08x21 - For All the Tea in China

[bunniefuu]

♪♪

♪♪

Oh, Monica.

Good morning, Lady Berrington.

Yes, yes, it is a
good morning, isn't it?

I believe I'm going to take
my breakfast downstairs

this morning, Monica.

Of course, ma'am.

Oh, has the weather changed?

They say it might snow.

Oh. Well, we shall just
have to carry on, won't we?

♪ When you walk ♪

♪ Down the road ♪

♪ Heavy burden ♪

♪ Heavy load ♪

♪ I will rise ♪

♪ And I will walk with you ♪

♪ I'll walk with you ♪

♪ Till the sun
don't even shine ♪

♪ Walk with you ♪

♪ Every time, I tell you ♪

♪ I'll walk with you ♪

♪ Walk with you ♪

♪ Believe me, I'll
walk with you. ♪

Oh, Shh, Shh, Shh.

It's okay, it's okay.

Shh.

Oh... It's me, Gloria.

Remember me?

Wow, you turned out to
be quite a pretty little girl.

It's amazing, isn't it?

First, you were in Heaven...

this afternoon, you were born...

and tonight...

tonight, you're in China
on your very first adventure.

Now, everybody finds their
families in a different way,

so we're just going to sit
right here and wait for yours.

It may take some time.

Your parents are in America,

and they don't actually
know about you yet.

Is there anything
about snow in there?

Let's see.

Monica mentioned
snow this morning.

She seems like a
very pleasant sort.

Don't you think so, Sarah?

I like her very much.

She does twice the work
in half the time somehow.

Really?

Is that true, Edmund?

Her performance has been
quite satisfactory, Your Ladyship.

Well, does she make
a good cup of tea?

We shall have to find that out.

I'll put that on the to-do list,
right after the annual report

and the stockholders' meeting.

Sarah, dear, how
are you feeling today?

Quite well, thank you.

Hmm.

Edmund, would you be kind
enough to go to the kitchen

and assist Monica in
making her first pot of tea?

The one thing that I
really like about America

is that they don't waste
time getting to the point,

so let's have it, hmm?

The in vitro didn't work again.

Oh, I'm so sorry, dear.

Well, it's a good thing
that Monica's making tea.

A cup of tea will do you
the world of good, you know.

Grandmother, you're starting to
quote your own tea commercials.

And why not? It's
absolutely true.

A good cup of tea and time
to think, and who knows?

By this time next month,

you'll be ready
to try again, hmm?

It's been six hours.

The doctor said it would take

at least that long for the
blood test to come back.

Come on. Let's take a walk.

What would happen, really,
if we never got pregnant?

- You mean if we adopted?
- Mm-hmm.

Well, my grandmother
would swoon,

and then she would rave
on and on about 500 years

of Berrington English blood,

and then she would...

- make a cup of tea.
- Make a cup of tea.

A cup of tea

will do you the world
of good, my dear.

And as for me...

if the only new
and precious thing

that we ever create together
is our happy marriage,

I will consider myself
a very lucky man.

I love you.

Now we shall see

if Edmund has taught you well.

- There we go.
- Mm-hmm.

Very nice.

Quite good, actually.

But this isn't Berrington tea.

No, ma'am. I...

I took the liberty of brewing
my own blend of tea leaves.

Really?

Uh, do I detect a hint
of... what is that, carob?

Coffee, ma'am.

Just a hint.

Ah, an entrepreneur.

We shall have to keep
our eye on you, Monica.

Yes, ma'am.

Would you be kind enough

to inform my
granddaughter-in-law

that it's teatime?

Americans never quite grasp

the importance of it, you know.

Yes, ma'am.

Excuse me, Mrs. Berrington.

Tea is served.

There are some things

that a cup of tea
can't fix, you know?

Yes, I know.

Where are you from?

Oh, well, I've worked
all over the world.

As a maid?

As a maid or teacher,
sometimes a nanny.

Those are always my favorite.

Hmm. You must love children.

Yes, I do.

You must have
noticed these last weeks

that I've been
taking fertility sh*ts.

Yes.

Well, we've gone
through in vitro five times,

and we found out today
it, uh... it isn't working.

Well, that must tell
you something, then.

