01x04 - Episode 4

[bunniefuu]

SOPHIA: 'A woman can
reach her lowest ebb

'and never know that the
dark night is ending.

'That a man can face defeat and
exile and come back fighting...'

Enough. '..one last time.

'Tom gave up on me once.

'But now...

'..I've given up
on him.' THUMP

FOOTSTEPS APPROACH

LOCK RATTLES

Locked up! The minute
I turn my back!

Oh, Aunt, I was never so glad
to see a person in my life!

Don't be glad to see me.

I'm just as cross with
you as my brother is.

Though even more cross with him.
God, the tyranny of idiot menfolk!

Sophia, what were you thinking?

That I claim the freedom enjoyed by
the simplest English village girl.

The freedom to consent.

Hmm.

I mean, child, what on earth
have you done to your hair?

Honour got left behind. Mm.

WHISTLE Betsy! Hey!

Tommicus? Mamma,
it's Tom! Tom's here!

No, no, no, hush! Your mother
doesn't want to see me.

I need to see Nightingale,
I need his help.

Mr Jones. Where were
you this morning...

..when I needed a best man?

Tom, I'm married to Nancy!

HE LAUGHS

So not only did you
abduct the child forcibly

against my express instructions

and imprison her like some
monster in a fairy tale...

Or, "All hail my hero brother, for
rescuing her from certain ruin."

You also managed to lose
the only maidservant

the length and breadth
of olde England

capable of doing her hair!

And still you expect
her to find a husband.

Grateful, of course I am.

You've both come to London
to find me, and I am safe.

And duty, yes, of course
duty is important.

But so is love.

And I want to act from love
for you, as well as from duty,

and that is why I say, dear
Grandfather, I am persuaded...

So you will marry Mr Blifil?

..never to marry at all.

Urgh!

I shall stay home with you
and look after you forever.

Love and duty together,
do you not see?

Young women must
marry! Or what?

Or the sky will fall in!

Urgh.

I did not bring you back from
Jamaica, at vast expense,

for you to moulder
and die a spinster!

You'll catch your death,
you obstinate fool.

You never married.

That was different. One,
I had money of my own.

Two, I was not the
last of my line.

That's why he brought
me back to England.

To produce a new
generation of Westerns.

To bear children to carry on
the family line, yes, what else?

Mr Blifil's children?
How can I bear them?

How can I love them?
I don't know, do I?

It's just what mothers do.

Well, I never knew my mother.

Sophia.

You've got to marry someone.

I am the man of this house now

and I decree that you should
have your old room back.

Your other problem
I can also fix.

If you want to be sure that
Lady B will not tell Sophia...

you either have to make
it worth her while...

I can't go to her bed
again, it would be wrong.

The whole thing has been
wrong since the beginning.

..or... call her bluff.

Tell her that you share her terror
that she'll lose her reputation.

Propose to make an
honest woman out of her.

She'll realise that you
only want her fortune,

and you won't see her for
dust. I don't want her fortune.

What if she says yes?

HE SNORTS Don't flatter
yourself, Jones!

It would be cruel. The
lady said she loves me.

Silly old bat.

She's well past the
age of love. Go on!

Write to her.

If... If I could appeal
to her better nature...

The lady's already shown
she hasn't got one.

"As your honour is as
dear to me as a..."

"As my own."

Mm. "I long to call
you mine forever."

I can't do this.

It's not true. It's wrong.

It's... It's ugly.

Finish the job.

Decide what you want to
do with it in the morning.

"As your honour is as
dear to me as my own...

"believe me when I assure you I
can never be completely happy...

"without you generously bestowing
on me the legal right...

"of calling you mine forever."

"Lady Bellaston...

"marry me."

SQUIRE WESTERN: One son I had.

And you're all I
got left of him.

Tell me... about her.

I never met your mother.

Anything at all... a name, or...

Your father's daughter. His
name should be enough for you.

God! It is not, though.

It is not enough.

Beneba. It's all in the past.

All any of us know about
her is that in his will,

when your father freed you,

he called you "my daughter with
the sl*ve known as Beneba."

