Dark Angel

- - _

_

When I think of the day you came home to us.

When I think of your dark eyes.

The time you speak of my dark eyes,

I was happy then.

Them was days of joy to all our souls.

_

Mary Ann?

Not far now.

- The prodigal returns! - Enough of your nonsense!

- There we go. Here.

There you are.

Oh, Mam!

You'll be ready for a brew. Tea, William?

Or something more sustaining, bygones being bygones?

Get the bags. I'll put the kettle on for tea.

See if you can get her to pull us a pint of mild while she's at it.

Let's have a gander.

Ooh! Takes after me. I knew she would.

Margaret Jane, may I introduce you to my wicked stepfather?

If we'd only known, love.

We'd have come to fetch you home at the drop of a hat.

I had my husband by my side.

Men, what use are they?

Billy lost the same children as me, Mam.

It's not the same for fathers.

I can't believe you've still got that old teapot.

What's wrong with it?

Nothing says home like that does.

Nothing says home like us all being under one roof together.

Come on. Just hold your horses, man!

You've sucked that barrel dry.

Pay Friday, eh?

Pay Fridays are grand when you're getting paid.

The lads were saying there's a job going in the pithead stores.

He'll earn nothing there.

He's nowhere near strong enough to get set on underground, you know that.

Four little coffins in four years, George, and she never said!

- Four lost babies! - Aye.

I hope she still thinks he was worth running away for.

We're all stuck with him, love.

I'll make sure he does right by her.

Smallpox, cowpox?

Erm...

If you don't remember, Billy, you can't have had either.

Er, no.

- Measles, whooping cough? - When I was a bairn, like.

Not had the gout, not afflicted with fits?

- What's going on? - George's idea.

You cannot be too careful.

Or any disease particularly tending to shorten the duration of your health?

Not that I know of.

Sign here, please, Mr Mowbray.

- And your referee. Aye, that's me.

Life insurance. You've done the right thing, lad.

Spending money we haven't got?

How much am I worth to you, pet?

I put a price on my head. Alive or dead, go on.

How much did you have to put in?

The premium is one pound, three shillings and four pence.

- Dear God! - It's only once a year.

It's like willing something bad to happen, as if we've not had enough.

No, it's not!

It's the opposite, because if I die,

the insurance company pays £35 straight to my widow.

No questions asked.

I could spend it on beer if you'd rather.

Mary Ann, listen to me...

Everything is going to be all right now.

I'm looking out for you,

for you and our children...

all our children still waiting to be born.

Oh! Here we go!

It's too soon to think of another one.

I don't know what you think the remedy is.

He needs to learn to whip it out before he's done!

Too late for that.

You're not?

Your sixth? By heaven, Mary Ann!

If your Billy were a farmer and you were a cow...

He'd win a lot of prizes.

We are starting again, Mam, after all the sadness.

That's why we came home.

A fine, strong little article this one.

A fresh start was all we needed,

a safe harbour.

God willing.

Do you reject the Devil and all rebellion against God?

- I reject them. - I reject them.

And do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil?

- I renounce them. - I renounce them.

Isabella! Isn't she a beauty?

Time I took her home. She were colicky in the night.

That bairn is going nowhere till I've had a kiss off her.

Ah, Maggie!

Who wouldn't want a kiss off you, Maggie Cotton, eh?

Oh, Mr Stott!

Oh, she is a beauty!

- Oh dear, oh! - She's hungry.

- You've not changed a bit. - Are you hungry, pet?

I'm back doing the parson's laundry for my sins.

It's a good job he's not fussy.

Thought you were looking after your brother.

Our kid got married.

- Fred Cotton, married? - Mm-hm.

Was she blind or desperate?

I've missed you.

I hadn't a soul to laugh and joke with in Cornwall.

Ah, I bet Mr and Mrs Cotton had a proper wedding.

Standing in church with the glove in her hand.

- You could have done that. - Out to here?!

Ran off to the registry office in Newcastle.

Got witnesses off the street.

Seems like I woke up, I were in Cornwall, in the rain.

And after all that... my babies.

Oh, dear God, Margaret Jane!

- Margaret Jane! - W-what's the matter?

- Shh. Margaret Jane! - Bring that light!

Here, let me see.

Oh, no, no, no!

Get the doctor.

No, no, no.

Everybody moves on, don't they? All the time.

That's how it is these days with the young people.

Nothing stays the same.

It ought to say plain on her gravestone,

"Died of scarlet fever, by the will of God."

You can't be angry with Him, love.

Who else do you suggest?

You're always thinking, "Leave me alone, get off me."

It will only make another mouth, another mouth that's always open.

- Until the day it's not. - Oh, don't be like that, love.

I can't let you leave like that.

Billy says a man has to go where the work is

and if that means going down the docks...

No.

No, take it, go on! It will remind you of home.

And buck up, love, eh?

Because it's just how life is for women,

and no amount of mithering will change that.

What would I ever do without my mam to keep me straight?

Isabella, hold your mam's teapot for us.

Bye.

You all right?

Bye.

I'm going to worry about her, whatever you say.

She's a big girl, George.

It's Sunderland, not another world!

Come on.

No, Billy, no.

A little bit of cleaning up, it'll be home sweet home in no time.

Morning.

Arsenic, it's the only thing that works against bedbugs I know of.

And a pint of soft soap for mixing it.

Oh, write down your name and address in the book, will you, love?

The government don't let us give arsenic to anyone who asks.

- Not any more. - Scared stiff, that's why.

Worried their own unhappy wives are hiding white powder in their cupboards!

- There'd be no husbands left. -

Remind me not to get on the wrong side of you, love.

Do I know you?

- Do you want to? Joe.

I scrub up nice, me like.

No, you don't come in here. It's dangerous.

Go and eat your stottie, like a good girl.

Isabella, this is arsenic, it's poisonous!

That's why it kills the bugs.

Do as you're told!

Why, but I'm hungry and there's nothing cooking.

I've been otherwise engaged.

Oh, pet!

Another Margaret Jane.

It were a lovely name before and it's a lovely name now.

Margaret Jane the second.

Now, my princess,

how about we ask your mammy for a little boy next time?

There's not gonna be a next time.