I guess so.

May I ask you a question?

Do you want to be pregnant,

or do you want to be
a mother to a child?

Do you need to give life,

or is it enough
just to give love?

Well, we've thought a
lot about adoption, but...

it's complicated.

I believe that children
are a gift from God,

and if you're ready
to accept that gift,

He can handle the complications.

Well, God obviously doesn't
know Lady Penelope Berrington.

Good morning, little one.

See?

Everything's going
to be just fine.

We're right on schedule.

Oh.

They're naming you Meg Wei.

Do you know what that means?

It means Rose.

Hi.

I'm Gloria.

So, what's next?

Well, fill out the applications,

start getting your dossier
together, and read these.

Every country has
different requirements.

Um, what is the home study?

Well, we assign an adoption
case worker to your family,

and he or she
comes to your house,

interviews everybody
who lives there

and basically makes
sure that your home

is a fit place to raise a child.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

Oh, Her Ladyship's
going to love that.

Mmm.

I will not have

a complete stranger
walking into my home

and inspecting me as if
I were some mackerel.

Grandmother.

It's outrageous.

She said it was a casual meet...

I suppose they'll ask me

all sorts of
impertinent questions

as to: Did I spank your
father when he was three?

And the answer is: Yes, I did.

He kicked the
vicar in the shins,

and I... I gave
him a good wallop.

And I'll not apologize for that.

This is more about me
and James and how we live

and where we live and
whether we'll be good parents.

Well, of course you'll
make good parents.

So, you're saying you
think we should adopt?

Well, I just rather
that you didn't.

But I think you know that.

I mean, I don't
suppose that in 1783

Lord Geoffrey of
Berrington ever imagined

that his glorious bloodline
of British aristocracy

would end in America
with a home inspection

by a clipboard-carrying
caseworker.

I know.

- And I feel...
- Let me finish, Sarah, please.

If this is something
you must do,

then I suppose you will do it.

But, personally, I feel
that if you would both

just stop working so hard
at trying to make babies

and relax a little,

you might be surprised
at what might happen.

And that's all I have
to say on the subject.

Well, I think we'll at least
move forward with the next step.

Monica, there will
be two for dinner.

I'm not hungry.

Yes, ma'am.

♪♪

Their names are James and Sarah.

I haven't met them yet,

but I hear they're
wonderful people.

God picked them
out just for you.

Andrew.

What's the matter?

There's been a complication.

A representative from the
adoption agency is here, madam.

Ah.

The Grand Inquisitor.

My name is Tess.

Penelope Berrington.

Please, won't you have a seat?

Oh, yes, but could you
just give me a moment

to admire this marvelous house?

Oh, yes, please.

This house has many
happy memories.

I raised my son here.

And when he d*ed, I
raised my grandson here.

And started a business of
your own, too, I understand.

Yes.

Although James
handles everything for me.

I simply enjoy having the fun
of meddling and intruding at will.

It must be exciting

to think of raising
another generation

of Berringtons in this place.

Yes.

Please excuse me while I see
what's happened to the children.

♪♪

♪ When peace like a river ♪

♪ Attendeth my way ♪

♪ When sorrows ♪

♪ Like sea billows roll ♪

♪ Whatever my lot ♪

♪ Thou hast taught me to say ♪

♪ It is well, it is well ♪

♪ With my soul ♪

- ♪ It is well ♪
- ♪ It is well ♪

- ♪ With my soul ♪
- ♪ With my soul ♪

♪ It is well ♪

♪ It is well ♪

♪ With my soul. ♪

Oh, that was very nice.

It's such a marvelous old hymn.

- And you harmonize beautifully.
- Well, thank you.

You know, I haven't
sung that song since...

Well, it was a long time ago.

Did I hear someone
playing the piano?

Oh, yes.

My name is Tess.

So nice to meet you.

I'm James, and this is Sarah.

- How are you?
- Hello.

Well, shall we get started?

I really can't believe
we're doing this.

Please.

Thank you.

We have the birth certificates,

the health certificates
and the marriage certificate.

Oh, and I will have to interview
anyone else in your household

who will have daily
contact with your child.

Good heavens.

Is that really necessary?

