Suffragette Page #8

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(cutting her off)

MAUD hesitates-

SONNY (CONT’D)

What’s it done to me and George?

I’ve had the police round. I said I

didn’t know anything. Got the whole

street whispering. I covered for

you to Taylor but he knew.

On MAUD, eyes searching SONNY’s face, despair and anger

palpable.

MAUD:

Won’t happen again.

SUDDENLY from beyond-

Mama-

GEORGE OOV:

GEORGE just visible sleepy eyed, illuminated in the doorway.

MAUD:

Georgie-

MAUD, fighting back tears, smiles, reaching out for him,

drawing him into an embrace.

MAUD (CONT’D)

My darling.

SONNY:

(abruptly to GEORGE)

Get back to bed.

(quieter)

Now.

MAUD:

(gently releasing GEORGE)

Go on, Georgie. I’ll be there in a

minute.

GEORGE gone. MAUD looks to SONNY.

MAUD (CONT’D)

You eaten?

MAUD takes in the chaos; dirty plates, unwashed clothes

everywhere-

SONNY:

Mrs Garston did her best.

MAUD:

(nodding)

I’ll make you some tea.

SONNY:

I waited and waited for you till it

was almost dawn. I was praying for

you to come home.

On MAUD, staring out of the window at the dark night beyond.

MAUD:

I’m back now.

SONNY:

(resolute)

You won’t ever shame me like that

again.

INT. WASHING ROOM. LAUNDRY. BETHNAL GREEN. 1913. DAY.

ON MAUD scrubbing a shirt, hearing-

TAYLOR OS:

Go on, on your way. I’ve had enough

of you. You’ve been nothing but

trouble since you got here.

VIOLET, with her coat on, reassuring MAGGIE, kissing her

goodbye, leaving her.

VIOLET:

(to Maggie)

See you at home pal.

(shouting to the floor)

VOTES FOR WOMEN!

VIOLET chin held high, heading out, the whole floor watching

her, MAUD included. MAGGIE darts a look to MAUD then

hurriedly returns to work.

MALE LAUNDRY WORKERS, SONNY among them, moving huge trolleys

piled up with newly laundered sheets and linen. They nudge

one another, laughing at MAUD.

TAYLOR OOV:

Hello, Maud.

MAUD clocks TAYLOR on the approach. She determinedly resumes

working, ignoring TAYLOR now close by.

TAYLOR:

Nice to see you’re feeling better.

Sonny tells me you’ve not been

well.

MAUD looks at him. She nods, looking to MAGGIE across the

floor, clearly distressed.

TAYLOR (CONT’D)

(to MAUD)

It’s alright you know.

(watching MAGGIE)

I found someone else willing to

make up the hours.

On MAUD, following TAYLOR’s gaze on MAGGIE. She looks away,

sickened to the pit of her stomach, pressing and folding

laundry, not daring to look up. Her hands shaking, she

presses them against the flat of the ironing table, forcing

herself on from unfurling, lashing out.

EXT. YARD/STREET. LAUNDRY.BETHNAL GREEN. 1913. DAY.

CLOSE ON MAUD leaving at the end of the day.

The SPILL of WORKERS out onto the street. VIOLET, waiting,

eyes quietly searching the crowd for MAUD.

VIOLET:

(calling over)

Maud-

Violet.

MAUD:

VIOLET:

(hushed)

There’s a big gathering on Friday.

They’re saying she’s to speak.

A moment, MAUD torn.

MAUD:

I gotta go. I can’t.

VIOLET:

(close to)

You can’t not.

On MAUD, holding VIOLET’s look, before hurrying away.

INT. PRIVY. NR MAUD’S HOUSE. BETHNAL GREEN. 1912. NIGHT.

The GLOW of a roll-up between chapped lips-

MAUD sits on the toilet, smoking as she reads the NEWSPAPER,

her eyes lingering on a headline, MRS PANKHURST, STILL IN

HIDING. MAUD considers-

INT. MAUD’S BEDROOM. MAUD’S HOUSE. BETHNAL GREEN. 1913. DAWN.

