The Thirteenth Tale (2013) - full transcript

BIRDS CAW

Is this the moors?

It is.

Good afternoon.

Miss Lea?
I'm Miss Winter's housekeeper.

My name is Judith.

Very good. I'll send up
some sandwiches right away.

You must be hungry
after your long journey. Thank you.

Miss Winter expects to see you
in the library at four.

So, Miss Lea,
have you read ANY of my books?

Almost all of them, I think.



Well...

You'd better sit down.

Now, if I interpreted your answer
to my letter correctly,

you're not exactly leaping at this
very attractive offer I've made you.

Well, I... You'd be guaranteed
a very healthy advance.

Hmm. But I can see from what
you're wearing,

you're not particularly
interested in money.

I've written about people
who don't care for money,

but I never actually expected
to meet one.

Are my books too popular for you?

What exactly makes you hesitate?

I'd like to know what made you
choose me as a potential biographer.

Ah.

It certainly wasn't your celebrated
biography of the Bronte sisters...



..which I wouldn't dream of reading.

BOOK CLATTERS

No, what caught my attention,
Miss Lea,

was that piece you wrote for that
pretentious little magazine

about the Landier sisters,
the twins.

Obviously, I've been doing
some research,

and I couldn't help noticing

in the couple of dozen interviews
I looked at,

you give a different account
of your life in every one of them.

You think I'm a liar?

That isn't quite what I said.

You surely don't think I'm so dull

as to trot out the same story
over and over again?

I make things up
so as not to bore myself.

It's my profession. After all,
they're only journalists...

..if you take my point.

I'm not sure that I do, exactly.
I'm sorry.

You don't need to be so polite.
I can't abide politeness.

I always think that being nice...

..is what's left over after
you've failed at everything else.

You're obviously a great success.

Ah!

SHE CHUCKLES

Oh, that's better.

Have you a love life?

Oh, wait, wait! Wait!

I have an extraordinary story.
Don't turn your back on it.

It's about twins.

Please, come back.

Come on.

Sit down.

Don't take offence.
I'm only trying to get to know you.

I can't be expected to spill
the secrets of a lifetime

to a complete stranger.

But this was your idea.

I thought this is what
you wanted to do.

It's not that I want to. I have to.
Why?

Because I'm old. I'm dying.

Dying?

Why else should
I subject myself to all this?

Hmm.

What do you need from me?

I need to be sure that you're
intending to tell me the truth.

I'm a biographer, I deal in facts.

Oh, how stupendously boring,
you poor thing.

Suppose we start by me

asking you three independently
verifiable questions?

And then if your answers are true...
Three questions.

Pleasantly traditional.

My first question -
what is your real name?

Ah, I could easily
bamboozle you there.

It's Vida Winter. I had it
changed by deed poll.

What you really need to know is
the name I was originally known by.

That's right, yes.

Adeline March.

My next question
is your place of birth.

You can check in the records of
St Bart's in London.

Next.

Um, I'd like you to tell me
something that happened to you

before you changed your name, which
is also a matter of public record.

Hm, I can do that, but first
I have some conditions of my own.

What are they? You must let me
tell my story chronologically.

No interruptions, no questions

and no sneaky peeping at
the last page.

All right. Good.

Do you believe in ghosts?

That's not a very easy question.

Do you or don't you?

Certain kinds of ghosts, maybe.

I was brought up in a house
about five miles from here.

A haunted house.

I see. No, you don't.

I call it my story,

but it has none of the familiar
consolations that word implies.

It's something far harsher...

..much more painful.

Something I suppose
we have to call the truth.

I was brought up in a house
called Angelfield.

When I was 17, there was a fire.
The house was destroyed.

And there's a public record?

It was in all the local papers.

And I can show you a different
sort of record...

SHE GASPS

So, you see, in spite of what
I just said...

..you know the end of my story.

The end? You said that happened
when you were 17,

before you'd even started writing.
Oh, writing.

That was just to fill in the time.

I'm sorry if I've shocked you,
Miss Lea.

One becomes so accustomed to
one's own horrors.

MUFFLED GASPS AND GROANS

CHILD: 'Don't be like that,
Margaret!'

