“Yes, after he hit you. He said he used my father’s method to increase the concentration of toxins in his aconite. I … I saw one of my father’s files in Berking’s office when I was going through his things. Something about hybridization. I’m afraid”—she took a deep breath but found her lungs didn’t want to fill completely—“I’m afraid he was telling the truth.” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know if that was her father’s purpose. What did that mean about her father, if he had worked to make dangerous plantsmoredangerous?
With steps becoming more confident, Alexander arrived beside her and leaned on the windowsill. “Afraid of what? Knowledge isn’t innately bad. His intention could have been for medicines rather than poisons. If Berking did something nefarious with it, he’s to blame , not your father.” His fingers lifted her chin, silently encouraging her to meet his eyes. “Take it from someone who has experienced firsthand what knowledge in the wrong hands can do. Scientists spent long hours perfecting the weapons used in those trenches.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, not sure what else to say.
His thumb brushed her cheek softly, once, twice. Now Saffron found it hard to draw breath for quite another reason. Alexander’s dark eyes were not enigmatic as they usually were, but their intent clear in how they dipped to her lips.
For a breath, they stood poised for more. Warm sun pressed at her back, and Saffron imagined that would be how his kiss would be, gentle and warming and lovely. Anticipating it, her eyes fluttered closed, and lifting her chin—
“Mr. Ashton! You’re not meant to be up!” a nurse squawked from the door, oblivious that she’d ruined a perfectly temptingmoment. She hurried over, fussing and clucking like a mother hen.
“I should return to my room,” Saffron said quickly, face heating. “You need to rest.” There was an understanding twinkle in Alexander’s eyes that made her insides melt. Clearing her throat, she added, “I’ll come back to see you later, shall I?”
Alexander nodded and she squeezed his hand once more before agreeing to be escorted back to her room.
The inspector himself came to see Saffron and Alexander two days later. Saffron had been released, but she had no plans to return home until that evening when Elizabeth left work and came to collect her. Inspector Green stood in the doorway of Alexander’s room with his hat in his hands and something resembling a content expression on his otherwise bland face.
“Good morning, Inspector,” Alexander called to him from over Saffron’s shoulder. He sat in his bed, still in hospital pajamas. Saffron sat in a chair next to him, fully dressed with playing cards in hand.
“Good morning. May I come in?”
“Yes, of course. You’ve caught us in the middle of a hopeless game.” Alexander threw his cards down.
He had been letting her win rather shamelessly. Saffron grinned and turned to face the inspector. “Why, Inspector, you actually look pleased.”
“I am, Miss Everleigh,” he replied, the hint of satisfaction becoming more evident. “Last night we caught Richard Blake. He was attempting to board a ship to—”
“America?” asked Saffron.
“France,” Alexander countered.
“Morocco, actually,” said the inspector.
Alexander smirked at Saffron.
“That doesn’t count!” she protested. “Inspector?”
He considered them, then shrugged. “You wouldn’t say Canada was England.”
Alexander rolled his eyes and Saffron laughed. “Well then, you’ve caught him. Is he talking, like Dr. Berking?” she asked.
“He hasn’t said a word. We did find something on him that might be of interest to you.”
Saffron sat up in her chair straighter. “The poison? Are your people testing it?”
Inspector Green shook his head. “Not the poison, though he did have a vial on him when they caught up with him. Luckily it smashed before he could do anything with it. Not enough of a sample to test, unfortunately.”
“You think he meant to—” Saffron broke off with a loud exhale. She really ought not to consider all the horrible things Blake might have done with that poison. “But what did Blake have with him, then?”
“The money,” the inspector said, his eyes twinkling for once. “Nearly the entire amount the university had collected for the expedition.”
Before Saffron could exclaim her delight and surprise, Alexander’s disbelieving voice asked, “He had all of it with him?”
“Apparently that’s what delayed him long enough for us to get a hold of him. He was arrested outside a bank,” the inspector said.
Saffron was relieved that the money had been recovered, but too many questions prevented her from being content with that information. “I should like to have known what exactly their mysterious poison was, though. Have you found R. Glass?”
“Yes. Dr. Rupert Glass admitted to collaborating with Dr. Berking but staunchly stands by his claim that he was ignorantof the solution’s purpose. He professes he had nothing left to hand over and had apparently already destroyed the research he’d accumulated when he grew suspicious after the poisoning.”
