The Waltons (1971–1981): Season 6, Episode 5 - The Seashore - full transcript

- Any sign of them?
- Nothing.

Me neither. I walked about
three miles down that way.

- What did you find?
- Nothing but this.

It was one of the
oars from the boat.

In the late spring of 1940,

our world on Walton's Mountain
was very quiet and uneasy.

For the first time ever, people
stopped work in the daytime

to turn on the radio.

The war in Europe ha d
seemed to be hibernating

until suddenly, on the 10th of Ma
y, the Germans invaded Belgium

and the Netherlands
and Luxembourg.



By the 10th of June, they
ha d enslaved all three,

and driven the British and
French forces into the sea

and were marching into Paris.

To all purposes, the free world in Europe
now consisted only of the British Isles.

And just as suddenly,
at least it seemed so,

here at home there were no
more pacifists, no isolationists.

The little ocean between
us and the Nazi terror

was not very wide anymore.

People were beginning to
feel that the time ha d come

to help whatever allies we ha d,

and to be ready when the
attack turned on ourselves.

I hope we're not interrupting
your housework, Olivia.

You are, and I don't
mind in the least.

We considered most carefully
our calling at this time of day,



but we decided the
matter was most urgent.

What matter is that, Miss Emily?

What matter was it, Mamie?

Well, Sister and I can scarcely bear
to look at the newspapers anymore.

Down in Norfolk, why, it's
just like 1917 all over again.

They say the Navy alone
has 22,000 people working,

that don't include the
women and young ones.

We are so distressed about
our cottage at the seashore.

Someone should be using it.

Probably is a real shortage
of houses down that way.

Of course, we haven't
gone down to see it.

Last summer, we had a
man remodel the kitchen.

And he said if we
added a screen porch

and did something
about the other bedrooms,

the cottage could accommodate
quite a number of people.

He sent this list of materials
that would be needed.

When Mr. Roosevelt made that
speech at Charlottesville yesterday

about everybody pitching in
and harnessing the resources, I...

It was like he was pointing
his finger right at Sister and me.

Mmm?

Our cottage, that's a resource.

We've got the lumber, the siding, the
nails, everything except the screening.

You just tell me where
you want it and when.

Well, it isn't just the lumber,
John, what we really need is you.

If you'd go down there
and do the work yourself,

then Sister and I could be
sure it was being done properly.

I'm much obliged, ladies,

but this looks like a
couple of weeks work to me.

I don't think I'd like to be
away from the family that long.

Your family wouldn't be
overly fond of it, either.

I'd say, John, if we took
the boys along to help,

we'd get it done
in, say, 10 days.

Well, with them pitching in, Pa, we'd
probably do it in a week at the outside.

Is your cottage big enough
for an army of Waltons?

Oh, the cottage is plenty big enough,
and everything there that you would need.

Then we are all going.

So, if everything
goes all right,

we'll be going to the
seashore, the whole family.

That's great! We're
going to the beach!

- When are we going, Daddy?
- Not at least till tomorrow morning, son.

That is, if we get
enough lumber.

I wish Curt and I
could go with you.

Not with the baby due any
day. We're staying close to home.

I hope we'll be near enough a phone
to hear if anything starts to happen.

While us men are working, what
are the girls going to be doing?

Listen, I've got an idea.

Remember last time
we went to Virginia Beach

on Mama's honeymoon?
Let's make it up to her.

Let's not let her
do any work at all.

That sounds like
a fine idea to me.

That is a splendid
idea, Elizabeth.

All those in favor say I.

I.

What's the matter, son,
don't you want to go?

Oh, sure. I was just thinking.

Look out, everybody.
Old Ben's thinking again.

Well, the trouble is, we all
just can't pack up and go.

There's chores to be done.

You got to feed the stock,
milk the goat and the cow.

Put the chickens away at night.
Just keep an eye on the house.

You sound like
you're volunteering.

The job has to be done. You
got to be practical, I always say.

- Ben, you're growing up.
- Maybe there's more to it than that.

I hate to think of you rattling
around here all by yourself.

We're not that far away.

He'll probably take all
his meals at our house.

I'll be fine, Mama. What
could possibly happen?

I'll race you!

