Suffragette Page #13

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MAUD running after VIOLET, tailing her along the path.

MAUD:

You can’t do this. You can’t bring

me into this and then just leave

me.

VIOLET:

I’m sorry Maud, but I can’t. Not

now...

VIOLET visibly upset. MAUD, eyes searching trying to

understand-

VIOLET grabs MAUD’s hand, pulling it to her belly. MAUD

wavers, with realisation-

MAUD:

Oh Vi.

VIOLET:

I can’t care for the ones I’ve got.

MAUD hesitates, sees the tears in VIOLET’s eyes and pulls her

into an embrace.

MAUD:

When are you due?

VIOLET:

Summer. Oh Maud I’m so tired.

They brea apart. MAUD looking on, watching as VIOLET

disappears out of the park. She turns back, towards EDITH.

EXT. TENEMENT. MAUD’S HOUSE. BETHNAL GREEN. 1913. DAY.

MAUD, pale and drawn, pinches her cheeks. She holds the tiny

wrapped birthday present addressed to GEORGE in her hand-

She raps hard on the door.

At last SONNY answers the door, smart in a suit-

MAUD:

I just want to wish him Happy

Birthday.

SONNY nods, noticing the little parcel MAUD is holding.

MAUD (CONT’D)

At least let me do that.

MAUD peers beyond SONNY, pressing to see GEORGE, the door a

little open-

Not now.

Sonny -

SONNY:

MAUD:

(sensing something)

Sonny?

MAUD desperately trying to push past SONNY with growing

panic, seeing through the ajar front door-

SONNY:

Don’t-

MAUD, a rising panic threatening to consume her as she pushes

past SONNY, knowing all is not well-

SONNY (CONT’D)

You’re too late-

INT. FRONT ROOM. MAUD’S HOUSE. BETHNAL GREEN. 1913. DAY.

MAUD tearing into the room, wavering on seeing-

A COUPLE, in coats and hats, stand with GEORGE.

SONNY:

This is Mr and Mrs Drayton.

MAUD looks to SONNY, eyes desperately searching for

understanding.

SONNY (CONT’D)

They’re taking George.

MAUD:

What you talking about?

SONNY:

Adopting him.

MAUD:

Sonny-

MRS DRAYTON:

We have a very nice home. With a

garden and-

MRS DRAYTON looks at MAUD with obvious unease.

MRS DRAYTON (CONT’D)

..all that he’ll need.

MAUD:

(reaching for George)

No, George-

SONNY:

I can’t look after him. I can’t be

a mother to him.

MAUD:

Sonny, please, just let me have him-

SONNY:

We have no family Maud. No one to

take him. I can’t do it all. Mrs

Garston won’t take him, no one

around here will. We’ve been cast

out, Maud. We’ve been cast out.

SONNY barring MAUD’s way, putting himself between MAUD and

GEORGE, all clearly distressed.

MAUD:

Please Sonny, let me...Please!

Georgie, come here!

MAUD reaches out for GEORGE, desperately clawing at SONNY to

let her pass.

MAUD (CONT’D)

Come here...

GEORGE breaks free, running to MAUD. She grips him tight.

SONNY:

Say your goodbyes and let him go.

MRS DRAYTON reaches for George’s shoulder. MAUD shames her

with a look, furiously batting her hand away.

SONNY looks away, hating himself. MAUD with desperate

helpless realisation, sinks to the floor. GEORGE puts his

hands on her face, trying to blot her falling tears.

MAUD, hand shaking, holds out the present-

MAUD:

Open your present.

She helps him, struggling with the paper until-

She pulls out a tiny toy elephant, pushing it into his hand,

down on her knees now, meeting him eye to eye-

MAUD (CONT’D)

Georgie. Your mother’s name is Maud

Watts. Don’t forget that name,

George, because I will be waiting

for you to find me. Will you find

me George?

Tears spilling, George nods.

MAUD (CONT’D)

Don’t forget it.

MAUD desperately clinging as SONNY intervenes.

SONNY:

Come on-

No!

MAUD:

SONNY pulls a screaming GEORGE out of reach. MRS DRAYTON

wavers, clearly distressed-

MRS DRAYTON:

(to MAUD)

I’m sorry.

MR AND MRS DRAYTON leave, dragging GEORGE away.

GEORGE:

(calling back)

Mama-

GEORGE’s tears and screams dissolving-

MAUD:

Sonny... Sonny.

GEORGE gone-

MAUD buckles, sinking to the floor, sobbing and torn apart,

broken.

MAUD (CONT’D)

What have you done-

SONNY:

It’s for the best.

SONNY, overwhelmed, goes to touch her, hold her, fighting

back his own mounting despair.

MAUD:

What have you done?

MAUD hurls herself at SONNY, hitting him, slapping him, hard

across the face. SONNY, reaches out, tries to hold her.

MAUD (CONT’D)

(screaming)

What have you done? What have you

done?

She shoves him away howling like a broken animal. On SONNY,

despairing, shame overwhelming him.

INT. MAUD’S ROOM.BEDSIT. BETHNAL GREEN. 1913. DUSK.

MAUD, still in her coat, seated on the bed. The sense that

she has been there a long time.

SUDDENLY she inhales, as if she has almost been holding her

breath, the shock suspending her-

INT. DISUSED CHURCH. BETHNAL GREEN. 1913. NIGHT.

On EDITH grinding powder.

HUGH:

Can I help you with that?

EDITH brushes HUGH away-

EDITH:

No. I can do it.

HUGH wavers, nods-

HUGH:

So, Violet will not be joining us

any more?

EDITH pauses.

EDITH:

No, she questioned our strategy.

HUGH:

Our friends are there to challenge

us. To keep the balances and

checks, Edith.

EDITH:

(cutting him off)

No no no there can be no doubting,

Hugh.

HUGH:

The movement is divided now. Even

Sylvia Pankhurst is opposed to her

mother and her sister’s militant

strategy.

EDITH:

(determined)

The only way is forward.

HUGH:

And what if you blow yourself up

with one of those damned things?

What happens to your damned cause

then?

On EDITH surprised, looking up as HUGH heads out of a SIDE

DOOR. ON CAROLINE resuming working, a palpable wheeze to her

chest. She winces a little, yet pushes herself on.

EXT. STREET. NR LAUNDRY. BETHNAL GREEN. 1913. NIGHT.

MAUD walking up a dark street. She stops and waits in the

half light-

SUDDENLY the lights of a van appear as HUGH pulls to a stop

just across the road.

MAUD turns, just seeing-

EMILY staring out at her from the van. They hold one

another’s look as MAUD hurries, climbing in.

MAUD:

Emily.

EMILY:

You alright?

MAUD nods to EDITH as she sits.

EXT. DRIVE. LLOYD GEORGE HOUSE. WALTON HEATH. 1913. NIGHT.

Moonlight-

Close on hands shaking as they light a long fuse with a

taper, letting it fall to the ground. The flame licks and

illuminates travelling along the fuse.

ON MAUD, turning, running, EDITH and EMILY close behind,

heart pumping, breath steady, running for their lives until-

BOOM!

The house exploding, illuminating the darkness with a cloud

of dust, hurling debris into the night sky.

EDITH:

(calling back)

Maud!

On MAUD running after EDITH with EMILY, tripping and

stumbling as they disappear across the foggy darkness.

INT. VAN. NR GOLF COURSE. WALTON HEATH. 1913. NIGHT.

EMILY, EDITH and MAUD, exhausted, clambering back into the

van-

EDITH bangs the van wall, close to HUGH’s seat-

EDITH:

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