MAUD staring over at SONNY, as if she has been awake some

time. SONNY stirs-

MAUD:

If we’d had a girl, what would we

have called her?

SONNY:

Margaret, after my mother.

MAUD:

What kind of life would she have

had?

SONNY wearily sits up, leaning forward, his back to MAUD.

SONNY:

Same as yours.

On MAUD, she nods, looking into the distance, a decision

quietly made.

MAUD:

I’m working late tonight.

INT. OFFICE. POLICE STATION. BETHNAL GREEN. 1913. DAY.

STEED with WALSOP, BURRILL and OTHER OFFICERS staring up at

the a dense network of surveillance photographs, press

cuttings, notated phone conversations covering a board on the

wall. A surveillance photograph of EDITH pinned at its heart,

from which strings radiate to photographs of HUGH, VIOLET,

MAUD, MISS WITHERS and OTHERS all caught in a spider’s web of

string and notes-

WALSOP:

Intelligence confirms a growing

intention to retaliate.

STEED:

They’re putting their strategy in

place. Our contact in Lewisham

tells us Mrs Pankhurst is to give

an address.

BURRILL:

When?

STEED:

Any day now. We don’t know where

yet...

STEED’s pensive look caught on a photograph of MAUD’s face.

STEED (CONT’D)

But I’m sure our East London ladies

will lead us there.

EXT. STREET. NEAR SQUARE. NIGHT.

CLOSE on MAUD, hurrying down a darkened street.

MAUD(O.S.)

(hushed)

Emily.

Maud turns to see EMILY standing in the shadow of a doorway.

EMILY:

Maud. It’s good to see you again.

MAUD:

Have you heard her speak before?

EMILY:

Many times. She is without fear.

They share a smile, Maud buoyed by her excitement.

VIOLET rushes up behind them.

VIOLET:

Emily, Edith’s waiting for us.

(to MAUD)

You made it then?

They round the corner where EDITH is waiting.

VIOLET (CONT’D)

Edith!

EDITH:

You’re here. We must hurry. It’ll

be the first time she’s appeared

for months. They’ll be on alert to

arrest her.

A sense of growing excitement as they head up the street.

EXT. SIDE STREET. LONDON. 1913. NIGHT.

A WOMAN offers MRS PANKHURST a hand into a waiting car.

WOMAN:

There you are Mrs Pankhurst.

MRS PANKHURST:

Thank you.

EXT. CAMDEN SQUARE. LONDON. 1913. NIGHT.

A leafy moonlit square-

The MURMUR of EXCITEMENT - the entire street and garden

packed with SUFFRAGETTES-

On MAUD, VIOLET and EDITH, dots amongst the crowd, all

looking up at a BALCONY, waiting in excited anticipation.

MAUD looking around, now wearing her suffrage medal.

SUDDENLY a cheer goes up, as a WOMAN in hat and veil comes to

the balcony, pulling back her veil to reveal she is MRS

PANKHURST-

WHOOPS and APPLAUSE. Delighted whispers all around ‘It’s Mrs

Pankhurst’.

The CHEERS BUILDING. MRS PANKHURST opens her arms, calming

them. MAUD smiles, beaming at VIOLET.

MRS PANKHURST:

My friends. In spite of His

Majesty’s Government I am here

tonight.

MORE CHEERS - on MAUD, hanging on every word.

MRS PANKHURST (CONT’D)

I know the sacrifices you have made

to be here. Many of you, I know,

are estranged from the lives you

once had. Yet I feel your spirit

tonight.

MAUD catching on this-

MRS PANKHURST’s eyes travel over the sea of WOMEN’s faces,

all looking up at her, hanging on her every word. WOMEN of

all social classes gathered together. MRS PANKHURST smiles,

pushing on.

MRS PANKHURST (CONT’D)

For fifty years we have laboured

peacefully to secure the vote for

women. We have been ridiculed,

battered and ignored. Now we have

realized that deeds and sacrifice

must be the order of the day.

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