Victoria folded her arms and stepped between Holly and Gareth, glaring at Gareth as she did so.
"You're scaring her half to death," the formidable woman complained.
“I’m okay,” Holly mumbled, trying to get Victoria’s attention.
Gareth, Victoria’s English lawyer, held up his hands to calm her. He looked around Victoria to meet Holly’s eyes.
“Sorry, Miss Carter. I don’t mean to frighten you, but I do need to prepare you for the questions the judge is going to ask.”
Holly nodded. “It’s okay. I understand.”
Victoria stepped back again. Holly had been surprised at how quickly she had leapt to her defence. Gareth had been explaining the process, and Holly could feel the stress building within her. It had clearly manifested itself on her face, and Victoria had seen and taken action. It was a nice feeling to have someone so powerful on her side.
They were in the opulent waiting room of the courthouse. The marble floor and high ceilings caused their words to echo softly around the empty room. Oil paintings hung on the walls, and busts of important looking men looked at her with stony scowls.
Gareth looked at Victoria. “Remember that you need to remain absolutely silent until spoken to when we get in there.”
Victoria’s glare could have melted steel. Holly was relieved that she wasn’t on the receiving end of it.
Gareth didn’t seem fazed. “I’ve done some research on the judge, and he is extremely strict. He won’t like an American woman coming in and telling him how to run his courtroom. The quickest and most efficient way of getting out of here is speaking when spoken to, saying as little as possible, and most of all, sticking to the script.”
Victoria maintained her fiery stare for a few moments more. Finally, she rolled her eyes and, with a slight nod of her head, agreed.
Gareth turned back to Holly. His face softened. “Are you ready to continue the questions? I’d like for you to be as prepared as possible.”
“Absolutely, fire away,” Holly said.
She was keen to hear what Gareth had to say. The whole court process was terrifying to her. The very idea that someone who had never met her would be making a decision about her well-being was baffling. The fear that he would disagree with what Victoria had in mind was causing Holly’s heart to beat like a drum.
Gareth gestured towards one of the wooden benches against the wall, and Holly followed him. Victoria remained standing, glancing up at the golden clock high on the wall.
In the short amount of time she’d known Victoria, Holly had discovered that time was a very important concept for her. Victoria hated the idea of being late, and her own clock seemed to run a few minutes ahead of everyone else’s. A ten o’clock meeting should start at nine fifty-five. Holly made a mental note of the fact.
“Okay,” Gareth began.
She pulled her attention away from Victoria and towards Gareth. She tried to fully focus on him, despite her nerves.
“Let’s go through the process one last time,” he suggested.
Holly nodded and took a deep breath. She needed to focus. Today could be the first day of the rest of her life.