A Bride for the Prizefighter - Alice Coldbreath Page 0,144

he repeated skeptically. “No one would believe that.”

“They would if they wanted to. It turns out Reuben was not well-liked in the village. The officers did not even know him. I bet you the guards are already warming to Gus and allowing him extra portions of tobacco and gin,” Mina said with a snort. “He’s a cozening old rogue. Or at least, that is the face he presents to the world.” She thought fleetingly of the more sinister things he had told her but pushed that resolutely out of her mind. It could have been lies, she told herself. Gus Hopkirk was first and foremost a spinner of yarns.

Nye looked conflicted. “Still,” he hesitated. “If he truly was the one in charge…”

“Put it out of your head,” Mina begged. “It’s my belief such a thing would never be proven. It is just a notion of mine after all, and one I will not so much as mention to anyone else save yourself.” When he continued silent, she added. “Besides, he bore you no ill will. He told me himself that you were drawn into smuggling by old Jacob Nye and that you had little choice about it.”

Nye did not look appeased. “If he gave the orders to have you kidnapped Mina—” he started wrathfully. “Then—”

“But don’t you see? That was nothing personal. It was just business. Indeed, he scolded Reuben for treating me poorly. He did not dislike me.” It occurred to Mina that Nye did not realize Gus had intended for her to be flung off a cliff edge. She decided not to enlighten him. Likely it would just put rash ideas into his head about getting Gus convicted at all costs. “Now that the smuggling ring is broke quite apart, I daresay he will bear no malice, but will instead focus on swaying the jury in his favor.”

“Aye and he’ll probably escape with a custodial sentence,” said Nye darkly. “I wouldn’t put it past him.”

“And what’s that to us?” shrugged Mina. “I doubt he’d come back to Penarth. He’s not from ‘round these parts and likely he’s left many such skirmishes with the law in his wake. He’ll probably go whistling out of prison and take himself another name and pitch up at some other seaside spot. A salty seadog with a wealth of tales and a winning manner.”

“And that’s it, is it?” Nye asked. “We just forget about the ordeal he put you through?”

“Yes,” she said firmly. “We put all that behind us. At least.” A sudden thought struck her. “I may write him a letter to be given in prison.”

“What?” Nye thundered.

“Just to let him know, that I will never breathe a word of what I learned in that passageway and that you refused to turn Queen’s evidence so he knows he has nothing to be revenged against on that score.”

“They read and censor every letter a prisoner receives—” Nye began, but she fluttered a hand at this.

“I know that of course! I would couch everything in exceedingly careful terms. For instance, I would thank him prettily for preserving me against Reuben. He would be vastly pleased by that I think and read it aloud to his jailors at every opportunity, for you see it backs the line he means to take. Then I could tell him that you had been released and how vexed I was that anyone could be so foolish as to suppose you had been involved.” She tapped her chin distractedly. “Perhaps I could finish by assuring him I bear him no ill will and wish him well in his trial.”

Nye looked irritated. “And if he should call on you to testify in is defense?” he pointed out testily. “Could you swear in a court of law that he intended you no harm?”

This floored her for a moment, before she rallied. “I could truthfully say that he upbraided Reuben for repeatedly threatening me. And besides, I don’t think he would want me on the witness stand for he would know I would not actually lie on his behalf.”

“No, except by omission,” he said caustically.

Mina directed a swift look at him. She had almost run out of steam now and had precious little left in her arsenal to distract him from his current mood. “Well,” she ventured, going for broke. “I have discovered some new friends in any event. The Tavistocks are an exceedingly nice pair and I beg you will not dispossess them of Vance House, for they seem very settled and