Beneba. Mm.

HORSE NICKERS OUTSIDE

Oh, God.

My lady.

I see I have wasted my
affection on a heartless joker.

Surely you know me
better than to think so.

Am I such a fool

that I should deliver my
entire fortune into your power?

To call you husband and
bow to your commands?

My lady...

My lady, that is an
honour I never sought.

A letter I wrote, but
did not intend to send.

Forgive me, and believe
that in all my days,

I never... I never
meant to hurt you.

I know you now, Mr Jones,
as a worthless villain,

and I despise you from my soul.

Walk.

SQUIRE WESTERN: She
must wed somebody!

While she still has a scrap
of reputation to trade,

and you know it.

Dear heavens, I am glad I never
considered marriage for myself!

Mr Blifil has money

and two of everything
he should have two of,

so what is her problem?

Heavens, brother, is there
no limit to your VULGARITY?

And another thing...!
Enough things for one night!

Enough things for
one life! Monster!

GATE SQUEAKS

GLASS CLATTERS

Who's there? Speak or die!

It's just a worthless villain.

It's three days since I
delivered Miss Western's letter.

What took you so long?

I haven't come to rescue
her, Black George.

Cos you've got no
money and no future?

Never did me any harm.
Why have you come, then?

To say goodbye.

Oh, suit yourself.

She's in that top room. But
it's too blooming dangerous.

It's the only way.

I don't want you
meeting to your maker.

Not while you're still
on my conscience.

Look, Tom. Tom.

You were given £500
by your father.

Mr Allworthy gave it you
when he kicked you out.

He did, and I promptly lost it.

I built myself a
new house with it.

Oh.

Right. Yeah. I've not
slept proper since.

Dear friend. I'm glad it made
a difference to your life.

If you've come to save me
from captivity, it's too late.

My aunt beat you to it.

Please open the window.

SHE SIGHS

Thank you.

HE PANTS

Look, I know your grandfather
will never consent to me.

But nor should he,
for I am... unworthy.

Believe me.

Never so sincere as this moment.

I love you.

If I could marry you
tomorrow, I would.

But, Sophia, it's
best I go away.

I ran away once...

..a lifetime ago, to find you.

But you were a child.

And this is childhood's end.

Well, maybe I'll make
my fortune in America.

And even if I don't,

then I'll never give
up hope that one day...

Hope is the worst thing.

Hope keeps you awake at night,

dreaming of things
that can never be.

SHE SNIFFS

Goodbye, Tom.

SQUIRE WESTERN: Sophie? Sophie!
They mustn't find me here.

I've said it to my pillow, and
I've said it to the clouds,

I've said it to the trees,
but I've never said it to you.

I love you, Tom.

I love you.

Sophia?

KNOCKING Sophia?

KNOCKING

I have triumph.

Did I hear voices?

Just the wind in the trees.

Sophia, if you will vow to admit
no other man to your heart...

Who can control her heart?

..to marry no other man without
your grandfather's consent,

then he agrees to
forget all about Blifil.

Can you respect his
command, Sophia?

I promise. Oh!

I will marry no man until
my grandfather commands it.

Is it not perfectly
dreadful, Harriet,

to learn that our niece's
honour is now certainly lost?

Fearfully romantic, though.
LADY BELLASTON SIGHS

You actually saw the lover
climb in through the window?

The criminal will
stop at nothing.

Mr Blifil, I do wonder why you
continue to pursue the girl.

Apart from the size of her
inheritance, of course.

She was promised
to me, not to him.

All my life, he has taken what
should rightfully be mine.

Mr Blifil, we, the aunts, the
loyal and concerned aunts,

we shall help you.

Together, we shall vanquish
the wicked dragon Jones

and restore that naughty
maiden to your loving arms.

Goodbye, dear. Oh! I...

Mr Blifil, we have
much to discuss.

Look, I know you were
only trying to help.

And it did work.

Lady Bellaston ran off
with her wig on fire.

Just like I said. But
we hurt her, badly.

And I'm just not quite sure
what she might do next.

What if she takes her
revenge on Sophia?

