‘Good idea. By the time Emma is presented to the House in October, her new colleagues will think she’s already spent a decade in the Lords.’
‘And there’s another thing we ought to discuss now you have so much more time on your hands,’ said Karin as she placed a plate of stew on the table in front of him.
‘You’re quite right, my darling,’ said Giles, picking up his knife and fork. ‘But don’t let’s just talk about it this time, let’s do something.’
Lord Goodman heaved himself up from behind his desk as his secretary entered the office accompanied by a prospective client.
‘What a pleasure to meet you at last, Mrs Grant,’ the distinguished lawyer said as they shook hands. ‘Do have a seat,’ he added, ushering her to a comfortable chair.
‘Is it correct that you were the Prime Minister’s lawyer?’ asked Ellie May, once she was seated.
‘Yes, I was,’ said Goodman. ‘I now only serve Mr Wilson in a private capacity.’
‘And have you found time to read the letter and enclosures I sent you recently?’ Ellie May asked, well aware that small talk would be charged at the same rate as legal opinion.
‘Every word,’ said Goodman, tapping a file on the table in front of him. ‘I only wish your husband had sought my advice at the time of this unfortunate incident. Had he done so, I would have recommended that he call the lady’s bluff.’
‘There would be far less need for lawyers, Lord Goodman, if we were all blessed with hindsight. But despite that, is it your opinion that Lady Virginia has a case to answer?’
‘Most emphatically she does, madam. That is, assuming Mr and Mrs Morton will agree to sign an affidavit confirming that the Hon. Freddie Fenwick is their offspring, and that Lady Virginia was aware of that at the time of the child’s birth.’
‘Just put the necessary document in front of them, Lord Goodman, and they will sign. And once they’ve done so, can Cyrus claim back the full amount he’s paid out to that charlatan over the years?’
‘Every red cent, plus any interest or other charges set by the court, along with my fees, of course.’
‘So your advice would be to sue the bitch?’ Ellie May asked, leaning forward.
‘With one proviso,’ said Goodman, raising an eyebrow.
‘Lawyers always come up with a proviso just in case they end up losing. So let’s hear it.’
‘There wouldn’t be much point in suing Lady Virginia for such a large sum if she has no assets of any real value. One newspaper,’ he said, opening a thick file, ‘is claiming she’s withdrawing young Freddie from his prep school because she can no longer afford the fees.’
‘But she owns a house in Onslow Square, I’m reliably informed, and has half a dozen staff to run it.’
‘Had,’ said Goodman. ‘Lady Virginia sold the house some months ago and sacked all the staff.’ He opened another file and checked some press cuttings before passing them across to his client.
Once Ellie May had finished reading them, she asked, ‘Does this alter your opinion?’
‘No, but to start with, I would recommend we send Lady Virginia a without prejudice letter, requesting that she pay back the full amount, and give her thirty days to respond. I find it hard to believe she won’t want to make some sort of settlement rather than be declared bankrupt and even face the possibility of being arrested for fraud.’
‘And if she doesn’t . . . because I have a feeling she won’t,’ said Ellie May.
‘You will have to decide whether or not to issue a writ, with the strong possibility that not one penny will be recovered, in which case you will still have to pay your own legal costs, which will not be insubstantial.’ Goodman paused before adding, ‘On balance, I would advise caution. Of course, the decision is yours. But as I have pointed out, Mrs Grant, that could end up costing you a great deal of money, with no guarantee of any return.’
‘If that bitch ends up bankrupt, humiliated and having to face a spell in prison, it will have been worth every penny.’
Harry and Emma joined Giles and Karin for a fortnight at Mulgelrie Castle, their maternal grandfather’s family home in Scotland, and whenever the phone rang, it was almost always for Emma, and when red boxes arrived, Giles had to get used to not opening them.
Her brother was able to advise the fledgling minister on how to deal with civil servants who seemed to have forgotten she was on holiday, and political journalists who were desperate for an August story while the House wasn’t sitting. And whenever they took a stroll on the grouse moors together, Giles answered all his sister’s myriad questions, sharing with her his years of experience as a minister in the Lords, so that by the time she returned to London, Emma felt she hadn’t so much had a holiday as attended several advanced seminars on government.
After Emma and Harry had departed, Giles and Karin stayed on for another couple of weeks. Giles had something else he needed to do before he attended the party conference in Brighton.