Page 96 of Married to the Earl

O’Flannagan examined them. “This is what you were doing?” he asked. “I saw you at the table with some papers. You were signing away your share of your business?”

“He made me do it,” Conor explained. “That’s why he was threatening to kill Astrid. He’s been after full ownership of The Arc for a while.”

“And so, he framed you for Lord Hayward’s murder,” O’Flannagan surmised.

Conor was surprised. “That’s right.”

“I don’t think the police will have any trouble putting that together,” O’Flannagan said with a small smile. “I believe your worries are over when it comes to the law.”

“Do you really think so?” Conor hardly dared believe it.

“Look at the facts,” O’Flannagan spread his hands. “We have two men with keys to the club where Lord Hayward was murdered. One has shown himself to be prone to violence. What’s more, he has a clear motive. These papers prove he was willing to commit violent acts if he thought they would help him come into ownership of this club.” He wrinkled his nose a little.

“You needn’t sneer at it now, of all times,” Conor said, nettled. “I like my club. If you don’t prefer it— ”

“I find it a bit too straitlaced,” O’Flannagan said. “But you’re quite right. You and I have lost enough to this man.” He waved a hand in Henry’s direction. “Perhaps it’s time we set our differences aside.”

It was a sentence Conor had never thought he would hear from O’Flannagan. “If you mean it,” he said cautiously. “Then I quite agree. I would love to put our rivalry to bed once and for all.”

“As I was saying,” O’Flannagan said. “It’s clear that your man is a criminal with violent tendencies. No such claim can be made about you. I think the police will see that you were merely unfortunate in the fact that the crime was committed in your club. You should be off the hook for good now.”

A suspicion occurred to Conor. “You weren’t surprised to see me tonight,” he noted.

“Of course, I was,” O’Flannagan said. “I was surprised to see anyone in a club in the middle of the night.”

“That’s not what I mean. You weren’t surprised to find me out of jail.”

“Oh,” O’Flannagan said obliquely.

“You’re the one who arranged for my release, aren’t you?”

“Don’t fall all over yourself,” O’Flannagan said. “It was hardly any effort at all. I simply reminded the constable that he worked for the people, and that the people might be disturbed to see their Earl locked away with his trial still pending.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything to me. Save it for your woman.”

“Astrid?”

“A remarkable girl, truly.”

“She really is,” Conor agreed.

On the table, Astrid stirred. Conor hurried to her side. She blinked, slowly, gazed at the ceiling, then turned to look at him.

“Conor,” she said quietly.

He drew her up in his arms and held her close for several long seconds, not caring that O’Flannagan was still standing right there. To the Irishman’s credit, he looked away, busying himself by pretending to study Henry’s contracts.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” Conor said. “We’re both going to be fine now, Astrid. We’re going to go home as soon as you feel up to walking.”

“I’m ready now,” she said. “I want to go.”

“Give it just a minute,” he urged her. “Get your strength back. You passed out in the chair.”

“I want to get out of this place,” she whispered.

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