Doctor Thorne

Ripped By mstoll

You!

Sir!

Thorne!

Stop! You, stop!

Roger. What's in the wind?

My sister's honor, that's what.

I did not know your sister and honor were acquainted.

You blackguard! You...

Get up, you coward!

Eh?

Of course I want you, Alexandrina!

I'm going to have all the De Courcy cousins.

And Beatrice, naturally.

And Mary. You must have Mary.

Aunt Arabella thinks it very important that all of Augusta's bridesmaids

should be of a caliber far above the common horde.

Because the bridegroom isn't?

Really, Beatrice. Mr Moffatt is...

Mr Moffatt is rich. He has no other quality visible to the naked eye.

His father was a tailor.

His father was a tailor, many years ago,

before... he demonstrated his brilliance of mind.

And made a lot of money.

Shh. Here is Miss Thorne now.

You all make a charming picture.

We were discussing Miss Gresham's wedding plans.

The date is set for the 1st of September.

Oh, Augusta! How exciting!

Who are the bridesmaids to be?

Beatrice, of course, and my cousins, the De Courcys.

I hope you...

I'm sorry if you...

Oh, please don't think of me.

I never expected it for a minute.

Miss Thorne is much too sensible to have imagined any such thing.

It's a lovely time of year for a honeymoon. Where will you go?

Mr Moffatt talks of Paris.

Whoever heard of going to Paris in September?

Whoever heard of letting the bridegroom have a say on the matter?

Mr Moffatt must go where you choose to take him.

I'm not so sure.

Among ordinary people, the lady will usually have her way,

but rank has its drawbacks, as well as its privileges.

I shouldn't mind the drawbacks, but I mightn't be up to the privileges.

I'm going to go in. It must be time to dress. Augusta?

Once more I have made an enemy of the Lady Alexandrina De Courcy.

It's sad you won't be a bridesmaid.

What did Lady Alexandrina mean?

That I was too sensible to have imagined it?

Why shouldn't I imagine it?

There you are, Mama. You've missed Augusta's talk of wedding plans.

Mary, I'm afraid it's time for you to run along.

Beatrice must get changed.

Of course, Lady Arabella.

I only looked in on my way home.

Give my regards to the good doctor.

I hope you weren't encouraging this bridesmaid nonsense.

- She knows she won't be asked. - Good.

But why not, when she's the oldest friend we any of us have?

Because it is my decision.

Isn't it enough your sister will be Mrs Moffatt for the rest of her life?

I don't understand. If you think so little of her, why is Mary allowed here?

Because she has been in this house since you were children.

Why did you allow it then?

These things matter less with children.

And your father is fond of Doctor Thorne.

Papa says that the Thornes of Ullathorne Park

are as good as the Greshams.

If she were a Miss Thorne of Ullathorne, it would be a different matter.

But who is Mary Thorne?

And how precisely is she related to the family at Ullathorne?

She's Doctor Thorne's niece, so she must be their cousin.

She is called his niece. That is all.

And there's the dressing gong. Come along.

Mary?

What's the matter?

Nothing.

I beg to differ.

Something's the matter.

Why didn't you wait for me?

I didn't wait for you because your mother drove me away

so Beatrice could dress.

Besides, Lady Alexandrina had had enough of me.

Don't mind Alexandrina. You never have.

- Would you like a ride home? - No.

You have a dinner to attend,

and, with the De Courcys to deal with, you'd better not be late.

These things are more relaxed in our house.

If my aunt gives me one more lecture on whom I should marry,

I will not be responsible for my answer.

Oh, yes, you will.

You'll listen to Lady De Courcy and nod politely,

or we'll never hear the end of it!

But it seems very hard... when we both know whom I should marry.

What do you mean?

I should marry you, of course.

Much more of that, and I'll make you call me "Miss Thorne".

And if you say one more word, I won't be at your party tomorrow night.

Now, hurry in, or you will be late, and I'll be blamed.

You know I'm serious.

I know you're young.

I'm older than you.

But I'm a woman.

- Uncle? - Hm?

What do you make of this marriage of Augusta?

I hope Miss Gresham shall be very happy as Mrs Moffatt.

And I, of course.

But I don't at all expect it.

- No? - No.

I think she degrades herself

by marrying a man who she does not care a jot for,

who has no breeding and no charm, but only money.

Well...

So... would I degrade myself by marrying Mr Moffatt?

How can I answer that?

I mean I know where to rank Augusta.

What I want to know is, where I ought to rank myself.

What's brought this on?

Something Lady Alexandrina De Courcy said this afternoon.

Lady Alexandrina is a spiteful cat.

Whatever she says, I wouldn't give it one scrap of attention.

Be honest with me, Uncle.

Tell me first, am I a Thorne?

Am I in truth your niece?

You are indeed my niece, the child of my late brother, Henry.

That I can swear to.

But?

Mary, I would spare you this, if you'd let me.

I've already been spared for many long years. Too many.

Very well. If you're determined.

So be it.

Your mother... was a village girl.

And, as you've already guessed,

she was not my brother's wife.

Is she still living?

I believe so. In Australia.

She married and has a family there.

But she did not want me.

She wanted you very much.

But her husband made it a condition that she leave you behind,

and start a new life with him.

It was her chance and she took it.

My father did not want me either?

We'll never know.

He died before your birth.

Your mother came to me with her dilemma,

and I offered you a home.

But that's wrong.

It's you that have made a home for me for 20 happy years.

So I am not a Thorne of Ullathorne.

To me, you are my daughter.

And any man who has the honor of your love

should be the envy of the world.

Mama, I suppose you know what flirting is.

There was nothing very terrible in it that I could see.

Have you noticed this flirting before now?

Frank and Mary have always been very close. You know that.

Maybe.

But being close at 12 is a very different thing from being close at 20.

- Anyway, I thought you should know. - Mm, quite right, my dear.

Honesty is the grounding of a healthy life.

Now, Mr Moffatt is not yet down.

Go back to your room, wait a few minutes and then make an entrance.

Yes!

Frank is coming of age and you cannot avoid it.

You will not spoil Frank's party.

It is your responsibility to ensure the future of the estate.

How can I order Frank to do anything

when it is my folly that is the cause of our discomfort?

- I'll speak to him. - And what good will that do?

You have already spoken to him many times.

Really, Mr Gresham!

I hope our difficulties

have not consumed your manners as well as your fortune.

I just don't see how Lady De Courcy can influence Frank

to do something which he must find repugnant.

I will explain it is his duty to his parents, to his family

and to the line from which he is sprung.

To marry money.

That's it. To marry money.

When I was a child,

my father owned everything you could see from this window.

King's Hill is gone and Whitehaven.

And that ridge to the right forms part of the Boxall Hill Estate.

Which you sold to the railway man.

Which I sold to Sir Roger Scatcherd, yes.

I thought it would fund me for 30 years or more.

Ten years later, and every penny is gone.

I do hope Mr Gresham doesn't imagine we can come to his aid.

No, indeed.

Mr Moffatt.

Ah, Mr Moffatt.

I do not think you've met my brother, Lord De Courcy.

- Good afternoon. - How do you do?

Lady De Courcy, may I present Mr Moffatt?

Here comes the lover,

"Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad

Made to his mistress' eyebrow."

I'm sorry?