Indian Summers (2015) s01e09 Episode Script
Episode 9
1 I loved her once.
I could've lost everything because of her.
Go home - and stay home.
Whatever you do, avoid the mission.
I just can't stop thinking about him.
The man you married is alive and you just simply took yourself off.
If word somehow got out What do you want? Some congress firebrand stirring things up.
Probably is best if things are kept under control.
You stole the evidence.
Connecting that terrorist with Congress.
Since I told you about my family's financial situation, you've had very little time for me, Cynthia.
Forgive me.
It's not me you should say that to.
I'm sorry.
Aafrin! What are you doing? I'm devising a new dance.
Yeah? Sure.
~ I'm calling it Don't Go.
~ Mmm.
It's my brilliant plan.
~ See, you don't get to catch your train till the music ends.
~ Oh! You got me.
That was a mean thing to do.
Anyway, who ever heard of an American in India? Look - I'll build you a Taj Mahal.
A palace.
I gotta go.
No, you don't.
I can't do this.
Isn't it perfect? Baby - I gotta go.
Savin' my love for you.
Gene? Do you remember when er, we were back home in Chicago and er Gene? Baby? A-tishoo! We all fall down.
Ring-a-ring o' roses, a pocket full of posies A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down.
Memsahib wishes to go down? A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down.
Right, who's ready for some work? Come on, lazybones! Ah! In.
Let's all go in.
Come on.
Come on.
In, in.
Shall we go down? Shall we go down? What do you think? No, that's enough, thank you.
"AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'" PLAYS ON GRAMOPHONE Ain't misbehavin' Memsahib? Please, open this door.
I'm through with flirtin', it's you that I'm thinking of Ain't misbehavin' Savin' my love for you.
And yours.
So many.
Keep them.
You know, I cannot help thinking - if I had not been so timid that night, and I'd given your sister that stupid note about the medal box, would we would you still? No.
It was more than that.
Oh.
Good.
Not the English missy? What English missy? Oh, my God! You have.
Aafrin's got himself a little English missy! Be quiet! Oh, my God! Aafrin, you're so stupid.
WE could have been happy.
I pity you.
Really - they will tear you apart.
What's going on? Malaria.
I wonder if he knew - how ill he was, I mean.
Well, he had been down with it all summer.
Oh, sorry.
Mucky hands.
Yes but what was he doing in that filthy room? Well, I dunno.
He said he preferred it, I think.
Maybe it reminded him of Chicago.
I should put off this visit.
No, you don't.
Your wretched Nawab will be on his way up.
Anyway, we've made all the arrangements now.
Thank you.
I do appreciate you having him here.
I suppose you want me to take the sign down.
You and your sign.
Well, it's not MY sign, is it? It was Reggie's.
And I made a faithful promise I wouldn't let it go.
The Nawab will be gone by dinner-time.
~ Then you can put it back up.
~ Oh, shut up.
You don't think it might look a bit odd if the Nawab is the only Indian guest at the Club? I don't see why.
It'll make him feel special.
~ I was going to say we could bring in a few trusted local men.
~ What? Natives.
Here? In my club? As a one-off.
Think of them as window dressing, if you like.
No.
I don't like.
Fine.
Just need to get through this damn day! You'll keep an eye on Madeleine? Yes, of course.
I promise.
~ Sarah.
~ I've lost him.
~ Sorry? Don't look at me like that.
I saw you all.
And oh - what a perfect picture of perfect bloody happiness.
Sorry, I'm not with you.
No, you can say that again.
Why don't come inside? Is this what he'll remember, do you think? My little boy, when he's a grown-up? His daddy, and a sea of little black faces - and That Creature.
How did I not see it? All summer - egging them on.
I've never egged anyone on in my life.
~ Are you sure? ~ Look - I've never seen anything happen - between Mr Raworth or anyone else.
Haven't you? Well, she knows when to look away.
And I'm stuck at home.
I can't go to the Club, you see, not after that fuss at the trial - Of course you can.
Look - you can come with me.
Oh, how very kind.
Yes - we'll go this afternoon.
How does that sound? Why not? And we can tell them about you and your late husband.
And they'll all be so busy talking about that - well I'll just be one of the girls.
You'll do no such thing.
What time shall we say? Three o'clock? Please.
I beg you.
~ I'm not the enemy.
~ No.
But you're not my friend.
Mmm.
(Wait!) Come inside.
Come and let's get you something to eat.
I bet you're hungry, aren't you? Hmm? What's this? Who was that? No-one.
What did Mrs Raworth want? Oh.
Nothing.
Have you thought about what you're going to do? It did cross my mind that you might like to consider taking his ashes home? I'm sure your poor father would like to pay his last respects.
But the wedding is Oh, you needn't be gone more than a month or two, plus travel.
It would only be a very short delay.
It's just such a long journey.
I know it is.
I know Ralph would understand.
If he loves you.
All right.
Good girl.
Get her on the earliest boat to Southampton, then on to New York.
Women like that never come back.
Yes, memsahib.
You were out late last evening.
Yes.
May one enquire why? Aafrin.
Fork, please.
You can't eat with your filthy hands when you are dining with the Nawab of what was the name of the place, Daddy? Jaffran.
Mm-mm.
Jaffran.
I'm late.
Bye.
Is it true that he's come all the way to witness the famous views from the British Club? Then let us pray for rain.
