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?”
Nye shook his head. “I broke his neck,” he said briefly. “He should not have touched you.”
“Broke his—?” Mina stared at him a moment, then gave herself a quick shake. “Well, it’s of no matter now.”
Nye shielded his eyes from her with his hand. “Gus may still turn Queen’s evidence you know,” he said gruffly. “To save his skin. If he were to implicate my own involvement over the years…”
She hesitated a moment. “Was that one of the reasons you wanted to disappear to Exeter?” she asked, suddenly stricken.
“No.” He looked impatient.
“In any case,” said Mina. “I don’t believe for one minute that Gus would do such a thing.” She hesitated. “You see, his whole defense angle is that he was an ignorant old man who was taken advantage of by the wily smugglers. A bit of flattery, a few bottles of rum and he was putty in their hands. That sort of thing. He won’t blow that apart now by admitting to knowing much more about the business. Officer Guthrie told me Gus acted quite bewildered that you had been taken into custody. He told them that Reuben gave him his orders and you were nothing to do with it.”
Nye looked a good deal taken aback by that. “Reuben giving orders?”