Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty – Two

Celeste was waiting up for Ebony in her bedchamber. She was wearing a fine, borrowed, white nightgown and held in her hand a silver handled brush. Ebony smiled. She was glad Celeste still remembered their old routine.

Ebony took the brush from Celeste’s hand and began brushing her hair softly, combing out any tangles. “You were very well behaved tonight, Celeste. I’m so proud of you.”

Celeste giggled. “Did you see how they all ate? With all those forks? It was like magic!” Her statement was innocent but it made Ebony think of how she’d been eating for the past two years. She was very ill when Henry found her, so eating scraps with her fingers was what she was used to. She’d been taught table manners by the ever patient Catherine but eating dinner at a house like Ethridge would take time to perfect.

Ebony began to fix Celeste’s long hair in a French braid. “I know.” She laughed lightly. “How do you like your new friends?” she asked, hoping to hear a little about the boy who was so entranced by her.

“I’ve never met anyone my height before,” Celeste replied. Ebony knew she had when she was a toddler but she wouldn’t remember their life in Suffolk. London was a new beginning for them both. “What’s courting?” she asked suddenly.

Ebony was a little taken aback. “Pardon?”

“Courting,” Celeste repeated.

“Courting is where a man and a woman who care about each other decide to go on outings together before they get married,” Ebony explained.

“Oh,” Celeste realised. “Will said when I turn sixteen that he will ask to court me.” From her tone Ebony could tell Celeste still had no idea what courting and marriage entailed, and so she shouldn’t. She needed to be a little girl for a lot longer. She’d been robbed of those years so now she needed to live them.

“Is Emilia the Queen of England? I like her. She’s lovely. She should be Queen,” Celeste continued, changing the subject abruptly.

“No, Victoria is our monarch,” Ebony corrected. “But I agree with you – Emilia is one of the kindest women I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. Do you have a ribbon?” she asked as she reached the end of the braid. Celeste handed her the blue ribbon that had been in her hair for the evening. Ebony tied it as tightly as she could and then tapped her on the shoulders with her hands. “All done,” she announced. “Now, time to sleep.” She helped Celeste to get underneath the covers and then kissed her on the forehead.

Her innocent blue eyes looked up at Ebony and smiled, revealing her sweet little grin that housed a few gaps now that her little teeth had begun falling out. “I’ve missed you, Ebbie,” she said sincerely. Her eyelids fluttered as she realised how tired she was. “You always take care of me.”

Ebony smiled, shaking her head at the wonders of a child’s mind. If only she could be like Celeste a little more. Henry saw diamonds in lost causes but Celeste saw diamonds everywhere. She would be a very sweet and amiable young lady when she came of age. “And I always will,” she promised. Ebony settled down beside Celeste and pulled the duvet up to her chin. Closing her eyes, she let sleep take over her mind.

The week passed in the blink of an eye. Ebony was dreading it but the morning of the trial arrived quicker than ever.

Emilia dressed her in a plain, high-necked navy gown. Emilia said a more conservative dress was appropriate for a courtroom and a case such as this. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun and none of her flyaway curls were allowed to hand loose.

She looked dressed for a funeral. Her funeral. Now that was appropriate.

Emilia, Sebastian and Henry and James were escorting Ebony to the court. James and Henry had since found out that they would both be called as witnesses as well. She had no idea who else from the opera had come forth with their accusations, but she hoped they all were brave enough to.

Alice would be caring for Celeste while they were out. She would be taking her own children and Celeste with her to the orphanage that she frequently worked at. Celeste would have the opportunity to make even more friends, and she wouldn’t even notice the fact that Ebony was absent, which was exactly what she wanted.

She hadn’t said much in the past few days. The knowledge of what she had to do was always on her mind and the questions she would be asked kept her awake. She couldn’t be comforted, she just wanted it to be over. What frightened her most was to see the cold depths of Vernon’s grey eyes once more. He would watch her as she spoke, mentally degrading her. She would have to find the strength to speak, and by God she would.

