“I’m just a little puzzled, major, how a stockbroker based in Bristol becomes a professional advisor to a lady living in London, who must have access to any number of leading stockbrokers in the City. So perhaps I should ask how you first met.”

“Lady Virginia supported me when I first stood for Parliament as the Conservative candidate for Bristol Docklands.”

“And who was the Labour candidate at that election?”

“Sir Giles Barrington.”

“Lady Virginia’s ex-husband and Mrs. Clifton’s brother?”

“Yes.”

“So now we know why Lady Virginia chose you as her representative on the board.”

“What are you suggesting?” snapped Fisher.

“Quite simply, that if you had stood for Parliament in any other constituency, you would never have come across Lady Virginia.” Mr. Trelford looked at the jury while he waited for Fisher’s reply, because he was confident none would be forthcoming. “Now that we have established your relationship with the plaintiff, let us consider the value and importance of your professional advice. You will recall, major, that I earlier asked you if you advised Lady Virginia on her share portfolio, and you confirmed that you did.”

“That is correct.”

“Then perhaps you can tell the jury which shares, other than Barrington Shipping, you advised her ladyship on?” Again, Mr. Trelford waited patiently, before he spoke again. “I suspect the answer is none, and that her only interest in you was as an insider, to let her know what was going on at Barrington’s, so both of you could take advantage of any information to which you were privy as a board member.”

“That is an outrageous suggestion,” said Fisher, looking up at the judge. But she remained impassive.

“If that is the case, major, could you deny that on three separate occasions you advised Lady Virginia to sell her shares in Barrington’s—I have the dates, the times, and the amounts in front of me—and on each occasion, just a couple of days later the company announced some bad news.”

“That is what advisors are for, Mr. Trelford.”

“And then some three weeks after that you bought the shares back, which I would suggest was for two reasons. First, to make a quick profit, and second, to be sure that she retained her seven and a half percent of the company’s stock so you didn’t lose your place on the board. Otherwise you wouldn’t have been privy to any more inside information, would you?”

“That is a disgraceful slur on my professional reputation,” barked Fisher.

“Is it?” said Trelford, holding up a sheet of paper for everyone to see, before reading out the figures in front of him. “On the three transactions in question, Lady Virginia made profits of £17,400, £29,320, and £70,100 respectively.”

“It’s not a crime to make a profit for one’s client, Mr. Trelford.”