- Don't go too far!
- Too late! Too late, Livie.

Between the smell of the ocean
and the sight of this beach grass,

I'm lost already.
I'm purely gone.

Let's get this stuff unloaded!

- Daddy, Mama's helping again.
- Now, cut that out!

- It's a bad habit, I guess.
- Let's get the key and look around.

It sure is nicer than that
tent we stayed in last time.

Sure is. Oh, it's
beautiful, John.

It's awfully well-kept for not having
been stayed in since summer before last.

Wonder who's been
watering these plants.

Let's take a look inside.

There's something
peculiar around here, John.

Shine on, shine on harvest moon

Up in the sky I
ain't ha d no loving

Since January,
February, June or July

- Oh, hey, Ben.
- Oh, hey, Ike.

I was just thinking about
you. You just have a haircut?

I was just wondering if
I could use your phone.

Kind of an important phone call.

Well, I'm sure the phone
can handle that kind of a call.

Mr. Godsey, did you
spill something out here?

Yeah, I understand they all
went off and left you stuck up there

to bach it by yourself, huh?

Oh, Ben. Not tonight
you're not, poor thing.

You're having supper
right here with us.

That's really sweet of you,
Corabeth, but, you see, I already...

Oh, come on, Ben, don't stand
on manners. After all, you're family.

- Ike, I have plans.
- Oh, fiddle-de-dee.

We'll see you here
later tonight for supper.

Okay, Elizabeth, now
what are you doing?

Surveillance.

What are you surveilling?
Dead starfish again?

Don't go bringing any
home like you did last time.

- See that boat out there?
- It's a ship.

- It's got a big gun on it.
- Maybe it's English.

They said they were going to fight
on the beaches and in the streets.

It's United States. I saw the
flag when it was up closer.

Well, maybe it's the Coast
Guard, guarding the coast.

Are you going to come
along quietly or wait for Mama?

Remember that neat movie we saw,

Confessions of a Nazi Spy?

Not every word
of it, like you do.

See that girl over there?

She's been watching that
boat for about 20 minutes.

She takes pictures, too.

A man came along,
she gave him something.

Well, if you don't get home,
Mama's going to give you something.

I don't know what
you can expect, Liv.

Leave a house like this long
enough, especially on the beach,

and somebody's bound
to come along and use it.

Suppose it'd been Goldilocks, Livie,
and had eaten up all our porridge.

I think it's the spy I
saw on the beach.

I hope you're not going
to start that spy stuff again.

She and Mama should
go into business together.

- This is nothing to joke about.
- Sure it is.

Come to some place
you've never seen before,

and all of a sudden it's,
"Somebody's been sitting in my chair."

There's food in the icebox,
if you could call it that.

Someone's used the bed.

Suppose whoever's
been using this place

comes traipsing in on us
in the middle of the night.

Maybe somebody
ought to stand guard.

I don't want anybody walking in
on me in the middle of the night.

I bet it's that spy. I'm
not going to sit back.

Come on, now. Nobody's going to be walking
in on us in the middle of the night.

Pa, right over there
above the door.

Hold it right by the roof there.

Hey!

Don't move!

Hold it there, right
tight. Seventeen, two.

I'm sure you must be all imagining
perfectly dreadful things about me,

lurking around your house.

Mainly we were wondering why.

Quite. Well, in point of
fact, I was just wondering

how I could manage to
get my things out of here.

Is that your food
in the refrigerator?

And my bag in the back closet.

I hope you've been eating something
besides chocolate bars and potato chips.

Today we saw you
looking at the gunboat.

Now, hold on, everybody.

Maybe you'd tell us who you are.

Oh, of course. My
name is Lisa Cooper,

and I'm a student at the
College of William and Mary.

What are you doing here?

I dare say it's going
to sound foolish.

Foolish? Being foolish is good
for you. I do it every so often.

Well, all of a sudden, I
needed the seashore,

and I didn't wire
ahead for a hotel room,

and when I arrived here,
there was none to be had.

And I saw that no one
was using this house,

and the key was where
one usually finds it.

I shall insist on paying, of
course, and I'll leave immediately.

Where will you go?

Quite honestly, I don't
know, but I'll find somewhere.

