Looks Unimportant...Sense of Humour Essential

by Evie Evans

  “Practising? You don’t actually do any then?”

  Lucy counted to three before replying. “I’m sure you know exactly what the term ‘practising’ means,” she told him, her tone biting. “I have handled dozens of cases and I’m more than capable of handling yours. What is it by the way? Don’t tell me - drunk and disorderly, you had a few too many one Saturday night? Public indecency, flashed a lady in the park? Industrial espionage-” She was about to embellish this one too but he visibly flinched. Had she touched a nerve?

  “You don’t even know what the case is about? I’m so glad you did your homework before you got here.”

  Okay, he had a point, it didn’t look very professional to turn up not knowing what the case was. “There wasn’t time to meet with my colleague before coming here, as your summons was so urgent. Otherwise, of course, I would have been briefed beforehand”. She was trying to keep calm but something about this man wound her up. He’d been the one who had almost stood her up so why was he annoyed?

  He cocked his head. “I wouldn’t have taken you for a lawyer when we first met...”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked defensively.

  “…but now I can see you’re argumentative,” he continued. Pushing some papers off the edge of his desk he perched on it but didn’t offer her a seat.

  “I’m argumentative? It takes two people to have an argument you know.”

  “There’s a law about that is there?”

  “Probably lucky for you there isn’t. Are you going to tell me what your case is about or not?” She knew she wasn’t being very polite but she couldn’t help herself.

  He appeared to think about it for a moment. Was he deciding whether to send her back to her office with a flea in her ear?

  “Well, I need a lawyer for this case and Knowles, Locke and Mallory have been recommended. I’ll just have to assume they know what they’re doing. Libel. Someone said something about me I don’t like.”

  “Then that’s slander. For libel it has to be written.”

  “I’m glad to see you do know something about the law then.”

  Was he possibly the most irritating man ever? A knock on the door prevented Lucy from telling him this.

  “Come!”

  “Katherine Lake sir.”

  Lucy wasn’t sure if she was glad to see Katherine or not, was Mr Brooke going to tell her he didn’t want Lucy on the team?

  Katherine walked in smiling, oblivious of the discussion she’d interrupted. “Hello, pleased to meet you. I see you’ve met my colleague already.” Leander Brooke grimly shook Katherine’s hand. “Have I interrupted something?” she asked, suddenly sensing the tension in the air.

  “I was just surprised at Knowles, Locke and Mallory’s choice of lawyers for this case.”

  Lucy held her breath. Was he going to ask for her to be taken off?

  “You mean the fact that we’re women?” Katherine asked in a warning tone.

  “No, it’s not that, I was just expecting someone a little more…mature.”

  Katherine was in her late-thirties and Lucy guessed her age wasn’t questioned often nowadays. Unless she’d met the receptionist outside. Her long brown hair was tied up in its usual severe bun and she had her customary air of efficiency and briskness about her, all of which Lucy thought made her seem a little older than her years. Mr Brooke could hardly be questioning her. She darted a look at Lucy who suddenly realised she could be off this case before she’d even started.

  “A younger team can work for you in a libel case otherwise you’re in danger of looking old-fashioned and well, like a diehard.” Katherine told him.

  Lucy smiled with relief. She couldn’t imagine anyone looking less old fashioned than Leander Brooke but Katherine was making a feasible argument. That’s why she’d just been made partner at their law firm.

  “Shall we sit down and discuss your case?” Katherine asked not leaving Mr Brooke many options. He agreed, reluctantly.

  As they sat down at the small conference table in his office Lucy tried to settle herself. What had she been thinking, arguing with him like that? If she lost the firm this client she would probably lose her job. She needed to calm down and start being professional. She took a deep breath.

  Katherine took a folder out of her briefcase, removed a newspaper clipping and placed it in the middle of the table where they could all see it. “As I understand it the case is about a story the Daily Herald published that you were about to be cited in the divorce of Torey Lincoln as the party that broke up her marriage.”

