evening of September eighteenth last year," said Redmayne. Beth nodded. "I want you to tell the jury in your own words exactly what took place that night."
"It was Danny's idea," Beth began looking up at the defendant and smiling, "that we should go for dinner in the West End as it was a special occasion."
"A special occasion?" prompted Redmayne.
"Yes. Danny was going to propose."
"How could you be so sure of that?"
"I heard my brother telling Mum that Danny had spent two months' wages on the ring." She held up her left hand so that the jury could admire the single diamond on a gold band.
Alex waited for the murmurs to die down before he asked, "And did he ask you to be his wife?"
"Yes, he did," replied Beth. "He even got down on one knee."
"And you accepted?"
"Of course I did," said Beth. "I knew we were going to be married the first day I met him."
Pearson noted her first mistake.
"What happened next?"
"Before we left the restaurant Danny called Bernie to tell him the news. He agreed to join us later so we could all celebrate."
"And where did you arrange to meet up for this celebration?"
"The Dunlop Arms on Hambledon Terrace in Chelsea."
"Why did you choose that particular venue?"
"Danny had been there once before, after watching West Ham play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. He told me it was very classy and he thought I'd like it."
"What time did you arrive?"
"I'm not sure," said Beth, "but it can't have been before ten."
"And your brother was already there waiting for you?"
"He's at it again, m'lord," objected Pearson.
"I do apologize, m'lord," said Redmayne. He turned back to Beth. "When did your brother arrive?"
"He was already there," said Beth.
"Did you notice anyone else in the room?"
"Yes," said Beth, "I saw the actor, Lawrence Davenport—Dr. Beresford—standing at the bar with three other men."
"Do you know Mr. Davenport?"
"Of course not," said Beth. "I'd only ever seen him on the TV."
"So you must have been quite excited to see a television star on the night you became engaged?"
"No, I wasn't that impressed. I remember thinking that he wasn't as good-looking as Danny." Several members of the jury took a closer look at the unshaven man with short spiky hair who was wearing a West Ham T-shirt that looked as if it hadn't been ironed recently. Alex feared that not many of the jurors would agree with Beth's judgment.
"What happened next?"
"We drank a bottle of champagne, and then I thought we ought to go home."
"And did you go home?"
"No, Bernie ordered a second bottle, and when the barman took the empty one away, I heard someone say, 'Wasted on them.' "
"How did Danny and Bernie react to that?"
"They didn't hear it, but I saw one of the men at the bar staring at me. He winked, then opened his mouth and started circling his tongue round his lips."
"Which of the four men did that?"
"Mr. Craig."
Danny looked up into the gallery to see Craig scowling down at Beth, but fortunately, she couldn't see him.
"Did you tell Danny?"
"No, the man was obviously drunk. Besides, you hear worse than that if you've been brought up in the East End. And I knew only too well how Danny would react if I told him." Pearson didn't stop writing.
"So you ignored him?"
"Yes," said Beth. "But then the same man turned to his friends and said, 'The slut's quite presentable until she opens her mouth.' Bernie did hear that. Then one of the other men said, 'I don't know, there are times when I quite like a slut's mouth to be open,' and they all began laughing." She paused. "Except for Mr. Davenport, who looked embarrassed."
"Did Bernie and Danny also laugh?"
"No. Bernie grabbed the champagne bottle and stood up to face him." Pearson wrote down her exact words, as she added: "But Danny pulled him back down and told him to ignore them."
"And did he?"
"Yes, but only because I said I wanted to go home. As we were on our way out, I noticed that one of the men was still staring at me. He said, 'Leaving, are we?' in a
"It was Danny's idea," Beth began looking up at the defendant and smiling, "that we should go for dinner in the West End as it was a special occasion."
"A special occasion?" prompted Redmayne.
"Yes. Danny was going to propose."
"How could you be so sure of that?"
"I heard my brother telling Mum that Danny had spent two months' wages on the ring." She held up her left hand so that the jury could admire the single diamond on a gold band.
Alex waited for the murmurs to die down before he asked, "And did he ask you to be his wife?"
"Yes, he did," replied Beth. "He even got down on one knee."
"And you accepted?"
"Of course I did," said Beth. "I knew we were going to be married the first day I met him."
Pearson noted her first mistake.
"What happened next?"
"Before we left the restaurant Danny called Bernie to tell him the news. He agreed to join us later so we could all celebrate."
"And where did you arrange to meet up for this celebration?"
"The Dunlop Arms on Hambledon Terrace in Chelsea."
"Why did you choose that particular venue?"
"Danny had been there once before, after watching West Ham play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. He told me it was very classy and he thought I'd like it."
"What time did you arrive?"
"I'm not sure," said Beth, "but it can't have been before ten."
"And your brother was already there waiting for you?"
"He's at it again, m'lord," objected Pearson.
"I do apologize, m'lord," said Redmayne. He turned back to Beth. "When did your brother arrive?"
"He was already there," said Beth.
"Did you notice anyone else in the room?"
"Yes," said Beth, "I saw the actor, Lawrence Davenport—Dr. Beresford—standing at the bar with three other men."
"Do you know Mr. Davenport?"
"Of course not," said Beth. "I'd only ever seen him on the TV."
"So you must have been quite excited to see a television star on the night you became engaged?"
"No, I wasn't that impressed. I remember thinking that he wasn't as good-looking as Danny." Several members of the jury took a closer look at the unshaven man with short spiky hair who was wearing a West Ham T-shirt that looked as if it hadn't been ironed recently. Alex feared that not many of the jurors would agree with Beth's judgment.
"What happened next?"
"We drank a bottle of champagne, and then I thought we ought to go home."
"And did you go home?"
"No, Bernie ordered a second bottle, and when the barman took the empty one away, I heard someone say, 'Wasted on them.' "
"How did Danny and Bernie react to that?"
"They didn't hear it, but I saw one of the men at the bar staring at me. He winked, then opened his mouth and started circling his tongue round his lips."
"Which of the four men did that?"
"Mr. Craig."
Danny looked up into the gallery to see Craig scowling down at Beth, but fortunately, she couldn't see him.
"Did you tell Danny?"
"No, the man was obviously drunk. Besides, you hear worse than that if you've been brought up in the East End. And I knew only too well how Danny would react if I told him." Pearson didn't stop writing.
"So you ignored him?"
"Yes," said Beth. "But then the same man turned to his friends and said, 'The slut's quite presentable until she opens her mouth.' Bernie did hear that. Then one of the other men said, 'I don't know, there are times when I quite like a slut's mouth to be open,' and they all began laughing." She paused. "Except for Mr. Davenport, who looked embarrassed."
"Did Bernie and Danny also laugh?"
"No. Bernie grabbed the champagne bottle and stood up to face him." Pearson wrote down her exact words, as she added: "But Danny pulled him back down and told him to ignore them."
"And did he?"
"Yes, but only because I said I wanted to go home. As we were on our way out, I noticed that one of the men was still staring at me. He said, 'Leaving, are we?' in a
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