Episode 16 Dickensian

MOANING AND GASPING

You can't come now... You can't come now,

it's not ready, it's not ready, it's not time.

What on earth are you doing?

This is not the time to be rearranging ornaments.

Look at the rug! It's soaked! And it's Persian!

Oh, God. Oh...

SHE COUGHS AND SPLUTTERS

You must have eaten something bad.

I'm having the baby, Frances. It's coming now.

I have to get upstairs.

I have to get everything off, everything...

I'll fetch help!

I can't get upstairs! Frances!

SHE GROANS

I'm sure it isn't coming now.

I'm thirsty. I'm so thirsty.

I'm sure this is just a false alarm.

I'm sure this is quite normal.

Everything off, everything off!

The buttons, Frances! The buttons!

The corset, Frances, the corset!

I'm trying, I'm going as fast as I can - stop shouting at me.

SHE GASPS

It's stopped, it's stopped.

There. What did I tell you? Quite normal.

Your corset was just too tight. "I'm having the baby."

Always so melodramatic, Honoria. It was just your corset.

You can't even look at it.

That's your niece or nephew in here. Part of you.

It is no part of me.

Your appearance is of someone quite mad, you know.

I don't care.

Well, YOU might not, but I do.

Please can you help me with my boots?

I can't bend down. If I could, I wouldn't ask you.

That's quite enough nonsense for one night.

I'm only relieved Papa isn't here.

I assume you can manage on your own now.

I am so very thirsty.

I'll fetch you some milk.

And then I suppose I had better clear up after you.

Of course, the one day Rose is away

is the day you choose to wreak havoc. The hallway is a disgrace.

-I'm sorry.

-Yes! You're always sorry after.

Well, that is the point of sorry, Frances.

Who would be sorry before?

And you've done plenty to be sorry about.

Do you want this milk?

Because if you speak to me like that,

I shan't fetch it for you and you'll be thirsty.

Well?

Yes! I want the milk.

DOOR CLOSES

HUBBUB OF CONVERSATION AND LAUGHTER

Bring me the bottle!

Daisy!

There's some good news for you, Bill.

Inspector Bucket's to be sent home.

Won't be breathing down your neck no more.

So much for the new detective, eh?

Er, Mr Wegg?

We're not pals.

Don't talk to me like we're pals.

Course not, Mr Sikes. Begging your pardon, sir.

See? Don't have to be all punching and kicking, does it?

Come 'ere. I'm proud of ya.

SHE LAUGHS

Tomorrow, when Mr Compeyson calls,

he is not to be allowed into the house.

Tell him he can go back to his lady friend.

He has lied to me, Mary. Lied.

Say nothing to the others.

Leave me.

WAILING

SHE SCREAMS

Honoria?

I've got your milk.

You said no more nonsense.

It's coming, it's coming, it wasn't the corset, it really is the baby.

-But it can't come now.

-I know!

Why is it coming now?

I don't know, I don't know, but something is wrong,

something is so wrong.

I will fetch Mrs Gamp.

No, no, not her, I hate her, she stinks, she's drunk, not her.

Well, who, then? We don't have enough money for a doctor,

not until Father is home - Mrs Gamp is all we can afford.

James. Send for James.

-Oh, good God, no!

-This is his baby. His baby. He will come.

He will have enough money for a doctor.

Send for James, please.

SHE SCREAMS

Yes, I will send for him, he will bring a doctor,

all will be well. I'll go now, stay where you are!

SHE GROANS

Hurry! Hurry.

Boy! Boy!

Take this note to Captain Hawdon.

I'm away to my bed.

No, no, you can't. I mean, you can, of course you can,

but after you've taken this note!

Go to the barracks. No. No, not the barracks.

He'll be drinking. He'll be drinking, of that I'm certain.

Like a petulant boy. The Three Cripples.

Go to the Three Cripples first, and if he isn't there,

then go to the barracks.

I'll need a penny, Miss.

I don't have a penny.

But Captain Hawdon will pay you.

He'll give you a sixpence. A shiny, silver sixpence.

It's SO important.

Go! Run!

Run!

Just a minute!

One minute!

I'm coming!

One minute!

Did you send for him?

Yes. What are you doing?

I don't know. It just feels right.

What's all that?

There are always cloths and water.

That much I know.

There are always cloths and water.

So I got some, and an encyclopaedia.

M for Midwifery.

The doctor will need a sensible woman to assist him.

I am she.

Do you promise you sent for James?

I promise.

I want a doctor to come, even if I do not want Captain Hawdon.

Do you think he'll come? After the...the disagreement?

The "disagreement".

Oh, oh, Frances.

The "disagreement"?

He'll come.

Despite the disagreement, despite you and everything you've done,

he will come.

He loves me, you see.

This is his baby.

He loves me so much.

I'm sure you should be in bed.

Oh, what would you know?

If you aren't in bed when Captain Hawdon and the doctor come,

they'll see your legs.

Captain Hawdon has seen more than my legs.

-SHE TUTS Must you?

-And the doctor will see MUCH more than my legs.

Or do you think he'll magically discover the baby under

a gooseberry bush?

We don't even have a gooseberry bush.

SHE LAUGHS

I don't know why I'm laughing, it hurts so much.

Oh, it hurts so much.

Then get to bed!

No. I don't want to be in bed. This helps.

It helps just to stay like this.

For a little while at least.

-Shall I leave you?

-No. No. No. No.

You have a rose petal in your hair.

No, don't. Don't. It's pretty.

Let it stay.

MUSICIANS PLAY

Do you want the same again?

