Jamaica Inn Page #3

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JAMAICA INN EP1 FIRST REVISION SET PINK 25.9.13

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*

JOSS sees her fear and likes it, trying to weigh her up, *

attracted, wary, slightly threatening.

PATIENCE:

What is it, Joss? Only, I was -

MARY turns as AUNT PATIENCE enters, but MARY would never have

recognised her but for knowing that it’s her.

MARY:

Aunt Patience?

JOSS watches MARY, trying to get the measure of her, as she

in turn stares at her aunt.

Her curls are gone and she’s tired and thin. Her once bright

petticoat is a washed out pink and her clothes are patched;

her eyes peripatetically check on JOSS, at once afraid of

him, in thrall and seeking his approval.

And one bright scarlet ribbon in her hair only emphasises her

pallor, a tragic attempt to look pretty for her man. Yet

beneath the sometimes feeble surface there’s a steeliness to

PATIENCE, a manipulativeness that’s glimpsed in flashes.

PATIENCE:

Mary? Oh it’s never really you?

She moves to hug and look at her, watched by JOSS, but MARY

is filled with emotion and terrible sadness, trying not to

stare as PATIENCE looks around -

PATIENCE (CONT’D)

But - is my sister with you?

JOSS:

She’s dead. Girl wouldn’t be here

otherwise.

PATIENCE:

Dead?!

MARY:

(glances at him)

A month ago. I wrote to you. Did

you not get my letter?

MARY looks at JOSS, guesses that he got the letter and didn’t

pass it on. PATIENCE sits heavily in grief

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JAMAICA INN EP1 FIRST REVISION SET PINK 25.9.13

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PATIENCE:

Oh no. No

MARY:

(wrong-footed, anxious)

She wanted me to come to you. I've

nowhere else to go

JOSS:

Well she can’t stay here.

PATIENCE is still reeling.

But MARY looks to JOSS who is clearly to decide her fate.

PATIENCE becomes aware of this, and there’s a triangle of

tension between them.

PATIENCE:

Of course she can. She'll work for

us?

But it’s clearly more a question that a statement.

PATIENCE (CONT’D)

Won’t you Mary? She's a good girl,

you can see it in her face… She’ll

be no trouble.

MARY’s eyes are still on JOSS. He fixes her with a look

JOSS:

Depends on, is she tame? *

He extends a finger sideways across MARY’s lips -

JOSS (CONT’D)

Or does she bite?

PATIENCE stiffens - but MARY doesn’t flinch or budge; just

continues to look at JOSS, and his finger before her. She

senses it’s an act designed to test her, expecting her to

step away

-instead, undramatically, she bares her teeth.

His eyes are still upon her, and he doesn’t move his finger,

so, slowly, she bites on it. He doesn’t flinch, just watches

her with fascination, so she keeps on biting until it must

have hurt.

PATIENCE watches, unsure whether to protect MARY from JOSS’s

potential anger or be threatened by the sexuality of this

gesture.

MARY stops biting and releases his finger, looks down.

JOSS examines the bite mark. Her spirit has impressed him.

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JAMAICA INN EP1 FIRST REVISION SET PINK 25.9.13

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JOSS (CONT’D)

They should’ve made this one a boy. *

PATIENCE comes down on the side of feeling threatened, moves

to JOSS to assume ownership of him -

PATIENCE:

Joss, you-

JOSS:

Shut up. This girl and I understand

each other. Get some food inside

her. Can’t you see she’s starved to

death.

*

MARY is surprised that it should be him and not her aunt to

show this nurture. PATIENCE bristles, doesn’t like it.

But MARY’s clearly allowed to stay as JOSS tosses MARY’s

trunk on his back like it weighs nothing and heads upstairs;

MARY and PATIENCE watching him go.

17 INT. KITCHEN, JAMAICA INN - NIGHT 1 17

PATIENCE scurries to, putting bacon in a pan and stoking the

dull peat fire that fills the room with thick, sweet smoke

making MARY’s eyes smart; she whitters nervously as she works-

PATIENCE:

You mustn’t mind your uncle Joss.

There’s none round here who don’t

respect him. He brings me flowers,

see?

MARY looks where PATIENCE motions, at the flowers in a jug *

- but then PATIENCE is suddenly alive the second that JOSS

enters. But he edges in, fascinated by MARY as some pure

light in the darkness, though he’s trying not to show it.

*

*

PATIENCE sips of her mug of brandy and watches as he beckons

MARY to the table.

JOSS:

Come over here. *

Oblivious to PATIENCE’s jealousy, MARY edgily moves to sit by

him, and he carefully cuts a thin slice from the loaf,

quarters it and butters it delicately for her.

JOSS (CONT’D)

Brandy or ale? *

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JAMAICA INN EPISODE 1 SHOOTING SCRIPT 23.9.13

MARY falters:
none of them. A beat - then JOSS laughs darkly

to himself, should’ve guessed.

JOSS (CONT’D)

Don’t drink, eh?

He swills his mug, sees her eye it with worry and hardens.

JOSS (CONT’D)

Yeh, that’s right. I do.

(with dark regret)

I drink and drink.

(leans in close)

And sometimes, girlie, when I drink

I talk, but if you ever get too

nosy or open your trap about a

single word I say I’ll break you

until you eat out of my hand.

JOSS drinks. PATIENCE’s eyes flit between JOSS and MARY as

she sips her own mug. MARY hears JOSS loud and clear.

18 INT. MARY’S BEDROOM, JAMAICA INN - NIGHT 1 18

The walls are rough, floorboards bare, no jug or basin, just

a single mattress and thin blanket on it which creaks and

lets up a layer of dust as MARY sits on it.

She opens her trunk but hears a groan outside and nervously

moves to the attic window, lifting the blind to look out.

MARY’s POV of the yard where, the far end a dark shape swings

to and fro, creaking and groaning. A stab of fear as for a

second it looks like a dead man hanging

-but slowly it reveals itself to be the battered pub sign,

unhinged at one corner, twisting in the wind.

MARY breathes relief, but a squeal and movement at her feet

and she jumps as a rat skits across the floor.

MARY hates it here. A sudden decision - she grabs a few

things from her trunk, and wraps them in a shawl.

19 INT. LANDING, JAMICA INN - NIGHT 1 19

MARY slips onto the landing, shawl and possessions in hand,

barely daring to breathe, but all is silence.

She tiptoes to the stairs, intent on escape, but freezes as

she hears a low and muffled cry. At first it sounds as though

it could be pleasure, but then, unmistakably, it’s pain.

MARY turns to stare down the dark corridor, and JOSS and

PATIENCE’s door is ajar, their silhouettes just visible

against the window, her aunt’s view low, beseeching

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