Page 72 of Married to the Earl

“What will he do?”

“He might become violent,” Tobias said.

Astrid thought about her experiences at the Angry Boar. Although she had spent only three nights working there and hadn’t yet come face to face with O’Flannagan, she could well believe that the pub’s owner was the sort of man who might turn violent if pressed.

And there was the fact that she believed him to be associated with murder to consider. If she was right about that, she knew already that violence wasn’t something that bothered him significantly.

I must remember that bad financial practices are not the worst thing I’m accusing him of,she told herself.I’m also accusing him of having knowledge of, or maybe even a hand in, the murder of a nobleman. That’s a terrible crime. If he’s guilty, more than just his business would be at stake.

Maybe father is right. Maybe hewillturn violent when he hears what we’ve come to say.

But it doesn’t matter.

She had gone into the Angry Boar knowing that the atmosphere would be risky and unsavory. She had done it for Conor. And now she would go in again and sit before Killian O’Flannagan. She would say what she needed to say.

Nothing was more important than securing her husband’s freedom.

Tobias was watching her anxiously, and she realized he was waiting for a response. “Maybe he will become violent,” she said. “And I’ll bring my footmen with me to guard against that.”

“There are a lot of men in that pub, Astrid. They might well outnumber you and your footmen.”

“They might,” she agreed.

“If you insist on going, you should at least bring the police with you.”

“I can’t do that,” she said. “You know I can’t. If I turn O’Flannagan into the police, I’ll no longer have any leverage over him. I’ll have no way to compel him to tell the truth about who murdered Lord Hayward. He needs to see that there’s a way for him to stay out of trouble, that if he goes along with what I’m asking him to do, this problem will go away.”

“But you can’t mean to march into the pub, sit down in front of the. man, and order him to do what you want,” Tobias protested.

“That’s exactly what I mean to do,” Astrid said.

“No, Astrid.” Her father’s voice hardened, and Astrid recognized the tone he had used with her on so many occasions in the past. It was the voice he had used every time he had told her she wasn’t permitted to go outdoors. It was the voice with which he had ordered her to be polite and respectful to Lord Middleborough when he had come to meet her for the first time.

I’ve done what he’s asked all my life. I’ve always been obedient. But this time, I know better. This time I’m going to do what’s right.

“I’m sorry, Father,” she said. “I’ve made up my mind about this.”

“I can’t do it,” he told her. “It’s too risky. I can’t put either one of us at risk that way. We’re just going to have to think of another plan.”

“No,” Astrid said. “This is the plan. This is what’s going to work. We go tonight. We take O’Flannagan by surprise. We tell him what we know, and we tell him what we want. And either he cooperates with us, or else nothing could have made him do it. Either way, this is the only possible way this can be done.”

“Astrid, I know you’re anxious to free Lord Middleborough,” her father said. “But I’m telling you, this isn’t the way. It can’t be done like this. I’m not going to walk into the Angry Boar and make demands of O’Flannagan. I’m simply not.”

“All right, Father,” Astrid said.

He was thrown for a loop. She could see it. “All right? Truly? You’re just…conceding the point?”

“I’m not conceding anything,” she said. “You told me you weren’t going to go. That’s fine. I’m certainly not going to compel you to do anything you don’t want to do. I’ll go on my own.”

“Astrid!” he protested.

“You can’t think I’m going to waste even a moment while Conor’s freedom is in jeopardy,” she said. “You can’t possibly think it. It’s a wonder I haven’t gone running up the road to the Angry Boar already.”

“You can’t do this by yourself,” her father said. “It’s far too risky for a young lady, even if you do have your footmen with you.”

“I would prefer not to do it alone,” Astrid agreed. “I would prefer to have my father by my side.”

Tobias closed his eyes and sighed.

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