Alias Grace (2017): Season 1, Episode 2 - Part 2 - full transcript

I went to the pump,
and on turning around,

I saw McDermott dragging Nancy
along the yard

leading from the back kitchen
to the front kitchen...

I have made you some tea.

Just set the breakfast tray down
on the table.

Mrs. Humphrey, can you hear me?

I want you to swallow this.

You are quite safe.

You collapsed while carrying
my breakfast tray in.

May I ask,
what has become of your hired help?

I could not pay her.
I owe her three months' back wages.



My husband took our money two days ago.
I do not know where he has gone.

You must eat something.
You will feel stronger.

There is nothing in the house
to eat, Dr. Jordan.

Your breakfast was the last of it.

I have not eaten since my husband left.

Here we go.

You are too kind.

Thank you.

To purchase all this food.
This is so good of you, Dr. Jordan.

Think nothing of it.
I could not let you starve.

I'm afraid it will come to that.
I am at the end of my resources.

I will advance you
another two months' rent.

That should be sufficient
to keep the wolves at bay,

at least until you've had time
to consider your prospects.



Hello, Dr. Jordan.

Good morning, Grace.

-What is that you're working on today?
-I am mending Miss Lydia's lace.

She's careless about clothes and ought to
be told fine clothes do not grow on trees.

I will put it down now that you're here.
It's a strain on the eyes.

Sir, you are without any item today.

Grace?

Any apple or onion or beet.

Yes, I have determined
upon a different plan.

-What is that, sir?
-Have you had any dreams, Grace?

I suppose I have.
Though none I can remember at the moment.

I will try to remember, if it will
help with the trouble you're in.

What makes you think
I'm in trouble, Grace?

Those who have been in trouble
are alert to it in others, sir.

That is a kind thought.

Perhaps we can pick up where we left off
before we were interrupted yesterday.

You were telling me about your friend
Mary Whitney.

Of course.

Mary was a person
of very democratic views.

To prepare a house for guests
requires extra attention.

If there is dust in the corner,
I expect one of you to notice it.

Heads up, heads down.
A spider can spin a web overnight. Notice.

There's no reason for this house
not to gleam.

It just takes vigilance!

She was a fun-loving girl and very bold
and mischievous in her speech.

I put it down to her being
native-born Canadian

as she did not have
very much respect for degree.

It angers me that some people
have so much and others so little.

I cannot see any divine plan in it.

-Would the rebels have changed that?
-Of course they would have.

William Lyon Mackenzie said,

"To yourselves, therefore, Farmers,

the eyes of the whole colonies
are fixed on you,

for you are the only true nobility
that this country can boast of.

Canadians! Do you love freedom?
I know you do.

Do you hate oppression?

Who dare deny it?"

-It's very sad that the rebels lost.
-We didn't lose.

We just haven't won yet.

Do you know that my grandmother
was a Red Indian,

which is why my hair is so dark.

If I had half a chance,
I'd run away to the woods

and go about with a bow and arrow.

You could come with me; we wouldn't
have to pin up our hair or wear stays.

How would we live?
How would we survive?

We would hunt, of course.
And leap out and scalp passing travelers.

It's in my blood to know how to.
And to be feared.

...then the polishing.

One dusts, one sweeps, then polishes.

Please don't polish the dust.

I can't smell the onions!

If braised correctly,
I should be able to smell them.

Please don't come here cutting corners.

I'd like to scalp Mrs. Alderman Parkinson.
It wouldn't be worth the trouble, though.

Her hair is not her own.

It was just our way of talking,
no harm was meant.

All right.

You must take the peel off
in one long piece

and then without looking behind you,
you must throw it over your left shoulder.

And it will spell the initial of the man
you will marry.

I'm too young to be thinking of husbands.

You're never too young
to think of a husband.

When I've saved up enough of my wages,
I'm going to marry a nice young farmer

whose land is already cleared
and a good house built.

I even know what kind of hens
and cow we will have.

I want red and white Leghorns and
a Jersey cow for the cream and cheese.

There's nothing better.

And a cat named Tabby and a dog named Rex.

Look! I got it off in one piece!

All right.

Who shall we marry?