KNOCK ON DOOR

Come in.

If you don't mind, Dr Clifton,
Miss Winter's doctor,

would like to have a word with you.

Ah. OK.

Thank you for agreeing to see me,
Miss Lea.

Miss Winter wanted me
to explain her condition to you.

Oh? Miss Winter has
cancer of the pancreas,

which we've recently discovered has
spread throughout her body.

This means she has very
little time left.

How long?

We're not able to say precisely.

Most people wouldn't have
survived this long,

but Miss Winter is extremely tough.

She just wanted me to make you aware
that time is of the essence.

You can let her know I understand.

Thank you.

Um, have you been her doctor long?

Long enough to know that
I'm extremely impatient
to read your book.

I was pleased last night

when you didn't ask the question
everybody else always does.

What question's that? About the
first book. Oh, The Thirteenth Tale?

That's right. And everybody always
asks why there are only twelve?

That's right.
Why are there only twelve?

Shall we get started?

RECORDER BEEPS

The story begins at Angelfield.

After the mysterious,
unexplained death of their parents,

the house now belonged to Charlie
Angelfield and his sister Isabelle.

She'd left the house less than
a year before but her husband,

Roland March,
had been killed in the war

and now she returned.

Of course, in their parents' day,

there had been dozens of servants
to run the estate

but now only two remained -

Mrs Dunne the housekeeper,
known to everyone as The Missus,

and the gardener, John Digence,

who we called John The Dig.

Can you put it down there?

BABIES GURGLE

Well, well.

What are they called?
Adeline and Emmeline.

Which one is which?

You know, I haven't
the slightest idea.

BABIES CRY

Where is Mr Angelfield?

He'll be in the library,
I expect, madam.

I'll leave these with you.

Truth to tell, it was not poverty
or even the demands of the war

which brought about the exodus
of the Angelfield staff.

It was the sense of chaos

and unease caused by the bizarre
and unpredictable

behaviour of Isabelle's brother.

Charlie, I'm back.

What do you mean?

I'm back for good.
I brought the children with me.

What?

What children?

Oh. Oh, yes.
It's just you and me now, Charlie.

You shouldn't have gone away for
so long, Isabelle.

I had to, Charlie.
I explained it all to you.

All the same.

This one can be Adeline.

I suppose we were shamefully
neglected

when we were children.
No schooling, no discipline.

THEY TALK IN MADE-UP LANGUAGE

We were so much on our own, we
invented our own private language.

Charlie and Isabelle
were so wrapped up in one another

that the only people in our lives
vaguely resembling parents

were The Missus and John The Dig.

Are you all right, missus?

THEY CHATTER IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE

But we did have each other, and we
were all the world to one another.

We couldn't imagine that anyone
but ourselves really existed.

I expect that's why we were
so cruel.

The topiary garden
had been planted

by John The Dig's great-grandfather.

It was his pride and joy.

LOUD WAILS

THEY GIGGLE

WAILING CONTINUES

We weren't confined to the
house and garden.

We roamed all over the estate
and did exactly what we felt like.

We were the children from the big
house, so they put up with us...

One...

..until the day
we took Mary Jameson's baby.

..two...three...

THEY GIGGLE

BABY CRIES

SHE SPEAKS IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE

Good afternoon. Is your mother in?

Perhaps I'll try the back door.

Mrs Theodora Mawsley,
the local doctor's wife

and something of a busybody,
eagerly volunteered to take up

the matter of Mary Jameson's baby
with Charlie and Isabelle.

BIRDS CAW

Hello?

Is anybody there?

Mr Angelfield?

PLAYED HALTINGLY ON VIOLIN:
"Ring A Ring O' Roses"

MUSIC STOPS ABRUPTLY

GLASS BREAKS

GLASS TINKLES

SHE PLAYS SOME NOTES

LOUD THUD

What's the matter? Miss Winter?

It's just my wolf.

Wolf?

That's what I call it.

Pills are meant to keep him at bay,
but he...

he comes a little earlier every day.

Is there anything I can do?

Should we stop for the day?

No. No, no, no,
he's just sniffing around.

We mustn't encourage him.

Now...

