A Bride for the Prizefighter - Alice Coldbreath Page 0,129
eyes to find a plump, elderly matron bent over her with a look of extreme concern.
“Wha—?” Mina scanned the dark room to find herself in a comfortable lady’s sitting room, lying on a sofa. “Where am I?”
“Why, you’re safe here at Vance House, Mrs. Nye. I’m Nellie Tavistock and the officers bade me to keep you quiet and get you rested—”
“I must see my husband at once!” she said sitting up and dislodging a good deal of cushions. Her head swam and she nearly sank back down again. That was what she got for crying wolf, she thought contritely.
“There now! You mustn’t go upsetting of yourself, Mrs. Nye!” the plump old lady said as Mina moved a hand to the back of her head which was now dressed with a bandage. “I bathed your poor head myself and your wound is nicely cleaned and covered.”
“Thank you.” Mina flushed. “I do not mean to sound ungrateful, Miss Tavistock, but—”
A knock on the door interrupted them. A look of exasperation passed over Nellie Tavistock’s amiable countenance. “There now if it isn’t them again! You stay there,” she ordered and hurried over to the door.
Mina listened to the low murmur of voices, steadily rising, until poor Miss Tavistock was thrust aside and Officer Havilland brushed past her.
“She’s conscious now at least,” he said, looking Mina up and down as his colleague stayed by the door apologizing to the Miss Tavistock who was a good deal ruffled.
“I certainly am,” said Mina swinging her legs onto the floor with a wince and shooting out a hand to the arm of the sofa to steady herself.
“She’ll be fetched off again in another swoon, like as not!” cautioned Miss Tavistock who was becoming less amiable by the minute. She scurried to Mina’s side and turned a ferocious expression on the officers.
“That can’t be helped, my good woman,” said Officer Havilland briskly. “I must needs have an account from Mrs Nye immediately.
“The good doctor,” Miss Tavistock bridled, “said as she was not to be bothered—”
“Where is my husband?” Mina cut across this interchange. “Not another word will I speak until I have had some speech with him!”
“He has been taking to the holding cells at St Ives,” said Guthrie apologetically.
Mina gasped as an irritated expression passed over Havilland’s face.
“That need not be your uppermost concern, I assure you,” Officer Havilland said with a sneer. “The onus is now on you to clear your own name from our investigations.”
Mina turned to Miss Tavistock. “Would it be possible to send word to Viscount Faris? I believe he was your landlord until very recently?”
Miss Tavistock looked flustered. “My Lord Faris? Of course, but—”
“Please tell him his sister is in dire need of his support and his legal counsel.”
“His sister?” Miss Tavistock quavered, looking from Mina to the outraged Riding Officer. “Of course, my dear,” she faltered. “But I could not in all conscience leave you alone with these two …” Words failed her. “Gentlemen,” she finished with barbed disapproval.
“I assure you, not another word will pass my lips until you return to me, my good ma’am.”
A martial light entered Miss Tavistock’s faded blue eyes. “You can count on me, my lady!” she said, whisking past the two officers and leaving the salon in a whirl of sensible skirts.
“I apologize if we seem unduly hasty in our questioning,” Guthrie started appealingly. “But you see—”
Mina turned her pale face away from them and stared sightlessly through the window at the dark night. Nye had been taking to St Ives. They had taken him at gunpoint. She had not even had the chance to assure him she was still in one piece. Tears filled her eyes and spilled over her cheeks and Officer Guthrie bit off his words in dismay.
“Mrs. Nye—!” Officer Havilland started hotly, but rheumy old gentleman stumped into the room at that point in brocade dressing gown.
“M’sister sent me,” he said awkwardly. “Now what’s this to-do?” He caught sight of Mina and gave an outraged yell. “Nellie said you was brow-beatin’ her and I thought she must be exaggeratin’! Now, m’dear, there, there,” he said scuttling into the room, stabbing the carpet with his walking stick. “Doc Hadley said you wasn’t to be harried!” He flung a look of acute dislike at the Riding Officers. “Pulling about me cellars and now distressin’ of this lady! Demned outrage I call it!”
“I didn’t even get to see him!” Mina sobbed as he extracted a handkerchief from one of his pockets.