Moondial (1988) s01e02 Episode Script

1 ( DAVID FERGUSON: Moondial Theme) (MUSIC FADES) We're both real.
What's your name? Tom.
Short for Edward.
Mine's Minty.
Short for Penelope.
Are you a downstairs too then? What are ya? Laundry? Scullery? What are you? All sorts.
Kitchen mostly.
Down from London house.
Footman's what I'm after.
Footman? Yeah.
Ain't big enough yet, but I shall be.
Country air - keep taking big snuffs of it and I'll be six foot before Pinch knows.
(BREATHES DEEPLY) (COUGHS) I suppose it must work the other way round.
I used to hold my breath to stop myself growing.
Stop yourself? Whatever for? Oh! You're a girl.
I forgot.
(COUGHS) Even if you grew to seven foot, you'd never be a footman.
- How old are you? - Twelve-abouts, I suppose.
- Don't you know? - Near enough, I do.
You've only got to ask your mother.
Dead.
I'm sorry.
I didn't realise.
And my pa.
An orphan.
Got brothers and sisters though.
I am glad.
I wish I had.
Not that it matters.
Never see 'em.
Why not? I'm here, see.
They're there - in London.
Two of them's dead anyhow.
- Don't you miss them? - A bit.
Miss our Dorrie a bit.
Funny nugget she is - makes me laugh.
How old is she? Seven or eight abouts.
Tried to keep her with me, I did.
They said she was too little.
Still, once I'm a footman, I'll have her here all right.
Hey, you! Whatsyername! Boy! You comin' for them raspberries or ain't ya? Birds have had hours up already.
I'm I'm coming now, sir.
New from London, ain't ya? Yes, sir.
Ain't never heard of dawn in London, I dare say.
Or birds.
Birds get up at dawn, whatsyername.
Birds go peck, peck, - peck, peck, peck - Don't, please! It was my fault he was late.
He was talking to me.
Boys from London wants learning what's what.
Stop it, please! - I'll learn you, boy from London.
- Stop it! Stop it! What did I do to make time jump? All those years.
100 at least.
The sundial! All right.
But I'll get back.
You'll see I will.
Mum! Why have you come? What's wrong? Minty, there's nothing wrong.
She's better! - She's woken up! - No, but it's all right, Minty.
- She's still lying there then.
- Yes.
Mr Benson's been at the hospital with her all night.
Why? Why were you? People only stay all night at the hospital if You mustn't talk like that, dear.
I'm sure Kate is doing beautifully.
Isn't she, Mr Benson? She'll soon be as right as rain.
What I've come to say, Minty, is that I think you ought to come to the hospital again.
No, I I can't.
Not with her like that.
I can't.
I know it was a shock yesterday, Minty.
It was bound to be.
Look You think about it.
I'll come back later, see how you feel then.
Anyway, Mr Benson knows where we'll be, if there's any change in her.
I must say, I think you're sensible not to go, not if she's still asleep.
Aunt Mary, those gilt flags on the tower Yes, dear? If there's a wind, do they move? Oh, my word, yes! Spin like weathercocks.
(SOLEMN ORGAN MUSIC) (MUSIC ECHOES) (MUSIC FADES) When I was little, I used to think this place was haunted.
Haunted? Well, not as such, of course, but As if I was just on the edge of something.
(FLUTTERING) Oh! A bird, I suppose.
Don't seem to understand about glass, birds.
Silly things! Made you jump, didn't it? Poor Minty.
What a dreadful shock you've had.
It's been dreadful for you.
Try not to worry.
I'm sure everything will turn out well in the end.
You go and have a look at the house, dear.
Take your mind off things.
Just tell them who you are.
You'll be all right.
(SLOW, DARK MUSIC) (MUSIC FADES) Can't be Tom.
Not there.
Kitchen, he said.
You like it? If you'd been a girl in those days, you certainly wouldn't be dressed like that.
They never quite look like children to me.
More like miniature grown-ups.
I know what you mean.
- Those children - are they Victorian? - Oh, no.
Much earlier than that - the previous century.
What's that dark shape? Looks like a child with no face.
A portrait and no face.
Oh yes.
You may be right.
How very odd.
I've never noticed that before.
Are there any ghosts in the house? Ghosts? There's some sort of story about the Queen's bedroom.
Star-crossed lovers, or something like that.
It's not Tom.
Have you seen the kitchens yet? No.
Where are they? Tom! Tom! It's Minty! (RUNNING FOOTSTEPS) Well, now, there's a little white face.
It's your mother, isn't it? I've been hearing.
Right sorry, I am.
You keep going to where those children are.
You'll need them, I reckon, now, as much as they need you.
Something's happened.
You've seen 'em, heard 'em.
Yes.
One, I think.
An orphan.
Ah! An orphan.
They're coming to meet you.
You keep goin' and they'll come to meet you.
Yes.
Yes.
It's me! Tom, short for Edward.
I'm here! Tom! Tom! The sundial.
(WHIRRING) Night? Can't be.
