Episode 1 The Living and the Dead

This programme contains some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting

Do you think I could use the hay harvest

as the subject of the Sunday sermon?

Like you did last year and the year before that?

"Be not deceived.

"God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth,

"that shall he also reap."

SHE GASPS

You let her read these books,

most of which should not even be in a Christian household.

You fill her head with ideas and doubts and confusions.

She has an alert and voracious mind - it must be fed.

She's a child!

SHE SCREAMS

Harriet?

Harriet!

A MAN LAUGHS

-Harriet!

-Harriet!

Harriet?

Father.

We heard a voice - a man's voice.

A man?

If you're sure you're all right?

Of course.

Goodnight.

-STRANGE VOICE:

-Fresh fruit, waiting to be plucked.

# This one night

# This one night

# Every night and all

# Fire and sleet and candlelight

# And Christ receive thy soul. #

Can I move?

I think there's a mouse in my boot.

I took the photograph ages ago, I was just looking at you.

SHE LAUGHS AND SHRIEKS

SHE LAUGHS

Not now! We're late enough as it is.

You're home.

Mr Nathan!

Mr Nathan's back.

-Welcome home, sir.

-Thank you, Gideon.

Good to see you again, ma'am.

-Thank you, William.

-Thank you.

How's the cider, Gideon?

Oh, proper drop, sir. All ready for the solstice tonight.

Good to see you, John.

Sir. Ma'am.

-Gwen.

-Mr Nathan.

-Mrs Appleby.

-Gwen.

-DOG BARKS

-Toby!

How is she?

She's weak, sir, but looking forward to seeing you.

Thank you, Gwen, for looking after her.

Vienna? What on earth were you doing in Vienna?

I was invited to give a talk about psychological trauma.

Where's your laudanum?

I'm so proud of you, Nathan. You've achieved so much.

Charlotte and I might stay a little longer this time.

I've missed the farm.

No, Nathan,

you are not to stay here and mollycoddle an old woman.

Your life is in London - your work, your patients.

Charlotte, tell your husband he's needed back in London.

Actually, I was thinking,

a few weeks in the country is just what we need.

Oh!

They're ready to light the bonfire.

Nathan.

Let Gideon do it.

An Appleby always lights the solstice fire.

# If ever thou gave clothes and shoes

# Every night and all

# Sit thee down and put them on

# And Christ receive thy soul

# From bridge of dread when thou may pass

# Every night and all

# To Purgatory dogs at last

# And Christ receive thy soul

# No meat or drink thou never gave

# Every night and all

# The fire shall burn thee to thy bone... #

FIDDLE MUSIC PLAYS

Cider brandy?

-Strong!

-So am I.

Nathan.

-SING-SONG TONE:

-Nathan.

Who are you?

What do you want with him?

You leave him alone.

You leave my son alone!

-She was a good mistress.

-Mmm.

A good mother and grandmother.

Grandmother?

Mr Nathan's son, Gabriel.

When his first wife died,

he stayed in London with his work

and Gabriel was sent here to be brought up by Mrs Appleby.

That's right.

-Doted on that boy, she did.

-Mm-hmm.

Broke her heart when....

He won't keep the house on with such memories, will he?

He'll sell it, for sure.

-GIDEON:

-Mr Nathan won't let us down, I'm sure of that.

This day was always going to come.

Now the world will change, you'll see.

We could sell it.

It's a run-down, outmoded farm

in the middle of an agricultural recession.

Of course, I'll do my best to see that everyone is retained

or re-employed elsewhere.

That's the least I could do.

Isn't there an alternative?

That we move down here and...

..and keep the farm in the family

and we keep these people in their homes?

Can we even think of doing such a thing?

KNOCK AT DOOR

She's ready for you, sir.

Careful with that.

-That's from London.

-Ma'am.

I hardly think your father expected you to spend your inheritance on a traction engine.

SHE LAUGHS

Mr Appleby.

Gideon.

Going in there, is him, sir?

That's the plan.

Yes, sir.

Just don't expect everyone

to welcome these changes with open arms.

If we don't do something radical, this place will die.