Miss Lea, where were we?

Erm...the doctor's wife
and the violin.

I'm desperate to know what
happened next.

Oh...

Surely it must have been
one of the children? No.

No, I told you, I saw the children
out on the steps on my way in.

No, it was a woman in white.

There's no woman in white
in this house, ma'am.

You must have seen the ghost.

They do say Angelfield is haunted.

Dr Mawsley. I'm not sure
if you remember me.

It has been some time.

Oh, yes.

Might this be the person who
attacked you?

Yes. Yes, I think it might.

Excuse me, but could you tell me,
did you do these yourself?

Yes.

Mr Angelfield, do you mind if
I have a word with you in private?

I think it would be best not
to visit her for at least a month,

give them time to...
draw some conclusions.

Oh, Mr Charlie...

HE WHIMPERS

Oh, now hush.

BIRDS CRY

'There's no woman in white
in this house, ma'am.

'You think I'm a liar?

'Do you believe in ghosts?

'They do say Angelfield is haunted.'

DULL THUDS

SHE GASPS

GIRL SOFTLY SINGS:
"Ring A Ring O' Roses"

THEY CHATTER IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE

After they took Isabelle
off to the asylum,

Charlie Angelfield went
completely to pieces.

Dr Mawsley arranged through
the family solicitor

to appoint a governess
to look after us.

Her name was Hester Barrow.

Welcome to Angelfield.

I'll get your bags.

So the children
never knew their father?

Oh, no, miss, none of us did.

I don't even think Miss Isabelle
knew him very well.

The only man she ever took any
notice of was her brother Charlie.

And when she came back here,
she did everything for him...

..if you know what I mean.

I'm not sure I do, Mrs Dunne.

Well... In any event, it's probably
time I met Mr Angelfield.

I don't know as
he'll want to see you, miss.

He's not very well
in himself, like.

He keeps to his quarters
and no-one's allowed to disturb him.

I see.

He never was very sociable,

but since they took Miss Isabelle
away, he's hardly showed his face.

I don't know where those
children can be.

I'll go and see if I can
scare them up.

No, no, Mrs Dunne, it's not for us
to go chasing after them.

No doubt they'll come down
for their dinner.

Well, often as not,

they just creep down and help
themselves to summat out the pantry.

Oh... I don't think we can
allow that.

We'll try the twins' room, miss,

which is the third door along here
on the left.

It's just here...

Shh.

DOOR HANDLE RATTLES

Now, come along, girls. It's time
you met your new governess.

I am sorry, Miss Barrow.

Don't you worry, Mrs Dunne,
we have all the time in the world.

I should like to explore
the rest of the house.

I'll show you around.

No, no, you get back to your
kitchen, Mrs Dunne.

I shall get on much better
on my own.

That first afternoon, we refused
to come down and meet her.

We thought she might be discouraged
and go away.

But she wasn't? No!

She was the first person
who tried to take us on.

I went to have a look at Angelfield.

Hmm. Did you?

Did you see the ghost?

I saw something.

What?

Not sure.

Erm, you were telling me
about Hester.

Yes.

You remind me of her a bit.

In what way?

She was very determined
and inquisitive.

Food.

Food. Hungry.

At the end of Hester's
first day at the house,

she'd already formed a strategy

for dealing with her as yet
invisible charges.

No keys.

Emmeline? Adeline?

Which one are you?
Adeline or Emmeline?

Emmeline.

Are you hungry?
Would you like some supper?

Mmm.

And what about your sister?

Never mind. Let's go to the kitchen.

Follow me.

So, right from the start, Hester
managed to drive a wedge between us.

I can't say our education was
entirely plain sailing...

..although Emmeline continued to be
pretty much of a pushover.

CRASHING AND BANGING

Well, a very good morning
to you, Adeline.

HE MUTTERS

Thank you so much, John.

Very good of you to join us,
I must say.

We're starting the morning

with a drawing of our beautiful
Angelfield House.

You're most welcome to stay down
there if you're more comfortable.

Ah! Ow!

Adeline! Adeline, this behaviour
will simply not be tolerated!

Do you hear me?
Do you hear me, Adeline?

Miss?

Yes, Emmeline?