  Lucy managed to keep her eyes on Katherine so Mr Brooke wouldn’t see the look of triumph in them. He was accused of wrecking a marriage. And he’d criticised her dating methods! Torey Lincoln was an ex-soapstar who seemed to be as famous for being in the papers as much as for her acting.

  “It’s a complete lie. I’ve met her socially a couple of times, that’s all,” Mr Brooke told them dismissing it with a wave of his hand. It looked like this law suit was a big annoyance to him. Lucy was calm enough now to take in the tailored suit he was wearing, dark grey which emphasised his dark colouring, teamed with a bright shirt and matching silk tie. He looked very well-to-do. And very handsome. She tried not to think about that part.

  “Can you think of any reason why her husband would make these claims about you?”

  Leander Brooke shrugged his shoulders. “Because I’m rich, to get money out of me? To get publicity because I’m in the public eye? I don’t know.”

  “Have they approached you for money?”

  “No.”

  Katherine looked puzzled. “Well something may come to light as the case progresses. If you think of anything let us know straightaway.”

  Mr Brooke gave her a brief nod of the head.

  “Well here’s what I suggest. We make contact with the husband’s solicitor and make it clear legal action will ensue if he makes these claims to the press. We also contact the newspapers and ask them not to repeat the claims or face legal action. That should contain it.”

  Lucy was nodding along to all this trying to look as if she worked libel cases all the time.

  “We’ll also ask the husband to prove your involvement, ask for dates etc. so we can start checking those,” Katherine continued.

  “I’d like to see that myself,” Mr Brooke commented, sitting back and folding his arms, “as I’ve never been alone with her.”

  “And let’s keep it that way.” Katherine told him. “If she calls for any reason, hang up. If she tries to see you, don’t. Do not be alone with her. If you see her walking down the street turn and walk the other way. A photo of the two of you together could be fatal for your case.”

  “I understand.”

  “We’ll get onto this correspondence right away.” Katherine started gathering her papers together, ready to leave. “When we’ve had a response we can work out next moves, if we need to make any. Okay?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  As they got up to go Mr Brooke asked for a word with Lucy, alone. Katherine looked surprised but left her to it.

  “Yes Mr Brooke?” Lucy hoped he wasn’t going to tell her off for being rude earlier.

  He looked to check Katherine had closed the door behind her. “I just want to say, what happened the other day, how we met. I trust that will be absolutely confidential?”

  Lucy felt like laughing. “You’re worried I’m going to blab about the online dating thing? Hardly. Getting stood up on a blind date by someone’s kid brother isn’t something I’m in a hurry to tell everyone.”

  He looked a little relieved by this.

  “And Mr Brooke?” He looked up at her again, the intensity from those chocolate brown eyes making her forget what she was about to say for a second. “Uh, I want to assure you that although we may have started out on the wrong foot, that will have no bearing on the case”. You being a jerk, she thought.

  “Thank you Miss Davenport.”

  He sat back behind
his desk when she left, concerned. He didn’t normally do abrasive and rude, it wasn’t his style, but he’d lost control meeting her again. He’d thought he’d gotten away with the online dating mess after Sebastian deleted his details from the website and no one had mentioned it. Now not only had the woman from the date been here, she knew his name and where he worked. If word got round about what Sebastian had done he’d be a laughing stock and reputation meant a lot in this business. To make matters worse this woman was on his legal team and he’d probably have to reveal more information about himself to her. Could he trust her?

  *

  “Had you met him before then?” Katherine asked when Lucy finally joined her on their way out.

  “Apparently I almost met his brother once.”

  “Huh?” Katherine questioned.

  “It’s a long story. You haven’t missed anything. Actually I thought we were meeting the original Mr Brooke, I didn’t realise the client was the son.”

  “He’s the one in charge of the business now,” Katherine said whilst signalling a taxi loitering nearby, they were always easier to find in the more affluent parts of town. “I think the old man has all but retired. And on a pretty penny too now that Leander Brooke’s business schemes have paid off.”

