“Certainly. Major Fisher would vote against almost any proposal I recommended to the board, and often came up with his own ideas, which he must have known could only damage the company.”

“But in the end, Major Fisher resigned.”

“If he hadn’t, I would have sacked him.”

Mr. Trelford frowned, not pleased that his client had come off-piste. Sir Edward smiled and made a note on the pad in front of him.

“I would now like to move on to the AGM held at the Colston Hall in Bristol, on the morning of August twenty-fourth, 1964. You were in the chair at the time, and—”

“Perhaps Mrs. Clifton can tell us in her own words, Mr. Trelford,” suggested the judge. “And not be continually prompted by you.”

“As you wish, my lady.”

“I had just presented the annual report,” said Emma, “which I felt had gone rather well, not least because I had been able to announce the date for the launch of our first luxury liner, the MV Buckingham.”

“And if I recall,” said Trelford, “the naming ceremony was to be performed by Her Majesty the Queen Mother—”

“Clever, Mr. Trelford, but don’t try my patience.”

“I apologize, my lady, I just thought—”

“I know exactly what you were thinking, Mr. Trelford. Now please let Mrs. Clifton be her own spokesman.”

“At the end of your speech,” said Trelford, turning back to his client, “you took questions from the floor?”

“Yes, I did.”

“And among those who asked a question was Lady Virginia Fenwick. As the outcome of this trial rests on that exchange, I will, with your permission, my lady, read out to the court the words spoken by Mrs. Clifton that are the cause of this trial. In reply to a question from Lady Virginia she said, ‘If it was your intention to bring the company down, Lady Virginia,… then you have failed, and failed lamentably, because you were defeated by decent ordinary people who want this company to be a success.’ Now that you hear those words again in the cold light of day, Mrs. Clifton, do you regret them?”

“Certainly not. They were nothing more than a statement of fact.”

“Then it was never your intention to defame Lady Virginia?”

“Far from it. I simply wanted the shareholders to know that Major Fisher, her representative on the board, had been buying and selling the company’s shares without informing me or any other of his colleagues.”

“Quite so. Thank you, Mrs. Clifton. No more questions, my lady.”

“Do you wish to cross-examine this witness, Sir Edward?” asked Mrs. Justice Lane, well aware of what his answer would be.

“I most certainly do, my lady,” said Sir Edward, rising slowly from his place and adjusting his ancient wig. He checked his first question before leaning back and giving the jury his most avuncular smile, in the hope that they would look upon him as a respected family friend from whom everyone seeks advice.