Original subtitles

GRUNTING AND GROANING

Forgive me! I was only following orders!

Some people don't deserve forgiveness.

Argh!

The ring stays in Kembleford, Godfelow!

You'll pay for this, Feathergill!

And with the slaying of this thief, so began the Battle of Kembleford.

CHEERING

You forgot their codpieces, Tyrone. Thank you, Frank.

I hope you're all right, Father.

On the contrary, son, I'm rather confused.

Father?

Excuse me... Welcome to Kembleford, Mr Sullivan.

Now, perhaps you'd like to sample the delights

of our refreshment tent? I'd love to.

I thought we were meeting in London next month.

I wanted to surprise you. Mission accomplished.

Trust me, Edgar, my shock is greater than yours.

You must be the luckiest priest in the country, Father,

having my brilliant son here keeping your village safe.

Kembleford is blessed.

What say you we punish the Kembleford tyrant

and claim the ring for Hambleston?

CHEERING

My colleague, Sergeant Goodfellow,

he's just learned he's a relation of Lord Godfelow.

A distant one, I presume!

Now, where's this fiance of yours?

Oh, yes. She's right here.

Isabel. Hello.

This is my father.

Gosh.

Oh. Oh, don't worry. It's just a...

...cushion. Oh, what a relief!

Isabel, delighted to finally meet you.

Me, too, Mr Sullivan.

A noblewoman. You kept that quiet, Edgar.

Lady Catherine Feathergill at your service.

You carry it well, my dear.

Two rounds of your finest apple cider. Thank you, thank you.

That'll keep you strong. It will!

Here we are. Right.

Now...

...to my son and his enchanting bride-to-be.

But why! Because, Brenda, there were no female fighters in Tudor times.

So? Did they shoot rubber arrows in Tudor times?

Please put that sword back in the armoury.

Father, jolly good scene earlier.

Chief Inspector, we're ready for you.

Oh, right.

Mr Higgs our organiser.

Long time Head of Kembleford Historical Society

and a very keen battle re-enactor.

Who won't let me fight, just because I'm a girl!

And that is our good friend Brenda.

I can't fault her enthusiasm.

I'll confess, I'm not familiar with the Battle of Kembleford.

It was a local dispute between two nobles

which took place here at Belside Hall.

When I realised this weekend was the 400th anniversary, I couldn't resist.

HORN SOUNDS

Right. Time for battle!

Well, wish me luck!

And me! Yes. Good luck!

Good luck, my dear. Thank you.

Remember, this is just a rehearsal,

so please save your actual slaughtering for tomorrow.

HORN SOUNDS

And forward!

ROARING

Hambleston break through.

So these two nobles are fighting over a ring?

Not just any ring, Mr Sullivan.

King Alfred's Ring.

Ah. Now, I've heard of that!

Mr and Mrs Derbyshire.

Frank, as local history expert,

I would have expected you to be helping with the battle.

Our esteemed chairman doesn't like sharing credit.

Oh.

Or being challenged, Father.

Tyrone wants this to be his day.

So he's put me here, safely out of the way.

It's not all bad news though, Father.

Progress on your adoption plans perhaps?

We have our first interview, don't we, Frank?

Yeah. We're just waiting to hear about a date.

That is excellent news.

Dr Manning! Welcome!

Hold it there, please, everyone.

Our special guest has arrived.

Kembleford's greatest living historian,

Dr Alexander Manning!

I don't believe it.

Thank you, Mr Higgs. Yes. Yes, I owe a lot to Kembleford.

It was here that I first caught the history bug.

Dr Manning famously tracked down THE Alfred Ring,

now on display in the Royal History Museum.

He has since written a book about his extraordinary quest

and he'll be doing a reading for us later.

Grab a copy!

Did you know Alexander Manning when he lived in Kembleford?

We were in the same class at school.

Let's just say we spurred each other on.

GRUNTING

APPLAUSE

As I said, this will all be much more realistic tomorrow.

Bring in Lady Feathergill!

SHE GASPS

King Alfred's Ring is Hambleston's!

CHEERING

Sorry about this, Mrs Devine. Oh, it's quite all right, Sergeant.

HE GRUNTS

SHE RETCHES

Hold on, what about my research, showing Lady Feathergill escaped?

Lady Feathergill was killed by Godfelow, Frank,

as Dr Manning's wonderful new book spells out.

I... Frank...

No, I'm sorry. I've got to do this.

Lord Feathergill, Lord Godfelow, your swords please?

What are you doing?

