Page 85 of The Lady and the Footballer
“Not so young that you were ready to marry me off to the first gentleman who accepted me,” she countered, and his lips pressed together as he had no argument to that.
She straightened her spine. “I know what you are going to say. That I am foolish and that this is nothing more than an infatuation. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I have been falling for him since the moment I met him, but we have stayed apart because I did not want him to lose all that he has worked for, all that he relies upon. But now that all of that has been taken away from him, orchestrated by Lord Montgomery and Lord Nathaniel and followed through by you, it doesn’t matter anymore.”
Her father’s mouth opened and closed a few times, until he finally found the words. “Lily, the man is a millworker. Do you know what your life would be like if you married him?”
“I do,” she said resolutely. “And I choose him anyway.”
Her father’s face tightened, as he moved into anger. “You are my only daughter. I forbid it. If you leave this house for him, you… you…”
“I am what? Dead to you? Do not receive an inheritance? That is fine. I’m not asking for one. Nor does Colin expect anything. While I would love nothing more than for you to accept him – to accept us, together – I know that might not be possible. But I wanted to give you the chance. In the meantime, what I do ask is that you look at this evidence. That you realize what Lord Montgomery has been doing to you, and that you help me in preventing him from having any further effect on the club, or on Colin’s life.”
“Do you not think that I would rejoice in the downfall of a man who is trying to take you from me?”
“First, Colin is doing nothing of the sort. He wants us to be together, but he also does not want me to lose my family. He is willing to sacrifice anything to make sure that I do not come to any harm, physically or emotionally. Secondly, would you rejoice in such a downfall if you know there is no truth to the matter? You believed evidence before. Believe it now, from your own daughter, and please, speak to the constable. Make sure Colin is exonerated. They will not listen to me, but they most certainly will to you.”
He looked down at his hands, refolded in front of him. Lily allowed him silence before he finally spoke.
“I make you no promises,” he said after one long sigh. “I need the night to think and hope that the morning brings clarity on the correct path ahead.”
She nodded, sliding back from her chair. She had crossed the study and was just pulling open the door when he called her to return.
“Lily?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you for trying to help the club. It means a lot that you would go to such lengths, although I do not want to even think what you went through in order to get those pages.”
“No harm done,” she said. “Whatever your decision is, will you make it before the Athletics game?”
His eyes lit, and she realized that perhaps the greatest deciding factor would be the game itself. If Colin could play, it would mean much for the team. She would have hoped it was her pleading that did it, but she was no fool. She would take whatever convinced her father.
If only he could find it in his heart to understand hers.
Colin couldn’t remember the last time he had stayed in a stationary position for so long.
Likely never.
But between needing to heal his ribs and having nowhere to go – no job and no football practice – he had worn a dent the size of his body into Tommy’s sofa.
He had just allowed his eyes to close when a knock sounded at the door, and he pushed himself to his feet, wondering if he should answer the door or hide.
“Tommy?” he heard a soft voice through the door, lifting his heart. “Colin?”
He crossed the room, much quicker than he should have, looking through a small crack in the door. When he saw with his own eyes who waited on the other side, he flung the door open and gathered Lily into his arms.
He whirled her around, bringing her into the small set of rooms with him. He wasn’t sure whether the news she would impart would be good or bad, but before she could say anything or he could tell her that she had taken too great of a risk in coming here, he lifted her up and turned her around in a circle before landing her back on her feet and placing a kiss on her lips.
It was supposed to be a chaste welcome, but one taste of her was enough to make him lose all sense of reason.
His fingers curled into her hair as he kissed her deeply, his other hand splaying across her lower back to pull her flush against him. She responded in kind, her lips parting and her tongue dancing with his as she melted into his embrace.
All the worry and fear that had plagued him over the past days dissipated, replaced by an all-consuming need to be close to her, to feel her soft curves pressed against his hard planes. The throbbing of his injured ribs faded into the background, eclipsed by the pounding of his heart as it beat in time with hers.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, he rested his forehead against hers. "God, I've missed you," he murmured, his voice rough with emotion.
She reached up to cup his face, her thumb brushing tenderly across his cheekbone. "I was so worried about you. Are you alright? How are you healing?"
He captured her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a kiss on her palm. "Better, now that you're here. But you shouldn't have come, love. It's too dangerous."
