Chapter 28

Chapter 28

The courtroom was filled to the brim as the final day of Lord Elmstone's trial arrived. Mason, Ethan, the Owens, and Miss Harper all sat in a row as they watched the proceedings.

At the head of the room, the judge sat in his black robe, his wig fastened perfectly in place. The entire city had been waiting on the edge of their seats to hear what would happen with Lord Elmstone.

Mr. Alton couldn't rest until he knew that Lord Elmstone had been sufficiently punished and put away for good. The trial was the most dramatic thing that had happened to London politics at some time.

Every front page of the newspaper had updated information for those who could not be in court. A few times, drawings of Mason and Miss Owen were featured.

He had kept those in a case in his study for them to revisit someday. He knew one day they would reminisce on the investigation with positivity. It was the thing that had brought them together.

That meant a lot to him.

That day, everyone was whispering among themselves as the court came into session. Nobody knew what to expect that day. They knew Lord Elmstone was going away, but knowing for how long was entirely unpredictable.

Mason and Ethan presented their evidence again, this time in closer detail. Ethan expertly outlined the moving of the money. He started by explaining just how Lord Elmstone avoided paying his taxes.

Then, Mason got up on the stand and showed how small increments of money were paid to members of the Phoenix Society shortly before and for some time after the assassination attempt on the duke.

"And what, to your knowledge, are these payments for?" the judge asked.

"Your honor, I believe they're being paid for their silence and cooperation," Mason answered.

Being on the stand and being an integral part of Lord Elmstone's downfall was one of the proudest moments of his life. It was easily one of the most meaningful things he had done.

After Mason's testimony, others were called up. Most of them were the maids that Miss Harper had gathered. They gave their witness statements and it pulled together all the other evidence they had gathered.

It was an impressive case that they had against Lord Elmstone, and with each new person presented to the judge, he found himself deeper and deeper in trouble.

Finally, it was time for the judge to have his say. He stood up in front of those who had gathered and walked out in front of the podium.

There was a moment as he remained quiet. The entire room was silent then. Nobody even took so much as a breath. The judge removed his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes.

"The man known as Paul Walters, the former Marquess of Elmstone, has made a mockery of our country," the judge said. "He must be punished accordingly."

"I can give you names," Lord Elmstone interrupted the judge. "I know every name associated with the Society. I'll give them to you for a lenient judgment."

"There will be no need for that," the judge said. "It is my understanding from what I've heard today that your own financial letters will give us every name we need."

Lord Elmstone's face paled then.

"I would recommend that you do not interrupt me again," the judge continued. "You have done enough to disrupt this proceeding already."

There was a tense atmosphere in the room.

"This is far from over," the judge continues. "While we have the head of the operation in our courthouse today, there are still many who need to face judgment. Those who attempted to profit from the duke's murder."

The judge was pacing up and down then. "Those who knew of the threat and kept quiet are equally as guilty and will be brought before this court. You have my word."

There was a satisfied whisper through the room. That was what everybody wanted to hear.

"If this is what has become of my beloved London Town, I am horrified," he continued. "There is no chance for success in this country if men like Paul Walters get away with what they've done."

It was enthralling to watch. Seeing the judge put him in his place brought goosebumps to Mason's skin. Lord Elmstone looked as if he wanted to sink into the Earth and disappear.

"Paul Walters cannot change what he has done, although it seems he wishes he could," the judge continued. "He is even willing to throw others into the pit in order to help himself. He is the worst kind of person there is."

"You did well," Isabella whispered as she leaned closer to Mason.

"We did," he corrected her.

He wanted to hold her hand through it, but the courthouse was one place they needed to be sure to behave.

"This is an important man who has decided that he is above the law and that he deserved more than the rest of us. He is a man who thinks he can get away with doing what he wants, regardless of the risk it poses to others," the judge continued.

"This man is meant to be a role model for others. For his own sons, too. Yet, he has shown them only that he cannot be trusted and that he cares not for the well-being of those around him. It is sad to see."

Mason wondered just how difficult it was for Lord Elmstone's family to listen to. His wife often sniffed and wiped away tears as the day progressed. They were torn apart and cast out from society.

"This man," the judge said, pointing toward Lord Elmstone, "wants to keep his wealth even if it means watching the city rot."

