Gaslight Page #3

But your hair, is it quite right?

Come, I'll hold that.

It's a quarter to eight, Bella.

I think I'm making it worse.

My hand's quite shaky with excitement.

Ah, there's the cab.

I think I'm going

to enjoy myself tonight.

- Mr John and Mr Hogan.

- How do you do?

Mr and Mrs Blair.

Prince Hanawa and Mr Ryan.

Mr and Mrs Mallen.

- How do you do?

- How do you do?

- May I introduce my wife?

- How do you do?

- How do you do?

- A very good cause, isn't it?

Lady Frinton, Miss Frinton.

Splendid cause,

don't you think?

Mr Rollings, Miss Rollings.

Charming. Quite a complexion.

You are the most beautiful of all.

- I hope the stool is right.

- Thank you.

Bella...

Bella, my watch.

My watch is gone.

You must have forgotten it.

Don't worry about it now.

I don't know anything about it, Paul.

But it was in my pocket

when we left the house.

Paul, don't look at me like that.

Let me have a look at your bag.

I didn't put it there. I swear I didn't.

Will you be quiet, please?

Control yourself, Bella.

Please spare me a scene in public.

- Paul... a scene, no...

- Shh. Come.

Lady Winterbourne, I do apologise.

- My wife had an attack.

- Let me send for a doctor.

No, thank you.

It's nothing unusual, unfortunately.

Come along, darling.

Come along.

Paul, speak to me.

Don't sit there silent.

I can't stand it.

Hit me, hurt me, do anything, but...

...for pity's sake, speak to me.

Oh, dear.

Thank you, sir.

- Good night, sir.

- Good night.

Paul, how can you

torture me like this?

And have you not tortured me?

You make my life a misery at home,

and now you shame me in public.

At least let's keep your stealing,

pickpocketing and lying to ourselves.

I haven't lied to you.

I didn't take your watch.

- What about the brooch?

- Brooch?

The one I asked you to wear tonight.

The one that didn't go with your dress.

- It's upstairs in my room.

- More lies.

It is. It must be.

It's only mislaid, Paul.

You've hidden it away

in one of your mad dreams.

I have not. If it's gone,

someone else has taken it.

Someone else?

We'll see about someone else.

Elizabeth, Nancy, come up

to the drawing room at once, please!

Paul, please don't question the servants

in front of me.

Oh, dear, dear.

What's happened now?

Mistress been playing him up again,

I suppose.

There you are, Tillie.

Go into your basket. There you are.

- Stop titivating yourself. Come on.

- Right.

Paul, please

don't have that girl up here.

At least let me look again first.

Don't you giggle so much.

Behave yourself.

It may have fallen

behind the dressing table.

Let's talk this over between ourselves.

Please!

Please don't let the servants know.

Come in!

Shut the door, please, Elizabeth.

Come into the room.

You know the cameo brooch

your mistress often wears?

- Yes, sir.

- And you, Nancy?

- Yes, sir.

- It is missing.

Do you know anything about it?

I want you to think carefully

before you answer, Elizabeth.

No, sir, I don't.

You will please kiss the Bible

in token of your truthfulness.

Thank you.

And you, Nancy,

have you ever touched the brooch?

No, sir, of course I haven't.

Thank you. You may go.

Be careful what you do.

Don't commit sacrilege as well.

This is no sacrilege.

I swear by Almighty God

that I neither took your watch,

nor hid away the brooch.

Then you are mad,

you unhappy creature.

And you'll get worse until you die,

raving in an asylum!

And where the devil

are you going, Nancy?

I came to see if there were any letters

for the post, sir.

Are you expecting to meet somebody

on your way to the post?

- Only a gentleman friend, sir.

- So I supposed.

Well, are there any letters, sir?

Come in here for a moment, will you?

Let me have a look at your hair.

Very good, sir.

Is there anything more you want, sir?

Perhaps.

Come closer, will you?

Yes, sir.

Is there anything you want, sir?

There. Can she do that for you?

I believe you're jealous

of your mistress, Nancy.

Her?

She's a poor thing.

- It's better than one of us to get excited.

- Yes, Nancy, I believe it is.

You're mine now, aren't you?

'Cause you want me.

And do you want me?

I've always wanted you.

When shall we meet?

I'll let you know.

- Not tonight?

- No, I have to go out again.

Go along now. There's a good girl.

Very well.

You shall be master for a bit longer.

Good night, your lordship.

- Is that you, Cobb?

- Yes, sir.

All quiet?

The constable passed

about 10 minutes ago, sir.

I reckon they can't get back

from that concert before 11:00.

That will give me time to find out

what he gets up to in Number 14.

The only thing is, sir,

I usually meet Nancy when she comes

out at nine o'clock to post the letters.

- She never came.

- We'll have to risk it.

You wait about.

If Nancy does come out,

squeeze her dry...

of information, I mean.

- Good evening, Nancy. You're late.

- Hello, nice of you to wait.

Such goings-on.

Master made us swear things,

kissing the Bible and all.

The master? But I thought

they were at the concert.

Oh, they came back early.

Must've had another row.

Come along,

I've got to take the letters.

Well, look, let me take them for you.

It will save you the trouble.

No, I like a bit of air and a change.

Upstairs. There's someone moving.

Elizabeth!

- Oh, dear, is there no one?

- It's all right, ma'am. I'm coming.

Elizabeth, there is someone upstairs.

Someone moving.

There, there, ma'am.

Don't take on so.

There isn't anybody in the house.

Only you and me.

You mustn't let yourself imagine things.

Come into your room

and drink your milk.

But I don't imagine things, Elizabeth.

It's true. You can hear it.

Listen.

A moment ago,

the wires on the gas dimmed

as it does when someone turns on

another light in the house.

- Did you turn on another light, Elizabeth?

- No, ma'am.

There's no one in the house but us.

Nancy's out, and the master.

But it did a minute ago.

There, there, ma'am.

There's only something wrong

with the pipes.

You must have dropped off

and been dreaming you heard something.

That's right, Elizabeth. Dreaming.

If I dream things when I'm awake...

I'm going out of my mind, Elizabeth.

Oh, ma'am,

you mustn't say such things.

You know, Elizabeth.

Well, the master

did say something, but...

I once knew a girl

who died in a lunatic asylum.

I remember her eyes.

That was how they first knew.

If there's anything I can do, ma'am?

No, thank you, Elizabeth.

There isn't anything anybody can do.

- Yes, Cobb?

- There's a letter from Australia, sir.

Australia? Give it to me.

- Cobb, I really am a remarkable man.

- Yes, sir?

It's my memory. Amazing.

They shall have it for the museum

when I die.

With any luck, this should help us.

When is Nancy's next night out?

- Well, tonight, sir.

- Yes. I wish it was Mrs Mallen's instead.

Still, it all goes to show that

I'm on the right lines, as usual.

- All I want now is evidence.

- Evidence of what, sir?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes