Getting the transcript…
By Good Heart Tales · 553 caption lines · Watch on YouTube
Darling, deliveries go around the back. The red carpet is for guests, not trucks.
>> [laughter]
>> Did you bring flowers for the centerpieces?
>> Say hello to the internet, my friend. A vintage truck at a black-tie gala. Honestly, it's out of place. It's out of place, you're right. It's also the most important vehicle in this entire estate. [music] Please, give it a little respect.
>> That brass plate, established 1974. [music] Sir, that's Mr. Elias Brandt's truck. It can't be. It's been in storage for years.
>> Not missing, [music] Fabian. Just waiting for the right night. Tonight, everyone at this entrance will learn who truly owns the red carpet beneath their feet.
>> Mysterious, aren't [music] we? Who truly owns the red carpet? Honestly, darling, it's adorable. But please, move the truck before the real guests arrive.
>> Look, my friend, I'm not being unkind. There's a staff lot around the corner. Park there, and we'll all pretend [music] this never happened.
>> I'll happily move it in a moment. First, Fabian, you recognize the [music] plate. Do you still polish the brass handrails every Sunday? Only one person ever asked me about the handrails. Elias Brandt's son. But he'd be a grown man now. Who are you?
>> A [music] guest, Fabian. Just a guest tonight. Let's keep it that way for a while. Will you do me one favor and [music] say nothing?
>> My lips are sealed, sir. But for the record, welcome home. I've waited 15 years to say that.
>> Good evening, sir. I'm Philippa Hartwell, event manager. Vehicles can't park at the red carpet. May I ask you to move it to staff parking?
>> Of course, Ms. Hartwell. But first, [music] could you check the guest list for me?
>> Let me see.
>> [music]
>> Brant S, guest of honor, table one. That's odd. Mr. Brant is a private owner, and he's never attended. Sir, are you perhaps related?
>> You could say we're very close. Please, don't worry. Let me enjoy the truck a moment longer, and then I'll check in like everyone else.
>> This is taking forever, Lysander. The real guests are arriving, and our friend with the truck is holding up the carpet. How very rustic.
>> [music]
>> Relax, Izzy. Tonight is about our pitch to the legendary Mr. Brant. [music] Once he approves the Lakeside Towers, we're set for life.
>> [music]
>> Lakeside Towers? On the Brant estate? Interesting. I didn't realize anyone was planning to build on the lake. I'd love to hear more.
>> Oh, it's not public yet, my [music] friend. Confidential pitch. Between us, the old vineyard and that tired lake are wasted on sentimental people.
>> Sentimental people sometimes remember what the land gave them. I'd think carefully before building over a family's first harvest, Mr. Mina. Silas will do, Mr. Crowe. I'm just a guest tonight, like everyone else. Though I do hope the evening teaches us all something.
>> Ottilie, look! Elias Brant's old red truck. I'd know that dent anywhere. He gave me my first job 40 years ago.
>> Oh, [sighs] Percival, it's truly beautiful. Young man, are you a friend of the family? Elias always said it was waiting [music] for someone.
>> I'd like to think I'm a friend, madam. And yes, I believe it has been waiting.
>> [music]
>> Thank you both for remembering it so fondly.
>> Young man, you kind eyes. Something about you reminds me of Elias. The way you
>> Lysander, even the Aldridges adore him. Perhaps we should be a little more polite. We don't actually know who he is.
>> He's a guy with a truck and a nice jacket, Izzy. Don't overthink it. Let's go inside. The real [music] party's waiting. I'll watch over the truck personally.
>> I'd be grateful, Fabian. [music] Keep it exactly where it is. It belongs at this entrance more than anything else here.
>> Fabian, why are you taking orders from a guest? Honestly, I don't understand tonight at all. Is there something I should know?
>> Miss Hartwell, [music] in 30 years at this door, I've learned one thing. Treat every arrival like the owner. Tonight, that [music] might be truer than you think.
