Read His Lordship Possessed for Free Online
Authors: Lynn Viehl
speechless, and stalked back to his seat. Th e
detector tugged at his guide until the clerk brought him
over to me and Clark.
Th e old man held out his hand but didn’t touch me.
He seemed to be fanning me as if he were afraid I’d faint.
“Remarkable. I can almost feel it.”
“Feel what?” Clark wanted to know.
“Nothing that is lost is gone forever, my dear,” the
detector said to me, but not in a kindly or reassuring
manner. He sounded so stern it almost seemed like a
reprimand for some wrong I had done.
I felt puzzled, but he had supported Fourth, so I tried
to be polite. “I will remember that, sir.”
“Yes.” His lips drew back from yellowed teeth in a
pained grimace. “I think you will.”
“If it pleases the court,” Fordun said, and barely waited
for Newton’s nod before he continued, “I believe from the
detector’s address of this defendant that she has somehow
tampered with his ability to carry out his duties. Indeed,
she may have bespelled him as well as her aid-solicitor
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LYNN VIEHL
before being brought before Your Honor.”
Th e detector chuckled and shook his head. “As she is,
she can bespell no one and nothing.”
“You were not asked to testify,” Fordun fl ared.
“Th ank you for your service, detector,” Newton said,
and gestured for the clerk to remove the old man. As
soon as he left, the magistrate clasped his hands and
regarded Fordun. “Barrister Fordun, in consideration of
your previous service to the Crown, I will not issue an
arrest warrant for you on charges of obstructing justice
and accepting bribes. However, I do intend to fi le a
lengthy and detailed complaint with your superiors. If
you have accepted some sort of remuneration for these
theatrics of yours today, I suggest you spend it at once, or hide it under your mattress evermore.”
Th e prosecutor paled. “You cannot suspect me of
wrongdoing, Your Honor. I am charged with enforcing
Her Majesty’s law.”
“Th en, sir, you have utterly failed the Crown today.”
Newton toyed with his gavel as he regarded me. “Miss
Kittredge, I would very much like to hear precisely why
you are really here in my court, but I daresay that once I
know the reason it will cause an equal amount of havoc
in my life.”
“Doubtless it would, Your Honor,” I agreed.
“Very well.” He glared at Fordun. “I fi nd that the
Crown has not fulfi lled its obligation of presenting
proper evidence or any lawful substantiation of the
charges against the defendant. Th e charges against Miss
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Disench anted & Co., Part 1
Kittredge are hereby vacated, and this case is dismissed.”
He slammed his gavel down once.
“You can stay the holidays at the farm,” Doyle said as he
tucked the riding blanket over my skirts. “Mum wouldn’t
let you leave before Christmas, and the snow usually cuts
off the roads up there until well into February anyway.”
“I’m not going to your parents,” I told him for the
third time. “I have to work—I have to fi nd a new offi ce—
and my home is here in the city.”
He didn’t start the motor. “Lord Walsh will be out for
blood now, Kit. He won’t rest until he’s driven you from
Rumsen, and that might well be in a gravecart.”
Snow was beginning to fall, so I pulled up my hood
and tugged on my gloves. “If that happens, Chief
Inspector, then I’m counting on you to send him to the
gallows.”
“Hang you , Kit.” He thumped the dash with his fi st.
“You’d rather lose your life than give up this damned
independence of yours?”
I saw a dark fi gure standing between the two court
buildings. Not a fl ake of snow marred his long black hair,
and not an ounce of pity softened his eyes. I thought he
might approach us, but he simply stood there watching.
“If I can’t live as I want,” I countered, looking away
from
detector tugged at his guide until the clerk brought him
over to me and Clark.
Th e old man held out his hand but didn’t touch me.
He seemed to be fanning me as if he were afraid I’d faint.
“Remarkable. I can almost feel it.”
“Feel what?” Clark wanted to know.
“Nothing that is lost is gone forever, my dear,” the
detector said to me, but not in a kindly or reassuring
manner. He sounded so stern it almost seemed like a
reprimand for some wrong I had done.
I felt puzzled, but he had supported Fourth, so I tried
to be polite. “I will remember that, sir.”
“Yes.” His lips drew back from yellowed teeth in a
pained grimace. “I think you will.”
“If it pleases the court,” Fordun said, and barely waited
for Newton’s nod before he continued, “I believe from the
detector’s address of this defendant that she has somehow
tampered with his ability to carry out his duties. Indeed,
she may have bespelled him as well as her aid-solicitor
37
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LYNN VIEHL
before being brought before Your Honor.”
Th e detector chuckled and shook his head. “As she is,
she can bespell no one and nothing.”
“You were not asked to testify,” Fordun fl ared.
“Th ank you for your service, detector,” Newton said,
and gestured for the clerk to remove the old man. As
soon as he left, the magistrate clasped his hands and
regarded Fordun. “Barrister Fordun, in consideration of
your previous service to the Crown, I will not issue an
arrest warrant for you on charges of obstructing justice
and accepting bribes. However, I do intend to fi le a
lengthy and detailed complaint with your superiors. If
you have accepted some sort of remuneration for these
theatrics of yours today, I suggest you spend it at once, or hide it under your mattress evermore.”
Th e prosecutor paled. “You cannot suspect me of
wrongdoing, Your Honor. I am charged with enforcing
Her Majesty’s law.”
“Th en, sir, you have utterly failed the Crown today.”
Newton toyed with his gavel as he regarded me. “Miss
Kittredge, I would very much like to hear precisely why
you are really here in my court, but I daresay that once I
know the reason it will cause an equal amount of havoc
in my life.”
“Doubtless it would, Your Honor,” I agreed.
“Very well.” He glared at Fordun. “I fi nd that the
Crown has not fulfi lled its obligation of presenting
proper evidence or any lawful substantiation of the
charges against the defendant. Th e charges against Miss
38
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Disench anted & Co., Part 1
Kittredge are hereby vacated, and this case is dismissed.”
He slammed his gavel down once.
“You can stay the holidays at the farm,” Doyle said as he
tucked the riding blanket over my skirts. “Mum wouldn’t
let you leave before Christmas, and the snow usually cuts
off the roads up there until well into February anyway.”
“I’m not going to your parents,” I told him for the
third time. “I have to work—I have to fi nd a new offi ce—
and my home is here in the city.”
He didn’t start the motor. “Lord Walsh will be out for
blood now, Kit. He won’t rest until he’s driven you from
Rumsen, and that might well be in a gravecart.”
Snow was beginning to fall, so I pulled up my hood
and tugged on my gloves. “If that happens, Chief
Inspector, then I’m counting on you to send him to the
gallows.”
“Hang you , Kit.” He thumped the dash with his fi st.
“You’d rather lose your life than give up this damned
independence of yours?”
I saw a dark fi gure standing between the two court
buildings. Not a fl ake of snow marred his long black hair,
and not an ounce of pity softened his eyes. I thought he
might approach us, but he simply stood there watching.
“If I can’t live as I want,” I countered, looking away
from