The Iron Lady Page #19

(beat)

He knew he would leave me first.

That he would die first.

NELLY lost deep within herself.

NELLY (CONT’D)

Charles understood that however

painful it is, we are alone.

Whoever we are with, we are alone.

And he was right. Great

Expectations. He wrote an ending -

It was his first instinctive

ending. A good ending, the best

ending- Pip and Estella do not come

together. Pip sees that she will

never be his. Later they wanted him

to change it. Some people thought

it too brutal. So instead Pip

finals words are - “I saw the

shadow of no parting from her” - He

ends the book in shadows, you see,

a place of uncertainty, of

haunting. And that is where I have

been living. Do you see-?

Blue Revisions dated 11th June 2012 100.

BENHAM stares at her.

BENHAM:

Yes.

NELLY:

And I will not live there anymore.

They sit; it is almost dark.

97A EXT. ELIZABETH COTTAGE. WINDSOR. 1865. DAY. 97A

The front of a pretty cottage, DICKENS walks towards a front

door, turns to NELLY guiding her in.

98 INT. BEDROOM. ELIZABETH COTTAGE. WINDSOR. 1865. DAY. 98

The PRESS of a FOOT on a floorboard

NELLY’s stands, arm heavily bandaged peering into a

bedroom. She enters, eyes tracing over the simple yet

comfortably furnished sitting room.

DICKENS hovers in the doorway, clutching his hat.

SILENCE:

DICKENS:

The house is to your liking?

SILENCE:

NELLY:

Yes. I am happy to see the

castle from the window.

DICKENS:

And there is a fire in every

room. I have taken the liberty of

employing a nurse who will attend

to you. A local woman but of good

kind.

NELLY hesitates, nods-

DICKENS (CONT’D)

It is a sleepy market town, but

there is a very fine butchers.

And the church is newly restored.

You must visit.

NELLY:

Yes.

Blue Revisions dated 11th June 2012 101.

DICKENS:

The fast train from Paddington

takes 18 minutes. Or

alternatively there is a train to

Windsor from Victoria or Waterloo

which also serves well.

SILENCE:

DICKENS (CONT’D)

Nelly-?

NELLY stares out at the castle, floating far off across the

fields, suspended above the mist.

NELLY:

It is as if it is floating.

NELLY forces a smile, quietly broken.

NELLY (CONT’D)

You will come to see me?

DICKENS:

Yes.

NELLY:

Weekly?

DICKENS:

Of course. Twice if I can.

NELLY:

I see. And if I need anything-?

DICKENS:

You need only ask.

NELLY:

And am I to expect you at

weekends and holidays?

DICKENS:

Nelly-

NELLY:

Of course I am sure when you can.

DICKENS:

Please-

NELLY:

And shall we keep Tringham?

DICKENS:

(beat)

Yes.

Blue Revisions dated 11th June 2012 102.

NELLY:

Then this is how it is to be now,

Charles.

DICKENS caught in its unbearable hold.

DICKENS:

Whatever I have tried to do in

life, I have tried with all my

heart to do it well. Whatever I

have devoted myself to I

DICKENS unable to find words-

NELLY:

Don’t, Charles. Don’t explain.

DICKENS looks at her, suddenly exhausted, all his inner

defences crumbling.

NELLY (CONT’D)

There is nothing to say.

NELLY looks at him calmly.

DICKENS stares back at her.

NELLY (CONT’D)

Everyone has their secret. And

this is ours.

DICKENS:

Yes.

NELLY reaches over to him awkwardly, her arm giving her

discomfort. She kisses him gently on the forehead - almost as

if he were a boy.

NELLY:

So much more complicated than

anything one could write in a

book.

Yet he seems aged and frail, vulnerable, depleted, leaning

into NELLY.

99 INT. HALL. SCHOOLHOUSE. MARGATE. 1885. DUSK. 99

NELLY pulls off her coat and hat-

Beyond, the MURMUR of VOICES, MUSICIANS TUNING UP

MARY on the approach, carrying a tray of drained punch

glasses

Blue Revisions dated 11th June 2012 103.

