Chapter 21

"Oliver, there is a trial at the court tomorrow, I am obliged to attend and thought perhaps, as an interesting experience, you might want to join me. It would enhance your studies." Mr Brownlow opened up the evening conversation. They had just retired from the dining table to the drawing room wherein they had individually taken up their preferred seats and picked up, but hadn't started, their various evening activities.

Oliver looked up at his Uncle and frowned. What made him think he wanted to attend a trial? He had traumatic memories of the last time he had attended a trial and been the offender in the box that he could barely see over the top of. Not something he wanted to remind himself.

"It's a Mr…Jack Dawkins on trial for murder. Should be interesting a murder trial hasn't come up recently." Mr Brownlow referred to his newspaper for the name and so didn't see Alice nearly fall off her seat at the shock. Here was her chance.

"Uncle, can I join you as well?" Alice said as calmly and collectively as she could despite her heart beating double time and her temperature rising with worry.

"Well, it isn't usually a place for ladies…Alice; I don't think you would…" Mr Brownlow started phased by the enquiry.

"But can I? It's not like I don't know what to expect! Please…" Alice rushed her words; she was desperate for her uncle to agree.

"Well… ok then if you insist, then you can come. It'll be our first proper outing together." Mr Brownlow agreed, uncertain of his niece's eagerness.

"Thank-you, Uncle." Alice replied sincerely.

Only Oliver knew how truly thankful Alice was on Mr Brownlow's agreement. Even so he wasn't entirely sure of her actions. There was an odd moment were both Uncle and brother attempted to decipher their female companion's intentions, for different reasons of course, but still the uncanny resemblance in their thinking poses shone clearly through.

Mr Brownlow broke the silence announcing he had left his newspaper in his study and duly getting up to retrieve it, taking his thoughts with him. With his Uncle out of the room, Oliver got up from his seat and moved closer to Alice.

"What are you planning?" He asked.

"Nothing…yet, Oliver, don't you worry though I will." Alice replied clearly not reading the warning tone of her brother's question.

Oliver frowned. He wasn't at all keen on the idea of attending Jack's trial, nor Alice attending it either. She would no doubt be upset by the event and knowing how strong her feelings were for Jack, Oliver was in no doubt that Alice would be inclined to make a scene if things turned to the worst. If she wanted to keep the relationship secret it was best she didn't go.

"Oliver, I'm gonna have an early night, will yer tell Uncle I said goodnight?" Alice said penetrating his thoughts. He nodded and Alice left the room.

The only way I can get around this is if I come clean, Alice thought, it is just a manner in which I do it that I need to plan. Walking upstairs to bed, Alice slept on the notion and had hatched a plan by midnight.

The next morning Alice woke later than usual, having had an unrestful night with her emotions all over the place. As she drifted out of bed and chose a dress from the wardrobe she could feel the nerves creeping through. She had decided what she was going to do to try her upmost to save Jack, but it involved a big risk which could work in favour or without favour she just didn't know until it happened. She was relying on to many things for it to work and it scared her to think that her plan may possibly fail.

Tap, tap, tap.

"Come in Oliver!" Alice called recognising the knock.

Oliver duly came into the room.

"Uncle said that you'd better hurry up or he'll leave you behind." Oliver parroted.

Alice sighed, trying to do up the back of her dress with even more speed than before.

"Oliver, could you help me do up my dress?" Alice asked figuring there was no point her struggling when there was some there who could do it with so much less effort. Oliver answered by moving forward and beginning to fasten the buttons of Alice's dress. Alice was forced to breathe in, she could feel the dress was stretching to its limits and knew that her stomach was growing even more each day. Sometimes she could feel the baby moving inside her, small movements that reminded her of her situation.

"Oh!" Alice exclaimed.

Oliver jumped, what was wrong? Had he pulled to tight?

"Oliver, come here, the baby's kicking, look…put your hand here."

Oliver placed his hand on Alice's stomach and felt the strange sensation of the baby's tiny meek kick. A grin formed on both their faces, the experience new and exciting, the thought of the tiny child growing and a new life being brought into the family filled them with glee. For a moment. Until reality returned and their Uncle's voice reminded them that they had a court trial to attend and Alice had to muster up as much confidence as she could in order to do her best to give Jack a fair trial.

"Oliver I think we best go." Alice said wisely. Oliver nodded and together they headed down the stairs.

Oliver and Alice sat either side of their great uncle, in the court room. Mr Brownlow was rapt with interested in the goings on of the court trial. Which suited his niece and nephew who often found themselves exchanging worrying glances as the charge against Jack Dawkins was read out to the room.

Oliver watched nervously as Alice kept taking deep breaths, closing her eyes for long periods at a time and then finally reopening them. He hoped this wouldn't cause her to be ill. He knew that they both wished this could have been just a dream, a nightmare, which they would wake from and find all was fine. Alas this was not true.

"Is there any more witness' from the defendant?" The Judge's booming voice echoed through Alice's head. The man who had been prejudice in his defending tactics opened his mouth to say 'No' while his head already shaking and standing up so as to been seen.

Alice closed her eyes once again.

