A Powerful Little Love

Chapter 26

"Just Amorette is fine," said Amorette with a chuckle as the young lawyer kissed her hand with a flourish. 

"And it's about time too!" called Sacha.  "Do you know, Madame that my friend here has spoken of little else but you since he returned to Paris?  Why he hasn't introduced you to his friends for so long we cannot know but I am glad to finally meet the woman he has spoken so highly of!"  Amorette felt a slight blush creep into her features as the lawyer turned back to Fabien.  "I can't talk now but we should all meet after session later if you have no other engagements?  I'll meet you both somewhere?  And of course if you have any friends as pretty as you are yourself Madam, you must bring them along?"  With a wink the lawyer began to take his leave of them as court was called back into session.  From a few rows away he turned to call out to Fabien again, "Monsieur this next case is not expected to go so smoothly.  There is trouble expected!"  With a nod towards Amorette he continued, "If things are going to take a turn for the worst I'll give you a nod.  I expect there will be a brawl of some sort here before the day is out."

With that he returned to his place at a long table covered with what looked like law books and Fabien returned to his seat.   Amorette quickly realised that there had been more than one intention to his standing to greet his friend for as he sat again; he placed himself even closer to her on the bench.  Amorette pretended not to notice the movement.  "How is it that you know Monsieur Rouzet?"

"We studied together," Fabien confirmed.  "I believe he thought he may have chosen acting for his path for a time.  But he has not lost that side of him as you can see."  Fabien gestured towards his friend who now addressed the magistrate and jury.  "The job of a lawyer isn't just knowing the laws of the country inside out.  To be successful you must also be a great orator and present your case with a certain level of decoration that makes it not only convincing but logical."

"So it goes hand in hand?" Amorette asked.

Fabien nodded.  "I have other friends in the business of law.  From time to time they may seek the help of a wordsmith to try and present a pleasing opening or closing speech."  For a while they fell into silence and watched events unfold and Amorette paid closer attention to the lawyer's words and movements and saw his clever addressing of the jury that had assembled.  From a gallery above them shouts slowly became discernible as opposing supporters argued their points.  For a while more they watched proceedings but Amorette could sense Fabien growing uneasy beside her and knew it was because the arguments upstairs were increasing in volume.  At length Monsieur Rouzet turned to glance towards the upper galleries and then his eyes flickered towards Fabien.  It was all the warning that her poet friend needed to grab Amorette's hand and lead her out of the courtroom and into the Paris streets as quickly as he could.  They headed across the river towards a tavern that Fabien and his friends frequented regularly and Amorette sent word to Claude of where they were.  Claude had arranged to meet them later that afternoon but Amorette was beginning to regret agreeing to such a meeting now that she had met the lawyer.  Claude would have attached herself to him in no time and Amorette didn't like the fact that she would essentially be to blame for her friend taking another lover behind her husband's back.

After a short while Sacha Rouzet arrived with a cut lip and a bloody nose.  Amorette sent Fabien to the bar for some more drinks whilst she grabbed a cloth and had Sacha tip his head back whilst she pinched his nose to stop the bleeding.  "Does this happen a lot Monsieur?" she asked curiously.

"Brawls?  Every so often.  I think sometimes people just sit in the gallery because they want to be part of a fight."  Sacha gestured for Amorette to remove the cloth from his face and sat forward.  "Sometimes it's understandable.  People connected with the case cannot hold in their emotions and anger and as they are not well educated they cannot present it with impertinent words.  Therefore they use their fists to do the talking.  It's the others who join in for the sake of it that confuse me."