Duncan Sisters Trilogy - The Bride Hunt Part 27

"Prue? Prue?"

"Oh, sorry. Where were we?"

"Your eyes were closed," Chast.i.ty told her.

"I must have been dozing."

"Dreaming, rather," Constance observed.

"Well, any luck?" Gideon asked his clerk as Thadeus came into the inner chamber.

"Oh, yes," Thadeus said. "I could find no records anywhere of the legal existence of a company called Barclay Earl and a.s.sociates. I checked with the solicitors who drew up the lien on Ten Manchester Square. They are, of course, not the same firm the earl is employing in his suit...the solicitors who have briefed Sir Samuel. Their reputation is, of course, impeccable." He coughed discreetly into his hand. "The other firm...from the shady side of the street, I would have said, Sir Gideon."

Gideon nodded and lit a cigarette. "Good," he said. "Go on."

"They were a little reluctant to be forthcoming, but I managed to convince them that my princ.i.p.al in this case would take a lack of cooperation amiss, that maybe there were aspects of their practice that might not stand up to scrutiny...I mentioned the faint possibility of a subpoena in the case."

"Ah. A useful stick, Thadeus." Gideon leaned back in his chair and blew a careful smoke ring. "Any holes in the doc.u.ment?"

Thadeus shook his head a little sadly. "Not exactly, sir. But if the company that holds the lien is not a legal ent.i.ty, then . . ."

Gideon nodded. "Then the doc.u.ment is a fraud. Anything else?"

"I did discover that this particular firm had been involved in several previous dealings for Barclay Earl and a.s.sociates. They did have doc.u.ments showing the establishment of the company, but, as I said, nothing to indicate that the company was legally registered." He laid a folder on the table in front of the barrister. "In fact, they as good as admitted that they had failed to register the company as a legal ent.i.ty."

Gideon glanced down at them. "So, these papers were merely a blind to fool the unwary, or the unaware."

"That is my conclusion, Sir Gideon."

Gideon sat forward abruptly. "All right. That's good, Thadeus. It gives us what we need. Thank you." He opened the folder as the clerk backed discreetly from the chamber.

Gideon flipped through the doc.u.ments, then he pushed the folder away from him with an impatient gesture. Of all the intransigent, stubborn women.

Maybe she did know more than he did about mothers and daughters, but from the mess theDuncan sisters were in at the moment, they all appeared to know remarkably little about what const.i.tuted a good relations.h.i.+p between fathers and daughters. Trust came to mind.

Of course Harriet's reappearance was a nuisance, but the fact that he both saw it and treated it as no more than that was no reason for Prudence to start prattling about the care and feeding of dependent women.

She had to be one of the most exasperating, opinionated women he'd ever met. Harriet seemed almost restful in comparison. One couldn't possibly contemplate living with a woman whom one disliked most of the time. Except that the rest of the time...and maybe it wasn't most of the time. And anyway, where had the idea about living with her come from?

With a muttered oath, he pulled paper and pen towards him. He was her barrister and at this moment that was all he was. And all he wanted to be.

"What does he say?" Chast.i.ty asked somewhat tentatively after her sister seemed to have been spending an inordinate length of time reading a one-page script. "It's from Gideon, isn't it?"

Prudence scrunched up the envelope and tossed it onto the hall table. "Yes," she said. "Just details about the trial."

"In that case, may we see?"Constanceasked, turning from the mirror, where she'd been putting on her hat before leaving for home.

"Certainly," her sister said with a shrug. "There's nothing personal in it. He does stop short of calling me Miss Duncan and signing himself Malvern, but that's as personal as it gets." She held out the letter.

"That's good, isn't it?" Chast.i.ty asked, as tentatively as before.

"Yes, of course it is," Prudence said on a rather testy note. "It's business only, as we agreed."

Constancerefrained from glancing at Chast.i.ty. Prudence would be bound to intercept the look and she was as sensitive at the moment as if she'd lost a layer of skin. Indeed, ifConstancehad been asked for her opinion, she would have said her younger sister was frightened out of her mind. And not about the court case. But then, she hadn't been asked for her opinion.

She perused the contents of the letter. "It looks promising, if you can decipher the legalese," she said. "Barclay's so-called company had no legal standing, and therefore had no legal basis for demanding payments from Father. Gideon seems to be saying that he's fairly confident he can go after Barclay on the stand and rattle him enough to get some kind of an admission." She pa.s.sed the letter over to Chast.i.ty.

"Yes, that was my impression," Prudence agreed.

Chast.i.ty looked up from the letter. "He doesn't suggest seeing us again until the actual morning of the trial. Don't you need more preparation, Prue?" She looked anxiously at her sister.

Prudence shook her head. "I know what he wants, he made it very clear. A warmhearted, sympathetic woman who will appeal to the hearts and minds of twelve jurymen, and will absolutely refrain from offending them in any way. I'll have to bat my eyelashes and mutter of lot of oo-la-la s and oui, monsieur s."

