The Dressmaker Page #5

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- (BALI HA'I PLAYS)

- South Pacific, Molly?

You're right. It's very romantic.

Neck.

Lonely sea...

TILLY:
17 inches.

Ooh. Much less

than Gertrude Pratt.

Island...

Chest.

Actually, the girl I fancy, Molly,

doesn't want me.

- Mad, is she?

- She thinks she's cursed.

Rubbish. He's much bigger than that.

You can tell just by looking at him.

Do it again.

Call you...

I don't believe in curses.

I didn't either, till she showed up.

- Is that comfortable?

- Yep.

- Come away, come away...

- 42.

- Told ya.

- Bali Ha'i...

Also less than Gertrude Pratt.

Waist.

The wind of the sea

MOLLY:
Come to me,

come to me...

Besides... l know

she's the girl for me.

- Couldn't be anyone else.

- (TILLY SIGHS)

Also less than Gertrude Pratt.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Make yourself something

and come to the wedding with me.

(SIGHS) No-one will talk to you.

Good.

- (GASPS)

- We'll dance.

And the more they hate you,

the more we'll dance.

Where the sky meets the sea

I'll keep you safe.

Here am I, your special island

Come to me, come to me...

- (SIGHS)

- (THUD!)

- (RECORD SCRATCHES)

- Ooh!

(SIGHS)

(UNA SOBS)

Gertrude's wedding

has ruined me!

All my customers have left me...

for that witch.

EVAN:
Una, don't despair.

You've still got...

Beulah, Elsbeth...

(SIGHS)

and me.

Oh, Evan.

(WHISPERS) Quickly.

Quick, quick, quick! Quick.

(WHOOSH!)

- Oh!

- Arggh!

Oh!

- (EVAN WHIMPERS IN PAIN)

- Oh!

UNA:
My head, my head! Oh!

Ow! Ah!

Oh, Jesus... Ah!

Oh, God! (GROANS)

Evan?

EVAN:
Uh... shire business.

Shire business, pet.

Una?

I'm inundated!

(SIGHS)

I'm going to see Myrtle Dunnage.

EVAN:
For what?

About a gown for Gert's wedding.

EVAN:
No, you can't. You can't!

You must have your... situation

in hand by now.

Besides... Una's inundated.

MARIGOLD:
I came here

despite all I heard about you.

TILLY:
Could you take

your cardigan off, please?

But no-one's been displeased

with your work.

Unlike that... talentless Una.

Oh.

Don't tell Elsbeth I said that.

Oh, no, never.

(SIGHS)

It's all very hazy now, but...

you left, I seem to remember,

when your mother became unwell.

(SIGHS)

Not... not quite in that order.

I lost my son.

You know?

Stewart.

You might remember him from school.

He fell out of a tree and died.

Do you remember that day?

- No.

- No-one remembers Stewart now.

But I remember.

That's why I find it difficult

to leave the house.

Everywhere I go,

I see what I once had.

Where Stewart once walked.

No-one remembers Stewart now.

Not his friends.

Not his own father.

Not even Beulah.

(SIGHS)

(GASPS)

South Pacific!

Could I?

Please.

Most people...

I want to look better

than everybody else!

Especially Elsbeth!

Something like this?

Maybe?

Lost in the middle

of a foggy sea...'

Oh!

Most people...

If you're game, I am.

Long for another...

- Mrs Pettyman...

- Island...

Just then...

why did you say,

"Not even Beulah"?

She was there when Stewart died.

Saw the whole thing.

Bali Ha'i...'

- TILLY:
Sergeant Farrat!

- Tilly!

Marigold Pettyman

came to see me.

You need to show me

Beulah Harridene's witness statement.

Well, that's not possible.

It's police property.

I couldn't... show it... to you.

Oh...

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!

Well, perhaps

I could lend it to you.

WOMAN:
Tilly Dunnage

designed the wedding dress.

WOMAN:
Oh! Can't wait to see it.

(BELL TOLLS)

(HORN HONKS)

- Thank you.

- WOMAN:
Oh, my goodness.

Oh. Mother of the bride.

WOMAN:
Glamorous.

- Thank you.

