Frances & Marguerite — A Servant Who Loved the Woman She Could Never Have

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:00]I can't stay here.

[00:00:02]I am not staying here. Langton, do not embarrass me.

[00:00:08]I can't.

[00:00:10]You should try to just get on with things.

[00:00:13]>> [music] >> And the master's kind enough.

[00:00:16]As for madam, >> [music] >> she's very beautiful.

[00:00:23]>> [music] >> Morning. Well, madam.

[00:00:34]>> [music] >> And you are?

[00:00:36]Then you go, mum.

[00:00:38]I'm English.

[00:00:40]Francis Langton.

[00:00:42]>> [music] >> I see.

[00:00:45]And how are you finding us, Francis?

[00:00:47][music] A shock.

[00:00:53]I suppose we are, aren't we?

[00:00:56]Milton.

[00:00:57]>> [clears throat] >> You know it.

[00:01:02]The mind is its own place.

[00:01:04]And in itself can make a heaven of hell.

[00:01:07]A hell of heaven.

[00:01:44]Are you just going to stand there?

[00:01:48]>> [music] >> Mum, I My good woman. Madam.

[00:01:55]Please don't me.

[00:02:01]You're a writer?

[00:02:03]I'm a wife.

[00:02:05]>> [music] >> I find it hard to read without scribbling my own thoughts on the side.

[00:02:10]>> [music] >> I do that, too.

[00:02:18]I think everyone should be prescribed a poem [music] a day.

[00:02:21]Don't you?

[00:02:26]>> [music] >> I've [clears throat] always wanted to write.

[00:02:34]Not [music] such a straightforward ambition for a woman.

[00:02:39]>> [music] >> No.

[00:02:46]I think that men write to separate themselves from the common history.

[00:02:52]>> [music] >> Women write to try to join it.

[00:02:59]English maids are not [music] so well spoken as you are.

[00:03:03]Nor as well read.

[00:03:08]>> [music] >> Her highness has asked for you to take those up this morning.

[00:03:17]>> [music] >> Beg pardon, were we disturbing your mother?

[00:03:25]I know.

[00:03:27]I'd had a measure of happiness. [music] The dancing. [music] The feel of her.

[00:03:46]Like [music] a taste I couldn't get out of my mouth.

[00:03:57]>> [music] >> Since then, Come in.

[00:04:03]>> [music] >> I had pictured her a thousand times.

[00:04:08]And then, >> [music] >> there she was.

[00:04:14]My thoughts made flesh.

[00:04:18]Mrs. Lennox said you'd like [music] talking up.

[00:04:21]Go on then.

[00:04:23]Talk me up.

[00:04:30]You seem [music] to have found your feet well enough last night, at least.

[00:04:33]Next time I promise to keep them where to [music] myself and less on your toes.

[00:04:40]>> [music] [music] [music] >> Mr. Denham has never recommended anyone to me before as a lady's maid. [music] I'm planning to write to my own.

[00:05:08]I was thinking you could help me. I'd be my [music] scribe or more of a a secretary.

[00:05:13]I take it you're saying [music] yes.

[00:05:16]I'm saying yes.

[00:05:24]>> [music] [music] >> In France they say, >> [music] >> you only need a few lines in any honest man's hand and you can find something to hang him [music] with.

[00:05:44]You must promise not to harm [music] me.

[00:05:49]I promise to keep you alive.

[00:05:51]>> [music] [music] >> I could never sleep at this limbo hour.

[00:06:08]>> [music] >> Mr. Bellamy's fond of saying a dream is a wish the dark part of your [music] soul makes.

[00:06:22]But it was [music] just a dream.

[00:06:25]It was just a dream.

[00:06:27]Why can't you sleep?

[00:06:29]>> [music] >> I can write, but I may never publish.

[00:06:35]I wish [music] I'd never married him.

[00:06:38]But a lady is not supposed to discuss [music] her own marriage, of course.

[00:06:46]I think I will try to [music] sleep now.

[00:06:53]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Thank you.

[00:07:32]Francis.

[00:07:37]Goodnight. [music] >> That night had opened something up inside [music] me that would not stay closed.

[00:07:51]And yet she didn't say a thing about it.

[00:07:52][music] As if it had not happened at all.

[00:08:00]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Francis Landon.

[00:08:22]>> [music] >> My very competent new secretary.

[00:08:26]Francis has been helping me with my writings.

[00:08:28]>> [music] >> She's been frightfully clever, actually.

[00:08:32]Fascinating.

[00:08:33]>> [music] [music] [music] >> I was looking for you.

[00:08:49]>> [music] >> May I?

[00:08:57]>> [music] >> Please say something.

[00:09:01]What we did.

[00:09:04]>> [music] >> We haven't even spoken about it.

[00:09:07]You will not speak about it. It is something >> You mad.

[00:09:10]>> I am your mistress, [music] Francis.

[00:09:14]It was wrong.

[00:09:16]What if I could say I wanted it?

[00:09:20]>> [music] >> What if you could say you wanted it, too?

[00:09:24]Some things cannot be brought into the light.

[00:09:27]Then let it be done in the dark.

[00:09:29]>> [music] [music] [music] >> I'll stay in the [music] dark if that's where you are.

[00:10:12]>> [music] [music] [music] >> They said it [music] was all in my head.

[00:10:39]That a woman like her could never love a woman like me.

[00:10:43]>> [music] >> When we were alone together, we were simply two women.

[00:10:51]Never woman and mirror.

[00:10:52]I have love in me [music] the likes of which you can scarcely imagine.

[00:10:57]And rage the likes of which you would not [music] believe.

[00:11:08]Francis.

[00:11:10]Francis. [music] I was listening.

[00:11:15]I was listening with my eyes closed.

[00:11:17]>> [laughter] >> We loved >> [music] >> each other.

[00:11:27]>> [music] [music] >> Woo.