Beatrice Fairfax Episode 7: A Name for a Baby
Summary
A desperate, handwritten plea from Madge Minturn shatters the pre-nuptial serenity, entreating Beatrice Fairfax for a name for her infant son, whose well-heeled lawyer father is scheduled to wed society belle Margaret Payne the following day. This urgent missive propels Beatrice and her astute colleague, Jimmy Barton, into a maelstrom of deceit and social subterfuge. Jimmy, with a keen investigative instinct, swiftly identifies James Conley, Margaret's fiancé, as the probable culprit. His pretext of a political interview at Conley's law office, punctuated by a calculated mention of Madge Minturn, elicits a tell-tale discomposure from the lawyer, confirming Jimmy's suspicions. Beatrice then seeks out Madge, absorbing the wrenching details of her abandonment. Conley's patrician father, desperate to avert a public scandal that would sully their impeccable family name, instructs his son to offer a paltry financial settlement to Madge. Conley, in a clandestine meeting with Madge and their child in a secluded woodland, attempts to buy her silence, an offer she vehemently spurns with righteous indignation. As Conley departs, he encounters a lurking tramp, an opportunistic figure who becomes an instrument in Conley's escalating desperation. A nefarious pact is struck: the tramp is to kidnap Madge and the baby, coercing her into a forced marriage, a twisted scheme to eliminate the inconvenient evidence of his past transgression. The tramp seizes his chance when Madge momentarily sets down her child to fetch water, absconding with the infant to a derelict hut. Madge, in frantic pursuit, gains entry only to be overpowered and bound. The baby is secreted away in a nearby barn, and the tramp delivers a chilling ultimatum: consent to wed him or the infant will perish. Madge's desperate struggles for liberation prove futile. Simultaneously, Beatrice, armed with irrefutable evidence of Conley's duplicity, confronts Margaret Payne. Margaret, exhibiting a surprising depth of character, agrees to aid Madge. Beatrice and Jimmy race to Madge's home, discovering her inexplicable absence. Their diligent tracking leads them to the very deserted cabin where Madge is fighting for her freedom. A dramatic confrontation ensues between Jimmy and the tramp, culminating in the villain's defeat, Madge's rescue, and the safe recovery of the baby. The narrative culminates in a stroke of brilliant stratagem: the following day, at the Payne residence, the wedding ceremony between Conley and Margaret is underway. As Conley lifts his bride's veil for the ceremonial kiss, he is stunned to discover not Margaret, but Madge, a meticulously planned substitution orchestrated by Margaret herself. Conley's furious protests that the ceremony is illegal, citing his license bearing Margaret's name, are deftly parried by Beatrice and Jimmy. Anticipating such a reaction, they had already secured a second, valid marriage license bearing Madge's name. With Beatrice presenting the baby and Madge resplendent in her bridal gown, Conley, confronted by the undeniable reality and Madge's newfound allure, finally capitulates, accepting her as his rightful wife.