Sooni! What is wrong with you? Dhoraila doodh per baraapo, Sooni.
She is not spilt milk.
She is another man's daughter.
~ And her name is Sita.
~ I am quite aware of her name.
Now, the Nawab.
You address him as Your Highness, obviously, but treat him as a gentleman.
He's actually an entertaining fellow.
Sir, you read the intelligence? He's already given the Congress rally his personal blessing.
Well, it's up to you to talk him out of it.
Everybody wants something.
What does he want? I'll be on hand but I can't be seen to be haggle, whereas you, Whelan, are so damn good at it.
Now, he'll push for cash for his jumped-up little army, they always do.
On that you give no ground, on pain of death, do you understand? Understood, sir.
You know, all this unpleasantness between the Indian side and ourselves .
.
there are moments when I wonder, "Did we slip up?" Could all this have been avoided if we'd offered just a little more civility, one more handshake.
Whose hand would that be, sir? Well, the better class of Indian, the princes, obviously.
Educators.
We have more in common with them than we realise.
Mm-mm.
What do you say to that, munshi? My father says, "Courtesy is never wasted, sir.
" Sound fellow.
Does he play billiards? He was once fond of all sports, Your Excellency.
I say.
Did you see the Washington papers? No, sir, why? I think the Americans have finally got the hang of it.
Bravo, sir.
Poor old Ghandiji, won't know what's hit him.
Not used to it, you see.
Not like some of us.
What was he thinking of? Tying himself in knots over these poor Untouchables.
I'm so happy to see you.
What is it? Have you ever met anyone whose most devout wish seemed to be to cause you pain? How could anyone hurt you? Wait till you know me better.
Al? Aren't you coming? No, I'm not invited on this occasion.
Oh.
I'm sorry to hear that.
It would have been all right if you were there.
Come on! I never see you.
Sir, you remember my sister.
Sahib? I have two minutes.
Evidence.
Stolen from the coroner's office.
I told you.
I don't know anything about any evidence.
And yet here you are.
Miss Ayer? I think there is one more.
Mr Singh? "Chotipool.
" British spelling.
They always know better.
Where did you get this? Thank you.
What are you doing here? It has been the very worst of summers.
Gandhi speaks like a saint and, you know, for a while I was quite convinced that he was a saint.
But now what does he do? He is fasting unto death, he is bickering with our own Untouchables, the most helpless people under the sun.
See! Typical India.
Nothing but children.
How could they possibly hope to rule themselves? We are the laughing stock of the world, Mr Dalal, don't you think? I am a clerk.
I am nothing.
But, you know, there are bolder voices in Congress, with a very different philosophy.
What voices? Not that fellow Chandra Bose? If the British will not give up swaraj, we will have to take it from force.
Force, how? The bullet.
The bomb.
You wish to become a terrorist? I merely wish to live and perish in my own land.
~ And I know you are with me.
~ You don't know anything about me.
You took evidence, you stole it, why? I don't even know any more.
You saw a lie and you thought to yourself, "This cannot stand.
" You should be proud of yourself.
Well, I am not.
Then let me be proud of you.
What happened to you, Miss Ayer? Me? I made new friends, during my last spell in prison.
I am sorry to hear it.
Will you help us? No.
That is impossible, what you are asking Nothing is impossible.
Speak to Mr Singh.
Give us your answer, before you go back to Delhi.
Ralph.
You know Mrs Raworth? Anyway, she's worked out my husband's living after all, and now she's been making all sorts of enquiries.
~ What? ~ It was such a stupid lie.
I don't know what possessed me to come up with it in the first place but I never intended to stay so long.
It's no-one's business but your own.
You came here to recover.
It's perfectly fine.
Thank you.
Anyone with an ounce of compassion can see this man deserted you.
Well, I'm afraid it's not that simple.
What are you saying? He hit you? ~ I'll kill him! ~ No.
He didn't hit me, all right? Or hurt me.
He was, is, perfectly decent, in his own way.
I deserted him, not the other way around.
For God's sake, will you please just say something? Here he is.
Your Highness.
Up.
And you are? ~ Mr Whelan.
Private Secretary to the Viceroy.
~ Oh.
Allow me to present my sister, Miss Alice Whelan.
Smashing! The Viceroy's vehicle is at your disposal.
Stuff and nonsense! I'm here for the champagne air! Come along.
Don't you just adore puppies? Come on.
Come on, boy.
HEEL! Enter the cavalry.
Oh, Mr Keane, you do seem to know what you're doing.
Yes, late wife always said it was something about my face.
Dogs and Indians.
Anyone would think he was making some kind of clever point.
As I say, the Viceroy is extremely grateful.
No, he's not.
He doesn't even remember who I am.
~ Come here, boy! ~ Mrs Raworth.
~ We'll see you inside.
Wait! I won't be long.
~ The famous mountain view.
~ Yes.
Not bad at all, although I prefer the Cairngorms of Scotland.
Have you visited the Cairngorms, Mr Whelan? No, I've not had the pleasure.
Well, you must, once you are all finished here.
~ We're in no rush to go anywhere quite yet.
~ Oh.
So tell me, you haven't dragged me up here simply for the, erm what is this confounded thing? Milk punch.
Goat's milk, I hope, in honour of the Mahatma? Speaking of the Great Soul, Your Highness, there has been some talk of a rally to be held next week in the heart of your own princely state.
Talk? Nobody talks to me.
