Tony looked both ways before ducking down a small alleyway and down another street and to the back mews. A footman held a lamp at the gate and once he saw it was Tony, he stepped aside to let them in. Charles kept looking at his brother and then his surroundings, only to rest his frown back on his baby brother.
Tony led them inside and up the stairs to the main floor. He turned to face his brother just outside the parlor. “I know this is all very strange, but what goes on behind these doors cannot be relayed to anyone, not even Gabrielle.”
“Is this some kind of illegal activity?”
“You will see.” Tony pushed open the doors and strolled in. Charles peeked his head in the room. When he saw his mother and sister sitting on the sofa with her dog, he sighed and walked in.
“Mother, sister, Miss Sterling. What is this place?”
Tony led him to the small table where Lucinda sat and pushed him into a seat. “Charles, Lucinda has a ring. Within that ring is a message. We have been told it is not in code but is perhaps a formula.”
“A formula for what?”
“That is what we hope you will tell us.”
“I am not a chemist.”
“Can you please just look?”
“Fine. The ring if you please, Miss Sterling.”
Lucinda took off her ring and gave it to Tony’s brother. He examined the outside and then looked at Tony. Tony grabbedthe ring and opened the three hinged areas, revealing the writing inside.
“Ah, now, let me see. It is written very small.” Tony handed him a magnifying glass. “Right, well I can see sulfur mustard and oh, this is not good, nitrogen mustard. These two should never go together.”
“Why not? What would happen?”
“Well, I am not an expert in such things but putting such organic compounds together would surely emit a poisonous gas. They are alkylating agents you see.”
“So, let me understand. This formula is for a poisonous gas?”
“In its basest form. There are a few other things here, but I am fairly sure it is intended for pest extermination perhaps or to destroy overrun farms of mice and rabbits. I can think of no other reason to use such a volatile substance. Let me say, I would never allow such a concoction to be used on my lands. Lord knows what the effects could be.”
Tony slapped him on the back. “Thank you, Charles.”
Charles looked around at the grim faces about him. “I have been helpful then?”
Lucinda smiled. “Very much so. Thank you so much, Lord Harlow.”
“Is that it? Can you tell me why that was in your ring?”
Lucinda put the ring back on her finger. “My father put it there.”
“Why?”
“To hide it, Charles,” Tony said. “You have just told us how dangerous this formula could be, so you understand why no one can know about it?”
“Of course.”
“Nobody. Not your valet who you tell everything to, not your wife who knows you better than you know yourself. Do you thinkyou can keep this to yourself? If someone were to get their hands on this, imagine what they could do with it?”
Charles looked ill. Tony suspected he had just had the penny drop on how serious this was. “What do I tell them then?”
Marianne stood up and came over to her brother. “Tell them that Tony needed relationship advice.”
Charles looked up at Tony, who was frowning at his sister. “Relationship with whom?”
His mother rolled her eyes. “Oh, Charles.”