She felt numb as they all entered the carriage. Emilia was dressed similarly to her except she’d donned a dark bonnet. Henry, James and Sebastian wore simple dark suits and all looked ready for business. Both Sebastian and Henry were familiar with the legal system – though they weren’t criminal solicitors, they knew the procedures.

“Just remember,” Emilia said quietly to her. “You’re not the one on trial. You’re the victim. Just tell your story.”

Ebony didn’t respond. She was just remembering, remembering everything she’d forced herself to forget. It turned out she hadn’t forgotten it.

The courtroom was a room filled with dark brown, wooden features. The pews, the chairs and tables, the judge’s bench, the walls, everything was dark timber. There were not many people present. There were a few officials wearing black robes and white wigs. A lone woman sat in the front row and Ebony recognised her immediately. She was Vernon’s aunt. The one that had assisted in their captivity. She could remember their conversation as if it were yesterday.

Vernon had dragged both Ellen and Ebony inside Mrs Shaw’s small London home. They had been beaten until they were unconscious and they were both too weak to protest.

Ebony remembered the alarm on Mrs Shaw’s face when she saw the two girls in their state.

“My God!” she had exclaimed. “Vernon, what happened? You need to get them to a doctor.”

Vernon had laughed. “No, Aunty, these two are thieves. They stole from me and I need you to keep them here. Where is your cellar? I’ll return for them soon.”

“They stole?” Mrs Shaw had repeated, her tone indicating them of her disgust. She’d believed Vernon immediately. “In there,” she directed. “Under the rug.”

Mrs Shaw noticed Ebony’s presence immediately. Her expression was unreadable. She could tell if Mrs Shaw felt guilty or not. She should. They held eye contact for a few moments before Mrs Shaw looked forward again.

“Let’s sit here,” Sebastian suggested, taking the family and Ebony into the front row opposite to Mrs Shaw.

Slowly more people began to gather into the courtroom. She recognised some from her days in the opera and others she didn’t. Perhaps he’d tried to ruin the lives of others elsewhere as well.

And then finally the familiar face of Ellen Winterberry appeared in the courtroom. She was dressed conservatively with her red hair braided and fixed in a bun. Her eyes found Ebony instantly and she made her way over to her, shooting a nasty look at Mrs Shaw while she was at it.

Ebony received her friend with a tight hug. If anyone knew how Ebony felt, it was Ellen. Though Vernon had never welcomed himself into her bed, he’d imposed himself on her abusively many times.

“How are you?” Ellen asked Ebony quietly once they’d parted.

“Sick,” Ebony whispered.

“Me as well,” Ellen agreed.

“Where have you journeyed from?” Ebony asked, wanting to discuss something else for a few moments.

“Barcelona,” she replied. “It’s such an incredible place, Ebony. I wish you could be there with us.”

Ebony merely smiled. “Next time you are in London, please tell me. I’ll organise an audition. I do want to work with you again.”

“Everyone celebrates your talents, there won’t be any need for an audition,” Ellen informed her happily.

At that moment the doors opened to the side of the courtroom and four police officers escorted Vernon inside. Ebony stopped breathing. He wore a black suit and he was neatly groomed, yet thick shackles bound his hands together. His grey eyes surveyed the room and they landed on Ebony. He flashed her a sinister smile and then continued to the bench in which he sat with his own legal counsel. Another door opened and the jury filed in and took their seats.

“They will have just been sworn in,” Henry informed her in her ear. “And they will deliver the verdict.”

Minutes later they all had to stand as Judge Reginald Anderson entered the courtroom and took his seat at the bench. He was wearing quite regal red and black robes with a white wig that was similar to that of the solicitors that were standing before him.

Both the prosecution and defence started off the case with opening statements – the prosecution informing the jury of Vernon’s disgusting nature and the defence claiming his innocence, informing them that the charges against such a respected businessman were the ploys of people trying to get to his money.

Henry hissed under his breath at that.

