She stiffened. “What are you saying, Jeremy? This is all water under the bridge now and hardly helpful! “
“In marrying you to a man of poor moral character,” he continued as if she had not spoken.
Mina wrenched her fingers from his. “You dare to speak to me of moral character?” she asked in a shaken voice. “Yes, I could tell you were half-cut the entire journey from Bath. Let me tell you I felt far more endangered in your company than I ever did in William Nye’s.”
He flushed. “Mina please.” He waved his hand helplessly. “I regret my role in what has happened, most heartily. If you will only allow me to make some reparation.” He broke off, taking a deep breath. “Amanda and I are separating. Our marriage has brought us nothing but misery.”
“And Teddy,” Mina pointed out through gritted teeth.
“One good thing,” he acknowledged. “She talks of moving to the continent almost immediately.” He leveled a look at her. “How should you like to be mistress of Vance Park? You could take up the reins as my sister. Help me raise Teddy right.” Mina shook her head. “I’m persuaded your parents would have approved of such an outcome,” he urged.
“But I would not, my lord. I am married to William Nye and I do not hanker for any other role,” she assured him vehemently.
“Even our mother was divorced, Mina,” he pointed out seriously. “If she could muster the bravery to take such a step, then I am sure that you could. “
“Divorced?” Mina burst forth. “Good God, sir! It is you who needs to procure a divorce, not I!” She gazed at him with exasperation. “Really Jeremy! You will allow that brazen wife of yours to skip off to the continent without legally severing your ties?”
He looked suddenly tired. “Mina—”
“No Jeremy! It is not solely I who needs to face up to harsh truths. I know that I am married to a smuggler,” she said in an urgent undertone. “But you are a fool if you let that woman flounce off to Europe with a claim still on your name and title. What if she shows up years from now, quite dissipated, steeped in infamy, demanding you give her the dower house for her old age? Only think of the vicious company she could expose Teddy to! The rumors and conjecture, the demands on your purse! Even if you never see her again, no respectable woman will ever ally herself with you when there is no possibility of marriage. Do you really mean to deprive Teddy of a decent female influence in his life?”
“He has you for that,” he said mutinously. “I am done with women.”
She gave a short laugh. “A pretty face like yours won’t repine for long. I daresay our mother thought she would never re-marry, but it must have been mere months before she took the plunge again!”
It took a moment, but she saw the glimmer spark in his eye. “Think me pretty, do you?”
“You’re vastly pretty,” she said briskly. “Just like she was.”
“And Nye’s an ugly customer like m’father.” He sighed. “But you’re devoted to him, aren’t you?” Mina nodded, unable to speak the words. “Lord, what a mess I’ve made of everything!” Jeremy groaned.
“Don’t you dare think of sinking into despair, or another bottle!” Mina upbraided him. “If you truly want to make amends, then help me now, my lord.”
He nodded. “If that’s truly what you want, then gladly.”
Mina huffed out a sigh of relief. “In that case, I need you to bring your carriage around for I need an escort to Upton Gadsby.”
“Upton Gadsby?” Jeremy echoed, clearly mystified. “Why, what’s there?”
“Sir Matthew Carswell, Justice of the Peace,” she replied promptly.
23
On the ride over there, Jeremy explained that it had been Edna who had raised the alarm. Happening to glance out of the bathroom window, quite by chance she had seen Mina struck down and bundled into the cart. By the time she had run downstairs and into the yard, the card had already trundled away. She had thought it was a local man, Tom Rowley at the reins, but as she had only caught sight of his back, she could not be certain of that fact.
By the time Nye had been summoned from the cellars and the story told to him and the bloodied rock discovered in the yard, so much time had lapsed that there was no sign of the cart and a frantic search had found no Reuben either. Nye had saddled one of the horses and ridden first in one direction and then the next, for Edna had not waited to see which way the cart had gone.
A grim-faced Nye had returned an hour later empty-handed and announced his intention of riding to St Ives to enlist the Riding Officers aid in recovering Mina. Everyone had been a good deal shocked, for such a step meant exposing his own involvement in the smuggling business, but Nye had remained unswayed in his determination to set forth immediately.
At this point in the retelling, Mina wondered if Nye had known how close to death she had come. Had he had an inkling of just how ruthless Gus Hopkirk could be? She wondered if Nye too believed that Gus was the true brains behind proceedings. He could surely have not realized how deeply Reuben resented her or he would not have kept him on at the inn.
“So, Nye confessed to knowledge of the secret passage beneath Vance House?” Mina said aloud.
“As to that.” Jeremy shrugged. “He had only very recently taken ownership of the place. I suppose my father must have told him it existed, for I did not know.” He hesitated. “What if I said that I had been the one to tell Nye of it, on handing over the deeds?” He darted a glance at Mina. “I could say I was concerned that the passage had been disturbed of late and had asked Nye to check this. What do you think?”
Mina nodded. “That might be a good thought,” she agreed. “Nye is far from talkative. I should think it unlikely that he told the Riding Officers much information other than that he believed I was being held a prisoner down there.”
“If he could have,” he pondered. “Very likely he would have gone after you alone. It must have gone against the grain to get the law involved. I daresay he thought the risk too high to do anything else.”
“Apparently he had cut his involvement with them,” Mina admitted. “They thought by getting rid of me, they would draw him back in their circle again.”
“Getting rid of you?” Jeremy queried.
“They were going to fling me off a cliff and hope it passed for suicide of an unhappy wife.”
Jeremy looked shocked. “I had thought they meant to control him in some way by ransoming your return.” She shook her head.
“How are we to approach this business with Sir Matthew?” he asked with a frown. “Have you considered?”
“I have,” Mina admitted. “Are you content to be guided by me in this matter, brother?” He inclined his head, gesturing for her to continue. “I would like you to take a high tone with him,” she admitted. “It is absurd that my brother-in-law should be embroiled in this matter”, that sort of thing. Sir Matthew is something of a snob and will set much store by your title.”
Jeremy’s lips twitched appreciatively. “You also mentioned something about his being in your debt, I think?”