Once more his face heated. She had behaved as if nothing untoward or momentous had occurred, while he had been at complete sixes and sevens.

The carriage rocked through the predawn darkness. Sunrise was an hour away, and the heavy overcast bore no promise of brightening the streets of London with much cheer.

He closed his eyes, weariness and lack of sleep catching him up. Perhaps he could snatch a few minutes’ rest before they arrived.

The jolt of the carriage stopping brought Daniel upright, and he blinked, rubbing at his scratchy eyes with the heels of his hands. The brief nap hadn’t alleviated his tiredness, and he felt dull and stupid.

Cadogan opened the door. “Close as I can get, guv. Should I wait here for you?”

“Yes, thank you.” Daniel stirred himself, jumping to the ground and stretching. “Been a long night. Hopefully, I shall return soon.” He dug in his pocket and gave the jarvey a coin. “Find yourself some breakfast. There’s bound to be a bakery nearby.”

Yawning hard enough to crack his jaw, Daniel made his way down the narrow street toward the temporary barrier surrounding the mill. No watchman stood at the opening. Had they discontinued the nightly patrols? Or was the watchman inside the mill with Rhynwick?

Fog hung over the sluggish river in heavy pewter scarves, and Daniel shivered. Flexing his fingers, he tried to work some warmth into them. He entered the mill through the warehouse doors. The smell of smoke still lingered, but fainter. The clearing away of the wreckage had begun, and the warehouse floor had been swept clean and sacks and barrels restacked along the walls.

The first indication of sunrise filtered in through the high windows on the east side of the warehouse, and Daniel made his way down the hallway toward Montgomery’s office.

Both office doors stood open, but the rooms were empty. The absence of paperwork reminded Daniel that he had yet to sort everything taken to Bow Street. Owen had begun the process, but other duties had intervened.

The milling floor was silent and empty. Broken equipment had been heaped on one side, and Daniel could see where repairs had begun. Perhaps Miss Montgomery had given permission for the work to start in anticipation of either selling the property or reopening the mill herself.

She would have to do it without the aid of Viscount Coatsworth. Daniel had confirmed that the man had indeed gotten on a ship bound for the Caribbean.

His visit with Miss Montgomery upon his return had gone oddly well. She’d received the news about Coatsworth’s sudden trip to Jamaica calmly. “He will return. It must have been urgent business for him to leave so quickly. I am certain he regrets not informing me, but there must have been no time.”