MARY:

Where have you been? Mr Wharton

Robinson has been looking for you

everywhere.

NELLY nods, face flushed from the cold.

NELLY:

Mary, will you tell my husband I

wish to see him.

MARY, clearly anxious, nods, moving on.

MARY:

The doorbell’s not stopped and

they’re half way through the punch.

Through an ajar door, PARENTS seated, the RUSTLE and RIPPLE

of excitement, the play about to begin

100

INT. PARLOUR/LIBRARY. SCHOOLHOUSE. MARGATE. NIGHT. 1885. 100

The clock chimes seven-

A SENSE OF GROWING NOISE, THE SOUND OF PEOPLE’s CHATTER, A

WORLD OF PARENTS JUST AUDIBLE PASSING OUTSIDE THE DOORNELLY

waiting-

GEORGE OOV:

Nelly-

The DOOR SWINGS OPEN, GEORGE enters-

GEORGE:

You are late. It is nearly dark.

Where have you been?

NELLY springs up, going over to GEORGE, reaching out for him.

NELLY:

George. I am so sorry. I am here. I

am here.

She grips him tighter. GEORGE softening, holding her, with

genuine concern, his eyes searching hers-

GEORGE:

Are you quite well?

NELLY, on the edge of speaking-

NELLY:

Yes, George. Quite well.

GEORGE looks at NELLY, his hands cupping her face, her hair

windswept, cheeks flushed.

Blue Revisions dated 11th June 2012 104.

GEORGE:

Are you sure?

NELLY:

I walked with Mr Benham today. We

talked about Mr Dickens-

GEORGE:

Yes-

NELLY:

George-

NELLY wavers, suddenly unable to continue-

GEORGE:

The memories of a child, Nelly.

GEORGE holds NELLY’s eyes with complicit understanding.

NELLY:

Yes-

SUDDENLY FROM BEYOND-

GEOFFREY OOV:

ROAR!

SUDDENLY GEOFFREY enters, a mop of golden curls, his face

painted like a lion, with rope mane, rushes roaring into

the drawing room, straight into NELLY’s arms.

NELLY:

Darling, you will frighten our

guests-

GEORGE:

I think he is trying to frighten

his mother.

NELLY laughs, the moment broken, hurriedly buries her tear

stained face into his neck, kissing his cheeks, then GEORGE.

They stand in the half light of early evening, entwined in

silent embrace until-

NELLY:

Geoffrey. Go. You must take your

place.

GEOFFREY runs off, leaving NELLY and GEORGE.

GEORGE:

Are you ready?

NELLY nods, laughs, at the sheer exhaustion of it all,

gripping his arm-

Blue Revisions dated 11th June 2012 105.

NELLY:

Yes, George. I am ready.

GEORGE opens the door and walks into the light of the

hallway. We are with NELLY as she goes through the door.

101 INT. HALL. SCHOOLHOUSE. MARGATE. NIGHT. 1885. 101

The FACES OF THE PARENTS silent and watching-

CLOSE TO NELLY, behind her head. The sense of the SCHOOLBOYS

on stage, the sequence we saw at the beginning, alive on the

stage-

SCHOOL BOY 1

Well, my lads, the day has broken

at last.

CLOSE IN ON NELLY watching the play unfold, the camera

moving around her-

SCHOOL BOY 1 (CONT’D)

What do you say to the weather,

now?

SCHOOL BOY 2

I say the weather will do.

SCHOOL BOY 3

I say doubtful!

SCHOOL BOY 2

I say - bad!

A sense of GEORGE by NELLY’s sides.

CLOSE ON NELLY.

NELLY’s POV- DICKENS, as seen in Manchester, in the last

throes of dying on the stage of the Free Trade Hall-

DICKENS:

Come nearer! My mind clears, but my

eyes grow dim. Kiss me, kiss me

before I die.

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