It's intended to mark Mr Gandhi's return to health.
Oh, my goodness, well, you really are better informed than I.
See, didn't I tell you? False alarm.
Whelan, you put these things so much better than I do.
Your Highness, in view of our great mutual friendship, shown to such great effect by last year's reconstruction of the Rajkot electric plant Forgive me, would you excuse me, Your Highness? ~ Must you? ~ Two minutes.
Indeed, the Rajkot.
Two lemonades, please.
~ Mr Raworth.
~ You got the cheque all right? ~ Cheque? Yes, and the note that went with it.
Now look, was that your son I saw charging about outside? ~ Why do you ask? ~ No reason, only I'm in correspondence with a Mr Bridges, he's the bursar of my old school in Hertfordshire.
~ It's a decent sort of place.
~ What? ~ No, go on.
You might say he owes me a favour and looking at, erm ~ Matthew.
~ Yes, Matthew, thank you.
They all grow up so quickly, don't they? At least they seem to.
~ I've been meaning to ask, what are your plans? ~ Plans? Well, I had hoped this year we might ~ a place might be found for him.
~ Back home, of course? Oh, absolutely.
He can't learn here, can he? Well It's been harder than we thought.
~ So, you're thinking leave it a year or two? ~ Yes.
~ Well, as long as you're both happy.
~ I wouldn't go that far.
Now, forgive my bringing this up, but there are one or two bursaries for pupils, and, if I were to put in a word, and, I suppose, Mrs Raworth, you were to take lodgings nearby? ~ It needn't be forever.
Just until he's settled.
~ Why are you doing this? ~ He's trying to help us.
~ I can't make any promises.
There is the pressure on places and as you know, term is under way, ~ so you'd need to move fast.
~ Oh, I hadn't thought.
And, in the meantime, Mr Raworth, you would be free to devote your energies ~ to your friends at the mission school.
~ Would I? Well it's a big step.
It's whatever's best for Matthew.
~ We'll certainly think about ~ Consider it.
Thank you.
Thank you.
It was all her idea.
~ I thought you were angry.
~ How could I ever be angry with you? Anyway, since when were you friends with the old school bursar? Well, I am now, apparently.
~ That should buy us some time.
~ You make it look so easy.
~ Good.
I should get back to the ~ Yes, and I should round up more of the royal dogs.
~ Woof! ~ Alice ~ What? What are you so afraid of? My son.
Losing him.
Why? Because I love him.
~ Why? Does it need saying? ~ No.
I meant to say I'm so sorry about Madeleine.
~ Bit of a bombshell that she's leaving.
~ Madeleine? And I'll need another dozen of those for the rear bar.
Oh, and boy Oh! ~ So ~ Shouldn't you be off Nawab-ing? ~ It appears my fiancee's off home.
~ Is she? Bags packed, passage all booked.
Oh, well, if it's what she wants.
I'm sure she'll come back when she's ready.
What were you planning on doing, smuggling her onto a train without telling me? She would've told you herself, if you didn't go haring off at the first rumour of some actual need on her part.
~ Anyway, it's for your own good.
~ My own good? ~ That's right.
You're totally unsuited.
~ I see.
Why expose her to a wasted life in a country she can't begin to fathom, while you're off chasing your Higher Cause? ~ Didn't seem to bother you before.
~ Do you know, actually, it did.
But it was a question of balancing up the profit against the pain.
I blame myself entirely.
I should never have But, look, look, it's over now and we can move on with our lives.
~ Do I have a say in any of this? ~ Oh, sweetheart.
Look, look.
Now, look in the mirror.
Now, you ask yourself, "Do I love her?" I don't know.
Doesn't know.
See? Doesn't know.
~ And who put you onto this? Your sister? ~ Don't talk about her.
Oh, no, cardinal sin, of course, breathing her sacred name(!) Ah, there you are! Nice doze? I'm sorry, sweetheart, but if that's all I'm losing the plot what with Come on, come this way.
The question is, my dear fellow, what can you do for me? This has come all the way from France.
From France it's come.
Yeah.
Oh! Did you know? D-did I know what? About the boy? Did you know? The What boy? I know lots of boys.
What is it? He wrote me a letter.
His first, by the looks of it.
'My mother is dead.
You are rakshas.
' Filthy language.
~ 'You are my' ~ 'Father.
' From 'No Name'.
I thought his name was Adam.
Jaya.
Oh, sweetheart.
Come here.
Honestly I've had my fill of you and your conscience clanging into view like the blasted Kalka Express.
I was 21, Assistant Magistrate, and you put me up in that old house behind the beach.
I did! Put up with you, more like.
I helped some man in a land dispute.
A poor farmer on the road to Tiruchirappalli trying to hang on to his blessed half acre.
It was 30 minutes of my time.
Well, that's what we're here for, isn't it? His name was Chandru Mohan.
He asked me home, for some South Indian coffee, where I met ~ Yes, yes, I know who you met.
~ .
.
his daughter.
~ We talked about getting married in the end.
~ Married?! Some village squaw, black as tar? Your career, your whole future at stake? Yes, it sounds odd to say it out loud.
Yes, well, it sounded even sillier at the time.
The day after I finally told you everything, suddenly I was given a new posting.
Do you remember? 1,000 miles away in Burma.
Now don't you look at me like that because I was very worried for you.
The diseases some of our young chaps were coming back with from those far-off places.
~ And the day after my new posting, Jaya wrote to me.