Ebony sat in her seat twisting and pulling at her handkerchief nervously as she watched several of her former colleagues be questioned and cross examined by both sets of solicitors. She’d been sitting in the courtroom for over seven hours by the time her name was called. She was the last witness to be called. James and Henry had confirmed the story of Henry’s stabbing and the extraordinary measures taken in order to save his life. Ellen had been asked about her son and her experience in captivity as had several others under Vernon’s employ.

“The prosecution calls Miss Ebony Elizabeth Seaver to the witness stand,” the solicitor for the prosecution said formally.

Henry nodded at her encouragingly as she stood and was ushered through the low gate and brought up to the witness stand beside the judge. Sitting elevated meant she could see everyone. Vernon was staring at her, he was smiling or insinuating anything, just watching her. She hated him.

A man, who was not a solicitor, held out a bible to her. She knew the drill. She’d been watching it for the past four house. She placed her hand on top of the bible.

“Repeat after me,” he instructed. “I swear by Almighty God that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

“I swear by Almighty God that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” Ebony promised. The truth would be leaving her. That was for sure.

The man removed the bible and left her side.

The solicitor for the prosecution rose from his seat and walked confidently into the small square of space between the audience and the judge’s bench. “Miss Seaver,” he began. “You were under the employ of this man, Mr Vernon Shaw, were you not?”

“I was.” Ebony nodded. Though employment meant that she was getting paid which she was not.

“And for how long were you in his employ?” he continued.

“Two years,” she responded.

“Right, and in those two years you were beaten, raped and forced into submission.” It was not a question but he was correct.

“I was,” Ebony replied quietly, nodding her head. Her eyes dropped to the small ledge in front of her as the shame filled her.

“Objection!” Vernon’s solicitor exclaimed. “The prosecution asked no question. The prosecution is leading the witness.”

Ebony looked up then and caught a sly smile on Vernon’s lips. Was he really so confident that he could get out of this alive?

Judge Anderson nodded. “Overruled,” he snapped. “Sit down. Continue,” he said to the prosecutor.

Vernon’s solicitor reluctantly sat down beside Vernon.

“As I was saying,” the prosecutor continued. “In those two years you worked for Mr Shaw, you can confirm you were assaulted, exploited and used for Mr Shaw’s sadistic sexual fantasies?”

Ebony could feel the tears in her eyes as she shakily said “Yes.”

“In order to give his honour, Judge Anderson and our jury an idea of this, let us paint them a picture, Miss Seaver.” The prosecutor had an air of arrogance about him. Over-confidence. He wanted to win, that Ebony appreciated, but she didn’t think he truly understood Ebony’s predicament. “In an average week, how many time would Mr Shaw have violated you?”

“If he could, he would do it every day,” Ebony managed to say. “Sometimes twice.”

Her statement caused several murmurs amongst the jury and the spectators alike. She daren’t look at Vernon, so instead she looked at Henry. He looked like he was trying to remain calm. When he caught her looking at him though, he stopped. He kept her eyes, he kept her focus and gave her a nod of encouragement.

“Objection!” Vernon’s solicitor exclaimed again. “Where is the evidence supporting this?”

“Sustained,” the Judge agreed. “Only corroborative evidence is useful in this courtroom.”

“Miss Seaver’s testimony is corroborated, Your Honour, in the sworn statement taken by the Metropolitan Police by Miss Ellen Winterberry.” He held his hand out to his colleague and was handed a piece of paper. He began to read from it. “‘At some point nearly every day, Vernon would force himself upon Ebony and then I would have to comfort her afterwards. Heal her wounds and try to heal her soul.’ Statement taken by Detective Inspector Arthur Richards, in April, eighteen hundred and forty.” He handed the statement back to his colleague. “Tell me what happened in April, Miss Seaver. In your own words. You experience please.”

Henry had told Ebony that they might ask her to tell her story rather than ask questions regarding her statement. It was a prosecutor’s task to invoke the sympathies of the jury. Then it was the defence’s job to the pull her story to pieces.

