Following a long, worrisome week, Nate and Angel sat on a long bench in front of the courtroom. A gloomy day, it mirrored their mood. The inside of the building showed scant light, oil lamps casting off barely more than shadows. Angel shivered and rubbed her palms up and down her arms. Every once in a while she would let out a deep sigh.
Nate checked his pocket watch, and cast a glance out the heavy glass doors.
Restlessness overcoming her, Angel rose and paced the small entrance hall. Occasionally she, too, scanned the glass door, and then resumed pacing.
Nate grabbed her hand as she strode by. “Honey, we arrived almost an hour early. You’re making yourself a wreck. Why don’t you take a walk around the block to calm yourself?”
“No, I’m fine.” She sat down, took his hand, and squeezed it. “We’ll be fine.” She paused. “Won’t we?”
The outside door swung open and Mr. and Mrs. Belford, along with an older man, entered the courthouse. The Belfords barely acknowledged them, but the older man approached.
“I’m Jeffrey Strickland, and I represent Mr. and Mrs. Belford. May I assume you are the Hales?”
Nate stood, and took the man’s outstretched hand. “Yes sir, I am Nathan Hale, and this is my wife, Angelina.”
“Do you have a lawyer, Mr. Hale?” Strickland asked.
“Yes, he should be here any minute.”
An officer of the court came out of the small door alongside the bench at the same time Damian Lawton entered through the front door.
“If everyone is here, the judge is ready,” the officer said.
They entered the silent courtroom. A desk sat on a raised platform against one wall, with a Bible resting on it. Several benches were positioned in rows in front of the judge. He struck Angel as a pleasant looking man, probably in his late fifties. His black hair showed streaks of silver, and the sharp blue eyes behind his spectacles twinkled with humor. He wore the robe of his office, and smiled at all the parties as they entered the room.
“Good morning, folks. I’m Judge Raymond Hathaway.” He motioned to the benches in front of him. “Please, make yourselves comfortable.”
Angel took a deep breath and followed Nate to a bench directly in front of the desk. Once everyone sat, the judge retrieved the papers before him, and adjusting his spectacles, read the documents. Every once in a while he would glance up, apparently to identify the various parties from the paperwork.
After several minutes, he nodded in Strickland’s direction and leaned back in his leather chair. “All right, let’s hear from the petitioners first.”
Jeffery Strickland stood, and smoothing his hair and tugging on his cuffs, faced the judge. “Your Honor, my clients are the maternal grandparents of the Hale children. They are,” he stopped and checked his notes, “Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Julia-Rose.”
The judge smiled at Angel and Nate, and then returned his attention to the lawyer. “Go on.”
“Your Honor, my clients have done some investigation, and they have reason to believe Angelina Hale and Nathan Hale are unfit parents and the court should remove them from their guardianship and place them with their grandparents.”
Hearing the words spoken out loud caused Angel’s stomach to tighten. She glanced at Nate who wiped sweat from his forehead. He reached for her hand, and gripped it.
“That’s a pretty strong charge, Mr. Strickland. I assume you’re prepared to tell this court exactly what the reasons are?” The Judge regarded the lawyer over his spectacles.
“Yes, Your Honor. My clients have discovered that some time ago, Nathan Hale kidnapped a woman from her home.” The attorney turned, and faced Nate. “Then he held this woman against her will, until such time as her husband rescued her.”
He paused, and continued to stare at them. “And Angelina Constanza Hardwick Hale was expelled from Miss Pennington’s Finishing School for Young Ladies in New York City for stealing a very valuable necklace.”
Angel and Nate turned to each other in shock.
“You kidnapped someone?” she gasped.
“You stole a necklace?” Nate choked.
The Belfords eyed each other and smiled.
Chapter 20
Damian stood and addressed the judge. “Your Honor, since this is the first time we’ve heard these charges, I request we adjourn this hearing, and resume it after I’ve had a chance to discuss this with my clients.”
The judge slammed his gavel. “This hearing will be continued in five days.”