When she finished, he shook his head in amazement. “It’s akin to a tale appearing in a penny-dreadful.”
Personally, she’d always hated those sordid little magazines of sensational stories. They were nothing like the novels she read. “Sadly, this is real life,” she said.
“And your brother maintains his innocence?” Mr. Jaggers asked.
“Yes, of course,” Adelia said, “because he is.”
“And yet all evidence points otherwise. Wonderful!”
She was beginning to feel annoyed, but a look at Mr. Brassel, who shook his head upon seeing her irritation, quelled her.
Calming what might have come out as a rebuke, she said, “I fail to see anything wonderful about my brother residing in Newgate. It is dismal, filthy, and filled with desperation.”
“True. Moreover, it contains the innocent along with the guilty,” Mr. Jaggers reminded her, stopping his movements to finally stand again in front of her. “And the distinction often doesn’t come to light until too late, or never.”
Never!She shuddered. “Can you help my brother?”
He grinned, a wolfish smile showing excellent teeth. “I intend to. In fact, I am fairly salivating to approach the bar and address the bench on this case. When prosecution presents its evidence, I will whittle it away to nothing.”
“But how?” Adelia hoped he was not so full of bravado that he overreached his abilities.
“My lady, I apprenticed to the great barrister William Blackstone.”
Mr. Brassel burst out laughing, and Adelia didn’t know why. When quelled by a look from Mr. Jaggers, the solicitor stifled it, and the barrister continued.
“I studied Roman law and practiced Common law. I shall use my wits and my knowledge. ‘Integra Lex Aequi Custos Rectique Magistra Non Habet Affectus Sed Causas Gubernat.’”He looked to Mr. Brassel, his eyebrows raised.
“In translation,” Mr. Brassel offered, “‘Impartial justice, guardian of equity, mistress of the law, without fear or favor rules men’s causes aright.’ That is what it says on the wall here at Gray’s Inn. Our motto, if you will.”
“Precisely,” Mr. Jaggers agreed. “And that is what I always strive for. It will be an honor to speak to the bench on your brother’s behalf.”
“That is kind of you to say,” Adelia began.
He frowned. “No, dear lady. I mean it will be an honor for your brother to have me representing him.”
“Oh, I see.” She glanced at Mr. Brassel again, who gave her another encouraging nod, and she turned back to Mr. Jaggers. “And I profusely thank you,” she added.
“Very good. You must be off,” he said, flapping his arms, “and I must return to the case in which I am currently involved—and winning. We shall discuss my fee next time.”
He looked to his cohort. “Brassel, send me whatever statement the earl gave. If he has an alibi,et cetera,that would be helpful. Meanwhile, I shall prepare the defense with all due haste.”
He grabbed her hand again, bowed over it, and pushed her gently toward the door, followed by the solicitor.
Glancing behind her as it closed, she watched Mr. Jaggers disappear with a flap of his robes.
“Well!” she said. She had just met a force of nature, and that was without doubt.
As they strolled along “the Walks,” as the paths were called, toward her carriage, past ox-eye daisies, hollyhocks, and an impressive hornbeam hedge, she asked, “Why did you laugh when Mr. Jaggers offered me his credentials?”
“Oh dear! I shouldn’t have, should I? Only he said he’d apprenticed to Blackstone, who was, unquestionably, an inspiring lawyer, but he died last century, about 1780 or so.”
Puzzled, she had to ask, “Then, why would he say it?”
Mr. Brassel shrugged good-naturedly. “Because he could get away with it, knowing you would not know while sounding impressive all the same. More likely, he trained with Lord Brougham.”
“The former Lord High Chancellor?”
“The same. At least, I have heard that. Thus, I don’t mind him saying his fanciful tales when the truth is even more remarkable.”