- There's no way to tell which way is up.
- Yes. There. Look.

A "J."

It's a "J."

Grace! You will marry Jeremiah.
He's the peddler who's coming tomorrow.

He is handsome, but you'll have to tramp
around the countryside

and you won't have any house
but the pack you carry on your back.

-Oh, Grace, I'm just having fun with you!
-Go on. It's your turn.

I'll try another.

Here. Take my extra one.

It's just a foolish old wives' tale.

Come.
Let's go to bed and make fun of people.

Jeremiah, blow the fire.

Puff, puff, puff!

First you blow it gently...

Who's that?

Jeremiah, blow the fire...

It is Jeremiah!

Jeremiah, blow the fire, puff, puff, puff!

First you blow it gently,
then you blow it rough!

Rough!

What is all this about, Jeremiah?

Well, they used to pelt me with horse dung
and pillage my wares while I gave chase.

I thought it best to have them follow
under my command

so I've chosen the wiser course,

which is to teach them the song
and simply pay the little tyrants.

There you are, share it.
It's for all of you!

Come. What have you brought us!

We need to make a new woman
of our Grace here.

Come, let's all go inside.

Come along.

Look at these earrings.

Don't look too long.
The gold and silver will rub off.

-Now, Mary.
-You know it to be true.

-I'll buy some.
-You scarcely need it.

-You smell like a princess already.
-Onions more like.

-Then you smell good enough to eat.
-Well, Jeremiah.

I see you're up to your old pranks.
Taking advantage of the women again.

Mrs. Honey, as always
you are absolutely correct.

That is exactly what I am trying to do.

How can I resist with so many pretty girls
about, though none as pretty as yourself.

Oh, be quiet.

Look at these handkerchiefs.
I'll take two of those.

Now be brisk about your business
and don't take all day.

These girls have their work to do.

-Tell us our fortunes, Jeremiah!
-Come on!

-Yes! Do!
-No. It is meddling with the Devil.

Do tricks! Please!

He used to work at fairs.
He knows conjuring tricks.

--No!

How did you do that?

Before I was an honest tradesman, I lived
a wicked youth and had my pocket picked

and my heart broken 50 times over
by cruel and pretty girls just like you.

-I must be on my way.
-Oh, now, Jeremiah.

Cook, there is no match for your cake.

Girls, come on.

Grace.

You only bought four buttons.
Five for luck.

There are sharp rocks ahead.

I suppose there always are, sir.

There have certainly been enough behind
so I'm not too daunted.

A disaster.

You will cross water three times.

You will have much trouble.
But all will be fine in the end.

You are one of us.

Jeremiah. Mary, Grace. Come along.

Well, Miss Grace.

What a difference
now that you're decently dressed.

Grace.

If you need to go to the privy outside,
wait until it is light.

-Why?
-It is not safe.

Grace, you are too naive.
You mustn't go out alone at night.

Why would you not be allowed
to go to the privy at night?

Because a girl should not ever let
her guard down, Mary taught me that.

So did the world, I suppose.

Did you always feel that, Grace?

Did you feel it more so after the murders?

Hush, child.
You will wake the whole house.

Look at me, Mary. I'll surely die.

This is why I had to go to the privy.
I felt a pain in my stomach.

This is how it began with my mother
when she died!

Grace. You are a woman now.

Oh, hush. It is all right.
It is perfectly normal.

It happens once a month from now on.

You'll be just fine.

Here.

You can put this on until you get
a red petticoat of your own.

Here, I'll show you how it is done.

Some call this "Eve's curse,"
but I think that is stupid

because the real curse of Eve was having
to put up with the nonsense of Adam.

There.

If the pain gets too bad, I will get you
some willow bark to chew.

I will go heat a brick for the ache.

I'm so grateful for you.
You're a good and kind friend.

You will be a beauty, Grace.
Soon you'll start to turn men's heads.

The worst will be the gentlemen.

Because they think they're entitled
to anything they want.

They'll start promising you things,
they'll say, "I'll do whatever you want,"

but you must be very careful
and never do anything for them

unless they have performed
what they have promised.

And if there's a ring,
a parson must go with it.

Why is that?

Because men are liars by nature, Grace.