Well, until you do,
you'll stay right here.

Now all we have to do is to figure
out where to sleep everybody.

Liv, you sure you know what you're
doing, inviting this girl to stay with us?

Can't just turn her
out on the streets.

Seems like a grown-up young lady
to me. Smart, knows her way around.

She's not as old as she seems,

and she's got a lot more on
her mind than she's saying.

It appeared that way to me, too.

I don't know what it is about that
girl, but she touches me somehow.

She seemed so
troubled, so off-center.

And you think you can help her?

I don't know.

But we can't just turn
her out with no place to go.

Let's wait and see what
happens in the morning.

Well, my teacher in high school
thought I had a talent for music,

so she sent me to
this piano teacher.

I studied with her for a while,
and then I was lucky enough

to get a scholarship at the Kleinberg
Conservatory of Music in Charlottesville.

I was wondering
who was up so early.

I made breakfast for
Jason. I hope you don't mind.

Not in the least. He doesn't
seem to be suffering any.

Mama, you'll never guess what
Lisa's studying at William and Mary.

Music. Theory and harmony.

You two must have
a lot to talk about.

I hope that's all right. We're
supposed to be very bad at coffee.

It's very good.

- Who's we?
- Lisa's English.

How on earth did
you end up here?

Well, I knew who I wished to study under,
and William and Mary is where he was.

No, I mean here at the beach.

Yes. Well, the exams were over,

so I simply packed a bag
and hopped aboard a bus.

I had a lot of things
to think about.

All that dreadful war news. Dunkirk,
France about to fall any minute.

It was most kind of you, Mrs.
Walton, not to chuck me out last night.

I'll look for another
place this morning.

I'll doubt that you'll find one.

Why don't you just settle in here
for at least as long as we're here?

Oh, thank you.

You know, I've stayed
in this very house before.

It was the end of the
summer, two years ago.

I was coming to
America to school,

and my mother and father
came with me to settle me in.

Some friends of my father had
taken this house for the summer.

So we had one last big
holiday at the seashore.

Is your father a musician, too?

My father?

Oh, no. No, indeed. He's a
doctor, and a very fine one.

May I make you some breakfast?

- Hi.
- Hello there.

- I was wondering. Are you the baby?
- Baby what?

The baby in your family.

The youngest and the eldest
and the only one we've got.

Must make you kind of special.

How can one be special

when there's no one around the
house to measure oneself up against?

Just kind of thought
if I was the only one,

I'd have Mom and
Daddy all to myself.

Oh, that's very true.

You know, once when
it was my birthday,

my father took me on a walking tour
in the Swiss Alps, just the two of us,

in a little town
outside of Saint Moritz.

It was near a glacier, and
we took a carriage out to see it.

Miles and miles through
meadows ablaze with alpine flowers,

and everywhere that sound,

that tintinnabulation, as your
Mr. Poe calls it, of the bells.

My, it was a jolly time.

My daddy took me into
Rockfish, just me and him.

He's so observant,
a dramatist, actually.

A walk through a forest with him
is as full of ceremony and purpose

as the Changing of the Guard.

I daresay, when I get back,

he'll have a thousand
little nooks and crannies

and vistas and landmarks he's discovered
around London that he'll want me to see.

Treasure your father, Elizabeth.

With communications uncertain
between Paris and London,

news of the approach
of the Nazi divisions

is being reported through the few
remaining news centers in free Europe.

More news from
Washington in one hour.

Something wrong?

The Nazis are moving in on Paris,
and everybody else is moving out.

- They figure three days to the finish.
- How dreadful.

Constantinople, all the way
across the continent of Europe.

Just like it wasn't
there anymore.

We're practically
the only ones left, Pa.

I'll say this for
you, young lady.

If I had only one
friend left on this earth,

I'd just as soon
it'd be your country.

They don't seem to
know when the fight's over.

We're quite slow
in that respect, yes.

There they were

outgunned and stranded
on that little beach at Dunkirk.

Quarter of a million of
them, 45 miles from England.

And got most of them off, too. Nothing
like it in the history of the world.

Nine days it took them.

Being gunned, bombed
by the Germans,

every little boat in England
scuttling across the Channel

trying to get the
boys safe home.