Yeah.

Oi, Daise, can I have the same again?

-Get off me.

-How are you?

-Leave off.

-Oh, don't be like that.

Oi, I said get off me.

Hands off! MY girl!

SHE LAUGHS

Captain Hawdon, from Miss Barbary.

Miss Barbary?

Yes, sir.

Not Miss Honoria? Not the beautiful one.

I know her handwriting.

She said I'd find you here, sir.

She said she'd be certain you'd be drinking, sir.

Like a petulant boy.

I'm not angry with you. What else did she say?

She also said that you'd give us sixpence, sir.

I'm going to give you some advice. Man to man.

I'd rather you give me the sixpence, sir.

When the woman you love,

when the one who has your heart calls for you, you run to her.

Run as fast as you can, through fire, through storms, run.

But when her sister demands your presence...you leave her to sweat.

She did say that was important, sir.

It will be insults and threats

and she'll take herself off to her narrow bed and sleep the sleep

of the righteous as though she hadn't tried to destroy everything.

But she won't. She can't part us.

Nothing can do that, least of all Miss Frances Barbary.

-You have your sixpence. Go.

-Yes, sir.

CLOCK CHIMES

You're very hot.

No, I'm cold.

This isn't particularly informative.

It doesn't tell you what to do after the cord is cut.

Just, just swaddle the baby and then hand it to the wet nurse.

We don't have a wet nurse.

We have me.

Captain Hawdon's taking his time.

He'll be fetching a doctor.

I wonder what it is, a little boy or a little girl?

I don't mind, a daughter or a son, as long as it's healthy,

-but I wonder what it is.

-It's unwanted.

-I

-want it. James wants it.

Are you so blind, Honoria?

This baby is a scandal!

It is shame! It is disgrace!

It will stain our family name forever!

And it is your doing, your wilfulness,

that has dragged us all into the mire!

Why do you hate me so much?

I don't.

Ever since you came home, ever since you came back, you have hated me.

Hated me and hated me. What did I do?

Apart from ruin yourself.

No, before this. You hated me.

There was nothing I could do that was right for you.

Just hating and hating. Why?

You were always preferred.

What are you talking about?

Everyone always preferred you. Loved you most.

Mama. Father.

-But that's not true.

-Oh, yes, it is!

Frances, you were engaged. You were going to be married.

You were happy. YOU were preferred.

You broke off your engagement to come back home to hate me?

To hurt me?

It wasn't I who broke off the engagement. HE did.

-But you said that...

-I know what I said.

I was too sober for him.

Too serious.

He said, "Why can't you be more like Honoria?

"She's so carefree, so vivacious."

And then just when I thought that someone preferred me,

just when I thought that Sir Leicester Dedlock had an interest...

Sir Leicester? You had hopes there?

Why did you push me to him, if you had hopes?

He didn't want me. He wanted you.

He was captivated.

Entranced. So, you see?

You were always preferred, always loved the most.

I loved YOU most.

No, you didn't.

I did.

My sister. My sister.

I loved you the most.

If it's a boy, Thomas Edward.

If it's a girl, Esther Frances.

You're going to be an aunt, Frances.

This baby is part of you.

Part of us. James and I will marry because this baby is so wanted.

If it's a girl, Esther Frances, and you and I start again.

We start again and we try.

FRANCES SOBS

Can't we try?

SHE GROANS

SHE GASPS

MOANING

SHE SCREAMS

Where is the doctor? Where's James?

They're coming.

Make it stop, we have to wait!

There's no stopping, there's no waiting!

I'm scared, Frances, I'm scared, I'm scared I'm going to die,

I'm scared I'm dying, I'm dying!

No, look at me. Look at me!

Now, listen.

You are not going to die, I won't let it happen.

I simply won't!

SHE SCREAMS

Oh, it's coming out!

Dear God in heaven, I can see it, I can see it!

SHE SCREAMS

Oh, it's here, it's here, it's born,

it's a girl, a little girl!

Honoria! A little girl!

I want to see her, I want to hold her.

I'm nearly done.

I'll wrap her and I'll give her to you.

You did it, you did it, Honoria!

We did it, and it was simply rather miraculous!

Frances. What is it? What's wrong?

Frances?

No.

No, no, no, no.

Oh, Honoria, don't, don't, don't...

Oh...

She's so tiny.

She's so beautiful.

Oh, she's perfect.

She's cold.

She's cold. She's so cold.

On, no, no, no, don't, you'll make it worse for yourself.

-She's cold. Frances, she's cold...

-I'll take her away.

-No!

Esther, I'm sorry,

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,

so sorry, I'm sorry...

I'm sorry, I'm sorry...

BELL RINGS

Get to your beds, you 'orrible drunkards!

What are we going to do?

We can't have a funeral.

She won't even have a proper grave. Where will she go?

I'll deal with that. Not now but tomorrow.

I'll make arrangements.

Will you say prayers for her? Can she have flowers?

Yes, of course.

I want her to know she was loved.

Esther Frances.

She was really loved.

I brought this on myself.

This is my ruin.

That's why she died. It's my fault.

It was too soon for her. It was just too early.

You were right. You've always been right. I see that now.

I was dancing through life.

That's stopped now.

Frances?

He didn't come.

He didn't come to us as he always promised he would.

He didn't come.

No.

CLOCK TICKS

TICKING CONTINUES

TICKING STOPS

SHE WEEPS

SHE GASPS

BABY CRIES

SHE SHRIEKS

BABY WHIMPERS

BABY CRIES

Sh. Sh.

Sh, sh, sh, shh.