INT. WYNAND’S SITTING ROOM - EVENING

DOMINIQUE

What’s the matter, Gail?

GAIL WYNAND

Good evening, dear. Why?

DOMINIQUE

You look as if you felt happy.

GAIL WYNAND

Dominique, you look very beautiful tonight. - No. That’s not what I wanted to say. It’s this: I feel for the first time that I have a right to you.

DOMINIQUE

You thought you hadn’t?

GAIL WYNAND

No, and that I’d never earn it. But now I believe nothing will take you away from me. Nothing and no one.

DOMINIQUE

I don’t love you, Gail.

GAIL WYNAND

I know it but you’d never loved anyone else.

DOMINIQUE

What makes you think so?

GAIL WYNAND

It wouldn’t be like you. You’d never surrender to anyone, but you don’t hate me any longer.

DOMINIQUE

No. I’ve found we have a great deal in common, you and I. We both had strength, but not courage. We’ve committed the same kind of treason some way.

GAIL WYNAND

If I have, I feel as if I’ve been forgiven tonight.

DOMINIQUE

Why?

GAIL WYNAND

I don’t know. - You’ve always wanted to escape from the world. Would you like to live in the country, away from everything, away from the Banner?

DOMINIQUE

Yes. Yes, I would.

GAIL WYNAND

I’m having a house designed for us. It will be my greatest gift to you. If I’ve been guilty in my life, this house will vindicate me. It will be designed by the only man of genius I ever met Howard Roark.

Dominique takes a moment for this to sink in.

DOMINIQUE

Gail. Do you happen to remember why I resigned from the Banner? It was because of a campaign against the Enright House. Just one of the Banner’s smear campaigns! Not important enough to remember, was it, Gail? You staged so many of them. You were away on your yacht. He was just some architect whom you threw to the mob. It built circulation. Didn’t it, Gail?

GAIL WYNAND

When I spoke to him, he didn’t remind me of it.

DOMINIQUE

Why should he? He knows he’s won. He could afford to be generous.

GAIL WYNAND

I don’t accept generosity.

DOMINIQUE

I never thought he could win against you, but he has. There are no men of integrity, are there? Well, you’ve met one.

GAIL WYNAND

There aren’t. He’s not any better than the rest of us.

DOMINIQUE

What if he is?

GAIL WYNAND

If he were, I’d break him.

INT. MITCHELL’S APARTMENT - DAY

Mrs. Mitchell is reading Cold Comfort Farm out loud for herself and Mr Mitchell.

MRS MITCHELL

(in a gruff intense masculine Sussex accent)

Break her. Break. Keep and hold and hold fast the land. The land, the iron furrows of frosted earth under the rain-lust, the fecund spears of rain, the swelling, slow burst of seed-sheaths, the slow smell of cows and cry of cows, the trampling bride-path of the bull in his hour. All his, his .. (dainty posh English voice) “Will you have some bread and butter?” (normal voice) asked Flora, handing him a cup of tea. (dainty posh English voice) “Oh, never mind your boots. Adam can sweep the mud up afterwards. Do come in.”

Mr Mitchell has already started laughing. Mrs Mitchell pauses to stop herself laughing.

MRS MITCHELL

Defeated, Reuben came in.

The two of them collapse into laughter.

Over at the table Mrs Dubray and Rosie are discussing plans for getting the new housing.

MRS DUBRAY

Child, you can get all the promises of support you like. We - need - a - site Rosie. Till then there’s just no way no how.

ROSIE

Well... we could ...

MRS DUBRAY

What about Bill’s sister?

ROSIE

Ann? I don’t think she would know[]

MRS DUBRAY

But she might know someone who knows the someone.

ROSIE

Maybe...