They'll say anything to get
what they want out of you

then think better of it
and be off on the next boat.

You're right.

You're a good girl, Grace Marks.

♪ Rock of ages ♪

♪ Cleft for me ♪

♪ Let me hide myself in... ♪

♪ Let the water and the blood ♪

♪ From the riven side which flowed ♪

♪ Be of-- ♪

Mary.

Mary, wake up.

Oh, no. Mary, please.

Boo!

Grace, I'm all right.

Please don't scare me like that
ever again.

I couldn't bear to lose you.

♪ Oh, no, 'twas the truth
In her eye ever dawning ♪

♪ That made me love Mary ♪

-Mary.
-Sir.

Pardon me. I just wanted to introduce
myself to the young lady.

-I'm George Parkinson.
-Grace Marks, sir.

Have you been making Grace
feel at home?

-I certainly have, sir.
-I'm sure you have.

-What do you say to it, Grace?
-Why yes, sir.

No one can make a person feel
at home like Mary can.

Mary?

George is the eldest son of the household.
He's just home for Christmas.

-Mary?
-Grace.

You used the ribbon you bought
from Jeremiah!

You should have saved it for yourself!

This is the best needle case in the world.
I've never seen anything like it.

I will cherish it always.

Go on. Open yours.

It's beautiful.

It was my mother's.
She gave it to me just before she died.

-You mustn't part with it.
-No.

You are my dearest friend
and I want you to have it.

I'm not a stranger
to Plato myself.

...'cause I found a new farmer
who fattens his geese.

Mary, I have the most horrible tear in
the dress I was wearing this morning.

You are the most
talented seamstress I know.

-Will you look at it tonight?
-Yes, of course, ma'am.

Right away.

♪ Now bring us some figgy pudding ♪

♪ Now bring us some figgy pudding ♪

♪ Now bring us some figgy pudding ♪

♪ And bring it right now ♪

♪ We won't go until we get some ♪

♪ We won't go until we get some ♪

♪ We won't go until we get some ♪

♪ So bring it right here! ♪

That was the happiest Christmas
I'd ever spent, either before or after.

Mr. George stayed at home after Christmas.
He'd caught a chill.

This is the best thing for the lumbago
if you put it on the spot.

I'll take it to him.

Mrs. Parkinson wants him
to be alone to rest.

I will take it to him.

By the time he was better,
it was February,

and he'd missed
so much of the college term,

he said he would stay until the next one.

And so there he was, being fussed over
by all, and with time on his hands

and not much to do, which is a bad
situation for a man full of spirits.

I'm afraid he was very much indulged,
not least by himself.

For if the world treats you well, sir, you
come to believe you're deserving of it.

George.

I won't have you fraternizing
with the servants

when you're here to rest and recover.

-Mother, I'm not that ill anymore.
-Have some tea.

Mary.

Mary. Slow down.

-I'm in a hurry.
-Why?

Be careful when passing underneath.

I heard of a woman who was killed
by an icicle once.

It went right through her like a skewer.

About this time, I began
to notice a change in Mary.

Where were you tonight?
I missed our talking.

I am tired, Grace.
I must go right to sleep.

Are they going skating?

Have you ever been skating?

No.

-Come on. Come and get me, Mary.
-There is much to be done, Grace.

Is there some trouble, Mary?

I do not know where you are
getting such ideas.

You need to lie down.

Nonsense.

It was yesterday's mutton stew
and now I am rid of it.

I had the same thing myself
and I feel perfectly well.

Do not mention it again, please.

All right.

Oh, sweet Mary.

I believe you are in great need
of confiding in someone.

I saw my own mother
in this condition very often.

He promised to marry me.

And he gave me a ring,
and for once I wanted to believe him.

I thought he wasn't like other men.

But now he's gone back on his promise
and he would not even speak with me.

-I don't know what to do.
-Who, Mary?

I cannot say.

But as soon as anyone knows what sort
of trouble I'm in, I'll be turned away.

And then what will become of me?
I'll have to go to the streets

and become a sailor's drab
to feed myself and the baby.

That kind of life will be
the end of me soon.

Mary, you are the truest friend I have.
I'll do anything for you.

