Daniel had volunteered to take the guard duty for the night, to watch over Mr. Coombe at the hospital. Owen had been less than pleased when Daniel sent him home, having enjoyed two nights of extra pay. But with Sir Bertrand and Lady Juliette involved, no one from Bow Street, not even Ed or Owen, could take part in tonight’s gambit. Just as well no one knew Mr. Coombe had succumbed to his injuries less than half an hour after Owen left the hospital. And just as well that Sir Bertrand had arranged for the ward to be cleared and one of his men to keep hospital workers away from the area.

If Daniel hadn’t needed Lady Juliette to pass along information to their quarry, she wouldn’t be here now. But, of course, he’d needed to go through Haverly and Sir Bertrand, and Haverly had decided this would be another excellent opportunity for Lady Juliette to gain experience in field work. So here he was, trying to perform his lawful duty as a Bow Street officer and capture a killer while entangled again with agents for the Crown.

His life had been rather simple before he’d met the Thorndikes. Before he’d been recruited by Haverly into the intelligence game himself.

How did Lady Juliette manage to look so different with just a few changes to her appearance? Though he would still know her, for she was written on his heart, she really did have a knack for this sort of work. He had seen her as a glittering debutante gracing the most exclusive ballrooms in London, and as an equestrienne flying fences with panache, and as a toxophilite winning prizes in Hyde Park, and as a boardinghouse maid sneaking into a Luddite rally, and now as a lowly hospital nurse.

How would she look as a duchess to a German duke?

He shook his head, trying to chase that thought away. He must keep his wits about him tonight. If he failed to be vigilant, he could not only lose his quarry but someone could get hurt, possibly killed.

“You are to stay at the far end of the ward. No matter what happens, do not come forward and allow him to see you fully. If he discovers your true identity before we apprehend him in the act, the game will be up.” Daniel stared hard at her.

“You’ve reminded me three times already. I know my responsibility.” Juliette looked at him in the mirror, touching her cheek with a smear of dirt. “See that you do yours.”

Sir Bertrand lit his bullseye lantern and closed the vents until hardly any light escaped. “I’ll be nearby, but stay on your guard. He’s killed twice before. He won’t hesitate to kill again.”