(GIRL SINGING) Poor Mary sits a-weeping A-weeping, a-weeping Poor Mary sits a-weeping On a bright summer's day She's weeping for A playmate A playmate, a playmate She's weeping for a playmate On a bright summer's day Girls and boys come out to play The moon doth shine as bright as day (MINTY JOINS IN) Leave your supper and leave your treats And join your play fellows in the streets (WHISPERS) Who is it? Who's there? (WHISPERS) Don't be scared.
It's me.
- Are you from the village? - Yes.
I'm Minty.
I'm staying with my Aunt Mary.
Do you know who I am? No.
Please tell me.
You haven't heard what they say? No, but listen Don't be afraid.
I'm not a ghost.
Sarah! Sarah! It's Miss Vole.
I must go! There you are, you little devil.
Please, please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
There - see what you've done? You've frightened the moon away.
Take me back, please.
(WHOOSHING) And where you been, I'd like to know? I've been looking for you everywhere.
Days I've tried to get you back.
What do you mean? It was only this morning.
Days back.
I should know.
I'm the one that lives here.
You ain't.
You ain't neither scullery nor house, nor anything else.
So don't go telling me any of your tales, Miss Minty short for Penelope.
No, I'm not.
Of course I'm not.
And why should I pretend, eh? After all, I'm from the present.
It's you that's from the past.
Don't know what you're talking about.
Present? - I mean now.
- Now? What's now? This is now - this very minute.
Look, see that? Yes.
So it's now, ain't it? Now for you, and now for me.
Only it's now for you cos you're a ghost.
Don't say that.
Well, maybe not to me.
But old Maggs never saw you the other day.
The gardener? Gave me a proper walloping.
I saw him.
I actually touched him.
- And then - Then what? He vanished.
And you did.
There you are then.
Only he didn't vanish for me, and don't I wish he had.
Why did you want to see me again? Someone to talk to, I suppose.
Told you, Dorrie and the rest stopped in London.
Had any news about Dorrie? Bit.
Coachman give me a message.
Staying in Old Ma Barker's, she is.
Know what that means.
What? Bits of crust, that's what and that's if she's lucky.
And night and day - gutter picking.
She's only little.
Here.
Grown any taller, have I? Since you saw me? Not so you'd notice, no.
(COUGHS) Well, I think you might have grown a bit, now I look at you.
I reckon I have.
Here, why are you dressed like that if you're a girl? What's your job? I haven't got one exactly.
- I'm on holiday.
- Holiday? What do you mean? - Time off from school.
- School? Where did I get you from? Still At least you don't go running off like the other one.
What other one? You ain't my only ghost, you know.
Don't you think it.
Who's the other one then? Well A more real ghost than you.
Always at night when I see her.
Littler than you.
And dressed like a proper little girl with skirts.
What's her name? Sarah.
She seems scared when she sees me.
As if I was a blessed ghost.
I've seen her too.
Just now.
What? In broad daylight? No.
It was night when I saw her.
Like you said.
Not my night.
Or yours.
It was her night.
- 'Ere! You! Boy! - It's him - Maggs! Tom! Wait! I'm coming.
Got to wait till the coast's clear.
Ain't let in the garden unless I'm sent.
I won't half catch it if she finds out.
Who? Mrs Crump.
Look, that's James - first footman.
Don't he think he's it.
His legs are slipping! Poor old peacock! Tried to pad his calves and got himself legs like lumpy porridge.
Best make a dash for it.
You coming? They'll not see you, not a daylight ghost.
Still Take this.
Don't run.
Walk.
Hey! Boy! Pick that up.
Leave it.
Sorry, sir.
- You get back where you belong.
- Yes, sir.
Sorry, sir.
Still there then? That was close.
- I had to drop it.
- You dropped it on purpose? Don't you see? Even if I'm invisible, the bucket might not have been.
What if they'd just seen a bucket floating along in mid air.
A ghost bucket? (COUGHS) Tell you what.
Let's find out.
Find out what? If they can see ya! You come into the kitchen - I dare ya.
OK.
You're spunky, I'll say that.
Remind me of our Dorrie a bit.
Come on.
Got to try and get in without her seeing.
'Ere, you drop that dripping pan.
You thieving miss! You know whose dripping that is? Please, Mrs Crump, I was only Don't you give me any of your "onlys", miss.
You get on and scour them pots, d'you hear? Else I'll scour you.
Nobody's noticed me.
I must be invisible.
'Ere! You! Boy! Ow! You - whatsyername - what was that wink? Please, ma'am.
Nothing, ma'am.
Wink, wink, wink.
I ain't having no winking in my kitchen, do you hear? You ain't here to wink.
You ain't paid 30 shillings a year to wink.
You come along wi' me and I'll put you where you can wink yourself blind.
(MRS CRUMP MUMBLES) There! You stop there and wink, whatsyername.
And see them bottles is dusted and tidied while you're about it.
There.
And I'll have this one locked as well.
I'm trapped! Double trapped.
In time and in here.
( DAVID FERGUSON: Moondial Theme)