“How did you find this,” Franklin asked Abigail softly, struggling to steady his voice.
She met his gaze with surprising compassion. “After my mom died, I hid in the staff quarters at Mr. Gregory’s house because I had nowhere to go, and I heard them laughing about you and calling you foolish for paying for everything.”
Her voice trembled, yet she continued bravely. “Three months ago they threw me out, and one night I sneaked back to get something that belonged to my mom, and I saw this paper on his desk, and I knew what they were doing to you was wrong.”
Judge Harper did not hesitate after hearing this testimony. She ordered immediate arrests for fraud and perjury, and officers moved swiftly to handcuff a hysterical Olivia and a defeated Gregory.
As the courtroom slowly emptied and the scandal unfolded outside, Franklin remained standing in stunned silence. He then looked down at Abigail, who seemed small and fragile despite her enormous courage.
“Do you have anywhere to stay,” he asked gently as he knelt to her level without caring that his expensive suit brushed the dusty floor. “Do you have family.”