The Parliament House

    'Nothing about the earl suggests fairness.' 'Do not deride him,' said Henry. 'He's a brave man. When you take part in a duel, you put your life at risk. How was he to know that Sir Julius would not turn out to be an expert swordsman?'

    'I saw no bravery in him today - only arrogance.'

    'That's because you did not know the circumstances.'

    'They seem clear to me, sir,' said Bale. 'A play was performed that held Sir Julius up to ridicule. He was bound to feel the need to strike back at its author.'

    'I agree, Mr Bale, but that's not what he did.'

    'It's exactly what he did,' argued Christopher. 'He issued a challenge to the Earl of Stoneleigh.'

    'Yes, but Cuthbert did not actually write the offending scene.'

    'But it was in a play that bore his name.'

    'Inserted there by another hand, a very mischievous hand.'

    Christopher was bewildered. 'Are you telling us that the man who belittled Sir Julius Cheever in front of a theatre audience was not the earl?' Henry nodded. 'Then who did write that scene?'

    'Maurice Farwell.'

       Maurice Farwell rolled over in bed and reached for his goblet of wine. He offered it first to the woman who lay beside him and then, when she had taken a sip, he put it to his own lips. Farwell set the goblet back on the bedside table.

    'What better way to toast our success?' he said, suavely.

    'I knew that we'd bring him down in the end.'

    'I'm sorry that it took so long, my love. It meant that you had to endure his attentions far longer than I'd hoped.'

    'The most difficult part of it was being compelled to meet his family,' said Dorothy Kitson, purring as he caressed her thigh. 'He had a frightful daughter who badgered me all evening. It was not helped by the fact that Orlando insisted on being present.'

    'Your brother is such dull company.'

    'No woman could say that of you, Maurice.'

    'Orlando still thinks that it was an accident that we met Sir Julius at Newmarket that day. In fact, knowing that he'd be there, you made sure that you introduced me.'

    'One glance at you, Dorothy, and he was bewitched.' 'Thank you,' she said, accepting a kiss, 'but there's only one man in whom I have any real interest and he lies beside me now.'

    'What would Orlando say if he saw us together?'

    She laughed. 'I think that he'd have a fit. My brother knows so little about the ways of the world. He's very gullible. When I told him that I'd heard about the duel from your wife, he believed me implicitly. Poor Orlando!' she sighed. 'He's so blind.'

    'Forget about him, my love. Forget about everyone but us.'

    'The person I most want to forget is Sir Julius Cheever.'

    'Being alone with him must have been a trial for you.'

    'It was, Maurice. I'd hoped he'd be shot in Knightrider Street. When he somehow survived, I had to grit my teeth and carry on with the charade. And when he came back alive from Cambridge,' she said, pulling a face, 'I could not believe my misfortune.'

    'His luck has finally run out now, Dorothy.'

    'What will happen to him?'

    'I'll let him rot in the Tower for a few weeks.'

    And then?'

    'I'll have him poisoned,' said Farwell, reaching for the goblet again. 'More wine, my love?'

Chapter Thirteen

    Still at home with his two visitors, Christopher Redmayne needed time to think. Two imperatives were guiding him. He had to rescue Sir Julius Cheever from his perilous situation, and he had to win back Susan's love and trust. The two demands were linked. The only way that he could liberate Sir Julius from the Tower of London and restore his reputation was by unmasking those who had devised the plot against him. That, in turn, would make Susan look on him more favourably again. At least, that is what he hoped. After the way that he had let her down, there was no guarantee that she would ever let him back into her heart. Christopher accepted that.

    After what Jonathan Bale had told him, he felt certain that the Earl of Stoneleigh and his cousin, Erasmus Howlett, were implicated in the murder of one man and the attempted murder of another. And it seemed crystal clear that the earl had baited the trap that had left Sir Julius imprisoned on a serious charge. The revelation from Henry Redmayne had forced his brother to question his assumptions. It had been Maurice Farwell who had penned the defamatory scene in The Royal Favourite and not the play's author. Were the two men working in concert with Howlett, or had Farwell and the brewer hatched the plot between them? An already complex situation had suddenly become even more confusing.

    While his visitors waited in silence, Christopher pondered for a long time. Eventually, he turned to Henry.

    'What do you know of Maurice Farwell?' he asked.

    'Nothing to his disadvantage,' said Henry, peevishly. 'Every man should have at least one vice in his life but Farwell seems to have none. While others scheme, he has risen by sheer merit. Now Cuthbert is cut from a very different cloth,' he added with a grin of approval. 'He knows how to carouse the night away with a pretty actress on each arm. Cuthbert is able to enjoy himself.'

    'That's not my idea of enjoyment, sir,' said Bale.

    'Then your life is too circumscribed.'

    'My enjoyment comes from my wife and family.'

    'It's the same with Cuthbert,' said Henry. 'He delights in his wife and children as well. But he keeps them in their place so that they do not interfere with his work.'

    'Carousing with actresses is hardly work,' noted Bale.

    'It's one of the privileges of being a celebrated playwright and Cuthbert is like me. He's not a man to neglect any of his privileges.'

    'What about Mr Farwell?' said Christopher. 'Is he a good friend of the earl's?'

    'I've never seen them together. On the other hand, they must be well-acquainted if he was allowed to write a scene in one of Cuthbert's plays. And what a hilarious scene it was! I laughed for an hour.'

    'Did you admit that to Sir Julius?'

    'Of course not,' said Henry. 'I'm not that stupid. And his daughter must never find out the truth either. Jeering at her father is not the best way to endear myself to Brilliana.'

    'I think that she already has your measure,' said Christopher.

    'What can I do next?' asked Bale. 'We know that Mr Howlett is related to the earl. Do you want me to find out how well the brewer knows this Mr Farwell?'

    'My brother is the best person to do that,' said Christopher. 'We need him to obtain a copy of their handwriting.'

    'Whatever for?' asked Henry.

    'Because we have that unsigned letter, instructing a man to kill Sir Julius on his way to Cambridge. The person who wrote it was either the Earl of Stoneleigh or Maurice Farwell.'

    'It was certainly not Cuthbert.'

    'How can you be so sure?'

    'Because I know his hand well,' said Henry, reaching into his pocket. 'In fact, I have an example of it right here.' He produced a piece of paper and gave it to Christopher. 'It was my summons to act as his second. You showed me the two letters you found. As you see, Cuthbert's hand bears no resemblance to either of them.'

    'None at all,' said Christopher. 'Look, Jonathan.'

    Bale glanced at the letter and shook his head solemnly. 'It's not him, Mr Redmayne. The earl did not send