The Wicked Lady Page #3

HENRIETTA:
A trinket

so easily won.

MARTIN:
Your

mother's brooch...

KINGSCLERE:
...steal it.

HENRIETTA:
Easily won...

KINGSCLERE:
...steal it.

Why not?

Now!

(NEIGHING)

(GASPS)

(SCREAMS)

Out! Out!

(SCREAMING)

Good sir, have pity

on a defenseless woman.

The jewels!

No, please, Mr. Jackson,

I have no jewels.

(SCREAMS)

I've heard, sir, how gallant

you are with the ladies.

If a kiss would satisfy you,

or... Anything.

No, not my brooch.

Not my...

(CRYING)

No.

After him!

Shoot the scoundrel!

Oh, my jewels!

(SCREAMS)

Missed! Incompetent lout!

(SQUEAKING)

HENRIETTA:
Ralph!

Open up,

we've been robbed!

(CLAMORING)

What's the noise?

Ralph! I've been robbed!

HOGARTH:
What is all

this disturbance?

Cover your nakedness!

To your duties, all of you!

Sluts! To your duties!

Lady Kingsclere, ma'am, she's

been robbed by a highwayman!

Oh, it was terrible.

I have been robbed

and assaulted.

These are dark times.

Remove those beasts.

They make confusion

worse confounded.

Oh, I still feel faint.

(MOANING)

Drink this brandy.

It would choke me.

I thought you'd manage...

Now calm yourself, Henrietta.

Tell us what happened.

Ralph. Why, Henrietta,

what brings you back?

And so late.

She's been robbed!

By a highwayman!

Captain Jackson himself.

He didn't take

my ruby brooch?

He took everything!

Was it Captain Jackson,

Henrietta?

I recognized him, it was.

Is he dashing?

Romantic? Handsome?

Extremely handsome.

Surely he wore a mask?

It was a very small mask.

Did he make...

Ungentlemanly advances?

Worse!

Worse? What happened?

I slapped his face.

Oh, my God!

I said, "You may take

my jewels, but my honor

no man shall tarnish."

BOTH:
What did he do?

He took my jewels.

And left you honor.

How fortunate.

He kissed me.

BOTH:
He kissed you?

From his horse?

Yes.

The horse, like the mask,

was a very little one?

Barbara, at a time like this

you try to make a fool of me?

There is no need.

The man must be

found and hanged.

I should think

he's very clever.

I don't think it's clever

to hide like a beast

and prey on

defenseless travelers.

Who are mostly armed.

The highwayman has

the advantage of surprise.

But he must have

great courage.

Think of the excitement,

the exhilaration, the danger.

Once a man

has taken to the road

everything else must

seem tame and dull.

I don't see how

he could give it up.

No matter how determined

are his pursuers.

Gentlemen! Gentlemen!

Let us decide on the ways

of catching this highwayman.

I say hang the lot!

You have to catch him,

Lord Dolman,

before you can hang him.

It seems Jackson first

appeared in these parts

when your sister was held up.

Yes, but an hour after Lady

Kingsclere was robbed,

Jackson was holding up the...

York coach.

A hundred miles away.

The ladies say the gallant

Captain works fast.

(ALL LAUGH)

You are to blame

for the bastards.

I am?

You spoil your tenants,

Sir Ralph.

(ALL AGREEING)

Thatch their roofs,

put this new-fangled

glass in their windows.

Hang 'em all.

ALL:
Yes, hang 'em all.

When it comes to violence

against defenseless people,

you will not

find me lenient.

Help me find

this highwayman,

and by God, I promise

you, I'll hang him

with my own hands.

Who is it?

Barbara, I want to talk to

you about the highwayman.

What about him?

Well, they're blaming Ralph.

Why?

They say he's too lenient

with his tenants

and when he's sitting

in judgment as a magistrate

that he should

pass stricter...

What am I to do?

Can't you take more

interest in his work?

What has happened

between you and Ralph?

Nothing. That's the trouble.

You took him from me.

If you hadn't given

him to me so easily,

I could have married

the man I really love.

You have a lover?

I wish I had.

We met, then we parted,

because I was married

to Ralph.

I thought you were my friend.

How could I...

Don't start, Caroline.

Once I begged you to stay,

now I'm telling you, go!

And leave Ralph

to your tender mercies?

He's all I've got.

I'm not having you

in his bed.

(GASPS)

You little fool.

Ralph, come in.

They've gone.

What about the highwayman?

Secret patrols, we'll catch

the fellow unawares.

You must tell me

all about it.

You see, dear, I take

a great interest

in Ralph's work.

Darling, let's do as you ask,

let's go up to London

for a few weeks.

Ralph, really,

I'd rather not.

But you complained

so often about being

buried in the country.

I've changed my mind.

There's an excitement

in the country.

I never saw it at first,

but now I find it

quite exciting.

(HORSE NEIGHING)

Get them up!

(EXCLAIMING)

Out! Come on!

Whoa! Easy, easy. Steady.

You do intend to rob them?

Keep 'em up!

You'll hang for this.

Oh, no, no, no, not my rings.

Please. Please.

They've been in my

family for centuries.

(CRYING)

(SOBBING)

Come on!

(WAILING)

No!

Damn gun's exploded.

(BARBARA GRUNTS)

Trespass on Jerry Jackson's

territory, would you?

A woman?

(LAUGHING)

Nearly a corpse, damn you!

My leg, it's broken.

Not likely.

I'd heard you were gallant,

Captain Jackson.

Do you always jump on women

and grab them by the throat?

Not always by the throat.

I'll have what you took.

I did all the work.

The road is mine.

Half each, then.

I'll consider that

over supper.

I dine with you?

You might enjoy it.

Evening, sir.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(CHATTERING)

Hiya, Betsy!

Here's my friend.

Welcome to you, sir!

Betsy, can we have

something to eat upstairs?

I told my friend here there

are two things you do better

than most women

and one of them is cooking!

For shame, Captain!

In front of a stranger, too!

BETSY:
You know the way,

Captain.

Attend inside.

I'll do that.

Fetch the wine.

This is the haunt of...

Of the brotherhood.

Or rather the best of them.

I'm honored.

Now, we'll have stewed

carp, pigeon pie,

a dish of neat's tongues,

and some cheese,

but not till I call.

May I?

You have seen.

Not all. And it was dark.

We cannot drink wine

through masks.

At your service, madam.

You remind me

of a man I knew.

A lover?

We met once. The moment

was not propitious.

Who are you?

Does it matter?

Priscilla, Dorothy, Barbara,

take your choice.

Barbara suits you best.

Married. Your husband

should know

his business better

than to drive you

to find your pleasure

on the highway.

I've never yet deceived

my husband.

Then it's high time

you began.

What of the jewels?

Keep them all.

You're very generous,

Captain Jackson.

Mmm.

So are you.

And Jesus called them

unto him and said,

"Suffer little children

to come unto me

and forbid them not..."

"...for such is

the Kingdom of Heaven."

My Lady knows the scriptures.

Even I was a child once.

What now?

Morning, my lady.

Money to the poor

people, darling.

Maryiot Cells has long been

famed for its charity.

(WOMAN EXCLAIMS)

You are most generous, sir.

Kindness itself.

Hold still.

This is all

I'll take from you.

I'll make her a gift.

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