The sudden turn of questioning caught Joan by surprise. Enid could see it in the way she moved her head, as if a tennis ball had gone whizzing past her nose, missing it by a whisker. When she found her voice she said, “That is correct.”

Crowther said, “But you have a companion, a Miss Dansey.”

Enid was tempted to look along the line, but she didn’t. Why shouldn’t they use it? Crowther had said not to hold back. He’d said he’d seen families rip each other to shreds in these court rooms. He’d said they’d use everything too.

Joan said nothing. Crowther carried on. “I understand she is great pals with Mrs Nicholson and Mrs Trefusis.”

“Relevance,” shouted Lord Merrivale.

“Forgive me.” Crowther bent obsequiously to Lord Merrivale. “I am so easily side-tracked. I should have said that I understand she is great pals with women in general. Will she also be taking part in the raising of this special boy, should he be so fortunate as to be ripped from his mother?”

“My Lord!” Their man was on his feet.

“Get to the point, Crowther,” shouted Lord Merrivale.

“Newspapers are so scurrilous, are they not?” continued Crowther. “It must have been frightful to have been mentioned so – so often, and with such – innuendo. I have looked, but have failed to find any such – such scandalous material surrounding the friends of Miss Enid Campbell; friends you’ve done your best to imply are not of the sort to be anywhere near such a child as your nephew. Divorce, yes, that is unsavoury; a brief dalliance with unusual spiritual practices in a time of great upset – in the context we can all see how this may have come about – but can we be sure that a spinster aunt and her—” he coughed. “I’m so sorry. Might I have a glass of water? I seem to have something stuck in my throat.”

A clerk ran off while they waited. When he returned, glass of water in hand, Crowther drank it slowly. He put the empty glass down. “Forgive me. Where was I? Ah, yes, the relationship between you and Miss Dansey. Is the household of a spinster aunt, and her friend, one in which a young man can safely gain a proper understanding of the natural world?”

Enid never knew how the meaning of a word could be changed mid-sentence, but Crowther had done it; he’d leant on the word friend, as if he were doing Joan a favour, as if he were being nice. Joan looked faint. Crowther said, “May I get you a chair?”

“No.”

“Very well. Do you believe it is your right to have the child?”

“Yes.”

“As it is your right to be sole beneficiary of your mother’s estate?”

“Yes.”

“Despite the fact that had your brother lived it would have been his, and you and your sister left equally at his mercy?”