Caleb’s eyes went wide when he heard Lady Octavia’s name being mentioned, but he didn’t interrupt Mr. Barnard.
“I will not tell you—”
Mr. Barnard’s pistol discharged and the man fell to the ground as he grasped his right foot.
“I will not ask again,” Mr. Barnard said, pointing at the man’s other foot.
As the man howled in pain, Barrow ran into the room and his mouth dropped in surprise.
Caleb turned his head towards the butler and said, “Leave us.” He paused. “And send for the doctor.”
Barrow absentmindedly nodded his head as he slowly backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Roswell did not exactly approve of Mr. Barnard’s methods but they both wanted answers, and quickly. They didn’t have time to beat around the bush.
“Tell me what I need to know or I promise that you will walk with a limp for the rest of your life,” Mr. Barnard said.
The man put his hand up. “I will tell you everything. Just don’t shoot me again,” he pleaded.
Mr. Barnard kept his pistol trained on the man. “Where are the ladies?”
“At a tavern in the rookeries,” the man rushed out. “It is known as The Drunken Bear. They are on the second level in one of the rooms.”
With a glance over his shoulder, Mr. Barnard asked, “Are you familiar with this tavern?”
“I am,” Caleb replied. “It is a known rebel base.”
“Very good.” Mr. Barnard turned back towards the man and fired his pistol, hitting him in the chest.
The man fell back, dead.
Roswell turned his pistol towards Mr. Barnard. “Are you mad?” he shouted. “Why did you just kill that man?”
“He was the enemy,” Mr. Barnard defended as he lowered his pistol to his side. “I saved him from a very public death of being hung from the gallows.”
“He was no threat to us, not anymore,” Caleb said, his brow furrowed.
Mr. Barnard gave them a blank look. “He would have killed us, given the chance. Or did you forget that he abducted both of your sisters?”
“That didn’t mean he deserved to die,” Roswell stated.
“You both are weak, soft,” Mr. Barnard said. “Wellington wouldn’t have hesitated to kill that man and neither should you. You were lucky that I was here.”
“Yes, lucky,” Caleb muttered.
“If you hadn’t shot him prematurely, he could have told us who was behind all of this,” Roswell said.
“He would have only lied,” Mr. Barnard stated.
“You don’t know that for certain,” Roswell pressed.
Mr. Barnard walked towards the door and stopped. “Shall we go to The Drunken Bear Tavern?” he asked with an expectant look.
“I am not sure if that is such a good idea, considering you don’t see a problem with killing everyone who gets in our way,” Roswell said.
“This is what we do,” Mr. Barnard stated. “It is the only way to get things done. You don’t go into this profession by doubting what needs to be done.”
Lord Oxley walked over to the dead man and stood over him. “What do we do with this man’s body?”
