Smoke hung in ribbons in the air, and the shouts of the men fighting the blazes in the other part of the mill echoed through the room. A door on the river side of the warehouse had also been blown open. Perhaps someone else had been hurled outside like the manager. They should check before venturing into the hallway connecting the warehouse to the mill.

“What do you think happened?” the viscount asked between coughing spates. “What caused this?”

Daniel didn’t want to speculate, but with his recent conversation with Mr. Finch on his mind, he suspected something sinister.

“This way.” Lifting his lapel to cover his mouth and nose, Daniel made his way under a sagging beam toward the side of the warehouse that faced the river. Outside, a landing and a set of stairs hugged the side of the building, leading to a walkway over the waterwheel and the mill race that had been built to force water over the giant paddles. The wheel turned, but off balance, wobbling as if it had become disconnected from the shaft. Daniel gripped the railing, dizziness overtaking him as he looked down on the moving water.

Get hold of yourself, man. It won’t do for you to lose your head and need rescuing too. He steadied himself, refusing to show weakness in front of the viscount.

The walkway twisted around a corner and, though flat, felt as if it gained in elevation as the ground fell away beneath the supports. When Daniel navigated the water-splashed planks to the bend, his heart rate increased. He had no head for heights. On this side of the building, though the glass had been blown from the windows, no flames appeared. The villagers must be winning against the fire.

At the far end of the walkway, where it terminated against the stone wall, a man lay on his back, head and feet dangling, close to overbalancing and tipping into the river. As Daniel approached, the man stirred.

“Have a care. Don’t fall into the water.” Daniel touched his shoulder. “Easy … let me help you.” He put his hand under the man’s elbow and assisted him. “Slowly until you see if you’re injured.”

“What happened?” Grimaces accompanied every movement.

“There was an explosion. Part of the mill is on fire, and you must have been knocked unconscious by the blast. Were you out here working on the wheel?”

The man blinked. “An explosion?” He put his hand to his head. “Working on the wheel? Of course I wasn’t working on the wheel. I’m not a warehouseman.” He tried to straighten his waistcoat, which was too fine to belong to a laborer. “I’m an accountant. A man of numbers.”

Daniel studied the open window above them. “Then Someone was looking out for you, sir. You could have been blown into the water quite easily.” He pointed to the foaming water pouring off the waterwheel. “Let us get you to a less precarious spot.”