>> Very well. I'll let the truck stay as a heritage display. Sir, please enter through the main doors with the others. Isadora Van, in case you follow me online. After you, Mr. Truck.
>> [music]
>> I do hope you've brought a tuxedo, or this carpet will look confused.
>> [music]
>> I'm perfectly comfortable as I am, Miss Van. My father always said honest clothes are the best clothes.
>> So, honestly, mate, I'm starting to like you. You're good content. Stay close, and I'll make you famous. Truck guy at the Founder's Evening. Kind of you, Mr. Crew.
>> [music]
>> But fame isn't what I came for. I came to see whether kindness still lives at this door.
>> [music]
>> Welcome, sir. Mind the step, and please, if you'd like any assistance tonight, just wave at me [music] or Fabian. We're here for every guest.
>> Thank you, Clement. That's exactly the kind of welcome Elias Brant always [music] wanted for this place. Please keep it up no matter who arrives. Right then, truck man. Welcome to the big leagues. Follow my lead and try not to look too impressed by the chandeliers.
>> [music]
>> Good evening, sir. Welcome to the Founders Evening. May [music] I offer you sparkling water or fresh orange juice while you find your table? Sparkling water, please, Cosimo. And thank you for the warm greeting. You've made me feel genuinely welcome, which is rarer than you'd think. Don't get [music] too comfortable. The seating plan puts the VIPs at table one,
>> [music]
>> and I'm a VIP. You're probably near the kitchen.
>> Mr. Crowe, Ms. Venn, your table is number one, front and center. And sir, your place card is also at table one.
>> Table one? With us? There must be a mistake.
>> [music]
>> Ms. Hartwell, surely guest of honor is a clerical error.
>> No mistake, Mr. Crowe. The foundation director himself arranged this table. Please, take your seats and I'll bring everyone their menus.
>> Mrs. Aldridge, may I pull out your chair?
>> [music]
>> It's a pleasure to sit beside two people who remember the old harvest days.
>> Such lovely manners. Percival, isn't he lovely? Young man, tell [music] us your name properly. I won't rest until I know.
>> Silas.
>> Mrs. Aldridge.
>> Just Silas [music] for tonight. I grew up around vineyards, so tonight feels a little like coming home.
>> Silas. That was Elias Brandt's son's [music] name. I haven't thought of him in years. He left for abroad, never wrote to anyone. Terrible [music] shame.
>> Sometimes people leave to learn how to come back properly, Mr. Aldridge. I imagine he had his reasons and perhaps a few regrets.
>> [music]
>> Mr. Crowe, tell me about these towers. How will they treat the old oak trees by the lake
>> [music]
>> and the families who work this land?
>> Oak trees?
>> [music]
>> Trees grow back, my friend. And workers? There'll be jobs in construction, then jobs in concierge. Everyone [music] wins. It's called vision.
>> Young man, those oaks were planted by Elias Brandt himself,
>> [music]
>> one for every employee's first year. Cutting them would be like erasing a family.
>> Each oak has a brass tag with a name on it. Fabian polishes them every spring. That's what this place is.
>> [music]
>> Well, of course, sentiment is lovely, Mr. Aldridge, but sentiment doesn't pay for marble floors. Business is [music] business and Mr. Brandt will surely agree. Mr. Crowe, I wouldn't be so sure what Mr. Brandt would [music] agree to. People who inherit a legacy often feel it more deeply than any contract.
>> [music]
>> You speak as if you know him, truck man. Do you? Because if you do, I'd happily pay you a finder's fee for an introduction.
>> You are so [music] mysterious, Silas. Hold on, everyone smile. Table one selfie for the gala. Lysander, tilt your phone. Mrs. Aldridge, you look lovely.
>> [applause and music]
>> Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the founders evening. 50 years of Brandt Estate, [music] built on honest hands and open doors. Before dinner, a short film about our founder, Elias Brandt, [music] and the little red truck that carried our first harvest to market 50 years ago.
