Act VI: Love Prevails

"All rise." It was cold and dim in the courtroom. The wind still drafted in every now and then from the storm, and the thunder shook with an intensity that knocked over a kerosene lamp every once in a while.

"Thomas Barker," the judged peered over at the scraggly, red-haired man. He was gaunt and sallow, his eyes bloodshot. "You have been charged with the murder of Lord Cadmus Crawford. How do you plead?" Barker glanced furtively at Eustace, who nodded curtly, then at the judge. "Not Guilty."

"Very well." Matthews went first, rattling off the story. Barker, supposedly not right in the head, challenged Crawford to a duel. Being a gentleman, he accepted, and Barker took advantage of the situation by shooting him in the heart. For proof, he showed the bullet used, and a testimony from a chambermaid who saw Barker come to the house.

"Defence?" Turpin walked up to the witness.

"Miss…"

"Mooney. Mrs."

"Mrs. Mooney, were you present at this duel?"

"No, course not. I had work to do."

"Was anyone present at the duel other than for Mr. Barker and the victim?"

She snorted, "How would I know. 'Snot skin off my nose."

"Very well, you may go now." And so she waddled away, muttering something about the amount of bloomin' cats wandering the streets.

"Gentlemen," he began, "I would like to show you the late Lord Crawford's financial records before he perished." He handed a massive stack of bills, and credit slips, most of which were stamped VOID. "Our dear friend here was in a great deal of debt. Probably would have been sent to prison any time before his fortunate demise. And, not only did he owe money to the Crown, but also to a great deal of unsavoury fellows (whom we will not mention), who would have come to collect soon. I would go as far to say that Mr. Barker here has been falsely accused for what we should consider a suicide, and with no other witnesses, the trail is meaningless."

"Objection!" screamed a voice from the crowd.

"Overruled!" screamed the judge as he slammed his gavel. "You are not allowed to object!"

"But, I was a witness to the duel." Everyone turned to look at the woman. She was small, and her clothing was worn and twice turned, but clean. Anyone could tell she was with child, the bump on her abdomen was impressive, but she had none of the glow of a mother-to-be. Her dark hair was ill kept, and her dark, feral eyes glared with a scorching intensity in no particular direction.

"Oh," the judge calmly asked, "and who are you?"

"Kitty…Barker," she replied with distain. There were murmurs throughout the court. The judge banged the gavel.

"Silent! Now, Turpin, why did you not mention this witness?"

"I was about to call her to the stand." He was going to have to think quickly to get out of this one, bribed jury or not.

"Now, Mrs. Barker," She winced. "How did you know the late Lord Crawford?"

"I loved 'im, and 'e loved me back. Seeing as 'e wos already tied down to a woman he couldn' stand, I could only be 'is mistress, but he said 'e'd marry me one day." She glared at Barker. "And this little whelp 'ere got jealous and killed 'im!" Everyone was silent.

"Mrs. Barker, you know that adultery is a sin, do you not?"

"It a sin to fall in love these days, innit it? To be treated like a lady every once in a while by a gentleman, and not by some clod who's not fit to lick my shoe? I tell you, sir, that man who I unfortunately call my 'usband promised me the moon on a string, and wot do I get? Nothing! I stayed at home an' did cleaning! Well, I'm not gonna waste my life, I take opportunity when I see it, an' when Caddy came, I loved 'im, and 'e loved me. An' there's nofin wrong wiv that!"

Eustace contemplated what to say next. "Did he ever tell you that he did love you? Did he say those exact words in a sentence? Tell me of an instance when it happened."

She glared at him for a minute, that huffed, "Well, 'e implied it."

"I thought a much. So, you loved him, and he abused your trust, but you were obsessed with him anyway, even to the point where you were willing to help him in his suicide in any means possible, even sacrificing your husband."

"No! That's not what I…"

"You may go now." She wailed, but the bailiff easily picked her up and escorted her out into the rain.