This new leader, Winston
Churchill, must be quite a man.

Almost everybody else
would be standing around

wringing their
hands, but not him.

I'm sorry, I've not seen a
newspaper, nor listened to a broadcast

in well over a week.

"We shall defend our island," he
said, "whatever the cost may be.

"We shall fight on the beaches.
We shall fight on the landing grounds.

"We shall fight in the hills.

"We shall fight in the
streets and the fields."

"We shall never surrender."

I can't figure that
young girl out.

She is far away from her home.

Jason, why don't you tag along?

Catch up to her when she
decides she needs company.

Yes, sir.

I'm sorry. I just wanted to
make sure you were okay.

- Very kind of you.
- Don't stop, it's beautiful.

I'd finished for now.

Just say the
word, and I'll leave.

I'm sure your family must
think I'm terribly strange.

They sound like they like you.

And I must have seemed very
rude, particularly to your grandfather.

If you had, I'm sure he would
have mentioned it to you.

It seems I'm very uncomfortable
when people are too kind to me.

Like your mother
and the rest of you,

and that man over there
who lets me use his piano.

I'm a very
strange girl, I think.

You're homesick,

you're worried about
getting back over there.

I'm not eager to be
back over there at all.

You want to be with your family.

And over here is as
good as over there.

I guess.

Schubert. That's what it is.

Piano Quintet in
A Major. The Trout.

Somehow, these days, it doesn't
sound very German, does it?

The poor man can't help that.

He's Austrian.

There's your brother.

I thought I knew
him from somewhere.

Hi.

This thing actually floats?

Does everything. All it
needs is new oarlocks.

Ocean travel is supposed to
be good for whatever ails you.

I've heard it recommended.

Can we use your boat, Jim-Bob?

I've already tried
it out. Go ahead.

Here we go.

Oh, it's cold! Oh, it's cold!

Ben!

- Ben!
- Whoever that is, cut it out!

Well, Mr. Ben Walton, I hope I'm
not intruding on you and maybe others.

You don't even say
hello to me anymore,

you just come in here
and start picking on a guy?

Well, I had this crazy idea
we had a date for last night.

Yeah, I was supposed
to call you, remember?

I went over to Ike
Godsey's to call...

I was sitting there on my porch
waiting, all dressed up, looking stupid.

- I couldn't even talk to the operator!
- Then again this morning.

Waiting around, hoping
old, biggity Ben Walton

might take the notion
to come by and explain.

Explain? How can I explain? I
can't even get a word in edgewise!

Well, all I can say is,

if that's your type, you better
go find some old, dumb girl

who likes to be
treated like dirt!

Will you do me a favor?
Will you do me just one thing?

Will you please shut up?

What kind of an apology is that?

I couldn't call you.

I couldn't even go
on a date with you.

"Go home, Ben."

Do chores for 12 people.

Milk that, feed this.

I guess somebody's got to do it.

To top it off, I had to go back
and listen to Corabeth Godsey

badmouth everybody
in the county.

Ben! Ben!

Hello, ladies.

We were worried about you, Ben.

Over here all by yourself
and not eating right,

- so we made you a pie.
- Sweet potato.

Oh, that's really sweet of both of
you. I wish I could do something for you.

Do you, dear?

Well, that's one of the
reasons we came over.

Sister doesn't like to drive
long distances, don't you know?

- It gets her dizzy.
- Mmm-hmm.

In all the excitement of
everybody going to the seashore...

Wasn't that exciting?

We completely forgot
that Jason had promised

to drive us over to
Charlottesville today.

I've got Darlene.

Why, that's a
wonderful idea, Ben.

We can all four go,

and then we'll stop someplace
for a dish of ice cream.

So nice of you, Ben.

Something wrong, son?

I don't know, Daddy. Jason
and that girl have disappeared.

That happens all
the time at their age.

You know that boat I
was messing around with?

I let them take it out, and
that was a couple of hours ago.

Maybe they beached
it somewhere else.

Well, I've been up and down
the beach a couple times

and nobody's seen
them or the boat.

- Not a trace of them?
- No, sir.

This floated up on the beach.

Not a sign. They'll turn up.
- Sure.