Finished, miss.

Just a minute.

Very nice, dear.

Oh, I don't believe
you've quite finished, Adeline.

THUNDER RUMBLES

CHILD: 'Margaret?'
GIGGLING

MUFFLED GROANING

Do you believe in ghosts?

You asked me that before.

Your answer was evasive,
as I recall.

Well,
let's just say I'm beginning to.

Oh? Why would that be?

Anyway, Hester didn't.

Too sensible, poor thing.

It would have been easier for her

if she hadn't insisted on being
so rational.

Is there really nowhere
we can get hold of some decent fish?

Well, yes, you can, if you really
want to. It's a bit of a palaver.

Emmeline?

She's out in the garden, miss.

I... I just saw her.

I can hear them outside.

DISTANT CHATTERING

That's strange.
I could have sworn...

Was she wearing white, miss?

Yes, she was.

That'll be the ghost.

Oh, don't be ridiculous, Mrs Dunne.

It's probably just the sunlight
flashing in the mirror.

Woman in white, miss.
We've all seen her.

Well, I haven't,
and I certainly don't intend to.

HANDLE RATTLES

SHE SHRIEKS

DISTANT LAUGHTER

WIND WHISTLES

During that summer,
Dr Mawsley visited

a little more frequently than was
perhaps medically necessary.

I'm at my wits' end with Adeline.

She's an aggressive
and dangerous child.

She hardly eats anything.

It takes two of us
to hold her down at bath-time.

She seems impervious
to any kind of human emotion.

Is she intelligent?

It's hard to tell,
given that she refuses to speak.

Soon after I arrived, I sent off
for a number of studies of twins.

Really?

If I've understood correctly,

what tends to happen is that
certain pairs of twins

divide up available emotions
and personality traits between them.

Thus, one being placid and passive,
the other wild and violent.

One clean, the other dirt-loving.

Of course, you would know
much more about this than I.

Not necessarily.

Yes.

My wife's opinion...

I... I do sometimes
discuss my patients with my wife.

She thinks the child may quite
simply be wicked.

I think the explanation may be
a little more nuanced than that.

No doubt. My wife is apt to take
the layman's view.

I was thinking that the situation

does present a rare opportunity
for original research.

Indeed.

In which I would be more than happy
to assist you.

Hmm.

DOOR BELL RINGS

Where's Adeline?

Back soon.

KEY TURNS IN LOCK

I hate you!
Adeline, behave, please.

ADELINE SHOUTS

Emmeline! Be careful, John.

Watch her, please.

Adeline!

Miss Barrow, take the door.

SHE STRAINS AND SCREAMS

Emmeline! Is she in?

Come on. Ready to go?

Come away.

LOUD SOBBING

KEY TURNS IN LOCK

Oh, my goodness, Emmeline.

Come in. Let me show you your room.

You'll like it,
you'll have it all to yourself.

I tell you, no good'll come of this.

Adeline...

And naturally there have been reports
that point to some evidence...

Hester and Dr Mawsley had become
so engrossed

in their scientific experiment

and so relished their daily
discussions

they quite failed to notice
that their patients

were making no progress whatsoever.

They completely ignored the only
and most obvious diagnosis -

the twins were missing each other
desperately.

Emmeline!

There you are.
Come along, it's time for your tea.

Where have you been?
I've been looking for you.

We went down to the woods.

No, you should say,
"I went down to the woods."

I went down to the woods.

Mm. And what did you do there?

We picked some bluebells.

Come on.

Where did you put your bluebells?

The bluebells you picked?
Did you put them in the vase?

No, we saved them for Adeline.

Well, you correct her, you see,
and she gets it right for a moment

but then she always goes back to
saying "we".

I'm afraid Adeline never speaks
at all. Oh, dear.

I don't think it would be prudent

to let her out of the house,
do you?

I say, I don't think
it would be safe

to let Adeline out of the house.

No.

KEY TURNS IN LOCK

I thought we'd agreed that the rooms
not immediately in use

should be kept locked.

Yes, that's right, miss.

Well, just now I found
the drawing-room open.

Not a bad idea to give it
a bit of an airing.

Oh, so you opened it, did you?