~ Oh, did she? What did she say? What did she want? She said the Patwari, the head-man in her village, had been made aware that she was acquainted with an Englishman.
There was to be no further contact between us.
Good thinking.
Nip it in the bud.
~ Why are you dredging all this up? ~ I'll tell you why.
The day Jaya died, I went to see her and she said a curious thing.
What? What did she say? She said, the worst person, the worst of the lot, was a woman.
An English woman.
And ever since then I've wondered, who did she mean? An English woman? Well, how should I know? Look, love, I'm sorry, I really can't help you here.
No.
You never could.
You've had enough.
As bad as my Reggie.
Just tell me it wasn't you.
I never even met the girl! ~ Yes, you did! ~ Yes, once.
I stand corrected.
I tried to warn her off, not that she was having any of it.
The head-man was made aware that she was acquainted with an Englishman.
~ How did he find out? ~ Well, don't ask me, Ralph! You wrote to him.
You were so determined to stop it, that you wrote to the head-man and you told him.
So, is that what you want to know? All right, yes, I may have written a short note to the village, a couple of lines, for her sake as much as anybody else's.
~ Saying what? ~ Saying, I don't know what! Saying this girl was in trouble over a European officer, ~ I might have said, and could they help? ~ Help? Oh, look at you .
.
hanging on your decency.
Do you know something, this is going to hurt, but I will never lie to you because the truth is, the real truth is, that if you'd wanted her that badly, bugger the Empire, bugger "my brilliant career", you'd have dropped everything and run.
You'd have run back to her village and you'd have married her on the spot because that's what people do when they're in love, but, no, you didn't, because the fact is, that in your heart of hearts you couldn't wait to be shot of her! And, let's face it, it's you that knocked her up in the first place, ~ isn't it? ~ Yes, but I didn't know! ~ Know what? I didn't know that she was carrying my child.
"In trouble? In trouble over a European officer.
" You knew! You knew she was pregnant and you wrote to the old men in the village and you told them! So what if I did? A pregnant unmarried young woman on her own with no-one to protect her, what did you imagine they were going to do next? I expect every last dog in the district had his fun with her, don't you? And everywhere else after that, from the bottom of India right up here to the top! What a journey over hill and dale, little boy tripping after her.
~ No wonder she went mad! ~ HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? ~ Ow! It's not me.
It's them.
Those people.
This bloody mad country! No! My sweet, darling boy .
.
don't you see that I am here to stop you falling down and hurting yourself? Look how far you've come.
Your daddy would be so proud of you, Ralphie.
~ Get off! Get off me! ~ No And, while we're on the subject, your fiancee you're so fond of, they're all flat broke .
.
so good luck paying for the wedding! Madeleine! Madeleine! Madeleine! Come with me.
You're not safe here.
Something's wrong.
It's my brother.
He was meant to be entertaining the Nawab, and then Well, I thought he might be here.
Yes, I think I saw him outside.
Really? Follow me, please.
This way, please.
You're shaking like a leaf.
It's all right.
Ralph will help us.
(No.
) No-one can help us.
A shed? It's a bit more than a shed.
If you say so.
Bhupi! Anyway, I found it, er Ah yes, here.
I think he was going to make, I don't know what to call it, a folly? "For M and R.
" Was it a wedding present, do you think? Anyway, I hope you don't mind.
Darling? He said he was going to build me a palace.
I said I didn't want one.
I love you.
I know I don't say it enough.
~ You don't say it at all! ~ I'm saying it now.
Please.
Please stay.
Why don't you come inside? I don't know what's wrong with everyone today! What the hell happened to you? ~ I'm terribly sorry ~ I felt a complete fool! ~ As I say, I'm ~ Haggling over every last anna like some village money-lender.
The truth is, sir, my fiancee's brother only just passed away and she's not taken it at all well.
Well, for heaven's sake, why didn't you say so before? Yes, unforgiveable, I should have told you.
Well, nothing's unforgiveable.
The truth is, I didn't want to leave you in the lurch which is, of course, precisely what I Yes! Still.
Do pass on my ~ .
.
condolences.
~ Of course, sir.
You may confide in me, you know.
I'm not made entirely of stone.
No, no.
There was something.
It was just a throwaway comment the Nawab made to me on the way up.
I've been turning it over in my mind.
Spit it out, Whelan, for God's sake.
It was regarding the colour bar at the British Club.
"No dogs or Indians.
" They did their best to hide it but somehow he got wind of it.
Oh, Christ.
Well, he was most offended, sir.
In fact, I almost wonder if that was the real reason he drove you so hard today.
Because of the Club? Yes.
Because of the Club.
Memsahib.
Oh, it's you.
Any word from Ralph? Not tonight.
Wait till morning, things will be different.
Yeah.
In the morning.
So very wise.
My old Kaiser.
Why are you looking so happy tonight? A gift from my husband, sahib! Oh, lucky you.
Where did you get it, Bhupi? The bazaar.
Where did you get the bracelet, Bhupinder? I found it.
Found it.
Goodnight, sahib.
Yes.
Goodnight.
Do the members here present consent to lift the colour bar at the Royal Simla Club? It's my house.
You're here to see the boy, I suppose? Why would I do that? I thought we could trust him.
But I was wrong.
I hate you in your stupid suit! What's got into them? They won't do as they're told! The Viceroy recommends the sentence be commuted from death by hanging to life imprisonment.
