Tannakin (Scene7) Poem by John Fenton Mcleish

scene 7
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murder at burghley house
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Edward arrives back at the house with his entourage, after an all night drinking binge.It's early morning.The gang are gathered outside the wine cellar.A young maid passes on her way to the kitchen.Edwards gang block her path.They heckle her.Edward grabs her, she tries to run but edward holds her tight.Thomas brincknell, the girls husband, appears in the background.'get your hands off my wife', he shouts.Edward, still holding his wife, teases him.'if you want her come and get her then'. replies edward.Edward has this planned.He hates thomas.Thomas rushes in to save his wife.He is unarmed.Edward pulls his sword and thrusts it in the direction of the incoming thomas.Thomas runs straight into the blade.The blade passes through his boody.His heart is pierced.Thomas continues standing momentarily.Blood begins pouring from thomas' wound and mouth.His eyes begin to glaze over, he goes limp and falls to the ground.Edward is visibly shaken.He had this planned but the brutality of the act has shaken him.Edward releases the girl and she rushes to thomas' side.She is screaming, 'thomas, thomas' etc.Anne hears the screams and comes rushing out of the house.She kneels beside thomas lying dead on the ground.She looks at thomas then she moves her gaze towards edward.Edward is still standing with the bloodied blade by his side.Anne glances at the blade and then into edwards eyes.Edward is still clearly rattled, he mumbles incoherintly.Anne runs past edward into the house.Calls for her mother.Meanwhile, edward has regained his composure.He looks to one of his entourage, 'you saw that, didn't you.He attacked me, it was self defence'.There is momentary silence, then one of the boys remembers the penalty for accessory to murder, he pipes up, 'yeah, i saw it.He attacked you for nothing.T'was self defence'.The rest of the crew follow suit.
Edward is vindicated.Burghley has it covered up.The coroner finds thomas' death a suicide.
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The next morning anne rises.She hears a commotion coming from the yard, she hurries to the window.Thomas brincknell's widow is being evicted from the estate.Burghley's guards escort her from the property.She carries a small baby in her arms.She is sobbing.She is now destitute.(burghley must eliminate all witnesses) .She watches as the group pass by her window.The ambiance is melancholy.
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// this poem may contain copying errors