Page 94 of Married to the Earl

“Was this always who you were?” Conor whispered in horror. “You were my dearest friend for so long. Were you always, at your core, this twisted person? This man who would kill to get what he wanted?”

“Who I am is not your concern!” Henry said, his voice rising in both pitch and volume. “Tell me, if your wench thinks herself too good for me, why should I let her live?”

“Because…because I can change her mind.” Conor was shaking at the very thought of what he was suggesting. But if it was the only way to save Astrid’s life…

“What do you mean?” Henry demanded.

“I’ll talk to her,” Conor said. “I swear it. Let me take her home. I’ve known you for so long, Henry. I know the goodness in you. I have stories I can tell, stories that will restore her regard for you.”

“You can convince her to consider coming to me once you’re in prison?”

“Yes,” Conor said, hating himself for it. “I think I can.”

I’ll have to try to get word to Tobias somehow, he thought.I’ll have to let him know that the man who’s coming for Astrid is a murderer, and that he must keep her away at all costs.Of course, he would never truly try to persuade Astrid to go to Henry. Not after all that Henry had done. But he might have to persuade her to act like she was considering it.

It might be the only way for her to stay safe long enough to get away.

The two of them may have to flee, he thought.I’ll give her a carriage, and my strongest horses. Tobias is a clever man. He’ll be able to find work in a new town. And Astrid is a lovely girl. It will be easy to marry her to a kind man, a man of means who can keep her safe from Henry’s machinations.

God, how had everything gone so wrong?

Henry tucked the papers that transferred ownership of The Arc into his breast pocket. “I suppose we’re done here, then,” he said.

“You’ll let us go?” Conor asked. He had hardly dared to believe that Henry would hold to his word.

“Another death at The Arc would serve neither of us,” Henry said. “Take her and get out, before I change my mind about all of this.”

“Henry…” Conor hesitated. “You’ve been a friend to me for many years.”

Henry said nothing.

“Our friendship was real to me,” Conor said. “I see now that it was never real to you. But I want you to know that I valued you. I cared about you. You meant something to me. And I’m sorry things are ending this way.”

“You should go,” Henry said.

“Please step away from my wife so that I can untie her.”

“You can untie her while I’m standing here,” Henry countered. “I don’t want the two of you to try something, make a move against me, while my guard is down.”

“She’s not even conscious, Henry.” Conor was afraid to approach while Henry had the gun on Astrid. He was too volatile. Right now, he was saying he didn’t want any more murders in The Arc, but just a few minutes ago he had been threatening to kill Astrid.He’s unstable, and that makes him considerably more dangerous.

“She could wake up,” Henry said stubbornly.

“Henry, please. Just let me take her out of here. We’re finished. I’ve given you everything you wanted. You’ve gotten everything you asked for. I’m just asking you to let us leave.”

“I’m not stopping you.” But he still hadn’t removed the gun from its position at Astrid’s temple.

He’s afraid to give up control, Conor realized.He knows that having the gun on Astrid is giving him power over me, and he doesn’t want to lose that. He’s afraid that once I get to her, once we’re out of this situation, I’ll be able to turn things to my advantage.

And he’s right to fear it. Because I’m smarter than he is, and I can think of a way out of this. I can exonerate myself and get my club back.

There’s still hope for me and for Astrid.

For the first time since he’d arrived at The Arc and seen that Henry was the one behind Astrid’s kidnapping, a glimmer of optimism shone through his despair.

Just as that feeling of hope began to radiate within him, Henry Wilson crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

Conor dove for the gun automatically, without thinking. His hand closed around it and he rolled to his knees, looking around wildly for the new threat.

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