Twenty-One Days (Daniel Pitt #1)(92)

Daniel studied Graves’ face. He did not seem in the least nervous. No one looking at him would see any tremor of fear, only a weariness at having his private grief examined yet again in front of strangers. Perhaps the jurors would sympathise with him.

‘And did you go through some form of marriage?’ Grisewood continued.

‘We had a ceremony. It was not a marriage. I was already married, as Ebony well knew. She was prepared to accept me, and the life I could offer her, in those circumstances. I admit, at first I was not willing to get involved in . . . a deceit. But she insisted, even after I had told her of the disadvantages. She said she would move to a place where Winifred was not known, and would not find us. I agreed, if that was what she wanted. She was . . .’ He bit his lips, as if momentarily embarrassed. ‘She was a beautiful woman then, and very . . . skilled in the arts of persuasion.’

‘Are you saying she seduced you, Mr Graves?’ Grisewood asked with as much innocence as he could contrive.

‘I suppose I am,’ Graves agreed.

‘So, you lived together for twenty years, and no one suspected?’

‘As far as I know, no one did.’

‘What changed, Mr Graves?’

‘I inherited a title, quite unexpectedly. It was not a direct ancestor, but someone on my mother’s side of the family. There were two deaths in a row, and the title passed laterally to me. With a considerable amount of both land and money.’

‘And Ebony was aware of this?’

‘Of course. I would not have kept such a thing secret from her.’

‘How did that change things? Why on earth would she want to run away from such good fortune? Was there some threat that your marriage arrangements would be exposed?’

‘None at all. But somehow or another Winifred found out, and she arrived to claim her place as my wife. She had fallen on harder times – and saw I was a famous man, about to have a title and even more wealth. I was worth much more to her, and she felt she had a right to her place.’

‘To be exact, to Ebony’s place,’ Grisewood countered with a smile.

‘Yes.’

‘Did you tell her she could not return now?’

‘I didn’t see her. She approached Ebony. I don’t know exactly what transpired, except that Winifred is dead, and Ebony is alive. I don’t know if she ever intended to tell me, but things went badly wrong, and she ran away to escape the results of her actions. I did not know at the time, obviously. I was in danger, quite wrongly, of being hanged for having killed Ebony, who is clearly alive. I never actually saw Winifred, and I certainly did not kill her. From the evidence of Falthorne, who used to be my butler, you know more than I did until now.’

Beside Daniel, Kitteridge let out his breath. ‘The bastard!’ he said bitterly.

Grisewood gave a slight bow, very slight, but it was a gesture the jury would not miss. It was as if Grisewood were acknowledging Graves as a gentleman, an equal for whom he had been able to perform a service.

Kitteridge nudged Daniel. ‘Do you want me to do this?’

‘No!’ Daniel took a breath. ‘No, thank you.’

‘Then don’t make me wish I had,’ Kitteridge said with a smile. ‘Nail the swine!’

Daniel rose to his feet. ‘I don’t need to introduce myself to you, Mr Graves. We know each other quite well. Mr Kitteridge had the responsibility of mounting the appeal after you were convicted of murder, and we found the proof that you were, in fact, not guilty. I dare say you remember me?’

There was a rustle of movement, and definitely of interest, around the room. The jury stared at Daniel with renewed attention, and even respect.

‘Indeed.’ Graves knew enough to be polite, whatever his actual emotion.

‘As you say, you did not know what happened in that bedroom, or that the body was that of your first wife – in fact, your only actual wife. I believe you. What I find more open to question is that the “arrangement” you reached with Ebony Cumberford was with her agreement, even more than your own. She says otherwise. In fact, she has a certificate of marriage which she believed to be valid.’ Daniel turned to the judge. ‘I submit it into evidence, my lord.’

It was duly passed up, and the judge regarded it. ‘If it is not, then it is a remarkably good forgery,’ he said unhappily.

‘Mrs . . . I mean . . . Miss Cumberford will swear that she believed it to be real, my lord,’ Daniel told him. Then he turned back to Graves. ‘Have you seen this document before?’

‘No,’ Graves said vehemently. ‘I always told Ebony that I was married, and not free to marry her. She was perfectly happy to live “in sin”, as they say. Until Winifred turned up and threatened to resume her place at my side, and accept her share of the inheritance.’ His face was perfectly calm, as if he could see nothing more than unimportant pretence in the matter.

‘And what would have happened to Ebony, in that case?’

‘She would have been exposed as a kept woman, I imagine.’ Graves smiled very slightly. ‘She had a certain laxity in morals, but I think that would have caused her considerable discomfort. The loss of position in society, at least.’

‘And the loss of a roof over her head, food on her table?’ Daniel added.

‘Yes, I imagine so.’