count de winter.
yes. now that you have, what will you do?
and if i resist?
well if that's the case, i'd better start packing. but first, my hair.  milady, who has been removing combs throughout, reaches for the next, and.
i was beginning to think you'd forgotten me.
you did it. an alliance with buckingham.
consider it done.
what is it, henri?
be careful. pistols are cocked. henri's shadow falls across d'artagnan's body.
my, what a handsome boy. put him inside with me.
welcome back. did you dream?
have we met?
this is calais.
filthy. i'm having them cleaned. is something wrong?
it's tuesday, near nine.
quite sure. d'artagnan relaxes slightly. milady rises from the bed. she wears a sky blue dressing gown, something soft and silken beneath it. d'artagnan reacts perceptibly. en- joying his discomfort, milady crosses the room, joins him at the window.
are you in a hurry?
i found you in the road. discarded. like an unwanted kitten. do you have a name or shall i make one up for you?
d'artagnan. i like that. i am the countess de winter. milady.
my husband's dead.
i have learned to live with death.
what?
how mysterious. a handsome young man with 'important business' in the still of night. does it involve a young lady?
does it require clothes?
they won't be ready for at least an hour.
i told the innkeeper to bring them when they are dry. until then, i'm afraid you are my prisoner. would the prisoner care for a drink?
good. then we will sit by the fire, and eat and drink, and you may impress, perhaps even move me, with the story of how you came to lie unconscious, in the middle of the night, on the road to calais. i love a good adventure. d'artagnan hesitates, then steps to her. cut to:
you are sad.
what brings you here?
'important business.'
i understand. men make bold plans in secret. and women wait.  to mourn, or to celebrate the outcome. i know from experience, it's a lonely vigil.
i've heard that one before.
you are a young man. and young men are given to exaggeration. however, if you would like to entertain me with a story, i'm eager to hear it. and please, make it very brave, filled with handsome knights and beautiful ladies. i know, a dragon -- there is nothing a man is more loathe to experience than a woman who does not take him seriously. d'artagnan acts accordingly, and reveals:
a spy?
i believe you.  aren't you afraid?
i knew it. i knew you were a musketeer the moment i saw you.
of course. but, d'artagnan, if this spy was to find out you are here, your life could be in grave danger.
i'm dangerous. you're not afraid of me? her tone heralds a sudden shift. d'artagnan sees the look in her eyes, can almost feel her lips upon him. but he resists. there is constance's memory to consider. and midnight as it approaches.
then what am i?
beauty, danger. they are the same. and with that, she reaches up to her hair, an ivory comb.
you came to calais to stop a spy from sailing to england.
parker!! the chamber door flies open. henri and parker, the indo- chinese bodyguard, appear. parker faces d'artagnan with a half-smile. he holds out his hands, both empty. and steps toward him. d'artagnan looks at the dagger in his right hand. then, unwilling to fight the man with an un- fair advantage, he tosses the dagger to the side, steps forward to meet him.
kill him. parker holds him fast. henri steps forward. and d'artagnan thinks fast.
what.  surprise?
d'artagnan. you are young, vain, and foolish. but i do not know if you are clever.
we'll take him with us.
parker will devise ways to convince you to share your final secret with me. it is a long voyage. milady's eyes show nothing but cold cruelty.
the back stairs. hurry! they change directions. as he is pulled away, d'artagnan catches a glimpse of armand de winter below.
justice. honor. revenge.
he is the brother of my late husband, lord de winter. he blames me for de winter's death. he thinks i murdered him.
what do you think?
i know.
what's the matter, d'artagnan? still hoping for your friends to ride to the rescue?
well. if it's any consolation, you'll soon be joining them. milady's return to form does not surprise. parker shoves d'artagnan toward the fog-enshrouded ship. a name can be made out on her barnacled hull. persephone.
athos.
a kind gentleman took pity on me.
no, count. you were too proud to listen to the truth. i learned the value of lies soon after.
no.
be kind. and aim for my heart. athos' face is a mask of contradiction. he tries to pull the trigger, but it is not in him. milady recognizes his pain with a nod. she feels it, too. then, briefly, before she leaves him, milady speaks softly. the past, their love, and where it led them.
i remember.  everything.
did you come to offer me consolation?
there was a time when i would've given my life for a kind word.
i have become.  the nightmare you once thought me to be.
no. the memory will keep me company. athos kneels at her side, near to pleading:
yes.
will you spare my life?
society demands swift justice. i'll take the secret to my grave.
what did the world ever do for me? hold on athos. milady's hand in his. all that he is feeling. cut to:
i do.
the cardinal intends to assassinate the king at his birthday celebration on friday. and with that, milady reaches forward, offers a gentle kiss. then, as athos and the others look on, stunned, uncertain.  she takes a backward step, finds the cliff's edge.  and steps over it. the executioner rushes to look after. the others follow. except for athos, who remains rooted in place, eyes on the distant horizon. a long silence. thunder rumbles.