Mason nudged Isabella and sent her a quick smirk. Her cheeks flushed as she glanced down to her lap.

"The duke threatened Lord Elmstone's efforts at guarding his money," the judge announced. "He was knuckling down on men like Paul Walters, who used gaps and sneaky methods to get out of paying what is owed to our city. That put the duke's life in danger."

The duke sat in the courthouse, as stoic as ever. He did not let any emotions show on his face. It was impressive. Mason wasn't sure he could have been as calm as the duke was.

"Paul Walters created chaos out of an otherwise peaceful system." The judge was staring Lord Elmstone down. "A mockery out of the legal system. That is my job to protect. It is all that stands between London and downfall."

"It's almost over," Miss Owen said quietly. "Today is the day. No more traps, no more running from his thugs."

"We're safe," Mason agreed.

Isabella dropped her hand beside her, obscured by the fabric of her dress, and invited Mason to take her hand. He did it. In secret, they intertwined their fingers as the judge continued his speech.

"The duke's request for businesses to be audited. For their income and expenses to be carefully scrutinized threatened Paul Walters," the judge said. "The duke knew that businesses were cheating. That those who made all the money cut all the corners, and he wanted to put a stop to them."

The punishment for those crimes was large fines and potential jail time. It had made quite a shockwave through the country when taxes were enforced.

Most citizens could understand the benefits of it all, but those who would be forced to pay higher taxes had caused quite a stink about it. Lord Elmstone had written a fairly nasty letter to the newspapers where he voiced his opinions on the subject.

"These requests made by the duke will certainly be taken very seriously," the judge continued. "The need for these audits seems painfully clear to me now. It cannot be ignored any longer."

Outside the courthouse, news reporters and crowds waited in anticipation to know what would happen to the man who had been at the center of the scandal.

It meant that they would be faced with those crowds when they left. Mason wasn't a fan of that, and he knew it made Miss Owen nervous, too.

Already, he was thinking of ways that they could avoid it all. Perhaps there was another door they could use to leave out the back of the building.

Miss Owen squeezed his hand to bring him back from his distracted thoughts.

"Let this case be a lesson to all who think that they are above the law simply because they are wealthier than the rest of us," the judge said. "This is inexcusable. Paul Walters, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Lord Walker seemed stunned that he had the chance to speak at all. The entire room turned their attention to him then. He scrambled for his words as he was faced with those he'd hurt.

"If I could do it all again, I would do it differently," he said. "It was never my intention to make a mockery of the system, or of our great city of London. I suppose I merely got swept away."

"With all due respect," the judge snapped. "You did not get swept away. You are the mastermind behind this. Those you paid to commit crimes might have been swept away, but they were swept away by you, not the situation."

Lord Elmstone swallowed hard and nodded. He had nothing more to say. That seemed to give the judge some sense of pleasure.

"The severity of your crimes, Paul Walters, goes beyond what I believe you can understand. The ripple effect of something like this travels through everything and can take years to correct.

"You will shirk the responsibility of fixing your mistakes," he continued. "You'll be in a prison cell, of that you can be certain. The rest of us will have to clean up your messes, and that makes me angrier than you could ever imagine.

"The threat you have caused to society, and national security, tells me there is nothing more suitable than the maximum punishment that I could possibly give you."

Lord Elmstone's wife dabbed away a tear. Mason felt poorly for his family. They had not deserved it. Wasn't it the role of a husband and a father to make sure his family was protected? Lord Elmstone had failed them in every way.

"I will use you as an example, too," the judge said. "So that others don't feel they can follow in your footsteps. This country is serious about keeping our citizens safe and keeping the city running smoothly."

It was finally time for the sentencing. The judge moved back behind his podium and gathered his documents. His hand moved closer to the hammer as he prepared to deliver the news of the decade.

"I feel I have no choice but to sentence you to life in prison without possibility of parole," the judge said. "You will never see the light of day again. On top of that, the appropriate fines will be handed to you. The very wealth you tried so hard to guard will be taken away by your very actions."

It was devastating news to the Walters family.

The sound of the gavel echoed through the courthouse and it was done. Lord Elmstone was dragged away to serve his sentence as the ordeal officially came to an end.

As they filed out of the courthouse, Mason couldn't help but feel as though an entirely new day had dawned. It was time for his next adventure, and she was walking right alongside him.