breakinglight11 | 31 Plays in 31 Days, #25

One feature of extended Wodehouse stories is people’s schemes and troubles winding in and out of each other in a complicated tapestry. One of the threads in Justin’s story involves solving the mystery of what happened to the host family’s statue of Hector, an impressive marble depicting Achilles’ horrible dragging of the man’s corpse behind his chariot. A charming piece of work, to be sure! This scene, which follows Day #19 - "The Party Met" where the statue is first introduced, shows this next twist kicking in to Justin’s plan, giving him yet another element to juggle and deal with.

Nine characters in this scene. That is so huge. Definitely the most that have ever been in one 31P31D scene at once. These dinner party dramas tend that way. But since we’ll be staging it socially distanced, we’ll have to manage a crowded screen rather than a crowded stage.

Poor Hector

Day #25 - "Beheaded"
From A Libertine Abroad
By Phoebe Roberts
~~~

JUSTIN HAWKING, a liberated gentlemen, late thirties
PETER MORGAN, his valet, late twenties
The Honorable ROSALINE PEMBROKE, of Pembroke's of London, early thirties
The Honorable CASSIUS EVANS, a socialite and old school friend, mid thirties
CORA LITTLE, maid companion to Annabel, mid twenties
THEO PRYCE, Lord Cornin, the groom-to-be and an old school friend, mid thirties
ANNABEL BROADWATER, the bride-to-be, late twenties
MRS. EMMELINE BROADWATER, Annabel's guardian aunt and mistress of the house, early fifties
MARTIN QUINCY, Mrs. Broadwater's butler, late twenties

Venice, 1889
~~~

(The Broadwater courtyard at night. There is a crashing sound, then scraping, grunting, and the scurrying of feet. Voices can be heard in the distance, then lamps are lit, dimly illuminating the space. QUINCY appears with a lantern. Enter THEO in his nightshirt.)

THEO: Hello? What’s all this, then? I say, Quincy, are we being invaded?

QUINCY: I do believe there’s been a break-in, sir!

THEO: A break in? But this is a fine, respectable house!

QUINCY: Yes, sir, I imagine they were after the fine, respectable things.

THEO: Well, what have they taken?

(They peer around in the dim courtyard until they see the STATUE, now missing its head. Enter ANNABEL, ROSALINE, MRS. BROADWATER, and CORA, also in nightdress.)

ANNABEL: What an awful commotion! What is it?

THEO: It’s the statue!

MRS. BROADWATER: Theo, you dolt, what’s gone on? Have you knocked into something trying to sneak your way to the larder again?

THEO: What? No, madam, I told you, I was diverted on my way to the library—

ANNABEL: But what’s happened to the statue?

ROSALINE: It appears someone’s mistaken Hector for Medusa, because the poor lad’s been beheaded.

(Enter JUSTIN and MORGAN.)

JUSTIN: What’s all this?

THEO: It’s the statue!

JUSTIN: Dear God! Hasn’t Achilles seen the boy’s suffered enough?

MRS. BROADWATER: Who is responsible for this?

QUINCY: No one saw, madam. Whoever it was, it appears they have fled.

ROSALINE: Is nothing else missing? They came just to… decapitate a statue?

ANNABEL: And my father’s most beloved piece, just days from the anniversary of their wedding! Who would do such a thing?

(Enter CASSIUS.)

CASSIUS: I say, what’s made night owls of all you lot?

ALL: It’s the statue!

CASSIUS: By Jove, what’s become of poor Hector here?

JUSTIN: What took you, Cassius? Drink yourself to sleep again?

CASSIUS: Forgive me, I’d have gotten here quicker if I’d also been out looking for someone else’s bedroom.

ROSALINE: Enough of this idle chatter. Mrs. Broadwater, how distressing this whole business must be for you! What can we do to comfort you in this trying moment?

MRS. BROADWATER: Quincy, see that the rest of the house is inspected and secured. I am too overwrought to manage anymore tonight.

QUINCY: Of course, madam.

(QUINCY exits.)

ANNABEL: Cora, send for Miss Dunn. Say her mistress is in need of a sleeping draught, and to see that the glass is topped off.

CORA: Certainly, Annabel. Now I hope you won’t trouble over this. We shan’t allow this to cast a pall over your engagement party.

ANNABEL: Heaven forbid.

(ANNABEL and ROSALINE begin to escort MRS. BROADWATER out. MORGAN stops CORA before she can follow.)

MORGAN: Cora?

CORA: Hello, Peter.

MORGAN: I thought you were Miss Annabel’s maid.

CORA: Yes, I thought you might.

MORGAN: I… I never meant to be so bold. Forgive me.

CORA: Think nothing of it. I shouldn’t have deceived you.

(She exits.)

CASSIUS: Well, that’s blown our beauty sleep all to hell. And here Justin needs all the help he can get.

THEO: Mrs. Broadwater will skin me alive for this happening during my party.

JUSTIN: Worry not, old boy, the thing is bound to turn up. It’s made of bleeding marble, for heaven’s sake.

THEO: Do you really think?

JUSTIN: I’m certain of it.

CASSIUS: Well, nothing to be done in the middle of the night. Let’s sleep on it, and deal fresh in the morning. Come along, Theo, before you chew your nails off.

(CASSIUS ushers THEO out.)

JUSTIN: Well! I think this horse race has taken a turn, Morgan. What say you?

(Pause.)

JUSTIN: Morgan? What’s got into you?

MORGAN: Ah— nothing, sir. Do you really think that head will turn up?

JUSTIN: I do, rather. With Hawking of the Yard on the case.

MORGAN: You mean to track the blooming thing down yourself?

JUSTIN: Imagine the gratitude Mrs. Broadwater shall pour down on the soul that restores her late husband’s beloved statue to perfect wholeness? Enough, I should imagine, that she’ll be more than happy to permit that clever soul the stewardship of her finances.

MORGAN: Clever indeed, sir. But do you think you can do it? The… detectiving, I mean.

JUSTIN: Nothing in it, my man! Why, did you know my baby brother’s taken it up a hobby? He seems to derive great satisfaction from it.

MORGAN: So you said, sir.

JUSTIN: Besides, if Nathaniel does it, how hard can it be?

31 Plays in 31 Days, #25 - "Beheaded"