"All this speech of abuse is only conjecture: We do not know that it is anything beyond the sick imaginings of a spinster servant and a young girl in puberty, who both may have misunderstood things they saw, and whose fevered and ignorant minds leaped to hideous conclusions - quite erroneously."
The judge sighed. "Mr. Lovat-Smith's objection is literally correct, Mr. Rathbone." His heavy tone made it more than obvious he did not share the prosecutor's view for an instant. "Please be more careful in your use of words. You are quite capable of conducting your examination of Mrs. Erskine without such error."
Rathbone inclined his head in acceptance, and turned back to Damaris.
"Did your husband, Peverell Erskine, spend much time with Cassian after he came to stay at Carlyon House?"
"Yes - yes, he did." Her face was very white and her voice little more than a whisper.
"Thank you, Mrs. Erskine. I have no more questions for you, but please remain there. Mr. Lovat-Smith may have something to ask you."
Damaris turned to Lovat-Smith.
"Thank you," Lovat-Smith acknowledged. "Did you murder your brother, Mrs. Erskine?"
There was a ripple of shock around the room. The judge frowned sharply. A juror coughed. Someone in the gallery stood up.
Damaris was startled. "No - of course I didn't!"
"Did your sister-in-law mention this alleged fearful abuse to you, at any time, either before or after the death of your brother?"
"No."
"Have you any reason to suppose that such a thing had ever entered her mind; other, of course, than the suggestion made to you by my learned friend, Mr. Rathbone?"
"Yes - Hester Latterly knew of it."
Lovat-Smith was taken by surprise.
There was a rustle and murmur of amazement around the court. Felicia Carlyon leaned forward over the gallery railing to stare down at where Hester was sitting upright, white-faced. Even Alexandra turned.
"I beg your pardon?" Lovat-Smith said, collecting his wits rapidly. "And who is Hester Latterly? Is that a name that has arisen once before in this case? Is she a relative - or a servant perhaps? Oh - I recall: she is the person to whom Mrs. Sobell enquired for a lawyer for the accused. Pray tell us, how did this Miss Latterly know of this deadly secret of your family, of which not even your mother was aware?"
Damaris stared straight back at him.
"I don't know. I did not ask her."
"But you accepted it as true?" Lovat-Smith was incredulous and he allowed his whole body to express his disbelief. "Is she an expert in the field, that you take her word, unsubstantiated by any fact at all, simply a blind statement, over your own knowledge and love and loyalty to your own family? That is truly remarkable, Mrs. Erskine."
There was a low rumble of anger from the court. Someone called out "Traitor!"
"Silence!" the judge ordered, his face hard. He leaned forward towards the witness stand. "Mrs. Erskine? It does call for some explanation. Who is this Miss Latterly that you take her unexplained word for such an abominable charge?"
Damaris was very pale and she looked across at Peverell before answering, and when she spoke it was to the jury, not to Lovat-Smith or the judge.
"Miss Latterly is a good friend who wishes to find the truth of this case, and she came to me with the knowledge, which has never been disputed, that I discovered something the evening of my brother's death which distressed me almost beyond bearing. She assumed it was something else, something which would have done a great injury to another person - so I was obliged, in justice, to tell her the truth. Since she was correct in her assumption of abuse to Cassian, I did not argue with her, nor did I ask her how she knew. I was too concerned to allay her other suspicion even to think of it."
She straightened up a little more, for the first time perhaps, unconsciously looking heroic. "And as for loyalty to my family, are you suggesting I should lie here, in this place, and under oath to God, in order to protect them from the law - and the consequence of their acts towards a desperately vulnerable child? And that I should conceal truths which may help you bring justice to Alexandra?" There was a ring of challenge in her voice and her eyes were bright. Not once had she looked towards the gallery.
There was nothing for Lovat-Smith to do but retreat, and he did it gracefully.
"Of course not, Mrs. Erskine. All we required was that you