Oh, no, miss.

I don't have the keys any more,
remember?

You've got the keys.

THEY GIGGLE

FRANTIC KNOCKING

What is it?
Why have you let Adeline out?

Oh... Oh, that's impossible!

I've just seen her this minute
with Emmeline in...in the grounds!

Calm down. Here.

Adeline has been here,
in this room, this past hour.

Ever since breakfast.

But...

I must be going mad!

SHE SOBS

FOOTSTEPS APPROACH

I'll thank you
to leave this house immediately.

And send John for the child.

I can...

I'll speak to you later.

The next day, Hester had vanished.

Packed her bags, slipped away,
never seen again.

What happened to her?
I've no idea.

The doctor had disappeared as well,
so we can make an educated guess.

Rumour was
they'd disappeared to America.

Wherever it was,
I'm sure they both flourished.

Hester was a resourceful little...
THING.

CAR APPROACHES

CAR DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES

THE MISSUS: She's upstairs.

Emmeline!

SHE ROARS

But why did you do that?

I...I-I couldn't tell you.

Over the next five or six years,
in spite of strenuous efforts

to maintain the status quo,
bit by bit, everything changed.

First, a letter came from the asylum

saying that Isabelle had died
of pneumonia.

FLIES BUZZ

A week or so later, we noticed that
Charlie had stopped touching

the food that The Missus
had left for him.

He'd gone.

I had an idea where Charlie
might be.

I'd often followed him and watched
what he did there with Isabelle.

FLIES BUZZ

I never said a word to the others.

If Master Charlie has gone,
didn't we ought to tell someone?

No call to.

I collect the money from the bank
end of the month,

same as always.

And if we run short,

I know a man that'll buy some of
that wine from the cellar.

Oh, he wouldn't like that.

Anyroad, I better take him
up his dinner.

Of course, The Missus was suffering
from some kind of dementia.

But we drifted on
pretty much as we always had.

PIERCING SCREAM

GIRL SINGS SOFTLY:
"Ring A Ring O' Roses"

CHILD: 'Forgive me, please!

LOUD SCREAM

'Margaret, I'm sorry.'

HORN BLARES

DISTRESSED WAILING

SHE SOBS AND WAILS

SOBBING

SHE GASPS AND MUTTERS

SHE GRUNTS

Underground...

Emmeline?

Dead go underground...

Are you Emmeline?

SHE MUTTERS

MOANING

DOOR OPENS

KISS

You look like death warmed up.
What's the matter?

I didn't get sleep much last night.

Oh?

Are you in a fit state to continue?

Yes, of course.

Um, we were talking about
what happened after The Missus died.

John brought in a local boy
to help with the garden.

Ambrose Proctor.

I don't see why we need him.

He's all right.

Keeps himself to himself. Works hard.

Gives me a bit of time for
what needs doing in the house.

You said you were going to show me
how to trim the topiary.

Well, I will, then. Huh?

Now, you check the safety latch
first. Right?

Right. Bit wobbly-like,
against the tree.

You need to test it
before you go up it.

Right...

Up you go.

Never cut into the sun or towards
your own shadow, all right?

Yes. And never look at the clouds.

They keep moving, see,
and they throw you out.

Good girl.

Yes.

GIGGLING

BANGING

Where's the ladder?

Mr Digence took it. He's round
the back, fixing the guttering.

Obviously somebody had tampered with
the safety catch. Who?

We said no questions.

After that, everything's a blur.

But I did have the presence of mind
to tell the police

that Uncle Charlie was away.

After the funeral, we had a meeting
with the family solicitor, Mr Lomax.

So where exactly is your uncle?

Peru, I think.

Peru? I believe so.

And when will he be back?

I'm not sure. Quite soon, anyway.

You're 17 now,
if I'm not mistaken.

That's right.

I'm just wondering what arrangements
we can put in place

to make sure that you and your sister
are properly looked after.

We're quite used to
fending for ourselves.

Yes, but I... My grandmother knows
the house very well.

She can look in every day, like.

There's no need for your grandmother
to trouble herself.

Well, that's lucky,
because I haven't got a grandmother.

So, who do you think killed John?

