“And I put it to you, Judge, that if it is, then Mrs. Lowell shall be forced to pay compensation. As you may be aware, Judge, Mr. Lowell has already offered to settle his wife’s debt out of court, but the Duke of Tremaine has declined. Indeed, he is specifically asking for the hospital and her ownership in the rejuvenation center she recently opened.” Mr. Steadford glanced at Viola for a second before addressing Atkins again. “Do you honestly believe either business would be well served under someone else’s direction?”
Atkins frowned. “I see the point you are trying to make.”
“Then let me remind you, Judge, that you have the power to deny the Duke of Tremaine’s request. You can insist that he take the money Mr. Lowell is willing to give him instead, should Mrs. Lowell lose.”
“Mr. Steadford,” Atkins ground out, “I will consider your proposal if it becomes necessary for me to do so. In the meantime I think the best way forward would be for me to examine the evidence put before me. Can you prove to me that His Grace, the Fifth Duke of Tremaine had all his wits about him at the end of his life? Can you offer any compelling evidence to suggest that Mrs. Lowell did not persuade him into changing his will at the final hour so she could profit?”
Viola cringed and glanced around the room. It was full of people who’d come to see this debacle play out, many of whom were now watching her with critical eyes.
“I have witnesses,” Steadford said. “Servants in the duke’s employ who will testify to Mrs. Lowell’s kindness. They will tell you that Mrs. Lowell genuinely cared for the duke and that she nursed him herself toward the end. They will also inform you that she and the Sixth Duke of Tremaine appeared to be friends until he married and left the country.”
“Supposition has no relevance here,” Atkins said. “As we all know, appearances can be misleading, which is why I insist on fact. Have you any, Mr. Steadford?”
The barrister called his first witness, Peter’s valet, Mr. Weston. He was followed by Findlay and later by Mrs. Haroldson, the housekeeper. All attested to Viola’s impeccable character and her loyalty toward Peter as he lay dying.
“Well, of course she sat at his bedside,” Mr. Hayes said when Atkins allowed him to speak again. “She stood to earn twenty-three thousand pounds from doing so! People have been known to do a great deal more for less than that.”
“I have to agree,” Atkins said.
Viola’s insides twisted and pulled. A shiver stole across her shoulders and breathing became more difficult than ever before.
“Remember,” Henry whispered close to her ear, “no matter what happens, we have each other. We’ll get through this, Viola. Fear not.”
She closed her eyes and allowed Henry’s words to soothe her.
“I find the notes made by Tremaine’s physician more telling than any other evidence brought before me,” Atkins said. “Whether or not Mrs. Lowell was fond of the duke has no bearing on the fact that he altered his will at a time when his mind was in rapid decline. As noted, he had started forgetting names, roused the household in the middle of the night for a game of charades, came down for breakfast one morning in only his nightshirt... These are not the actions of a rational man, and I must therefore conclude that bestowing his entire fortune on Mrs. Lowell wasn’t either.”
Viola squeezed her eyes shut. If only she could fill her ears with cotton as well so she did not have to hear what the judge said next.
“By order of this court, the Fifth Duke of Tremaine’s will shall revert back to the previous version. If this names the Sixth Duke of Tremaine as his father’s sole heir, then Mrs. Lowell shall pay compensation by signing over St. Agatha’s hospital and her shares in the rejuvenation center to the Duke of Tremaine. That is all. I rest this case.”
A bang punctuated Atkins’s final word, causing Viola to flinch. The gavel had fallen and with it, everything she’d worked so hard to accomplish was gone. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see Robert looking her way. He smirked and offered a bow before striding out of the room with Hayes by his side.
“Did that really just happen?” Viola asked.
“I’m so sorry,” Henry told her. “Atkins is clearly on Robert’s side or he would have forced him to accept a payment from me on your behalf.”
She said nothing in response as he helped her rise. Words failed her. It was like being held forcibly underwater, unable to think as her body resigned itself to drowning. When Henry’s family took their leave along with the Huntleys and Coventrys, she could only nod her thanks and watch them walk away. Robert had won and she had lost. Dear God. He’d taken what she’d feared losing the most – St. Agatha’s.
“Are you having regrets?”
Viola blinked. “What?” She was in the carriage with Henry but could not recall climbing in or taking off. She glanced out the window and recognized a building. They must have been driving for at least five minutes.
“Marrying me did not have the added benefit I had hoped for, Viola. I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “No. I have no regrets about that. Marrying you is the only good thing to come from all this.”
The edge of his mouth lifted. “I’m glad you think so.” He pulled her against him and pressed a tender kiss to the top of her head. “You are certainly the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
“Will you help me forget this day, Henry?” She tipped her chin up and met his gaze.
Dark brown eyes heated with understanding. “When we get home, we’ll lock ourselves away for the rest of the day,” he promised while sliding his hand over her thigh. “I’ll tend to you in ways that will rid your mind completely of this morning’s events.” He kissed the side of her neck and whispered against her skin, “All you will know is pleasure.”
She arched against him with a throaty moan of approval. He had the skill to do as he promised and she could not wait for him to proceed.
Chapter 26
The first thing Henry did when they returned home was help Mr. Andrews prepare a bath for Viola. He’d sensed the tension tightening her muscles since she’d woken up that morning, and it had gotten visibly worse during the hearing. She needed to relax, so he helped her bathe and then asked his cook to prepare some food.
