Don Gutteridge - Minor Corruption

“No. He seemed surprised, but wecouldn’t see his eyes. He just kind of held her for a moment,perhaps to stop her from tippin’ over. Then he went back to hispretend business.”

“So whatever did happen, the result wasimproper, wouldn’t you say? A mature gentleman is running his handsup and down a sixteen-year-old’s female figure in a sort of obscenepantomime and the next thing you know, he’s got both hands on herhaunches – ”

“Milord!” Marc had sprung to his feet, eyesblazing.

“Mr. Cambridge, that’s quite enough of that.The jury will ignore those latter remarks.”

Not only had the jury heard the remarks,Cambridge had left the dramatic raising of his voice until the verylast minute of the morning’s testimony. And it was doublyeffective. Now, rebuked, he spoke in a very soft, almost seductivetone as he said to Beth, “Tell us, Mrs. Edwards, how you felt asyou observed this incident. Not what you thought later, but whatfeeling ran through you as you witnessed these sexualintimacies.”

Beth dropped her head, looking down and wellaway from Marc as she spoke the truth: “I felt a kind of revulsion,like I was about to be sick to my stomach.”

Marc did his best to undo the damage that Beth’stestimony had wrought. All he could do was have her describe thejoy the children found in Uncle Seamus’s antics and his obviouspleasure in it. He had her describe the old man’s gentlemanlydemeanour upon their arrival and his courtesy on their leaving whenhe had fetched Beth’s shawl in the butler’s momentary absence. Bethlooked shaken – surprised perhaps by her own sudden candour – butshe kept her composure, as was her wont in trying circumstances.Thankfully, the court broke for the noon recess.

In the chambers of Baldwin House the morningsession was mulled over by Marc, Robert, Hincks and Dr. Baldwin.Beth joined Brodie and Diana Ramsay for luncheon, and planned tosit with them behind Marc in the afternoon session.

“Well,” Hincks began, “Neville Cambridge hastaken the Tory gloves off for this one.”

“In his sly sort of way,” Robert said.

“Imagine, calling those two old farts you hadthe misfortune to invite to Spadina last August,” Hincks said. “Butyour cross was brilliant, Marc.”

“Thank you. But having my Beth come on rightafter didn’t help, did it?”

“Cambridge knew you couldn’t bring yourselfto make your own wife look foolish or mistaken.”

“Yes,” Dr. Baldwin agreed. “And you werewise, Marc, not to go directly at her evidence. At least the juryleft with images of happiness and courtesy in their heads.”

“We’re just getting started,” Marc said. “Wehaven’t even got close to the rape charge.”

“You’ll have to excuse me,” Dr. Baldwin said.“They’re holding Seamus in a cell next door to the court. They’rebeing very solicitous, but I must go to him soon.”

The room went silent as the full weight ofthe situation struck each man, and none more than Marc Edwards.

***

The Crown surprised everyone but Marc in callingAuleen Thurgood to the stand. Marc had a pretty good idea why shehad been included, and it was not to corroborate her husband’stestimony, for she was more likely to muddy it and blunt the effectit had already had.

“Mrs. Thurgood, when Constable Cobb came tointerview you after the inquest into your daughter’s death severalweeks ago, he asked to look over your daughter’s room, did henot?”

Auleen twisted a cotton hanky in her fingersand answered in a tiny, strained voice, “Yes, sir, he did. And Isaid he could.”

“Milord, on that occasion Constable Cobbfound a note in the girl’s room that pertains directly to thiscase. I’d like to enter it as exhibit A along with the constable’ssigned attestation as to the circumstances in which it wasfound.”

“So done,” said Mr. Justice Gavin Powell.

“Now, Mrs. Thurgood,” Cambridge said in atone as smooth as summer molasses, “would you kindly read the notealoud and then tell me in whose hand it has been penned.”

In her shaky voice, Auleen read the note tothe court:

Dear Uncle:

Thank you for the five pound note. It’s a

lifesaver and you are an angel. I love you.

XOXOX

Betsy

P.S. See you soon at Spadina.

At the phrase “I love you” she let out a small sob,paused, gathered her strength, and finished reading.

“In whose hand was this written, Mrs.Thurgood?” Cambridge prompted.

“My Betsy’s. I’d know it anywheres.”

There was an audible intake of breath amongthe jurors, and elsewhere.

“Now let’s see if you can tell me to whom itwas intended to be sent, but alas never was.”

“That’s clear, ain’t it?” Auleen said,letting the tears flow through her words. “Mr. Seamus Baldwin -”

“Milord!”

“The jury will ignore that remark,” the judgesaid.

“It is addressed to ‘uncle,’ is it not?”Cambridge said gently, as if he were quizzing a shy schoolgirl.

“Yes, it is.”

“Does Betsy have an uncle?”

“She did, but they all died.”

“To what does the word ‘Spadina’ refer?”

“To the Baldwins’ big house, Spadina.”

“And is there someone up there commonlycalled ‘uncle’ by those who know him?”

“There is. That’s what she called Mr. SeamusBaldwin: ‘Uncle Seamus’.”

All eyes turned up to the dock. Uncle Seamuswas slumped in the arms of the bailiff’s deputy, apparently unawareof the discussion of his nickname.

“So we may assume that this is a noteaddressed to that gentleman, the defendant?”

“That is for the jury to assume or not, Mr.Cambridge,” the judge said.

“Indeed, sir. My apologies. Now, Mrs.Thurgood, the letter thanks the so-called ‘uncle’ at Spadina forlending Betsy five pounds. Did you know about thistransaction?”

“No, sir, we did not. And if we had, we’d’vebeen very cross with Betsy and – ” She stopped to dab her eyes withthe well-wrung hanky.

“So this was a secret transaction?”

Marc wanted to interrupt, but there waslittle use. Cambridge was going to get his way on the thank-younote. And gain a lot of ground in the process.

“Did you in recent weeks, madam, ever see afive-pound note in your home?”

“Yes, we did. Burton and me saw one waved atus by Mrs. Trigger when she come out of Betsy’s room after stickin’her with a rusty needle!” Auleen’s voice, in rising with emotion,cracked and broke.

Cambridge nodded in sympathy and, slyly, leftwell enough alone. That the jury would see the appropriateconnections between Uncle Seamus, the banknote, its purpose and itsreappearance was almost certain. He moved elsewhere.

“‘I love you,’ Betsy says here. Did you knowthat your fifteen-year-old daughter was in love with asixty-year-old gentleman?”

Marc winced again. Cambridge’s cunning wasimpressive.

“’Course not! We’d’ve put a stop to it if wehad! We thought she’d be safe up at Spadina. Dr. Baldwin’s such afine, religious gentleman, we never dreamed – ”

“I understand, madam, perfectly. Thank youfor answering my questions under such difficult circumstances.”

It was Marc’s turn. Again he was facing awitness who had won over the jury and had got them believing thatUncle Seamus had financed an abortion for a minor he may or may nothave raped but certainly and subsequently had seduced into lovinghim.

“Mrs. Thurgood, in your experience, doyoungsters ever use the word ‘love’ in ways we don’t think of as‘romantic’?”

Auleen was puzzled by the question and alittle fearful of what was to come, but managed to reply, “I guessthey do.”