“In April,” Ebony began. She took a deep breath. “Mr Shaw discovered me with a letter. We weren’t allowed mail. At least I wasn’t. He liked to control everything about us. But he discovered me with a letter and then he immediately punished me.”

“And how did he punish you?” the prosecutor asked.

“He … he pulled me by hair and then he punched me several times in my stomach and face. He did this until Ellen came into my dressing room and tried to pull him away from me, telling him that she was the one that the letter was addressed to.” That day she was sure Vernon was going to go one step further with his violence. She was sure she was going to be killed.

“And who wrote you the letter?”

“It was from Lady Ethridge, informing me that my sister was safe from Vernon’s brothel.”

“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Mr Shaw was keeping Miss Seaver’s sister in a brothel as a way of keeping control over her. Tell us, Miss Seaver, just how old is your sister?”

“Eight,” she replied. “She’s only eight.”

“What kind of monster keeps an eight year old in a brothel?” He asked the question of the jury. He was excellent at controlling the courtroom, Ebony had to give him that.

“Objection!” Vernon’s solicitor called again. He looked annoyed, he obviously couldn’t think of something to object to.

“Overruled,” the judge immediately said and he sat back down. “Get to the point,” he instructed of the prosecutor.

“Of course, Your Honour,” he agreed. “Not only was Miss Seaver beaten and raped for two years, which is corroborated by sworn statements and testimonies, her eight year old sister was help captive in a whorehouse by this man’s orders! The prosecution moves for the maximum punishment, Your Honour, death by hanging. No further questions, Your Honour.” He bowed his head and returned to his seat.

Now for the hard part. Ebony knew it was the defence’s turn to tear her to pieces. To paint her as a common whore who was trying to ruin Vernon’s good name and take his money. Ebony couldn’t care about Vernon’s money. It wasn’t honest.

“Miss Seaver,” Vernon’s solicitor began. “Who are you trying to fool here? It is universally acknowledged that women on the stage are loose women.”

His opening statement didn’t faze her, instead it just made her angry. “Considering I’ve worked on the stage and you haven’t, I don’t see how you’d be an expert on what is ‘universally acknowledged’.” Several people in the courtroom muffled their chuckles.

“Quiet,” the judge snapped, banging his gavel. “Get on with the defence,” he ordered.

“Yes, Your Honour,” he nodded. “Miss Seaver, you tell the court that you were involuntarily involved in your sexual encounters with my client.” That made Ebony feel ill. Calling it a ‘sexual encounter’. It was not a sexual encounter. It was violent assault that left her bleeding and crying. “If this is so, then why not inform the police?” he asked but didn’t give Ebony a chance to answer. “You didn’t go to the police because you were voluntarily involved in the relationship. You didn’t go to the police because you were betrothed to my client. You didn’t go to the police because you were carrying my client’s child!”

All the blood drained from Ebony’s face. How could he possibly know that? It was true, she’d been with child for a fleeting moment not long after Vernon had first taken her. Her poor child had been lost thanks to one of Vernon’s violent outbursts. The only person who knew was Ellen … Ellen and the doctor she’d seen.

“I have in my hand the medical proof of Miss Seaver’s pregnancy, and the receipt from a Parisian jewellery shop proving that my client had purchased a ring for Miss Seaver at the same time.” He held up two pieces of paper which were collected and handed to the judge.

“Objection, Your Honour, those medical records have been illegally obtained and there is no proof that that jewellery purchase was intended for Miss Seaver.” The prosecutor looked angry, as was Ebony.

She was humiliated. She was beyond ashamed. She dared not meet Henry’s eyes. She’d never told him of her pregnancy. She’d never told Vernon of the pregnancy. She hadn’t thought about it since she’d lost it. She hadn’t fallen pregnant since so she didn’t know if she could have any more children. Perhaps that was why she’d never thought about it. She didn’t want to cause herself anymore pain.

“I did not go to the police because Mr Shaw threatened to put my eight year old sister to work, Sir,” Ebony said quietly. “I swore to God that I would tell the truth and I respect my faith. I was never a voluntary participant in the sadistic games Mr Shaw played with me. The day I was freed was the greatest day of my life.” She then looked up and glared at Vernon’s solicitor.