"Yes!"

Opening her eyes Alice realised it was her own voice that had spoken. The whole court was staring at her. Mr Brownlow was trying to comprehend what ever had his niece to do with this criminal on trial for murder. He tried to pull her down but she shook him off. This was it now, there was no going back.

"You may come down to the stand madam." The Judge told her after communicating with the other officials and jury.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Alice made her way out of the row and down the aisle. She used the time to calm herself down. Having grown up in a criminal pick pocketing gang she had learnt to fear the court and its consequences should you mess up on the job and get caught doing so. All this fear was rising to the surface as she edged closer to the stand, the one place she never thought she would be going willingly. Alice looked up at Jack understanding the emotional turmoil he must be going through just simply standing there as he was directed by the official. She could see Jack's eyes were fixed on her; they were wide with fright and welling up with warm salty tears which he was trying desperately to hold back. The Artful Dodger didn't cry.

Taking confidence in the fact that only herself could possibly notice how hard Jack was trying not to let his emotions get the better of him, Alice put her mind in focus, determined to not let Jack down now after she had come this far. She reached the witness stand and in a daze found herself ushered into it and a bible thrust under her nose. She stared quizzically at if for a moment until she was promptly told to place her hand upon it and repeat the oath that the official would state out loud for her. With a little extra assistance for which hand she was supposed to have on the bible and which she was to have risen in the air so as to prove she had not been previously convicted of any crime. Once she was told this detail it was easily worked out that it was the left that rested on the bible and the right in the air. Her hand tingled as she recalled people had used to have their right hands branded with the appropriate letters according to their crime, although the form of punishment had been abolished eighteen years before she was born, it still made her shiver with the idea and be glad it was no longer a possibility. She uttered the oath that was read out to her; although her mind was in such a state she barely understood what she was saying.

As quick as a flash the bible was whisked away and the Judge began his official questioning.

"Now, could you tell the court your name please."

"Alice." She replied wondering why everyone was paused as if expecting more and then remembered she was supposed to give a surname. There were so many different options she could use a surname she panicked. For now she knew who her mother was should she not be using a proper family name? but then again she only knew her mother's maiden name, not her father's name and it should legally be his. She wondered briefly whether she should use 'Brownlow' considering her great uncle was now her legal guardian but she figured it would be best to leave him out of the situation for it would only dampen his reputation further.

"Twist." She added impulsively choosing her brother's given surname, concluding it was the most logical thing to do in the situation.

"And you are how old?"

"Fifteen years." Alice replied after quickly counting on her fingers.

"And you know the accused?"

Alice nodded and was promptly told she was to answer with speech to all questions given to her. Then she articulated her action with a quick 'yes'.

"And how long have you known the accused?"

Alice frowned trying her best to calculate the amount of years she had known Jack. She wished they would use his name opposed to always referring to him as 'the accused' it would have been nice to have some respect for the person whom they were trying. Mathematics had never been an easy topic for her, especially since her education had been practically non-existence. It would take her too long before she could correctly figure out the right number.

"Since I was six, I'm sorry I ain't good at numbers." She answered deciding that it was easier to leave the adding up to the educated officials around her. There was a pause as they did just that and then when the scribe looked up and confirmed he had written in the correct amount of years the court continued.

"Would you tell the court, in your own words, what happened in the alleyway adjourning Market Street and Mamon Street, on the night of the 20th of November, year of our Lord 1863?"

"I wasn't there and neither was Jack." Alice stated boldly finally sure on something.

"If you and Mr Dawkins were not in the alleyway that night, then pray tell the court were in fact you were."

Before replying Alice glanced at Jack, she felt she needed his approval to announce their private goings on. From this moment on she was ruining her own reputation and his although she hoped that this sacrifice would be worth Jack's life. Yet Jack couldn't bear to look at her. He knew what she was doing and although admiring and loving her for attempting this risky affair but he wished she hadn't. If he didn't come out of this alive, she had abandoned her reputation and her life would from hereon be a complete nightmare.

"I was in my room. Jack threw the pebble at my window to announce his arrival. I went downstairs and let him in, then we returned to my room. We stayed there till the early hours of the morning which Jack then snuck back down the stairs and let himself out."

"You make this sound as though it was commonplace, did this happen often?" huh so he had picked up on that had he?

"Yes, sir, it would happen quite regularly."

"Then could it be possible that the night you are describing to us and the night of the 20th be completely different nights?"

"No, sir I could never had mistaken that night."

"So what made that night so memorable that it stands out from the rest of these 'meetings'?"

The bloke had a question for every single answer, didn't he! Alice gulped realising her answer to this particular question would further taint her name and her Great Uncle's opinion of her would decrease dramatically after what she had to say to this. She looked again to Jack, respecting the fact that it would just as much ruin his name as hers and that he should have some sort of say in whether or not it was to publicly broadcast. His eyes where filled with guilt and shame and he knew that there was no other way but to say it. If she didn't her whole statement would be pointless without the sufficient evidence to back it up. Jack let a tear roll down his check. Nodded and turned his head away.

Hope you enjoyed, it gets more exciting after this! Please review!