Harlots

Your daughter is a goddess.

Please don't make me go with him.

‐I'm no good at this. ‐You have to have a keeper!

We need another girl.

It is murder,

and it is not worth my while.

The price of my young slaves has gone up.

I want a hundred pounds for them.

I thought I might try my chances in America.

Care to join me?

You bitch!

Let me go.

She'll kill me!

Charles, speak to me, please!

‐I'm leaving. ‐I say when you leave!

Tell them how you got me to behave tonight.

You'll know your place.

Will you pin me to the bed,

tell me that you're my lord and master

and rape me?

Hello, you know what we want!

We want some cunny!

We want cunny, we want cunny!

‐All right, calm down. ‐I want her.

I want her!

Emily Lacey is laughing at your fate.

Mumma, she can't have known what would happen.

She would have killed you stone dead

if it had suited her purpose.

Let's forget she was ever here.

You do that, my treasure.

What if she finds out where I am?

No one here's going to tell her.

I left her son swimming in laudanum.

She's going to scalp me and skin me

and make me into a wig and gloves.

I was afraid of that harridan once.

But Dame Quigley's like the shadow of a monster.

You turn around and face her, you might find

the shadow's nothing but a flea.

She cannot be seen.

Let no one in.

It gets easier.

Forgive me.

I thought you sad.

I've never had this.

It's my own money.

It is a solace.

It's hope

that I can buy back my children.

When were you freed, Mr. North?

I was born a free Englishman.

Foundling.

I'm sorry for assuming...

This is the trinket my mother left,

to know me by when she returned.

Only she never did.

We must do what we can for Harriet.

I feel for her plight,

but I must settle my own debt with Mr. Lennox

before I can do anything.

It galls me that I've got to pay him back so soon.

What news, Mr. Lennox?

Your country's 122 million pounds in debt.

I find that strangely comforting.

Your boy may sit over there.

Come now, Mr. Lennox,

I sit where I please.

Mr. North is his own man.

I'd have him sit there.

Now.

Here's 50 pounds of my own national debt repaid.

I suggest a weekly repayment of 25 pounds,

at a rate of interest to be agreed.

There's little to keep me here since my father died.

If I have no amusements, I'll go home to Virginia.

The interest is continued repayment in kind.

Our girls won't have you.

I'm sure we can come to some arrangement.

It galls them

that you keep your brother and sister

as your slaves.

Do you presume to lecture me?

Come now.

Let's take our coffee in a civilized manner.

How is it civilized to sit here with a primitive?

If you were on my estate,

I'd whip the flesh from your back

for showing insolence to me.

If you weren't such a milksop, I'd do the same to you,

‐right here. ‐Will!

I do not accept your terms.

I want my money in full this afternoon.

Mr. Lennox!

You're angry.

No... I'm proud of you.

But you're angry.

I can't get these laced at all.

What is it?

She has a baby in there.

Fanny!

You must go to Mrs. Wells.

She won't have a baby in the house, you know that.

She'll kick me out.

Quigley the same.

Any girl begins to show and... gone.

The way she turned Emily away,

it was cruel.

And she'll do the same to me.

What?

Nothing.

Are you gossiping spite about my mother?

You'd be fucking in the gutter if it wasn't for her.

You want to wash your mouth out.

And you want to wash out your crack.

Don't you dare speak to me like that.

Take your breakfast and go to your room.

This is my house.

Well, your mother's left me in charge

and I say go to your room.

Leave your cares on the threshold

and enter our house of revels.

Harriet and Marie‐Louise are with culls,

two more await.

I can take one, but why can't Lucy take the other?

She gave me a mouthful of vexatious language

and I sent her to her room.

Where's Fanny?

She's out.

Buying condoms.

Stop vexing Kitty, you bad shrimp.

I need your answer for Lord Fallon.

Will you make me have him?

No.

Of course I won't.

Won't never get such an offer again, though.

What will happen if I say no?

No good will ever come out of being Mrs. Quigley's creature.

I'm glad to hear you say it.

We'll leave as soon as you're able.

We cannot.

God will provide.

She holds me in pincers.

She has me writhing on the lies that I have told.

And in my fever, one thing became clear:

Only the truth will free me.

What lies?

I have drawn a veil across my past.

I am a sinner, child.

‐We are all sinners. ‐No, no!

I was once an obscene and shameful...

I was once a...

‐The things I did! ‐Oh, Mother‐‐.

God scourged me.

This mist He sent across my eyes.

No amount of crying will ever wash me clean.

You were once a harlot?

Your father could be one of twenty men.

I've lied.

I've lied, I've lied, I've lied, I've lied!

It doesn't matter.

God sent me a daughter.

You've saved me.

Emily Lacey's sheltering at mine.

I won't help her.

You have money now.

You can pay off her debt to Quigley.

‐No, no, no. ‐You have to, Mags.

He warned me not to kick that nest.

Advice I should have taken.

We both know what it's like to be immured at Quigley's.

We fought her off, two green girls.

‐She should do the same. ‐She's alone.

We had each other.

I need your help.

Oh, Nance.

That girl's not worthy of your care.

Quigley'll kill her.

When we escaped, we talked into the night

about the kind of bawd it might be possible to be,

‐and you said... ‐I've tried to be that bawd,

‐you know I have. ‐... you said we should sustain

and defend each other.

We do.

You have the standing now to properly oppose that woman.

You have five minutes of my time, madam.

What do you want?

I can see how it's gone.

One zealous Spartan squeezes too hard,

feels a thrilling power,

and a girl dies.

He wants the others to share his crime,

and truth be told, there are one or two

with a thirst to try.

So another girl must be found, and then another,

until they are united in their deed.

They have me trapped.

I cannot free myself.

I have the most perfect girl for them.