>> A coincidence. [music] There are thousands of old red trucks.
>> Don't be silly, Izzy. Our friend simply found a similar one.
>> Elias Brandt began with one vineyard, [music] one truck, and one rule. Every guest, from the humblest to the highest, is welcomed [music] through the same front door.
>> [snorts]
>> Ottilie, that young man beside Elias, [music] standing exactly like Silas stands. Look at his jaw, his eyes. It can't be.
>> Silas, dear, are you
>> [music]
>> No, I mustn't presume. Forgive my imagination. But you are very like him.
>> Mrs. Aldridge, imagination is a good gift. Let's enjoy the film together,
>> [music]
>> and let the evening tell its own story. It will make sense soon.
>> [music]
>> Lysander, I have a strange feeling about this. The doorman, the Aldridges, even the manager treat him with real respect. Who is he?
>> Izzy, [music] stop. He's an eccentric, nothing more. Rich families always have eccentrics who dress [music] like farmers. Eat your salad and let me do the talking.
>> Oh, I'm so sorry, sir. My hand slipped. Please forgive me, I'll fetch a towel immediately. I'm so sorry, it's my fault.
>> No harm done, Cosimo. It's only water, and honestly, my jacket has seen far worse. Please, don't worry. You're doing a wonderful job tonight. Honestly, if a waiter had spilled water on me, I'd have asked for his manager. You're far too soft, truck man. [music] Strictness keeps standards high. Standards are important, Mr. Crowe, but I've always found that respect keeps [music] them higher than fear ever could.
Cosimo has served this table beautifully.
>> Thank you, sir. That means a great deal. I've been nervous all evening, because [music] tonight is my first time serving at the Founders Evening.
>> Then you've earned a memorable first night, Cosimo. Remember this feeling, [music] and the next time someone slips up near you, give them the same kindness.
>> [music] [bell]
>> Young man, that's exactly how Elias used to speak to new staff. I'm beginning to wonder whether the universe is playing tricks on me.
>> [music]
>> Enough with the Elias worship, please. Mr. Aldridge, the film is lovely, but investors need the future, not museums.
>> [music]
>> Let's talk about progress, shall we?
>> Mr. Crowe, progress that forgets its roots isn't progress at all. It's just construction. I hope Mr. Brandt shows tonight and I hope he says no. Truly.
>> [applause]
>> Ladies and gentlemen, a moment I've waited fifteen years for. Tonight,
>> [music]
>> the owner of Brandt Estate has finally joined us.
>> It's him, Izzy. Mr. Brandt is here. Smile, fix your hair, and remember, we're charming and visionary. Where is he?
>> He arrived at the front entrance this evening in the same red truck. And I'm told he's enjoying his sparkling water at table one.
>> Lysander, table one, the red truck. Oh, no. Oh, Lysander, it's him. It's Silas. He's the owner. We joked about his truck.
>> [applause]
>> No, no, that's impossible. Truck man? The man who I called him a content idea. I told him he'd sit near the kitchen.
>> Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the owner of Brandt Estate, Brandt Holdings, and the Brandt [music] Foundation, Mr. Silas Brandt.
>> [applause]
>> I knew it. Oh, Percival, I knew [music] it the moment he pulled out my chair. Elias would be so proud of his son tonight. [music]
>> [applause]
>> Welcome home, Silas. Fifteen years is a long time to leave an empty chair. I'm so very glad you filled it tonight. [music]
>> Thank you, Alister.
>> [music]
>> Forgive the truck at the front door. I drove it here because I wanted to see how this place welcomes a stranger. [music] Tonight, I found something precious. Fabian remembered my father's truck. Clement offered [music] help to every guest. And Cosimo served with a kind heart.
>> [applause]
>> Sir, 30 years at the door,
>> [music]
>> and tonight is the proudest moment of my life. Welcome home, Mr. Brandt.
