Page 73

Astrid knew she had won.

“Very well,” he said. “God save us if you’re wrong. We’ll confront Killian O’Flannagan tonight.”

Chapter 29

“Wait,” Astrid said. “Wait until they’ve all gone.”

Tobias Dawson looked more out of place lurking around on the street at night than Astrid could have imagined. She had felt uncomfortable out here when she had been the one navigating these streets all alone, but that was nothing to her father. He looked as if he wanted to run and hide.

I love him, but he’s a bit of a coward, she marveled.He always has been. Keeping me indoors all my life…well, I can’t doubt his love for me, but it really wasn’t a practical solution to the question of how to keep me safe.

“We shouldn’t do this,” Tobias said. “We shouldn’t be here. We haven’t thought this through.”

“I have thought it through,” Astrid said.

“You haven’t,” he countered. “I know you think you have, Astrid. I know you think you know what you’re doing—”

“Hush,” she whispered, cutting him off. Two more patrons made their way out of the Angry Boar, both of them laughing and clutching each other’s shoulders for support as they wandered up the road.

“This establishment is so unsavory,” Tobias fairly whimpered.

“You’ve been in here before,” Astrid said, feeling exasperated.

“Yes, but I never thought to return,” Tobias said. “And certainly not with my daughter!”

“Sometimes we have to do things we never expected to do,” Astrid pointed out.

For example, I never expected to marry an earl in order to free my own father from the threat of arrest. And when I did marry Lord Middleborough, I certainly never expected to fall in love.

I never anticipated that I would become the kind of girl who would do anything, break any rule, to secure her husband’s safety.

I never thought of myself as someone who was strong.

It was pleasant to learn this new truth about herself, Astrid thought, even if it was difficult too. It was good to know that she could be relied upon, even though she wished there was no need for it.

She crept closer to the Angry Boar and angled her head, trying to see into the window. “I think it’s empty,” she said. “It looks like only the people who work there are inside now.”

“What about O’Flannagan?”

“I don’t know what he looks like,” Astrid admitted. “Do you?”

“Of course.”

“Then you take a look.”

“Astrid, this is a terrible idea.”

“Father,” Astrid snapped. “If you don’t look in that window right now and tell me whether Killian O’Flannagan is one of the men in that pub, I’m simply going to march in there and announce myself.”

He stared at her. “When did you become this aggressive woman?”

“When my husband was falsely accused of a crime.”

“We don’t have to do this,” he said. “You’re a lovely young girl, Astrid. If you’re worried about your reputation, you needn’t be. It won’t be tarnished by this unfortunate incident. I’ll have no trouble marrying you off again.”

“Father!”

“Or is it that you’ve grown accustomed to the lifestyle an earl can provide?” her father asked. “If that’s your concern…well, I can’t offer you another marriage, but I’m sure you’ll be free to stay in Lord Middleborough’s Manor if you agree to remain wedded to him despite his arrest.”