What can I do?

There must be a workhouse or something
of the sort that will take you in.

Young girls always die
in those sorts of places.

They catch a fever as soon
as they are delivered

and they secretly smother the babies so
as not to be a charge on the public purse.

I'd rather take my chances
of dying elsewhere.

What if I were to deliver it?

I helped with my sister's
and brother's births.

Then we could secretly give it away.
Maybe nobody would know.

My condition will soon start to show.

Mrs. Honey and Mrs. Parkinson
have such sharp eyes.

You must try one last time
to speak with the man in question.

Appeal to his better nature.

He cannot turn you away
if he has any decency at all.

-Where is Mary?
-She's just in the privy.

Probably eating.
She is certainly putting on flesh.

That girl will eat us
out of house and home.

He gave me five dollars.

Five dollars!
That is what his child is worth to him.

He said I would not catch him this way.

He said he doubted the child is even his
since I've been so obliging with him,

and if I threaten him
with a scandal, he'll deny it

and ruin whatever reputation I have left.

He said if I wanted a quick end
to my troubles,

I should just go and drown myself.

I loved him.

I... I truly loved him.

I don't any longer.

Where are we going, Mary?

There's a doctor here who helps whores
when they need it.

-In what way might he help you?
-You shouldn't ask.

I've never heard of such doctors.

Are you sure, Grace?
About lending me your savings?

Of course. With all my heart.

Soon I may be dead.

But you'll still be alive.

Don't go. Don't go to this doctor.

I must. Don't carry on, Grace.

Come inside, quickly.

You wait here.

If you ever tell about this,
I will deny having seen you.

-Go, Grace. Grace, go!
-No.

Mary!

Mary!

Mary!

What happened?

He took a knife to me
and he cut something inside.

He said there will be pain and bleeding,
but after that all will be right again.

He didn't...

Grace, you must go back to work
or we will be noticed.

Say that I have just gone
to fetch something.

I can't leave you.

Grace, you must.

I cannot be found out.

I can see you think
it is a most wicked thing.

The thing he had cut out was,
of course, her baby.

I thought it was
a most wicked thing myself.

But I also thought it was either
one corpse that way or two the other,

for if not she would have certainly
drowned herself.

So I could not find it within my heart
to reproach her.

Let me fetch someone.
You are in such pain.

No, Grace, you must not.
It will be the end of me if you do.

I will sleep on the floor tonight
so you can be more comfortable.

- Grace.
- Yes?

I am angry.

I am so very angry.

Grace, tell me a story.

The only good stories
are the ones you've told me.

Tell me one of those, then.

Tell me about
William Lyon Mackenzie's escape.

William Lyon Mackenzie was a great man
who led the rebellion here.

After the rebellion was lost

and Montgomery's Tavern
was burned to the ground,

he made his way towards the United States.

Many, many people hid him
and protected him in their farm houses

and kept their mouths shut
when they saw him

because Canadians
want liberty and freedom.

They don't have it yet,
but one day they will.

Because we didn't lose,
we just haven't won yet.

Say the speech that I taught you.

"The law says that we shall not be taxed

without our consent
by the men of our choice,

but a wicked and tyrannical government
has trampled upon that law,

divided the plunder, and declared that,
regardless of justice,

they will continue to roll
in their splendid carriages

and riot in their palaces at our expense,

that we are poor, spiritless,
ignorant peasants,

who were born to toil for our betters.

But the peasants are beginning to open
their eyes and feel their strength.

Too long have we been hoodwinked
by Baal's priests,

who take the wages of sin
and do the work of iniquity,

each one looking to gain in his quarter.

Canadians! Do you love freedom?

I know you do.

Do you hate oppression?

Who dare deny it?"

Grace! Mary! You're late!

Wake up! Mrs. Parkinson is angry!

Mary.

Good heavens.

She is dead.

This is a bad business.

You stay here.

Mary.

Are you pretending?

An outrage and a disgrace.

- What a terrible smell.
- Smells like a butcher shop.

Under my own roof.

What a deceitful girl.

Grace, why did you not inform me of this?

Please, ma'am, Mary told me not to.