KNOCKING

Sealing wax and everything!

It's Lady Bellaston's
coat of arms.

It's an invitation.

To an art gallery? What do
I care about bloody art?

MRS Fitzpatrick.
You're not invited!

That's never stopped me.

SOFT SNORING

Mrs Blifil. Hm? Is that...?

Good Lord. What does he want?

Mr Partridge, it was not I who
banished you from Little Baddington

but your lawful wife,

as all agreed was fair punishment
for your life of immorality.

It was not me who
fathered Tom Jones,

though I'd be proud to call
him son, as you should be.

And now, sir, you're intruding
on private family business.

He's a fine lad, Squire.

Kind and strong and
a good heart in him,

and it's just not fair what
happens, to me or to him.

Oh! Oh.

This letter, it's just arrived.

It's clearly
important, but alas,

neither I nor Mrs Wilkins
can make head or tail of it.

Here.

Mm.

HE CLEARS HIS THROAT

Is it in English?

After a life in the classroom,

there's not a hand on God's
earth that I cannot read.

Magister sum.

Oh, yes, well...

It's from Miss Western's maid, as
was, she works for the devil now.

"Miss Western is in grave danger

"of being married against
her will and her nature.

"Please help her, I don't
know where else to turn.

"Don't tell her I writ."

Ha-ha-ha! "Wrote"!

Actually, I was planning to
tell you the very same story.

A forced marriage? Never!

I've only just got here!

HORSES WHINNY

I'm here at Lady
Bellaston's bidding.

I'll be nobody's
maidservant soon,

er, for I am to be married.

Oh! It's not that
surprising, surely?!

Lovely young thing like me.

Well, whoever he is, he's
not good enough for you.

You'll laugh.

Mr James is the
landlord of The Signet.

That pub I forced you to enter?

Full of Black men.
Full of husbands!

I had my pick! You never told!

Men with no money, miss,
not for the likes of you.

Miss, Lady Bellaston has sent
me on a particular errand.

"Make the young
lady look her best

"for the exhibition
tomorrow," says she

and sends me with a bag
full of her feathers

and her padding and
her white make-up.

She wants me to look like her.

I'd rather look like me.

What?

I'm so proud of you.

Miss, Lady Bellaston is a cow.

THEY LAUGH

She is! THEY LAUGH

Let battle commence.

BUSY CHATTER

What are they all looking at?

Please don't be shocked, but I
don't trust my Aunt Bellaston.

Oh, me neither, dear.

Something feels wrong.
Something... out of place.

Oh! What on earth
is he doing here?

Did you know about this?

Sophia? This has
nothing to do with me.

Cousin. Aunt.

WHISPERING

You shouldn't be here.

She's planning something.
I don't know what...

but it won't be nice.

That's my letter.

I deserve the
lady's fury, but...

..not like this.

Not in front of all these people,
to make Sophia read those words.

"Marry me." No.

Sophia! Tom...

Sophia! Sophia.

LADIES EXCLAIM

I didn't sent that letter.
It's not how it looks!

THEY GRUNT

Aunt, please go
home. What on earth?

I beg you! Go home and tell
my grandfather I am safe.

Now where are you
going? Sophia?!

I don't believe it. Tom!

Tom, you make too many enemies.

I see.

No, you don't! You
don't see, Fitz!

What on earth are you doing here?
Unhand my wife this instant.

Huargh!

Oh, good heavens. Men!

Fitz?

Mr Fitzpatrick, you
can see I am unarmed.

Oh. Bad luck.

Fitz, put that down.
Fitz, stop it! Huargh!

SHE SCREAMS

THEY GRUNT

THEY GASP

What?

Argh! ALL GASP

THEY CONTINUE TO GRUNT

ALL GASP

We can just stop this.

HE ROARS

ALL GASP

HORSE WHINNIES

Oh, you've k*lled
me, sir. Oh, Fitz!

Oh, my God. Get help!
Get help, somebody!

Oh, dear!

I suggest you make peace

with whichever dark
deity made you, Mr Jones.

For you will surely
hang for this.

Awful!

