Summary
Scene 1
The play begins on Easter Sunday in Knightsbridge, England, set in the year 1962. Susan Traherne decides to give her house to Alice Park, a friend she's known for fifteen years. Alice plans to turn the house into a shelter for unmarried mothers. Meanwhile, Susan's husband, Raymond Brock, is sprawled on the floor, naked, bloodied (though not injured), and heavily intoxicated with Scotch and the drug Nembutal. He remains motionless throughout the scene. At the scene's conclusion, Susan leaves her husband, but she departs without taking any of his belongings.
Scene 2
In Scene 2, the action flashes back to 1943 in occupied France. Susan is working for the British government, contributing to the resistance against the Germans in World War II. She anticipates the arrival of a shipment containing explosives and weapons, which are to be parachuted down to her. Mistaking an early plane for the drop, Susan signals with a light, only to find another British agent, Lazar, who is parachuting from his damaged aircraft. Susan assists him in landing safely. They discuss the paradox that their success in thwarting German military objectives seems to prolong the war. While waiting, the supply drop arrives, and a Frenchman takes it. Susan and Lazar confront him over the ownership of the supplies, eventually reclaiming the arms at gunpoint. Susan breaks down, admitting she is merely a courier, not an agent, and confesses her fear of dying.
Scene 3
Scene 3 is set in Brussels in June 1947. After traveling through Europe with Susan, Tony Radley, a friend and former wireless operator in the war, suddenly dies in their hotel lobby. Susan seeks help from the British Embassy, posing as Tony's wife. Once the British Ambassador, Sir Leonard Darwin, exits the room, Susan requests Raymond Brock, then the Third Secretary, to inform Tony's real wife about his death. Susan and Raymond debate whether to disclose that Tony was traveling with Susan. Susan admits her relationship with Tony was physical but insists it was innocent. Brock opts to conceal the truth from Tony's widow. Darwin returns, and he and Susan discuss what he views as the significant reconstruction of Europe in the postwar era.
Scene 4
This scene unfolds in Pimlico, a suburb of London, in September 1947. During a conversation with Alice, Susan repeatedly expresses her desire for change and her wish to move forward. She shares her dissatisfaction with her job and complains about her boss, who she believes is making inappropriate advances. While preparing an omelet for Raymond, now her lover, Susan listens as Alice talks about a new book she is writing. Susan also mentions that Brock considers his boss, Sir Leonard Darwin, to be "a joke." Towards the scene's conclusion, Susan reflects on the war and her past connection with Lazar, often wondering about his whereabouts. She tells Brock she wants to try spending the winter apart. Brock, now assigned to Brussels, departs without addressing her proposal, simply saying goodbye and giving her a kiss.
Scene 5
This scene occurs in the London suburb of Temple in May 1951. Susan encounters Mick, a friend of Alice's from the East End, and asks him to father her child. She expresses a preference for doing it alone but considers having someone she hardly knows as her second option. Mick agrees to Susan's plan.
Scene 6
The setting returns to Pimlico in December 1952. Susan voices her frustrations about her advertising job, criticizing the dishonesty and incompetence it demands. Alice is busy painting a nude portrait of her friend Louise from Liverpool for the New Year's Arts Ball....
(This entire section contains 1279 words.)
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Mick arrives, and he and Susan have a heated argument about their failure to conceive a child after a year and a half of trying. In a moment of anger, Susan fires her gun just above Mick's head.
Scene 7
It is October 1956 in Knightsbridge. Susan and Brock host a dinner party, inviting the Third Secretary to the Burmese embassy, M. Aung, his wife Madame Aung, Alice, and Brock's superior, Sir Leonard Darwin. Susan causes a stir by criticizing English involvement in the Suez Canal crisis, a conflict over control of the important shipping route, which England ultimately lost. M. Aung spends much of the evening trying to ingratiate himself with Darwin.
When left alone, Brock and Darwin discuss Susan's previous struggles with mental illness. Darwin shares his belief that the Israeli/Egyptian war was staged to give England a pretext for taking control of the canal. Susan appears to have a breakdown, prompting the guests to leave. By the end of the scene, Brock announces Darwin's resignation, and Susan feels hopeful about the impending changes.
Scene 8
Set in Knightsbridge during July 1961, Scene 8 introduces Alice's student, Dorcas Frey. Susan, Brock, Alice, and Dorcas have just returned from Darwin's funeral. Susan mentions that she and Brock have been assigned to Iran. She also observes that Darwin's funeral was sparsely attended because he had publicly criticized the Suez Canal incident. Dorcas asks Susan to lend her money for an abortion. Alice tells Brock that Dorcas requires the funds for a hand operation. Susan expresses her desire to stay in England; she and Brock do not go back to Iran.
Scene 9
The setting shifts to Whitehall, England, in January 1962. In the first part of this scene, a BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) radio reporter conducts an interview with Susan about her wartime contributions as one of the few female intelligence operatives—and, at seventeen, one of the youngest to serve.
Later, Susan converses with Sir Andrew Charleson, the Chief Clerk responsible for personnel decisions, about her husband's career prospects. She requests that he be given a more prestigious position. Charleson remarks that Brock's performance has consistently been average. Susan warns Charleson that she will shoot herself in six days unless Brock is promoted. She leaves after Charleson and Begley, another diplomat, attempt to stop her.
Scene 10
It is Easter 1962, in Knightsbridge. This scene takes place before the play's opening scene, where Alice finds Brock intoxicated, drugged, naked, and injured. Brock, no longer employed by the Foreign Service, tells Alice that he suggested to Susan that morning they should sell their house. Brock now works in insurance. Susan is frantically gathering items around the house. She proposes that Alice use the house to aid her work with unmarried mothers. Brock asks Alice to get Nembutal to calm Susan and threatens to call a doctor to have her committed to a mental institution. Susan ignores his threat and suggests that Alice leave for a while so she and Brock can address their issues.
Scene 11
Scene 11 unfolds in Blackpool, England, in June 1962. Susan has recently reunited with Lazar and slept with him. In bed, Lazar tells Susan that he found her after hearing her on the radio interview. Susan admits she hasn't always been well; Lazar reveals he has conformed to suburban life, marrying and taking a corporate job. Susan rolls a marijuana cigarette and collapses onto the bed, later waking to ask Lazar his real name as he departs. "Lazar," he replies, revealing his codename. He leaves.
Scene 12
The concluding scene is set in France during August 1944. The Resistance has successfully liberated the occupied regions of the country. Susan stands on a picturesque hillside, conversing with a Frenchman about the day's beauty. She appears radiant and joyful, clearly elated that her efforts contributed to the Resistance's victory. She is about to attend the village celebration. The Frenchman grumbles about his life, but Susan, somewhat unaware of his complaints, remains hopeful about the English making the world a better place. She agrees to have soup with the Frenchman and his wife. Gazing out over the verdant landscape, Susan pauses and remarks: "There will be days and days and days like this."