RESUMEN
Era el día del juicio de Charles y Beverly contra el policía PC Ludlow. El primero en declarar fue el policía, y casi no recordaba las mentiras que dijo en el juicio anterior. El abogado de la defensa, Oliver Lebutt le preguntó por una libreta donde él había apuntado lo que sucedió ese día; PC Ludlow dijo que no pudo traerse esa libreta porque se le cayó al río, intentando salvar a un gatito (esto hizo que el jurado creyera en su inocencia).
Después declaró Charles. Él explicó que vio como el policía agarraba fuertemente a Berverly del brazo, y por eso fue a ayudarla. Pero la pelea había causado serios daños a PC Ludlow, ya que tenía la barbilla llena de cicatrices y debía llevar barba el resto de su vida para ocultarlas. Oliver Lebutt intentó sensibilizar al jurado hablando sobre la triste infancia de Charles y humillándolo.
Cuando el jurado popular volvió de su reunión, anunciaron su veredicto: encontraban a Beverly inocente (rápidamente Tony abrazó a su mujer), pero a Charles culpable; su condena era estar 6 meses en la cárcel. Diana comenzó a llorar, pero antes de que la policía se lo llevaran, Charles le susurró algo a su mujer: “riega las plantas”.
Por la tarde todos estaban en casa de la Reina Madre, ya que ésta se puso muy enferma cuando se enteró de la noticia de su nieto. Philomena Toussaint estaba dándola de comer en la cama.
Charles estaba en una pequeña celda con tres hombres más; era una habitación estrecha y con literas. Estaba muy preocupado por su jardín; debía enviar una carta a Diana con instrucciones cuanto antes.
NOTA 1: el Príncipe Charles tenía el pelo largo recogido en una coleta (“ponytail”).
NOTA 2: en este capítulo se muestra lo emotiva que es la familia de los Threadgold, ya que hicieron una fiesta para celebrar la inocencia de Beverly. En cambio el resto de componentes de la Familia Real no se preocuparon por Diana después de que se llevaran a Charles a la cárcel.
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It was the trial of Charles and Beverly against PC Ludlow. The policeman was the first to talk about what happened and he tried to remember the lies that he said at the previous trial. Oliver Lebutt, the lawyer for the defence, asked him where was his notebook. PC Ludlow had a notebook where he wrote what happened that day, but he said that he couldn’t bring it because he lost it when he was saving a little cat in the river (in that moment the jury believed in his innocence).
Then Charles told his version. He saw the policeman pulling Beverly’s arm, and he went to help her. But the chin of PC Ludlow was scarred and he would wear beard to hide them for the rest of his life. Oliver Lebutt tried to awareness the jury talking about the Charles’s difficult childhood and humiliating him.
The jury had a meeting and came back quickly. The verdict was: Beverly was innocent (Tony hunged and kissed her) but Charles was guilty; he would be in prison during six months. Diana started to cry, but Charles could tell her something before the policemen took him: “water the plants”.
The whole Royal Family was in the Queen Mother’s house, because she was ill when she knew the sentence of Charles. Philomena Toussaint was feeding her in the bed.
Charles was in a little and narrow cell; there were three men and two bunk beds. He only thought in his plants. He had to write Diana quickly and send her instructions.
ACTIVIDADES
- Why was the Queen angry with Charles? Because Charles looked like a poor man with his ponytale; he had to cut his hair and wear better clothes.
- Why did Diana think the Royal Family wasn’t emotional? Because nobody asked how did she feel after the policemen took Charles to his cell.
- Apart from the letter to his mother, what other letters did Charles want to write? He promised to the Queen that he would write her every day. Also he had to write to Diana to remember her that she had to water the garden. But the prisoners could only send a letter per week.
