The Secret of Crickley Hall Page #5

PERCY:

Can’t argue with that Miss.

She’s shocked at the blatant flirtation.

PERCY (cont’d)

I tend the grounds Miss. Percy Judd at

your service.

He offers his right hand but Nancy doesn’t take it.

PERCY (cont’d)

Have you met his Lordship? You might want

a stiff drink first.

NANCY:

I don’t touch it I’m afraid.

Percy watches her stride off with her suitcase. He’s

impressed.

PERCY:

You let me know when that changes.

50 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / DORMITORY - 1943 DAY 3 50

Stefan sits trembling on the end of his bed. MAURICE, 14, the

oldest of the orphans, summons him.

MAURICE:

Mr. Cribben wants to see you.

Stefan runs out of the dormitory.

51 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / LANDING - 1943 DAY 3 51

Stefan climbs into a cupboard on the first floor landing and

shuts the door. He peeks through the slats and sees a figure

climbing the stairs. Maurice comes down from the second floor

dormitory and points at the cupboard to the figure looming

towards him. Stefan whispers the Jewish Shema prayer to

himself.

STEFAN:

H.re Israel, der Ewige ist unser Gott,

der Ewige ist einzig. Gepriesen sei

Gottes ruhmreiche Herrschaft immer und

ewig.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 29.

52 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / LANDING - NIGHT 4 52

Dead of night in present day Crickley Hall. We move in on the

landing cupboard now closed up. There’s a tapping noise

coming from inside. Gabe approaches, wearing his boxer shorts

straight from bed, woken up by the noise. He opens the

cupboard. Nothing inside. He sees some pipes running up along

one corner. He touches them.

GABE:

AH!

EVE:

What is it?

GABE:

Hot! It’s hot all right! I’ll fix it

tomorrow.

EVE:

Is it going to bang all night?

LOREN:

Mum ...

Loren is at the door to her room, rubbing her eyes.

EVE:

Your Dad put the boiler on warp ten.

Gabe heads downstairs.

GABE:

Cold showers in the morning. I’m not the

one who’ll be crying ...

Eve kisses Loren on the head.

EVE:

Go back to bed.

53 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / LOREN’S ROOM - NIGHT 4 53

Loren returns to her room. She gets into bed and a thump from

upstairs dislodges dust from the ceiling onto her face.

LOREN:

(WHISPERS)

Mum. Mum!

54 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / LANDING - NIGHT 4 54

Eve comes back onto the landing to meet Loren.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 30.

LOREN:

(WHISPERING)

There’s people upstairs!

Gabe’s climbing the stairs towards them. Eve waves him to

stop. She listens. Silence.

55 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / DORMITORY - NIGHT 4 55

Gabe turns on the light to reveal the large long room we

recognize as the orphans’ dormitory. No-one there.

GABE:

Might have been a rat, I heard one in the

cellar.

Loren looks at him.

GABE (cont’d)

Squirrels. Cute rats.

Loren opens the cupboard door and there’s nothing there. A

box topples from a shelf with a clatter, making them all

jump. They look at the contents. Toys and dolls. Nothing

plastic. Old-fashioned and old. Eve picks up a spinning top.

Rust obscuring the image of dancing children painted around

the circumference.

Loren pulls back some dust sheets covering a line of rusted

iron beds.

LOREN:

They must have had a big family.

56 EXT. CRICKLEY HALL - NIGHT 4 56

Crickley Hall nestles peacefully in the moonlit valley.

57 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / MAIN BEDROOM - NIGHT 4 57

Eve wakes up in the dark. She’s crying. Short of breath. She

looks around the room. Sits up, pulling herself together. She

reaches under her pillow to hold the blue woollen hat to her

cheek. She can hear Clyde howling. Gabe is not there.

58 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / ENTRANCE HALL - NIGHT 4 58

Eve descends the stairs. Clyde has stopped howling. Eve’s

feet step into puddles of water on the stairs. She looks up

at the ceiling to see if she can spot the leak.

She reaches the foot of the stairs and sees the door to the

cellar is open. Eve moves to shut the cellar door. Gabe

appears from what used to be Cribben’s study.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 31.

GABE:

Clyde’s being a drama queen it’s not that

cold.

Eve sees Gabe’s laptop open on the study table. There’s a

website on it:

Have You Seen Our Son?

A photo of Cam. A phone number.

On the corner a counter of days missing: 361.

GABE (cont’d)

We got a couple of emails. I forwarded

them on.

He looks more closely at her and wipes the tears from her

cheek. No need to ask why.

EVE:

No it was a good one. I could smell him

he was so close. He said he’s not dead.

It’s funny I feel closer to him here.

He holds her. Doesn’t know what to say. He sees the puddles

on the stone floor.

EVE (cont’d)

And all the way up the stairs.

GABE:

I didn’t know it was raining. What were

you doing in the cellar?

EVE:

I don’t want Loren and Cally going down

there will you make sure it’s closed

after you.

GABE:

I did. Okay I will.

EVE:

What time’s it now?

GABE:

Sunday. All day.

They go back upstairs together, his arm around her.

The cellar door swings open.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 32.

59 EXT. CRICKLEY HALL - 1943 DAY 4 59

Nancy rings the bell.

Maurice answers the door. Chewing with his mouth full.

MAURICE:

Morning Miss Linnet.

NANCY:

Good morning. You must be Maurice.

You’re the oldest here aren’t you?

MAURICE:

I’m kind of the prefect.

He doesn’t seem too happy about it. A little hunted.

NANCY:

I look forward to teaching you Maurice.

She notices Maurice is barefoot.

60 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / ENTRANCE HALL - 1943 DAY 4 60

Nancy looks into the study as she passes. The curtains areopen and no-one’s in there.

MAGDA:

Every footstep carries in this place.

It’s like an echo chamber. Would you

mind?

Nancy looks across to see Magda in her socks.

Nancy takes her shoes off, nonplussed. She glances up andsees a figure cross the first floor landing.

MAGDA (cont’d)

You can meet him tomorrow. He has a

fierce migraine.

Nancy sees an open box by the door. It’s full of new toys.

The same ones we saw fall out of the box in present day.

MAGDA (cont’d)

People keep dumping these on us.

Magda approaches to seal the box up.

MAGDA (cont’d)

Toys have to be earned. Like everythingelse.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 33.

61 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / CLASSROOM - 1943 DAY 4

Nancy is in the classroom in front of the eleven orphans.

She’s writing on the blackboard:

EVACUATION.

NANCY:

Can anyone give me another word for

evacuation?

Maurice puts his hand up.

NANCY (cont’d)

Let’s give someone else a chance. Susan?

SUSAN, 12, shakes her head, subdued.

NANCY (cont’d)

Brenda.

Brenda looks blank. Stefan puts his hand timidly up.

NANCY (cont’d)

Stefan.

STEFAN:

Entweichen.

NANCY:

Can you say that in English?

STEFAN:

Escape.

NANCY:

Well done. Can anyone think of any other

famous escapes in history?

MAURICE:

The Jews.

NANCY:

Maurice?

MAURICE:

The Jews are always escaping. That’s how

he knew the answer.

Nancy writes on the board: EXODUS.

NANCY:

This is another word for evacuation. Why

did the Jews want to escape?

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