"Come along, Olive." "(GASPS) What's going on?" "A preist?" "!" "I'm just trying to help." "You think it helps her to know her dad believes in the healing power of magic water?" "!" "I just want to know what's going on." "I want to know why he's lying to me." "Olive was pregnant when you left." "But there were complications, and the baby only survived for a few hours." "You know that Keith boy?" "The student Brian?" "Yes." "He's been bragging that he spent the night with Ruth in Leeds." "If you want my advice, you should leave." "You need to take Ruth and move far away." "Forget us." "Start again." "'A-S-K-O-R.' What do you mean?" "(SOBS)" "(WAILS)" "(BABY CRIES)" "(YELLS)" "(PANTING)" "Ruth?" "I'm just going into the village." "What if we moved?" "You and me." "Moved away from here." "Started again." "Away from all this." ""All this"?" "Everything." "Including Alice?" "Alice is gone." "She's here." "In the house." "In the woods." "Her grave's here." "But..." "I can't leave her, Paul." "I can't." "OK." "Is that it?" "That's it." "I can't believe you're suggesting that!" "Why not?" "It might help." "We could find a place in the village." "The kids wouldn't have to change schools." "I'm not moving house!" "Not even for Amy?" "If I thought it would help, I'd move tomorrow." "But it'd only make things worse." "How can it be worse?" "You'd be reinforcing her delusions." "Oh, delusions?" "Yes!" "That's what they are." "And every time you act like they're not, you're making her worse." "Why can't you see that?" "(BUZZING)" "They're arguing." "What's new?" "Just stay out of it." "I can't keep out of it." "It's me they're arguing about!" "At least they know you exist." "Come here." "This is good of you, Ruth." "Thanks." "No, don't be daft." "It's no trouble." "It's just difficult with the baby." "I know." "Don't worry." "You just concentrate on sorting things out." "How are we doing?" "I'll be out in a minute." "You can start the car if you like." "See you later, Ruth." "Give him a chance, Nisha." "Men do things differently." "They have to adjust in their own way." "You're not taking his side, are you?" "No, I'm not taking anyone's side." "I'm just saying..." "Sometimes we don't see everything that's going on." "OK." "Time to go." "I've just made some tea." "I'm going out." "Get some fresh air." "Is everything all right?" "Don't worry about me." "I'll be fine." "Bye." "(KNOCKS ON WINDOW)" "What is it, love?" "What's wrong?" "Where are you going?" "Into the village." "Your mum wants some things from the shop." "Promise?" "Promise." "I'm coming with you." "All right." "Buckle up." "Brian!" "What happened?" "Ask your husband!" "The station, please." "What has happened to us, Mark?" "I sit in that house some days and I feel like I'm going crazy." "I need you to keep me sane, but you just...disappear." "I've been trying to keep things going at work." "I've had a lot of stuff to deal with." "Why didn't you tell me about it?" "Cos it's my responsibility." "I didn't want to worry you." "I just want you to be happy." "Is that why you lied about Olive?" "(SIGHS)" "♪ Gentle Jesus, meek and mild" "♪ Look upon a little child" "♪ Pity - (STATIC)" "My little girl loved that song." "It was one of her favourites." "So how bad is it?" "(SIGHS)" "We've got enough work until the end of the year." "Mm-hm." "But if we don't get any new contracts by then I'll have to start laying people off." "And if it goes on any longer..." "Well, we can sell the house if we have to." "No." "That's not fair." "Hey, we're in this together." "But that house is everything you've ever wanted." "No." "It's a roof over everything I've ever wanted." "♪ Gentle Jesus, meek and mild" "♪ Look upon a little child" "♪ Pity my simplicity" "♪ Suffer me to come to thee" "(GASPS)" "Oh..." "So Scott's sister Amy got ill while they were living at Marchlands, is that it?" "That's why you invented a story about some old couple that lived there?" "You'd fallen in love with the place." "I didn't want to put you off." "How's that going to put me off?" "People get ill." "So what?" "It was more than that." "Scott told me once that..." "weird stuff