PANTING

Brother? BROTHER?!
Is Sophia back?

A certain surprising
gentleman just arrived

and asked me the
very same question.

And I said to him, "She's
doing art with my sister."

So accomplished, see?
Good Lord, Brother.

Miss Western, always a pleasure.

I make no doubt, Mr
Allworthy, you meant it kindly

when you took in that
wicked, wicked foundling boy.

SHE SOBS

The Lord is my shepherd.

I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie...

LOCK RATTLES

METAL GRATING

RATS SQUEAKING

Quite what you did to
upset my Lady Bellaston so,

I have not the filthy
mind to imagine.

You will not expect me, as
a gentleman, to answer that.

Blifil...

William... No, don't
plead with me, Jones.

For I have no intention
of helping a man

so entirely the author
of his own downfall.

I want you to know that
whether they hang me,

or transport me, or
whether I die in a ditch...

..I will always
think kindly of you.

Sorry?

You never asked for
a foundling brother.

And I was such a scamp.
Always in trouble, and...

..it must have
been an ordeal. No.

History. As to the future...

..you will hang.

And I will marry Miss Western,
whosoever shall stand against it.

And may God forgive
your numberless sins.

For there is no man on
earth who can help you now.

I should've guessed, with
all hints you dropped.

"Move on, miss. Get away,
miss. Lady Bellaston is a..."

Cow, miss.

Say it. It might
make you feel better.

I like cows.

So why didn't you tell me?

I thought we were friends. No,
you were mistress and servant.

Is he gonna do all
the talking for you?

I didn't tell you cos I
didn't want to hurt you.

You still love him,
and don't deny it.

I love an idea I
once had of him.

'An idea I should have
left in the inn at Upton.

'But that woman in
the room next door...'

Fitz, you hopeless idiot.

What mess have you
got yourself into now?

Good day, madam.
Good day, Colonel.

Urgh. Thank you.

Mr Blifil.

Thank you for what?
Nothing important.

Important enough for you
to pretend to be a colonel

and him to pretend to
believe you. Yeah! Ah-ha-ha.

Yeah, Tom Jones will
hang for it either way,

jumped up little b*stard.

Mrs Waters! A riot, I
hear. A b*ttlefield.

Ladies fainting in the gutters.
Paintings raining off the walls.

Just an undignified scuffle.

And now your Mr Fitzpatrick
lies near death, and...

..I am truly sorry.

He is very far from death.

He's always loved to pick a
fight when he's feeling jealous.

That day we met...

I'm sorry.

Yeah, I'd only just left home.
And I was sad. I needed comfort.

How old are you?

20.

I had no idea.

SOPHIA: 'I don't
think he loved her.'

I don't think he
loved any of them.

But still, so many women.

Well, three.

Is that a lot? Or
is that not many?

Well, what kind of
question is that?

I just mean, what
does it matter now?

I can't help thinking
that people make mistakes.

People can change.

Even you, Honour?

Yeah, unfortunately, it's
just the rest of the world

that stays the same. So
you get the happy ending?

Well, you still get the
big house. THEY LAUGH

Hello again. Madam.

Thank you very much.

Hello, sir. Hello, miss...

Mrs Waters. Where am
I? Let's have a look.

Quantum tempus!

A long time since what, sir?

Jenny Jones, it's me.
Partridge. Salve, puella!

What are you doing here?
What are YOU doing here?

The first thing Mr Allworthy did
upon his arrival in Cadogan Square.

Mr Allworthy is in London?

He sent me after news of
poor, doomed Tom Jones,

who languishes beyond
these high prison walls.

Not doomed and very much
not languishing either.

You've seen him. Ah,
Jenny, are you proud?

Did the babe not grow up
to be a fine young fellow?

Er, me excusa.

Vale! Thank you very much.

Overcome with emotion. Aw...

How I should like
to have witnessed

your first meeting with
that lady who just left!

But Mrs Waters was at Upton!

Upton? The next bedroom? Perhaps
you didn't see her there.

May the Lord have mercy upon
your soul and forgive you.

For as sure as I
stand here alive...

