Summer in February

Come on! Come on! Come on!

- Oh, look. - Common gulls, do you think?

Yes, I would think... I don't know. Maybe.

You were made for each other, you and Merrilegs.

You're a little beauty, aren't you?

Where did you meet him?

In the pub, not surprisingly. Eyes front, Dolly.

You've got your clothes on now. Do stop shivering.

No, not AJ. Your husband?

Oh, him.

In Nottingham. I was 14.

- 14? - Harold was 17.

And he taught me everything I know about painting.

Oh, Harold.

- Well, what about the outbuildings? - Ruins, aren't they?

They could be converted into studios.

There are enough artists on my land already, aren't there?

I think we should be proud of the artists, sir. They're a great bunch.

What's all this I hear about this Munnings chap?

- Not sure what you mean, Colonel. - What do they call him?

Is it AJ? There's nothing a bit off about the fella, is there?

- No, he's great fun, sir. - Where's he from?

- Suffolk-Norfolk way, I think. - He's upset some people in Penzance.

I don't want a cad living on my land, Evans. Not a cad, is he?

- They tell me he's a genius. - Oh, Lord, not another one.

- Gilbert! Give me a hand here! - AJ!

Quick, grab the bridle! Grab the bridle!

- Got it! - Shh. Calm down.

- Come on. - Keep turning him.

There we are. Mind you give him a good rubdown there, eh?

Sir.

- Who's coming to the party? - Why everyone in Lamorna, of course.

No half measures, then.

Laura? Laura! Get Gilbert a drink, will you?

Coming up, sir!

And pour one down your husband's neck while you're at it.

Leave Harold alone!

He's all right, aren't you, Knighty?

Joey! Joey, logs, man, logs.

But there may be regimental business in March.

I hope that's not the case. I do.

You're going to stay down here, Gilbert? You're not leaving?

Well, it depends on the regiment.

- But we couldn't get on without you. - That's very sweet of you, Laura...

Aha, I knew that was you. Not in my house. Get off her. Get off her.

- You been busy, Dolly? - I've never been busier, AJ.

Mm, me next, then, is it?

Why don't you join the queue and take your chances?

- Join the queue... - I'm sorry, Dolly.

- Go on. - Go on what?

- Do what you promised. - What did I promise?

You know what I'm talking about.

Oh, no, not now.

Right, everyone, quiet, please!

- Oh, no. - Shh!

I want to hear this piece of lemon...

- ..hiss. - Sorry.

When I put it on the fire.

"Once upon a midnight dreary,

"while I pondered weak and weary,

"Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,

"While I nodded nearly napping,

"suddenly there came a tapping,

"As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door -"

- -

Who on earth is that?

- Florence, my God. - Joey.

What are you doing here?

I asked at the pub. They said you'd be here.

Everybody, this is my sister Florence.

- Hello, Florence. - This is one of your parties?

One of AJ's and he does love a party.

That's Alfred Munnings?

Yes, this is Laura, Laura Knight. She's a very famous painter.

- Oh, yes, very famous. - This is her husband Harold.

- How do you do. - Lovely to meet you.

This is Dolly. Now, Dolly, she models for us painters.

If they ask nicely.

Hello.

And this is my dearest friend, Captain Gilbert Evans.

- How do you do, Miss Carter-Wood. - How do you do, Captain Evans.

Gilbert, please. Come and get warm. Please, can I take your cloak?

- Yes, thank you. - It's very free down here, Flo.

We do what we like. We say what we like.

- So are you a soldier? - Some of the time, yes.

And the rest of time you do what you like and say what you like.

No, the rest of the time, he keeps us all in line.

And you're down here in Cornwall to paint as well?

Yes, I'm joining Joey at his class in Newlyn.

I'll just hang this up and I'll get you a drink. Ah, AJ.

If I may continue...

- Shh. - I'll start again, shall I?

