Farther down the page, another entry caught her attention:
February 12: Brandy barrels (French): 10
Delivered to Worthing: 30 guineas
Notes: Sold to Lord Hamilton’s estate. Extra payment for discretion.
As she flipped through the ledger, the entries revealed a wide range of illegal activities: smuggling of luxury goods, bribery of officials, and illicit sales. One particularly disturbing note read:
March 3: Opium (Bengal): 5 crates
Distributed to local apothecaries: 100 guineas
Notes: Demand increasing. Secured higher price due to risk. Need to reinforce security.
Louisa’s jaw tightened as she took in the scope of Camilla’s dealings. She had understood her stepmother was busy with illegal things, but reading about them in such plain language made her heart burn with anger.
Louisa turned another page, her blood suddenly chilling as one particular entry caught her eye:
May 15: Kidnapped (for ransom): daughter of CHL.
Ransom demanded: Open port for opium distribution
Notes: Transaction went smoothly.
Kidnapping . . .
Transaction . . .
The book slipped from her fingers, and a dark, heavy fog settled in her chest. Memories she’d long buried tried to push to the surface.
No, not now.
She clutched at her breast, feeling as though the walls of Camilla’s chamber were bearing down on her. She tried to inhaledeeply, but her breath came out too quickly, and in too shallow, too frantic.
Then Oliver was there, hand on the back of her shoulders, rubbing in slow soothing circles. “Breathe, Louisa. Just breathe.”
She followed the instruction of his voice, breathing and exhaling at his command until she could draw a breath without the threat of choking on air. Though honestly, the air in this chamber should be considered tainted.
“That woman is horrible,” she bit out.
Oliver’s hand lowered to the small of her back as he bent to retrieve the book. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. That woman...” She looked at Oliver, jaw clenched. “This is enough to send her to the bowels of hell, isn’t it?”
He squeezed her waist. “Yes, and I shall be able to cross reference the dates with the betting book to expose all who have been involved in some way.”
“That is good.” She paused a moment. “I... words fail me. How could she do such things? How could she see kidnapping as a mere transaction? Well, you did say confidence was the downfall of all criminals. She must be stopped at all costs.”
“I agree,” he murmured softly. “And we shall do just that.” He suddenly shook his head. “Your stepmother is a confident woman, leaving such damning evidence on her bedside table. I suspect no one enters this chamber except for her and her trusted servants.”
“But she is not here.”
“Her servants, on the other hand, are. She must believe no one would ever think she’d hide the ledger in plain sight.”
Well, it would certainly be her downfall. A reckoning would be heading Camilla’s way soon, and Louisa couldn’t wait. One thing did bother her, though. “My father...” Her gaze met Oliver’s. “What if he is involved?”
“I don’t believe he is.”
