‘As Your Lordship pleases,’ Mr Bennet said.

Seebold gave his evidence in a measured and clear voice. He said he had been shocked to discover the damaged cage and took steps to find out what had happened to the wolf. He had repeatedly rung the office of the place from which he’d bought it, but no one returned his call. In his opinion, he said, Mr Crump, in order to gain a newspaper scoop, had made a mountain out of a molehill, which had then taken off like a prairie fire.

‘That’s right, blame somebody else,’ Agatha said loudly. Several people in the gallery turned to look at her. Milly saw her sister Pearl’s face colouring.

Seebold looked up but continued his testimony. ‘Later I discovered the thing had never even been sent, but there were fifteen or twenty newspaper men who had come down from Fleet Street on the doorstep,’ he went on. ‘That’s when I realised no one was going to believe a word I said. I had to produce a wolf, even if there had never been one in the first place. Nothing else would do.’

‘So you arranged for a dog to be brought to Worthing in its place.’

‘Yes.’

‘Disgraceful,’ Agatha commented. Court proceeding were paused for a second or two as people’s eyes were drawn towards the public gallery, but then Mr Bennet continued.

Milly glanced towards Freddie, who was sitting behind his wife and mother-in-law. Their eyes met and he mouthed a lion-like snarl. Milly looked away quickly. He was making threats again. She fixed her eyes on what was happening in the court and tried to concentrate on what was being said, but her heart was thumping. This definitely had to be because she’d seen him lurking in the bushes that day. Clearly he didn’t want anyone to know he’d been there. But why? Bird-watching was an innocent enough hobby, so why be so secretive about it? She thought back. Freddie had only emerged from the reeds when the angry swan had come after him. Fair enough. That was perfectly understandable. After all, she, Lena and Seebold had all run from the same bird. Up until now she’d not given much thought to the incident but now she was suspicious. What had he been up to?

‘When did you discover that a sheep had been killed by a wild animal?’ Mr Carstairs was saying.

‘I don’t believe that sheep was killed by a wild animal. I think it was most likely already dead and somebody,’ Seebold fixed his eyes on Farmer Doyle, ‘took a knife to it.’

‘Just give us the facts, if you please, Mr Flowers,’ said the judge.

Seebold nodded and lowered his eyes.

‘That’s right, you tell him,’ Agatha interrupted. ‘Tell him to try telling the truth for a change.’

Pearl grabbed her mother’s arm, but Agatha shook her hand away. The judge banged his gavel. ‘Whoever is talking in the gallery,’ he said sternly, ‘be silent or I shall have you removed.’

All eyes were on Agatha who sat with a defiant pose. All eyes except Freddie’s. She couldn’t look, but Milly knew he was still staring at her. She could feel it! Why on earth was he intimidating her like this?

‘When Farmer Doyle and Mr Crump arrived with the carcass of the sheep in the boot of his car,’ Mr Phillips, Archibald Crump’s counsel continued, ‘did Mr Doyle ask for compensation?’

‘Yes.’

‘And did you give it to him?’

‘No.’

‘Did my client ask for money?’

‘No, but they were very much working togeth—’

‘Thank you, Mr Flowers,’ Mr Phillips said as he sat down.

Up in the gallery, Agatha chuntered.

Mr Bennet was brutal in his cross-examination. ‘Come now, Mr Flowers, this whole thing was nothing more than an elaborate publicity stunt, wasn’t it?’

‘No, it was not.’

‘The four of you cooked it up together.’

‘No.’

‘You bet he did,’ said Agatha. Pearl gave her a nudge and, turning towards her, her mother snapped, ‘What?’

The judge banged his gavel again. ‘I have warned you,’ he said sternly. ‘Stand up, madam, and identify yourself.’

Agatha would have stayed silent had not the rest of the people in the gallery turned to stare at her, indicating exactly where she was. She rose to her feet. ‘I am perfectly entitled to my opinion,’ she said haughtily.

‘Madam, you are not. I am holding you in contempt of court,’ said the judge. ‘Bailiff, remove that woman from the court. I shall deal with her later.’

Milly gasped as her mother was dragged from the gallery shouting, ‘How dare you! You have no right to do this. Unhand me. Let go of my arm . . .’

Despite herself, as her mother’s voice faded, she glanced at Freddie. He smiled. Milly turned back quickly.

‘Now I am warning members of the public,’ said the judge, ‘any more interruptions and I shall have the gallery cleared.’

Up in the gallery, Pearl was mortified. She turned to glare at her sister – it was her fault they were there in the first place! – but Milly was staring down at her hands in her lap. It was then that Pearl saw her husband was sitting just to the left of Milly. She was so shocked she could hardly breathe. She turned back, her face burning with embarrassment. What was he doing here? Why had he come?

‘Please proceed, Mr Bennet,’ said the judge.

‘I put it to you, Mr Flowers, that this was an elaborate plot on your part; that, far from being the loveable buffoon you would have us believe you are, you machinated this whole scheme to enjoy cheap publicity.’

‘No,’ said Seebold.

‘You badly needed to attract more customers to your Wonderland, and this lost so-called wolf was a gift.’

‘No.’

‘It not only gave you local publicity but, once it reached the national papers, country-wide publicity too.’

‘That may have happened, but I had nothing to do with it.’

‘And because of your deceit,’ said Mr Bennet, raising his voice, ‘you terrorised the whole of Worthing, sending frightened holiday-makers scurrying back home and anxious shopkeepers pulling down their shutters. Not to mention wasting hours of police time at a huge cost to the Worthing rate-payers.’

There was a pause then Seebold said, ‘I didn’t do any of this for publicity. What I did, I did to kill the story once and for all and to stop people panicking.’

The jury were sent out at three-fifteen. When the last of them had filed through the door, Milly had never felt so nervous. The next few hours could change Lena’s and Seebold’s lives for ever. Because of what Uncle Neville had said, Milly was confident that if they were found guilty, they would only get a fine. She had made up her mind to help Lena, but if the fine was big, Seebold might have to sell up and start again.

It took the jury just half an hour to reach their verdict. Lena – not guilty; Seebold – not guilty; Archibald Crump – guilty of wasting police time; Farmer Doyle – guilty of wasting police time and assault. Lena and Seebold were acquitted while Farmer Doyle was fined ten pounds and Archibald Crump was fined thirty pounds. Both Crump and Doyle were ordered to pay costs.

Once judgement was given, the judge told the usher he would be back in court in fifteen minutes to deal with the woman in contempt of court. Someone called ‘All rise’ and, after bowing, the judge left for his chambers.

Downstairs, Milly and Lena hugged each other. Lena was in tears, but they were tears of relief and joy. Pearl, still in the gallery, curled her lip with contempt. Seebold was shaking hands with just about everybody in sight until the usher called for the courtroom to be cleared.

While everybody filed out of the gallery, Pearl stayed where she was. What was going to happen to her mother? She felt someone sit beside her and turned expecting to see Freddie. She looked up and took in a breath. ‘Milly!’ Pearl’s face soured. ‘Come to gloat, have you?’

‘Oh Pearl, please don’t be like that,’ said Milly, trying to take her hand. ‘I thought you might need a little support.’