Now, as the courtroom filled up, he kissed Lily on the cheek as she went up to the table. He felt the change in her mood. Having everyone's support made such a difference—especially the support of Marisa and Judy. He glanced at the two women, sitting between him and Sam, in the row directly behind Lily, and wondered what kind of man could do so much to destroy such wonderful spirits.

If there was one thing that made this moment almost pleasurable, it was seeing Edward Hunter squirm across the courtroom, at the plaintiff's table. He was still whispering insistently to his lawyer. The elderly lawyer's face was lined and gaunt, and he had a haunted, worried look.

Just then a marshal banged the gavel.

“Family Court of the State of Connecticut is in order, the Honorable Martha D. Porter presiding. Please be seated.” The judge was in her mid-fifties, tall and slender, with frosted brown hair and a very slight tan. She gazed out over her courtroom with dark, wise eyes that had perhaps seen more than their share of pathos.

“Judge Porter is a woman?” he heard Bay whisper.

“Excellent,” Tara whispered back.

“Hearing arguments in the matter of Hunter versus Malone,” the court clerk read. “Motion to compel—”

“Excuse me,” Lindsey Grant Winship said, rising from her seat. “If I may, Your Honor, I would like to address a matter of pressing urgency.”

“Yes, Ms. Winship . . . you're attorney for the defense?”

“Yes, Your Honor. Until this moment, I have represented Lily Malone and the minor child Rose Malone in the aforestated action. However, I must recuse myself, due to conflict of interests.”

Lily's gasp was horrible to hear.

Across the courtroom, Edward was alert and on guard. His lawyer whispered something, explaining what was happening, and a slow smile began to seep across Edward's face like molasses—it touched only the surface, didn't come from deep inside, as if there were no deep insides to come from. He was responding to the sound of pain. Liam saw, and felt revulsion.

Lily's face was a mask of confusion and anguish as Lindsey marshaled her papers and faced the judge. Lindsey leaned over, hand on Lily's shoulder, whispered something into her ear.

“Your Honor,” Edward's lawyer said, “this is highly irregular, and I must object. To leave Ms. Malone without legal counsel at this moment is unacceptable. My client has waited nine years to meet his daughter.”

Rebecca, Judy Houghton's lawyer, snorted and let out a wildly exuberant laugh.

“Judge Porter,” Lindsey Winship said, “I wish to offer these affidavits and court orders in support of my new client. As you can see, there's already been a judgment entered in this matter, with a rather serious problem in terms of compliance. May I approach?”

“Yes,” the judge said, and Lindsey stepped forward to lay one document on the clerk's table and another on the plaintiff's—directly in front of Edward.