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“Now, I need you to remember the way you delivered those words, Mrs Clifton, because that’s exactly hoant the jury to think of you when they are considering their verdict”

“I’ forward to this,” admitted Emma

“Then perhaps itthe action”

“Why would I do that?”

“To avoid a high-profile trial with all the attendant publicity, and to get back to your normal life”

“But that would be adht”

“Your statement would be worded carefully—‘the heat of the moment, possibly a little injudicious at the tiies’”

“And the financial implications?”

“You would have to pay her costs, my fees, and a small donation to the charity of her choice”

“Believe inia would see it as a sign of weakness and would be even o ahead with the action She doesn’t want the case to go away quietly, she wants to be vindicated in court, as well as in the press, preferably with headlines that will humiliate me, day after day”

“Possibly, but it would be Sir Edward’s professional responsibility also to put the alternative to her: that if she loses the case, she will end up paying your costs as well as his, and, I assure you, there’s nothing cheap about Sir Edward Makepeace”

“She’ll ignore his advice Virginia doesn’t believe it’s possible she ht lose, and I can prove it” Mr Trelford sat back and listened carefully to what his client had to say When she had finished, he believed for the first tiht have a chance

31

SEBASTIAN GOT OUT of the car and handed the doorman his keys and a pound note As he walked up the steps to the entrance of the Clermont, the door was opened for him and he parted with a second

“Are you abehind the front desk