Goddard was impressed: he was already standing, a reassuring smile on his face. He gestured towards the chair which had been pushed to one side by the preceding witnesses. "If Miss Yorke will be seated there," he said. "We have one or two formalities to go through first."
Jenkins bustled round holding both the Bible and a Crucifix, and then had to scuttle back to collect the card on which the oath was written. Then obviously he decided to use one of the alternative forms, which did not require the witness to recite, and then remembered that he had not read all the details of the accused's list of witnesses. Finally he walked round to Alexis, who saw what he was carrying and stood up.
"Madam, do you subscribe to -"
"I belong to the Established Church," she said quietly, and took the proffered Bible in her right hand, holding it up.
Jenkins, more used to dealing with truculent, deliberately obstructive or stupid seamen, smiled encouragingly.
"Are you Miss Alexis Aureelia Yorke?"
"I am Alexis Aurelia Yorke," she said, quietly correcting the pronunciation of her second name.
"A spinster living at Bexley in Kent?"
"I am a spinster," Alexis agreed. Ramage could see she was puzzled over the address, since she and her brother owned homes in Barbados, Jamaica and London as well as Bexley.
"I have a home in Bexley," she said finally, "but I travel a good deal."
The point of the answer was lost on Jenkins, who took a deep breath and said: "Do you swear upon the Holy Evangelist that the evidence you shall give before the court, respecting the charge against the prisoner, shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
"Oh indeed!" exclaimed a startled Alexis. "I mean, yes, it will."
Jenkins took back the Bible and returned to his seat while a smiling Goddard invited Alexis to be seated again.
Ramage was ready for Goddard's next move.
"Miss Yorke, as president of the court it is usual for me to ask questions of the witness, so my first question is if you know anything of the circumstances of the charges made against the prisoner?"
"The prisoner? No, I don't think I know anything about the prisoner."
Goddard gave Ramage a triumphant smirk. "Then, madam, would you mind telling the court why you are here?"
"Oh yes, that is quite simple. I am here to give evidence about Captain Lord Ramage - the gentleman sitting there."
Goddard swallowed hard, for a moment put about by the sudden use of Ramage's title, which would be normal enough in private life, but he failed to keep a sneer from his voice and a smile from his face: "But he is the prisoner."
"My goodness," Alexis said, "such a brave officer made a prisoner. Tell me, Admiral, have you ever read any of the London Gazettes when they print some of his despatches?"
Goddard's smile was trying to bolt, but he held on to it as best he could. "Madam," he said with icy politeness, "this is a court of law, and I have to ask you the questions."
"Oh, of course! Please do."
"I have to ask you what you know about the circumstances of the charges against the prisoner." Goddard now had the smirk fixed firmly in place: that question, he clearly thought, would dispose of this witness. It did not occur to him that he was dealing with an extremely intelligent young woman who was enjoying baiting him.
"Forgive me, Admiral, and it is probably against all your rules, but may I ask you a question?"
Goddard gave a slight bow; an inclination of head and shoulders which, accompanied by a smile, was intended to show this extremely elegant woman that admirals were indeed human and only too willing to attend to any feminine fads and quirks. "Of course, madam: feel free to ask."
"Well, you said - or, rather, I understood you to ask me - what did I know of the circumstances of the charges against the prisoner. "
"Yes, that was the burden of my question."
"But how can I talk about 'the circumstances' when I don't know what 'the charges' are?"
Ramage kept a straight face. Goddard had walked straight into that trap, and Alexis had sprung it with perfect timing.
Red-faced and beginning to perspire freely, Goddard was obviously thinking of the tedium of reading aloud several Articles of War and, more to the point, could guess some of the questions Alexis would ask about them.
"We will put that question aside for a moment, madam," Goddard said, and went on with the question he thought should finish her business in short order.
"First would you tell the court all you know about the Calypso's encounter with the Jason, and the voyage of the two ships back to Plymouth."
"That would take all night," Alexis said, "and anyway you can't really ask me any relevant questions about it because you weren't there. I am very anxious to help the court, but please, admiral -" she smiled sweetly, "- remember that I am but a woman."
Ramage knew that not a man in the court could forget that, and the six captains who usually sat facing the sternlights, their backs to the witness and the accused, were now twisted round in their chairs, watching Alexis.
"Why would it take all night to tell us?" Goddard asked patiently. "All the members of the court are experienced naval officers."
"Yes, I am sure they are," Alexis agreed, "but what Captain Shirley did is beyond the experiences of naval officers, or indeed any sane people."
Ramage had heard of the expression "a silence you could cut with a knife", but he had never experienced it before. Goddard was one of the last to pull himself together and, red-faced, mopping his brow with a handkerchief, he said: "Madam, you must not say things like that. The deputy judge advocate, as you can see, has to write down everything that is said. I regret that I must order him to delete that whole section."
"But why?" demanded Alexis. "Just look at him." By now she was standing and she gestured to where Shirley sat in his chair, still staring at the deck. "There you see a madman, a man who orders his own ship to fire a whole broadside at an unsuspecting British ship - no, don't you dare tell me to be silent," she told Goddard. "You weren't there and I was. I saw it all happen. That great puff of smoke was caused by all the Jason's guns firing into the Calypso, which was only sailing up to exchange greetings. What did you say?" she said quietly to Goddard. "You'll have me removed from the court?" She twirled her parasol. "Come, Admiral, this could be very amusing."
Captain Swinford leaned forward and, first glancing at Goddard to make it clear that he was going to speak to the witness no matter what the admiral might decide, said: "Madam, I am sure the president was speaking metaphorically: no violence will be offered you in this court. Would you please clear up one question which is puzzling myself and my fellow captains gathered round this table, which is how you were there?"
"Thank you for your reassurance, Captain," Alexis said softly, as though speaking only to Swinford and the captains, her face turned away from an officer who certainly was not a gentleman and who bullied women, "and I am only too pleased to explain.
"My brother owns a number of merchant ships - thirty-three, unless the French have captured another one recently. From time to time he decides to sail in one of the ships - usually to the West Indies. Occasionally I accompany him- I must admit." she said with a conspiratorial smile, "that I find London society rather boring: the attention of callow young men whether in uniform or not can become extremely tedious, although not as bad perhaps as the clumsy gallantries of politicians which, together with their uncommonly boring talk - always of politics - is rather like overhearing a den of thieves and murderers exchanging gossip about their latest crimes."
Ramage could see that Goddard could hardly restrain himself from interrupting but Swinford and the other captains were enchanted by this young woman who was giving them a fascinating glimpse of London society and saying with such insouciance what they wanted to hear about politicians.