Trust In Love

The Verdict

The courtroom stood, chairs scraping, throats being cleared and they waited.  The judge, resplendent in white wig with his scarlet and purple robe because it was a criminal case, filed in and sat down.  The clerk standing next to him, for all the world like a black clad ghost, spoke briefly to the court stenographer who transcribed everything that was said.  She passed a note up and the judge nodded.  He cleared his throat and the room hushed. 

"Good morning." he spoke to the room and the room answered almost as one.

"Good morning, Your Honour."  Jennie could hardly bear the tension.  

"Members of the jury, yesterday, you were unable to reach neither a unanimous nor a majority verdict. I now ask you once again to retire and consider your verdict.  As before, if you cannot reach a unanimous decision, then a majority of more than one either way will suffice. "  He nodded and banged the gavel.  The jury stood and filed out.  Jennie's heart but this time, not her will to live, went with them. She sat in her seat, staring resolutely ahead.

"Will the prisoners please stand."  this time, for the first time, Jennie and Terry Anderson appeared in court together.  Since part of the verdict was to do with the initial burglary, then he too now needed to be present.  "You will be remanded in custody for the period of the jury's deliberations.  This time, as a measure of the way you have conducted yourselves in my presence, you may receive a visitor each in addition to your legal counsel." he banged the gavel again and stood.  The court - including the two of them - stood as he filed out to his chambers.

As he left, Terry turned and stared at Jennie with a malevolent grin.  The officers guarding him started to move him away but he resisted. He leaned forward, grinning.

"Make the most of it Jennie. You're not seeing lover boy for quite some time after this.  Maybe at all, after all you're soiled now.  Jailbait eh?." he shrugged and licked his lips. "I'm not usually into sloppy seconds, but if he doesn't want you, I've not had a decent blow job in a while....." he laughed loudly, his two "screws" dragging him away as Jennie almost gagged, disgusted.  Rather than let him see her upset, however, she just sneered and turned away to her own officers. 

"I'd like to see my husband please...." she said calmly. They nodded and gently led her into a side room.  She sat at a small table and they removed her cuffs.  Standing at the door, they waited until there was a knock and Sir John walked in.  He dismissed them with a cursory glance. "You can wait outside. I'd like a private chat with my client."  his tone brooked no argument.

"Jennie, Jennie it's going to be ok...." he crossed the room and sat down.

"Where's Tom... why isn't he here...  he wasn't in court.... " she began to fret and cry.  It hadn't occurred to her NONE of her family were there.  He put a hand on her arm, trying to reassure her it wasn't what she seemed to think it looked like.

"Shhhh, it's ok, their car got held up in traffic, that's all.  They've only just arrived. He'll be shown through as soon as...." there was a second, urgent knocking at the door and, as Sir John stood, it burst open.  In a second, she was in his arms.  They held each other tightly, both crying and kissing and talking all at the same time.  Sir John smiled and discretely left, closing the door.  He stood outside, a real life knight of the realm, in a draughty corridor while a pretend King and his Queen reunited.

Inside, they sat face to face, hands clasped, her knees held in his. They murmured nothing and everything, stopping every now and again just to look into each other's eyes and kiss gently.  

"It's going to be ok love." he whispered for the hundredth time in the last minute. "I promise." 

"I hope so. I don't think I can do this Tom, be without you. I try to be strong and imagine I'm getting out but I'm scared. I'm so scared I'll never see you again, that I'll never get to walk in the park, on the beach, go for a drive....." she stopped, the emotion overwhelming her.  "I know I'm being overly dramatic, my mind has had ALOT of time to get overly dramatic...." she looked at him, without a trace of humour and he stroked her cheek softly. "But I just can't live another day without you..."