"Once upon a midnight dreary,

"while I pondered weak and weary,

"Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,

"While I nodded, nearly napping,

"suddenly there came a tapping,

"As of someone gently rapping,

"rapping at my chamber door..."

Horribly wet.

Studio party.

Stayed late.

Met Miss Florence Ca/fer- Wood.

AJ rather stole the show.

Oh, Joey, it's perfect. I can't wait to see the view.

- And you know AJ Munnings. - So do you now.

Everybody's talking about him in town. He has an exhibition coming up.

- That poem was amazing, wasn't it? - You thought so?

Oh, yes, didn't you?

Was it really worth all the effort of committing it to memory like that?

- It seemed quite strange. - Here we are.

I still can't get over it. You seem fully recovered.

- Did Father let you come? - What?

No, I just left.

You just left?

I told him what I thought of his Julian.

Ah.

He told me that I was a fool. I wouldn't do better.

Any girl would be fortunate to marry his precious Julian

and I told him that I wanted to come down here, as far away as possible.

What happened with Julian?

- Nothing. - Nothing?

Julian does not exist.

Did you break it off?

- Not now, Joey, I'm tired. - I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm so glad you came.

You're going to love it here.

- Good night. - Good night.

- What do you make of her, then? - Of whom?

Come on. You know who I'm talking about, the new girl.

I hardly had a chance to speak to her.

I could have sworn I saw you gazing at her.

- Nonsense. - Very paintable.

- Ah, so it's over to you, then. - There'll be a stalking party.

- Oh, I'm sure. - Might be a gent she's after.

Remember, whatever I say or do, I'm your friend,

even when I'm a silly bugger.

All right, come on, Gilbert. I'll beat you this time.

I've been in the rock pools again and I'm just bringing them in,

putting them in the big tank and the little devil stung me.

- Gilbert, what a pleasure. - Florence, how are you?

Here he is. Look, Gilbert.

This one here.

- That's extraordinary. - Yeah.

Beautiful, aren't they?

When is your first class?

Tomorrow at Newlyn. Joey's going to take me, aren't you?

Yes, of course.

If Father thinks we're wasting his money, it's straight back to London.

None of us would want that.

That's exactly what Mr Munnings said, isn't it?

- AJ's been around already? - You just missed him.

He came to see some of Florence's paintings.

- I see, of course. - And very impressed he was.

- I'm sure. - He was just being polite.

- When's AJ polite? -

So Joey tells me you fought in the South African war.

- Florence. - What?

- You did. Did I say something wrong? - No, not at all.

Do forgive me. Joey assured me you all spoke about everything here.

That's what made this place special, that sense of frank discussion.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

Well, drink in the Wink?

- What, now? - AJ said he was going.

Well, the Wink it is, then.

- Dolly, you'll like this one. - Try me.

“When Titian mixed his rose madder,

"His model he placed on a ladder.

"Her position to Titian suggested coition,

"so he mounted the ladder and had her!"

- Same again, Dolly? - AJ, you're a gent and it's a gin.

- Joey? - To Omar Khayyam!

If everyone could write like Omar Khayyam.

Who's this Omar Khayyam?

Weren't you educated at all?

No. Not much.

- He does makes lots of references... - AJ.

Erm...

Who's this Omar, then?

Arab horse thief?

Er, "Rubaiyat" of Omar Khayyam.

It's a poem, translated from the Persian.

Which Persian?

So it's a poem.

Let's hear a bit, then.

- I like a bit of poetry. - Alfred.

No, stay out of this, Laura. Well, come on.

- Do you...? - A couplet.

- Bertie... - A line? A word?

So you like this Omar, but you don't know a bloody word of his?

- Right, Jory! - Yes, AJ.

Get me a drink, will you, and I'll give this lot a bit of poetry.

A bit of bloody "Hiawatha".

"Never stoops the soaring vulture

"On his quarry in the desert,

"On the sick or wounded bison, But another vulture, watching

"From his high aerial lookout..."

Florence, I would very much like to paint you.

I was wondering whether you would sit for me.