Judge William Turnir was on edge today. His face was twisted with anger, and his eyes were shooting daggers. Beside him walked his faithful assistant, Biddle, who seemed ready at any moment to throw himself into the line of fire just to please his boss. Biddle frantically tried to calm the judge, whispering something soothing, but Turnir wasn’t listening. His thoughts were entirely occupied with Joanna, the young woman who had dared to refuse his marriage proposal.

For the judge, this was utterly incomprehensible. He considered himself a perfectly suitable match: a man in the prime of his life, holding a high position in society and with unquestionable authority. In his world, refusals did not exist, especially not from someone like Joanna. He was oblivious to the fact that youth and beauty do not always pair well with the desire to marry an aging, albeit influential, man. Morality was a foreign concept to him, and he couldn’t care less that Joanna found his presence and advances physically and emotionally repulsive.

Seeing that his efforts were in vain, Biddle held the judge’s umbrella higher, trying to shield him from the drizzling London rain. He mumbled something indistinctly, attempting to distract Turnir from his dark thoughts. But the judge, lost in his musings, paid no attention to his surroundings. He walked briskly, not looking down, and at one point bumped into an ordinary townswoman, a resident of London.

Judge William Turnir was a cruel and ruthless man, but in this situation, he decided to show a different side of himself. He didn’t initially notice anything special about this woman, but feeling that his reputation might suffer, he decided to portray himself as a courteous and charming gentleman.