Protecting the Desert Princess(25)

                ‘It’s fine!’ she dismissed.

                ‘It’s really not fine…’ He breathed out, for today he was going to discredit the deceased. Today was not a day during which Mikael would be endearing himself to anyone. But immediately Layla waved his concerns away.

                ‘I’ve been following the trial. I know what he did.’

                ‘What he’s accused of doing,’ Mikael corrected, but she just shrugged.

                ‘He should be fed to the dogs!’ she said, and then looked straight at him. ‘And in my country that isn’t just a saying.’

                The whole café seemed to fall silent as the impossible happened.

                Mikael Romanov laughed.

                At seven a.m. near the end of a trial.

                ‘So,’ Mikael said as their breakfast was served, ‘apart from dancing and getting drunk, what else is on your bucket list?’ He chose to explain that before she asked him to. ‘Your to-do list.’

                ‘Oh…’ Layla smiled. ‘This.’

                ‘What?’

                ‘This is on my list—I wanted to share a meal in a restaurant with a sexy man. But in my plan it was in the evening and we were holding hands.’

                ‘This is a café,’ Mikael said, ‘and I don’t hold hands. What else?’

                ‘I’m not telling you,’ Layla said, popping blueberries in her mouth.

                ‘Go on,’ he pushed, ‘tell me.’

                ‘If you take me dancing tonight I will tell you some more.’

                ‘I’m not dancing till the jury is in,’ Mikael said, ‘and if today goes well then you’ll be long gone by then.’

                ‘Then you won’t ever find out.’ Layla shrugged.

                ‘How about dinner tonight?’ he offered.

                ‘Somewhere romantic?’ Layla checked.

                ‘I don’t do romance.’

                ‘Oh. Well.’ She shrugged again. ‘Your loss. I might have to find another person to fulfil my wishes.’

                * * *

                When they arrived at chambers a rather bemused Wendy took Layla over to the court while Mikael showered and changed into a fresh suit, and then he sat for a long quiet hour going through everything in his mind, over and over. He scratched out phrases, honed in on words, re-examined every angle, just to plant that seed of beyond reasonable doubt.

                As court resumed Mikael glanced up at the public gallery just once to check that she was there.

                She was smiling down at him.

                In black robes and a wig Mikael looked even more incredible than he had when he had been on her computer.

                His voice, when finally he commenced his closing argument, had the goosebumps rising on Layla’s arms, for it was rich and deep and reached every corner of the courtroom. It was her privilege to sit, absolutely mesmerised, as Mikael set to work.