“But—” Nathan was reeling. Everything was happening so quickly, and he couldn’t quite wrap his mind around what was happening. Lord Redfieldwasn’ttacitly allowing an opium trade to take place on his land? Hewasn’ttrying to expand it and profit from it? But then, who was? And why did he think Nathan had anything to do with it?
“There’s been a mistake,” he began, holding up his hands in the sign of surrender. “I didn’t actually want to invest in the opium business, I wanted to?—”
“Don’t waste your breath,” Redfield spat. “I had a servant listen in when you came by the house, and he corroborated every word you said with the Bow Street Runners. You can try to deny it now, but no one will believe you.”
“I’m not trying to deny it, but you must understand that I?—”
“Nothing is going to get you out of this. And now, you’re going to pay for your crimes.”
He raised his fingers to his lips and gave a short, loud whistle. At once, about a dozen men burst forth from the surrounding bushes.
Nathan had no idea what was happening. In a matter of seconds, he was surrounded by a dozen Bow Street Runners, all of whom had just appeared out of the shrubberyand were now pointing pistols at him. He whirled around, taking it all in, and it dawned on him that he had walked straight into a trap.
It was an ambush! That toad of a man ambushed me!
Except, it was possible that Lord Redfield wasn’t a toad of a man. It was possible that he was actually an upright, honorable citizen who wanted anyone trading in opium behind bars.
Either that or he was pretending to be innocent to get any competition in the opium business out of the way.
“Your Grace,” one of the men from the Bow Street Runners said, stepping forward, “you are under arrest for conspiracy to smuggle illegal and dangerous drugs and for conspiring to pull Lord Redfield into your plot. You are going to come with us now so that we can begin processing your arrest.”
“I am not going to come with you!” Nathan said, drawing himself up to his full and considerable height. “I was not conspiring to smuggle drugs; I was merely trying to entrap Lord Redfield into admitting that he had taken up his father’s drug-smuggling ring.”
Lord Redfield scoffed. “But that is exactly what you would say if you were caught importing and distributing drugs!”
“It’s also exactly what I would say if it were the truth—which it is.”
“I don’t believe you,” Redfield said, “and all evidence is to the contrary.”
“What evidence?” Nathan demanded.
“There is testimony?—”
“That I came to your house offering to invest? But I was just trying to find out what you were up to. If you actually go to my duchy and search it, you will find no evidence of any drug smuggling.”
Lord Redfield frowned, and for a moment, he looked uncertain. Then his expression hardened, and he motioned for the lead Bow Street Runner to continue.
“You can try and prove your innocence at your trial, Carramere, but these men have every right to arrest you under the evidence I have already given them.”
The lead Bow Street Runner stepped forward and pulled out a pair of handcuffs.
“Please, turn around, Your Grace. Make this easy for everyone.”
“Don’t you dare touch me,” Nathan snarled, and the man froze. “I will not be arrested for a crime I did not commit. Not when whoever the real culprit is walks free.”
“Arrest him!” Redfield yelled. “And if he resists, then you can take him by force!”
“I would think twice before you did that.”
Everyone turned at once to see who had spoken, and Nathan felt his heart leap. Another dozen men were standing on the edge of the courtyard, their own pistols drawn. The one out in front, who had spoken, was staring straight at the leader of the Bow Street Runners.
“And I would put that gun down, if I were you,” the man said slowly but firmly. “You don’t want to accidentally shoot the Duke of Carramere.”
Nathan grinned. Scotland Yard had arrived.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Grove,” the captain of the Bow Street Runners hissed, glaring at the new arrival, Lieutenant-Commander Robert Grove of Scotland Yard. “What areyoudoing here?”