And this one? Let him hang.
I could've lost everything because of her.
Go home - and stay home.
Whatever you do, avoid the mission.
I just can't stop thinking about him.
The man you married is alive and you just simply took yourself off.
If word somehow got out What do you want? Some congress firebrand stirring things up.
Probably is best if things are kept under control.
You stole the evidence.
Connecting that terrorist with Congress.
Since I told you about my family's financial situation, you've had very little time for me, Cynthia.
Forgive me.
It's not me you should say that to.
I'm sorry.
Aafrin! What are you doing? I'm devising a new dance.
Yeah? Sure.
~ I'm calling it Don't Go.
~ Mmm.
It's my brilliant plan.
~ See, you don't get to catch your train till the music ends.
~ Oh! You got me.
That was a mean thing to do.
Anyway, who ever heard of an American in India? Look - I'll build you a Taj Mahal.
A palace.
I gotta go.
No, you don't.
I can't do this.
Isn't it perfect? Baby - I gotta go.
Savin' my love for you.
Gene? Do you remember when er, we were back home in Chicago and er Gene? Baby? A-tishoo! We all fall down.
Ring-a-ring o' roses, a pocket full of posies A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down.
Memsahib wishes to go down? A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down.
Right, who's ready for some work? Come on, lazybones! Ah! In.
Let's all go in.
Come on.
Come on.
In, in.
Shall we go down? Shall we go down? What do you think? No, that's enough, thank you.
"AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'" PLAYS ON GRAMOPHONE Ain't misbehavin' Memsahib? Please, open this door.
I'm through with flirtin', it's you that I'm thinking of Ain't misbehavin' Savin' my love for you.
And yours.
So many.
Keep them.
You know, I cannot help thinking - if I had not been so timid that night, and I'd given your sister that stupid note about the medal box, would we would you still? No.
It was more than that.
Oh.
Good.
Not the English missy? What English missy? Oh, my God! You have.
Aafrin's got himself a little English missy! Be quiet! Oh, my God! Aafrin, you're so stupid.
WE could have been happy.
I pity you.
Really - they will tear you apart.
What's going on? Malaria.
I wonder if he knew - how ill he was, I mean.
Well, he had been down with it all summer.
Oh, sorry.
Mucky hands.
Yes but what was he doing in that filthy room? Well, I dunno.
He said he preferred it, I think.
Maybe it reminded him of Chicago.
I should put off this visit.
No, you don't.
Your wretched Nawab will be on his way up.
Anyway, we've made all the arrangements now.
Thank you.
I do appreciate you having him here.
I suppose you want me to take the sign down.
You and your sign.
Well, it's not MY sign, is it? It was Reggie's.
And I made a faithful promise I wouldn't let it go.
The Nawab will be gone by dinner-time.
~ Then you can put it back up.
~ Oh, shut up.
You don't think it might look a bit odd if the Nawab is the only Indian guest at the Club? I don't see why.
It'll make him feel special.
~ I was going to say we could bring in a few trusted local men.
~ What? Natives.
Here? In my club? As a one-off.
Think of them as window dressing, if you like.
No.
I don't like.
Fine.
Just need to get through this damn day! You'll keep an eye on Madeleine? Yes, of course.
I promise.
~ Sarah.
~ I've lost him.
~ Sorry? Don't look at me like that.
I saw you all.
And oh - what a perfect picture of perfect bloody happiness.
Sorry, I'm not with you.
No, you can say that again.
Why don't come inside? Is this what he'll remember, do you think? My little boy, when he's a grown-up? His daddy, and a sea of little black faces - and That Creature.
How did I not see it? All summer - egging them on.
I've never egged anyone on in my life.
~ Are you sure? ~ Look - I've never seen anything happen - between Mr Raworth or anyone else.
Haven't you? Well, she knows when to look away.
And I'm stuck at home.
I can't go to the Club, you see, not after that fuss at the trial - Of course you can.
Look - you can come with me.
Oh, how very kind.
Yes - we'll go this afternoon.
How does that sound? Why not? And we can tell them about you and your late husband.
And they'll all be so busy talking about that - well I'll just be one of the girls.
You'll do no such thing.
What time shall we say? Three o'clock? Please.
I beg you.
~ I'm not the enemy.
~ No.
But you're not my friend.
Mmm.
(Wait!) Come inside.
Come and let's get you something to eat.
I bet you're hungry, aren't you? Hmm? What's this? Who was that? No-one.
What did Mrs Raworth want? Oh.
Nothing.
Have you thought about what you're going to do? It did cross my mind that you might like to consider taking his ashes home? I'm sure your poor father would like to pay his last respects.
But the wedding is Oh, you needn't be gone more than a month or two, plus travel.
It would only be a very short delay.
It's just such a long journey.
I know it is.
I know Ralph would understand.
If he loves you.
All right.
Good girl.
Get her on the earliest boat to Southampton, then on to New York.
Women like that never come back.
Yes, memsahib.
You were out late last evening.
Yes.
May one enquire why? Aafrin.
Fork, please.
You can't eat with your filthy hands when you are dining with the Nawab of what was the name of the place, Daddy? Jaffran.
Mm-mm.
Jaffran.
I'm late.
Bye.
Is it true that he's come all the way to witness the famous views from the British Club? Then let us pray for rain.
Sooni! What is wrong with you? Dhoraila doodh per baraapo, Sooni.
