‘Oh, come on, Feste,’ wheedled Fabian. ‘Show me Malvolio’s letter. Just a little look – go on, you know you want to!’
‘Certainly not,’ said Feste severely. ‘It wouldn’t be right. Now, who have we got here?’
It was Orsino, with Viola and some of his gentlemen. He recognised Feste and asked him to go and tell Olivia that he wished to speak with her.
Orsino waited impatiently for a reply. Would she see him this time? He didn’t know what he was going to do if she wouldn’t. He sighed, flicking a speck of dust from his sleeve. Women were very strange, he thought gloomily. After all, he was quite good looking, or so he’d always had reason to believe. He was witty, wealthy, a wise ruler – but not so wise when it came to love, obviously.
There was a commotion along the street, two officers with a prisoner stumbling between them. Orsino’s eyes narrowed. There was something familiar about this man…
‘Why, sir,’ said Viola. ‘That’s the man I was telling you about – the one who rescued me from the madman!’
‘I know him, too,’ said Orsino, suddenly placing him. ‘He was the captain of a ship that fought against my fleet. He’s an enemy of Illyria.’
One of the officers nodded. ‘It’s him, right enough, sir. It was when he boarded the Tiger that your nephew lost his leg, if you remember.’
‘Of course I do – how could I forget? What on earth has possessed him to show his face here?’
Viola stood up for Antonio. ‘He was kind to me, sir – he drew his sword to defend me. But he said some strange things – I didn’t quite know what to make of it.’
Orsino stared coldly at Antonio. ‘You’re a pirate and a thief and you’ve put yourself among enemies. Would you care to explain why?’
Antonio met his gaze. ‘I may be your enemy, but I’m neither a thief nor a pirate and I never have been. As for why I’m here – you may well ask.’ He paused, and glanced bitterly at Viola. ‘I rescued that boy there from the sea three months ago. He was close to death, and I nursed him back to health – he said himself that I had given him back his life. He wanted to come into the city, and against my better judgement, I came, too. I defended him when he was attacked, and that’s when I was taken. And then – I can hardly believe it even now – he refused to give me back the money I’d lent him and, worse than that, he denied he even knew me!’
Viola shook her head in bewilderment. ‘But I don’t – I’ve never seen you before, I swear it!’
‘When did he come to this town?’ asked Orsino crisply.
‘Today, my lord. Before that we were together for three months, ever since I rescued him from the sea.’
Orsino glanced away. The door was opening, to reveal Olivia with her attendants. His gaze softened.
‘Now heaven walks on earth … but as for you, villain, you are speaking nonsense. This youth has been in my service for three months.’ He gestured to the officers. ‘Wait here with him. I’ll speak to him again later.’
Olivia smiled tenderly at Viola, then turned back to Orsino. ‘What can I do for you, my lord? Aside from the obvious, of course… Cesario, where have you been? We arranged to meet!’
‘What?’ Viola stared at her, confused.
‘Olivia…’ interrupted Orsino.
‘Cesario,’ said Olivia, laying a hand on Viola’s arm. ‘What do you have to say to me?’
‘My lord wishes to speak,’ said Viola in confusion. ‘It is my duty to be silent.’
Olivia stared at her, then turned to Orsino. ‘Is it going to be the same old song? If so, I really don’t want to hear it.’
‘Still so cruel?’ flashed back Orsino.
‘Still so constant,’ she retorted.
‘Being constant in being cruel is nothing to boast about,’ he told her bitterly. ‘I’ve been so faithful, so devoted – and all this seems to mean nothing to you. What am I to do?’
She shrugged. ‘Whatever you like.’
For a moment, Orsino was silent, grappling with his emotions. Then he spoke. ‘Whatever I like? Then perhaps I should kill you.’ Everyone gasped, but Orsino ignored them. He had eyes only for Olivia. ‘At least then, no one else would have you,’ he went on. ‘But I think I know – I think I see who it is you love instead of me. It’s him, isn’t it? Cesario. So perhaps I’ll let you live – and kill him instead.’ His eyes burned in his pale face. ‘Yes, that’s what I’ll do. Come on, boy – I’ll sacrifice the lamb that I do love, to spite a raven’s heart within a dove.’
