For a moment she considered arguing, but he planted a hand squarely in her middle back and pushed her toward the door. Gathering her shredded dignity around her, Mina headed out into the fresh air. To her horror, she felt her eyes prickling with tears. No doubt it was the fall-out of the strain of last two days, but it was hard to shrug off her husband’s accusing words. Well. At least now she knew what he thought of her!
Catching sight of the carriage at the end of the street, she made for it with her head held high. She could hear Nye’s boots against the pavement behind her but did not turn her head to look at him. Seizing the handle to the door of the carriage, she flung it open and, but even as she lifted her skirts to place her foot on the step, big arms closed around her from behind and Nye boosted her up into the carriage before him.
She was surprised when he climbed in after her. She thought he’d have taken a seat up top with Herney rather than ride passenger inside. She had only just arranged herself onto the seat, stony-faced when the carriage lurched forward.
“I’m waiting,” he said harshly.
It was funny to think the large angry man sat opposite as a sight for sore eyes, but that was how it seemed to Mina, even though she currently wanted to throw something at him. She let her gaze roam over his dark hair and smoldering eyes. Then she caught the expression in those eyes and thought she’d better make haste to explain her role in his release.
“Jeremy engaged his legal man to take up your cause, a Mr. Havering. I believe the Vances have employed his firm for many generations,” she answered in freezing accents.
His eyes flickered, but he made no comment on this. “And?” he prompted. “I saw whose name counter-signed those papers, Mina,” he added dangerously. “So, don’t even think about lying to me.”
“Very well, I did approach Sir Matthew,” she admitted. “But never alone. Jeremy accompanied me to Upton Gadsby. He spoke to Sir Matthew as well as I. In fact.” Her voice rose with indignation. “I barely spoke to the man. I concentrated my efforts on Cecily, so she would bring her influence to bear on him.” He gave her a withering look at that. “They are engaged to be married,” she added pointedly. “At least, unofficially they are.” He made no comment on that and Mina started to feel a little desperate. “In any case, if anyone owes an explanation, it’s you!” she flung at him accusingly. “What on earth were you thinking telling Jeremy that you wanted to divorce me or go running off to Exeter?
“I’ll tell you what I was thinking, Mina,” he retorted angrily. “I was thinking that when I was swinging from the gibbet, you’d be set up in a fine house, befitting of a lady like yourself!” His eyes avoided hers, staring unseeingly out of the carriage window.
“Well, that’s not what I would want,” said Mina firmly.
He swung around, an incredulous look on his face. “Well if that isn’t just bloody typical of you, woman, then I don’t know what is!”
“I’m not a fine lady,” she carried on, calmly ignoring his outburst. “I’m a publican’s wife and I’m more than happy with my lot.”
He snorted. “How about a convict’s wife?” he asked bitterly. “I don’t think you’d have suited that fate, Minerva.”
“Certainly, I would not,” she agreed. “But as you had renounced your former way of life, I had no intention of allowing that to happen.”
He stared at her incredulously. “You had no intention?” he echoed, then shook his head. “You’ve got no idea, woman.”
“On the contrary, I knew full well what I was about. But as for you, how dare you make plans to leave me? Do you have any notion—?”
“Do you have any notion how I felt?” he broke in heatedly. “When I found that rock covered in your blood? That rock Edna told me Reuben had smashed against the back of your head—” His voice was thick with emotion and for a moment, his throat seemed to close on him. “I knew full well whose fault it would have been if you were found somewhere cold and dead with all that spark and fire of yours extinguished,” he carried on unevenly after a moment’s pause. “Mine! All mine. Mine was the blame for carrying on with that pack of—” Words failed him again. “The blame was mine and so should the punishment have been.”
“Nye—”
He waved her words aside. “I’m not a fit husband for you Mina. I never was. Do you think I’m unaware of the fact? Faris was insane to have even thought of such a scheme and I’m a villain to have taken the bargain. Do you understand? I married you to get my hands on Vance House because the smugglers had been using that passage and the cove there for years.”
“Yes, I had realized that,” she admitted coolly. “But why then, on gaining it, did you not immediately evict the tenants? More importantly, why did you tell the smugglers that you were quitting the business altogether?”
Nye brooded a moment, then took a deep breath. “I was not bothered about a pair of old, stone-deaf sitting tenants,” he said dismissively. “And as for quitting.” He gave a short, harsh laugh. “I was crazy to think they would even consider letting me get out of it.”
“Likely because Gus was always so personable,” Mina mused. “He’s very good at hiding his ruthless nature.”
He shot her a troubled look. “I don’t even like to think about how you must have felt when you came around in that passage.”
“I won’t lie, I was badly frightened when I caught a glimpse of Gus’s true self. I think personally he was the real leader of operations, do not you?
Nye looked startled. “I don’t—” He frowned and directed her a look beneath his brows. “Gus?”
“Every time Reuben spoke of ‘the guvnor’, Gus was practically laughing up his sleeve. He did not trouble to hide it from me.”
“He always spoke of receiving orders from another,” he said slowly, but his expression was thoughtful.
“Is it true that no member knew more than one or two others of the company?” He looked evasive. “I remember that night they called up to the window for you they had scarves over their faces.” She could see he was still reluctant to speak on the matter and sighed. “Edna has told the Riding Officers she could not identify the man who drove the cart that carried me away, for she only caught sight of his back view.”
Nye’s gaze met hers. “Did you see him?” he asked.
She shook her head. “His hat was pulled low and I only glimpsed him for an instant before Reuben struck me.”
He tensed at her words, then exhaled noisily. “Probably just as well,” he muttered.
“The Rowleys have taken to frequenting The Harlot of an evening,” she told him.
He sat up in his seat, with a quick frown. “What? Have they said anything to you? To Edna?”
She shook her head. “It’s not so much an intimidation tactic as a show of support,” she assured him. “Corin and Herney spread it in the village that we are not identifying anyone apart from Gus and Reuben.”
“Reuben’s dead, I saw to that myself,” he said abruptly.
Now it was Mina’s turn to sit up. “What do you mean?” she faltered. “I thought he got shot in the struggle?”