was happening around the house." "What sort of weird stuff?" "He wouldn't say." "The kind of stuff that's been happening to me?" "You never said anything!" "I didn't know anything." "I told you, he didn't want to talk about it." "Well, we'll see about that." "(DOOR CLOSES)" "Where's Paul?" "He's gone out." "What happened between him and Brian, Keith?" "You must know." "You know everything else round here." "There was a fight." "About what?" "About what?" "About you." "About you and that lad spending the night together!" "Who told you that?" "He did." "Told the whole village." "No wonder Paul had words with him." "He was trying to defend your honour." "Too late, if you ask me." "But nothing happened!" "That's not what Brian says." "And Paul believes him?" "Why didn't he say anything?" "Why didn't you tell me?" "He wouldn't let us." "He made us promise." "Oh, God." "Ruth..." "This is her own doing." "She said nothing happened." "Something happened." "I can tell." "I can always tell." "Ruth, what's wrong?" "He's gone!" "Left me a note." "Taken his stuff." "Gone?" "Read it yourself." "I'm taking the car." "Why?" "Where are you going?" "To find him." "If that's for washing, put it there and I'll sort it." "Are you and Dad splitting up?" "What?" "No!" "Why would you think that?" "All you do is argue." "(SIGHS) It's difficult at the moment." "Why?" "Cos of Amy?" "It's not her fault." "Whose fault is it, then?" "Dad's?" "Mine?" "No!" "Of course not." "Don't be daft." "Come here." "It's no-one's fault." "We're not splitting up." "So stop worrying." "I thought we were going to the shop." "I just wanted to show you something first." "Poor Alice." "How did you find her?" "I found the scrapbook, in your room." "But that was a secret!" "I know and I'm sorry." "But it helped me find out about her." "What happened to her." "Why?" "What happened?" "There was an accident." "It was a long time ago." "She drowned." "Does this mean you believe me?" "I believe you." "Thinks we'll be better off without him." "I've tried ignoring her." "But she won't go away." "Maybe she wants something." "I've asked her but..." "Does she speak to you?" "Not really." "Sometimes...she writes something." "Like what?" "One word." "Over and over." "'Askor'." "'Askor?" "'" "I don't know what it means." "Ruth." "What are you doing here?" "I know about the fight." "I know what happened." "You don't have to do this." "It's the only thing left." "It's for the best." "The best for who?" "For everyone." "I want to make things better but everything I do makes things worse." "What are you talking about?" "I'm supposed to look after you." "You and Mum and Dad." "But I can't." "You don't have to look after anyone." "That's not your job." "It is my job." "It's the only job that matters, really." "It's just..." "I've not done it well enough." "What do you mean?" "All the things I should've been - a good father," "a good husband, a good son." "I failed at all of them." "That's not true." "It is." "(TEARFULLY) Look at us!" "Alice is dead." "Our marriage is dying." "The whole village is talking about us." "None of that is your fault." "It was my job, Ruth." "Father." "Husband." "Son." "It was my job." "Then what about doing your job now, Paul?" "How are you going to look after me now?" "You don't need me." "I do." "I need you, Paul." "Don't do this to me." "Please." "I don't want to talk about it." "I understand, Scott." "But I wouldn't ask if I didn't think it was important." "Your baby, Alice." "Where did you get that name?" "It was on a mural in one of the bedrooms." "The name of a little girl who lived there once." "When I found out that you'd called her that, I dug this out." "You should probably take a look." "My sister said she saw things." "What kind of things?" "A little girl...called Alice." "My mum thought she was sick but my dad believed her." "He did some research and found that." "1967." "Little girl, eight." "Drowned." "Alice Bowen." "Marchlands." "Bowen." "Alice Bowen." "Parents, Paul and Ruth Bowen." "Ruth?" "Our Ruth?" "You know her?" "The girl's mum?" "She's looking after the baby." "OUR Alice!" "Two minutes, Ruth." "Just