PROLOGUE

Whilst in Italy, ANTHONY's father - EDWARD - is mysteriously murdered in London. Following the funeral, ANTHONY suspects a deeper motive to that uncovered by the Police and vows to find out the truth.

 

ACT ONE

Eight months later and ANTHONY's mother, LOUISE, has surprised society by marrying her deceased husband's business partner, GEORGE. They return from their honeymoon abroad in time to celebrate ANTHONY's 21st birthday, arranging too the surprise arrival of JAMES - ANTHONY's best friend from university. ANTHONY is fustrated that he has not kept his vow and with JAMES agreeing to help, they begin to uncover a series of clues connected with the murder. Unaware of the amateur sleuthing, the family and it's household go about their daily business, but begin to complicate matters. GEORGE and LOUISE, along with MARTHA the housekeeper, decide to ask ANTHTONY to join GEORGE as a partner at the family mill; an idea ANTHONY loathes creating a bitter argument. EMILY, the maid, is asked to spy on ANTHONY and accidentally witnesses the true affections of JAMES towards ANTHONY; feelings which EMILY also shares. The climax comes when EMILY finds an old, singed letter in the fire addressed to ANTHONY from his father. Although partially destroyed, the contents suggest Anthony has a sibling from a secret affair. Convinced  GEORGE has rewritten the will for his gains, ANTHONY believes George is also responsible for his father's death and concocts a plan to catch him in front of the entire family and the curtain falls as the plan commences........

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ACT TWO

Act Two opens a year earlier and the graduation of ANTHONY and JAMES. Publically everyone is proud; in private there is great tension between EDWARD and LOUISE. His affair with his mistress LILLY has been over for a number of years, but LILLY now wants to see EDWARD to discuss the future of their illegitimate child. By agreeing to meet LILLY, EDWARD breaks his promise to LOUISE that he would never see her again. EDWARD decides to see LILLY with a proposal of giving her a substantial amount of money providing she leaves the family - and the child - alone.

The business is struggling though, and he decides to accept GEORGES's offer to invest in the company and become EDWARD's business partner. GEORGE has an alteria motive - he is in love with LOUISE.

The tension builds again as EDWARD asks MARTHA to arrange a meeting with LILLY. MARTHA is concerned and a plot is hatched whereby MARTHA is to tell EDWARD that LILLY will see him in two days time in London. When she arrives, EDWARD confesses to paying her off, and that he loves Louise - but when she removes her veil, he realises that it is LOUISE herself. She tells him that she had intended to kill herself, but now that he has confessed to loving her, she believes they can work things through. By accident, George drinks the poison Louise had intended for herself, and he collapses.

Time shifts forward again by a year to the evening of ANTHONY's plot to uncover GEORGE though an 'innocent' game of charades. GEORGE gets 'Claudius' and when he fails to complete the game, ANTHONY accuses him outright of murder and produces his copy of the original will. During the following day, LOUISE confesses to GEORGE that she has forged the will, having burnt the original. JAMES finds out further information from MARTHA but before he has chance to tell ANTHONY, EMILY is forced to reveal her findings of the spying mission, including seeing JAMES kiss ANTHONY. GEORGE calls the household together and tells the boys that they risk being ostracised from the family. EMILY is distraught at having caused the problem, and in comforting her, MARTHA reveals to EMILY that she is EDWARD and LILLY's illigimate daughter. In the garden, JAMES convinces ANTHONY to leave the house and go with him to Italy. First ANTHONY must talk to LOUISE, and she reveals that his father was not the man he thought him to be and that he has a sister. She continues telling him that she rewrote the will to relfect the nature of EMILY's position in the household and GEORGE's contribution to the business. As the tension mounts, LOUISE pulls a gun on herself  ANTHONY tries to stop her, but in a tussle, the gun goes off, as the door opens. EMILY falls to the floor. ANTHONY runs to the garden calling for JAMES, and the rest you will have to find out at a performance.

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