..you have been abed...

with your own mother.

No, her name is Jenny Waters.

Nee Jenny Jones.

She lived in my house,
I'd know her anywhere.

HE GASPS

You weren't to know.

It's not your fault.
Just bad luck.

Luck has nothing to do with it.

Neither by birth nor conduct
am I any kind of gentleman.

I am nothing more than
what the world sees.

A worthless b*stard.

HE SOBS

That unpleasant young
man who sat by your bed.

What, Blifil? You
fancy him now, do you?

Tell me what he got
for his money. Money?

Money, that stuff you'll do
anything to get your hands on.

Mrs Waters. Mrs Fitzpatrick.

All right, ladies. Seconds out!

My idiot husband picked a
pointless fight with Tom Jones.

Mr Blifil took
advantage and paid him

to swear to the magistrate that
Jones struck the first blow.

Poor Tom'll hang for that!

Needless to say, I have instructed
Mr Fitzpatrick to drop all charges.

Yeah.

All at once, I find myself
grown out of bad boys.

Me too.

So many wrongs to put
right today. HE GROANS

I'm a grown woman now. I
can find my own way home.

I'll believe that when I see it.

WILLIAM: Tom Jones is
a rake, a libertine,

utterly incapable of
controlling his animal passions.

And now, he's... he's a prisoner

with nothing but the
gallows to look forward to.

Perhaps he did not have
the best start in life.

Mother! He wanted for nothing!

I would've preferred that he
wanted for more, but he...

It is possible to be
too generous, Uncle.

I don't think so, actually.

The sword of righteousness
is on my side.

Stand back, I say, stand back!

Tell me what you've
done with my Sophie

or you'll feel the
might of my wrath.

Here are a number of fine people,
sir, respectable people...

Got to find my Sophie! Mr
Allworthy, sir, a word, please.

Go home and mind
your own business!

Mr Allworthy, sir,
an entire family...

Get out of my
house this instant!

..who want to share with you
their good opinion of Mr Jones.

Primus inter pares. Sir!

We're not interested in
your opinions, good or bad,

of someone in whom nobody in this
house has the slightest interest.

Sophie! Love! Sophia!

I've got servants out all
over London looking for you.

Been worried sick!

Sir, Tom Jones is a good
man. A better man that I.

Mr Allworthy?
Heavens, it worked.

Honour, what have you done?

Hang him and be damned, say I!

Love conquers all, miss.

Mr Allworthy? I have
urgent business with you.

Do I know you, madam? I
think you'll find you do.

Oh, well...

This is the end.

Out! Out! OUT!

Miss Allworthy.

Mrs Blifil, these many years.

What, so Mr Blifil is your son?

Madam, how... Sir, do
you still not know me?

It's Jenny Jones.
Oh! Oh, good grief.

After all these years.
Clever little Jenny Jones.

Who is not now, nor ever
was, the mother of Tom Jones.

Nor do I wish to be,
for all the world.

You yourself confessed it to me.
I brought the baby to your bed.

I laid him there, I owned
him, I even named him.

As I was paid to do.

But I tell you now, for his
happiness depends on it,

it is time for him to know
that I am not his mother!

Then who is?

No.

No. This... It's disgusting.

Tom is your son?

My first-born.

Good God, Bridget!

Bridget?

William!

You think I didn't know, Mother?

I see it all so clearly now.

You always loved him more than
me. Oh, I loved you equally.

Liar!

So, are you going
to tell Tom or am I?

Poor Jenny.

To have kept my secret
all these years.

Stay with me.

You're his family, not me.

Mr Allworthy.

I used to rather like it
when you called me Father,

even though that
bit wasn't true.

Father. I used to like it, too.

Aunt Bridget.

Bridget will like it very much
when you begin to call her Mother.

Because that bit is true.

I didn't know what to do.

I couldn't tell anyone.

An unmarried lady.

What would the world have said?

Oh, Tom...

..you must be so angry with me.

Mother.

Good Lord.

Has the whole world
gone stark staring mad?

Come, Squire. I'll tell it all.

THEY LAUGH AFFECTIONATELY

Er, you're to come down.

