The Little Stranger

Hello?

- Who are you? - I'm Dr. Faraday.

I was expecting Granger.

Roderick Ayres.

It's one of your maids, I understand?

Huh. "One of our maids"?

I like that.

Down the steps on your left.

My sister will fill you in.

Gyp. Gyp.

Sorry.

He thinks every stranger has come to cut our throats

and make off with the last silver spoon.

Dr. Faraday. Dr. Granger's new partner.

Yeah? Caroline Ayres.

Betty's this way.

Hmm.

Have you been sick at all, Betty?

And is it a stabbing pain, or a burning pain?

It's like a burning pain...

With stabs in it?

Right.

Let's have a look at you.

- Just relax. - Ow!

Ow! Ow!

Could you leave us alone for a minute, please, Miss Ayres?

Yes. Of course.

Come on, Gyp.

Well?

But I did feel poorly.

I did.

And I just thought if I was bad enough...

That they might send me home.

What is it?

Is the work too hard?

Are they unkind to you?

Then what is it?

Shh.

Nothing serious. She'll be fine by tomorrow.

Ha.

Well, thank you.

There's one other thing. It's a very big house.

Betty's alone down here at night. I was...

These silly girls.

You've lived here all your life, Miss Ayres.

Perhaps you could reassure Betty. She's really awfully young.

Right.

Well, let's find Roderick.

You can tell him how much we owe you.

Rod?

Roddie?

How did you find the patient, Doctor?

Mrs. Ayres.

Mother, this is Dr. Faraday.

He thinks we're brutes.

Little under the weather.

I imagine she'll be quite well by tomorrow.

You'll observe a change in Betty yet.

This house works on people.

Girls come here like specks of grit.

Ten years later, they leave as pearls.

I expect Dr. Faraday's thinking Betty won't stick it out for 10 years.

Most girls would rather work in factories these days. And who can blame them?

As it happens, I was thinking of my mother.

She was a maid here, before I was born.

Well...

I do hope she enjoyed her time.

Right, Roderick.

Come on, Gyp.

Wait here, please.

The first time I saw Hundreds Hall was July 1919.

An Empire Day fete, the summer after The Great War.

I had passed by its gates often enough,

never imagining they would open to me,

a common village boy.

There was bunting and cake, and all manner of games.

And, at the heart of it, the Ayres family.

So happy and handsome back then.

But it was the house itself, still in its glory,

which somehow impressed me terribly.

My mother had described the place often.

But seeing it myself, for the first time...

Nothing could have prepared me for the spell it cast that day.

Aren't you smart?

Mummy.

Nice and still, please.

It won't be as bad as you think.

I sincerely hope you aren't discussing supper.

The National Health Service. Ah.

Granger here will be all right.

People like to look up to their doctors.

Last thing they want is one of their own.

Rubbish. They want someone who'll do the job.

Besides, turns out you've friends in high places.

Peter said you'd been out to Hundreds.

- Can't believe I missed that call. - How was it?

Place is a mess.

I'd heard they were pigging it.

Can't get tradesmen. Too many unpaid bills.

Roderick handed me the shillings as though they were his last.

Poor boy.

One moment you're an Air Force hero,

then captain of a sinking ship.

He's still in a good deal of pain with his leg.

Night, Rod.

There was nervous trouble, too, apparently.

When he came back. Hardly surprising.

You didn't treat him?

Family closed ranks, very hush-hush about it.

No, they brought Caroline home to nurse him.

Rotten shame, really.

She was doing very well. A commission in the WAAF, or the Wrens.

Awfully brainy girl.

Ho!

Whoa, there, now.

Gyp!

Gyp! Come here!

What on earth do you think you're doing?

I'm terribly sorry. Oh.

It's you.

I'm sorry. I was racing a horse and cart.

Well, no harm done, eh.

At least he's alive and kicking.

Here. I mean to pay my fare.

What's wrong with the patient you're visiting?

Whooping cough. Try to call in twice a day.

Goodness, you must be rolling in it.

He's a club patient.

I treat the whole family for a few shillings a year.

How's Betty?

Ah, Rod fixed her up with a wireless.

Miracle cure.

Look, I meant to say, the day you came, we were ghastly, weren't we?

- Not at all. - No, no, no. We were.

We've lost the trick of company.

Mother won't have guests with the house so shabby.

Are your parents still in the county?

My mother died some while ago. Father just last year.

That's what brought me back, in fact.

Come on, Gyp. That's it.

- Are you sure you won't come up? - That's kind, but...

Your patient.

Well, Rod will be awfully jealous I had a ride.

He loves your car.

If you don't mind my saying...

I'm surprised the RAF didn't make a better job of patching him up.

Ah.

Well, I'm not sure he wanted to be patched up.

Hmm.

Look, I know it's a cheek, but could you talk to him?

- I'm not a psychological doctor. - No, he might listen to you.

Sorry, shouldn't have asked.

The matter of his leg...

Might he be more open to treatment for that?

Yes. I'll ask him.

Thank you.

Right. Come on, Gyp. That's it.

Caroline tells me this is a favor.

Oh, no.

There's a mutual benefit.

You get the treatment and I write it up.

See, the accepted wisdom

is that induction coils are only good for fresh injuries,

but I've got a hunch.

Good Lord, it's like something out of Frankenstein.

It's not as dramatic as it looks, I promise you.

So, you work and sleep in here, then?

Yes, when I first came home, I couldn't be doing with stairs.

I actually prefer it now. Helps me keep on top of things, you know.

Difficult times for estates like Hundreds.

With death duties at 75%? I'll say.

Labor government won't be happy

until we're begging for our lives on street corners.

Perhaps you feel the same way. I don't know.

Why would I?

No.

Do you mind?

Anyway, I'm selling some land to the council.

Selling land?

Just some scrub behind the sheep sheds.

Bring in some power and water to the farm.

Make a big difference to milking.

Christ.

Sit down, please.

It's actually a very gentle sensation.

It might take away a little of your pain.

All right. - May I?

Yes.

I wouldn't bother, except I'm just so slow about the place.

Can't keep up with the men.

Pretty foul, isn't it?

I've seen worse.

Not too bad, actually.

Sort of hotting up.

Huh.

You're a wizard, Dr. Faraday.

I really don't know how to thank you.

Perhaps you'd consider this an act of restitution.

A long time ago, as a grubby-kneed boy,

I snuck up and stole something from this house.