I'm sure Dr Manning would agree

that the moves in that duel left a lot to be desired.

Allow me to demonstrate.

Dr Manning would also confirm

that the most commonly used attack in 1555 was not the slash...

...but the thrust.

INDISTINCT

GRUNTING

Anyway, I hope that helps.

Well, it's good to be back.

CHATTER

And so, almost 700 years after King Alfred had the ring made

for his beloved Ealhswith, his descendant, Lord Feathergill,

presented the ring to Lady Feathergill on their wedding day.

So what happened to the ring after the battle, Dr Manning?

Well, as I discovered...

...Godfelow was a gambler.

And not a very good one either.

He lost the ring in a card game, along with Belside Hall itself.

Oh, what could have been, eh, Sergeant?

So how did the ring spend the next 400 years?

Well, the answer my friends, you'll find in here.

APPLAUSE

Thank you. Dr Manning will now be happy to sign copies of his book.

Unknown historian spends ten years hunting lost treasure.

Finally tracks it down to some Istanbul antiques market

and achieves overnight fame.

And an honorary position at Oxford.

It's an incredible story.

A tad more exciting than being a parish secretary, eh, Isabel?

Oh, there's more adventure in my job than you may think, Mr Sullivan.

Really?

Care for a dance, Isabel?

Lovely.

Whatever you said to Mr Higgs earlier struck a nerve.

I just told him to liven things up a bit.

His "special guest" looked bored.

Was Dr Manning a history scholar when he was at school with you?

Well, he was offered a place at Oxford.

And then they found out he'd cheated in his Higher School Certificate exams

and withdrew the offer. Oh.

They seem to have forgotten that now that he's famous though.

Father Brown, I must say I was surprised by your scene with Edgar earlier.

He was never much into performing.

I think Mrs Devine may have had something to do with that.

I heard the Chief Inspector only took on the role

so he got to kill Father Brown.

And why would he be interested in that? Jealousy.

Everyone knows Father Brown's a better detective than he is.

You tread carefully, Sir.

You're insulting the Sullivan family name.

Frank?

There you are.

What is it? The adoption agency called.

Did you see their letter? Cecily... Tell me!

Let's... Excuse me, Father Brown.

Did you get the letter? No. What have you done with it?

I thought the battle was tomorrow.

Hopefully, that was just a skirmish.

MUSIC PLAYS

Lady Palmer, may I have this dance?

Take that you Hambleston Heathens!

Oh!

Father Brown!

INDISTINCT

Sir.

Well...

...given the rigor mortis, I'd say he was killed before midnight.

I saw Mr Derbyshire leave the re-enactment

with his wife at 7pm.

Thank you, Father.

Naturally we'll interview his wife, given her row with the victim.

I wonder what he was doing back here.

According to the weapons inventory, there's a sword missing, Sir.

Oh, yeah. Could well be the murder weapon. Good job, Sergeant.

Well, someone's had his final battle.

Father, erm...

...what are you doing here? Once a detective, Edgar...

What's... Oh, yes. Erm, Father...

Father Brown was here to pray for the victim. He's now leaving.

So, what have we got to go on?

Yes, a five-hour window, a missing sword...

And some very strange writing. I wonder if it's a code.

What's...? Our priest does, very occasionally,

overstep his clerical brief.

Of course, I don't let it impact on our investigations.

Chief Inspector? Not now, Father.

Sergeant, could you...? Yeah. Come along, Father, this way.

OK. Could I have a word, Edgar?

Yes, Sir.

So what's the plan, son?

It's all very pleasant out here in the "sticks",

but nosey priests, dressing up in frocks,

it's hardly real policing, is it?

We both know London is where the big promotions are won, so...

Yes. Well, Father, my plan is to...

...solve this murder.

I'd say that counts as real policing.

I'd start with the wife.

No. This can't be happening.

I'm very sorry for your loss, Mrs Derbyshire.

I do however have to raise last night's argument.

What? You seemed...

...angry with your husband.

Well, yes. We'd...

...missed an appointment with the adoption agency because Frank hid the letter.

But then he explained why.

You see, he still hadn't given up hope of us having a child of our own.

Sir.

Found it in the scullery.

I didn't put that there.

Mrs Derbyshire, I'm left with no option.

I'm arresting you on suspicion of the murder... No! ...of Frank Derbyshire.

You are not obliged to say anything, but anything you do say may be given in evidence.

Please. This is all wrong. Come along.

I didn't kill him, Father.

I believe you, Mrs Derbyshire.

I know how devoted you were.

