Fortune Is a Woman 1957

Hong Kong affair revisited

Five years earlier in Hong Kong, Branwell and Sarah carried on an affair that ended before their professional partnership began. The past remains a guarded secret as their current cases unfold. The memory adds tension to Branwell's judgments and Sarah's responses.

Initial Lowis Manor fire investigation

Branwell is dispatched to Lowis Manor to probe a suspicious fire. He reviews the scorched paintings, noting one distant view of the manor seems beyond repair. The investigation is tinged by a wary exchange with his wife Sarah, who keeps their history quiet.

New case: Highbury's lost voice

Months after the Lowis Manor case, Charles Highbury, a famed actor and singer, files an insurance claim for the loss of his voice following a confrontation and an altercation with his wife. Branwell begins to assemble the facts that will later intersect with the Lowis Manor inquiry. The personal secrets behind the cases start to pull at the surface.

Litchen painting surfaces

Branwell visits Vere Litchen and discovers she has a painting resembling the apparently destroyed Lowis Manor work. The resemblance suggests the paintings being fakes or copies rather than originals. The link between the two cases tightens as Branwell probes further.

Evidence of fraudulent sale

Further investigation points to Sarah having sold the painting and mounting a false insurance claim. Branwell becomes convinced that the fraud extends beyond one painting and begins to map out the network supporting the scam. The trail grows colder as key documents remain elusive.

Learning to spot fakes

Branwell studies techniques to distinguish genuine paintings from forgeries, equipping himself for the inevitable confrontation. He plans to verify authenticity and to confront the fraud directly. The knowledge sharpens his resolve for a risky break-in.

Break-in at Lowis Manor

Believing the occupants are away, Branwell breaks into Lowis Manor to inspect the paintings. He discovers Tracey Moreton's dead mother and realises a fire has been started in the cellar. The discovery confirms that someone profited by destroying evidence.

Escape by fire and deception

Branwell calls the fire brigade, pretending to be Tracey Moreton, and escapes as the house burns. The fire destroys the manor and any remaining paintings, which Branwell now knows to be fakes. The event solidifies his understanding that the fraud has succeeded in erasing crucial evidence.

Insurance payout to Sarah

The insurance company settles a £30,000 claim on Sarah Moreton, effectively legitimising part of the scheme. Branwell grasps the scale of the fraud and prepares for the next moves in unmasking the conspirators. The payout reinforces how deeply the deception has penetrated the case.

Love and leverage

Time moves on and Sarah visits Branwell; he grows convinced she is involved in the fraud. Mrs Litchen's fiancé later confirms Sarah is not the woman who sold him the painting, helping Branwell decide to marry her. They rapidly move from suspicion to partnership in a fragile alliance.

Blackmail and investigation intensify

While honeymooning in France, Sarah receives a ring Tracey Moreton always wore, signaling a blackmail threat. Back in London, the couple face police scrutiny as investigators close in on the scam. The pressure tests their resolve and their relationship.