Enmity between Milady and Lord de Winter

The enmity between Milady and Lord de Winter is one of the novel's most relentless and personal conflicts, a family feud driven by murder, greed, and a thirst for vengeance that culminates in Milady's imprisonment and execution. Lord de Winter, the brother of Milady's second husband, becomes her most determined adversary after discovering her true, murderous nature. Their relationship is defined by a series of escalating confrontations, from Milady's failed assassination attempt to her brother-in-law's calculated and brutal retaliation.

Origins and Causes

The foundation of this enmity is laid before the novel's main events. Milady married Lord de Winter's brother, and after his death, she became the heir to his fortune. Lord de Winter, however, suspected that his brother's death was not natural. He later learns the full truth from d'Artagnan and Athos: that Milady, already married to another man (the Comte de la Fere, Athos), had bigamously married his brother and then poisoned him to inherit his wealth. This revelation transforms Lord de Winter from a suspicious relative into a vengeful hunter. The conflict is further inflamed when Milady, during a confrontation with d'Artagnan, reveals her desire to kill Lord de Winter, lamenting that d'Artagnan had spared his life, which cost her "three hundred thousand livres' income" . This admission confirms to Lord de Winter that she is a mortal threat to his life and fortune.

Capture and Imprisonment

Lord de Winter, having been warned by d'Artagnan's letter, takes decisive action. He intercepts Milady upon her arrival in England, having her arrested and brought to his castle. He confronts her directly, revealing his knowledge of her crimes: "I know you are accustomed to assassinate people; but I warn you I shall defend myself, even against you" . He then imprisons her in a heavily fortified chamber, telling her, "The walls are thick, the doors strong, and the bars solid; besides, your window opens immediately over the sea" . He outlines his plan to exile her to the American colonies, a fate she finds worse than death. During this captivity, Lord de Winter attempts to break her spirit, mocking her attempts at seduction and revealing that he has already sent for the order of transportation. He tells her, "In four days' time the shore will be beneath your feet, the sea will be open to you—more open than will perhaps be agreeable to you" .

The Struggle for Power

The imprisonment becomes a psychological battle. Lord de Winter appoints the Puritan officer John Felton as her primary guard, warning him of her manipulative nature: "She will try to seduce you, perhaps she will try to kill you" . He forces Milady to listen as he reads a fabricated order for her exile under the false name "Charlotte Backson," a document that would brand her as a common criminal . Milady, however, uses her cunning to turn Felton against his master. She tells Felton a fabricated story of her persecution by Buckingham, claiming Lord de Winter is his accomplice. When Lord de Winter discovers Felton's growing sympathy for Milady, he dismisses the officer, but the damage is done. Felton helps Milady escape, and in doing so, he goes to Portsmouth and assassinates the Duke of Buckingham, a crime for which Lord de Winter holds Milady directly responsible.

Climax and Resolution

After Milady's escape, Lord de Winter pursues her relentlessly. He arrives at the convent in Bethune just after she has poisoned Constance Bonacieux. Finding d'Artagnan and his friends there, he joins their cause, declaring, "I set out five hours after her from Portsmouth... I arrived three hours after her at Boulogne. I missed her by twenty minutes at St. Omer" . He becomes a key member of the tribunal that tries Milady for her crimes. During the trial, he formally accuses her: "Before God and before men, I accuse this woman of having caused the assassination of the Duke of Buckingham" . He also accuses her of poisoning his brother, demanding justice: "Assassin of Buckingham, assassin of Felton, assassin of my brother, I demand justice upon you" . When the sentence of death is passed, Lord de Winter is present at the execution on the banks of the Lys, watching as the executioner beheads her and throws her body into the river. His personal vendetta is thus concluded with the definitive end of his enemy.