"They won't see you batting anything under the veil," Chast.i.ty pointed out.

"No," Prudence agreed. "But I'll flutter my hands in a very Gallic fas.h.i.+on and wave a perfumed handkerchief around when I want it to seem that I'm distressed by the questions."

"You'll need some indignation,"Constancesaid. "To be credible."

"Oh, I'm leaving that to Gideon," her sister stated, walking to the stairs. "His role is the fire and brimstone, mine is the honey." She turned, her foot on the bottom step. "I am not to come across as a bitter, ill-tempered, man-hating spinster, you see." Then she walked up the stairs before her sisters could close their mouths and marshal their responses.

Chapter 18.

"You're up early this morning, Father," Prudence observed as she entered the breakfast room. Her father, in the most formal of morning wear, was already at the breakfast table, and judging by his empty plate had just finished his meal.

Lord Duncan regarded his daughter with a somewhat testy air. "Have you forgotten it's the first day of Barclay's libel suit? I'm to appear in court this morning."

"Oh, yes," Prudence said casually, going over to the sideboard. "It slipped my mind." She looked at the dish of kedgeree and her already rebellious stomach gave a queasy lurch.

"Well, it's a very important day," her father declared, setting aside his napkin and pus.h.i.+ng back his chair.

"I shall not be in for luncheon, you may tell Jenkins." Neither would his daughters. But Prudence merely nodded agreeably and sat down, reaching for the toast rack. Maybe a piece of dry toast would ease the nausea.

"Good morning, Father." Chast.i.ty pa.s.sed her father in the doorway. "You're up early."

"It's Father's day in court," Prudence said before her father could reply. "Did you forget?"

"Oh, yes, sorry," Chast.i.ty said. "Good luck."

"I can't imagine why you would think luck is necessary," Lord Duncan stated. "It's an open-and-shut case. By the end of today, that disgraceful rag will be off the streets and out of business. You mark my words." He gave a decisive nod and strode off.

"Oh, G.o.d, I hope not," Chast.i.ty said, heaping kedgeree on her plate. "How are you feeling, Prue?"

"Sick as a dog," her sister confessed. "How can you eat, Chas? This morning of all mornings."

"To keep up my strength," Chast.i.ty said. "And you should eat something more than dry toast, Prue. You're the one who's going to need the most strength."

Prudence shook her head. "I can't eat a thing. Even tea makes me want to vomit." She pushed away her cup and plate. "I'll go and get ready to leave."

Chast.i.ty glanced at the clock. It was only seven-thirty. "We have an hour and a half before we have to be at Gideon's chambers."

Prudence merely shook her head and left the breakfast room. In her bedroom she examined her face in the mirror. Pale and wan was about the kindest thing that could be said for her complexion at present. Her eyes were heavy-lidded and black-shadowed. Even her hair seemed to have lost some of its vibrancy. Not that her physical appearance was in the least important at the moment. No one was going to get so much as a glimpse of it beneath the thick black-spotted veil.

Gideon, of course, would see her unveiled when they met this morning. But then, her appearance was no concern of his. His spa.r.s.e communications over the last two weeks had dealt only with the upcoming suit, and were implicitly addressed to all three of them. He never mentioned Harriet, or Sarah, or indeed anything personal. They had made the clean break she had asked for. She was heart-whole. Not hurt, not diminished in any way by that momentary flight of pa.s.sion.

It was not at all surprising that the strain of the last two weeks of waiting should show on her face, Prudence told herself. They had been looking over their shoulders for spies and detectives, suspecting every piece of mail that came into the house. They had ceased publication of The Mayfair Lady for the duration. She and Chast.i.ty had barely shown their faces outside the house, andConstancehad performed only those social duties that her position as Max's wife made necessary, even giving up her speaking engagements for the WSPU for these two weeks. They had sat for hours in the parlor, going over and over every detail of the case, antic.i.p.ating hostile questions, as the barrister had demonstrated, Prudence practicing her fake accent until her tongue felt so thick and huge it barely seemed to fit her mouth anymore.

The door opened behind her and she spun around, feeling for some reason rather self-conscious, as if caught in an embarra.s.sing activity...as if there was something odd about self-scrutiny. Chast.i.ty gave her a rather puzzled look. "Do you have any spare hairpins, Prue? I can't seem to find any and I need to fix this veil to my hat." She half lifted the black veil on her arm.

"Yes...yes, of course." Prudence rummaged through a drawer in her dresser. "I had a new pack in here somewhere."

"Father's just left," Chast.i.ty said.

"That's a bit early isn't it? The court doesn't even open until ten." Prudence found the pack of pins and handed them to her sister.

"I think he's as nervous as we are," Chast.i.ty said, tucking the pins into her skirt pocket. "I got the impression he'd rather walk around the square for an hour than hang around the house."

