Page 28 of The Lady and the Footballer
Colin turned to the door, looking at Miss Evans on his way out, inclining his head to the exit. He held an arm out when she stood, allowing her to walk before him.
“Good day, Mr. Pritchard,” he said, saying nothing else as they walked silently down the corridor and back into the pub.
“Will you join me for a drink?” he asked her, waving to a small, quiet corner of the tavern. “It must be quick, as I don’t have much time. I suspect we have a mutual concern.”
“Of course,” she agreed with a nod of her head.
Milton, the barkeep, came over and clapped one big hand on Colin’s shoulder. “Thornton, what are you doing here midday?”
“I had some club business to take care of, so the boss gave me an hour over noon. I’ll need to return shortly, though, so if you have soup and water, I’d appreciate it.”
“’Course,” Milton said before looking over to Miss Evans.
“The same, please,” she said, and Colin hid his smile, for he was sure that Miss Evans had never been in such an establishment before.
“Are you here alone, Miss Evans?” he asked, looking across the table at her nervous blue eyes.
“I am,” she said with a rush of breath. “Perhaps foolishly. I told my mother I was going to visit my friend – Emmaline – andI should have asked her to accompany me, but I wanted to prove to myself, if no one else, that I could do this alone.”
“Well, you seem to be doing a fine job,” he said. “I believe we have put Mr. Pritchard on notice.”
“You heard my conversation, then?”
“I did. Apologies for eavesdropping, but it was too interesting to walk away from.”
“It has to be related, does it not?” she asked, looking up at him eagerly. “I am not misunderstanding the numbers?”
“I don’t believe you are,” he said. “Pritchard is hiding something. I am just unsure if he is stealing from the club or if he is covering for someone else.”
“Perhaps he is being bribed? Or blackmailed?” she said, and Colin inclined his head.
“That could very well be. It is hard to imagine Mr. Pritchard a criminal.”
“So, what do we do?”
He grinned. He liked how she said “we.”
“Have you brought this up to your father?” he asked.
“I have,” she nodded, the expression on her face dropping slightly. “He does not seem particularly inclined to look into it, if he even believes me. He said he has far too much on his mind with issues at the mill.”
“I believe that,” Colin said with a grimace, considering all of the accidents the mill had befallen as of late.
So similar to the club.
“What are you thinking?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. “You look very contemplative.”
“I am,” he said. “It all seems suspicious – issues with the club and the mill at the same time. As though someone is out to get your father.”
“What is wrong with the club besides the finances?” She leaned in toward him, and he could see the dark blue ring surrounding her irises as her cheeks turned slightly pink.
“I don’t think Joey’s injury was an accident,” he said in a low voice, looking from side to side to ensure no one was listening to their conversation. “The hole he stepped into was carefully dug.”
“How would someone have known he would step into it, though?” she asked, confused.
Colin shrugged. “No one could be certain, but it was the side of the field where he usually plays, and since we were playing the Ironworkers, I don’t suppose anyone was overly concerned about one of them getting hurt in his stead.”
“Is that all?”