She is not spilt milk.
She is another man's daughter.
~ And her name is Sita.
~ I am quite aware of her name.
Now, the Nawab.
You address him as Your Highness, obviously, but treat him as a gentleman.
He's actually an entertaining fellow.
Sir, you read the intelligence? He's already given the Congress rally his personal blessing.
Well, it's up to you to talk him out of it.
Everybody wants something.
What does he want? I'll be on hand but I can't be seen to be haggle, whereas you, Whelan, are so damn good at it.
Now, he'll push for cash for his jumped-up little army, they always do.
On that you give no ground, on pain of death, do you understand? Understood, sir.
You know, all this unpleasantness between the Indian side and ourselves .
.
there are moments when I wonder, "Did we slip up?" Could all this have been avoided if we'd offered just a little more civility, one more handshake.
Whose hand would that be, sir? Well, the better class of Indian, the princes, obviously.
Educators.
We have more in common with them than we realise.
Mm-mm.
What do you say to that, munshi? My father says, "Courtesy is never wasted, sir.
" Sound fellow.
Does he play billiards? He was once fond of all sports, Your Excellency.
I say.
Did you see the Washington papers? No, sir, why? I think the Americans have finally got the hang of it.
Bravo, sir.
Poor old Ghandiji, won't know what's hit him.
Not used to it, you see.
Not like some of us.
What was he thinking of? Tying himself in knots over these poor Untouchables.
I'm so happy to see you.
What is it? Have you ever met anyone whose most devout wish seemed to be to cause you pain? How could anyone hurt you? Wait till you know me better.
Al? Aren't you coming? No, I'm not invited on this occasion.
Oh.
I'm sorry to hear that.
It would have been all right if you were there.
Come on! I never see you.
Sir, you remember my sister.
Sahib? I have two minutes.
Evidence.
Stolen from the coroner's office.
I told you.
I don't know anything about any evidence.
And yet here you are.
Miss Ayer? I think there is one more.
Mr Singh? "Chotipool.
" British spelling.
They always know better.
Where did you get this? Thank you.
What are you doing here? It has been the very worst of summers.
Gandhi speaks like a saint and, you know, for a while I was quite convinced that he was a saint.
But now what does he do? He is fasting unto death, he is bickering with our own Untouchables, the most helpless people under the sun.
See! Typical India.
Nothing but children.
How could they possibly hope to rule themselves? We are the laughing stock of the world, Mr Dalal, don't you think? I am a clerk.
I am nothing.
But, you know, there are bolder voices in Congress, with a very different philosophy.
What voices? Not that fellow Chandra Bose? If the British will not give up swaraj, we will have to take it from force.
Force, how? The bullet.
The bomb.
You wish to become a terrorist? I merely wish to live and perish in my own land.
~ And I know you are with me.
~ You don't know anything about me.
You took evidence, you stole it, why? I don't even know any more.
You saw a lie and you thought to yourself, "This cannot stand.
" You should be proud of yourself.
Well, I am not.
Then let me be proud of you.
What happened to you, Miss Ayer? Me? I made new friends, during my last spell in prison.
I am sorry to hear it.
Will you help us? No.
That is impossible, what you are asking Nothing is impossible.
Speak to Mr Singh.
Give us your answer, before you go back to Delhi.
Ralph.
You know Mrs Raworth? Anyway, she's worked out my husband's living after all, and now she's been making all sorts of enquiries.
~ What? ~ It was such a stupid lie.
I don't know what possessed me to come up with it in the first place but I never intended to stay so long.
It's no-one's business but your own.
You came here to recover.
It's perfectly fine.
Thank you.
Anyone with an ounce of compassion can see this man deserted you.
Well, I'm afraid it's not that simple.
What are you saying? He hit you? ~ I'll kill him! ~ No.
He didn't hit me, all right? Or hurt me.
He was, is, perfectly decent, in his own way.
I deserted him, not the other way around.
For God's sake, will you please just say something? Here he is.
Your Highness.
Up.
And you are? ~ Mr Whelan.
Private Secretary to the Viceroy.
~ Oh.
Allow me to present my sister, Miss Alice Whelan.
Smashing! The Viceroy's vehicle is at your disposal.
Stuff and nonsense! I'm here for the champagne air! Come along.
Don't you just adore puppies? Come on.
Come on, boy.
HEEL! Enter the cavalry.
Oh, Mr Keane, you do seem to know what you're doing.
Yes, late wife always said it was something about my face.
Dogs and Indians.
Anyone would think he was making some kind of clever point.
As I say, the Viceroy is extremely grateful.
No, he's not.
He doesn't even remember who I am.
~ Come here, boy! ~ Mrs Raworth.
~ We'll see you inside.
Wait! I won't be long.
~ The famous mountain view.
~ Yes.
Not bad at all, although I prefer the Cairngorms of Scotland.
Have you visited the Cairngorms, Mr Whelan? No, I've not had the pleasure.
Well, you must, once you are all finished here.
~ We're in no rush to go anywhere quite yet.
~ Oh.
So tell me, you haven't dragged me up here simply for the, erm what is this confounded thing? Milk punch.
Goat's milk, I hope, in honour of the Mahatma? Speaking of the Great Soul, Your Highness, there has been some talk of a rally to be held next week in the heart of your own princely state.
Talk? Nobody talks to me.
It's intended to mark Mr Gandhi's return to health.