It certainly wasn't Emmeline,
if that's what you're thinking.

And Ambrose had no motive.
Quite the contrary.

Then...

We agreed no questions.

Patience, Miss Lea.

That was that. You got away with it.

Mr Lomax was very happy
not to put himself out.

You got away with everything.

I can't understand why the police
didn't properly investigate

John's death after all the...

I'll tell the story my own way,
Miss Lea!

I think that's probably
enough for today.

'We said no questions.

'It certainly wasn't Emmeline,
if that's what you're thinking.'

CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS

Sorry. Forgive me.

So you're treating Emmeline as well?

Yes. Yes, um...

As a matter of fact, she's even more
seriously ill than Miss Winter.

Is she?

We tried to move her to hospital
a few weeks ago

but she refused to
get in the ambulance.

Do you know
if anyone's living at Angelfield?

Why do you ask?

Well, I know it's pretty
much a ruin,

I've been there a couple of times,

and the first time some enormous man
chased me out of the house,

and the second time,
in one of the rooms,

there was signs of someone
living there.

He's called Aurelius Love.

He's not quite right in the head,
but he's totally harmless.

Bit of a local character.
Works with his mother in the bakery.

Was that what you wanted to
ask me about?

Um...no, not really.

I think Miss Winter may have
confessed to committing

a murder when she was a teenager.

Erm, well...
Well, did she or didn't she?

I haven't got the whole story yet
but somebody killed the gardener

and I can't see who else
it could have been.

And I don't know what to
do about it.

Do you have any evidence?

No, and even if I did...

Hmm.

I'm sure you're right.

Maybe wait until you've heard more?

Emmeline...

Dr Clifton tells me you've been
asking questions about her.

How did you find out?

I saw her one night in the garden,

and eventually
worked out who she was.

I see.

I wanted to know why
she was digging in the garden

and what it was she kept saying
all the time. Any theories?

Erm...I think what she's saying is,
"Dead go underground."

Very good.

Miss Lea, you're doing very well.

So she IS looking for someone
underground?

Who could it be? A child?

When are you going to tell me
your story, Margaret?

I haven't got a story.

Everybody has a story.

If you keep it to yourself,
it dies and comes back to haunt you.

You take my word for it.

Well, I have no intention of
telling anyone my story.

Would you mind passing me
that bottle?

Yes, of course.

What is it?

Liquid morphine.

For my wolf.

What did you say?

CHILD: 'I said I'm sorry.

'I was saving it specially.'

HORN BLARES

'It's me!'

I want to spend more time
with Emmeline

over the next couple of days.

I always thought of Emmeline
as a twin.

MUFFLED ECHO: I always thought of
Emmeline as a twin.

MUFFLED: There is something
special about losing a twin.

SHE SOBS

My dear, whatever's the matter?

I had a twin.

Margaret, I'm sorry.
I'm not talking to you.

I'm not even going to walk with you.

I'm going over to the other side.
Don't!

Walk by yourself.

Please forgive me, please!

It was all my fault.

She'd eaten a bar of chocolate
that I'd been saving

and...I wanted to punish her.

Oh, all right.

Come on, then!

Moira!

CAR TYRES SCREECH

MARGARET SCREAMS

Feeling guilty doesn't do
anybody any good.

It wasn't your fault.

My mother thought it was.

And she never forgave me.

I've been so lonely all these years
without my sister.

We all have our stories.

You've been here before,
haven't you?

You're Aurelius?

I frightened you when you came here.
I didn't mean to.

No, I...
It was my fault, I panicked.

Look what they've done. Yeah.

Developers.

Didn't you live here?

No, I just used to camp out, like.

I live with me mum.

I loved this house.

And what's going on down there?

Oh, yeah. Funny thing.

They found some bones.

Skeleton.

'She's an aggressive
and dangerous child.

'I always thought
of Emmeline as a twin.

'The twins were
missing each other desperately.'

♪ Ring a ring a roses

♪ A pocketful of posies... ♪

'Emmeline...'

There were three of you.

There were three of you.

It wasn't just Adeline and Emmeline,
there were three of you.

There were police at Angelfield.
They've found a body.