“The prosecution is correct, these records are illegally obtained and therefore are null and void. There is also no proof that this purchase was made with the intention to marry Miss Seaver. The jury will discount these documents as evidence.”

Ebony was relieved. It was at that moment that she dared to look at Henry and his family. She expected to see expressions of disgust but instead they looked just the same. Calm yet angry, not at her, but at Vernon. Why was she so quick to doubt them? They’d been nothing but supportive of her.

It was clear that those documents were the defence’s main argument meant to tear down Ebony’s character. Since they were both declared useless their case deteriorated and the cocky look on Vernon’s face disappeared.

At the end of the day the court was dismissed and was set to resume the next day at nine in the morning. The rest of the witnesses would be questioned and if all went in the way of the prosecution, the jury would be out by the end of the week deciding a verdict.

Henry led Ebony away from the courthouse and she and the Alcotts all climbed into their waiting carriage. They were waiting for her to start the conversation, obviously not sure of what to say to her.

“I’m sorry for not telling you about that,” she said quietly as the carriage took off for Ethridge. “It’s not something I talk about, or even think about. It happened not long after I started singing for Vernon.”

“You don’t have to apologise,” Henry said, taking her hand in his. “We know it’s not your fault.”

“Yes, darling, you are not to blame. It’s perfectly alright that you wanted to keep something so personal to yourself,” Emilia said sympathetically. “I’m horrified that they would illegally obtain such records though. That solicitor should be charged with theft.”

Ebony couldn’t help but start to cry. Henry then looped his arms around her and cuddled her into his side. “Why the tears?” he asked.

“You are all so kind,” she said to all of them, wiping her eyes with her sleeves. “I don’t know what I would have done without any of you.”

“You will never have to,” Henry said quietly. “Because you won’t ever be without us again.”

A smile formed on Ebony’s lips as she heard that. She lay her head on Henry’s shoulder and enjoyed his closeness.

“The verdict will go in our favour, I’m confident,” Sebastian said.

“The defence truly was relying on those records to support their case. If the jury vote otherwise then they are deaf fools,” James concurred.

“Don’t speak too soon,” Emilia said nervously. “Either way we’ll have a verdict soon.”

“Well done, Ebony,” Henry said quietly to her. “Well done.”

---

Hope you liked it :)

Today was Melbourne Cup day which is the biggest horse race in the world and it's held in my home city! It's called the 'Race that stops the nation' because no matter where you are or what you're doing you stop and you watch for five minutes as the gorgeous thoroughbreds race :) The winner today was Fiorente and I tipped him to win so YAY! I won some money :D

Some of you have been freaking out saying that if Will and Celeste get together that would be Will getting together with his aunt -- uh no! Either way they're not blood related but Celeste will not be Will's aunt. To be his aunt, Will would have to be Henry's son. My mum has a million sisters, but let me just give you an example. My Aunty Pam (my mum's sister) is married to my Uncle Andrew. Uncle Andrew's brothers and sisters aren't my aunts and uncles. Hope that stops you thinking INCEST INCEST!!!

I was having a pretty bad day yesterday and what made it worse was that I had to be at university from 8 in the morning until 5:30pm - LONG DAY! It's true laughter can make you feel better as I'd just spent $190 on my Human anatomy textbook (which I'm annoyed at as now I have to wait until next payday before I can buy the Boy Meets World box set :P) and the bloody enormous book weighed about 10 kilos! Which is about 20lbs for you non metric system readers :) I exaggerate of course but it felt like it. I stood up from my chair at the campus cafe we my best friend and I were eating at (I was eating one of my super secret awesome sausage rolls which was so pretty when it came out of the oven I wanted to cry!) and the weight of the textbook made me fall backwards and I landed on my ass on the floor and my friend and I just killed ourselves laughing and everyone was staring at us :P Put me in a much better mood, I tell you! My backside hurt but I fall over a lot so I'm used to it :P

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