Jamaica Inn Page #7

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MARY half nods, manages the wariest smile as she refills the

glass that he extends and then moves away towards PATIENCE,

who has appeared behind the bar.

MARY:

(to PATIENCE)

I saw a dead man on the moors today-

HARRY:

Ah, s’Joss’s brother Matthew, that

is. They thought he’d run off as a

sailor then they found him in

Trewartha Marsh, the curlews flyin’

round ‘im.

HARRY looks at PATIENCE who moves away, scared of him/doesn’t

like him.

HARRY (CONT’D)

There’s none in the Merlyn family

meet a happy end, Miss Yellan.

JOSS:

(hears HARRY, to MARY)

Bog’s too deep to get across and

pull him out. That’s why you

shouldn’t go out there.

*

MARY looks at JOSS. Is it a threat, or worry for her welfare?

THOMAS, a filthy lad, 15, smirks in from outside, nodding to

the yard as he tells JOSS something; JOSS nods to MARY,

showing off his ownership of her in front of the MENJOSS

(CONT’D)

More ale ‘n take these rags to

Cakey, wipe his arse for him!

*

*

The MEN laugh. MARY hates them, especially JOSS who she can

see is ordering her around to make himself look big. But she

fills the mugs, takes the rags and opens the door to see -

43 EXT. COURTYARD, JAMAICA INN - NIGHT 3 43

- JEM, riding in with three ponies.

44 INT. FRONT BAR, JAMAICA INN - NIGHT 3 44

MARY notices PATIENCE glances up and ripple dislike or

perhaps fear towards JEM. MARY heads outside.

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29

45 EXT. COURTYARD, JAMAICA INN - NIGHT 3 45

As MARY crosses the yard, JEM looks as though he wishes she

hadn’t seen him.

He leaves the ponies with STOUT, the TWINS, THOMAS and

AMBROSE who emerge from inside the inn to take them -

then kicks his own nag off at speed. *

MARY averts her eyes as she nears the toilet, her POV of

CAKEY’s giant white arse all too clear through the holes in

the shack - more undoing of her own hard work patching them.

Here.

MARY:

She stuffs the rags in a hole, grimacing, then turns away *

- but surprises a young couple, BETH and WILLIAM, who are

hidden in the darkness nearby, evidently in love but

muttering a dispute as BETH beseeches WILL and tries to pull

him back.

*

BETH:

I don’t care about money! I just

want you.

BETH and WILL start as they see MARY. WILL blurts, defensive -

WILLIAM:

We’ve business with the landlord.

MARY eyes them warily, surprised to see a young WOMAN here-

MARY:

He’s inside.

MARY struggles to pull a barrel forward but BETH

Are you his woman?

MARY stops and looks at BETH properly. We share her POV of an

ordinary, honest-faced young woman, the ribbons on her bonnet

blowing in the night breeze. She’s reminded of the girls back

home and glad for it, something that feels safe and familiar.

MARY:

(softens)

His niece.

MARY isn’t what BETH expected at Jamaica Inn.

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30

Nearby, CAKEY, a giant, simple, lummox comes out of the

toilet and lopes back to the inn.

BETH quietly implores WILL BETH

Will. Please, let’s go?

WILL looks at her. But heads into the inn instead with

determination.

*

*

A moment, then MARY follows, returning to her work, leaving

BETH outside.

*

*

46 INT. FRONT BAR, JAMAICA INN - NIGHT 3 46 *

JOSS is at the bar as WILL approaches *

WILLIAM:

I’m - are you Joss Merlyn?

*

*

JOSS turns to eye him with suspicion. JOSS swigs from his mug

of ale but has no intention of offering one to WILL or

helping him broach a conversation, and WILL is nervous.

*

MARY returns to her work behind the bar, filling some more

mugs with beer for other MEN but she *

*

- surreptitiously watches WILL’s discomfort. *

WILLIAM (CONT’D)

I - I sail a trading route. East

India Company.

No response. He thinks this next will impress him -

WILLIAM (CONT’D)

We’re bringing in some Cousin

Jackie. Best French Brandy.

HARRY catches JOSS’s eye. But JOSS just shrugs -

JOSS:

What’s that to do with me?

MARY catches his eye. JOSS looks away. WILL’s confused -

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31

WILLIAM:

Well…I’m… I mean, I hoped

JOSS:

(suddenly sharp)

What did you hope?

JOSS is threatening and close

JOSS (CONT’D)

You’d come and play a man’s game?

WILL scared of him, so blurts it out -

WILLIAM:

I know what time we’ll be along the

coast. I’ll put some barrels over

the side - split it fifty/fifty.

HARRY darts a glance at JOSS, with hidden meaning, but JOSS

is stoney-faced as ELI arrives at the bar, calling to MARY,

nodding behind him

ELI:

Cakey’s knocked his drink over,

needs it cleanin’ up.

MARY hesitates, wants to hear the rest of this and JOSS is

aware of her watching

HARRY:

Can’t say no to that, eh, Joss?

JOSS:

Isn’t up to you, Harry. *

-but ELI is still waiting, and so now she takes a cloth and

comes out from behind the bar.

ELI quietly sings as he follows her edging through the bar,

MEN’s legs up across stools in her way, so she has to climb

over to their evident enjoyment

ELI:

‘Once there was a barmaid at the

Prince George Hotel; Her mistress

was a lady, and her master was a

swell; They knew she was a simple

girl just lately from the farm; And

so they watched her carefully to

keep her from all harm’.

MARY glances round at him, aware that this is directed at

her, and glimpses JOSS slip out of the inn with WILL,

presumably to conclude their business.

As she turns back, alone among the MEN, TUBBY, in front of

her, now joins in the song -

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32

ELI AND TUBBY:

‘Then there came a miner, an

ordinary man’

ELI drags CAKEY, a huge simple lummox, up on to the table,

and he’s prodded and goaded to pose like he’s the miner -

ELI AND TUBBY (CONT’D)

‘Bulging at the trousers with a

cock like Sunday ham’

CAKEY’s getting in a frenzy, stamping and dancing and

stripping his clothes off, and now lots of MEN join in

MEN:

‘Down a shaft without a maid for

seven years or more; There wasn't

any need to ask what he was looking

for.’

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