Viola gazed at him. ‘If you asked it, I would die for you,’ she said quietly. And, as if in a dream, she moved to follow him.
Distraught, Olivia cried, ‘Where are you going, Cesario?’
‘I’m going after the man I love, more than these eyes – more than my life. More than I shall ever love a wife, as God is my witness.’
Olivia sank to her knees. ‘He hates me! How I’ve been deceived!’
‘Who has deceived you?’ said Viola. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘Have you forgotten already?’ cried Olivia passionately. ‘Is this afternoon so long ago?’ She turned to a servant. ‘Go and fetch the priest!’
‘Enough of this,’ said Orsino impatiently. ‘Come, Cesario.’
‘Cesario – husband – stay!’
At that, everyone froze. Then, so slowly, Orsino turned to Olivia.
‘Husband?’
‘Yes, husband! See if he can deny it.’
Orsino looked at Viola. ‘Well? Are you her … husband?’
‘No! I swear it!’
Olivia shook her head. ‘Oh, Cesario, I see what’s happening here. You are afraid, and no wonder. But don’t be. Be what you are – and then you’ll be as great as the one you fear. Ah – here is the priest. Father, please, we had intended to keep it a secret, but the news is out. Please tell everyone what recently passed between this young man and myself.’
‘Why – I married you, not two hours ago!’
Orsino was so angry that he could hardly speak. He turned on Viola in fury. ‘You … you two-faced little so-and-so! Good grief, if you’re like this now, what will you turn into when you’re older? Go on – go with her. But I’ll tell you one thing – you’d better be very sure you never cross my path again, or I won’t be responsible for my actions.’
By now Viola was completely bewildered. She began to protest, but Olivia interrupted her. ‘No, don’t say another thing. And don’t be frightened of him – he’s just a bully!’
As if this wasn’t enough, just then Sir Andrew came tottering along the street, with blood streaming from a cut on his head.
‘For God’s sake,’ he gasped, ‘find a doctor and send him to Sir Toby.’
‘What’s the matter?’ asked Olivia, staring in astonishment. ‘Whatever’s happened?’
‘We’ve been attacked! I’ve got one bloody head, and Sir Toby’s got another. Oh, I wish I was at home!’ lamented the miserable knight.
‘Sir Andrew,’ said Olivia firmly. ‘Stop gibbering, and tell me who did this.’
‘Why, the duke’s man, Cesario! We thought he was a coward, but he’s no such thing – he’s the devil in person!’
‘My Cesario?’ said Orsino in disbelief.
Sir Andrew’s gaze fell on Viola and his eyes widened. He took a step back. ‘Oh no! He’s here! Oh, don’t hurt me – I never did a thing, it was all Sir Toby’s idea.’
‘But why are you saying this to me?’ said Viola, flustered. ‘I never hurt you. You drew your sword on me without cause – I never said a word out of place, and I certainly did you no harm.’
Sir Toby, supported by Feste, was the next to stagger onto the scene, as Sir Andrew replied, wagging his finger at Viola reproachfully.
‘A bloody head – don’t you call that a hurt? Now then … here’s poor Sir Toby. If he’d been sober, you wouldn’t have got away with it, that’s for sure.’
‘Sir Toby – how are you?’ asked Orsino.
Sir Toby waved him aside irritably. ‘Oh, I’m all right. Just a cut, I can cope with that. Sir Andrew – I thought you were going to find a doctor?’
‘Oh, the quack’s been drunk since first thing this morning,’ said Feste dismissively. ‘You won’t get much sense out of him.’
‘Then he’s a blasted idiot and a nuisance. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s a drunk.’
Olivia found her voice. ‘Away with him. Who’s at the bottom of all this?’
‘I’ll help you, Sir Toby,’ said Sir Andrew kindly. ‘Come along, lean on me. We’ll get our wounds dressed together.’
But Sir Toby, feeling completely out of sorts, would have none of it. ‘Help? You? You’re a fool, man – a waste of good skin!’
