When Hugo and Karl-Henrik have left the room, Mrs Schröder asks everyone to help themselves to coffee and cakes and sit down on the sofa in front of the windows. They do as she says, but the atmosphere in the room is tense. Isabella gets tired of being the hostess and stands up, she tells them that she has a dripping tap in her bathroom, the sound disturbs her sleep and she asks if Anton wants to take a look at it. "You're so handy," she says with a knowing smile. Anton replies that he'll see if he can help, gets up and follows Isabella. Axel looks like he's having fun. Sigrid sets her coffee cup down with a bang and stares after them as they leave the room.
Agnete has been quiet since lunch and looks pale. Now she exclaims: "I need to talk to Hugo!", she excuses herself and leaves the room.
Otto returns to the room and grabs a cup of coffee. He looks a bit down in the dumps, but lights up with a smile when the children come and climb into his lap. The mood is lightened after Isabella has left the room and a cosy time is had as the children excitedly discuss what they might get from Grandpa for Christmas. Isabella's exaggerated laughter is heard from the hall, and Axel quickly apologises and walks with firm steps out into the hall, the others hear him shout "Isabella!". He meets Anton at the door.
Shortly afterwards, Karl-Henrik joins the others in the Hunting Room and sits down next to his wife. Otto asks him what his father wanted to talk about. Karl-Henrik replies that Hugo wanted to talk to him as a lawyer, so unfortunately he can't comment on that. "Is he now in the process of changing his will?", Otto asks bluntly. "We have to put a stop to that bimbo getting any share in Forestborough Manor. How do we do that, Karl-Henrik?". Karl-Henrik shakes his head. "You know I can't comment on that," he says. But he adds: "But as an old family friend, I understand you, and my advice is that you need to start understanding that you have to accept that Isabella is married to Hugo and is entitled to half of his fortune the day he passes away."
Gunilla is outraged. "But that's absurd! Forestborough Manor is Otto's!". "Yes, and yours too," she adds a little sourly, looking at Sigrid and Axel, who have just returned to the Hunting Hall. "But you're not going to live here, you have to get married at some point," she says to Sigrid. "We'll have to declare him insane or something," she continues, "he can't have been in his right mind when he married her. Everyone realises that."
Otto stops Gunilla: "Don't talk about Dad like that, Gunilla. Not in front of the children." He asks Karl-Henrik if he wants to go for a walk and get some fresh air. Karl-Henrik and Otto get up and get their coats from the hall.
The children want to play games, they pester their Aunt Sigrid, who promises to play with them, and Sigrid and Gunilla take the children to the library, where the games are on a shelf. Agnete enters the Hunting Room, looking distraught. Kristine asks her to sit down and gets her a cup of coffee. Axel and Anton have also stood up and walk towards the hall.
Kristine, who is on her way back across the room with the coffee, hears Axel say ironically and with a grin to Anton: "Did you manage to turn on the taps?" He continues: "I always knew you were after Forestborough Manor, and it's been obvious that you were going to be our brother-in-law... But of course, half is more than a third... But be careful with Isabella, she's slippery, just look what she's done to poor Dad." Axel goes out into the hall and grabs his jacket, quickly exits and runs after Karl-Henrik and Otto, who are coming down the driveway.
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The big clock in the hall strikes 4pm and everyone gathers back in the library, no one wants to be late for Hugo's Christmas gift giving! Otto helps his father down the stairs, followed by Kristine and Sigrid, who have been away to freshen up. Axel and Anton come in laughing and stamping off the snow, talking excitedly about a new foal they've been looking at in the stable - a future winner, they both think.
It's Isabella again who hasn't arrived when Hugo settles down in his favourite armchair. "She must be making one of her entrances again," Sigrid hisses to Otto. "That won't help her now," Otto replies with a satisfied smile. Mrs Schröder serves eggnog for the adults and soft drinks for the children, and on a side table there is fruit, nuts, chocolate and homemade caramels and iced chocolate. Kristine offers to help Hugo get the presents from under the Christmas tree. She looks closer and screams in shock!