But will they hang me?

I will do everything in my power to prevent that happening.

How could someone do this to Frank?

I don't suppose you know why your husband went back to the re-enactment last night?

He'd made some breakthrough in his study.

He said he needed to investigate at Belside Hall.

He seemed excited.

Frank had two dreams.

To have a family and to leave his mark as a historian.

He even asked Dr Manning to look at his research papers at the party.

Was he receptive?

All he said was that...

...he'd recently learned some history about Frank

that he needed to discuss.

Frank didn't know what he meant, but...

...I knew he was worried.

Thank you, Mrs Derbyshire.

Oh, Father, I just want Frank.

You're sure Cecily is telling the truth, Father?

I think someone is trying to frame her.

And my first port of call will be Dr Manning.

Oh, well, I've just seen him heading towards St Mary's.

Thank you, Brenda.

Very helpful.

Oh.

See if you can find a match for this.

Judging by the height of the nail,

I'd look at tunics rather than trousers.

We'll keep our eyes peeled.

A word, Father, if I may? Of course.

I advise you in the strongest possible terms to leave the detective work to my son.

Ordinarily I wouldn't think of interfering.

But I am concerned that your son has arrested an innocent woman.

That is a matter for a jury, not a priest.

Well, there we will have to disagree.

You, of course, disagreed with Mr Derbyshire yourself yesterday.

The man insulted the Sullivan name. He deserved a bloody nose!

Clearly the killer concurred.

Whoever they are.

Stay out of things that don't concern you.

Dr Manning.

Father!

Sorry, I was miles away.

Just admiring your marvellous church.

Is it ecclesiastical architecture that brings you to St Mary's?

Or the terrible news about Frank Derbyshire?

Well, I can't lie.

Medieval churches are the subject of my next book

and St Mary's does have a terrific tower.

Mrs Derbyshire said you'd found something

in Frank's personal history that you wanted to discuss with him.

Well, Cecily misunderstood.

There's nothing in Frank's history.

Just something I thought he'd be interested in.

Am I right in saying that at school, a fellow pupil reported you

for cheating in your Higher Schools Certificate exams,

which action led to you losing your place at Oxford?

That happened...

...decades ago.

Now, you are finally at Oxford,

it must have been very tempting to find out who betrayed you.

Was it Frank Derbyshire?

Was that knowledge behind your return to Kembleford?

Along with a craving for redress?

You're right, Father.

It was Frank who sold me down the river.

But that early setback built the determination in me

to get me where I am today.

If anything I owe Frank my gratitude,

not any misplaced hostility.

Dr Manning was clearly put out at Mr Derbyshire's betrayal.

But vengeful enough to risk his now blooming reputation?

I'm not persuaded.

Gentlemen, in honour of the late Mr Derbyshire,

I believe we should complete our re-enactment today.

All those in favour?

Aye!

I concur and I'd like to offer my services.

That's a kind offer, Mr Sullivan, but...

You see, I did help break up the Battle of Cable Street.

And I do know The Art of War by heart.

The battle will take place at four.

You lead on, Mr Higgs. I'll merely chip in as required.

Fine! Right. You'd better get me kitted out, then. Come on.

Maybe Edgar takes after his mother. Mm.

We need to find out why Mr Derbyshire was in the armoury.

His wife said he'd made some sort of "breakthrough" in his study.

Well, maybe we should go and look there then.

And I'll carry on looking for a match for this.

I just think it's unfair that I can't take part in the battle.

Well, dare I say it,

Mr Higgs seems to be forgetting a most notorious female warrior...

Ah! Who?

Hah!

Oh, Sergeant? Sergeant?

Yes, Sir.

Now, if my father asks about Father Brown, please, please play it down.

The last thing I need right now is him sticking his nose in it as well.

Righty-ho, Sir.

Right, demonstrations of Tudor weaving and cookery are about to begin... What the...?

...and for all those interested to hear

what today's military strategists learned from the Tudors,

I shall be in the main tent.

Father, what on earth are you doing?

I'm having a bit of fun. No, no, no, no.

You're interfering! Nonsense. I'm playing a low-key supporting role.

You've clearly got the case under control.

How blessed you are, Sergeant, of a Sullivan here as a boss.

Yes, Sir. Most fortunate.

And how lucky that woman is to have one as her future husband.

What's she up to?

Erm... I suspect she's checking her costume.

"Joan of Arc dressed as a man

"to lead the French against the English."

She inspired a nation.

Hey, what's that, Father?

It's a lost record of the Battle of Kembleford.