Sir Andrew stared at him, appalled, and for a moment there was silence, which was eventually broken by Olivia.
‘Get Sir Toby to bed,’ she said. ‘And find someone to look at his wound.’
And with that, Feste, Fabian, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew all stumbled off into the house.
And then someone else arrived. A young man, who looked remarkably like Cesario.
Olivia gasped, staring wildly at him.
‘I’m sorry, madam, I really am,’ he said, taking her hand and kissing it. ‘I didn’t want to hurt your cousin, but he honestly didn’t leave me any choice. Oh dear, don’t look at me like that – forgive me, for the sake of our vows!’
It was Sebastian.
Everyone’s eyes travelled from him to Viola and back again. Orsino was the first to find his voice.
‘One face, one voice, the same clothes – why, one’s a mirror image of the other!’
Then Sebastian caught sight of Antonio, still under guard. Delighted, he said, ‘Antonio, you’re here! Thank goodness – I’ve been so worried about you!’
‘Sebastian? Is it you?’ said Antonio, staring as if he’d seen a ghost.
‘Yes, of course it is,’ said Sebastian.
‘But…’ Antonio looked at Viola and then back at Sebastian. ‘How have you done this? Have you split yourself in two? Which of you is Sebastian?’
Olivia looked hugely pleased. ‘Two of you! Fantastic,’ she breathed, looking from one to the other.
Then Sebastian caught sight of Viola. ‘Is that me standing there?’ he said in disbelief. ‘It can’t be – I never had a brother. I had a sister, but she was drowned. Are you related to me? Where are you from? What’s your name? Who are your parents?’
Viola gazed back at him, trembling slightly. ‘I’m from Messalina. My father was called Sebastian, and so was my brother.’ She reached out to touch his sleeve. ‘He wore clothes just like these the last time I saw him, before our ship was wrecked and he was drowned. Are you – are you his ghost?’
‘I’m just the same Sebastian I ever was,’ said Sebastian gently. ‘And if you were a woman, I’d give you a big hug, and I’d call you Viola.’
‘My father had a mole on his forehead,’ said Viola in a rush.
‘Mine, too!’
‘And he died on Viola’s thirteenth birthday.’
‘Yes, yes – I remember it well!’
He seized her hands. ‘Oh, Viola! I can’t believe it! Tell me everything – what happened to you after the shipwreck? And why are you dressed like this?’
A smile lit up Viola’s face, and she said eagerly, ‘I left my clothes with the captain of our ship – he lives in this town, and it was he who saved me. After that, I went into the service of the duke – and that was how I came to be caught up between him and the Lady Olivia.’
Sebastian turned to Olivia and took her hands. ‘Now it all becomes clear! You’re betrothed both to a man and a maid!’
Orsino hardly knew what to make of it, or what he should feel. Olivia was lost to him. But somehow he didn’t feel too upset. If he was honest, he’d always felt strangely drawn to Cesario. In fact, a few minutes ago, when he’d thought he’d lost them both, he really couldn’t have said whether he was more jealous of Olivia or Cesario.
He gazed at Viola. Then he touched her lips with a finger. ‘So these … are a woman’s lips. How could I not have realised? And you’ve said a thousand times that you’d never love a woman as you loved me,’ he remembered.
Her mouth twitched. ‘Said it and meant it,’ she said demurely.
Orsino took Viola’s hand, turned it upside down, and kissed her palm. ‘Let me see you in your woman’s clothes,’ he murmured. ‘I think we can safely say that from this time forward, you shall be your master’s mistress.’
‘Of course, my lord. Nothing would give me greater pleasure.’
So all was sunshine again – or almost all. There were still a few shadows left. Sir Andrew was saddened to realise that Sir Toby, whom he’d believed to be his friend, had in fact despised him all along. Sir Toby saw well enough that now his niece was married, she and her husband were unlikely to put up with his antics any longer. And Malvolio hated them all for having teased and tricked him.
But for Viola, Orsino, Sebastian and Olivia, love had triumphed, in spite of all the misunderstandings. And for them, that was all that truly mattered.