Anne Perry - Defend and Betray

“Tell whom? Who would have believed me? Who could I go to? A woman has no rights to her children, Mr. Rathbone. And no money. We belong to our husbands. We cannot even leave their houses without their permission, and he would never have given me that. Still less would he have allowed me to take my son.”

The judge banged his gavel and called for order.

Felicia's voice was shrill with rage and bitterness. “Or would you have had me murder him-like Alexandra? Is that what you approve of? Every woman who suffers a betrayal or an indignity at her husband's hands, or whose child is hurt, belittled or humiliated by his father, should murder him?”

She leaned over the rail towards him, her voice strident, her face twisted. “Believe me, there are a lot of other cruelties. My husband was gentle with his son, spent time with him, never beat him or sent him to bed without food. He gave him a fine education and started him on a great career. He had the love and respect of the world. Would you have me forfeit all that by making a wild, vile accusation no one would have believed anyway? Or end up in the dock-and on the rope's end-like her?”

“Was there nothing in between, Mrs. Carlyon?” Rathbone said very softly. “No more moderate course-nothing between condoning the abuse and murder?”

She stood silent, gray-faced and suddenly very old.

“Thank you,” he said with a bleak smile, a baring of the teeth.”That was my own conclusion too. Mr. Lovat-Smith?”

There was a sigh around the room, a long expelling of breath.

The jury looked exhausted.

Lovat-Smith stood up slowly, as if he were now too tired to have any purpose in continuing. He walked over to the witness box, regarding Felicia long and carefully, then lowered his eyes.

“I have nothing to ask this witness, my lord.”

“You are excused, Mrs. Carlyon,” the judge said coldly. He opened his mouth as if to add something, then changed his mind.

Felicia came down the steps clumsily, like an old woman, and walked away towards the doors, followed by a silent and total condemnation.

The judge looked at Rathbone.

“Have you any further evidence to call, Mr. Rathbone?”

“I would like to recall Cassian Carlyon, my lord, if you please?”

“Is it necessary, Mr. Rathbone? You have proved your point.”

“Not all of it, my lord. This child was abused by his father, and his grandfather, and by one other. I believe we must know who that other man was as well.”

“If you can discover that, Mr. Rathbone, please do so. But I shall prevent you the moment you cause the child unnecessary distress. Do I make myself plain?”

“Yes, my lord, quite plain.”

Cassian was recalled, small and pale, but again entirely composed.

Rathbone stepped forward.

“Cassian-your grandmother has just given evidence which makes it quite clear that your grandfather also abused you in the same manner. We do not need to ask you to testify on that point. However there was one other man, and we need to know who he is.”

“No sir, I cannot tell you.”

“I understand your reasons.” Rathbone fished in his pocket and brought out an elegant quill knife with a black-enameled handle. He held it up. “Do you have a quill knife, something like this?”

Cassian stared at it, a pink flush staining his cheeks.

Hester glanced up at the gallery and saw Peverell look puzzled, but no more.

“Remember the importance of the truth,” Rathbone warned. “Do you have such a knife?”

“Yes sir,” Cassian answered uncertainly.

“And perhaps a watch fob? A gold one, with the scales of justice on it?”

Cassian swallowed. “Yes sir.”

Rathbone pulled out a silk handkerchief from his pocket also.

“And a silk handkerchief too?”

Cassian was very pale. “Yes sir.”

“Where did you get them, Cassian?”

“I…”He shut his eyes, blinking hard.

“May I help you? Did your uncle Peverell Erskine give them to you?”

Peverell rose to his feet, and Damaris pulled him back so violently he lost his balance.

Cassian said nothing.

“He did-didn't he?” Rathbone insisted. “And did he make you promise not to tell anyone?”

Still Cassian said nothing, but the tears brimmed over his eyes and rolled down his cheeks.

“Cassian-is he the other man who made love to you?”

There was a gasp from the gallery.

“No!” Cassian's voice was high and desperate, shrill with pain. “No! No, he isn't. I took those things! I stole them- because-because I wanted them.”

In the dock Alexandra sobbed, and the wardress beside her held her shoulder with sudden, awkward gentleness.

“Because they are pretty?” Rathbone said with disbelief.

“No. No.” Cassian's voice was still hard with anguish. “Because he was kind to me,” Cassian cried. “He was the only one-who-who didn't do that to me. He was just-just my friend! I…” He sobbed helplessly.”He was my friend.”

“Oh?” Rathbone affected disbelief still, although his own voice was harsh with pain. “Then if it was not Peverell Erskine, who was it? Tell me and I will believe you!”

“Dr. Hargrave!” Cassian sobbed, crumpling up and sliding down into the box in uncontrolled weeping at last. “Dr. Hargrave! He did! He did it! I hate him! He did it! Don't let him go on! Don't let him! Uncle Pev, make them stop!”

There was a bellow of rage from the gallery. Two men seized Hargrave and held him before the bailiff could even move.

Rathbone strode over to the witness box and up the steps to help the child to his feet and put his arms around him. He half carried him out, and met Peverell Erskine down from the gallery and forcing his way past the bailiff and marching over the space in front of the lawyers' benches.

“Take him, and for God's sake look after him,” Rathbone said passionately.

Peverell lifted the boy up and carried him out past the bailiffs and the crowd, Damaris at his heels. The door closed behind them to a great sigh from the crowd. Then immediately utter stillness fell again.

Rathbone turned to the judge.

“That is my case, my lord.”

The clock went unregarded. No one cared what time it was, morning, luncheon or afternoon. No one was moving from their seats.

“Of course people must not take the life of another human being,” Rathbone said as he rose to make his last plea, “no matter what the injury or the injustice. And yet what else was this poor woman to do? She has seen the pattern perpetuate itself in her fether-in-law, her husband-and now her son. She could not endure it. The law, society-we-have given her no alternative but to allow it to continue down the generations in neverending humiliation and suffering-or to take the law into her own hands.” He spoke not only to the jury, but to the judge as well, his voice thick with the certainty of his plea.

“She pleaded with her husband to stop. She begged him- and he disregarded her. Perhaps he could not help himself. Who knows? But you have seen how many people's lives have been ruined by this-this abomination: an appetite exercised with utter disregard for others.”

He stared in front of him, looking at their pale, intent faces.

“She did not do it lightly. She agonized-she has nightmares that border on the visions of hell. She will never cease to pay within herself for her act. She fears the damnation of God for it, but she will suffer that to save her beloved child from the torment of his innocence now-and the shame and despair, the guilt and terror of an adulthood like his father's- destroying his own life, and that of his future children-down the generations till God knows when!

“Ask yourselves, gentlemen, what would you have her do? Take the easier course, like her mother-in-law? Is that what you admire? Let it go on, and on, and on? Protect herself, and live a comfortable life, because the man also had good qualities? God almighty…”He stopped, controlling himself with difficulty. “Let the next generation suffer as she does? Or find the courage and make the abominable sacrifice of herself, and end it now?