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“I ainia, so soon after the death of your friend and advisor Major Fisher No more questions, my lady”

If they had been alone together in charatulated his learned friend on a quite masterful cross-examination He opened his file to see the words Giles had advised, written at the top of the first page MAKE HER LOSE HER TEMPER He then looked down at his first question, newly minted

“Lady Virginia,” he said, e the word ?

?lady,” “you told the court of your admiration for Mrs Clifton, and your devotion to her brother Sir Giles Barrington, but despite that, you didn’t invite a single ton or Clifton fa to Sir Giles”

“That was a shared decision, Mr Trelford Giles felt every bit as strongly about it as I did”

“If that is the case, Lady Virginia, perhaps you could explain your father’s words at the ti, recorded in the Daily Express by Willia if Giles hadn’t agreed to her demands”

“Gossip column tittle-tattle, written to sell newspapers, Mr Trelford Frankly, I’m surprised you feel the need to resort to such tactics”

Sir Edward couldn’t resist a s

“And later, in your evidence,” said Trelford,swiftly on, “you went on to blame Mrs Clifton for your divorce”

“She can be a very deterinia, “as I’m sure you yourself have discovered”

“But surely your divorce had nothing to do with Mrs Clifton, but was rather caused by the quarrels you had with your husband about hi cut out of his mother’s will?”

“That is not true, Mr Trelford Giles’s inheritance never interested me I married him for richer, for poorer, and frankly, since you mention it, I was richer than he was”

This caused enough laughter in court for the judge to scowl ly down from her bench

“So it wasn’t you who insisted that Sir Giles should issue a writ against his own sister, disputing the validity of his mother’s will? That was another shared decision?”

“No, that was Giles’s decision I think I advised against it at the time”