Derby Gaol
When You Were MineDerby Gaol is the place where Rupert Davenport is taken to await trial, marking the point at which his crimes lead to formal imprisonment and his separation from Isobel Davenport and Dominic Cavendish. The text gives the prison a precise narrative function: it is the immediate consequence of the case against Rupert and the setting of his uncertain future punishment.
Imprisonment Pending Trial
Dominic reports that Rupert has been taken to Derby Gaol while facing trial for attempted murder, kidnapping, and embezzlement, as well as debts he has no hope of repaying. Dominic considers hanging or transportation possible outcomes, but presents neither as settled; what he regards as certain is that Rupert is out of their lives for good.
Isobel’s View of the Outcome
Isobel hopes Rupert will remain in prison rather than be executed. Her preference is not forgiveness: she wants him to endure the loss of everything and the prospect of destitution and starvation. This response distinguishes her desire for his prolonged suffering from Dominic’s satisfaction at the prospect of either severe punishment. Derby Gaol thus represents both Rupert’s immediate confinement and the unresolved question of what justice should mean for those he has harmed.
