for and that’s something.
PHOEBE
Yeah, that’s something… but what?
KEVIN
Awww, c’mon. We’re not gonna start another argument are we?
PHOEBE
No, no. I’m not going to. Let’s get back to the Noel-Geraldine thing. Okay, now there’s something puzzling about that.
KEVIN
I know what you mean. Why would a man who has a wife like Tiffany want to have an affair with another woman?
PHOEBE
There’s that, too. But that’s not what I’m talking about.
KEVIN
What then…?
PHOEBE
How exactly will Geraldine know if Noel gives up Tracy, and what kind of assurance will she have?
KEVIN
I don’t know. I guess she expects me to keep an eye on him.
PHOEBE
She does…?
KEVIN
Well, we haven’t discussed it, but I assume so.
PHOEBE
Kevin, haven’t you done enough for her that you don’t have to be a watchdog, too?
KEVIN
Phoebe, she depends on me, and she doesn’t have anyone else.
PHOEBE
I don’t understand this, and you wonder why I sometimes get angry...
KEVIN
(a flash of temper) What are you angry about now…?
PHOEBE
(sarcastic) Mrs. Whitney has no one to rely on except Kevin Jamison? This could really be the start of something big…
KEVIN
You’re making a mountain out of a molehill…
PHOEBE
Sometimes I would like to step gracefully out of the picture and let you marry Geraldine. I’m sure the two of you would live happily ever after…
KEVIN
I appreciate the nobility of the offer, but I still want you.
PHOEBE
Prove it!
KEVIN
(joking) I’ll do my best. (HE TAKES HER IN HIS ARMS FOR A KISS)
CUT TO:
Scene Two
Tracy’s apartment. She has just opened the door to Noel.
TRACY
Hey… I didn’t know you were gonna be able to come over.
NOEL
Neither did I, but I managed it.
TRACY
So what’d you do? Tell the Little Woman you were going out for cigarettes?
NOEL
Look, if you don’t mind…I’m in no mood for jokes.
TRACY
Apparently not. Well…how did you get out?
NOEL
Geraldine asked Tiffany to spend a little time with her in her sick room to read to her for awhile. So, I hopped in the car and came over. It was risky, but I had to see you.
TRACY
What’s wrong, Noel? I can sense something is wrong.
NOEL
Look, I might as well give you the bad news straight out. (Pause) Geraldine’s found out about us. (TRACY REACTS) That’s right. We’re in big trouble. Or at least I am.
TRACY
Oh, my God…
DISSOLVE TO:
COMMERCIAL BREAK
ACT FOUR
Scene One
Noel and Tracy continued.
TRACY
I knew it. I knew it was too good to last. (Pause) Don’t just sit there! Tell me how she found out! Does Tiffany know? Noel, what are we going to do?
NOEL
Let’s just take one thing at a time, shall we? We’re not going to accomplish anything if we both go to pieces about it…
TRACY
What does this mean? What did she say…? What’s going to happen, Noel? Will you talk to me…!?
NOEL
I will if you’ll give me a chance!
TRACY
Does Tiffany know…?
NOEL
No, not yet. Only Geraldine…
TRACY
How did she find out?
NOEL
You have Kevin to thank for that. This whole thing was his doing -- his snooping around and prying into things that don’t concern him.
TRACY
I knew it. I knew he was going to ruin the whole thing. I could kill him.
NOEL
That makes two of us.
TRACY
But I could kill you, too. None of this would have happened if you hadn’t left the lease in your briefcase…
NOEL
If, if, if! That doesn’t do any good. It doesn’t matter how or why… it happened. And that’s what we have to deal with.
TRACY
Yeah, but how did she find out? I mean, I know Mrs. Whitney knows…but how? Did Kevin just go up to her and tell her?
NOEL
No, she overheard us arguing about it. Kevin and I.
TRACY
She overheard you…?
NOEL
We were in his room talking, and she was outside in the hallway.
TRACY
Oh, and I suppose you just broke down and confessed the whole thing…?
NOEL
It wouldn’t have done me much good to lie about it at that point, Tracy.
TRACY
You could have done something. You’re supposed to be clever.
NOEL
Listen…I did what I could. I tried to gloss the whole thing over. I told her you were someone I knew from a long time ago. Look, what difference does it make what I told her…? The point is –we’re gonna have to cool it now.
TRACY
What does that mean?
NOEL
It means I can’t come over and see you –at least for a while. I gave her my word I would.
TRACY
You promised her you wouldn’t see me?
NOEL
What else could I do? Don’t you understand? Otherwise she would have gone straight to Tiffany and told her everything. This was the only way I could get her to agree to keep quiet. I told her it was all over between us.
TRACY
(sarcastic) Oh…that’s beautiful. That’s really beautiful. How about Kevin? Did you promise him, too!? I just can’t believe the way the three of you protect Tiffany. You’d think she was some kind of goddess.
NOEL
To them, she is. And to us –she’s a meal ticket. So we have to protect her, too.
TRACY
Oh, no. I don’t have to protect anybody but me. What’s going to happen to me anyway…what’s going to happen? What am I going to do?
NOEL
You’ll be all right.
TRACY
Oh, I will…? Am I going to go back and work at The New Moon? Is that it? What’s going to happen to the apartment? The arrangement we had on the lease?