leave." "No." "I'm not leaving you." "You're not leaving me." "Let me go." "Go where?" "I don't know." "Anywhere." "It doesn't matter." "It matters to me." "(TRAIN WHISTLE)" "I'll come with you." "But you can't." "You said." "I was wrong." "The truth is, I can't stay." "Not without you." "What about Alice?" "Alice is dead." "You're still here." "You're all I've got." "I'm not losing you." "Do you mean it?" "Come back." "Give me time to sort things." "Pack, say goodbye." "And then we'll leave together." "A new start?" "Away from here?" "You promise?" "I promise." "Olive Runcie." "What are you doing in here?" "'Askor.'" "'Ask OR.'" "'Ask..." "Olive" "Runcie.'" "Ask Olive Runcie?" "Ask Olive Runcie?" "Scott." "No!" "Scott..." "Oh, God." "(GROANS)" "(COUGHS AND GASPS)" "(SOBS)" "Here we are, love." "Helen?" "Eddie." "In here!" "What's going on?" "What's happened?" "He's had a seizure." "In the bath." "He blacked out." "What?" "It's all right." "I found him in time." "I've called the ambulance." "They're on their way." "A lot of fuss over nothing." "You could have drowned!" "They normally only last a few seconds." "You mean, this has happened before?" "A couple of times." "Why didn't you say anything?" "I tried, but..." "you were always busy." "Oh, Scott, I'm so sorry." "I should have noticed." "We should have noticed." "I should have realised." "I should have listened." "To both of you." "I'm sorry, baby." "I'm so sorry." "And you were right." "Was I?" "What about?" "Moving." "Let's do it." "Hey, hello!" "I nearly died." "Remember?" "For God's sake, stop pacing like a headless chicken." "This is your fault." "My fault?" "I told you not to tell him about the gossip." "But, no, you can never let things lie." "Let things lie?" "Let things lie?" "You think I don't do that every day?" "What do you mean?" "You think I don't turn a blind eye to you and your grubby deceptions?" "Me?" "You think I really didn't know?" "Know what?" "About you...and Liz Runcie." "Ruth?" "Ruth!" "Ruth?" "Ruth, Alice!" "Are you here?" "Ruth!" "Ruth!" "Mark!" "They're not here." "There's no answer on the mobile." "I think I know where they are." "Come on." "Can I help you?" "Olive." "You don't remember me?" "Ruth Bowen." "Alice's mum." "That's Mark and Nisha's baby." "Yes, I work for them." "You came back looking for Alice?" "I came back looking for the truth." "I wanted to tell you before." "I left you clues." "The cross, the toggle?" "That was you?" "I wanted you to know that..." "it wasn't how they said." "But I couldn't speak to you." "And then you were gone." "How did you know?" "Told you." "I can always tell." "You've always been a bad liar." "Then there were the little things." "Aftershave...to walk the dog!" "So why did you never say anything?" "You're a man." "I thought if this was going to happen, at least it was...discreet." "Liz's husband worked for the company for years." "When he died..." "I felt I had a responsibility." "I'd drop by, see if she needed any help." "I was a shoulder to cry on." "And... ..one thing led to another." "Spare me the sordid detail." "Robert and your mother?" "But how?" "It was easy at first." "Walk the dog up the forest track." "You...pass the house anyway." "Easy to drop in for a visit." "'A visit?" "'" "And then Ruth took her evening class... and you wanted Alice out from under your feet..." "OLIVE:" "He started bringing Alice with him." "Said he wanted us to be friends." "Alice said it had to be a secret." "Said you didn't want her playing with me." "She didn't want to get into trouble." "She was always such a good girl." "But...when Alice died...?" "So that day, Alice was with you." "We...we left them playing downstairs." "(GIGGLING)" "She was showing me her silver cross." "She let me try it on." "(TINKLING)" "(GIGGLING)" "Then I decided to play a different game." "Please." "I need to know." "I dared her to go upstairs." "I watched from the hall." "I only meant her to go up onto the landing." "But she went right up to the door." "And gave it a push." "ROBERT:" "The door was behind me." "And I...didn't see her." "(SCREAMS) Oh!" "Get out of here!" "Get