Mr Allworthy wants you.

Ah.

I've come a long way to see you. I
know, and I am very sorry for it.

My maidservant presumed too
far when she wrote to you.

Oh, my dear Miss Western,

the world turns upon the
presumption of maidservants!

Please, sit down.

Well...

Nothing would give me greater joy
than to welcome you into my family.

You are kindness itself.

But I made a free
choice, sir. Yes, indeed.

My mother died a sl*ve. Free
only in the sight of God.

And I have a duty to her
memory to make her proud

and to use my freedom wisely.

Yes, that's... that's well said.

Er, but I-I find I do
have another nephew

who might suit
you rather better.

He's taller, for instance.

Sir, it's very kind of you,
but I need no more nephews.

I have had my fill of courting
and wooing and wasting my tears.

DOOR OPENS

Ah. He's here.

Miss Western, may I
present my older nephew,

Tom Jones.

It's a long story.

Right. No, no, no, no. No
need. Come on. Come along.

So it turns out I'm
no longer a b*stard.

Well, no, I'm the same
man that I always was

and still a b*stard, but a
b*stard now with a family

and a fortune, and
we can be married.

We can live happily ever after.

Sophia, will you marry me?

No.

I am a Christian, it is
my duty to forgive you,

and I do so, sincerely.

But that doesn't mean that I
can forget what you've done,

or marry you in spite of
it, or... or ever trust you.

Sophia, look at me.

I'm a man now. A grown man.

I know what empty
pleasure looks like,

and I thank my lucky stars that I
know what true happiness looks like.

It looks like you.

There was a time when I would
have married you, Tom Jones,

and lived beneath those lucky
stars on fresh air and kisses.

But now is no good.

For I won't live in
London, I won't even visit.

I don't mind.

My first child, if she is a
girl, must be called Beneba.

Like my mother.
Beneba, yes, lovely.

I'll watch your conduct and
give you my answer in a year.

Wait a year?!

There, you see. You
cannot control yourself.

Yes, I can.

Watch.

That's it, little honeys!
That's the spirit.

Ha-ha! Look at the pair of them.

Can't take their
hands off each other.

Grandfather, please!

So when shall it be?
Tomorrow, the next day?

She'll have you into
bed with all her heart.

Confess, girl, and be
honest. What have I said?

The lady wants to
wait a year, sir.

A year?! We could all
be dead in a year!

Contrary little madam!

Now, you come here,
madam. Come along.

HE CHUCKLES

Will you do as
you're told? Oh.

Will you ever stop
telling me what to do?

When you've got a husband
to love and honour,

then I'll gladly
give up the job!

So what exactly is your command?

You will marry Tom
Jones tomorrow!

Well, then, Mr Jones...

..here is my hand.
LADIES TITTER

THEY LAUGH

LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE

SOLEMN MUSIC

My lady! I've got
nowhere else to go!

DOOR CREAKS

SOPHIA: 'I wish I could
promise everyone a happy ending

'instead of the
ending they deserve.

'But for all those of us who
do make it back to the land...

'back to the light...

'and, actually, that's
all the rest of us,

'for us...

'..the sun will shine on
a magical wedding day.

'A day for new beginnings
and new chapters,

'in which Honour will marry Mr
James and become a pub landlady,

'Partridge will dance his
way back to his old life...

'..Nancy will try to make a
better man of Nightingale,

'though Betsy will always
prefer her Tommicus,

'and in the absence
of Mr Fitzpatrick,

'Jenny and Harriet
will flourish.

'As for what story lies ahead
for Mr and Mrs Thomas Jones...

'Well... what do you think?'

THEY LAUGH

Have you asked her,
about your real father?

I don't like to.
No, no, no, no, no!

I don't think she
wants to tell me.

Besides...

between us, we've got
all the fathers we need.

Love conquers all.

SHE GIGGLES

'And so the past becomes
a place we leave behind.

'New lives beginning,
two families united.

'Where secrets are abandoned
and blame is forgotten.

'For at the end of
all our adventures,

'here begins the biggest
adventure of all.'