“You have no expectation of identifying who the mysterious ‘guvnor’ they spoke of might be?”
Guthrie shook his head. “Hopkirk talks ceaselessly, but it’s all sound and no substance. To hear him talk, Prouse was the villain of the piece and he a poor duped old man.” A look of disgust passed over his face. “I believe ma’am, that he would vastly enjoy appearing before a jury.”
“They would be eating out of his hand before the trial was over,” Mina predicted softly.
Guthrie shook his head. “You have no other detail to impart that might help us with our investigation. No new angle that might aid us in our enquiry?”
“I’m afraid not,” Mina said quietly. Helping their enquiry build a case was not exactly her priority, but she could hardly admit as much.
He looked disappointed, but not surprised and took his leave of her shortly after. Edna and Corin rallied around with Edna exclaiming she had never liked Gus and always thought him a smooth-tongued villain. It was Corin’s half-day that afternoon and the girl said she would not take it, but Mina insisted.
“You must go into the village Corin and visit with your granny as usual. And you must make sure to tell her anyone else you meet there, that Edna and I have both told the Riding Officers most unequivocally that we cannot identify Thomas Rowley, and neither would Gus. Only Reuben’s involvement with my abduction is confirmed with witnesses.”
Edna shot her a sharp look at this but lowered her gaze as Corin agreed wide-eyed that she would do so.
“The Rowleys are a local family,” Edna said after Corin had set out with her bonnet and her basket for the village. “And there’s powerful many of them living hereabouts.” She hesitated. “I told true when I said I couldn’t positively identify him, but—” She broke off frustratedly. “I did take it for him at the time, Mrs. Nye and that’s the God’s own truth.”
“I understand perfectly Edna,” Mina assured her. “We cannot send a man who may be innocent to the gibbet.”
Edna paled. “What of the master?” she asked hoarsely. “Has he queered his pitch sending for those officers? You could have knocked me down with a feather when he said that was what he was doing. For he must have known—”
“My brother Lord Faris is speaking to his solicitor on Nye’s behalf and I have spoken to the local Justice of the Peace. I hope between them they may negotiate Nye’s release. He had already broken with them, Edna,” she added quietly. “That was why – why they took me,” she said simply.
Edna reached across the table to clasp hands with her. “I knew you would bring him around,” she said staunchly.
Mina could only hope she had not inadvertently sent him to the hangman.
24
The next three days were a sore trial to Mina. The only news she received was a scribbled note from Jeremy assuring her he had met with his legal man Havering and he was taking the matter under his consideration. They received no more visits from Riding Officers, but they did receive all manner of other visitors to The Harlot.
The first were the Tavistocks who came in a very antiquated carriage and stayed for a roast mutton dinner in one of the private parlors. Mina tried in vain to get them to take their meal in her own private room as her guests, but they would not be convinced. It dawned on her that the elderly brother and sister were showing support for their business and she could only be grateful, though she did not know how much sway they held locally.
They were firm in their opinion that the elder and more objectionable of the two Riding Officers was in gross dereliction of his duty and so they told anyone who would listen. “For it stands to reason, my dear. If Nye was implicated in this business, he would hardly have bought them to his own door!” Mr. Tavistock said with a decided nod of his gray head. “Pack of nonsense, depend upon it!”
The second night, a straggling bunch of working men came up the hill from the village and trooped into the empty taproom at The Merry Harlot. Corin had to run to the stable to fetch Herney who had been polishing the carriage. He hurried inside to serve their customers and Corin made haste to inform Mina that at least three of the group were cousins to Tom Rowley.
The third night even more drifted up the bank from the village in two and threes. Some only stayed for one drink, but others hung around for longer, making the taproom buzz with conversation. Reuben Prouse had not been a popular figure and people were happy enough to allot him the lion’s share of the blame. Of Gus, they seemed less censorious and seemed to think he had been led astray, more sinned against than sinning.
Mina sat in the kitchen with Edna and Corin who were sewing new dresses for church. She had her handkerchiefs to embroidery, but in truth managed precious few stitches. She simply did not want to be alone with her thoughts these days, which often turned bleak.
She wondered how long it would be before she had news from Jeremy. He had thought that Sir Matthew Carswell would communicate far easier with him than with Mina, and she was forced to agree. She did not know what Mr. Havering’s opinion had been of their chances of Nye escaping conviction, for Jeremy had been uncommunicative on that score. She drew his note from her waist pocket again and stared at the well-read words.
“Your cup of tea will be getting cold, Mrs. Nye,” Corin ventured timorously.
Mina flashed her an absent smile and drank the beverage down. “I think I’m for bed,” she sighed. “I’m good for nothing else. I’ve sewn this same petal three times already and unpicked it again just as many times.
She had washed and was walking back through to the kitchen when she heard the horse hooves in the yard outside. She was surprised for it was nigh on ten o’clock. Glancing out of the window, she saw the rider dismount and was startled to see it was none other than Jeremy.
Hurrying through to the hallway, she flung open the door and waited for him to hand his horse over to Colfax who was still helping out where needed. Jeremy did not tarry to speak to his employee but strode immediately to where Mina waited. “Let’s go to your private room,” he said in a low voice and Mina led the way with her heart in her mouth.
As soon as he had shut the door behind them both, she turned to him, almost trembling with apprehension. “You have news? Please tell me.”
He reached into his jacket and withdrew a folded paper which he held fast a moment before passing it to her.
Mina’s hands shook so badly she could scarcely open it. “What is it?”
“Release papers.”
Mina cried out, almost dropping the papers to the floor. “For Nye?” She fixed her eyes on him with an intensity that was almost painful.
Jeremy smiled. “They are signed and ready for presentation to the officers at St Ives.”
“Then, why do you not present them immediately?” She glanced at the clock and cursed the lateness of the hour.
He cocked his head to one side. “It’s my belief that you should perform that office, sister. First thing on the morrow.”
“Me?”
Jeremy’s expression turned grave. “It’s my opinion you will need to exercise the full force of your charm on him, I warn you.”
Mina felt a spurt of alarm. “What do you mean?”