NOEL
Nothing’s going to happen to it –I’ll still pay the rent. It’s just that I won’t be able to come over and see you for a while.
TRACY
And what’s a while? A week? A month?
NOEL
I don’t know. As long as it takes for this thing to blow over. Look, I have a lot of fence-mending to do at home now.
TRACY
Yeah…and I’m supposed to just sit around and wait. Wait until you’re ready to come back. Is that it?
NOEL
I’ll keep in touch with you, Tracy. Some how. Don’t you understand, don’t you see that I had to do it this way. Otherwise, the whole thing would have gone down the drain. We can’t let that happen, can we, Baby?
TAKE TRACY AND,
DISSOLVE TO:
Scene Two
Brandy’s apartment. Brandy enters.
QUENTIN
Hi. What are you doing home so early?
BRANDY
Is that a complaint?
QUENTIN
No, I’m happy to see you.
BRANDY
Too bad. I thought I might be interrupting you in the middle of something untoward.
QUENTIN
(laughs) No such luck. But, how come you made such an early evening of it?
BRANDY
I was tired.
QUENTIN
Sorry.
BRANDY
It’s clear to see you’ve had no evening at all.
QUENTIN
Oh, it wasn’t too bad –a little reading, a little TV. A couple of sandwiches and a beer. Hardly the stuff that dreams are made of.
BRANDY
And I was all prepared to fix us something with my own hands.
QUENTIN
I beat you to it, but thanks for the thought.
BRANDY
Quentin, I’m beginning to worry about you.
QUENTIN
Me…? Why?
BRANDY
How long have you been in Monticello? Two months? And you don’t have a single female in tow. Should be quite a record for you.
QUENTIN
Yeah, well…it’s a record I don’t care to stand on if it’s all the same to you.
BRANDY
What are you doing about it? Sitting around here isn’t doing you any good as I can see.
QUENTIN
Well, the alternatives don’t appeal to me very much. I must be getting old. Single’s bars bore me. Now that’s a very un-merry-go-round.
BRANDY
I agree with you completely, but I don’t think that’s the reason.
QUENTIN
You don’t, huh? Well, what do you think the reason is?
BRANDY
If I ask you a straight question, will I get a straight answer?
QUENTIN
Let’s hear the question first.
BRANDY
Are you in love with Phoebe Smith?
QUENTIN
Love? Now what’s that?
BRANDY
Quentin--
QUENTIN
Honestly…?
BRANDY
Yeah…
QUENTIN
Okay. (PAUSE) I guess the answer’s yes.
BRANDY LOOKS AT HIM WITH CONCERN AND,
DISSOLVE TO BLACK
HAL SIMMS:
Our story continues…after this message.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
ACT FIVE
Adam’s apartment. He paces the room nervously then goes to the phone and dials.
SERENA’S VOICE
Hello…
ADAM
Serena, this is Adam.
SERENA’S VOICE
Oh, Adam.
ADAM
Serena, I’m calling to ask why you made that foolish commitment to Timmy about my coming up and spending the weekend without even asking me.
SERENA
Oh, dear. You’re right. I shouldn’t have done it. I’m sorry.
ADAM
Sorry doesn’t help anything, Serena. The thing has been preying on my mind ever since we talked.
SERENA
Well…I –I really don’t know what to say. I’m sorry. What else can I say?
ADAM
It wasn’t very fair, Serena.
SERENA
No, you’re right. It wasn’t. I had no right to commit you without talking to you first. It’s just that I wanted to think of something to please him, and I know he likes you –
ADAM
How can he like me…he doesn’t like me. He doesn’t even know me.
SERENA
Of course he does, Adam. Children aren’t like adults. They don’t have to know somebody a long period of time to like them. They’re very instinctive about these things. He likes you, and he was very happy when I told him that you’d be with us this weekend.
ADAM
Well –I hope you appreciate the position you’ve put me in. If I disappoint him, then I’m a rat.
SERENA
I know. I know. And, I’m sorry. Really I am. I didn’t mean to shame you into spending time with us. Believe me, that wasn’t my intention. I don’t know exactly what I was thinking of –can you forgive me?
ADAM
Again, Serena…forgiveness doesn’t have very much to do with it. It’s just that the boy’s had enough disappointments in the recent past. I just don’t want to this to be one more disappointment added to it.
SERENA
Now, don’t you worry about him. If you’re tied up and you can’t make, he’ll understand.
ADAM
No he won’t, no he won’t, Serena. Kids don’t understand business and social commitments. He’s going to be very disappointed, isn’t he?
SERENA
Yes, I suppose he will be, but I’ll make it up to him…
ADAM
No, no. No, that won’t work. I’m afraid the only thing I can do is change my plans. That’s all there is to it.
SERENA
What do you mean?
ADAM
I mean…I’ll come up there and spend the weekend just as if I had planned it.
SERENA
Oh, Adam, thank you. Thank you so very much. It’ll mean so much –to both of us…
TAKE ADAM, THEN SERENA WITH A SMILE OF SATISFACTION ON HER FACE, AND
FADEOUT
COMMERCIAL BREAK
CLOSING CREDITS:
The EDGE
of NIGHT
