Page 88 of The Lady and the Footballer
Colin refused to let him.
A scruffy, pockmarked fellow walked up to Montgomery, and Colin could have sworn money changed hands, but just as the man scuttled away, mingling with the throng, the ball was put into play as Rhys sent it flying across the field to Tommy.
The match erupted around him, and Colin’s world narrowed to the field, holding only the players and the ball. Pain lanced through him as he ran, a constant reminder of his precarious state, but he pushed it aside, focusing on the flow of the game.
The Athletics were as fast and ruthless as he knew they would be, taking early possession, but Colin and the rest of his Manchester Central teammates fought back with a dogged intensity that seemed to surprise their opponents.
With renewed determination a few minutes in, Colin wrested the ball away from an Athletics player and sending it flying across the field toward Felix, hearing the roar of approval from the crowd – well, at least half the crowd. The Athletics had packed their supporters into the stands, which now appeared to be full.
Felix shot the ball toward the keeper, slipping it past him and through the goalposts. His team swarmed him, and he accepted their congratulations before they all quickly returned to the work at hand, for there was so much left to do.
They had barely regrouped when a trio of the Athletics players surged forward with the ball, taking on only two Manchester Central defenders. Mickey leaped forward to try to take the ball from one of them, who deftly passed it across the field, hitting his teammate, who sent it flying into the goal.
Colin studied Mickey, uncertain of whether he had made the play on purpose or whether it was a stroke of bad luck.
“You all right, Mick?” he called out.
Mickey nodded, but his face was nearly green. “Fine,” he said, turning his face away from Colin’s pointed stare.
The game continued, no one team dominating, but a steady back and forth. If Colin wasn’t so wary about what underhanded methods Montgomery might employ, he would have enjoyed himself and the best game he had played in a long time.
He didn’t miss the growing number of constables lining the field, and he wondered how many were for him and how many were to hold back the restless crowd that was growing louder as the game advanced.
He was ready for anything.
However, he was taken by surprise at just what Montgomery sent for them next.
Lily wasn’t sure if it was because of all she had shared with her father, or because of the importance of the game and her father’s insistence on having the best viewpoint possible, but he had allowed her to sit in the stands today, albeit in the covered area reserved for those who could afford it.
A kaleidoscope of hats surrounded her, most of them belonging to men. Emmaline, of course, was sitting beside her – although sitting was a stretch, for so far, she had spent most of the game alternating between standing, jumping, and sitting for the briefest of periods. At one point, she had even stepped onto the bench behind her, but her father, who was also present, had frowned at that and encouraged her off of it.
Lily was watching the game keenly; however, her eyes were not on the ball nor any of the other players – they were on Colin and Colin alone, who she had immediately spotted in the middle of the melee.
He was playing injured, that much was obvious, but there was still an unmatched determination in the way he moved, a relentless drive that made her breath catch.
As worried as she was, her gloved fingers clutched the edge of her seat, anticipation threading through her with every play.
Half had just been called when motion caught her eye from below, and she gasped when a group of ruffians, their ill intent obvious, wormed their way onto the edge of the field, across from the stands where all the constables stood.
The crowd saw them coming before the players did, an uproar gathering as the men, two of them armed with clubs, swarmed toward the Manchester Central bench.
“Colin!” Lily couldn’t help but shout, but of course there was no way for him to hear her, nor did her warning matter, for it was just one more voice in the din of them yelling at the field.
The constables took off at a run toward the bench, but they were not alone – fans jumped over the stands as they took off after them, trying to thwart the malicious effort.
“Emmaline, I can’t look!” Lily cried out, even as her eyes remained glued to Colin while she clutched Emmaline’s arm, wishing she could run across the field and try to stop them herself. They had known that Montgomery would try something; they just hadn’t imagined this.
As the team began to fend off their attackers, a fight broke out in the stands as well, shouts echoing across the pitch, distracting the officials, but thankfully they continued on to the bench.
Even the Athletics players had joined in, only, from what Lily could see, they were not fighting against Manchester Central – they were, shockingly, defending them.
Tears of joy sprang in her eyes when the two clubs and the constables finally had everything under control.
The ruffians were gone. Colin was safe.
She looked up at her father with watery eyes, wondering just what he was going to do about it.
His arms were crossed over his chest, his brow furrowed as he looked on, and when he turned and met Lily’s gaze, he gave her the slightest of nods, and she only hoped that he was telling her that he was on her side, that he would be there for her in this fight against Montgomery and all that he was trying to do to them.
