Jamaica Inn Page #10

56 INT. PASSAGEWAY, JAMAICA INN - NIGHT 4 56

MARY slips out - no-one there. She listens again at the door

to the bar but all is now silent, sounds like they have gone.

Gaining courage, she pushes it open a fraction, then gawps as

there, in the moonlight, a noose is dangling from a beam.

The bar seeming empty, she’s about to push the door fully

open when someone grabs her from behind.

MARY struggles, would cry out, but a hand is over her mouth -

she struggles, panic rising, but as she twists herself round

to see her captor it’s

- AUNT PATIENCE, who’s surprisingly strong, but MARY sees,

with shock, that she’s been punched in the face.

PATIENCE tightly holds her hand over MARY’s mouth, shaking

her head with terror, ‘don’t speak, don’t move’.

While they wait like that, there is indeed the sound of one

MAN’s footsteps in the bar, walking on the creaking boards.

MARY stops struggling, realising PATIENCE just saved her.

PATIENCE makes urgently eye contact with her, finger to lips,

mouthing ‘Shhhhh. Shhhhhhh.’

With her finger still on her lips, she silently pulls MARY

back along the corridor, taking her away upstairs to safety.

57 EXT. COURTYARD, JAMAICA INN - NIGHT 4 57

JOSS looks sick and emotionally strained as he finishes

dragging something heavy outside, then lets it fall.

The ‘something’ is ABE and he gurgles horribly, half dead on

the cobbles, a purple weal around his neck from the noose.

.

JAMAICA INN EP1 FIRST REVISION SET PINK 25.9.13

42

A beat as JOSS tries to contain his own surge of sickness,

guilt and regret. But a sound beside him, and a shadow in his

peripheral vision as the other MAN joins him from the inn.

JOSS stiffens, doesn’t turn, doesn’t trust himself to, had

enough tonight and almost on the verge of mutiny. *

JOSS leaves ABE to the MAN’s mercies and heads inside.

58 INT. MARY’S BEDROOM, JAMAICA INN - DAY 5 58

Light on MARY’s face as she opens her eyes.

Then last night’s events come crashing back in on her. *

She looks outside; there’s thick mist on the moors.

59 INT. PASSAGEWAY/FRONT BAR, JAMAICA INN - DAY 5 59

MARY’s in the passageway, unsure if there’s anyone in,

tiptoeing quietly to have a look for any evidence of what

went on, but as she pushes open the door to the bar 60

INT. FRONT BAR, JAMAICA INN - DAY 5 60

- the noose is gone, the bar now clear and clean.

MARY glances behind her, then looks around, but there’s

nothing to be seen, no sign of what went on last night.

PATIENCE suddenly passes the doorway -

MARY:

Aunt Patience 61

INT. KITCHEN, JAMAICA INN - DAY 5 61

MARY follows her into the kitchen MARY

- please what -?

- but MARY stops dead and jolts to see JOSS sitting there,

tucking into a full cooked breakfast.

JOSS:

Your aunt’s cooked breakfast. *

MARY is frozen but PATIENCE smiles like nothing’s the matter.

.

JAMAICA INN EP1 FIRST REVISION SET PINK 25.9.13

43

PATIENCE:

We saved a spot of cream for your

bread too.

PATIENCE’s face is still a mess, but both ignore it as JOSS

pulls out a chair for MARY to sit by him, almost like he

needs her there, and nervously she does.

MARY stares as PATIENCE cooks happily, and JOSS eats as

though he’s just a pleasant farmer worried about his animals.

INT. FRONT BAR, JAMAICA INN - DAY 5 62

The mist is clearing, and JOSS is saddling his horse.

Inside, PATIENCE is moving tables and chairs to one side so *

that the floor can be swept and as MARY joins her at a table -*

PATIENCE:

Here love, take the other end

MARY obliges, but now that JOSS is safely out of earshot

MARY:

Aunt Patience, please, I need to

talk to you

PATIENCE is leading, moving the table where she wants it -*

PATIENCE:

That’s right, just here, love -*

The table is put down. *

MARY:

They brought a man in here last

night-

PATIENCE:

(derision)

Mary -!

MARY:

I know they had him in here and I

saw the rope. I think that my uncle

k-

PATIENCE:

Do you need me Joss?

PATIENCE speaks loudly to shut MARY up, looking at the

doorway where JOSS is standing and MARY has no idea how much

of that he heard.

JOSS fixes her with a look, then shakes his head to PATIENCE.

.

JAMAICA INN EP1 FIRST REVISION SET PINK 25.9.13

44

JOSS:

I won't be gone for long.

(for MARY’s benefit)

Not so as you’d miss me.

PATIENCE is flustered, hurries by, wants to be away from MARYJOSS

stares at MARY; we stay on her, worried at whether or

not he heard what she said, as he turns and goes.

63 INT. KITCHEN, JAMAICA INN - DAY 5 63

PATIENCE cleaning, seemingly trying to hide in it as MARY

joins her.

PATIENCE:

Grate needs raking out there please-

MARY:

I was hiding in the storeroom. A

man came and he hid in there, and I

think that they hung a man called

Abe. I -

PATIENCE:

You must have had a dream and got

confused MARY

- I didn't dream your face PATIENCE

touches her injured face PATIENCE

Oh this! I did it to myself. I

tripped up on the cobbles outside

and fell down on the water trough.

You saw me do it! *

MARY stares at her, trying to understand her aunt’s denial.

She looks at PATIENCE shrewdly; then turns purposefully and

walks away, leaving PATIENCE suddenly nervous 64

INT. PASSAGEWAY, JAMAICA INN - DAY 5 64

- MARY has put on her shawl, and as PATIENCE appears, her

mouth drops open in panic to see MARY heading out the door.

PATIENCE:

Mary?! Where you going?

65 EXT. COURTYARD, JAMAICA INN - DAY 5 65

MARY strides away, PATIENCE hurrying after her -

.

JAMAICA INN EP1 FIRST REVISION SET PINK 25.9.13

45

MARY:

(stops)

We have to tell someone

PATIENCE:

Tell them what? There’s nothing to

tell ‘cept what you dreamt

(grabs MARY, shakes her)

Don’t you come here making trouble

for me girl-

MARY:

I’m trying to save you! Can’t you

see that? I don’t understand what

kind of hold he has on you. *

MARY (CONT’D)

I know that you're afraid of him,

but

PATIENCE:

(blurts)

Of course I am!

(lets MARY go) *

And so should you be. But at least

I've got your uncle to protect me

MARY reacts - that's who she thought they were talking about.

PATIENCE doesn’t want to talk about it but has no choice if

she’s to stop MARY doing something rash, so sulkily-

PATIENCE (CONT’D)

It’s the other man. The one who

hid. He tells your uncle what to

do.

(beat, quietly mumbles)

It’s him who hit me.

MARY is horrified, moves close to her, and almost a whisper -

MARY:

Who is he?

PATIENCE turns away - MARY catches her

PATIENCE:

No! He’d kill me!

MARY lets go. A moment while she thinks, PATIENCE eying her,

hoping that she’s done enough, stopped MARY from going. But

MARY fixes her resolve

MARY:

We have to put an end to this. I’ll

tell them that you’re not involved.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes