Swirling panic simmered. Had he gone about arguing this case all wrong? “What is that?”
“I have noted that English courts tend to look more favorably on testimony like mine when a male child is the victim, not the wife.”
Archie bristled. “Why is that?”
He shrugged. “Many feel the woman is exaggerating her claims, accusing her husband so she can end the marriage without substantive evidence.”
His blood simmered. “So unless there is an unimpeachable witness…”
“The court is unlikely to believe her.” The doctor steepled his long fingers. “But she has children, no?” When Archie nodded, he continued. “Is there a son old enough to corroborate her testimony?”
“There is.” Archie shifted in his seat. “But he’s a boy of twelve. Her ladyship was clear that he’s not to testify. Her sons cannot be part of this.”
“Is he the heir to the marquess’ title?”
“He is.”
“He could make a good case for the abuse, and the court may be more inclined to take notice of a peer of the realm.”
A weight pressed against his lungs, and he rubbed his sternum to relieve it.
Could he convince Marigold to allow Reggie to take the stand if she knew it was in her best interest? What if he didn’t tell her, waited until he had an inkling of how the judge was leaning andthen decide? The marquess may not even put up a defense, and the entire issue would be moot.
Dr. Brunner’s nostrils flared on his exhalation. “I assume Lady Croydon is testifying?”
“Yes,” he said, the tension building in his chest.
The man’s bushy brows knit together, but his spectacles stayed in place. “Are you concerned?”
Archie huffed a sigh. “To be frank, yes. I suspect her husband will make a case that she is not mentally fit and have her institutionalized.”
Dr. Brunner flattened his lips. “And you disagree with this assertion.”
“Completely. She is nervous by nature, and when agitated, her stutter is pronounced. I fear my opponent will attempt to provoke her and make her seem unreliable, or worse, insane.”
“He’d need doctors to corroborate his claim. Does he have those?”
“I don’t know.”I should know, he berated himself, wishing he’d been more assertive when he’d thought of this issue days ago.
“I hope you have a sympathetic judge, Mr. Grant. If her husband makes any argument for her mental instability, she can only do herself more harm than good by losing her composure.”
Archie pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes and exhaled sharply. “What would you advise I do?”
“I’m not a barrister.” He propped his chin on his steepled fingers. “But I’ll tell you what I wouldn’t do. If you care for her at all, you won’t let Lady Croydon on the stand.”
Chapter 28
Shehadn’tbeenatthe pitch for a quarter hour, and Marigold already regretted wearing this dress.
Her pale yellow Doucet day frock with purple embroidery was far too formal for a rugby match, but it made her look particularly fetching, and she hoped Archie would notice her in the crowd waiting for the match to begin.
She wanted him to know how special he was to her, even if she lacked the words to tell him.
Were she there alone, her only responsibility to cheer for the man she loved, her frock would still be pristine. But as it was, she’d been chasing Matthew up and down the pitch since they arrived, trying to prevent him from tackling the men four times his size as they played.
“But Mr. Grant is out there, and hewavedat me!” he insisted as she pulled him onto her side of the fence with the other spectators.
“He waved at me, too,” Reggie said, squinting as he watched the players as though ascertaining the most effective patterns for efficiency on the pitch.
