Mightier Than the Sword (The Clifton Chronicles 5)

“I apologize, my lady, I just thought—”

“I know exactly what you were thinking, Mr. Trelford. Now please let Mrs. Clifton be her own spokesman.”

“At the end of your speech,” said Trelford, turning back to his client, “you took questions from the floor?”

“Yes, I did.”

“And among those who asked a question was Lady Virginia Fenwick. As the outcome of this trial rests on that exchange, I will, with your permission, my lady, read out to the court the words spoken by Mrs. Clifton that are the cause of this trial. In reply to a question from Lady Virginia she said, ‘If it was your intention to bring the company down, Lady Virginia,… then you have failed, and failed lamentably, because you were defeated by decent ordinary people who want this company to be a success.’ Now that you hear those words again in the cold light of day, Mrs. Clifton, do you regret them?”

“Certainly not. They were nothing more than a statement of fact.”

“Then it was never your intention to defame Lady Virginia?”

“Far from it. I simply wanted the shareholders to know that Major Fisher, her representative on the board, had been buying and selling the company’s shares without informing me or any other of his colleagues.”

“Quite so. Thank you, Mrs. Clifton. No more questions, my lady.”

“Do you wish to cross-examine this witness, Sir Edward?” asked Mrs. Justice Lane, well aware of what his answer would be.

“I most certainly do, my lady,” said Sir Edward, rising slowly from his place and adjusting his ancient wig. He checked his first question before leaning back and giving the jury his most avuncular smile, in the hope that they would look upon him as a respected family friend from whom everyone seeks advice.

“Mrs. Clifton,” he said, turning to face the witness box, “let’s not mince words. The truth is that you were against Lady Virginia marrying your brother from the moment you met. In fact, isn’t it the case that you’d made up your mind to dislike her even before you’d met?”

Trelford was surprised. He hadn’t thought Eddie would plunge the dagger in quite so quickly, although he had warned Emma that her cross-examination was not going to be a pleasant experience.

“As I said, Sir Edward, we were not natural friends.”

“But isn’t it the case that you set out from the start to make her an enemy?”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Did you attend the wedding of your brother and Lady Virginia?”

“I was not invited.”

“Were you surprised at that, after the way you’d treated her?”

“Disappointed, rather than surprised.”

“And your husband,” said Sir Edward, taking his time to look around the courtroom as if he was trying to find him, “was he invited?”

“Not one member of the family received an invitation.”

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; “And why do you think that was?”

“You’ll have to ask your client, Sir Edward.”

“And I intend to do so, Mrs. Clifton. May I now turn to the death of your mother. I understand there was a dispute over her will.”

“Which was settled in the High Court, Sir Edward.”

“Yes, indeed it was. But correct me if I’m wrong, as I am sure you will, Mrs. Clifton, you and your sister Grace inherited almost the entire estate, while your brother, Lady Virginia’s husband, ended up with nothing.”

“That was not my choice, Sir Edward. In fact, I tried to talk my mother out of it.”

“We only have your word for that, Mrs. Clifton.”