Act 2
The postman sometimes rings thrice 
-Here’s our first stop. Keep the motor running Mathew, it won’t take long.
DING DONG!
- Bonjour Monsieur Perkins.
-Bonjour Charlotte. We came looking for Lady Rosedale, is she home?
-Oh no Monsieur. She’s at ze park right now. She went for a stroll.-The maid said with a strong French accent
-What park is it Charlotte? I have an urgent message from Lady Kristine.
-The Rosedale Park Monsieur, of course.
- I’ll try t find her there, it’s very important. Merci Charlotte.
-De rien Monsieur Perkins, au revoir.
A few minutes later Mr. Perkins found Lady Rosedale at Rosedale’s Park.
-Good morning Milady.
-Oh Perkins!! Good morning… What are you doing here? What is the matter? Is something wrong?
-Oh! No Milady, nothing wrong. I must give you a message from your Mother.
-It must be very important if you had to find me here. All right, where is that message? Give it to me.
-I must read it to you Ma’am.
-OK! Read it then.
He opened the envelope and cleared his voice. Then he read aloud.
“I have decided to take my family on vacations for a week to the beach house. Your luggage must be sent today to Robert Robertson at Hessenhall Manor for its managing. Be tomorrow morning, 7 o’clock, at Hessenahll’s south gate. None of this is optional. With love; Mommy. PS: NO HUSBANDS. ”
Lady Rosedale didn’t hear a thing after the words “none of this is optional”, just because she wasn’t there. Mr. Perkins never knew what happened but he found he was on the floor, message in hand, and Lady Rosedale’s new maid glued in her spot, mouth opened trying to figure out what has just happened and not knowing what to do.
Finally he said.
-That did not go well I think.
-You think? – was her only replay before she went running after her employer muttering the mantra “I love my job, I love my job”
----------------------------------
Back in the car Mr. Perkins told Mathew everything that had happened.
-Oooh! Mr. Perkins you’ll be in trouble! It seems that the “P.S.” was the most important part of the message. And she missed it! – He said amused.
-Thank you very much for your kind analysis of the situation Mathew, you should be writing books about politics, not driving cars!
-Don’t be mean Mr. Perkins. It can’t be that bad.
-Anyway, forget it. We are entering Houdon’s State. This one is bigger than the Countess’s. The Houdons are richer in fact, so you might say Lady Houdon is richer than her own mother… unfortunately you would be wrong. Lord Houdon is the cheapest man on earth and when they got married they signed a kind of contract in which it is written than she can make use of his money only when he dies. And she won’t have a penny from his mother until Mrs. Van der Hess is in her grave … and very well dead! So she is extremely rich in theory but penny-less really. Do you get the irony in all this Mathew?
-What I get is that it is you who should be writing books Perkins.
-Look! There is Mr. Pot. He is the only gardener and game keeper in this huge place. Stop for a minute would you?
-Hello Mr. Pot. Good morning, how are you doing? - He said from the car.
-Good morning Mr. Perkins. Here you find me… working as always.
-The park grew wild Mr. Pot. You should ask Lord Houdon to get some more help.
-Lord Houdon says I should hire my own help if I want to. – He said sadly. - Are you looking for Your Lordship, Perkins?
-No. It is Your Ladyship the one I’m after. I have an urgent message from her Mother.
-You’ll find her and the East wall, by the pond. She is having a portrait done. Follow that road and turn right at the fork. You’ll find her there.
-Thank you Mr. Pot. Have a good day!
-Goodbye Mr. Perkins! – I hope you fall in the pond and drown before you come back to talk about my work again – He said not loud enough for them to hear.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
A moment later they got to the pond at the East wall and found Lady Houdon posing with her dog.
-Excuse me Milady, but I have an urgent message from your Mother.
-No, no! She can’t talk nor move. Please go away and don’t disturb us. The light will soon change and my portrait will be ruined. – The painter said in a cocky way with a foreign weird accent.
-Ma’am you don’t need to move. Just to listen. I am very sorry to disturb but I must follow your mother’s orders.
At those words she turned her head around, and a scream from behind her that sounded too much like a curse in a weird language, made the water surface ripple and a couple of ducks take fly.
With Lady Houdon’s attention, Mr. Perkins read:
“I have decided to take my family on vacations for a week to the beach house. Your luggage must be sent today to Robert Robertson at Hessenhall Manor for its managing. Be tomorrow morning, 7 o’clock, at Hessenahll’s south gate. None of this is optional. With….”
Again his reading was interrupted by a force that almost threw him into the pond, butt first. This time he shouted watching her run “P.S.: NO HUSBANDS”!!! , trying to make the words get her but it was too late.
He looked at the painter looking back at him with the ultimate look of loathing in his eyes, his hands squeezing the tubes of paint, the brush broken in half. When Perkins finally found his words he started walking backwards and he said:
-At least the dog is standing still. Is it trained?
-No. It is stuffed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Again at the car Mr. Perkins told all to Mathew, who didn’t lift his spirit this time either with his situational analysis.
-You’ll come with me this time.
-Where are we going now?
-We have one more place to go.
An hour later after getting lost a couple of times they finally got to their destination.
-Are you sure it is here? It looks so…. small! – Mathew wondered.
-Yes it is here. Come, let’s get this over with.
DING DONG!
A coloured man in colourful clothes opened the door.
-Hey! What’s up bro? – He said.
-Ehmm, Hello, thank you. “Wasupbro” to you too!
The man stood still staring at them.
-Is Your Ladyship home? I have an urgent message from her Mother.
-O’course man. She’s at swimming pool at back yard. Come on in you!
Both men entered the house a little scared. If this was not 1919 they would have hold their hands but social convention determined it was not allowed, nor convenient to do so in the presence of other … people.
When they reached the back yard they could not believe what they saw.
-Miss Mary, two men to see you with letter from your Mommy.
-What a delightful surprise! Come Ule, help me get my towel.
Not until she was wrapped in her towel Mr. Perkins dared to speak.
-It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Mary. I’m Mr. Perkins and he is Mathew Holly, we work for Lady Van der Hess.
-All right. Hello.
She just stared at them waiting for the news.
Confused Mr. Perkins said. - You have a … lovely home Miss Mary. Allow me to tell you that that sculpture is fantastic! Exquisite! Is it a Rodin by any chance?
-This one right here? Oh no! He is not Rodin, he is Panos! You are so funny Perkins! And he is not a statue he’s my bodyguard, from Greece.
-Grrrrrr.
-Oh… O… K. I bring words from your mother. - He said changing the subject.
As he started reading the message, Mathew whispered in his ear.
-Is that the bathroom tub… what she uses as a swimming pool? And that “bodyguard” is in a rusty suit of armour? Do you know what I think Mr. Perkins? I think it is both of us who should writing books… about this.
End of act 2.
