“Be calm now, Mrs. Nye,” he tried to soothe her, but Mina paid him no heed for she could hear shouting and scuffling down on the beach. Her ears craned for another gun shot and when she heard two more shots in quick succession she flinched and turned so fast she almost fell.
“Nay, I’ll cut you if you can’t keep still,” Herney reproached her in the ominous silence.
“Herney?” called a voice. “Herney? Do you have her?”
To her surprise, Mina found she recognized that voice. It was Guthrie, the younger Riding Officer from St Ives.
“Aye sir,” Herney responded. “Though I have not managed to free her yet, poor lady.”
“Step forward, I say! Bring forth the woman!” called another voice arrogantly. That would be Havilland, Mina realized recognizing the voice of the older and far less agreeable officer.
“Yes sir,” Herney called out and apologizing to Mina, he took her about the waist and lifted her out to where a semi-circle of uniformed men who seemed to belong to the local militia were stood brandishing lamps and swords. There must be eight of them, Mina thought blankly, staring about her. Then she noticed the dark heap on the ground. It was Reuben.
Gus was kneeling nearby, very pale, his eyes squeezed shut and blood pouring from his shoulder. Her eyes scanned the company with painful anxiety for her husband. At last she hit on him, stood with his hands behind him and a rifle pointed to his middle-back. He stared stoically into the distance and did not meet her eye. He was under arrest, she realized despairingly.
“Look out!” shouted Officer Guthrie, hurrying forward then Mina’s whole world slipped sideways, and everything turned black.
22
“There now, poor thing,” crooned a voice near Mina’s ear and she caught a whiff of sal volatile under her nose. Twisting away from it, she opened her eyes to find a plump, elderly matron bent over her with a look of extreme concern.
“Wha—?” Mina scanned the dark room to find herself in a comfortable lady’s sitting room, lying on a sofa. “Where am I?”
“Why, you’re safe here at Vance House, Mrs. Nye. I’m Nellie Tavistock and the officers bade me to keep you quiet and get you rested—”
“I must see my husband at once!” she said sitting up and dislodging a good deal of cushions. Her head swam and she nearly sank back down again. That was what she got for crying wolf, she thought contritely.
“There now! You mustn’t go upsetting of yourself, Mrs. Nye!” the plump old lady said as Mina moved a hand to the back of her head which was now dressed with a bandage. “I bathed your poor head myself and your wound is nicely cleaned and covered.”
“Thank you.” Mina flushed. “I do not mean to sound ungrateful, Miss Tavistock, but—”
A knock on the door interrupted them. A look of exasperation passed over Nellie Tavistock’s amiable countenance. “There now if it isn’t them again! You stay there,” she ordered and hurried over to the door.
Mina listened to the low murmur of voices, steadily rising, until poor Miss Tavistock was thrust aside and Officer Havilland brushed past her.
“She’s conscious now at least,” he said, looking Mina up and down as his colleague stayed by the door apologizing to the Miss Tavistock who was a good deal ruffled.
“I certainly am,” said Mina swinging her legs onto the floor with a wince and shooting out a hand to the arm of the sofa to steady herself.
“She’ll be fetched off again in another swoon, like as not!” cautioned Miss Tavistock who was becoming less amiable by the minute. She scurried to Mina’s side and turned a ferocious expression on the officers.
“That can’t be helped, my good woman,” said Officer Havilland briskly. “I must needs have an account from Mrs Nye immediately.
“The good doctor,” Miss Tavistock bridled, “said as she was not to be bothered—”
“Where is my husband?” Mina cut across this interchange. “Not another word will I speak until I have had some speech with him!”
“He has been taking to the holding cells at St Ives,” said Guthrie apologetically.
Mina gasped as an irritated expression passed over Havilland’s face.
“That need not be your uppermost concern, I assure you,” Officer Havilland said with a sneer. “The onus is now on you to clear your own name from our investigations.”
Mina turned to Miss Tavistock. “Would it be possible to send word to Viscount Faris? I believe he was your landlord until very recently?”
Miss Tavistock looked flustered. “My Lord Faris? Of course, but—”
“Please tell him his sister is in dire need of his support and his legal counsel.”
“His sister?” Miss Tavistock quavered, looking from Mina to the outraged Riding Officer. “Of course, my dear,” she faltered. “But I could not in all conscience leave you alone with these two …” Words failed her. “Gentlemen,” she finished with barbed disapproval.
“I assure you, not another word will pass my lips until you return to me, my good ma’am.”
A martial light entered Miss Tavistock’s faded blue eyes. “You can count on me, my lady!” she said, whisking past the two officers and leaving the salon in a whirl of sensible skirts.
“I apologize if we seem unduly hasty in our questioning,” Guthrie started appealingly. “But you see—”
Mina turned her pale face away from them and stared sightlessly through the window at the dark night. Nye had been taking to St Ives. They had taken him at gunpoint. She had not even had the chance to assure him she was still in one piece. Tears filled her eyes and spilled over her cheeks and Officer Guthrie bit off his words in dismay.
“Mrs. Nye—!” Officer Havilland started hotly, but rheumy old gentleman stumped into the room at that point in brocade dressing gown.
“M’sister sent me,” he said awkwardly. “Now what’s this to-do?” He caught sight of Mina and gave an outraged yell. “Nellie said you was brow-beatin’ her and I thought she must be exaggeratin’! Now, m’dear, there, there,” he said scuttling into the room, stabbing the carpet with his walking stick. “Doc Hadley said you wasn’t to be harried!” He flung a look of acute dislike at the Riding Officers. “Pulling about me cellars and now distressin’ of this lady! Demned outrage I call it!”
“I didn’t even get to see him!” Mina sobbed as he extracted a handkerchief from one of his pockets.
“Now, don’t go upsettin’ yourself, my dear.” He turned back to the officers. “Pass me that glass!” he barked. “Can’t you fellows do something useful for once? Cursed nuisances!”
Mina took the handkerchief with thanks and gave way to an excess of emotion. She had been knocked unconscious, threatened, prodded, poked and manhandled. She had been in fear of her life for hours and had also been tied so barbarously her wrists were cut and gagged with a rag she could only hope had been half-way clean.
“There’s a poorly dear,” Mr. Tavistock murmured. “You cry it out. Good for you.”
Mina who had always despised herself for showing any weakness found this was all the encouragement she needed. She gave vent to her utter misery and despair for a good couple of minutes. During this time Miss Tavistock re-entered the room and joined the battle. Her sweet, kind face had transformed into that of a raging virago and she had swept the room of officers and banged the door in their faces, informing them she had re-sent for Doctor Hadley who would likely bring an action against them.