The French Lieutenant's Woman Page #4

on a matter of the utmost importance.

Follow me, please, sir.

(woman groaning)

Ah, Smithson. I can guess

what you've come about.

I'm sorry I wasn't at home.

I'm attending a breech birth.

Well, the fact is,

we don't know where she is.

- I'm sorry, I don't understand.

- You don't know what's happened?

- No.

- Then why are you here?

- I need your advice.

- I'm not sure I have any left to give.

Miss Woodruff has disappeared.

Mrs Poulteney dismissed her.

There's a search party out. I've offered

5 to the man who can bring her back.

- Or find her body.

- Well, she is alive.

- (woman in labour)

- I've just received a note from her.

I must go back.

Go to my house. Wait for me.

Nothing that has been said in this room

tonight, or that remains to be said...

...will go beyond these walls.

Now, you ask for my advice.

I am a young woman of superior

intelligence and some education.

I am not in full command of my emotions.

What is worse, I have fallen in love

with being a victim of fate.

Enter a young god.

Intelligent, good-looking.

Kind.

My one weapon is the pity

I inspire in him.

So what do I do? I seize my chance.

One day, when I am walking where

I have been forbidden to walk...

...I show myself to someone

I know will report my crime...

...to the one person who will

not condone it, my employer.

I then disappear...

...under the presumption that it is in order

to throw myself from the nearest cliff top.

And then, in extremis...

...I cry to my saviour for help.

What in heaven's name

are you talking about?!

I spoke to Mrs Poulteney's housekeeper.

She was at the dairy on the Undercliff.

The girl walked out of the woods

under her nose. She wanted to be seen.

- Presumably to compromise you.

- Why should she want to harm me?

Listen to me. I have

known many prostitutes.

I hasten to add, in pursuance

of my own profession, not theirs.

And I wish I had a guinea for every one

of them I have heard gloat over the fact...

...that their victims

were husbands and fathers.

But she is not a prostitute!

Neither is she a... fiend.

My dear man, you are

half in love with her.

On my most sacred honour, nothing

improper has passed between us.

I believe you. But let me ask you this.

Do you wish to hear her?

Do you wish to see her?

Do you wish to touch her?

You are not the first man

to doubt his choice of bride.

I will go to see the lady.

I will tell her you've been called away.

And you must go away, Smithson.

Yes.

I shall honour my vows to Miss Freeman.

I know of a private asylum in Salisbury.

Miss Woodruff would be kindly treated

and helped, I assure you.

- Would you bear the expense?

- Yes.

I would bear the expense.

Miss Woodruff.

Have you passed the night here?

- Are you cold?

- No. No.

Do not fear.

I have come to help you.

- Pray control yourself.

- I cannot! I cannot!

(girl giggling)

- (Mary) I'm not!

- (Sam) Why not?

(Sam) What is it?

What the devil are you doing here?!

- Walking, Mr Charles.

- Kindly leave us.

Yes, sir.

I have come here to help that lady...

...at the request of

the physician who is treating her.

- He is aware of the circumstances.

- Yes, sir.

Which must on no account...

be disclosed.

- I understand, sir.

- Does she?

Oh, she won't say nothin', sir. On my life.

On my solemn oath, Mr Charles.

I have taken unpardonable advantage

of your situation. Forgive me.

I am wholly to blame.

You must go to Exeter.

There is talk of

committing you to an institution.

You will save yourself embarrassment

if you do not... return to Lyme.

- Where are your belongings?

- At the coach depot.

I will have them sent

to the depot at Exeter.

Walk to Axmouth Cross,

wait for the coach there.

Take the money in this purse.

Thank you.

Here is my lawyer's address.

Let him know where you are.

I will instruct him

to send you more money.

Thank you.

I shall never see you again.

No.

You are a remarkable person,

Miss Woodruff.

Yes, I am a remarkable person.

I'm going - to London.

Yup.

Well, I don't have any more

scenes to shoot here, so...

Is, er... David here?

- No, he's flying in tonight.

- Oh. That'll be nice for you.

No... it will be nice for you.

Nice for him, too.

I'll miss you.

I'll drive you up to the Cups

if you've finished.

- See you in Exeter, Anna.

- Mm-hm.

- Think of us, slogging away.

- Oh, I will.

Am I going to see you in London?

That would be very, very difficult.

We are there for a fortnight.

I must see you.

OK.

(PA) OK, we're moving up to the Cups.

- Mike, we need you in Make-up.

- Yes!

Yes.

- Yes.

- Yes.

Sam?

- Sir.

- Ah, Sam.

I want you to leave for London

today, open up the house.

I'll be leaving tomorrow.

- Change of plan.

- I see, sir.

This doesn't have any bearing on

your, er, future plans, I trust, sir?

- What are you talking about?

- I've got to think about my future, sir.

Have you? Well, your immediate future

is to leave for London today.

- Is that clear?

- Yes, Mr Charles.

(rings bell)

Ah. Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, sir.

Miss Ernestina's in the garden.

Thank you.

Sam has explained about the, er...

circumstances of this morning?

Yes, sir.

- And you understand?

- Yes, sir.

- Sir, I don't want that.

- No. Here.

Good afternoon.

Charles! So you have actually deigned

to desert the world of the fossil for me?

I am honoured.

I can assure you, the true charm

of this world resides in this garden.

Honeyed words.

My dearest, I must leave you again

for a few days. I must go to London.

- To London?

- To see Montague, my lawyer.

- Oh, Charles!

- It's unavoidable, I'm afraid.

Apparently there are matters outstanding,

to do with the marriage settlement.

- Your father is a most scrupulous person.

- What does he want?

- Who?

- My father.

Er... Justice for you.

Sweet justice...

that takes you away from me.

Ernestina, I know our private affections

are the paramount consideration...

...but there is also a... legal and

contractual side to matrimony which is...

Fiddlesticks!

- My dearest Tina...

- I am weary of Lyme.

- I see you so little.

- I shall be back in three days.

Kiss me, then... to seal your promise.

Play.

Upon the chase. 40-15.

Chase three.

Game to Mr Smithson,

and the first set: 6-5.

My goodness, Charles, you were

in cracking form. Sharp as a razor.

- What's the answer? Country grub?

- It's good to hit a ball.

You were hitting it as though you hated it.

Harry, a word.

You will be hearing from a person,

a Miss Woodruff from Exeter.

She'll give you her address. I'd like

you to send her some money for me.

Of course. How much?

Of course.

- Miss Woodruff?

- Yes.

And I want to hear nothing more about it.

You shan't.

Wait for me.

- Where the devil have you been?

- I'm sorry, sir. I...

Go and lay out my clothes.

I'm dining at my club.

Yes, sir. Can I have a word with you, sir?

No, you can't.

- How goes the huntin' in Dorset, Charles?

- And how go you for hounds?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes