Magda makes it to Collinwood. Fortunately, Beth is the first person to find her and takes her to the kitchen. Beth glances at the foyer clock, which reads 11:30.
Meanwhile, we get our first look at Petofi air-conducting from a score. (Looks like piano music to me, but I can't make it out.) Quentin has figured out a way to free Barnabas from Petofi: If the count doesn't release Barnabas by 12:45, SOMEONE will make sure the gypsies will find out where he (P.) is and what he has. Petofi scoffs at this notion until Quentin says that his accomplice is someone over whom the count has no hold: Angelique. Petofi pours brandies for himself and Quentin and sits down to think.
Petofi can't hide his consternation and tries to bluff his way out of it, but Quentin (yay!) refuses to leave without Barnabas.
Crazed with possession and jealousy, Pansity presets a small bottle of cherry-red poison on the liquor stand in the drawing room, then locks the door behind her. Then she lures Beth downstairs and pours two brandies--and puts the poison in one of them. Beth is about to raise the fatal glass to her lips but is startled when she hears the foyer clock strike the half hour.
The clock at the old mill chimes the half hour too as Quentin watches--and refuses a second drink!--as the count pours himself brandy after brandy, increasingly nervous. Only five minutes are left till my deadline, Quentin tells him. After that, it will be too late for me to get back to Collinwood. Then Angelique will go to King Johnny, and King Johnny will come here. I will have moved on by then, Petofi says angrily as he takes out a cigar. Quentin reminds him, You can’t move far enough to get away from them--especially now that they know what they’re looking for. I could kill you a dozen times over in five minutes, Petofi huffs. Go ahead, Quentin replies calmly--if you think that will do you any good.
Charity finishes her drink and urges Beth, Finish your drink--then we can have another. Beth says nervously, I can’t finish it--I must go. There’s always time for another drink, luv, Charity insists. It’s too late, Beth says as she hands her the glass. The last few drops always taste the best, Charity says as she hands the glass back to Beth. Beth is about to finish it when Charity stops her. I’m superstitious, she claims. I’d like to drink to someone--to Quentin. Do you object to drinking to that? To Quentin, Beth repeats, raising her glass. She chugs the rest of her brandy down as Charity looks on, pleased. Beth starts to say, I must go, but it must be an unusually fast-acting poison, because she drops to the floor an instant later. Charity looks down at her fallen rival and tells her, Quentin loves me, girl, not you. That’s why I had to do it. I had to get rid of you. I had to do it for Quentin. She dangles her orange shawl across Beth’s face and dances out of the room (without unlocking the doors?) singing Pansy’s song.
Beth lies motionless on the floor. Is she merely unconscious? Or dead?.....