I mean, really all you're doing

is investigating your
options, aren't you?

Grandma, I thought
we were clear.

This is what we want to do.

If we're approved,

we're going to adopt a
baby from somewhere.

Ah, that reminds me.

Because of your ages
and your length of marriage,

your options for
country of origin

have been narrowed
down to Korea and China.

Uh, China.

I-I don't think we have
a pamphlet from there.

That sounds very interesting.

I've always wanted
to go to China.

Oh, I would think you,
being in the tea business,

would have gone often.

Nope, we've never
imported tea from China.

Grandma has a...

Does anyone find it ironic
that any reprobate on the street

can become a parent, and yet
good people like you and Sarah

have to be investigated
like criminals

before you can be
trusted with a child?

That's the process.

Well, I'm not very
impressed with the process.

Grandma.

Do you have everything
you need from me?

- I do.
- Well, then, will you

please excuse me?

You almost ruined
it for us today.

What the hell were you thinking?

Don't use that tone of
voice with me, James.

And I'll tell you exactly
what I was thinking.

I couldn't believe
that things had gotten

this far with you children.

We're not children!

We're almost 40 years old.

We can't get pregnant.

There are plenty of kids out
there who need good parents

without us running around
like science experiments

just to satisfy our own vanity.

I'm not interested
in your vanity.

I'm interested in your heritage.

And quite frankly,

the image of plenty
of children out there,

oh, it makes me cold with fear.

James, really, I mean, there
is enough money in this family

to solve this problem with
the aid of doctors if necessary,

instead of rolling the dice
and letting some stranger

pull a child out of a hat.

I can't even believe
I'm hearing this!

All I'm saying is that you
should consider your lineage.

Adoption is a last resort,

and we haven't
exhausted our options.

We?

This is not your baby, Grandma,
and this is not your decision.

I love you,

but this 19th-century
British Empire mentality

only works in the tea business.

You can't impose that
elitist, class-system crap

on human beings,
and I will be damned

if I let you lay
that on my child!

A violinist? Really?

Well, just look at those hands.

She could be a surgeon.

Hmm.

Now, there's a thought.

Just imagine, someone walked

down that road and
did the hardest thing

she's ever had to do:

say good-bye to you, little one,

just to give you a
chance at a better future.

Oh, Shh.

Don't cry.

I know it's cold, but your
parents will be here soon.

You should prepare
yourself, Gloria.

Sometimes humans get
lost on their way to a miracle.

Tess... I'm so glad
to see you again.

I believe I owe you an apology.

Well, thank you very much,
but I'll get right to the point.

James and Sarah's
application for adoption

was not approved.

Oh, what a shame.

Yes, it is.

The household background
checks came back this morning

from Immigration and the FBI,

and according to them,
Lady Penelope of Berrington

never emigrated
to the United States

from England or any
other British territory,

and if she had, she'd
be 130 years old.

Shall I tell them, or will you?

Is this gonna take very long?

I'm actually pretty
busy right now.

Well, business can wait.

There's something
that I need to tell you.

Please don't leave.

I want you to hear
this, too, Edmund.

Your Ladyship.

We weren't approved, were we?

No.

And... I am at fault.

I knew it.

James, parents need
to know how to listen.

This is a good
chance to practice.

Here we go, baby.

They couldn't find any
evidence of me emigrating

to the United States,

and there was very
good reason for that.

Lady Berrington never emigrated.

Gladys Pickett did.

Who is Gladys Pickett?

I am.

I was found by Lord
and Lady Berrington

in an orphanage
outside London in 1941.

I was 16 years old, and
they took me in as their maid.

They were wonderful people.

Aristocratic in the best sense.

And despite the fact that
they lived modestly, they...

they had none of
their fortune left.

They had no children
and no living relatives.

Only an orphan girl who
cooked and cleaned for them

and absolutely adored them.

In the evenings,

I used to make a big pot of tea,

and we'd all sit
around the fireplace,

and Lord Berrington
would tell us stories

about their lives and about
the lives of their ancestors,

and, you know, at
the end of the night,

he would say to me,

"Gladys, that's one
for your grandchildren."

I can't even believe this.

A little less judging and
a little more listening.

They were very old, of course.

