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While Richard was praising John Baret for his handling of the bishop, John was on his way to the alne John had agreed to accompany Harald to the Dorchester assizes and had asked to see the evidence Alice was gathering to refute the Knowles' case
The old als crammed on a small block Alice occupied the smallest It here she had her infirmary and kept her records On that cold winter's day, John and his two companions squeezed up the narrow stairs to her room He found a place to sit with Elizabeth Harald renes were a tall fas of huh for theap between two bealasses from their pouch and peered at the documents laid out for his inspection While he was occupied, Alice provided a brief summary for Elizabeth's benefit
'You will recall that the Gascoigne's insisted on a special clause in the e contract It stipulated that no child of Judith's should inherit if it were born out of wedlock'
'And, the Knowles claim that Williaer brother, Guy If they are to be believed, fourteen-year-old Guy and fifteen-year-old Judith were lovers'
'Can they substantiate that?'
'They have titnesses One is their nephew, Henry Knowles The other is Catherine de Lambert, a relative of mine'
'Can we refute them?'
'I think we can' Alice produced a strip of parchment 'This is a certified copy of an entry in the baptisister of Saint Paul's Chapel on the Knowles' estate It is dated three days before Christn of Henry the Fifth, and records the baptism of an infant The names of the parents clearly identify the child as Henry Knowles There is evenHenry and his victory at Agincourt'
She handed the document to Harald who placed it in a leather folder
'The baptismal record shows Henry was six or seven when Harald's foredly told him she lost her maidenhead to Guy The jurors will be asked to believe that a fifteen-year-old girl would soe such an intimate secret to a seven-year-old boy'
Alice produced another strip of parchment
'This refers to the baptism of Catherine de Lambert Unfortunately, it shows that she was born in the same year as Judith'