The final rays of the purple sunset have disappeared into the darkened sky. A worried Cassandra comes out of the front door, her eyes frantically look around the courtyard and up to the gate. She gathers her skirts and heads around to the side of the house.
Nigel is sat on the bench under the trees by Roselyn’s landing stage in a bright blue doublet with slashed sleeves, wondering where Roselyn is. He planned to take her on a sunset walk along the river.
He sees a wherry approach with Raoul aboard. When it comes alongside Raoul stands and pulls something up, what appears to be a figure and slings it over his shoulder, stepping onto the landing stage. He watches curiously as Raoul looks up toward the house and the glazed windows, appearing to search for a way into the house, as if a soldier was searching for breaches in a besieged wall.
Raoul gently puts the lifeless body on the ground, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Nigel appears before him, looking on mystified at first, then outrage as he recognises Roselyn. ‘What is the meaning of this?’ He demands, fists clenching and unclenching.
‘She’s drunk. Help me get her indoors.’
‘A likely tale. She’s drugged more like and you’re trying to kidnap her!’
‘Don’t be a fool,’ Raoul rebukes the very idea.
Cassandra has wandered down into the garden, she recognising Nigel, then leers as she spies Raoul. To her horror she recognizes Roselyn lying on the ground and starts screaming hysterically.
Raoul waves his arms, trying to pacify her.
Nigel draws his sword, looking around while shouting for help. ‘GUARDS! GUARDS!’
No sooner has the call been shouted, then Nigel rushes at a bewildered Raoul with a low thrust of his sword, forcing Raoul to skip back a few steps to draw his own sword. He stands ready to defend himself from further attack which is almost immediate. However, Raoul is much more skilled, being coached by a master and easily deflects Nigel’s blade. Sparks fly and Raoul soon begins to put Nigel, who is still shouting for guards, on the defensive. Their eyes meet and Raoul sees fear there, he knows he is fighting a dandy who does not know how to fight properly, just one who pretends. A popinjay now desperately trying to remember his fencing lessons. Raoul hears distant shouting and attacks Nigel more savagely, using an uppercut with his left fist which surprises Nigel, who tries to feint, but this only gives Raoul a clear opening to lunge and easily wound Nigel deep below his collar bone.
Nigel staggers backward, drops his sword and sinks to his knees. From Nigel’s mournful scream of pain, mixed with Cassandra’s screams of hysteria he knows others will hear the disturbance and will soon appear. He looks around quickly. Knowing Roselyn is safe, he begins to run back toward the landing stage.
With a terrified look on his face at seeing the naked blade, the waterman pulls away from the stage out into the river.
Raoul turns and sprints up the garden, along the side of the house toward the gate.
More shouts are heard and the sound of running feet. Just as he reaches the gate a bell chimes which starts to bring out watchmen from neighbouring properties carrying torches.
One shouts at him. He dashes out of the gate and down toward Fleet Street pursued by several watchmen. The main thoroughfare is still quite busy as some shops have remained open, taking advantage of the throngs of celebrating people. More shouts are heard and more bells begin to chime. People stop and stare, standing back when they see Raoul running with his unsheathed sword. Ahead of Raoul, still more guards appear and those chasing him shout to them for him to be stopped. His chest heaving, he runs into a church courtyard and looks around for a way of escape, but in moments the guards and watchmen crowd into the courtyard and Raoul, sword in hand is quickly surrounded. The figures move in closer, to box him in entirely. Raoul lashes out with his sword wildly to try keep them at bay. One guard moves toward him with a pike. ‘Drop the sword!’
‘You don’t understand,’ Raoul utters desperately.
‘Drop it!’ The guard growls, making a feint with his pike as his comrades close in on either side. Raoul looks wildly around, he knows it’s futile to resist. As he lets his sword drop to the ground, another guard has come behind him with a cudgel, he strikes Raoul on the back of his knees, dropping him to the ground. Another takes a tight grip of his hair, then come several hard blows to his body that take his breath away. He feels hot breath on his face as his pursuers fall on him, pinning him to the ground.