Fear in the Night

Quiet, please. Everybody, quiet.

We will now sing the beginning of term hymn,

"Lord, receive us with thy blessing, once again assembled here."

I don't really need you any more, do I?

I'm sorry I didn't tell you before.

It's just I was afraid, really, you might not approve.

I'd made up my mind that was what I wanted to do.

- When did you get married? - Last week.

He's away at the moment. We haven't even had our honeymoon yet.

He had to leave the day after the wedding.

Tell me about him. What does he do?

He's a schoolteacher. He works in the country.

So I'll have to leave Mrs Beamish.

You'll soon find someone else, Mrs Beamish.

Ah, but not like you, dear.

Quiet as a mouse. The place always spotless.

There aren't many around like you these days.

It's all parties, friends popping in at all hours.

- You were never like that. - No, I wasn't.

I think they're very lucky to be getting you. The school, I mean.

Think of it, living among all those happy little boys.

Quite a family you'll have.

A hundred and fifty of them.

- You'll make a fine wife for a teacher. - I hope so.

Is Mr Robert coming to collect you?

- Yes, he's driving up in the morning. - Ah. That'll be nice.

It'll be a sort of honeymoon for you, won't it?

Yeah. At least we've got the holidays to look forward to.

- Will you be living near the school? - I think so.

Robert says we've got a cottage on the grounds.

Oh. That's nice.

They sound very nice, the headmaster and his wife.

They do. I haven't met them yet.

Plenty of time for that.

I'll see you in the morning before you go, then.

Goodbye, dear.

- Night-night. - Good night and pleasant dreams.

Hello, Robert.

Where are you?

The school, of course. Where did you think I'd be?

We've just had the end of term feast.

A hundred and fifty of the little monsters stuffing themselves into insensibility.

Now they've all gone to bed with the wind.

You should have been here. Like pigs at a swill.

Oh, Michael and Molly send their love, they're longing to meet you.

Are you alone?

Yes, Mrs Beamish has just gone.

I love you, too.

Okay, I'll see you about 11:00 in the morning.

How do you feel?

Relax, young lady. You got a nasty bump on the head.

- Did you catch him? - Catch who?

He was in the bathroom. He was waiting for me.

There was no one here, dear.

I heard this thump on the floor. I came upstairs to see if you were all right.

And I found you stretched out on the bathroom floor.

He tried to strangle me.

We'd better ring the police.

Could I have a word with you, Doctor?

How do you feel now?

Have you called the police?

Later.

Mrs Beamish tells me you haven't been very well lately.

I don't understand.

You had a nervous breakdown.

That was about six months ago.

That's not very long.

These things take a long time to sort out.

A very long time.

I didn't just imagine that.

Tell me what happened, from the beginning.

It was after you went. Robert phoned.

And after I had spoken to him,

I went and put the chain on the door, and then...

The chain wasn't on, dear. I let myself in.

I used my pass key.

The chain wasn't on.

He must have gone out that way, then.

I'll call the police if you're not going to.

No. We'll do it.

How long do you think it'll be before I'm really better?

You're much better now.

When I was in the hospital, there was a girl called Gillian.

Do you remember her? I used to share a room with her.

She kept imagining that there was someone following her and watching her.

Of course, we knew there wasn't, but she really believed there was.

She'd had a breakdown, too,

but I think hers must have been much worse than mine.

That was the second time she'd been back.

She thought she was really better.

They must have thought she was, too, or they wouldn't have let her go, would they?

But it was afterwards, though,

when she'd left, when she was on her own, that she started imagining those things.

Are you sure you're feeling all right?

Mmm.

- I'm sorry. - It's okay.

I am sorry.

I was looking forward to the drive and everything.

And now it's spoiled?

- No. It's not spoiled, it's just... - What?

I don't know.

These things take time to mend.

You'll see, once they catch him.

- They will catch him, won't they? - Of course they will. You're safe now.