"I share the feeling," Prudence said. "Do you mind if we leave a little early? I'm going crazy just waiting."

"No, of course not. I'll be ready in ten minutes." Chast.i.ty whisked herself from the room and Prudence returned to her mirror, this time to put on her hat and try the effect of the veil for the umpteenth time.

They took a hackney to the Embankment and then walked up and down theTemplegardens, saying little to each other until it was time to meetConstance. It was a cloudy day, the river gray and sluggish, a sharp wind blowing the last remaining leaves from the trees. Prudence huddled into her coat, turning up the collar, but she still s.h.i.+vered.

"Are you nervous about seeing him?" Chast.i.ty asked suddenly.

Prudence didn't pretend not to know what she was talking about. "No, why should I be?"

"I don't know. I just thought you might be."

"He's our barrister, Chas. I'm only nervous that he won't succeed in defending us."

"Yes, of course," Chast.i.ty agreed. "Ah, here's Con." She gestured to where their sister was hurrying across the leaf-strewn, damp gra.s.s towards them.

"Am I late?"

"No, we were early. I couldn't stand to stay in the house another minute," Prudence said.

Constancelooked at her sister. "Are you ready for this, Prue?"

Prudence knew she was not referring to the court appearance. "You're as bad as Chas. Of course I am. Gideon is our barrister. Other than that, he's nothing more to me than the memory of a brief fling in Henley-on-Thamesthat I've had two weeks to get over. And I'm sure it's the same for him. Let's go."

Big Ben chimednine o'clockas they reached the street door to the barrister's chambers. They climbed the stairs in single file. The door at the top stood open and Thadeus was on his feet, clearly awaiting them, his eyes on the wall clock.

"Good morning, ladies." He bowed. "Sir Gideon is waiting for you."

But Gideon was already opening the door to the inner chamber. "Good morning," he said pleasantly. "Come in. Thadeus, bring coffee, will you?"

And Prudence knew that she was over nothing. The sound of his voice was all it took to bring memories surging to the surface. Unconsciously, she stiffened her shoulders and said neutrally, "Good morning, Gideon."

They filed past him and took the three seats awaiting them. Gideon went behind the table and took his seat, but not before he had given them all a swift, a.s.sessing glance. His gray gaze lingered for a minute longer on Prudence. She was aware of it and resisted the ridiculous urge to look away, instead forcing herself to meet his eye until he turned his attention to the papers on his desk.

He looked tired, she thought. Almost as tired as she felt.

Gideon thought that Prudence looked exhausted. He was weary himself, but she looked dead on her feet. The last two weeks had been the worst he could ever remember pa.s.sing, and not only because of the chaos Harriet's reappearance had wreaked on Sarah's equilibrium. Prudence had certainly been right on that score. Keeping himself away from Prudence had been one of the hardest things he had ever made himself do. But she had made her wishes clear. Instead he had thrown himself into the libel case, working longer hours on it than he would normally devote even to a case that would guarantee him a substantial fee. Prudence would not have an opportunity to question his professionalism again.

"Forgive me for saying so, Prudence, but you don't look very robust this morning," he observed.

"It's been a stressful two weeks," she said. "I haven't slept well. And to be brutally honest, I'm quite sick with nerves this morning, as you might imagine." There was faint accusation in the last statement. "That is only to be expected," he said so calmly, she once again had the urge to throw something at him. "Have you eaten this morning?"

"Not really," Chast.i.ty answered for her. "She ate barely a crumb of dry toast."

Prudence shot her sister an annoyed look. "So I have no appet.i.te. That's no one's business but my

own."

"Now, there I beg to differ," the barrister said. "If you faint in the witness box, it becomes mine."

"I will not faint," she retorted.

"Would you eat some toast and honey now?" he asked, his tone both conciliatory and sympathetic. A

tone, Prudence decided, carefully calculated to achieve his objective.

She sighed, unwilling to appear petulant. "I'm not hungry, but if you insist . . ."

"No, I don't insist. I merely advise," he said, rising from the table and going to the door to make the

request of Thadeus. He returned to his seat. "Now, let me explain what will happen this morning."

They listened as he gave them the order of business. Prudence was so absorbed that she had eaten most

of a piece of toast and honey before she realized it, and rather to her chagrined surprise, she did feel stronger and less queasy. Gideon wisely refrained from comment. "So, to sum up," he said. "Sir Samuel has notified us that he'll be calling The Mayfair Lady as a hostile witness. He's going to try to discredit the publication in the eyes of the jury before I get a chance to put on a defense. You can expect some very aggressive questioning, Prudence, but if he does any significant damage, I will have the opportunity to rectify it under my cross-examination."

Prudence, who was wondering what kind of damage he was antic.i.p.ating having to rectify, merely nodded. Gideon gave her an encouraging smile. "If I can damage Barclay's credibility sufficiently under my cross-examination, it's possible you might have a relatively easy ride."