Cat O'Nine Tales and Other Stories - Jeffrey Archer [50]
During the next few weeks, Bob and I returned to the squash court regularly, and I started beating him for the first time. He would then join Carol and me for dinner afterward. We tried to steer clear of any talk about Fiona. However, he did let slip that she was refusing to leave the stage gracefully, even after he had offered her half of Aunt Muriel’s bequest.
As the weeks turned into months, Bob began losing weight and his golden locks were turning prematurely gray. Fiona, on the other hand, seemed to go from strength to strength, taking each new hurdle like a seasoned thoroughbred. When it came to tactics, Fiona clearly understood the long game, but then she had the advantage of having experienced three away victories, and was clearly looking forward to a fourth.
It must have been about a year later that Fiona finally agreed to a settlement. All of Bob’s assets were to be divided equally between them, while he would also cover her legal costs. A date was set for a formal signing in chambers. I agreed to act as a witness and give Bob, as Carol described it, much-needed moral support.
I never even took the top off my pen because Fiona burst into tears long before Mrs. Abbott had read out the terms, declaring that she was being cruelly treated and Bob was causing her to have a nervous breakdown. She then flounced out of the office without another word. I must confess that I had never seen Fiona looking less nervous. Even Mrs. Abbott couldn’t hide her exasperation.
Harry Dexter, whom Bob had selected as his solicitor, warned him that this was likely to end up in a lengthy and expensive courtroom battle if he couldn’t agree to a settlement. Mr. Dexter added, for good measure, that judges often instruct the defending party to shoulder the injured party’s costs. Bob shrugged his shoulders, not even bothering to respond.
Once both sides had accepted that an out-of-court settlement could not be reached, a day was fixed in the judge’s calendar for a hearing.
Mr. Dexter was determined to counter Fiona’s outrageous demands with equally fierce resistance, and to begin with Bob went along with all his recommendations. But with each new demand from the other side, Bob’s resolve began to weaken until, like a punch-drunk boxer, he was ready to throw in the towel. He became more and more depressed as the day of the hearing drew nearer, and even began saying, “Why don’t I just give her everything because that’s the only way she’ll ever be satisfied?” Carol and I tried to lift his spirits, but with little success, and even Mr. Dexter was finding it harder and harder to convince his client to hang in there.
We both assured Bob that we would be in court to support him on the day of the hearing.
Carol and I took our places in the gallery of court number three, matrimonial division, on the last Thursday in June, and waited for proceedings to begin. By ten to ten the court officials began to drift in and take their places. A few minutes later Mrs. Abbott arrived, with Fiona by her side. I stared down at the plaintiff, who was wearing no jewelry and a black suit that would have been more appropriate for a funeral—Bob’s.
A moment later Mr. Dexter appeared with Bob in his wake. They took their places at a table on the other side of the courtroom.
As ten o’clock struck, my worst fears were realized. The judge entered the courtroom—a woman who immediately brought back memories of my old school matron—a martinet who didn’t believe that the punishment should fit the crime. The judge took her place on the bench and smiled down at Mrs. Abbott. They’d probably been at university together. Mrs. Abbott rose from her place and returned the judge’s smile. She then proceeded to do battle for every jot and tittle in Bob’s possession, even arguing over who should end up with his college cufflinks, saying that it had been agreed that all Mr. Radford’s assets should be divided equally, so that if he had one cufflink, her client must be entitled to