They d*ed before
the end of the w*r.

There was very
little notice made of it,

but the bank got
their little mill house,

and I returned to London,

and it was there
that I fell in love

with the most marvelous man.

He was a brave and
kind American pilot.

Your grandfather, James.

He was sh*t down

just a month before
the end of the w*r.

How awful.

Yes, yes, it was.

I was a w*r widow with a
new baby and no money,

but the one thing
I knew how to do

was to make the
perfect cup of tea.

So Gladys Pickett
made her way to America

where I opened a tea shop,

and I called it
"Lady Berrington's."

I bought a few impressive
anonymous portraits

and put them on the wall and
said they were my ancestors,

and I regaled the
customers with stories

that Lord Berrington
had told me.

And do you know
something? We just took off.

Suddenly, I was a corporation.

And, you know, in a strange way,

I was Lady Berrington.

No... you weren't.

It helped me to
raise my son and to...

to make a better
life for my family,

and it was also one way

to remember those two people
who deserved to be remembered.

I know that it was a deception,

but I don't believe that I
ever dishonored their name.

Maybe not, but you
dishonored yourself,

and you dishonored your
parents, whoever they were.

And me, whoever I am.

Would you care for a fresh
pot of tea, Your Ladyship?

Thank you, Edmund,

but you... you don't have
to call me that anymore.

I'm not a lady.

I beg to differ, my lady.

Thank you.

You know, Tess...

this has been the
most difficult thing

that I've ever done...

and yet, I feel a most
wonderful sense of relief.

Of course you do.

You haven't been
yourself for 50 years.

What am I going
to do about James?

You've already told
him who you are not.

Now you need to
tell him who you are.

You're working for a
hypocritical liar, Monica.

Better get out
before she tells you

you're the queen of
Sweden or something.

A person is more than the sum

of their ancestors,
Mr. Berrington.

You're a man of integrity,
well-educated and much loved,

and that's not because your
ancestors were aristocrats.

That's true because your
grandmother raised you that way.

Where are you going?

We are going to stay at a hotel

until we find a
place of our own.

Oh, no, James, please.

We should've done it long ago.

Oh, I never should have
lied to you. I'm so sorry.

I want you to know who your
great-grandparents really were.

And about China.

China?

Yes.

I was brought up in China.

My parents were missionaries.

♪ Whatever my lot... ♪

And they believed the
best way to teach their faith

was to live their faith,

so they worked in the
fields, they unbound the feet

of the children in the villages,

they took in orphans,

and when the Japanese
invaded northern China,

they held their ground
as long as they could.

I was just a child, and
1-I didn't understand.

I was only 12.

All I did know was that
everyone was so frightened.

I can't remember
what day it was,

but it was 1937, and the
Japanese were so close.

You see, we could feel the
bombs that were dropping

on the other side of the hill.

Even with the invading
army approaching,

it is well with my soul.

It saddens me that this will
be our last service together

for a time, but I know that
our Lord will watch over us all

until we meet again.

There were trucks
waiting outside

to evacuate all of the foreign
missionaries to Shanghai

as soon as the service was over.

From there, we would
board ships for England.

We thought we still had time.

Let us recall tonight...

There was so much
noise and confusion.

Everyone began
crawling towards the door.

Everyone except
my best friend, Li Na.

Come on.

No. My family must stay here.

You are the one who in danger.

But they say the soldiers
will take all the food.

The Lord will provide.

Here.

This is almost real gold.

If you need food,
you can sell it.

It's got the Lord's
Prayer on one side

and a picture of my
family on the other,

so you can always remember us.

Thank you.

You're my very best friend.

I ran outside screaming
for my parents.

It was so dark.

There was such chaos,

and the truck
drivers were terrified

and started leaving without us.

Somebody picked
me up and threw me

on a truck as it drove away.

I prayed all the way to Shanghai

that my parents would
be on another truck.

I waited at the International
Settlement in Shanghai

for six weeks, but
they never came.

Eventually, I... I
was put on a steamer

to England and
placed in an orphanage,

until Lord and Lady
Berrington took me in.

I never saw my parents again.

Oh, I can't even remember
what they looked like.

Must have been
terrible, Grandma.

I'm so sorry.

