Mina could only feel herself greatly relieved that Gus did not mean to try and pin the role of mastermind to Nye. It seemed absurd to her that anyone could think Reuben a commanding figure, but she supposed he had little else to fall back on.
“He says you will bear him out that he was most careful of your health and wellbeing and acted champion against Prouse’s repeated threats of violence.”
Mina nodded, “That is true enough.”
Guthrie, she noticed looked visibly frustrated by her words, though he did not press her. “As for Tom Rowley, he insists he is a ‘peaceable man’ with a large family and says he never saw hide nor hair of him anywhere near the place.” He hesitated. “We want to know if you will testify against Tom Rowley, Mrs. Nye.”
“I’m afraid I cannot,” Mina answered with perfect truth. “I was quite insensible after Reuben struck me and I did not catch sight of the carter’s face at any point.”
“Your maid, Edna Lumm now says she cannot be sure the man was Tom Rowley who drove the cart out of here yesterday afternoon. She only says she took him for Tom Rowley at the time.”
“Edna is one of the most truthful people I know, Mr. Guthrie. If she says she cannot swear to it, then I must believe her.”
Guthrie’s look was rather hard before he dropped it. “Rowley was taken into custody but released again this morning,” he admitted. “Indeed, I start to fear ma’am that we will not get a successful conviction against any of the ring at this rate.”
“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
