Page 17 of The Lady and the Footballer
This woman was trouble for so many reasons.
And Colin had a feeling that she was going to cause the biggest trouble for him.
“Can you believe him?” Lily huffed to Emmaline as they retraced their steps to the carriage. “Iam too much for him? He doesn’t even know me!”
“Of course he doesn’t,” Emmaline said.
“He is proud and insubordinate, and I do not know why he thought that looking out for me was some kind of devil’s errand,” she ranted, even though she knew she was being dramatic. The truth was, she had felt rejected by him, and she inwardly cringed as she sounded more like her mother than she would have liked.
She stole a glance at Emmaline, whose lips pursed together, and Lily guessed that she was holding something back.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“Emmaline…”
“Fine. I love you and would do anything for you, but you have to admit that he just might have a point.”
“In regards to what?”
“For a man like him, every hour of his day holds meaning. If he is not spending time with his family, he is likely spending time working toprovidefor his family – or playing football. He has now been given yet another task, with no compensation but remaining in your father’s good graces.”
Lily was silent, for she could see the truth in that.
“Added to that, not that you are actually in any danger, but if you were ever threatened in some way, it would now become his fault, which is the last thing he needs.”
“Thus far in my dealings with the club,heis the only one I might have needed protection from,” Lily said with a laugh.
“Very true,” Emmaline agreed as they reached the carriage.
“Well?” her mother said, hands on her hips as she looked down at them. “What did your father have to say?”
“Ummm…” Lily looked at Emmaline for help. After their conversation with Colin Thornton, she had completely forgotten what they were supposed to be doing.
“He will be on his way momentarily,” Emmaline said smoothly. “He had to speak with some of the other club committee members.”
“Next time, we will each have to take a carriage of our own,” Lady Harcourt said with a sniff as Lily and Emmaline exchanged a look and stifled a laugh.
If nothing else, Lady Harcourt was consistent.
After her father finally joined them, Lily mused over the entire exchange with Colin Thornton as they drove home.
As much as their interaction had been charged with an unspoken tension, it was more than a difference between stations or a disrespect for one another.
She hadn’t been able to dismiss the dampness of his hair, the muscles rippling beneath his shirt, the strength of those forearms that peeked out from under his rolled-up sleeves.
He was a fine specimen of a man, and her heart had never picked up speed from just conversing with a man as it had with him – especially with the type of men her mother typically selected for her.
While Mr. Thornton wasn’t thrilled about spending time close to her, she was interested in seeing him again.
Even if it might only be to her detriment.
Chapter Seven
Lily tapped her pen on the ledger in front of her in frustration.
Her numbers were out again, and she couldn’t quite figure out where the missing figures had disappeared to.
