Cat O'Nine Tales and Other Stories - Jeffrey Archer [51]
As each hour passed, Fiona’s demands expanded. After all, Mrs. Abbot explained, hadn’t her client given up a rewarding and happy lifestyle in America, which included a thriving family business—something I’d never heard mentioned before—to devote herself to her husband? Only to discover that he rarely arrived home in the evening before eight, and then only after he’d been out with his friends to play squash, and when he eventually turned up—Mrs. Abbott paused—drunk, he didn’t want to eat the meal she had spent hours preparing for him—she paused again—and when they later went to bed, he quickly fell into a drunken slumber. I rose from my place in the gallery to protest, only to be told by an usher to sit down or I would be asked to leave the court. Carol tugged firmly on my jacket.
Finally, Mrs. Abbot reached the end of her demands, with the suggestion that her client should be given their home in the country (Aunt Muriel’s), while Bob would be allowed to keep his London apartment; she should have the villa in Cannes (Aunt Muriel’s), while he kept his rooms at Harley Street (rented). Mrs. Abbott finally turned her attention to Aunt Muriel’s art collection, which she also felt should be divided equally; her client should have the Monet, while he kept the Manguin. She should have the Picasso, he the Pasmore, she the Bacon, etc. When Mrs. Abbott finally sat down, Mrs. Justice Butler suggested that perhaps they should take a break for lunch.
During a lunch, not eaten, Mr. Dexter, Carol and I tried valiantly to convince Bob that he should fight back. But he wouldn’t hear of it.
‘If I can hold on to everything I had before my aunt died,” Bob insisted, “that will be quite enough for me.”
Mr. Dexter felt certain he could do far better than that, but Bob showed little interest in putting up a fight.
“Just get it over with,” he instructed. “Try not to forget who’s paying her costs.”
When we returned to the courtroom at two o’clock that afternoon, the judge turned her attention to Bob’s solicitor.
“And what do you have to say about all this, Mr. Dexter?” asked Mrs. Justice Butler.
“We are happy to go along with the division of my client’s assets as suggested by Mrs. Abbott,” he replied with an exaggerated sigh.
“You’re happy to go along with Mrs. Abbott’s recommendations, Mr. Dexter?” repeated the judge in disbelief.
Once again Mr. Dexter looked at Bob, who simply nodded, like a dog on the back shelf of a car.
“So be it,” said Mrs. Justice Butler, unable to mask her surprise.
She was just about to pass judgment, when Fiona broke down and burst into tears. She leaned across and whispered into Mrs. Abbott’s ear.
“Mrs. Abbott,” said Mrs. Justice Butler, ignoring the plaintiff’s sobs, “am I to sanction this agreement?”
“It seems not,” said Mrs. Abbott, rising from her place and looking somewhat embarrassed. “It appears that my client still feels that such a settlement favors the defendant.”
“Does she indeed?” said Mrs. Justice Butler and turned to face Fiona. Mrs. Abbott touched her client on the shoulder and whispered in her ear. Fiona immediately rose, and kept her head bowed while the judge spoke.
“Mrs. Radford,” she began, looking down at Fiona, “am I to understand that you are no longer happy with the settlement your solicitor has secured for you?”
Fiona nodded demurely.
“Then may I suggest a solution, that I hope will bring this case to a speedy conclusion.” Fiona looked up and smiled sweetly at the judge, while Bob sank lower into his seat.
“Perhaps it would be easier, Mrs. Radford, if you were to draw up two lists for the court’s consideration, that you believe to be a fair and equitable division of your husbands assets?”
“I’d be happy to do that, your honor,” said Fiona meekly.
“Does this meet with your approval, Mr. Dexter?” asked Mrs. Justice Butler, turning back to Bob’s solicitor.
“Yes, m’lady,” said Mr. Dexter, trying not to sound exasperated.
“Can I take it that those are your client’s instructions?”
Mr. Dexter glanced down at Bob, who didn’t even bother to offer an opinion.
“And Mrs. Abbott,