Ann-Marie MacDonald - Belle Moral - A Natural History

FLORA. What woman?

PEARL. The woman weeping. I looked out my window but couldn’t get a glimpse of her. A woman from the estate, no doubt; drunk and disorderly.

FLORA. I didna hear a woman.

PEARL. You must have.

VICTOR. You heard my dream, Pearl.

FLORA. You heard the banshee.

PEARL. The banshee?

FLORA. The banshee only sings to a chosen one.

VICTOR. chosen for what?

FLORA. To receive a warnin’ of the great change.

A beat .

PEARL. Menopause?

FLORA. When the banshee wails, it means that someone will soon cross over to the other side.

VICTOR. I dreamt it was your dream, Pearl.

PEARL. Shutup, Victor.

FLORA. Your ancestors are tryin’ to tell you something.

VICTOR [to FLORA]. That’s ‘cause you never tell us anything .

DR REID. Pearl, a degree of correspondence in dreams is not unheard of. You are siblings, after all, and have recently shared the ordeal of your father’s death, and the aftershock of his will.

PEARL. Thank you, Seamus.

VICTOR. It’s “Seamus” now, is it? Since when?

PEARL. Victor. Doctor Reid has asked me to marry him.

A beat .

VICTOR [to DR REID]. I didn’t hear you ask my permission.

PEARL. Don’t be ridiculous, Victor.

VICTOR [alarmed] . Don’t marry him, Pearl.

PEARL. I’ll marry whom I please.

VICTOR. He’s tryin’ to creep into Father’s shoes and your bed besides.

PEARL. You’re disgusting.

VICTOR. He wants to wrap you in his formaldehyde embrace and put you in a jar on his laboratory shelf.

PEARL. If it wasn’t for Dr Reid, you’d be walking about dead right now, he’s your best friend in the world!

VICTOR. He’s a corp-liftin’ ghoul and he’s bullied Auntie Flora into league with him! Has he given you a ring? Or has he got a different gift tucked away for you in his bag of tricks? Perhaps one of his magic potions he’s been longing to prick you with! [Snatching DR REID ’s medical bag.]

PEARL. Victor —!

VICTOR [rifling it] . Ha-ha! [Holding up a scalpel.] Performed any field surgery lately? As well to have it on hand in case you encounter a promising two-headed calf, eh?

DR REID. Victor, my boy, give me the scalpel.

VICTOR [dropping the bag, brandishing the scalpel, deadly earnest] . Tell me the truth.

DR REID. I don’t know what you –

VICTOR. The truth about my family! The “burden”, the “horror”! I heard you on the attic stairs, there’s not a corner of this house you’ve no’ pissed in and defiled, tell me or I’ll cut your throat!

PEARL [enraged] . I’ll tell you the secret, Victor! It was your precious mother. She was mad, and it’s coming out in you, and it would come out in my curs’ed progeny. Dr Reid wants to marry me to shield me from it; to be on hand when you spiral into the pit, so that you may rave within the confines of Belle Moral and not some forsaken madhouse!

VICTOR [stricken] . Is it true, Auntie?

DR REID. prepares a needle .

Was she mad? According to whom? To you, Doctor? And what did you do? Put her away in your asylum? Why? Did you want her for yourself? Did you have her? [grief-stricken] Did she die there?

DR REID [approaching with needle] . Victor, lad –

VICTOR slashes . DR REID jumps aside .

FLORA. Victor, sweetheart –

VICTOR [fending her off with the scalpel, furious] . No!

He backs away and exits out the window .

FLORA [running after him] . Victor —!

DR REID [alarmed] . Flora, no!

PEARL. Auntie!

FLORA. He’s like to drown himself in truth this time —!

DR REID. We’ll see that doesn’t happen [pulling the bell cord] we’ll send Wee Farleigh.

PEARL. Doctor … if I go mad –

DR REID. You won’t –

PEARL. If I go mad I want you to promise me — [covering her nose and mouth] — I know you can’t smell it. I know what’s happening to me.

DR REID. My dear, you’ve been under a terrible strain –

PEARL [controlling her terror] . It’s in me too — the flaw — and it will out. It’s begun already.

WEE FARLEIGH enters .

DR REID. Pearl –

She seizes DR REID ’s hand and presses it against her belly .

PEARL. You know what it is. I can see it in your eyes. Why won’t you say?

FLORA. Pearl, you mustn’t –

PEARL [savage]. You’re not my mother! And you, Doctor, are not my father. While I am still lucid, in the time that remains to me, I intend to work. But I’ll not parade myself as an obscene and bloated curiosity — you see, Doctor, I am still in possession of my faculties, able to diagnose myself, even if you won’t. [fighting nausea] Promise me that when my condition becomes apparent, you will operate.

FLORA. Operate?

PEARL. You will perform a complete hysterectomy.

DR REID. Pearl –

PEARL [commanding] . Promise me!

DR REID. I promise.

PEARL. But neither Victor nor I, no matter how acute our condition, is ever to be committed to an asylum.

DR REID. I promise.

PEARL. We’re to live here at Belle Moral, and Auntie is to be provided for.

DR REID. I promise.

A beat .

PEARL. I’ll marry you, Seamus.

FLORA [ repeating under her breath, as though praying]. Deanum dhuit eolas, gu casgadh beum sula. Air na naodha conair, air na naodha conachair, air na naodha coilechinn, air naodha ban senga sith . [pron. Jaynum hoed olas, g’càskar bayum sohluh. Air na nuh-ee conn-er, air na nuh-ee conna-hair, air na nuh-ee colla-hin, air nuhee banna sheng-ah shee] [trans: I make for thee a charm to check the evil eye. Against the nine paths, against the nine tumults, against the nine crafty wiles, against the nine slender women of the underworld]

PEARL sways on her feet, falls , WEE FARLEIGH catches her . FLORA puts the tea cup to PEARL’S lips . PEARL straightens, takes the cup and hurls the contents at the painting. Thunder. It begins to rain . PEARL exits . FLORA follows her . WEE FARLEIGH awaits instructions .

DR REID. Send for the Justice of the Peace.

Scene 1 The Attic

That night. Rain throughout the the following scenes. Candle light. A single cot. A wash basin. A small crucifix on the wall . THE CREATURE huddles in the worn tartan shawl that obscures its face . DR REID. is formally dressed .

DR REID. Come. There’s a good girl.

THE CREATURE is motionless . DR REID takes something from his pocket, crouches, gently holds out his hand .

Have a sweet. Go ahead. [drawing closer, friendly] I’m not going to hurt you.

THE CREATURE lunges, taking a ferocious swipe at him with its bare hands, and swiftly retreats to a crouch . DR REID falls back, clutching his neck .

Damn you!

He is bleeding. He backs away cautiously, reaching for his medical bag .

Scene 2 Pearl’s Bedroom

PEARL, in travelling tweeds, brushes her hair back into a severe bun . FLORA enters with a wedding gown . PEARL stares .

FLORA. You’ll only be wed once. Please, pet.

PEARL. Has Victor come home yet?

FLORA shakes her head, no. Hides her face in the gown .

Scene 3 The Painting

Thunder. Lightening plays upon the canvas. The colours have begun to run at the centre, revealing a shadowy figure .