And Mr Derbyshire found it in an old archive in Cirencester last month.

I suspect this is the research

that he showed to Mr Higgs and Dr Manning.

Oh.

Well, what does it say?

It says, that according to a servant...

...Lady Catherine Feathergill slipped away with a priest

before Godfelow broke down the doors of Belside Hall.

Oh. So...

...she escaped?

The same servant also claimed that Lady Catherine told Lord Feathergill

that she would head to Lancaster.

That's miles away.

Seems unlikely.

But there is no record

of Lady Catherine's body being found at Belside Hall.

What's this all gobbledegook?

That's the letters on the wall in the armoury!

So that's what Mr Derbyshire was doing there.

He was trying to crack the code!

But why? I don't know.

Also, it looks like someone else was helping him.

Oh!

Hello, Isabel.

Mr Sullivan! Looking for clues, are we? I am, actually.

I'm looking for a match for this.

Father Brown found it at the scene of the crime. Really? How exciting.

I'd better go.

Good luck!

Edgar. Isabel.

So your fiance is meddling, too?

Given that she works for Father Brown,

she does find herself sometimes being roped in.

Roped in? She's your future wife! Yes, I know that...

A conflict of interest like this is career suicide! What are you going to do about it? Hmm?

I tried to help with this code last night.

Frank said he'd found it earlier at Belside Hall, thanks to Dr Manning's book.

Did you crack it? No.

But Frank probably did. He loved this sort of puzzle.

I keep trying to see a future without him, but...

...what have I got now?

Maybe I should just confess.

And then history would say that you murdered your husband,

which is a lie.

I'm determined to uncover the truth.

Please, do not give up hope.

Thank you, Father.

You're very pale.

I'm going to request the doctor.

Lancaster is closer than we think.

Father? Mr Derbyshire discovered yesterday, in Dr Manning's book,

that the Feathergills had a nickname for the armoury.

Lancaster!

Wait, so the armoury is Lancaster

and that's where Lady Catherine hid from Lord Godfelow?

Yes. So Mr Derbyshire went there and found the code.

I suspect he went back because he'd cracked it.

And so must we.

Ta-da! What do you think?

I think you look every inch the warrior.

But isn't Tyrone just going to stop you?

Not if he doesn't recognise me.

Uh-oh.

I'll see you outside.

Isabel?

Edgar! Can we speak? In private?

My father is on the warpath.

You must leave this case alone.

I'm begging you.

Please. For both our sakes.

Yes, all right.

Thank you.

Splendid costume, Mr Higgs.

Oh. Thank you, Father.

And judging by the patch on your tunic, you're an expert darner.

Sorry, I don't...

Found this, snagged on a nail, very close to Mr Derbyshire's body.

Whatever you think this proves, you're wrong.

Last night, I came back here to try my costume on.

And while I was here, I saw Frank go past, on his way to the armoury.

So I went to speak to him.

About your duel? About what he told me during our duel.

He said he was going to table a vote of no confidence in me

at the next meeting of the History Society.

I've run the society for ten years.

But now of course, Mr Higgs...

...there will be no vote.

What happened when you confronted Mr Derbyshire?

He told me to go away, that he was busy doing "real history."

He said there would be a lot more of that when he was in charge.

I expect that made you even angrier?

Yes, it did.

But I didn't kill him.

FANFARE PLAYS

Now...

...if you'll excuse me...

...I have a battle to oversee.

What are you doing here?

As nobility, you should be standing over there. Follow me.

Who is this by the way?

William.

Brenda! Step out, please.

Oh, but Joan of Arc did it!

Joan of Arc was a 15th century Frenchwoman. Come on.

Mr Higgs, I learned from Mr Derbyshire's research

that a local woman, Emily Gardener, disguised herself as a man

to take part in the Battle of Kembleford.

In the light of that, perhaps you should allow Miss Palmer to fight?

Honour and victory!

ALL CHEER

Yes, well, all right.

Front rank, dress to the right! Good luck, Brenda!

We fight to the death!

ALL CHEER

Father, wait!

I'm sorry.

Father?

When Mr Higgs moved Miss Palmer in the line of battle,

I had a brainwave.

This is a Caesar Cipher, so you move the letters of the alphabet

in order to create the code.

In this case, four places to the right. Brilliant!

So V...

...that's R.

NE and SW opens door C.

Is that another code?

So R is for Richard, Lord Feathergill.

And C is for Catherine.

So these are directions from Lady Feathergill to her husband.

Good Lord!