Did you search the beach?

All six miles of it, coming
and going. Nothing.

I'm not going to panic.

I looked in the promenade twice.

Well, let's search it again.

- Good afternoon.
- Hello.

Are you the occupant
of this cottage?

For the next week
or so. John Walton.

Lonnie Moresdale, Mr. Walton.

- Chief of Police around here.
- Something wrong?

Looking for a girl by
the name of Lisa Cooper.

I seem to have tracked
her to this house.

Has she done something?

It's a government matter,
ma'am. Washington, D.C.

I'm not so sure we're
supposed to say.

It's a straight, simple story.

We've told it to you four times
now. That ought to be enough.

You lost the one oar, right?

- That's correct.
- Those things do happen.

Why is that so hard to believe?

The kind of work we
are in at the moment,

we cruise around looking for
submarines that are not ours.

For people with funny
accents swimming ashore,

all up and down the
coast. Stuff like that.

We try not to believe
everything, you follow me?

Do I have a funny accent?

She's got a funny accent.

That is a very
slight British accent.

And under that, there's a
very slight German accent.

I don't hear any
slight German accent.

You're from Jefferson
County, Virginia, you said.

Three times.

If you grew up on East 86th
Street in New York like me,

you'd have no trouble
hearing a slight German accent.

Even when there's
not one there to hear!

All right, you're British,
from Williamsburg, Virginia.

What are you
getting at, Lieutenant?

Just the slight possibility that she's
never seen Williamsburg, Virginia.

Or much of anything else
this side of Hamburg, Germany.

See, they're both crazy.

I got an idea, Lieutenant.

- Why?
- I read about it somewhere.

If they don't know
things like that...

Okay, you with the accent,

- who is Popeye's girlfriend?
- Olive Oyl.

Maybe that one was too easy.

- I've got another one.
- I've got one.

Either of you. Who was Yehudi?

Yehudi Menuhin.
Violinist. Child prodigy.

He didn't say Menuhin.
He only said Yehudi.

All right, little Miss
Williamsburg. You tell us.

Yehudi is the little
man in the refrigerator

who turns on the light
when you open the door.

Well, I hadn't heard that one.

What does all this
prove, Flaherty?

She's American and you're not.

I'm not American. I'm
not German. I'm British!

So where's your
British passport?

It's in my bag in the
closet at the beach.

Chief, your questions
are getting a little better.

- Well, hello.
- Hi, Ben.

Come on in.

I saw Mrs. Godsey on the road.

Boy, did she give
me a dirty look.

I haven't done anything to her.

She's been coming
around here every day.

Butting in, making sure
no one has a good time.

What do you mean, Ben? We
haven't been having a good time.

Well, if we were smart, we'd
go park our cars away from here,

close this house down, and
pretend like no one's around.

Well, if I were smart, Ben
Walton, I wouldn't even be here.

I'm sorry what's been going on.

There won't be any more
people busting in here.

Everyone who could has been.

Why don't you sit
down and relax?

I'll get us some lemonade.

You look more beautiful
every time I look at you.

I can only stay a minute.

We've got all afternoon.

Lemonade.

Mary Ellen, you
have a one-track mind.

I'm sorry. I'm hot and tired
and sick of being pregnant.

Your one-track mind means
every time we start off for a walk,

we wind up over here.

Well, I need some blue thread
and Mama has just the right shade.

He has company.
Let's just go right on by.

Oh, no. Not after I've
walked all the way over here.

We're walking to give you exercise.
Get the thread later. Come on.

It's still as much my
house as it is Ben's.

Here you go.

Now.

Ben?

Where are you, Ben?

Oh, hi, Mary Ellen.
I've got to go now.

Bye-bye, Ben.

Bye, Mary Ellen, I've got to go.

Well, Ben. What
have you been doing?

Nothing.

Just absolutely nothing!

John Walton?

I'm his father.

I just take it for granted
these people are yours.

Why, they certainly are.

Everybody in the family
is out looking for them.

Jason...

- Okay, Flaherty?
- Okay.

He's a hillbilly, she's
from William and Mary,

and I'm the little
guy in the icebox.

- Home.
- Home.

Hi!

Lisa, too!

