The Indiscretion of Mr. Edwards is a 1946 radio play from The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The plot unfolds with Holmes and Dr. Watson visiting a Paris circus where their client, Mr. Edwards (a disguised royal), is involved with bareback rider Giselle; Giselle is later found strangled, leading to the identification of a jealous animal trainer as the murderer.

Plot Details

The story begins with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson at the ringside of "the Circ Royale" in Paris, awaiting a meeting with their distinguished client, Mr. Edwards. It's soon revealed that Mr. Edwards is, in fact, a member of the British Royal Family traveling incognito, whose "indiscretion" lies in his serious involvement with Madame Giselle, a beautiful bareback rider at the circus.

The Foreign Office is deeply concerned about this affair and has entrusted Holmes with the delicate mission of protecting Mr. Edwards and subtly ending his relationship with Giselle. To achieve this, Holmes orchestrates a plan to expose Giselle's true mercenary nature by having another English gentleman woo her with promises of greater wealth. This plan takes a dark turn when Giselle is found strangled in her dressing room.

Holmes's investigation uncovers that Giselle had multiple entanglements, including with Alfiero, an animal trainer who was deeply in love with her. The clues lead Holmes to deduce that Alfiero, driven by jealousy and rage over Giselle's various relationships and her dismissiveness towards him, was her murderer. The case concludes with the arrest of the animal trainer.

Broadcast Information

"The Indiscretion of Mr. Edwards" was the 23rd episode of season 6 of The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes radio series. It was first aired on WOR-MBS (the Mutual Network) on February 4, 1946. While the user's query mentioned February 24, 1946, multiple sources confirm the broadcast date as February 4, 1946. The episode starred Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson.

Although an original radio play, the story is considered to be inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Adventure of the Three Students."