Act 1, Scene 1 Summary

The scene opens with darkness and the sounds of someone whistling the tune of "Three Blind Mice." Shouts in the darkness indicate something is amiss, and then we hear police whistles. After that, the lights come up and we hear a radio announcer reporting on a recent murder. The scene is the great hall at Monkswell Manor, an older home with a large window in center stage, a fireplace on one side and several doors leading to other parts of the house.

Mollie Ralston is the first character to appear on stage. She turns off the radio, removes her coat, and turns on the heat and lights. Next enters her husband, Giles Ralston. They are newlyweds in their twenties.

Through their initial dialogue together, the audience/reader learns that they live near a country village, that the weather outside is snowing...