- MAN:
Winyerp Gazette.

Oh. Alvin and Muriel Pratt,

parents of the bride.

- Good to see you, mate.

- You too.

- (GASPING)

- WOMAN:
Why, it's Marigold!

- Marigold!

- I haven't seen her in...

WOMAN:
Stunning...

She got Tilly Dunnage

to make the dress.

WOMAN:
Lovely.

(CHURCH BELL CONTINUES TOLLING)

RECORD:
Don't please

my folks too much

Don't laugh at my jokes too much

People will say we're in love

Don't sigh and gaze at me...

(TURNS OFF RECORD)

TILLY:
Not invited to the wedding,

Miss Harridene?

Were you in love

with Evan Pettyman?

You are trespassing!

'Cause otherwise,

there's no explaining this.

I was in the schoolyard,

"watching Stewart Pettyman

playing after school."

"Myrtle Dunnage

came up to talk to him."

I saw her strike Stewart Pettyman

on the head

"with a brick."

That file is police property!

How'd you get that?!

Perhaps I subdued Sergeant Farrat

with a brick!

(SIGHS)

Or... a feather boa.

"I heard a sickening crack."

Now, surely if this had happened,

I'd have some memory of it.

I mean, who could forget

that vivid, "sickening crack"?

I wouldn't do that if I were you.

- (BANG!)

- (SCREAMS)

- (CRASH!)

- (SCREAMS)

(BOTH LAUGH)

Oh! Oh. (SIGHS)

(HISSES)

Whoa!

Oh! Help, help!

- (THWACK!)

- (LAUGHS)

(LAUGHS)

- (CRASH!)

- Oh! Oh!

(PANTS)

"I screamed, 'Stop! Murderer! Stop!'"

"But Myrtle Dunnage

just looked at me and laughed."

Oh, really?

I don't remember being

such a mirthful child.

(SIGHS)

"Whereupon Myrtle Dunnage

continued to stamp brutally,"

"again and again,"

"upon the boy's broken poor neck."

Oh, Beulah!

Two split infinitives.

No wonder they called me illiterate

at my new school.

- Hah!

- Oh...

Oh, are you... are you

scared of me, Beulah?

You weren't when I was 10.

You would hit me with a ruler

whenever I got a sum wrong.

- Or spilled the ink.

- Mmmm.

So why didn't you stop me

when I "stamped again and again"

on the "broken poor neck"

of Stewart Pettyman?

- Hmm?

- I couldn't!

I was 10 years old!

I couldn't have done any of this!

Everyone knew it was you!

You were the only one there!

You were there.

What are you insinuating?

Me?!

I wasn't there!

I came around the corner

and saw poor Stewart Pettyman

lying on the ground,

his head all twisted to one side,

and you... you standing over him.

You lied.

You didn't see any of it.

BEULAH:
He would've blamed me.

- Who?

- Evan!

Evan Pettyman.

It was my job to protect his son.

But you, you and your mad mother,

you're evil!

Lord knows what you're capable of!

Try and hit her fat arse.

- (GLASS SHATTERS)

- Oh!

(PANTS)

(ORGANIST PLAYS BRIDAL CHORUS)

(GUESTS GASP)

(WHISPERS) Elsbeth.

- I know.

- She's exquisite!

Yes. My daughter-in-law's

family's in business.

They move in...

commercial circles.

(BAND PLAYS 'A FOOL SUCH AS I')

MAN:
It's on the boot!

They've got him!

Pardon me if I'm sentimental

When we say goodbye

Don't be angry with me

Should I cry...

Everybody looks so beautiful.

(CHUCKLES)

That Tilly - she's so clever!

Shelley. And what's

your name, darling?

Cheers, girls.

Are you having a nice time?

- They are beautiful...

- G'day, Evan.

Lovely name...

Still up to your old tricks, are you?

Oh.

Don't.

(SONG CONTINUES)

That's right, girls -

run for your lives.

You think your little boy

fell out of a tree?

Wrong.

(WHISPERS INAUDIBLY)

(GASPS)

Oh...

(SONG CONTINUES)

- Oh.

- She lied.

She lied. Beulah Harridene lied to you

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