BRITAIN:As darkness fell outside the family division of the high court in London last night, the two protagonists in Britain's most keenly-watched divorce proceedings left separately, and in silence.
For once, Sir Paul McCartney forgot his trademark grin-for-the-cameras routine, flashing only a half-hearted V for victory sign. His estranged wife Heather Mills was shielded behind a makeshift barrier of sheets and cardboard in the back of a chauffeur-driven car when she left minutes later.
The former Beatle and his wife of four years had been expected to hammer out a final settlement from his estimated £825 million (€1.18 billion) fortune in fairly short order. But it was almost 10 hours later when the couple finally left court 16, both parties refusing to divulge whether a deal had been done.
Last night a source close to the case said the hearing had not been concluded and would have to return to court at a later date.
Unconfirmed speculation yesterday had hinted that Ms Mills was seeking a £50 million slice of Sir Paul's fortune. Other reports estimated he was ready to offer £15 million with an extra £3 million a year until their daughter Beatrice, nearly four, reaches her 18th birthday.
To ensure secrecy in court 16, the principal registry of the family division in central London, an anonymous annexe to the Royal Courts of Justice, was temporarily wiped from the list of hearings. A barricade of chairs prevented access to the room.
If Ms Mills does get £50 million, that would not be a record: although the current publicly known record is £48 million, awarded to Beverley Charman in her divorce from insurance broker John Charman, lawyers specialising in "big money" cases say settlements as high as £100 million have been reached privately.