A skeleton. Mm-hm.

There were three of us.
And now there's one of us.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry, I got carried away.

Oh, I'm sorry.

So, you see, there WAS
a ghost at Angelfield all along.

A ghost with no name.

It was me.

Like it or not, I was the ghost.

Who was your mother?

Oh, I've no idea.

All I do know is that when Isabelle
went away to have the twins,

Charlie went on
some kind of a rampage.

What I do know is that I was born
a few months later than the twins,

and Charlie, God knows
if it ever dawned on him...

..was the father of us all.

How did you get to Angelfield?

All I know is what
John The Dig told me.

Which was what?

He started to
notice his strawberries

and his carrots were disappearing
from his vegetable garden.

And he thought he saw

signs of someone sleeping
in the potting shed.

Also, this someone was not properly
turning off the outside tap.

Hey, you!

John and The Missus took me in.

Or he did, really.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

The hair? Yes.

Should we tell them?

And I spent as much of the time
as I could with them.

He taught me how to read out of
his seed catalogues.

But of course Adeline never even
wanted to learn to read.

She was...?

Genuinely dangerous, yes.

Violence was always
her first instinct.

SHE SCREAMS

Finally, she killed John.

What made her do it?

She hated him for some reason.

She seemed to think
he was responsible

for taking her away
from Emmeline that time.

Or perhaps she was jealous
of all the attention he gave me.

He was the closest
I ever had to a real parent.

GASPS AND CLATTERING

HE MUTTERS UNINTELLIGIBLY

After John's death,
we were alone with Ambrose.

It's a lot harder than it looks.

I was never
easy in my mind about him.

Don't you touch Emmeline,
you hear me?

I haven't touched Emmeline.

Good. Well, don't.

It's not Emmeline I wants to touch.

Even though she's kinder
than what you are.

Why can't you be kind like
Emmeline?

'Before long it was obvious
that Emmeline was pregnant

'and I dismissed Ambrose.

'I decided not to ask for any help
with delivering the baby.'

SCREAMING

'I read up for it
as much as I could.

'So, I was deluded,

'Adeline was insane
and Emmeline was helpless.

'All the same, somehow or other...'

That's it, Emmeline, keep going.

'..we managed.'

BABY CRIES

It's a boy, Emmeline. It's a boy.

There.

Shall I leave you to rest a while?

No.

I want to finish the story tonight.
The wolf is at the door.

It's time to tell you
the Thirteenth Tale.

I realised very early on
how jealous Adeline was

and how much
she resented the baby.

Please go on.

And before long, I discovered
the baby was in real danger.

I knew I had to keep her
under constant observation.

BABY GRIZZLES

Shh, shh...

SCREAMING

Emmeline!

Adeline, no! Emmeline!
Adeline, leave her alone!

It's the only time
I've ever seen Emmeline fight back.

The baby's safe, Emmeline!
He's safe!

Emmeline! No, Emmeline! No!

SCREAMING ECHOES

SIZZLING, SHE SCREAMS

Emmeline!

SCREAMING CONTINUES

SCREAMING ECHOES

You saved the baby's life. Yes.

I left the baby

outside the cottage belonging
to the baker's widow, Mrs Love.

Everybody knew
she had a kind heart.

Aurelius Love. Yes.

He turned out to be a bit simple,
but warm-hearted...

..like his mother.

When I got back to the house,

of course,
everyone assumed...I was Adeline.

When we started, Margaret, I told
you this was a story about twins.

What I didn't tell you
was that I wasn't one of them.

Oh, I longed to be,

but they always kept me out.

So I stayed outside.

That's what made me a writer.

You lost your twin, Margaret.

Margaret... Oh, that was terrible.

But you had her with you
for a while.

She's always with me.

I envy you.

Oh, I'm so tired.

Hee-hee-hee,
the wolf is in the room.

Thank you.

Margaret?

I didn't want you to go before I had
a chance to say goodbye.

I'm going to stay in the area
for a while,

at least until after the funeral.

Good. Good, well, I'll see you there.

And then will you go back to London?

Um, I'm not sure. I think I'll stay
up here somewhere to write the book.

I'll let you know what I decide.