Page 90 of The Lady and the Footballer
“Aren’t we all,” Lily’s father said before he looked at Lily expectantly.
She took a breath before, as succinctly and matter-of-factly as possible, she explained to him the pertinent information they had discovered, finishing by handing him the book she had stolen.
“Well,” Lord Cartwright said with a look to her father. “That is quite the accusation. Lord Harcourt, do you substantiate all of this?”
“I do.”
Lily’s heart swelled at her father’s belief in her. He had come through when it mattered.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Lord Cartwright said. “I must have a conversation with Lord Montgomery.”
“And Lord Cartwright,” Lily said before he could go too far. “Would you mind also having a discussion with the constable regarding Mr. Thornton? We wouldn’t want one of our best players being falsely accused when so much is at stake.”
“Of course,” he said. “Thank you, Miss Evans.”
Her father took her elbow as he led her back to Emmaline.
“We have much more to discuss,” he muttered. “But first, we will win this game.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Colin wiped the sweat from his brow, wondering if any more surprises were in wait.
The officials were conferring in the middle of the field, likely discussing whether or not to continue the game. The panic he had felt as the ruffians had advanced was more than he had experienced in some time. It wasn’t concern that he couldn’t fight them off, it was worry about what physical shape he would be left in once it was done.
When the Athletics had defended them, the Central team had been more surprised than anyone, but it was an act that he wouldn’t forget, no matter what the outcome of the game.
A man waved to the umpires from the side of the field, tall, with a hat so high that it only added to his air of authority. The referee, who oversaw the two umpires who each represented a team, ran over to speak to him before returning, and after quickly conferring with the other men, he turned and announced the game was back on.
Chaos closed in, and Colin felt his teammates look at him, questioning if he could continue. He had taken one blow in the melee, but it wasn’t near enough to stop him.
“Stay focused!” he yelled at the rest of them, rallying them with sheer force of will. “We’ve got this!”
They took to the field, regrouping, playing with all they had within them despite the multitude of distractions.
The evenly matched game continued, the score still tied with less than a minute remaining. Colin wiped his brow. If they stayed tied, they would have to play another game on another day, and he wasn’t sure he had it in him. They had to win this now. He could feel the energy and bounced on his toes to try to put some feeling back into his legs, which had begun to feel like rubber.
It was as though the crowd could feel it too, for Colin heard the shift, felt the surge of momentum as the stands rallied, voices rising in a crescendo of support that he swore he could hear Lily’s voice a part of. As Rhys passed the ball to him from across the field, his vision narrowed, focusing on the ball now at his feet, the goal waiting beyond.
This was it.
Everything depended on this moment.
It was all up to him and the keeper before him, for he knew that no one else was close enough to stop him.
Colin drove forward, each step a battle, but he would not fail.
Not now.
His teammates covered for him, shields against any potential defender.
With one final burst of strength, he stroked the ball, watching it sail, waiting for breathless eternity until time seemed to resume as it soared past the keeper.
The roar was deafening.
Colin collapsed, exhaustion and triumph washing over him like a tide just as the seconds ticked down and the game came to a close.
They’d done it.