This traction engine will revolutionise

how this farm is run, you'll see.

I think you might be the most blindly optimistic person

I've ever met. I wonder if it's actually a psychological condition.

SHE LAUGHS

WHISTLES AND ENGINE RATTLES

All ready, Gideon?

John!

Sit on the plough, man!

Carpe Diem.

WHISTLING

KNOCK AT DOOR

FOOTSTEPS THEN DOOR OPENS

DISTANT CHATTER

As you know, Harriet has always been a bright and lovely child.

Then Mary and I noticed her getting more and more remote from us -

subdued.

SQUEAKING AND WHIRRING

Well, she finds herself caught between childhood and womanhood.

It's an exciting but very, very awkward place.

Yes, that's what we told ourselves.

But we've watched as the spark went from her eyes.

PIGS GRUNT

PIGS SQUEAL

We have heard about your pioneering work in psychology

and know that you have had a great success in London

with aberrant behaviour. Your...

your mother always so proudly showed us your cuttings.

That work is...

..behind me, at least for now.

This is a new start for us and I must give it my full attention.

Hmm.

You look tired.

Extremely desirable, but tired.

-HE LAUGHS

-Go to bed, strumpet.

I will...

with you.

Well, let me just finish these accounts.

Are they bad?

Every time I wrote to her I asked her how the farm was doing

and every time she wrote back to me she said it was fine.

She probably didn't want to worry you.

Well, I'm worried now.

We can make it work, can't we?

I love it here, we have to.

Well, if we could convince the railway to bring a branch line

-across our lands...

-Then that is what we shall do.

You had a good day, didn't you?

I did, thank you for asking.

You would have been proud of me.

I'm always proud of you.

You promise me you don't miss London?

No.

Come to bed.

Or your work?

No.

Come to bed.

Soon.

Doesn't look like anybody's been in here in years.

Nobody has, ma'am.

-What do you think?

-Oh!

-Very fetching.

-THEY LAUGH

Is it true you used to take photographs of kings and queens, ma'am?

Er, more debutantes and dogs, actually.

Mr Nathan's boy.

Gabriel.

Did you know him?

Not really.

I used to hear a little boy's laughter in the house...

then, one day, no more laughter.

# Which makes the valleys thick to stand

# With corn to fill the reaper's hand... #

Won't bite, John!

# All this, you well may understand

# Comes from the ploughing boy. #

He looks like me on my wedding night.

It's good to have you back, sir.

I never thought I'd live to see the day.

-DOOR CLOSES

-Nathan?

Harriet?

Harriet!

What are you doing?

Help.

It's all right.

Give me your hand. Your hand.

Nathan!

What's happened?

Gwen, I want you to send one of the boys to the vicarage,

tell them that Harriet is quite safe

and she's spending the night with us.

Let's get you warm.

I said I would monitor her for a few days.

We've been down here five minutes

and you've gone back to being a psychologist.

Hardly that. The girl's more troubled than I thought, that's all.

-She needs me.

-I need you. The farm needs you.

You saw her last night. I can't turn my back on her.

Charlotte...

I've known the Dennings for years.

I've known Harriet since she was a little girl, she's changed.

She's definitely different.

You'll do what you want to do, you always do.

That's not fair.

Do what you can for the girl, of course, you must.

Just do it quickly.

It's wonderful. Who took it?

My wife.

Your second wife.

Yes, my second wife.

Come and sit down.

So...

Tell me what happened.

What do you mean?

Well, you walked the best part of a mile in your bare feet

to stand in my lake.

-If I hadn't seen you from the window...

-I don't remember.

You don't remember how you got here?

No.

Do you remember why you were standing in the lake?

Harriet?

The man told me to.

What man?

The man that comes to me.

Who is he?

Does he have a name?

Do you think she would take my portrait?

Ibsen...

Zola...

Darwin.

We're interested in ideas, my daughter and I.

She's a remarkable child, Appleby.

Until these last weeks, she was a dream of what a daughter could be.

WOODEN THUMP

What are you doing?

That's never been opened.

Have you ever looked for an alcoholic's secret bottle?

No, of course not.