>> [applause and music]
>> Fabian, my father always said a doorman is the face of the whole house.
>> [music]
>> From tonight, you're head of guest welcome across all Brandt properties.
>> [applause]
>> Mr. Brandt, I I don't know what to say.
>> [music]
>> Thank you. I promise every guest will feel like they're arriving at their own home.
>> [music and applause]
>> Cosimo, we'd like to offer you our hospitality leadership program, fully supported. Handling a mistake with humility is the best qualification there is. Mr. Brandt, I Yes, thank you. I'll work harder than anyone, and I'll never forget how you treated me tonight when you could have complained. [music] Ms. Hartwell, you handled a difficult arrival with courtesy and care.
>> [music]
>> The foundation would like to name you director of events. Mr. Brandt, thank you.
>> [music]
>> I'm sorry I asked you to move the truck. If I'd known, I'd have rolled out an even redder carpet.
>> [applause and music]
>> Don't apologize, Philippa. You did your job without insulting me, and that's all a good host needs. [music] Besides, the truck loved the attention. Mr. Brandt, Silas, I'm so sorry.
>> [music]
>> We laughed at your truck, and we were rude. Honestly, I felt it was wrong. Thank you, Isidora. [music] An honest apology is worth more than any pitch. Yours took courage, [music] and I'm grateful you offered it without being forced. Mr. Brandt, sir, I apologize. The jokes were thoughtless and the Lakeside Towers proposal was thoughtless, too. [music] I was chasing profit, not respecting the place. Mr. Crow, I won't approve towers on the lake, the vineyard,
>> [music]
>> or beneath those oaks. But I do appreciate your honesty tonight. It's a start.
>> [music]
>> I understand, sir, completely. I'd like to make it right somehow, if you'll let me. Anyway at all, large or small. Here's how you can help, Mr. Crow. Join our harvest crew this autumn, with Ms. Van, if she's willing. Six weeks learning the land.
>> [music]
>> A harvest crew? Me? Silas, I've never picked anything but outfits. [music] But yes, I'll do it. I owe this place a real apology.
>> [laughter]
>> Count me in, too, sir. I'll carry crates, prune vines, whatever you need. And I promise to put my phone away. Mostly.
>> [laughter]
>> Splendid. Elias would have loved that. [music] Nothing teaches humility quite like a hot afternoon and a full basket of grapes.
>> Silas, dear. Now that everyone knows, will you dance with a friend of your father's? The quartet is about to play.
>> [music]
>> Mrs. Aldridge, it would be an honor. Even in a work jacket and boots, I promise not to step on your toes.
>> You dance beautifully, Silas.
>> [music]
>> Sir.
>> The Founder's Evening has never been so warm.
>> [music]
>> Your father would have loved it. May I say something from the heart?
>> [music]
>> Please, Fabian. Say anything. You were the first person at that door tonight to look at me and truly see me.
>> [music]
>> I recognize the truck, sir, but I also recognized your kindness. [music] Your father had it in every smile. It never went away. It only waited. Elias' last words to me were, "Make sure the door stays open." [music] Tonight, Silas, you've opened it wider than he ever dreamed.
>> [music]
>> My father taught me three things. Treat the doorman like the owner. Treat the owner like a friend. And never forget the first harvest.
>> [music]
>> Sir, a quiet request. May we keep the old truck at the front entrance with a plaque so every guest sees where this place began? Yes, Fabian. And the plaque should read, "Everyone arrives as a guest." That's the rule my father started with and the rule we'll live by.
>> [music]
>> To Elias, to Silas, and to every honest hand that built this house. May the front door always stay open. To the truck, to the doorman, and to everyone who treats a stranger like family. This [music] is what truly owning a home means. Remember, never judge anyone by the vehicle they arrive in. Judge them by how they treat the doorman. You never know whose home you're welcoming.