  They both ducked into the back of the cab when it pulled alongside.

  “He’s the one that turned the firm around,” Katherine continued on their way back to the office. “Made a lot of money. I just wondered if there was something between the two of you, you seemed to be deep in conversation when I arrived. He is very attractive, and pretty well off.”

  Lucy laughed “Thanks, I don’t think I’m quite that shallow! He’s also being cited in a divorce case. He’s not exactly a catch. No, there’s nothing between us.”

  “Probably lucky, he has got a bit of a reputation as a player. I wonder if that’s why Torey Lincoln’s husband has chosen him. It could be a nightmare unpicking his love life.”

  “Or maybe he’s just guilty? Perhaps she was just another ship that passed in the night he can’t remember? Why would the husband name him if he wasn’t involved?” Lucy asked.

  “I’ve stopped being amazed in this job at what people will do. Perhaps he’s trying to get back at him for something. We just have to work with what our client gives us. If he says he’s innocent, he’s innocent. Let’s hope we can get them to retract.”

  “I haven’t worked a libel case before,” Lucy admitted. “I’m not exactly up to date on the wording of the law either.”

  “Okay, in a nutshell, the other side have to prove their claims are true. If they’ve said it it’s up to them to prove it. The person defamed has to show that the false claims have caused them harm in some way. They also have to show the intent to defame was deliberate if they want to claim damages.”

  Lucy was writing this all down. “So if Leander Brooke is named in the divorce papers…” she began.

  Katherine answered. “We could try for defamation with loss to business and reputation and the onus would be on Torey Lincoln’s husband to prove his claims. It doesn’t mean we can sit back though, we should line up any witnesses to Mr Brooke’s whereabouts in case of collusion between the husband and wife. If Mr Brooke wanted compensation we’d have to show actual malice on their side.”

  “So we’d have to try and find out why they’re naming him?”

  “Maybe. We’ll see where it all goes first. They may drop it as soon as they receive our request.”

  *

  Lucy took some of the legal paperwork home to study that weekend. She didn’t want Mr Brooke to catch her out again not knowing the finer details of the case or the relevant laws. Besides with no real friends in the city her weekends were never particularly full. She’d been round all the museums she was interested in and seen all the sights at least once. She still went to Camden market sometimes, there was always interesting stuff to pick through there, but even that was starting to pale for amusement. Sometimes the only conversation she got the whole weekend would be if Mrs Franklin caught her on the way to the dustbin.

  The weather forecast looked good so she took her files down to a nearby park she liked to visit. It was large enough to be able to forget you were in the middle of a big city when you were there. London was an exciting place to be but she missed the countryside and greenery. Her home town was little more than a large village where a short walk took you into wide, open spaces. Most wide, open spaces in London were car parks. Being able to get a latte on almost any corner was great but sometimes she just needed to be somewhere green.

  As she read the notes she wondered when Simon would be in touch. She hadn’t heard from him yet. She wasn’t worried though, things were looking good. Not only did she have an important case to work on, she’d met a nice guy who seemed to like her. It looked like the wedding date was in the bag. Admittedly her big client was the man from the blind date but you couldn’t have everything. She stretched back on her towel on the grass and felt the sun’s rays cover her. Good things were happening to her and why not? She tried to be a good person.

  “Coo-ee,” a voice called from nearby.

  Lucy opened one eye. It couldn’t be for her, she only knew one other person around here and that was…Mrs Franklin was making her way over the grass towards her, waving. Lucy looked around her but there was no one else nearby.

  “I thought you must have been coming down here when I saw you leave,” Mrs Franklin told her putting down a substantial bag and bending down to open it. “You don’t mind if I join you do you?” she asked, unpacking her things without waiting for Lucy’s answer.

  “No,” Lucy told her uncertainly as Mrs Franklin laid a large towel next to hers.

