The Secret of Crickley Hall Page #6

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 34.

MAURICE:

They must have been doing something

wrong.

NANCY:

Stand up Maurice.

Maurice stands up, surprised.

NANCY (cont’d)

Would you like to explain that to the

class.

MAURICE:

The Jews are always being chased out of

one country or another. There must be a

reason.

NANCY:

What would that be?

MAURICE:

They killed Christ.

NANCY:

Jesus was a Jew Maurice.

MAURICE:

He wasn’t. He hated the Jews. He was

always fighting with them.

NANCY:

Who told you this?

MAURICE:

The Bible.

NANCY:

Stefan is a Jew. Do you think Christ

hates him? Do you think Christ hates

anyone? Would you leave the class please.

I’ll discuss this with you later.

Maurice leaves. Nancy is shaken.

NANCY (cont’d)

Stefan? It’s not his fault. It’s just

what he’s been taught. A lot of people

believe terrible things but that doesn’t

make them true. You’re safe here.

Stefan knows that’s not true. Nancy shivers. Goes to the

radiator.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 35.

NANCY (cont’d)

Is there no heating in this place?

SUSAN:

It makes too much noise Miss. For Mr.

Cribben.

NANCY:

Well I hope you at least had a hot

breakfast.

SUSAN:

We haven’t had breakfast yet Miss.

Nancy is astonished.

SUSAN (cont’d)

You can’t concentrate if your stomach’s

full.

The door opens:
Magda stands there with Maurice.

MAGDA:

Miss Linnet.

Nancy realize she’s being summoned.

NANCY:

Page fifteen. Susan would you read. And

when I come back we’ll discuss it.

Susan opens TS Eliot’s Book of Practical Cats.

MAGDA:

Sit back down Maurice.

Maurice returns to his place, staring smugly at Nancy as she

leaves.

62 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / MAGDA’S STUDY - 1943 DAY 4 62

Magda leads Nancy into her study.

MAGDA:

I hope I haven’t made a mistake. I wasn’t

aware we employed you to indoctrinate

children.

NANCY:

I think his parents have beaten me to it.

MAGDA:

Maurice has lived with us since he was

two.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 36.

Nancy is silenced.

MAGDA (cont’d)

We are doing our utmost to take care of a

Jewish boy. As is our Christian duty. But

our charity does not extend to the Jewish

leaders who provoked this war, this

catastrophe which nearly killed my

brother and destroyed his peace of mind.

Is there any other aspect of our teaching

you wish to challenge? Best we have this

out now.

NANCY:

The children are cold and hungry.

MAGDA:

They can wear as many clothes as they

like. It’s you who are underdressed. And

children learn fastest when they are

motivated. Food is a reward not a right.

NANCY:

What has Maurice done to earn his reward?

He was stuffing himself when I arrived.

MAGDA:

Maurice Stafford has a medical condition.

I should have thought you of all people

would sympathize. When you return to

class you will apologize to him and thank

him for bringing this matter to me and

not my brother. Or I can assure you you’d

be on the next train back to London.

63 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / CLASSROOM - 1943 DAY 4 63

Nancy stands at her desk, gathering her thoughts. She looks

up.

NANCY:

Maurice I’m sorry if I upset you. I know

you’re not to blame and I want to thank

you for being so understanding. To make

it up to you I want you to do a special

job for me and you’re excused from the

next exercise. It’s a job for a

responsible boy. Would you fetch me a

glass of this famous water from the well?

MAURICE:

Yes Miss.

Maurice gets up and leaves.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 37.

Once he’s out of sight, Nancy opens her bag and takes out a

couple of sandwiches. She cuts them up and distributes them

as well as some sweets.

SUSAN:

What about your lunch Miss?

NANCY:

I had a huge breakfast.

64 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / CELLAR - 1943 DAY 4 64

Maurice climbs down the steep steps into the cellar where

there’s a well with a circular wall.

He lifts out a bucket from the black rushing sound and pours

out a glass of water. He hears movement in the shadows.

CRIBBEN:

What are you doing here boy.

We don’t see Cribben’s face. But Maurice is terrified.

MAURICE:

It’s for the new teacher Sir. She told me

to.

CRIBBEN:

Am I to have no peace in any corner of

this house.

MAURICE:

I’m sorry Sir.

CRIBBEN:

You want to keep your privileges.

MAURICE:

Yes Sir.

CRIBBEN:

Get back upstairs.

Maurice hurries back up, spilling water on the steps as he

goes. We travel over to the well and down into the black roar

of rushing water.

66 EXT. CRICKLEY HALL - DAY 5 66

We hear barking from inside Crickley Hall.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 38.

67 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / ENTRANCE HALL - DAY 5 67

We track in on the closed kitchen door and the barkinginside.

68 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / KITCHEN - DAY 5 68

Clyde is on the other side of the kitchen door, barking atwhatever’s approaching.

69 EXT. BARNABY’S INN - DAY 5 69

Gabe, Eve and the girls get out of the car outside the localvery traditional pub.

CALLY:

Mummy are you sad today?

Shut up.

LOREN:

Eve comes to attention. Smiles at Cally.

EVE:

Give me a reason not to be sad.

Cally looks around, thinks hard. Eve looking at her withlove. Cally points at a newsagents.

Sweets!

CALLY:

EVE:

I’m happy!

70 INT. BARNABY’S INN - DAY 5 70

The locals look up as they enter. Gabe whispers in a codNorthern accent:

GABE:

We don’t like strangers round here.

Loren shushes him.

CUT TO:

Gabe getting the drinks at the bar.

LANDLORD:

Passing through?

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 39.

GABE:

I’m working here for a couple of months.

Staying up at Crickley Hall.

LANDLORD:

Big place that. You’ll be rattling round

in it.

GABE:

Why is it called Devil’s Cleave? Not

exactly touristy.

LANDLORD:

Ah well now. Centuries ago, the Devilhimself tried to cut his way inland fromthe sea to flood all the villageshereabouts. First he took a bite out of

the cliffs and that’s how Hollow Bay came

to be. They say after he took his firstbite he tried to gnaw his way up to themoors but his teeth eventually got woredown to the gums and he couldn’t get no

further. So he sloped off back to seaswearing his revenge one day. And he did,

but I’ll leave that for another day.

GABE:

Perfect. Thanks.

He takes the drinks over to their table.

GABE (cont’d)

Cally I got a good one.

71 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / ENTRANCE HALL - DAY 5 71

The presence stops outside the kitchen door. Then movesforward through the closed door.

72 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / KITCHEN - DAY 5 72

Close on Clyde’s paws tearing desperately at the back door.

There’s blood.

73 EXT. CRICKLEY HALL / GARDEN - DAY 5 73

Clyde’s barking stops abruptly. Now we hear louder and more

frantic sounds as we withdraw from the house. High-pitchedkeening. An animal in terrible distress.

74 EXT. BARNABY’S INN - DAY 5 74

Cally gnaws on a stick of rock as they emerge from the sweetshop. Eve looks at the church opposite.

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