Why, you don't look
any the worse for wear.

Work myself to a frazzle around
here, and a lot of thanks I get.

Bunch of busybodies.
"Let's go see Ben."

Everybody has to go
spy on Ben Walton.

You're not the dumb
one. I'm the dumb one!

The feeling I get, Miss Cooper, is that
you still don't realize how serious it is.

Why, in a day or two, they'd have sent
out police bulletins all over the country.

- I guess they would.
- How preposterous.

We sent a wire to the
Williamsburg police,

and I expect they got in touch with
the British Consul in Washington D.C.

I cannot, for the life of me, see
how this concerns the British Consul.

Well, now, that's
what I was saying.

But then, I suppose he gets paid
for doing a day's work, same as I do.

Now, if your family had reason to believe
that something had happened to you,

they'd get in touch with him,

and, well, that's one of
the things he's there for.

Chief Moresdale is right, Lisa.

- If your father is worried about you...
- Her mother.

Such a lot of fuss
about nothing.

The school year was up. I needed
the seashore, and so I came.

Without saying
anything to anybody.

And to make matters worse, you
didn't even answer your mother's cable.

I'm sorry.

Well, strikes me that she had
enough on her mind already.

She said she's sorry.

I don't believe there's
been any real harm done.

Oh, I expect you're right.

They'll get in touch with
the mother in England,

and see that the young lady
gets on a ship going home.

The young lady has no intention
of going anywhere just yet.

Well, so much for
motherhood and the flag.

I've a valid British passport
with quite a while to run.

My mother is not the
sort to order people about.

And if she were...
Well, I'll be 21 tomorrow.

That's it?

That most definitely is it.

I'm much obliged
for all your help.

And, Miss Cooper, if you find a minute,
you might just write to your mother.

Gloomy place.

It's whatever you
make of it, I suppose.

A philosopher.

This could be a
whole gloomy summer.

No music.

And every nickelodeon in the
world playing Roll Out the Barrel.

- Nickelodeon?
- Jukebox.

My father says
I'm a spoiled brat,

and a frightful snob, he says.

Right now I'll bet
that's not all he's saying.

Let's go and see
if my club is open.

Ben.

Ben, what on earth
you doing down here?

I'm so mad, Grandpa,
I can't talk right now!

He's driving your car.

Well, what's the
matter with you?

Bachelorhood don't
agree with you anymore?

You're never going to
learn to drive my car.

Good, I don't want it.

I'm sick of it, Grandpa.
I'm just plain sick of it.

More than one man can take.

Eighteen thousand things to
do, and every which way you turn!

- Well, did you get them all done?
- Yes, every blamed thing.

But the people, they're storming in
there like you have nothing else to do!

Corabeth, Mrs. Brimmer, the
Baldwin sisters and Mary Ellen!

Well, your mom and your daddy
are off gallivanting around somewhere.

Your sister's in there fixing
up some sort of a party.

Go on in and cool off.

Welcome to the seashore, Ben!

There's a new song out, I hear.

We've certainly
been needing one.

It's called Shoot the
Schubert to Me Hubert.

"With the light brown hair."
And that's a hint, I take it.

In show biz, we call
it a special request.

Why do you suppose
he called it The Trout?

It's about a grown man

who stops every day

to admire the
cunning, little trout

in the sparkling, little brook.

All right, why do you
like the silly song?

Besides the fact
that it's beautiful.

Sentimentality,

which my father says
is the worst of my vices.

He doesn't have any, of course.

Just no character at all where
chocolates are concerned.

Laugh and grow fat.

Eat fish and mope.

You know, some of
the great musicians

are friends of
father's or patients.

And sometimes, when I come
home at the end of the day,

I can hear the music simply
pouring out of the window.

Just my father and a few of his friends
getting together for the joy of playing.

I know what that's like.

My father on the piano.

Besserman, the violin.

Gautier, the viola.
Furman, the cello.

And when it's something like The
Trout with Brucher on the double bass,

well, people just stop
in the street to listen.

- When does all this happen?
- It could happen any time at all.

I could go home
today and who knows?

Is that the Besserman on the
violin? Theodore Besserman?

Are there two fiddlers
named Besserman?