Oh, my goodness, well, you really are better informed than I.
See, didn't I tell you? False alarm.
Whelan, you put these things so much better than I do.
Your Highness, in view of our great mutual friendship, shown to such great effect by last year's reconstruction of the Rajkot electric plant Forgive me, would you excuse me, Your Highness? ~ Must you? ~ Two minutes.
Indeed, the Rajkot.
Two lemonades, please.
~ Mr Raworth.
~ You got the cheque all right? ~ Cheque? Yes, and the note that went with it.
Now look, was that your son I saw charging about outside? ~ Why do you ask? ~ No reason, only I'm in correspondence with a Mr Bridges, he's the bursar of my old school in Hertfordshire.
~ It's a decent sort of place.
~ What? ~ No, go on.
You might say he owes me a favour and looking at, erm ~ Matthew.
~ Yes, Matthew, thank you.
They all grow up so quickly, don't they? At least they seem to.
~ I've been meaning to ask, what are your plans? ~ Plans? Well, I had hoped this year we might ~ a place might be found for him.
~ Back home, of course? Oh, absolutely.
He can't learn here, can he? Well It's been harder than we thought.
~ So, you're thinking leave it a year or two? ~ Yes.
~ Well, as long as you're both happy.
~ I wouldn't go that far.
Now, forgive my bringing this up, but there are one or two bursaries for pupils, and, if I were to put in a word, and, I suppose, Mrs Raworth, you were to take lodgings nearby? ~ It needn't be forever.
Just until he's settled.
~ Why are you doing this? ~ He's trying to help us.
~ I can't make any promises.
There is the pressure on places and as you know, term is under way, ~ so you'd need to move fast.
~ Oh, I hadn't thought.
And, in the meantime, Mr Raworth, you would be free to devote your energies ~ to your friends at the mission school.
~ Would I? Well it's a big step.
It's whatever's best for Matthew.
~ We'll certainly think about ~ Consider it.
Thank you.
Thank you.
It was all her idea.
~ I thought you were angry.
~ How could I ever be angry with you? Anyway, since when were you friends with the old school bursar? Well, I am now, apparently.
~ That should buy us some time.
~ You make it look so easy.
~ Good.
I should get back to the ~ Yes, and I should round up more of the royal dogs.
~ Woof! ~ Alice ~ What? What are you so afraid of? My son.
Losing him.
Why? Because I love him.
~ Why? Does it need saying? ~ No.
I meant to say I'm so sorry about Madeleine.
~ Bit of a bombshell that she's leaving.
~ Madeleine? And I'll need another dozen of those for the rear bar.
Oh, and boy Oh! ~ So ~ Shouldn't you be off Nawab-ing? ~ It appears my fiancee's off home.
~ Is she? Bags packed, passage all booked.
Oh, well, if it's what she wants.
I'm sure she'll come back when she's ready.
What were you planning on doing, smuggling her onto a train without telling me? She would've told you herself, if you didn't go haring off at the first rumour of some actual need on her part.
~ Anyway, it's for your own good.
~ My own good? ~ That's right.
You're totally unsuited.
~ I see.
Why expose her to a wasted life in a country she can't begin to fathom, while you're off chasing your Higher Cause? ~ Didn't seem to bother you before.
~ Do you know, actually, it did.
But it was a question of balancing up the profit against the pain.
I blame myself entirely.
I should never have But, look, look, it's over now and we can move on with our lives.
~ Do I have a say in any of this? ~ Oh, sweetheart.
Look, look.
Now, look in the mirror.
Now, you ask yourself, "Do I love her?" I don't know.
Doesn't know.
See? Doesn't know.
~ And who put you onto this? Your sister? ~ Don't talk about her.
Oh, no, cardinal sin, of course, breathing her sacred name(!) Ah, there you are! Nice doze? I'm sorry, sweetheart, but if that's all I'm losing the plot what with Come on, come this way.
The question is, my dear fellow, what can you do for me? This has come all the way from France.
From France it's come.
Yeah.
Oh! Did you know? D-did I know what? About the boy? Did you know? The What boy? I know lots of boys.
What is it? He wrote me a letter.
His first, by the looks of it.
'My mother is dead.
You are rakshas.
' Filthy language.
~ 'You are my' ~ 'Father.
' From 'No Name'.
I thought his name was Adam.
Jaya.
Oh, sweetheart.
Come here.
Honestly I've had my fill of you and your conscience clanging into view like the blasted Kalka Express.
I was 21, Assistant Magistrate, and you put me up in that old house behind the beach.
I did! Put up with you, more like.
I helped some man in a land dispute.
A poor farmer on the road to Tiruchirappalli trying to hang on to his blessed half acre.
It was 30 minutes of my time.
Well, that's what we're here for, isn't it? His name was Chandru Mohan.
He asked me home, for some South Indian coffee, where I met ~ Yes, yes, I know who you met.
~ .
.
his daughter.
~ We talked about getting married in the end.
~ Married?! Some village squaw, black as tar? Your career, your whole future at stake? Yes, it sounds odd to say it out loud.
Yes, well, it sounded even sillier at the time.
The day after I finally told you everything, suddenly I was given a new posting.
Do you remember? 1,000 miles away in Burma.
Now don't you look at me like that because I was very worried for you.
The diseases some of our young chaps were coming back with from those far-off places.
~ And the day after my new posting, Jaya wrote to me.
