Page 45 of The Lady and the Footballer
“I know,” Lily said with a sigh. “Do I ever.”
“You should have a secret love affair,” Emmaline said, her voice just above a whisper. “Think of all the fun you could have, judging by that man’s body.”
“Emmaline!”
“Well, we all saw it in rain-soaked clothes, Lily, and it was a sight to behold. Then there is his aggression on the field. How was the kiss?”
Lily sighed. “Incredible.”
“Of course it was. Well, you would be a fool to push him away.”
“Do you see a future for me with him?”
“Honestly, no, unless you are prepared to live the life of a foreman’s wife, away from your family, for there is a very good chance your father would forbid you from ever seeing Colin again, and he would also discharge him from the mill and the team.”
Lily sighed again, only this time, her sigh was one of resignation instead of infatuation.
“I know all of this already. He made that very clear. I should avoid him.”
“I never said that at all! Do I think you will likely be able to marry him? No. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have some fun.”
Lily thought about it. She really did. Not just the having fun part, but the thought of spending time with him, even if it wasn’t forever, was nearly too tempting to ignore.
Except she knew that she was not the type of woman who could have fun without attachment. She wanted romance and everlasting love.
The trouble was, Colin was the only man with whom she could picture that now.
As desperately as she wished for a glimpse, Lily didn’t see him again when they disembarked at the train station, although she thought she saw one of his sisters in the distance. What would they think of her if they ever met her? What did it actually matter?
Another week went by, and she wondered if she would ever see Colin again besides watching him on the pitch playing football. One thing was for certain – she wasn’t going to miss any more matches now.
“What are you looking at?” Mrs. O’Connor asked as Lily sat at the table in the kitchen, holding a piece of paper in front of her while Mrs. O’Connor prepared dinner for the evening.
She knew she was probably in the way more than anything, but Mrs. O’Connor would never turn her away.
“It’s an address,” she said with a sigh. She had told the cook about meeting Colin and their suspicions about the club, but she hadn’t shared her own thoughts about him.
From the way Mrs. O’Connor was eyeing her, however, she had a feeling that she already knew.
“I am going to assume the young man you’ve been telling me about lives there?”
“It is.”
“What are you to do with the address?”
“If I uncover anything, I can find him there to share information.”
“Have you found something?”
“No,” Lily said, remaining silent for a moment before continuing. “What if I just appear at his front door? What would he do?”
“What would be your purpose to do so?”
“Just to… see him again.”
“I don’t know the answer, Lily,” Mrs. O’Connor said gently. “All I know is the same thing I always tell you – to follow your heart.”
Mrs. O’Connor was right – it was the same advice she had always given, advice that Lily had always heeded as best she could. But it was a mix of following her heart and her head, and she decided all she could do now was wait for another opportunity to determine just which she should follow.