- And Gustave Brucher?
- In the flesh.

Lisa?

Jason?

Theodore Besserman is retired.

He lives in California.

Your mother said we're
not to be late to lunch today.

And Gustave Brucher was killed
in a plane crash two years ago.

Are you all right?

I think I shall be.

After all,

when it comes to
muddying the waters, Jason,

nobody does it better than I.

I'm still not sure
I'm up to lunch.

You're not up to
arguing about it, either.

Erin! Erin!

What's she up to?

We never know. She's a spy.

- Surprise!
- Happy birthday!

Surprise! Surprise!

Happy birthday.

You've taken me
completely by surprise.

- Make a wish!
- Several of them.

- Tell her she's not supposed to tell.
- You're so smart.

- Speech!
- There you go.

No, no, no, no. None of that.

Speech first, cake later.

Well, a very short speech.

I told the man yesterday
that I was coming of age.

Well, today, I'd like to
begin growing up as well.

I don't suppose it'll
do any lasting damage.

First of all, Grandpa.
Oh, dear, Mr. Walton.

"Grandpa," of course. Call me
Grandpa. I am one, you know.

Well, I must have seemed very ill-mannered
to you yesterday, and I'm sorry.

But when you were
talking about Mr. Churchill,

and the fighting on the
beaches and the landing grounds,

well, some of it I hadn't
known about at all.

No apologies are
necessary, my dear.

But it's what I've been running
from for days and days and days.

Looking for old memories, and
hoping there'd be nobody to talk to me.

Just be glad that you're
here and out of all that.

I'm not out of anything.
I'm very British, you know.

Who'd ever have thought that?

I've been very British
since I was 14 years old.

We came to England
from Austria in 1933,

and they took us in,

and they let my father
practice his medicine

as if he'd been
there all his life.

They're very decent
people, you know.

And then two years ago,

we all went down to Whitehall,
my mother and my father and I.

And he stood there

with his Bible in his right
hand and he took an oath,

and the three of us were then
subjects of the British crown.

And what he said was this,

"I do sincerely
promise and swear

"that I will be faithful

"and bear true allegiance to
His Majesty King George VI,

"his heirs and successors,
according to law."

He was so proud,

and so very faithful,

and he bore such true
allegiance to the end.

He was at...

Dunkirk.

He's dead, you know. And
that's what I've been running from.

I dare say nobody could be
more British than King George VI.

He's very shy, you know.

The evacuation at Dunkirk.

I could almost see
it when you talked.

All of those little boats
darting back and forth,

everyone rushing
down to the sea to help.

Fishermen, taxicab drivers.

And every British doctor
who could possibly get there.

My father was drowned
in one of those little boats

off the coast of Flanders.

Oh.

How dreadful.

He died active in the
service of the crown.

It had always been good and kind

to him and my mother and me.

And now you've taken
me in, too, all of you,

and I'll miss you
all when I get back.

I thought you said
you weren't going back.

Oh, indeed I am, Elizabeth,
as soon as I can get there.

Why?

Because it's my island, Jim-Bob.

And I shall defend it,
whatever the cost may be.

I didn't even get you
a birthday present.

Well, you kept all of those lovely people
from coming to see me off. That's one.

And you're letting me go back
to Williamsburg alone. That's two.

You know me.

Just say the word, and I'll see
you all the way back to London.

That's because you
haven't a brain in your head.

Dear, good Jason.

And I shall always love you.

When it comes
your birthday, Jason,

this one's from me.
No, no, don't look.

Small but extravagant,

and given to me a long time ago
by someone who'd like you to have it.

Lisa returned to her
mother in England,

and when the furies of war were
spent, she came back to America

and finished her studies
at William and Mary.

In the letters my brother
received from her in later years,

she spoke often of that
turning point in her life,

their meeting on the seashore.

- You know something?
- What is it, Elizabeth?

I still have sand in my hair.

My car will never be the same.

Jim-Bob, your car
never was the same!

All the way to the
seashore with the choke on!

Ben, you're never going
to drive my car again.

You're breaking my heart.

I'll bet that's
what Darlene said.

You're full of saltwater taffy.

That's enough! Good
night, everybody.

English -SDH