  “I’ve got some suntan lotion here if you need it, and a flask of squash. Phew, it is warm isn’t it?” Mrs Franklin continued as she flopped down onto the towel. “I told Ernie, that poor girl needs a bit of company so I grabbed my things and came on down.”

  “Thanks,” Lucy told her wondering what the exact definition of stalking was.

  “After what happened with that man the other day I told Ernie you’ll need someone to talk to. So here I am.”

  Lucy opened her mouth to explain that she’d rather not talk about it but Mrs Franklin continued. “Now, just how good looking was he?”

  *

  In the end Lucy had had to tell Mrs Franklin about Simon to stop her going on about her blind date with Mr Brooke. That only set her off on another topic though and by the end of the afternoon Lucy found she hadn’t done much talking at all but most of the listening as usual. She didn’t really mind, Mrs Franklin meant well and it had been nice to have some company. Mostly. It had been a good weekend thinking about the possibilities of Simon.

  But Monday at work there was still no message from him. Nor on Tuesday.

  On Wednesday she logged onto the website as soon as she reached work that morning. She was praying for a message from him when the page loaded. She had to get a date for that wedding or face public humiliation at the hands of Aunty Suzi and her family. Her part of the family had always looked down on Lucy’s side. She couldn’t turn up to another family do without a date, their pity would be unmerciless this time.

  She played back their date in her mind as she waited for it to load. She’d thought it’d gone well. They’d laughed a lot, never run out of things to say, he’d seemed relaxed and smiling, those were all good signs. You could never tell though, maybe he’d been cringing inside all the time. Surely he wouldn’t have stayed an hour and a half then?

  No message. Another one from ‘legaleagle’ but nothing from Simon.

  She could contact him. She didn’t like to, she was a bit old fashioned that way, but it was better than not knowing. Being rejected by internet may not be quite as embarrassing as hearing it to your face but she had a feeling it would still be as hurtful. She’d rather that than never know though.

  She was in the middle of constructing her message, nonchalant was a hard
tone to get right, when Katherine came into her office with details of the response from Mr Lincoln’s solicitor. “He’s still insisting on citing Mr Brooke as a co-respondent in his divorce proceedings.” Katherine told her, waving a piece of paper.

  “Are we going to advise him to sue for defamation?”

  “Before we do that, we should gather our evidence against it, just to make sure the husband won’t be able to prove his case. We may still be able to halt the proceedings with that. They’ve given us a list of dates he’s claiming the two of them spent together.” Katherine showed her a second sheet of paper attached to the letter. “Can you visit Mr Brooke and get him to check what he was doing on those dates? We’ll need names and addresses of any witnesses he can supply. Let’s hope he’s got airtight proof.”

  Great, thought Lucy. Another visit to Leander Brooke, the man who stood me up and insulted me. Can’t wait. “Sure,” she told Katherine, “be glad to.”

  She finished her message to Simon and sent it off hoping she didn’t sound as desperate as she felt. It seemed like it was one of those days.

  6 Flirting

  Lucy arranged her meeting with Mr Brooke for the next day then prepared herself for her next visit from Mrs Williams. She was trying to press ahead with Mrs Williams’ case as quickly as possible considering Winston’s advancing age but the other side had been slow to respond.

  A knock on her door was quickly followed by Janice’s appearance. “Mrs Williams to see you,” she told her, holding the door open. Lucy jumped up to intercept. “Extradition for smuggling charges.” Too late.

  “Extra what?” Mrs Williams asked, entering the office.

  “Extra sugar. I was just asking for two teas and smuggle in some biscuits. Thank you Janice.” Lucy quickly ushered her out before she could say any more.

  Mrs Williams looked less teary this time but still anxious. “What’s happened?” she asked nervously the second she took her seat.

  “I served your ex-husband with a custody notice,” Lucy began then paused to steel herself for the next part. “He’s responded that he’s challenging the request,” she explained gently.