PEAKY BLINDERS II Page #11

MEDIUM (CONT’D)

Tonight we have two new pilgrims

joining us. So let us welcome

them...

Aunt Polly is unusually nervous as she nods greetings. The

medium speaks to the skinny, frail woman sitting next to Aunt

Polly....

MEDIUM (CONT’D)

Starting with you. Who is it that

you are seeking to reach?

The woman looks around the table...

WOMAN:

My husband. He was taken six months

ago by the influenza...

A frail woman in black crosses herself...

WOMAN (CONT’D)

I tried to reach him through Mrs

Breach in Sparkhill but she kept

getting his middle name wrong...

MEDIUM:

Don’t talk about Mrs Breach in this

house. She is an un-sanctified

charlatan.

(CONT'D)

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41 CONT'D:
41

She turns to Aunt Polly...

MEDIUM (CONT’D)

And you? Who do you seek?

Aunt Polly gathers her courage.

AUNT POLLY:

A daughter. My daughter.

MEDIUM:

And when did your daughter pass to

the other side?

Aunt Polly offers a nervous apologetic look...

AUNT POLLY:

The truth is, I’m not sure she’s

even dead. That’s why I came here.

To find out.

Silence as people wait for Aunt Polly to get the words...

AUNT POLLY (CONT’D)

You see, my son and my daughter

were taken from me when they were

very small. Taken by the Parish

authorities.

She holds back then continues...

AUNT POLLY (CONT’D)

I never knew what happened to

them...

A pause.

AUNT POLLY (CONT’D)

But lately...

A pause....

AUNT POLLY (CONT’D)

I have had a feeling. Like

a...feeling I can’t put into words.

She struggles for the words...

AUNT POLLY (CONT’D)

And there’s a dream I keep having.

I see a pretty girl about eighteen

years old. And she is on the other

side of a street and she tells me

she has crossed over. My daughter

would be eighteen this year. In

May. The fifteenth. And this girl

has dark eyes like mine and she

shouts and shouts.

(MORE)

(CONT'D)

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41 CONT'D:
41

AUNT POLLY (CONT’D)

She says she wants to speak to me

to say goodbye because I am her

mother.

Aunt Polly fights her emotion and wins...

AUNT POLLY (CONT’D)

I don’t even know what name they

gave her after they stole her from

me. So I can’t find out if the

dream is true.

A pause...

AUNT POLLY (CONT’D)

If she has passed away and she

wants to talk to me...I thought

this would be the place.

The medium studies Aunt Polly. Then she glances at the chain

around her neck. There is a flicker of recognition...

MEDIUM:

You’re wearing the Black Madonna.

You’re Gypsy?

Aunt Polly glances around the room.

AUNT POLLY:

The part of me that dreams is

gypsy.

The medium nods and speaks in Romany...

MEDIUM:

(I am Gypsy too. May I ask your

name).

Aunt Polly makes a decision. She speaks delicately...

AUNT POLLY:

My maiden name is Shelby.

Everyone reacts to the name. Everyone knows the name. The

Medium adjusts. Aunt Polly decides (why not?) to use the

reaction. She glances at the frail widow beside her...

AUNT POLLY (CONT’D)

So perhaps you could do me first.

41A INT. LONDON, RITZ, RESTAURANT - NIGHT 2 41A

The small restaurant has a dozen customers attended by almost

as many uniformed waiters. We see the Ritz livery around the

room and on a menu which is being placed at a table.

(CONT'D)

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41A CONT'D:
41A

Some heads turn as figures appear at the maitre d’s table.

It’s Tommy and the boys. They bundle into the genteel

silence with John and Arthur stifling giggles. They have

cleaned their cuts as best they can and in the candle light

they still look sharp.

TOMMY:

Table for three.

MAITRE D’

Do you have a reservation Sir?

The Maitre d’ has smelt the whisky on their breath and made a

fast assessment.

TOMMY:

No we don’t. But we are staying in

the hotel.

JOHN (SHOCKED, LOUD)

Are we?

ARTHUR:

Holy f***...

The maitre d’ reacts but before he can speak...

TOMMY:

Also...

Tommy slips the maitre d’ a five pound note...

TOMMY (CONT’D)

We’re very hungry.

The maitre d’ slides the five pound back across the open page

of the reservation book (we might notice a few Lords and

ladies listed)...

MAITRE D’

I’m afraid without a

reservation....

Tommy interrupts softly...

TOMMY:

Look. You know what we are because

it’s your job to know. We’re not

gentlemen. We’re racing men.

Before the maitre d’ can speak...

TOMMY (CONT’D)

Tomorrow, at Newmarket, a horse is

going to come in at twenty to one.

We know because the race is fixed.

(MORE)

(CONT'D)

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41A CONT'D:
41A

TOMMY (CONT’D)

Now you get us the table, bring us

some food and wine and after we’ve

had our brandies I’ll write down

the name of the horse on the back

of the bill.

A curtain billows. The maitre d looks around...

MAITRE D’

How do I know I can trust you?

TOMMY (SOFTLY)

Because we’re going to be coming

back here. We’re going to be coming

back here a lot. And we’d like to

make this a regular arrangement.

The Maitre d’ looks at the five pounds and multiplies it by

twenty in his head. And imagines many more to come.

MAITRE D’

By the window or by the fire Sir?

Tommy half smiles then turns to straighten Arthur’s tie.

TOMMY:

No elbows on the table, ok?

42

EXT. TERRACED HOUSE, DARKENED STREET OUTSIDE - NIGHT 2 42

The front door flies open.

The sickly yellow light still burns. Aunt Polly is pulling on

her broad brimmed hat as she leaves the seance in a hurry.

She walks a little way then stops and leans on a lamp post.

She is sobbing, her face hidden by her dark hat. Her body is

wracked with sobs but we don’t come close.

We walk with Aunt Polly through the mist and gas light as she

makes her way home...

43

INT. PEAKY BLINDERS HEADQUARTERS/BETTING SHOP - EARLY NEXT 43

MORNING 3

Aunt Polly is alone, sitting at a typewriter, still wearing

the same clothes from last night. She evidently hasn’t slept.

Then a key in the door and Esme arrives for work. Aunt Polly

begins to hit keys on the typewriter. Esme lays down

paperwork.

Esme and Aunt Polly have a strained relationship and they

both clatter around for a few moments. We should sense that

Esme is pretty fearless but she is afraid of Aunt Polly.

Finally...

(CONT'D)

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43 CONT'D:
43

ESME:

Have you heard from the boys?

AUNT POLLY:

They’re on their way back.

Esme gathers courage and wants to build a bridge...

ESME:

You’re against this the same as me

aren’t you.

Aunt Polly speaks as if she didn’t even hear...

AUNT POLLY:

Look out for anyone laying big

money on Divine Star in the three

thirty at Newmarket. She’s one of

ours. Twenty to one. Anything over

a pound tell me.

Aunt Polly rolls a sheet from the typewriter. Esme withdraws

for now and gets busy too. Esme sits down. After a moment of

pointless work...

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