That’s what they all say, William could hear SO Rose repeating. ‘It doesn’t matter to me,’ he said, trying to reassure her. ‘I don’t care either way.’
‘But it does matter to me,’ said Beth, ‘because I’m determined to clear his name if it’s the last thing I do.’
They sat in silence for some time before William said, ‘Can I ask one thing of you?’
‘Anything. I’ve always assumed you’d leave me the moment you found out about my father. So anything.’
‘As you know, my father is one of the leading barristers at the Criminal Bar.’
‘And I foolishly fell in love with his son
.’
‘If I were to ask him to review the case and give an unbiased opinion, would you be willing to accept his judgement?’
Beth didn’t respond immediately, but after some thought she said, ‘That’s the least I can do.’
‘And would you also be willing to move on if it’s not what you wanted to hear?’
‘That might be a little more difficult.’
‘Well, at least it’s a start,’ said William. ‘If you’ll come to lunch with my family tomorrow, you can tell my old man why you’re so convinced your father is innocent.’
‘I’m not quite ready for that,’ said Beth, taking his hand. ‘The day after I’ve visited my father is almost worse. Sometimes I just cry all day, and can’t wait for Monday when I can get back to work. One step at a time, please. When we get home, I’ll tell you the whole story, but it might be some time before I can face your father’s judgement.’
‘But you’ll have to meet him eventually, whatever he decides, because my parents will want to meet the woman I’m going to marry.’
Most proposals are followed by joy and celebration; Beth wept.
When the cab drew up outside their home, William got out and thanked the cabbie.
‘My pleasure, guv, and I have to admit, that’s the first time someone’s proposed in the back of my cab.’
He made William laugh for a second time.
William opened the front door and stood aside to let Beth in. The first thing she did was go straight to the study and take down all the postcards from the mantelpiece, tear them into bits and drop them in the waste-paper basket. She then opened the bottom drawer of the desk, took out a photograph of her parents and placed it on the mantelpiece.
‘No more secrets,’ she said, as they went through to the kitchen. ‘In future, only the truth.’
William nodded, leant across the table and took her hand as she began to tell him how and why her father had been convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
He occasionally interrupted to ask her a question, and by the time they went to bed, he also wanted to believe that Arthur Rainsford just might be innocent. But he knew his father would be far more demanding and sceptical when considering the facts of the case than an inexperienced detective constable and a young woman who obviously adored her father unreservedly. They both agreed to abide by Sir Julian’s judgement.
On Sunday morning, after a sleepless night, William had far more questions than answers to consider as he prepared to face his father. When he left for the station after breakfast, neither he nor Beth was in any doubt about what was at stake.
Although William sat gazing out of the carriage window, he was unaware of the countryside rushing by. When he got off at Shoreham, he decided to walk the last couple of miles to Nettleford so he could compose his thoughts and go over what he planned to say, aware that he would be facing not just his father but one of the leading advocates in the land.
When the thatched cottage in which he had been brought up came into sight, he began to walk more slowly. He opened the front door, knowing it would be on the latch, and found his father sitting in his study by the fire, reading the Observer.
‘Good to see you, my boy,’ he said, putting down the paper. ‘Have you found that Rembrandt yet?’
‘Father, I’ve met the woman I’m going to marry.’
‘That’s wonderful news. Your mother will be delighted. So why isn’t the young lady joining us for lunch?’
‘Because her father’s serving a life sentence for murder.’
Sir Julian Warwick QC sat at the head of the table and listened attentively to his son as he told the family how his life had changed in the last twenty-four hours.