'Does he think you lead a life of celibacy?'
'My brother thinks that widowhood is a form of virginity,' she said. 'When my first husband died, he could not believe that I should want to take another.'
'And now you have a third husband.'
'Albeit married to another wife. I prefer it that way.'
'Pleasure without responsibility. A love that remains fresh because we spend so much time apart.' He lifted his glass. 'To Sir Julius Cheever for making this evening possible!'
'Sir Julius!'
They clinked their glasses again. The doorbell rang.
'That's not Orlando, I hope?'
'If it is, he'll be sent away,' she said, easily. 'Anyone who calls will be told that I'm not at home. Nothing is going to interrupt this moment, Maurice. We have earned it.'
She leaned forward to kiss him on the lips. They soon sprang apart. Raised voices could be heard in the hall then the door of the parlour was flung open. Christopher Redmayne entered with Jonathan Bale at his heels. Farwell jumped to his feet.
'What's the meaning of this?' he demanded.
'We have a warrant for your arrest, sir,' said Bale, holding it up.
'How dare you burst in here!' exclaimed Dorothy, taking a step towards them. 'Remove yourself at once, do you hear me? Mr Farwell is a guest of mine. I'll not have him insulted under my roof.'
'I'm afraid that we'll have to insult you as well, Mrs Kitson,' said Christopher, 'because there is a second warrant in your name. And before we go any further, you should know that Erasmus Howlett is in custody with a man called Samuel Greene whom he paid to commit murder on your behalf.'
'Those names are unknown to me,' she said.
'And to me,' added Farwell, maintaining his composure.
'I'm surprised that you do not know Mr Howlett, sir,' said Bale. 'He's a brewer and cousin to the Earl of Stoneleigh. I had the honour of arresting the earl as well.'
Farwell shrugged. 'We have no connection with him.'
'Then why did he include a scene that you wrote in his play,
Dorothy glowered. 'You must be Christopher Redmayne.'
'The very same,' he said, politely. 'I'm a friend of Sir Julius Cheever and I dislike the way that you have maltreated him. Here is a letter you once sent him, Mrs Kitson,' he went on, taking it from his pocket. 'The handwriting is identical to that in a note that we found on the corpse of Dan Crothers, another hired assassin.'
She clenched her teeth and turned to look at Farwell.
'They are bluffing, Dorothy,' he said. 'They know nothing.'
'You must come with us, sir,' said Bale.
'Of course, officer.' He offered his arm to Dorothy. 'We'll come together gladly. My lawyer will soon sort out this horrific mistake.'
'The mistakes were all made by you, Mr Farwell.'
'We shall see. Let's go with these gentlemen, Dorothy.'
'If you wish,' she said, visibly unnerved.
He squeezed her arm. 'Do not lose heart. Trust me.'
Walking past the visitors, he took her out of the room. As soon as they entered the hall, however, Farwell released her and rushed across to the suit of armour that stood in an alcove. He grabbed one of the two swords that hung on the wall beside the armour then he turned to confront the two men.
'Do not be foolish, sir,' advised Bale, holding up a hand. 'There's no escape. We have other officers outside.'
'Then we will have to leave by another means - without you.'
Holding the heavy sword in both hands, he swung it at Bale who stepped quickly back out of reach. The hall was large but it suddenly seemed very small to Bale, Dorothy and the watching servant. It was no place for a duel. Christopher had drawn his own sword but his rapier was no match for the other weapon. As soon as the blades clashed, a shudder went up his arm. Farwell swung the sword again and Christopher ducked beneath it.
'Grab what you need and leave by the back door,' Farwell called to Dorothy, circling his opponent. 'Please hurry.'
She moved to the stairs but Bale got there first, seizing her by both arms and keeping her in front of him as a shield. Christopher tried to distract Farwell by thrusting at him but it was no time for the finer points of swordsmanship. Swishing his weapon in the air, Farwell brought it down so hard that it knocked the rapier from Christopher's grasp. Bale acted promptly, shoving Dorothy towards Farwell before he could strike again. It gave Christopher the moment he needed to snatch the other sword from the wall. They were now fighting on equal terms.
Sparks flew as the blades clashed but it was Farwell's arm that now trembled on impact. Time was against him. Christopher was younger, stronger and more agile. Farwell was bound to tire first. He therefore summoned up all of his remaining energy and hurled himself at his opponent, flailing away with his sword as if intending to hack him to pieces. Christopher ducked, dodged, prodded, parried and retreated. The sleeve of his coat was ripped apart but he sustained no injury. He knew that he was winning. As Farwell's attack weakened, Christopher was able to hit back, swinging the heavy sword at his adversary.
He backed him against a wall then feinted cleverly before thrusting his sword point at Farwell's arm. With a yell of pain, Maurice Farwell dropped his weapon to the floor with a clatter. He put his other hand up to the wound. Christopher relaxed. Pouring with sweat and panting from the effort he had made, he stepped away and lowered his sword. Farwell was not finished yet. Seizing the other weapon, he used it like a lance and hurled it hard at Christopher. It missed its target. Christopher stooped low, the sword shot over his head and it was Dorothy Kitson who was struck by its sharp point. Hit in the chest, she staggered back, uttered a cry of disbelief then collapsed on the marble floor with blood streaming down her dress. Maurice Farwell dropped his sword and darted across to hold her.
His resistance was over.
When he was released from the Tower of London, Sir Julius Cheever found that his younger daughter had come to take him home. Christopher Redmayne was with her but he left one piece of information to Susan. They were in the coach before she told her father about Dorothy Kitson's involvement in the conspiracy against him. He was pole-axed by the news and dazed even more when he heard of the accident with the sword.
'Will she live?' he asked.
'Yes,' said Christopher. 'A surgeon was able to save her though she may not thank him for doing so when she faces her trial. Maurice Farwell was inconsolable. He feared that he had killed her.'
'Dorothy and Maurice Farwell,' said Sir Julius, incredulously. 'I would never have linked their names together. I always thought that Farwell was happily married.'
'That was the impression he strove hard to give in public,' said Christopher. 'It acted as a screen for his private life.'
'But what could possibly have brought them together?'
'Religion, Sir Julius.'
'Roman Catholics?'
'Both of them were devout. Their faith was like their friendship - something deep and lasting that had to be kept secret. Though I doubt if any pope would have blessed their union.'
'They were sinners,' said Susan. 'Capable of any crime.'
'All this makes me feel very foolish,' confessed Sir Julius on the verge of tears. 'I was taken in completely. How ridiculous I must look now. Just think. I wanted that woman to be your stepmother, Susan.'
'Try to forget her, Father.'
'I can never do that.'
She gave him more details of the investigation that had finally led to his release, explaining the vital importance of the letter found in his book of sonnets, and stressing the crucial part that Christopher had played throughout.