Yes...

and H know it sounds
perfectly ghastly,

but I can't help believing

that if I hadn't gone
back to see my friend,

I would have found
my parents that night.

And I know it wasn't her fault.

Oh, no, it was mine.

But if... if I have
to look at the face

of a little Chinese girl
in this house every day,

it would be a constant reminder
of what I did and what I lost.

Oh...

If you want to
adopt, then adopt.

I have no business
telling you not to.

But please...

please, anything
but a Chinese girl.

- Okay, okay.
- Okay, it's all right.

Oh, Monica, you've
become indispensable to us

the short time you've been here.

Thank you, ma'am.

You know, James and Sarah

may be getting a
place of their own.

I'm sure they'd be very
pleased to have you.

Thank you, ma'am, but
I'm here to serve you.

Oh, I appreciate your loyalty,

but somehow I don't think that
will be necessary any longer.

Actually, ma'am,

it's more necessary
than you realize.

I am an angel.

Oh, my goodness.

Are you some... some
sort of supernatural being?

I am an angel, Gladys.

God has sent me here
with a message for you.

Oh...

This is... this is too much.

God loves you, and
it was never His will

that you should lose
your parents as you did.

It was never His will

that you should lose your
own self as you chose to do.

God does not will all
that happens in this world,

but He does will something good
out of everything that happens.

But for that,

you have to trust Him
to take you to places

that you're afraid to go.

Oh, my.

Gladys, I don't know

what God's purpose
is in all of this...

Why James and Sarah
have been childless,

or why their pain has opened
up the pain of your past...

But I do know that
from the moment

one particular little girl
was born half a world away,

God already had a plan for her,

and for James and
Sarah, and for you.

And of all the countries
that He could have chosen

for their child to be born, for
some reason, He chose China.

Will you trust Him now?

Has everybody
got their passports?

Yes.

Jacket pocket.

Nappies, baby food,

wipey things,
concentrated formula.

I can't believe, in three days,
we're going to be parents.

Grandma, let's go.

Hey, wait, don't forget this.

What is in here?

I feel very strange
having an angel for a maid.

Enjoy it while you can.

65 years, Monica.

I can't imagine even
that it's still there.

You're not going to China
to find the mission, Gladys.

You're going to find peace.

Yes.

I'm going to miss
talking to you, Rose.

I'm going to ask God
to let me check in on you

from time to time, just to
make sure you're doing okay,

although I'm sure you will be.

They're here.

Okay, you smile,

and never forget that
God loves you, Rose.

So do I.

Oh... look at you.

You are so beautiful.

Hey.

We've been wondering about you.

Oh, James.

Isn't she precious?

What do you think?

She's a miracle.

James, Sarah...

there are some forms
inside to be signed.

Uh, okay.

Grandma, how about
you get to know, oh...

your great-granddaughter
a little bit?

Oh, yes. Hello.

- Oh.
- Oh, yes, that's all right.

There, there. Yes.

Oh, no, no, no, it's all right.

She like to be on her
back, look up at your face.

Oh. Yes, of course.

Thank you.

We call her Meg Wei.

It means... Rose.

Oh.

♪ When peace like a river ♪

♪ Attendeth my way ♪

♪ When sorrows
like sea billows roll ♪

♪ Whatever my lot ♪

♪ Thou hast taught me to say ♪

♪ It is well ♪

♪ It is well with my soul ♪

- ♪ It is well ♪
- ♪ It is well ♪

- ♪ With my soul ♪
- ♪ With my soul ♪

♪ It is well, it is well ♪

♪ With my soul. ♪

The Lord's Prayer on one side.

You... and your
family... on other.

It is a miracle!

Li Na.

Glory to God!

Oh... I start the orphanage

many years ago in your memory.

- Oh...
- Memory of my friend.

Memory of your
faith... and my faith, too.

I almost sell it many times...

but I remember...
your sacrifice for me.

Oh...

There they are.

Oh, I'm so grateful to you.

Rose... these are my parents.

These are your
great-great—grandparents.

They were missionaries,

and they were wonderful,
wonderful people.

I come from a long
line of wonderful people,

and you are the next generation.

- Oh...
- Oh...

♪♪

♪♪