She said she'd be better in the morning.
I did not know she was going to die!

That was very wicked of you, Grace.
Who was the man?

The scoundrel ought to be exposed
and made to pay for his crime.

Do you know, Grace?

She was seeing a gentleman
and they were engaged.

Only he broke his promise
and would not marry her.

-What gentleman?
-Please, ma'am, I don't know.

Only she said you would not like it
if you found out who it was.

We will not discuss this any further

as it will only bring misery, and there's
no sense crying over spilt milk.

Out of respect to the dead,
we will not say how Mary died.

We will say it was a low fever.
That will be best for all.

All the time Mary
was there on the bed, listening.

She was hearing our plans
to tell these lies about her.

I thought she will not be easy
in her mind about it.

It was the doctor that killed her
with his knife,

him and the gentleman between them.

For it is not always the one who strikes
that is the actual murderer.

Mary was done to death
by that unknown gentleman,

as surely as if he'd taken the knife
and plunged it into her body himself.

Now clean this up.
Grace, get yourself dressed.

Girls, do not speak of Mary's death until
we have her looking more respectable.

Take the sheet from the bed
and her nightdress and petticoat

and wash the blood out.

Wash the body
and take the mattress to be burnt.

Is there another nightdress?

I will give her mine.

There is more to this than meets the eye.

I wonder who the man is.

Whoever he is, he's likely enjoying
his breakfast at this moment

and not thinking about poor Mary,
no more than a carcass at the butcher's.

-It is the curse of Eve we must all bear.
-Mary would have laughed at that.

Let me in.

What are you doing?
It's cold as an icicle out there.

The smell is making me sick.

It's true. We should air out the room.

I hope it's not too late.

Too late for what, Grace?

For her soul to be let out.

I realized I forgot to open
a window to let her soul out.

I must have heard wrong.

I thought I heard her say, "Let me in."

But she must have said, "Let me out."

Grace.

Grace, wake up.

Now wake up.

Grace dear, please.

Grace.

Grace, it's time to wake up now.

Grace.

- Grace.
- ♪ And the light ♪

♪ That surrounds us ♪

♪ Is all from within ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ 'Tis not, believe me ♪

♪ In that happy time ♪

♪ We can love as in hours ♪

♪ Of less transport we lay ♪

Grace.

Grace.

Where am I?

You're here, Grace.
You're in Mary's room.

-Where is Grace?
-You are Grace, my dear.

Grace. Your Mary has died.

You've had a terrible shock.

Where's Grace?

What's happened?! Where is Grace?!

You are Grace. You are Grace.
Mary has died.

No. No! She is lost!
I must search for her.

Oh, my dear,
I fear you've had a terrible shock.

And it's no wonder
considering the shock of it.

No, Grace is lost! I must find her.

Grace, Mary has died. Mary has died.
You are with us and you are all right.

When I woke again,
it was a day later,

and I knew again that I was Grace,
and that Mary was dead.

And I remembered the night we'd thrown
the apple peelings over our shoulders

and Mary's had broken three times,
and now it had all come true,

as she had not married anyone,
and now never would.

But I had no memory of anything
I said or did

during the time I was awake
between the two long sleeps.

-No memory at all?
-No.

And this worried me.

And so the happiest time of my life
was over and gone.

-Not now. Please!
-I believe it is Miss Lydia.

I just wanted to make sure
you don't need anything.

No. No, we don't need anything.
Please close the door.

I'll need to hem that skirt.
It will drag through mud in this weather.

-Grace--
-I'll be done this quilt in a week

if our sessions are this long.

Thank you, Grace.

It is knowledge of me you crave, Doctor.

Forbidden knowledge.

Knowledge with a lurid glare to it.

Knowledge gained
through a descent into the pit.

You want to go where I can never go.

See what I can never see inside me.

You want to open up my body
and peer inside.

In your hand, you want to hold
my beating female heart.

♪ Come all you fair ♪

♪ And tender girls ♪

♪ That flourish in your prime ♪

♪ Prime ♪

♪ Beware, beware ♪

♪ If you're good and fair ♪

♪ Let no man steal your time ♪

♪ Time ♪

♪ Let no man steal ♪

♪ Your time ♪