Part 17 (1/2)

*And when was that?'

*The Sat.u.r.day night before he killed her.'

Mr Treadwell sprang up. *Objection, my lord. This man was not a witness to the murder. He cannot a.s.sume that my client is guilty.'

*A man is ent.i.tled to his opinion,' Sir Randolph said, *and this is still a free country, I believe.'

*Well spoken, Sir Randolph.' Mr Justice Peters scratched under his wig with a quill. *Objection overruled.'

*Except when it comes to digging holes,' Sir Randolph said.

*Let us move on.' Sir Robert Finebray rustled his notes.

*They'd have let me dig if there were gold to be found.'

*Thank you, Sir Randolph,' Sir Robert Finebray said.

*Or coal even. Black gold, some call it.'

*On this last occasion, did you talk to the accused?'

*I have already said as much.' His voice rang out across the courtroom.

*And what line did the conversation take?'

*I observed to Ashby that my gla.s.s was empty,' Sir Randolph said, *and he offered to refill it for me, but not as graciously as he might have. Indeed, he seemed quite distracted.'

*In what way?'

*In every way.'

The audience chuckled.

*Please continue,' Sir Robert said.

*That is what I am trying to do,' Sir Randolph retorted.

*Then please do.'

*I shall. Did you not f.a.g for me at Rugby?'

Sidney Grice was clicking halfpennies in his left hand.

*I was at Eton,' Sir Robert said.

*So was I,' the judge said. *Did you f.a.g for me, Finebray?'

*I did not, my lord.'

Mr Justice Peters banged his gavel to quell the laughter and signalled the witness to proceed.

*Ashby seemed agitated,' Sir Randolph said, *and, when I asked him what the matter was, he told me he had had an argument with his wife.'

I watched William Ashby as this evidence was being given. He leaned forward, listening intently, but his face betrayed no particular concern.

*I asked him what the trouble was,' Sir Randolph said, *and he told me that he had scolded her over her extravagance. She had bought some material for a curtain and was having it made up by a local seamstress. He thought the material too expensive and that his wife should have made it up herself.'

William Ashby nodded slightly.

*He told me that the money could have gone towards more stock,' Sir Randolph said, *and that he had stormed out of the house when she refused to cancel the order.'

*Did he say anything else?' Sir Robert asked.

*Indeed, he did,' Sir Randolph said. *We talked about the lack of respect modern youths have for their elders and we agreed that they lacked the discipline that a spell in the army would have given them. Ashby is an army man himself. He knows all about that.'

Sir Robert struggled to conceal his frustration. *Yes, but did he mention his wife again?'

*He said she was a pretty little thing,' the witness said, and Sir Robert flapped his notes.

*Oh, for heaven's sake,' Sidney Grice said under his breath. He was rattling the halfpennies furiously now.

*Did he make any threats against her?' Sir Robert asked.

*None that I ever heard,' Sir Randolph said, and Sir Robert opened his mouth in dismay.

*But-'

*He made a vow, though,' Sir Randolph broke in. *He swore that he would kill her if she did not mend her ways.'

William Ashby cried out, *No!', but was silenced by a constable's hand on his shoulder.

*What were his exact words?' Sir Robert asked.

William Ashby had a choking fit, almost doubling as he spasmed with the effort to catch his breath.

*If the prisoner cannot be silent I shall have him removed from my court.' Mr Justice Peters banged his gavel as William Ashby tried to stifle his coughs with his hand. *Proceed, Sir Randolph.'

Sir Randolph looked a little irritated. He glanced at his watch and muttered something about a horse.

*He swore that he would kill her if she did not mend her ways,' he said.

*No, Sir Randolph, please tell the court exactly the words that he used.'

*His exact words were that he would kill her if she did not mend her ways.'

Somebody hooted in derision.