~ Oh, did she? What did she say? What did she want? She said the Patwari, the head-man in her village, had been made aware that she was acquainted with an Englishman.
There was to be no further contact between us.
Good thinking.
Nip it in the bud.
~ Why are you dredging all this up? ~ I'll tell you why.
The day Jaya died, I went to see her and she said a curious thing.
What? What did she say? She said, the worst person, the worst of the lot, was a woman.
An English woman.
And ever since then I've wondered, who did she mean? An English woman? Well, how should I know? Look, love, I'm sorry, I really can't help you here.
No.
You never could.
You've had enough.
As bad as my Reggie.
Just tell me it wasn't you.
I never even met the girl! ~ Yes, you did! ~ Yes, once.
I stand corrected.
I tried to warn her off, not that she was having any of it.
The head-man was made aware that she was acquainted with an Englishman.
~ How did he find out? ~ Well, don't ask me, Ralph! You wrote to him.
You were so determined to stop it, that you wrote to the head-man and you told him.
So, is that what you want to know? All right, yes, I may have written a short note to the village, a couple of lines, for her sake as much as anybody else's.
~ Saying what? ~ Saying, I don't know what! Saying this girl was in trouble over a European officer, ~ I might have said, and could they help? ~ Help? Oh, look at you .
.
hanging on your decency.
Do you know something, this is going to hurt, but I will never lie to you because the truth is, the real truth is, that if you'd wanted her that badly, bugger the Empire, bugger "my brilliant career", you'd have dropped everything and run.
You'd have run back to her village and you'd have married her on the spot because that's what people do when they're in love, but, no, you didn't, because the fact is, that in your heart of hearts you couldn't wait to be shot of her! And, let's face it, it's you that knocked her up in the first place, ~ isn't it? ~ Yes, but I didn't know! ~ Know what? I didn't know that she was carrying my child.
"In trouble? In trouble over a European officer.
" You knew! You knew she was pregnant and you wrote to the old men in the village and you told them! So what if I did? A pregnant unmarried young woman on her own with no-one to protect her, what did you imagine they were going to do next? I expect every last dog in the district had his fun with her, don't you? And everywhere else after that, from the bottom of India right up here to the top! What a journey over hill and dale, little boy tripping after her.
~ No wonder she went mad! ~ HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? ~ Ow! It's not me.
It's them.
Those people.
This bloody mad country! No! My sweet, darling boy .
.
don't you see that I am here to stop you falling down and hurting yourself? Look how far you've come.
Your daddy would be so proud of you, Ralphie.
~ Get off! Get off me! ~ No And, while we're on the subject, your fiancee you're so fond of, they're all flat broke .
.
so good luck paying for the wedding! Madeleine! Madeleine! Madeleine! Come with me.
You're not safe here.
Something's wrong.
It's my brother.
He was meant to be entertaining the Nawab, and then Well, I thought he might be here.
Yes, I think I saw him outside.
Really? Follow me, please.
This way, please.
You're shaking like a leaf.
It's all right.
Ralph will help us.
(No.
) No-one can help us.
A shed? It's a bit more than a shed.
If you say so.
Bhupi! Anyway, I found it, er Ah yes, here.
I think he was going to make, I don't know what to call it, a folly? "For M and R.
" Was it a wedding present, do you think? Anyway, I hope you don't mind.
Darling? He said he was going to build me a palace.
I said I didn't want one.
I love you.
I know I don't say it enough.
~ You don't say it at all! ~ I'm saying it now.
Please.
Please stay.
Why don't you come inside? I don't know what's wrong with everyone today! What the hell happened to you? ~ I'm terribly sorry ~ I felt a complete fool! ~ As I say, I'm ~ Haggling over every last anna like some village money-lender.
The truth is, sir, my fiancee's brother only just passed away and she's not taken it at all well.
Well, for heaven's sake, why didn't you say so before? Yes, unforgiveable, I should have told you.
Well, nothing's unforgiveable.
The truth is, I didn't want to leave you in the lurch which is, of course, precisely what I Yes! Still.
Do pass on my ~ .
.
condolences.
~ Of course, sir.
You may confide in me, you know.
I'm not made entirely of stone.
No, no.
There was something.
It was just a throwaway comment the Nawab made to me on the way up.
I've been turning it over in my mind.
Spit it out, Whelan, for God's sake.
It was regarding the colour bar at the British Club.
"No dogs or Indians.
" They did their best to hide it but somehow he got wind of it.
Oh, Christ.
Well, he was most offended, sir.
In fact, I almost wonder if that was the real reason he drove you so hard today.
Because of the Club? Yes.
Because of the Club.
Memsahib.
Oh, it's you.
Any word from Ralph? Not tonight.
Wait till morning, things will be different.
Yeah.
In the morning.
So very wise.
My old Kaiser.
Why are you looking so happy tonight? A gift from my husband, sahib! Oh, lucky you.
Where did you get it, Bhupi? The bazaar.
Where did you get the bracelet, Bhupinder? I found it.
Found it.
Goodnight, sahib.
Yes.
Goodnight.
Do the members here present consent to lift the colour bar at the Royal Simla Club? It's my house.
You're here to see the boy, I suppose? Why would I do that? I thought we could trust him.
But I was wrong.
I hate you in your stupid suit! What's got into them? They won't do as they're told! The Viceroy recommends the sentence be commuted from death by hanging to life imprisonment.
And this one? Let him hang.