You won't find it in the drinks cabinet.

The phonograph in your study - where did you get it from?

CRACKLY RECORDING PLAYS

'Since my time at Shepzoy, which is all my life,

-'we've mostly favoured Tremlett.'

-It's Gideon!

'There was something of a change to Yarlington Mill in the 1860s,

'then back to Tremlett.

-'Now, Mrs Appleby...'

-One of the greatest inventions of our age

and Gideon's talking of cider apple varieties!

HE LAUGHS

You could be dead and buried a hundred years

-and people could still hear what you sounded like.

-Mmm.

-WOMAN'S VOICE:

-'Get near the machine.

'Here, speak into it.'

BOY'S VOICE: 'Daddy? Daddy?'

'Move a bit nearer, Gabriel.'

'Daddy, where are you, Daddy?'

'Daddy? Daddy! Where are you, Daddy?'

RECORDING STOPS

'Daddy? Daddy?

'Daddy, where are you, Daddy?'

GRUNTING AND MOANING

I suppose I'll be seeing you next year, then?

If I'm not married...

perhaps even if I am.

Miss.

WHISTLING

'My name is Abel North.

'The people in this village wouldn't spit on me

'if I was on fire, truth be told, and nor I them.

'Bunch of wretches and vagrants, every one.

'Except for the wenches, the young ones.

'Like fresh fruit waiting to be plucked. I'll pluck them, all right.

-'Don't look like that.'

-Who is it?

'You won't bury me, so what do you care?'

Turn it off, Nathan, it's horrible.

'You'll never bury me... Bury me... Bury me...

'bury me...'

MIMICKING ABEL NORTH: No river for the likes of you.

GIDEON: Abel North is one of the meanest, most godless men

I have ever had the misfortune to share a flagon with.

John, you remember Abel North?

His father was one of them Baptist preachers,

travelling around dunking folk.

He was hard on Abel, I do know that.

Whipped him like a dog.

Where is he now?

In hell...if the devil'll have him.

THUNDER RUMBLES

HE CHUCKLES

Jesus Christ, John!

About Abel North, sir.

One night, when he was in his cups in The Wheatsheaf,

he did boast of something.

DRUNKEN CHAT AND LAUGHTER

He said he killed a woman, sir. A woman from the workhouse.

Did you tell anyone?

There was no evidence, sir.

When he was sober next day, he denied it all.

But his eyes - they were laughing at me.

Sir.

-ABEL NORTH:

-'Like fresh fruit waiting to be plucked...'

What interests me is, out of all the different voices you could

have chosen, you chose Abel North. Why was that, Harriet?

I chose nobody.

RECORDING STOPS

Abel North's voice is very distinctive.

Are you calling me a liar?

No.

Then I'll tell you one more time -

I've never seen any of this before in my life.

THEY LAUGH

She's a strange one, ma'am, ain't she, that Miss Harriet?

Troubled is the word my husband would use.

Still, I'm sure Mr Appleby can look after himself.

Let's talk about Abel North.

I'd rather talk about your patients in London.

What would you like to know?

What sort of people were they?

All sorts,

rich and poor, old and young...

..but all were troubled and had got themselves lost in some way.

-Lost?

-Mmm.

The old certainties are gone and people look for meaning elsewhere -

in spiritualism...

..in mediums, in mesmerism...

..the occult...

..and some of those people got damaged and became my patients.

Do you believe in ghosts?

I believe in an open and scientific mind.

I have certainly seen people haunted,

but only by an aspect of themselves, never by a ghost.

But you and I, working together, will conquer this, Harriet.

I think she's frightened of her own sexuality.

She's listened to the cylinders

and created this unpleasant male alter ego to justify her fears.

Gwen thinks she's out to seduce you.

HE CHUCKLES

What exactly are you doing?

Something for us to look at when we're old and toothless.

Now...

try to look overwhelmed with lust.

All right.

HE CLEARS HIS THROAT

SHE LAUGHS

What was that?

LIGHT BLOWS

THEY LAUGH

DISTANT BANG

DISTANT CRASH

CREAKING, GLASS TINKLING

GLASS SHATTERS

The valve in the boiler has been smashed.

