He moved to the next canister that was shaped differently. He lifted the lid but was cautious not to smell too deeply. He didn’t need to smell this one, only because he recognized the plant.Opium.
Slowly, he moved around the table, looking into each canister. He found camphor, hemlock, prussic acid, and tobacco. Although tobacco didn’t cause death, the others did if used in large doses. Yet Harold was a clever man. His purpose was to make a concoction that gave one the symptoms of each plant—excitement of the brain, dizziness, fainting, difficulty breathing, stupor, and delirium.
Wayne moved to the desk and lifted the lantern to look at the open journal with writing inside. From what he could assume, these were specific measurements of each poison that formulated one calculation. Apparently, Harold was making his formula to sell. Since opium was on the rise, Wayne was certain this concoction would fetch a handsome price, not only in Britain but also in other countries.
On the small table next to the desk sat bottles filled with dark liquid. Excitement shot through Wayne—he knew he had found everything needed to have Harold and his men thrown in the gaol for a very long time.
He rushed to the lanterns and turned off their glow. Keeping hold of the smallest one, he weaved around the tables toward the steps leading up to the warehouse. Footsteps echoed inside as voices ricocheted off the walls.
His heart sank. Who could be here this early in the morning?
Without another thought, he lowered the light in the lantern and crept behind one of the large crates in the room. Soon, thevoices grew louder as they came closer. He clenched his teeth, wishing these people wouldn’t have come. He was too close to his achievement to have everything ruined.
A woman’s giggle and a man’s deep chuckle made Wayne aware of what the couple was probably doing in the warehouse. Out of all the places to find privacy, why did it have to be here? But when the stairs groaned from their footsteps, a different confusion filled him. Apparently, this couple knew where they were headed.
For a moment, Wayne heard whispers. Seconds later, a lantern flared to life. He scooted down, not wanting to be seen.
“And this,” the woman said proudly, “is what makes my father a rich man.”
The familiar voice rang through Wayne’s ears, stunning him completely. Not trusting his own hearing, he peeked around the crate. Jane stood next to a man, holding on to his arm as they stared at the large table in front of them.
Jane?Wayne shook his head. This couldn’t be right. How would a sweet woman like her be involved with her father’s illegal dealings? There must be some kind of mistake. Or…maybe sniffing those canisters had messed up his head again.
“Lord Penrose makes good money selling these?” the man asked.
“Indeed, he does.” She stared up at the tall man, batting her eyelashes in a flirtatious manner. “And since my father is hiring more men to help him, I would love to give him your name.”
The man’s expression softened as he cupped the side of Jane’s face. “I would beveryappreciative if you would, Lady Jane.”
“Indeed?” She tilted her head. “Just how appreciative, may I ask?”
He grinned. “I could show you right now, but I heard a rumor that you are engaged.”
Jane snorted a laugh and flipped her hand through the air. “I’m only pretending to be engaged. My father wants to keep a close eye on Mr. Worthington because Father suspects him of working for the Bow Street Runners.”
Wayne groaned silently and closed his eyes. Why had the earl suspected that? Wayne was rather skilled at working undercover. Unless… Had he said something to the earl while in his delirium state?
He frowned and shook his head. From what Jane hinted at, the earl had suspected Wayne before the engagement. He peeked back at the cozy couple, feeling angered and betrayed. Yet he had been pretending with her as well, and it wasn’t as if he would go through with the wedding anyway. Besides, with this enlightening bit of information, perhaps Regina would consider allowing him to court her.
“Tell me, Lady Jane,” the man said in a sultry voice, “has this drink been used on anyone?”
She laughed and leaned over to take a bottle of the concoction from off the table. “My father tried it on Mr. Worthington, and I gave a little to my friend, Miss Taylor. Although I had wanted to watch her to see how she was affected, Miss Taylor disappeared on me that night. The next day, she acted as though she was back to her normal, irritable self. As for Mr. Worthington, Father said the man had just returned home and slept it off.” She paused for a moment before her eyes widened. “Oh, and I gave Miss Taylor’s parents some in their drinks, too. I couldn’t have them searching for their daughter until all hours of the night.”
“But why would you want to give this to your friend?” the man asked.
“Reggie has acted like a controlling older sister for years, and I’m exhausted trying to argue with her. I wanted to enjoy myself at the ball, so I gave her the tainted wine. It didn’t takelong before mydear friendclaimed an illness and left the party. Besides that, I know she is only friends with me because I’m the daughter of an earl, and she is the vagabond daughter of a poor baron.”
The man’s grin widened. “Lady Jane, you are brilliant.”
Wayne had had enough of this nonsense. It was time he stepped into his Bow Street Runner boots and started making some arrests.
He jumped to his feet and withdrew his pistol. Neither Jane nor the man had seen him yet.
“Actually, Lady Jane is brilliantly foolish,” Wayne said, finally getting their attention as their heads swung toward him. Both sets of eyes widened, and their mouths gaped. The face of Jane’s beau grew white, and Wayne wondered if the man would faint any moment now.
Slowly he walked around the crate, keeping his pistol aimed at the man. Jane was no threat, but the tall man could jump on Wayne—unless he fainted, of course. That being said, it was difficult not to look away from Jane for very long. His hatred for her grew in leaps.
“What are you doing here?” she asked in a high-pitched voice.
