Set in the very near future.

It was the opening divorce appeal court case of the day and the public gallery was already filling up fast, long before the antagonists arrived.

Clearly, the wife who was fighting the divorce was the one who entered first. She was a tall, beautiful, normally slim but presently very heavily pregnant woman, dressed in a light blue summer frock, escorted to her seat by her smartly-suited and handsomely bewigged Queens Councillor. A troop of other smart and no doubt expensive lawyers marched behind in support. A frail old woman sported a walking stick, while her other arm was tucked into the other arm of the pregnant woman.

They made themselves comfortable at their assigned seats, the lawyers setting out folders of notes, while the old woman shuffled into a reserved space in the lower court immediately behind the lawyers. The young woman threw a cardigan, that one of the junior clerks carried for her, over her shoulder to combat the coolness of the ancient courtroom and sat, confident, a relaxed smile of contentedness on her lovely face.

The adversary, her husband, entered moments later, wearing a green tweed jacket, brown woollen trousers and an open-necked cream collared shirt. By his side, a single young barrister, suited but nowhere near as sharply as any of the wife’s numerous briefs.

“All rise for the Honourable Judge Lord Smith QC!” starchily announced the clerk of the court.

All rose as the judge, a bewigged mature woman of average height, spare build, dressed in a flowing black gown, entered and sat facing the court. She wore a stern pinched look, her eyebrows arching as she scanned the room, noting the packed audience with a scathing as she made clear that she did not approve of the judgement of justice having any entertainment value.

While everyone else sat, the clerk rose, passing a slim folder to Judge Smith, before turning and addressing the court.

“The Divorce Hearing of Saunders versus Saunders ordered both parties to take consultation leading towards reconciliation. This Appeal to that decision, is petitioned by the plaintiff Mr Alexander Saunders on the basis that the marriage is irreconcilable, due to Mrs Cassandra Saunders’ pregnancy, being conceived outside legal matrimony. Mrs Saunders contests that the conception was dated well before the date of the said marriage and therefore not at all subject to the marital contract.”

There was a pause while the Honourable Judge quietly read the notes before her, before looking up.

She addressed the Counsel for Mrs Saunders. “These notes state that the Saunders’ wedding was eight years ago, is that correct?”

“Yes, Your Honour, Mrs Saunders has sworn an affidavit which will throw light upon the matter, which I beg leave to read out, if Your Honour would graciously allow.”

The judge stared hawk-like at the heavily-pregnant woman, who smiled back serenely. The judge also noted the defiantly scowling husband, whose junior brief withered under Judge Smith’s scornful gaze. She decided to hear the statement.

“Go ahead, read.”

The Queens Counsellor stood, “Ahem, my client would like to state the following:

‘Since early childhood I have always been obsessed with rock music from the late 1960s, when my dear Grandmama was a teenager. She filled my young head with wonderment of those times and I absorbed everything she told me like a sponge. I wanted to know more, so I studied the music and the times and have written extensively on the subject. Last year I was appointed Professor at London University in my specialist subject. My dear husband, Alex, doesn’t share my tastes, preferring to play folk music on his old guitar in his spare time. However, Alex is a brilliant design engineer and inventor of many household gadgets, so we are ... comfortable financially, and more than ready to start our family after eight years of marriage.