I'm sorry. I was miles away.

- Where were you? - I was thinking,

because of you, I'm gonna be the butt of countless schoolboy jokes.

- Why? - 'Cause they'll fancy you.

At least the older ones will.

"Old Heller's found himself a smashing bird, you should see her. “

And they'll make up wildly erotic stories about what you and I get up to.

I shall invite the attractive ones over for tea.

- Attractive what? - Boys.

There aren't any.

I shall listen to all their problems. I'll tell them to wash behind their ears,

and I'll tell them to be especially nice to you.

That'll go down a bomb.

- I know I'm gonna love it. - Monstrous little brutes.

Our cottage will be placed out of bounds on the first day of term.

- Oh, I can't wait to see it. - I hope you like it.

I'm sure I will. Is it near the school?

- What's it like? - What's what like?

- The school. - Big.

- And? - Big.

- Is it old? - It's not old at all, actually, it just looks old.

Old and decrepit.

It was only built about 60 years ago, as a matter of fact.

Stockbroker Tudor, they used to call it.

It's been neglected recently.

It could do with a good coat of paint.

Needs re-plastering in places. Full of dry rot, too, probably.

I think it's marvellous. Can we go inside?

This is the main hall, the assembly hall, the great hall.

Chapel on Sundays. Gathering point on speech days.

What you might call the hub of the establishment.

The Carmichaels live in a private wing at the back of the house.

Do you want to pay your respects now or later?

Oh, no. Later.

- They won't eat you. - I know, but I'd rather leave it till tomorrow.

You'll like him. She can be a bit odd at times, though.

- I'm sure they're both very nice. - Mmm.

This place must have cost a fortune.

- Does Mr Carmichael own it? - Yes, he does.

- He must be very rich. - He would be if he sold it.

Do you know a property developer offered him a quarter of a million for it,

and he turned them down?

- The school must mean a lotto him. - Yes, it does.

Welcome to the lower fourth, known among the staff as the Snake Pit.

- Why is it called the Snake Pit? - You should be here in term time.

It's all so clean, Bob. Are the desks new?

- It's not like our school. - Why not?

Oh, everything there was chaos.

Teachers always complaining about being overworked.

We got lots more to see.

You must have an enormous staff to run this place.

- Not really. - Where are we going now?

- I'll show you. - Where?

- You'll see. - Oh, what's that?

- It's not very pretty, is it? - It's horrible.

It's one of Molly Carmichael's. She's a sculptress.

- I don't like it. - Mmm. It is a bit savage.

Have the boys seen it?

What a strange thing to have in a boys' school.

- Why? - Just having to look at that every day.

I suppose you're right. Come on.

What do you think?

- It's lovely. - Do you like it?

Mmm.

- I love it. - What were you expecting?

I don't know.

Something smaller and darker, and lots of old books.

It's nice, Bob. Who had it before you?

Oh. Maths master. He retired at the end of last term. Ooh!

Went to live in Brighton.

It's not so bad, I suppose. All mod cons.

Even champagne.

To us, then.

- Do you think you're gonna be happy here? - Of course I am.

- I shall be out most of the time during term. - Don't worry, it's your work.

- Don't you like it? - I don't like work of any sort.

I'd rather spend most of my time with you.

I thought all teachers were supposed to be dedicated.

I'm not.

- I wish I had just half Carmichael's money. - Oh, don't be silly.

- He probably envies you. - Do you think so?

You're probably right.

The trouble with him is... Oh.

See what I mean? Not a moment's peace.

Oh. Hello, Michael. It's the headmaster. Sorry, what?

Yes, of course.

Yes, I'll pick them up for you.

At what time?

The 11:45 from London.

Fine.

What?

Oh. She's fine. We moved in this afternoon, yes.

Tomorrow night.

Yes, we'd love to.

Dinner tomorrow.

No, I'm sorry. I was just telling Peggy.