The Possession Page #8

A gaping hole. A pigeon flutters out -

SIR GEORGE:

Damn -

Sending the lantern's light across a mirror entwined with

gilded roses.

(CONTINUED)

41.

CONTINUED:

In its reflection, Maud and Roland see a row of -- staring

tiny white faces propped against an embroidered cushion.

MAUD:

The dolls -

On the bed:
three dolls with china faces: gold hair, black

hair, and a white nightcap. All stare with blue glassy

eyes.

MAUD:

Christabel wrote poems about her

dolls. Here's one...

Maud picks up the cushion: embroidered with verses and

daisy chains. Meanwhile, as Sir George inspects rain damage

ROLAND:

I suppose any papers were cleared

from her desk. May we look?

The wind blows out his lantern. The room plunges into

darkness.

SIR GEORGE:

-- Not now. Too windy. The boards

are all rotten. Best wait until

morning.

MAUD:

Morning...?!

SIR GEORGE:

I'm sure Lady Jean will want you to

stay -

MAUD:

But that's -

ROLAND:

-- very kind of her.

Maud, still holding the cushion, glares at Roland.

SIR GEORGE:

Good. Joanie loves having someone

to talk to.

INT. SEAL COURT - KITCHEN - NICHE

Outside, a storm. Ice on the windows.

(CONTINUED)

42.

CONTINUED:

Steam from the kettle, as Lady Joan boils up for the hot

water bottles.

LADY JOAN:

I think we should get the bed made

up, get some hot water bottles in it

now. Don't you think, Dr. Bailey?

Sir George scurries across with another antique hot water

bottle:

MAUD:

You're sure both of us can stay.

This isn't an imposition -

LADY JOAN:

Nonsense -

SIR GEORGE:

I'll go up and see to the bed. I'll

need help with the sheets -

ROLAND:

I'll help.

MAUD:

No. I'll go...

Sir George and Maud head upstairs. Lady Joan fills the

kettle. She has taken to Roland, addresses him

affectionately.

LADY JOAN:

I hope you haven't had a tiff, or

something.

ROLAND:

Tiff?

LADY JOAN:

You and your young woman. Girl

friend. Whatever.

ROLAND:

Oh no. That is, no tiff, and she

isn't -- my girl friend. I hardly

know her. I've got a girl friend!-

LADY JOAN:

(not listening)

She's a beautiful girl, Dr. Bailey.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

43.

CONTINUED:

LADY JOAN (CONT'D)

Stand-offish or shy, maybe both.

What my mother called a chilly

mortal.

(beat; holds up a

hot water bottle)

I hope you aren't frozen in that

great draughty room...

EXT. SEAL COURT - NIGHT

Wind, rain. A pristine, magical setting. Trees

fantastically hung with ice, a pond glints in moonlight,

water covering with ice. Frozen gold and silver fish swim

beneath the surface, glowing.

INT. SEAL COURT - BEDROOM - NIGHT

In the old main bedroom, Roland -- in old jumpers -- makes

up an armchair as a bed. Bitterly cold. As they talk, Maud

gets undressed, behind a screen.

MAUD:

You didn't have to stay the night.

ROLAND:

Lady Joan wanted us to. They think

we're a couple. Besides, they'll

let us look at Christabel's room

tomorrow.

MAUD:

I could have come back on my own.

ROLAND:

You're stuck with me now. You'd

never have got in here without me.

MAUD:

That doesn't mean I'm grateful.

Turn around...

Roland dutifully snuggles into the armchair, as Maud emerges

from behind the screen in her bedtime outfit: a sugar-pink

winceyette nightdress over long johns, knitted mittens,

Arran sweater.

ROLAND:

Then I'll have to tell Sir George

how you and Leonora are such good

friends. I'm sure he'd be very

interested...

(CONTINUED)

44.

CONTINUED:

MAUD:

You wouldn't do that...

ROLAND:

Of course I would. Leonora must

have really offended him.

As Maud gets into her bed, for added protection from the

cold and Roland, she puts on a knitted balaclava. Only her

eyes are visible, peeping out.

MAUD:

(getting into bed)

She only complained about the state

of Christabel's grave. But she got

Sir George all upset. It ended with

him firing shots -

ROLAND:

Attempted murder. That's handy for

blackmail.

MAUD:

I've heard enough from you. I want

to go to sleep.

Maud rolls over, an embroidered cushion next to her head.

Roland lies staring at the ceiling.

ROLAND:

You know, in the beginning, they

were very romantic -

MAUD:

Who?

ROLAND:

Ash and Ellen. He took her to the

south of France for their honeymoon

MAUD:

Roland, this is no time for a

lecture -

ROLAND:

I always think of them as having a

perfect marriage, no children, just

lives devoted to poetry -

(CONTINUED)

45.

CONTINUED:

MAUD:

Just like Christabel -

ROLAND:

At least they had something in

common.

MAUD:

Good night, Roland.

ROLAND:

Good night.

Maud grabs the cushion. Roland switches out the light.

Darkness.

INT. SEAL COURT - BEDROOM - NIGHT

In another far-away bedroom, smothered in blankets and

paraffin stoves, lie Sir George and Lady Joan, fast asleep.

With the Labrador curled up between them.

INT. SEAL COURT - BEDROOM - NIGHT (2:00 AM)

Roland awakes.

ROLAND:

Maud...?

Maud is not beside him. Nor is the cushion. The candle has

burnt down. He gets out of bed, lights another.

INT. SEAL COURT - CORRIDORS AND STAIRCASE - NIGHT

Out into corridors, Roland steps with his light.

He walks down a long hallway, reaches the east wing, the

door to the tower.

UP SPIRAL STAIRCASE

Roland walks up, up, up. He reaches the panelled door. He

pauses, pulls the door open, enters to see -

INT. SEAL COURT - CHRISTABEL'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

By candlelight, WIND still HOWLS in. Roland sees -the

golden-haired doll. He picks it up. And -- as he

stoops down, Roland looks up to see -- Maud. He gasps in

shock -

(CONTINUED)

46.

CONTINUED:

MAUD:

Quiet -- !! They might hear us -

ROLAND:

-- What are you doing -- ?

Maud points to the embroidered cushion: a poem, sewn in a

childish design around a daisy chain.

MAUD:

I couldn't sleep. I think Dolly is

hiding something. Look...

(beat)

'... Dolly keeps a Secret, Safer

than a Friend.

Dolly's Silent Sympathy Lasts

without end.

Friends may betray us, Dolly's

lips are sealed.

Could Dolly tell on us? Much she

concealed...'

(beat)

Give me the knife.

Roland hands her the knife, Maud unpicks a knotted ribbon.

As the ribbons unravel, the silk gown opens up, padding

spills out, and -

MAUD:

Something's inside...

Among tufts of duck down -- a package. Wrapped in white

linen with tape like a mummy. Maud unwraps it, and out fall

TWO BUNDLES OF OPEN LETTERS

Maud picks up one pile: in handwriting: "Randolph Henry

Ash Esq., 29 Russell Square, London." Roland picks up the

other, to "Miss Christabel La Motte, Bethany, Mount Ararat

Road, Richmond."

ROLAND:

Ash's handwriting. Look at the

dates. He did send it. How did you

know?

MAUD:

I didn't.

(beat)

This is Christabel's writing too.

Read yours.

(CONTINUED)

47.

CONTINUED:

Roland picks out a letter, written in Ash's distinctive

handwriting. He can hardly speak -

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