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