Jamaica Inn Page #2

CORNISH DRIVER:

Smuggler, is e?

LEGASSIK:

(yes)

Ten pounds King’s ransom’s what he

is. Ten pound of ale…

LEGASSIK goes inside. The SMUGGLER sees MARY peer at him, and

spits - making her recoil.

MARY decides the inn can’t be worse than it is out here, so

she heads inside.

INT. BAR, ‘THE FLEECE’ INN - EVENING 12

MARY enters the bar, head down to avoid attention from the

mostly MALE DRINKERS.

She moves into the shadows behind the other PASSENGERS from

her coach.

But she darts a glance at the DRINKERS and her eyes alight on-

-a roughly handsome man, JEM MERLYN, 30.

Unlike everyone else, he seems alone, content with his own

company, a bright impertinence and easy charm about him, but

in the gloom a CHEAP LOOKING WOMAN, a prostitute, moves close

to him and runs a finger down his chest and whispers

something suggestive in his ear.

.

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JEM catches MARY’s eye as the WOMAN rubs his leg.

-MARY looks away, embarrassed and somehow ashamed as she

bows her head and moves out of their eye line, then quickly

moves towards the DRIVER who has now also come inside.

MARY:

Will it take long to change the

horses? *

The DRIVER looks at her in surprise. She elaborates -*

MARY (CONT’D)

I’m going to Jamaica Inn.

Frozen silence from the DRIVER. But LEGASSIK also hears. With

brusque derision

CORNISH DRIVER *

Jamaica Inn? We don’t go out there *

no more. *

LEGASSIK *

(brusque) *

If it’s work you’re after, you *

won’t find it out there. And the *

tin and copper mines’ve queues to

Lands End every morning, being *

turned away.

MARY:

I’m expected. It’s my uncle’s inn.

LEGASSIK sneers a laugh of dark judgement.

LEGASSIK *

Then you can tell your uncle *

Legassik says hello. *

The DRIVER is alarmed by the reveal about her uncle, about to

voice it but

JEM:

What’s your name?

JEM is suddenly next to her and his presence scares the

DRIVER off. As MARY turns to look at him, his stare makes her

self-conscious.

MARY:

Mary.

JEM:

It’s rough out at Jamaica, Mary.

Coaches don’t stop there any more.

.

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MARY:

Well be that as it may, it’s where

I’m bound.

(testy bravado)

I’m not afraid of hardship.

.

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JEM studies her with curiosity, tests her -

JEM:

It’s just the moors for twenty

miles. Some say there’s ghosts.

MARY:

I’m not afraid of ghosts either.

Something in her spirit interests him. He stares-

JEM:

What are you afraid of?

She tries to hold his clear gaze but can’t; blushes

inexplicably and looks away in sudden confusion.

He's still looking, and she can feel it through her clothes.

His look says that he can guess what would scare a woman and

he’s worried that she’ll find it where she’s going.

But there’s a sudden furore as a nasty fight breaks out

between some DRINKERS, ale spilling and MEN flying backwards,

and the LEGASSIK hurries to break it up in vain

LEGASSIK:

Hey, hey, hey!

MARY steps back, noticing that JEM has vanished. She decides

she’s better off outside after all and heads out. *

EXT. THE FLEECE INN, LAUNCESTON, CORNWALL - EVENING 13

The prostrate MAN is still on the ground as MARY returns,

surprised to notice JEM is quietly uncoupling LEGASSIK’s

horse from his cart, talking to it tenderly.

As he leads it off, he meets her eye - her surprise - but he

smiles and grazes a finger to his lips-

Before MARY can react, the inn door busts open and one of the

BRAWLERS flies backwards and nearly sends MARY flying.

More of the fight is now spilling outside, LEGASSIK now also

involved, and the DRIVER emerges with his ale to watch.

MARY’s nerves are jangled, so she turns to the DRIVER-

MARY:

Will you take me to Jamaica Inn

then or shall I have to walk?

The DRIVER looks at her. LEGASSIK breaks from the fight and

suddenly pulls his pistol on the CROWD

.

JAMAICA INN EPISODE 1 SHOOTING SCRIPT 23.9.13

LEGASSIK:

Which one of you took my scuddlin’

horse?!

But JEM is long gone. The DRIVER looks at MARY with a sigh.

14 EXT. COACH, BODMIN MOOR, CORNWALL - NIGHT 1 14

The coach thunders on and MARY, alone inside, gazes out of

the window into the interminable rain and blackness that

marks the beginning of the moors.

The shabby roof is leaking and rainwater finally douses the

sickly glow of the torch, making her jump, but still nothing

can be seen beyond; no trees, no cottages, just darkness

stretching on forever in the violence of the rain.

As we hold on MARY, the sound bleeds out and the movement of

the coach seems to change

-it lists from side to side as though it were a ship at sea…

The moment goes on forever.

A shout from the DRIVER blows past her on the wind and MARY

lifts the sash and looks out. She’s met with a blast of wind

and rain that blind her for a second, and then she sees that

the coach is topping the breast of a hill, rough moorland

inky-black in the mist and rain on either side.

The horses pull to a stand-still and the coach stops. MARY

scrambles to get out, the DRIVER huddling from the filthy

rain as he dumps her trunk down, points and calls-

CORNISH DRIVER:

E’s over there, see?

Only now does MARY make out a dark shape with tall chimneys

hulking against the sky, utterly isolated and lashed by

howling wind and rain, with no lights shining within.

On MARY’s frightened face; she can’t believe that’s it.

But the DRIVER’s picked up the reins, whipped the horses and

is swallowed by the darkness. MARY glances after him as if

doubting her decision.

ANGLE out on the moors, looking back at MARY as she drags her

trunk towards the inn; something out there is watching her…

15 EXT. COURTYARD, JAMAICA INN - NIGHT 15

The yard is full of junk and broken glass, but MARY pays no

heed as she drags her trunk under the wooden inn sign that

creaks and groans above her, and into the courtyard.

.

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Glancing towards the porch, she jumps to see a figure has

come outside, a lantern extended in his hand and for a second

it’s too bright after the darkness and she can't see.

But his face moves forward and is illuminated, puzzled but

intrigued to see a pretty young woman. *

MARY draws in breath, her courage failing her for a second. *

MARY:

Are you Joshua Merlyn?

Her POV as he stares at her; a tall, once handsome man, 40s,

who still has intense and brooding charisma despite his

brutishness.

And we share JOSS’s POV back at her: a young and pretty girl,

innocence, but courage, lost in the middle of nowhere in a

too-big coat.

They are dark negatives of each other. MARY is afraid of him.

MARY (CONT’D)

I'm…is my aunt here? Aunt Patience?

I'm her niece, Mary Yellan.

He stares for a further long, beat enjoying his moment of

control, having her to himself and toying with her.

JOSS:

PATIENCE? Bunch of petticoats to

see you.

*

MARY is unnerved by the sudden change in him.

16 INT. FRONT BAR, JAMAICA INN - NIGHT 1 16

MARY follows, treading the worn flagstones to enter a filthy,

run-down bar, a private male world of booze and neglect. *

The place is empty, and as JOSS shuts the big, heavy door and

draws the bolt, MARY step back, suddenly afraid but also

fascinated by him, unable to take her eyes off him.

*

*

*

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