out!" "Alice!" "You get out of here before I come over there and throttle you!" "Alice!" "Alice!" "Alice!" "Alice!" "Alice, come back!" "Alice!" "Come back here!" "Alice!" "Alice!" "Alice!" "Ow!" "Olive." "Olive." "Come here." "It's all right." "It's all right, Olive." "It's all right." "Come on." "We're gonna find Alice." "Come on!" "Alice!" "Alice!" "Alice!" "Alice!" "Alice!" "(PANTING)" "Alice!" "Alice!" "Alice!" "And it was like she'd just...vanished." "Alice!" "If there'd been any signa splash, a bubble," "I could've gone in and tried to get her out, but she just...she..." "Gone." "Robert." "It was Robert!" "It was an accident." "But he knew." "All the time...he knew, and he never said a word!" "So you...called the police and..." "lied to them." "Liz convinced me it was the best thing." "There was nothing we could do for Alice." "She said there was no point in destroying other people's lives too." "Mum said if anyone found out, she'd go to jail and I'd go into a home." "So she made you lie too?" "No-one ever asked ME." "I'm sorry." "All those years not knowing." "It wasn't your fault." "It wasn't your fault." "It wasn't your fault." "It's been torture." "Watching Paul and Ruth suffer through this." "Knowing." "Wanting to tell them." "At least now I can explain and they'll know what really happened." "That's not up to you." "Sorry?" "You do not get to choose how this is going to be." "What?" "You betrayed me." "You humiliated me." "You killed our granddaughter." "No!" "And now you think you can unburden yourself and just dump it all on other people?" "Let them suffer so that you can ease your guilty conscience?" "Think about it." "What would happen if this came out?" "Everything we have here... ..everything I've worked for..." "would be ruined." "I couldn't walk down the street." "I couldn't go to church." "I couldn't show my face anywhere." "And why?" "Because you couldn't control your petty little lusts." "Evelyn, I have to tell - I'm not having it!" "Do you hear me?" "I'm not having you destroy everything." "I am not going to pay the price for your weakness." "But Paul and Ruth, they have a right to know." "They've got enough problems." "This would only open old wounds." "And it...won't bring Alice back." "You are not going to tell them." "You are not going to tell anyone." "Do you understand?" "Never." "They're here!" "Ruth!" "Where's Ruth?" "What's going on?" "Ruth." "The baby." "Where are they?" "(BABY GURGLES))" "It's all right." "It's all right, sweetie." "We're nearly there." "We're nearly there now." "(BABY CRIES) Hey." "I'm coming, baby." "Mummy's coming." "Ruth!" "No!" "Be careful." "Don't move." "What's wrong?" "What's going on?" "We know who you are, Ruth." "We know about Alice." "Your Alice." "This is where I lost her." "This is where it happened." "43 years I've had to wait." "Just to know." "Ruth." "Ruth." "Ruth, let me have her." "Let her go." "Oh, baby." "I know." "I've got to go, sweetheart." "I've got to." "But I'm coming back." "I promise." "One day, I'm coming back for you." "Saying goodbye?" "You know, I think somewhere different will be good for us all." "Will Scott get better at the new house?" "Well..." "He's epileptic." "That won't change." "But if he's careful, he'll be able to manage it." "What about Alice?" "You know..." "..I think I was wrong about Alice." "I think she was looking after us." "Trying to help." "Trying to warn us." "I think Alice was a good girl all along." "Come on." "You can help me finish in the kitchen." "In a minute." "OK." "I've got go." "But I'm leaving this for the next person." "Then they can be your friend, too." "(BABY GURGLES)" "Do you think she'll mind?" "Alice isn't here any more." "Ruth came back for her, then let her go." "This place is ours now." "Goodbye, Ruth, love." "I'm sorry." "I'm so sorry." "You'll write, won't you?" "We'll want to hear everything." "And telephone, if you get the chance." "Be nice to hear your voice." "We'll telephone." "Don't worry." "This house is going to seem empty without you." "You'll be fine." "You've got, Dad, haven't you?" "You got everything, love?" "Yeah." "We've got everything."