Half hidden behind the tree is Isabella. One of the crossed rapiers that usually hangs over the open fireplace is missing, instead it is deeply pierced into Isabella's chest, the blood has coloured her Christmas red dress in a darker shade...
Agnete has been quiet since lunch and looks pale. Now she exclaims: "I need to talk to Hugo!", she excuses herself and leaves the room.
Otto returns to the room and grabs a cup of coffee. He looks a bit down in the dumps, but lights up with a smile when the children come and climb into his lap. The mood is lightened after Isabella has left the room and a cosy time is had as the children excitedly discuss what they might get from Grandpa for Christmas. Isabella's exaggerated laughter is heard from the hall, and Axel quickly apologises and walks with firm steps out into the hall, the others hear him shout "Isabella!". He meets Anton at the door.
Shortly afterwards, Karl-Henrik joins the others in the Hunting Room and sits down next to his wife. Otto asks him what his father wanted to talk about. Karl-Henrik replies that Hugo wanted to talk to him as a lawyer, so unfortunately he can't comment on that. "Is he now in the process of changing his will?", Otto asks bluntly. "We have to put a stop to that bimbo getting any share in Forestborough Manor. How do we do that, Karl-Henrik?". Karl-Henrik shakes his head. "You know I can't comment on that," he says. But he adds: "But as an old family friend, I understand you, and my advice is that you need to start understanding that you have to accept that Isabella is married to Hugo and is entitled to half of his fortune the day he passes away."
Gunilla is outraged. "But that's absurd! Forestborough Manor is Otto's!". "Yes, and yours too," she adds a little sourly, looking at Sigrid and Axel, who have just returned to the Hunting Hall. "But you're not going to live here, you have to get married at some point," she says to Sigrid. "We'll have to declare him insane or something," she continues, "he can't have been in his right mind when he married her. Everyone realises that."
Otto stops Gunilla: "Don't talk about Dad like that, Gunilla. Not in front of the children." He asks Karl-Henrik if he wants to go for a walk and get some fresh air. Karl-Henrik and Otto get up and get their coats from the hall.
The children want to play games, they pester their Aunt Sigrid, who promises to play with them, and Sigrid and Gunilla take the children to the library, where the games are on a shelf. Agnete enters the Hunting Room, looking distraught. Kristine asks her to sit down and gets her a cup of coffee. Axel and Anton have also stood up and walk towards the hall.
Kristine, who is on her way back across the room with the coffee, hears Axel say ironically and with a grin to Anton: "Did you manage to turn on the taps?" He continues: "I always knew you were after Forestborough Manor, and it's been obvious that you were going to be our brother-in-law... But of course, half is more than a third... But be careful with Isabella, she's slippery, just look what she's done to poor Dad." Axel goes out into the hall and grabs his jacket, quickly exits and runs after Karl-Henrik and Otto, who are coming down the driveway.
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The big clock in the hall strikes 4pm and everyone gathers back in the library, no one wants to be late for Hugo's Christmas gift giving! Otto helps his father down the stairs, followed by Kristine and Sigrid, who have been away to freshen up. Axel and Anton come in laughing and stamping off the snow, talking excitedly about a new foal they've been looking at in the stable - a future winner, they both think.
It's Isabella again who hasn't arrived when Hugo settles down in his favourite armchair. "She must be making one of her entrances again," Sigrid hisses to Otto. "That won't help her now," Otto replies with a satisfied smile. Mrs Schröder serves eggnog for the adults and soft drinks for the children, and on a side table there is fruit, nuts, chocolate and homemade caramels and iced chocolate. Kristine offers to help Hugo get the presents from under the Christmas tree. She looks closer and screams in shock!
Half hidden behind the tree is Isabella. One of the crossed rapiers that usually hangs over the open fireplace is missing, instead it is deeply pierced into Isabella's chest, the blood has coloured her Christmas red dress in a darker shade...