Who would do such a thing?

I will write to the manufacturers in Leeds,

they will send a replacement valve.

And in the meantime it just sits here earning us precisely nothing.

We knew it wouldn't be easy, Charlotte.

I didn't realise people would vandalise their own futures.

I hate that thing, Mrs Appleby, with all my heart.

It'll one day take our jobs as it's already taken my pride.

Come now, John...

There is not a person here - not one -

that would damage anything belonging to this farm.

I'm sorry, it was never my intention...

Please, John...

..forgive me. I am new here and I will make mistakes.

We have to start making some progress, Harriet.

I think I can help you, but I can only help you if you trust me.

You can only help me if you believe me.

Abel North is a symptom, he's not the cause.

-He's a ghost.

-No.

-He's a ghost and he's inside me.

-No.

And there's nothing you can do about it.

You wanted to know when the gravestone was set, sir.

Yes, thank you, Gideon. Thank you.

There's something I have to do.

ENGINE ROARS

WOMAN'S VOICE: Nathan.

Nathan, you look tired.

HARRIET'S VOICE: What do you want with him?

WOMAN'S VOICE: You leave him alone! You leave my son alone!

CHILD'S VOICE: Daddy? Daddy?

Where are you?

That's enough.

Where are you, Daddy?

-Where are you, Daddy?

-I said, "That's enough!"

GRUFF VOICE: Where are you, Daddy? Where are you?

Where are you, Daddy? Where are you?

Enough. Harriet, that's enough.

HARRIET'S VOICE: Don't hurt me! Please, don't hurt me.

I didn't mean to frighten you. I'm sorry.

No, Harriet.

GRUFF VOICE: You know you want to.

What's the new mistress like to work for, then?

Oh... She's not shy and retiring, I can tell you that.

She'll drag this farm to hell and all of us with her,

you mark my words.

This new mistress does certainly fill her clothes very pleasantly.

Shame on you, Gideon!

Don't mind us, John, you just carry on.

She heard Gabriel's voice on the cylinder, that's all.

I know, I know. It's... It's just it...

It sounded so like him.

Which makes her cruel and manipulative, not ill.

-We find her...

-Yes.

-..and we get her out of our lives.

# She stepped away from me

# And she moved through the fair... #

Come on, my beauties.

# And fondly I watched her... #

CROWS CAW

# Move here and move there

# Then she went her way homeward... #

Walk on.

# With one star awake

# As the swans in the evening... #

There she is. Harriet!

# Move over the lake. #

John?

NECK SNAPS

John!

SHE SCREAMS

Perhaps he was ill, or in debt.

But if he was in trouble, why didn't he just come to me?

-Maybe it was what I said.

-No.

I practically accused him of sabotaging that stupid machine.

No. He loved this farm.

Three generations of Roebucks have ploughed this land.

I've known him my whole life.

What he did today, I just don't understand it.

Are they ever going to trust us now?

CREAKING

SHE WHIMPERS

This will help you sleep.

-I'll send Gwen to get her parents.

-No.

The girl needs proper care - doctors, hospital.

She's hurting herself! How long before she hurts someone else?

She was entrusted into my care and I will do my best for her.

-Is this empathy, Nathan, or arrogance?

-She needs rest.

In the morning, if her parents agree with you...

..I'll send her to my colleagues in London.

And we shall see if we still have a farm to run.

Morning, ma'am.

You came.

Of course we came. This is what we do.

Morning, ma'am.

Morning, ma'am.

Morning, ma'am.

-RECORDING:

-Don't look like that.

You won't bury me, so what do you care?

You'll never bury me...

Bury me... Bury me... Bury me...

No river for the likes of you, he said. Wretched boy.

Evil boy. Never a river for you.

HORSE AND CARRIAGE APPROACHES

Charlie.

Help me, Charlie.

Miss Harriet?

Take me to her.

She is upstairs.

What is wrong with you, Miss Harriet?

I nearly went to meet my maker, I did.

SHE SCREAMS

GRUFF VOICE: He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved.

HARRIET GROWLS

It's well-founded.

