The law was on his side today, but he had plenty of strikes against him. His Irish accent tended to come on strong when he was nervous. The opposing counsel was Eugene Alden Fletcher, a Harvard-educated attorney who spoke with the clipped accent that upper-crust New Englanders had mastered generations ago.

The bailiff entered the courtroom. It was a good thing he had a hefty build that could stand up to a little rough-and-tumble, because it might get rowdy soon.

“All rise!” the bailiff intoned, and the crowd stood.

Judge Rothwell entered the room, his black robes swaying as he mounted the steps to the raised dais holding the judge’s desk. He tapped his gavel and bid the crowd to sit.

Patrick took a seat beside Mick and his publisher at the defendant’s table. The judge wasted no time in starting the proceedings.

“In the case of Blackstone vs. Carstairs Publishing, we are deciding if the plaintiffs have sufficient cause to prevent the publication of the defendant’s memoir. The burden of proof lies with the Blackstones, and it is a high bar. Freedom of speech is one of this country’s most cherished liberties. The plaintiffs are thereby required to prove serious and libelous intent in the memoir.”

A low murmur rose up from Mick’s crowd, but a single tap of Judge Rothwell’s gavel caused it to fade. The rules of the court required an expert to testify on the plaintiff’s behalf, and Oscar Blackstone had been chosen to explain the damage the memoir could cause the Blackstone Bank. He had a tough, battle-scarred appearance as he limped toward the witness stand. He leaned heavily on a cane and wore an eyepatch, all mementos of the hostility directed at the Blackstones.

The plaintiff’s attorney made the most of his client’s injuries. “Are you able to see me, sir?”

Oscar gave a curt nod. “As well as any one-eyed man can see.”

“How is it you came to have only one eye?”

Patrick stood. “Objection. Former crimes against the Blackstone family have no bearing on the case today.”

“Sustained,” the judge said. “Please proceed, Mr. Fletcher.”

The Blackstone attorney asked several questions regarding the importance of a bank’s reputation in conducting business, and Oscar easily answered them. Mind-numbing testimony about financial details dragged on for over an hour as the witness outlined how his bank forged alliances to fund large-scale corporations. The nation’s other largest bank, controlled by J.P. Morgan, would partner with the Blackstones to finance the creation of U.S. Steel, and that alliance could falter if the reputation of the Blackstones took a severe hit.