the jurors nodded.
"Did you treat his injuries yourself, or merely nurse him, keep him clean, feed him, attend to his wants?" Rathbone must be careful how he phrased his questions. So far no one else seemed to have the slightest idea what he was seeking to prove. He must not lead her, neither must he leave any doubt in their minds, once he had shown them the truth.
Goode was listening intently.
"I treated those wounds above the waist," Hester replied. "They were bruises, very severe, and the broken bones in his hands, and two broken ribs. There was very little to be done for them. The injuries below the waist Dr. Wade told me he bandaged. This was for the sake of Mr.
Duffs sensibilities."
"I see. So you never observed them yourself?"
"That is correct."
"But you accepted Dr. Wade's word for their nature and degree, and that they were healing as well as could be expected?"
"Yes."
The judge leaned forward again. "Sir Oliver, do the nature or site of Mr. Duffs wounds have any relevance to whether he was responsible for his father's death? I admit, I fail to see it!"
"Yes, my lord, they do." Rathbone turned to Hester. "Miss Latterly, was Mr. Duff subject to any unusual degree of emotional turmoil during the time you cared for him?"
Goode rose to his feet. "My lord, Miss Latterly did not know Mr. Duff before the tragedy. She cannot know if his distress was usual or not."
The judge looked at Rathbone. "Sir Oliver? Mr. Goode's point is a fair one."
"My lord, I meant was he subject to emotions extraordinary in a man in his condition. Miss Latterly has nursed many men severely injured. I think she is in a better position than almost anyone else to know what to expect."
"I agree." The judge nodded. "You may answer, Miss Latterly."
"Yes, my lord. Rhys had the most appalling nightmares when he would try to cry out, beat his arms, even though his hands were broken and it must have caused him fearful pain, and he would try to scream. And yet when he was awake, he refused absolutely to respond to questions about the incident, and became extremely distressed, to the point of violent reaction against people, especially his mother, when any pressure was placed upon him."
"And what did you conclude from that?" Rathbone asked.
"I did not conclude anything. I was puzzled. I... I feared perhaps he had indeed killed his father, and the memory of it was unbearable to him."
"Are you still of that opinion?"
"No..."
"Why not?"
She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
In the courtroom no one moved. Goode was frowning, listening to her intently.
"Because when I saw him fall, this morning," she replied, "I remembered for an instant something I had learned of in the army. It seemed too appalling to be true, but in his cell, where they carried him, I was alone with him for several minutes before the doctor came. I made a very brief examination of his injuries... below the waist." She stopped. Her face was filled with pain.
Rathbone wished he did not have to make her say this, but there was no possible alternative.
She saw it in his eyes, and did not flinch.
"He had been raped," she said very quietly, but very clearly. "Rhys was the rapists' last victim."
There was a gasp, and then utter silence except for a moan from Sylvestra as such pain of mind tore through her as was beyond bearing.
"Rhys and his father quarrelled because Rhys knew a little of what was happening. His father had criticised him for using prostitutes, and the hypocrisy of it infuriated him, but for his mother's sake he could not be open about it. He flung out of the house and went to St. Giles.
By chance, so did his father."
She took a breath and her voice became huskier.
"The three of them set on him in Water Lane," she went on, and although it was hearsay, Goode did not interrupt her. His extraordinary face was creased with horror. "They knocked him down and raped him," she continued, 'as they had done the women, and perhaps other young men. We may never know. Then as he struggled and cried out, one of them stopped, realising who he was... it was Leighton Duff, who had just raped and beaten his own son." Her voice was hoarse. "He attempted to defend him from further beating, but his companions had gone too far to retreat. If they let him live, he would stand