There have been cases of double or even triple consciousness

existing within the same person.

Can you help her? That is the only question here.

I would like your permission to hypnotise Harriet.

Hypnotise?

Are you a doctor or a fairground turn, Mr Appleby?

Thank you both for your time and patience...

One moment more and your daughter was a murderer -

that's what the law will say.

Take Harriet out of this house now, you start her on a journey

that could end up in the asylum, perhaps even prison.

Listen to him, Mary.

If anyone can help Harriet, it's him.

There is no Abel North.

What you think of as Abel North is a splinter of your own personality...

..exaggerated and unbalancing the whole.

I want you to concentrate on the watch.

WATCH TICKS

Look steadily at the watch.

Let everything else fade away.

Relax. Listen to the sound of my voice.

Let all your worries and stresses fall from your shoulders.

Feel them flowing through the end of your fingers.

I'm going to count to five and,

at the sound of each number, you will be deeper, safer.

One,

two,

three,

four,

five.

Is that strictly necessary?

Can you remember a time before Abel North?

The last moment you remember being completely happy -

can you do that for me?

Can you remember when that happy day got compromised,

when the happiness was darkened?

Can you remember the first time you saw Abel North?

What happened between those two memories, Harriet?

Let me speak to him.

Let me speak to Abel North.

Will he come out and speak to me?

Is that because Abel North is a coward,

abhorred, despised, pitied...

SHE MUTTERS

..or is it because...

..he does not exist?

SHE SPITS

SHE CACKLES

What is happening in there?

Speak to me, Abel.

Why Harriet?

Is it because you think she is weak?

SHE CHUCKLES

Like the girl from the workhouse?

Tell me about your father, Abel.

He was a preacher.

SHE COUGHS

He was a man of God.

SHE GROWLS

Imagine a life without love -

what a bleak and desolate prospect that is.

But you don't need to imagine it, do you, Abel? You lived it.

-Open the door, man!

-Your father loved God,

he loved the people he baptised, but he didn't love you.

He hated you. He despised you.

Help me.

-Please help.

-Harriet...

WOMAN'S VOICE: What do you want with him?

You leave him alone!

CHILD'S VOICE: Daddy? Where are you, Daddy?

You heard those voices...

-Where's my boat, Daddy?

-..on the phonograph.

I want to sail my boat.

GRUFF VOICE: He's lonely.

No, he is not.

He's got me now.

I'm going to wake you up now, Harriet.

Do not open this door!

SHE CACKLES, GIGGLES

When I get to the number five, you will be wide awake,

refreshed, alert.

One, two, three, four, five.

Harriet, you are awake.

-Get her back, man!

-Harriet, listen to me.

Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name...

You'll never bury me.

Why? Why won't he bury you?!

He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved.

What are you doing?

Stop him!

-Appleby!

-Nathan?

What are you doing?!

Abel North was never baptised.

Get in.

Do it!

He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved.

I baptise thee in the name of the Father and of the Son

and of the Holy Ghost.

Amen.

Father!

HE LAUGHS

What did we see, Charlotte?

A troubled girl who is less troubled now, I hope.

We lay to rest John Roebuck.

# Immortal, invisible

# God only wise

# In light inaccessible

# Hid from our eyes

# Most blessed, most glorious

# The Ancient of Days

# Almighty victorious... #

# So early in the morning

# To harrow, plough and sow

-# And with a gentle cast, my boys

-# Unresting

-# We'll give the corn a throw

-# Unhasting... #

# Which makes the valleys thick to stand

# With corn to fill the reaper's hand

# All this, you well may understand

# Comes from the ploughing boy... #

Did we get a glimpse beyond the veil?

I don't know. I don't need to know.

# Our master he does welcome us

# And unlocks the cellar door

# With cake and ale we'll have our fill

# Because we've done our work so well

# There's none here can excel the skill

# Of a brave ploughing boy. #

CREAKING

-Do you believe in ghosts, Denning?

-Yes.

What is it?

It's just children playing.

At this time of night?

They are just pictures in your head.

I don't belong here.

What lies beneath should be left beneath.

Charlie.

Daddy.