Cecily wheeled around at this; her expression rapt. “I would be delighted, my dear Mina!” she exclaimed. Mina wondered at it, but it seemed Cecily was in deadly earnest. The only reason Mina could think of, was that Cecily could write to her former schoolfellows, now proclaiming them to be bosom friends. For her to think of this as a social triumph was so patently absurd that Mina could not help hiding a smile, despite her own mood at present.
Cecily applied perfume and then rang the bell for her maid to help her into a dress of lavender with a profusion of ruffles and lace. Mina had poured their tea and eaten half of the toast before Cecily dismissed her maid and sank into a chair beside her.
“Now tell me everything!” she urged. “Dearest Mina, spare no detail, for I want to hear it as though it were one of those wonderful stories you used to tell us at school.”
Mina regaled her with an extremely expunged version of all that had befallen her since their perfidious stable hand abducted her and secluded her in an underground passage. Of Gus Hopkirk’s involvement she mentioned precious little, save that he had implored the villainous Reuben not to let her freeze to death, or offer her unnecessary violence.
“What a terrible man that ostler was - so cruel and brutish!” Cecily shuddered. “For you to be at the mercy of such a ruffian turns one blood quite cold!”
Mina agreed. When she came to the part of the story where Reuben had gagged and bound her for her journey to the cliff edge, Cecily shrieked and clapped her hands to her cheeks. She did not utter a word until she reached the Riding Officers taking Nye into custody along with Gus Hopkirk.
“No!” cried Cecily, sitting up indignantly. “But why should they do such a stupid thing?”
Mina spread her hands wide. “I think because Nye owns Vance House and was Reuben’s employer they think- “
“But how foolish! As if that were his fault!” she expostulated. “I vow and declare I never heard of such stupidity! After they abducted his own wife!” She stood up and then sat down again in great agitation. “But where is your husband now?” she asked.
“He sits in the holding cells at St Ives, awaiting transfer to Bodmin jail.”
Cecily gasped. “But we must tell Sir Matthew at once!”
Mina looked down demurely at her gloved hands. “I must own that was my mission in coming here this morning. To throw myself on Sir Matthew’s mercy…”
“Of course!” breathed Cecily approvingly. “It is the only thing to be done!”
“Alas, he was from home when I arrived—”
“Oh, but I am sure I heard his carriage come up the drive some twenty minutes ago,” said Cecily blithely.
“Really?” Mina said, turning toward the window. “I did not notice it.”
When they made their way downstairs moments later, they found the drawing room empty and the murmur of male voices from Sir Matthew’s study.
“Who was it accompanied you this morning?” Cecily asked in a whisper as they hovered on the threshold.
“My half-brother, Lord Faris,” Mina responded and saw Cecily’s jaw drop.
“Lord Faris?” she gasped. “Lord Faris is your brother? Dearest Mina!”
“Yes,” Mina agreed, craning to make out any of the words through the door. “I did not find out until recently, however. Should we knock?”
Cecily looked horrified. “Oh no! On no account. We must sit and wait for them to join us after they have talked business. Sir Matthew does not approve of women who put themselves forward in an odiously pushing manner,” she stressed.
Mina gritted her teeth but sat beside her ex-pupil on a sofa all the same. They had not been sat there for more than a couple of minutes when Jeremy emerged, his usual urbane self, though there was a pucker between his brows Mina did not care for. His gaze sought hers for a reassuring smile before Sir Matthew checked on the threshold to the room.
“Mrs. Nye, I had not realized you accompanied Lord Faris.”
“Dearest Mina was visiting with myself when you arrived home, Sir Matthew,” Cecily told him fluttering prettily.
He stiffened and Mina thought a little color entered his hollow cheeks. “Indeed,” he said, his gaze darting between them. Whatever he saw did not seem to make him any easier in his mind. “Er – Cecily has ordered you some refreshment?” he asked.
“Oh yes,” Mina agreed. “She has been a most considerate hostess. Jeremy,” she said rising to introduce her brother to Cecily. “This is my good friend, Miss Carswell. Cecily this is my brother, Lord Faris.”
“Enchanted,” Jeremy said, bowing over Cecily’s hand. She blushed prettily and became quite flustered. Mina noticed Sir Matthew’s brows snap together as he watched her brother at his most charming.
“You have seen my husband this morning, Sir Matthew?” she asked pointedly.
“What? Oh – er, as to that, I’m afraid I only managed to look in on him very briefly, ma’am.” He dragged his eyes from Cecily to address her. “I spoke with Officers Havilland and Guthrie and only had the time to really speak to that hardened charlatan, Augustus Hopkirk, if that even is his name,” he added cynically.
Mina remembered that Gus was not around from these parts and reflected with surprise that it may well be an alias. “I see.”
“Surely Sir Matthew, there is something you can do for my friend?” Cecily appealed, moved to tears. “It is too cruel that her husband should now be held prisoner! And most unjust.”
Sir Matthew looked uncomfortable. “I will own that I was not fully appraised of the facts,” he said after a slight pause. “But there are certain matters we need clarification upon,” he added pompously. “And we cannot act in haste on these matters, my dear Cecily.”
“Well Carswell,” said Jeremy, taking up his hat and cane. “I have made my next actions plain. My solicitor will be engaged to act on behalf of my brother-in-law, and we will lodge an action against any move to transfer him to Bodmin immediately.”
Sir Matthew’s expression tightened. “As you say, my lord,” he said with a stiff bow.
“Come, Mina,” said Jeremy, offering her his arm. With heightened civility, they took their leave.
“What did he say?” Mina asked in a low voice as they pulled away from the house.
“He offered Nye a custodial sentence this morning, if he turned Queen’s evidence against Hopkirk.”
Mina gasped. “What did Nye say to that?” she asked in dismay.
Jeremy cast her a speaking glance. “Nothing. He is not easily coerced or intimidated as you may imagine.”
“At least then he would not hang,” Mina said, biting her lip.
“You would still be married to a convicted felon, however.”
“But not a widow,” she pointed out.
“There is that,” he conceded.
“I think you put him out a good deal talking of legal representation. They had not expected Nye to have such backing.”
“It was not mere bluff,” Jeremy assured her. “I will ride to see Havering this afternoon.”
“Did he tell you nothing else?” Mina persisted.
“Carswell said Hopkirk is playing the lovable rogue card to the hilt. Just a bluff old sailor out of his depth and manipulated by more unscrupulous types.”