(Sefton has invited Edwin, Jean, and Tony to a posh dinner at The Towers restaurant.)

TONY BRIGGS
(annoyed, after enduring an introduction)
Father! Do you have to?

SEFTON BRIGGS
Why not? Well, why shouldn't I show you off to my friends?

(Tony and Sefton rejoin Edwin and Jean at their table.)

EDWIN ASHTON
Eh...isn't that Cobham, the estate agent?

SEFTON
That's him. Very big man...a good friend of mine.

TONY
(to his uncle)
So, uh, how are things at the works?

EDWIN
When we can get the work, we can't get the paper.

SEFTON
Twenty percent up in price.

EDWIN
We're doing as well as anybody else is doing. Official stuff, mostly.

TONY
Uh-huh.

JEAN ASHTON
(to Sefton)
Isn't that, uh...Jessie Cobham over there?

SEFTON
(very interested)
Do you know her?

JEAN
(chuckling)
I should do. We both taught at Bellchambers before she was married.

SEFTON
Well, go and have a word with her.

JEAN
Oh, no. No, no, she won't remember me.

SEFTON
(standing)
Come on. I'll introduce you. She'll be very interested, I'm sure.

(After Edwin gives her a nod of encouragement, she and her brother leave the table.)

TONY
Is Dad interested in the property market?

EDWIN
What?

TONY
Playing up to old Cobham.
(laughing)
I wonder if that's why he wanted me here. I wonder if he knew Cobham was coming. You know, he's so damned devious, your mind gets twisted trying to keep pace with him.

EDWIN
(patting his nephew on the shoulder)
He's proud of you, as he should be.

TONY
Hmm.

(A bit embarrassed, he changes the subject.)

TONY
So, uh, business isn't too bad, then?

EDWIN
At the moment, prospects are pretty gloomy.

TONY
In what way?

EDWIN
Well, we lost a lot of good men...makes a difference.

TONY
When are we going to lose you?

EDWIN
(surprised)
Me?

TONY
Well, if you're losing good men, there must be places for some of the other good men...some of the other printers.

EDWIN
Yes, well... I've had one goodish offer, I must admit.

TONY
But you're not going to take it.

EDWIN
I don't think so.

TONY
Why? I mean, don't tell me it's loyalty to my father.

EDWIN
To tell you the truth, I don't quite know why...except at my age you don't take too kindly to change. I've been with your father for thirty years, you know.

TONY
(laughing sarcastically)
I don't know how you've stuck it!

EDWIN
Aren't things any better between you two?

TONY
Yeah, on the surface maybe. Underneath? I'm not sure there is anything underneath at all.

 

(from "Brothers in War" by Alexander Baron)