He was visited by Paul Johnston in the early afternoon. ‘The bill of impeachment is prepared,’ the solicitor told him. ‘Irvine will lodge it with the Crown Office tomorrow morning.’ ‘Why the morning?’ Mathew asked. ‘In truth, I do not know,’ the cadaverous Johnston confessed. ‘Are you happy with our counsel? Tell me straight now.’ ‘I confess that I would rather we had been able to instruct King’s Counsel. But I like young Innes; his learning is evident and his enthusiasm for the case is in no doubt. However he is a debutant in court and he is being forced to enter the most difficult defence of all. He is also going to be facing the best opponent that could have been placed before him. James Douglas may be cunning and hugely ambitious, but he is undeniably a gifted advocate. He is also a man who knows how to pick a winner. As a defence counsel he always managed to avoid the obvious losing cases. As a prosecutor he has never failed to secure a guilty verdict. He has put the rope round the neck of many a man, and more than one woman.’ Mathew felt his heart sink.