Well, of course, not all doors are in the wall.

Oh, Mrs Devine.

Do you see what I see?

North East.

Ah.

South West.

Oh!

To think Lady Catherine and her priest

fled down this very passage 400 years ago.

"There is no present or future, only the past,

"happening over and over again."

Now...

Book of Revelation?

No, Eugene O'Neil.

Well, let's just hope they got out of here alive.

We can't hold them, Sir!

Sound the retreat!

HORN BLARES

We need Lady Feathergill for the climax, Chief Inspector.

Yes.

Someone needs to go and get her.

Maybe we need another code.

Or maybe we could pull this.

Oh!

Ooh!

Ooh, look.

A button!

This is St Mary's crypt.

Is it?

This is the tomb of Prior Baskerville.

That passage must have been built in the Reformation.

Mrs Devine...

What is it, Father?

Looks like another message from Lady Catherine.

Ooh! What does this one say?

"Four across.

"Six down."

It looks empty.

Not quite.

It's a letter from Lady Catherine to her Lord.

Oh.

I see.

Dr Manning.

What the hell are you doing?

Everyone's waiting.

We've a battle to finish.

Which version of history will you be using, Dr Manning?

Yours, forged in academic arrogance?

Or the truth?

Proved here yesterday by Mr Derbyshire?

I beg your pardon?

He followed Lady Catherine's trail and made an extraordinary discovery,

which exposed you as a fraud.

For which, unfortunately, he had to be silenced.

Well, that's an interesting theory, Father.

But sadly, as with history, you need solid evidence.

Well, I predict that Chief Inspector Sullivan

will find a treasure in your possessions.

Oh! Mrs Devine found your button.

The one you left here last night.

That you came back to St Mary's to look for.

That fool should have stayed away from my story.

I read Frank's research last night.

His reference to Lancaster piqued my curiosity,

but he beat me to it.

I knew right away it was King Alfred's ring.

Once a cheat, always a cheat, eh, Alex?

I'm just a storyteller, Frank.

And that's all history is really, isn't it?

Just tales we pretend are the truth.

You're wrong.

Real history sorts the truth from lies.

Look, maybe we can just come to some arrangement... No.

I'm showing this to the world.

HE GROANS Give it...

Damn it!

And then you framed Mrs Derbyshire.

We all saw them arguing and I saw an opportunity.

How callous.

Do you really think I would let that amateur

throw away everything I've worked so hard for?

Well, in my view...

...Dr Manning...

...your only significant achievement

was to employ the services of a first-rate forger.

I'm sorry, Father, but this history is mine.

Don't...

Oh!

Saved by the cushion!

Silly man.

Thank you, Mrs Devine.

What in the devil...

Those will now need to be filed under fiction.

So, what did Sullivan's dad say?

Nothing. He just stormed off.

Father?

Mrs Derbyshire!

I am glad to see you.

Thank you, Father. For everything.

How are you feeling?

I found it! It was in Dr Manning's bag.

It's beautiful.

It's Frank's legacy.

Your husband's name will be forever linked with this ring.

Frank got his other wish, too.

The doctor just told me.

That is wonderful news!

Congratulations. A baby?

I am sure that Frank is sharing in your joy.

FANFARE PLAYS

Ah, right.

Bring me the Feathergills and get me that ring!

Go with the priest. God will be your shield.

I'll meet you in Lancaster.

If anything should happen, keep our child safe.

My Lady, we must go!

Again!

The ring, Feathergill.

You'll need to kill me first, Godfelow!

"My love.

"If you are reading this, then you are safe.

"My heart rejoices.

"Father Graham is taking me to St Agnes.

"My journey will be dangerous,

"so I will leave our precious jewel in this sacred place.

"Hurry, that you may be with me when our child is born.

"Yours ever...

..."Catherine."

Now, where's that ring?!

CHEERING

Why wasn't history like that at school?

I just pray she made it to St Agnes and had her child.

Frank would have approved.

He would have been thrilled.

Cecily...

...I'm sorry.

Frank was right about everything.

Which is why I'm going to resign.

Frank loved detail,

but even he couldn't have organised an event this well.

I think you should stay.

Really?

Thank you.

Edgar, I have to go.

Oh, really? Why?

Your mother will be missing me dreadfully.

Isabel, it's been marvellous getting to know you.

You too, Mr Sullivan.

Can I have a quick word before I go? Yes, of course.

Your fiance must stop working for that interfering priest.

I can't make her. You'll have to.

Or I can't give your marriage my blessing.