Page 58 of The Hellion and the Captain
Freddie sighed. “Listen, Emmaline, I know how much you love football, but you are five-and-twenty. Do you not think it’s time to let this go?”
Emmaline straightened, crushed that her brother would shove aside something he knew meant so much to her. But she refused to allow him to see how much he hurt her, so she responded in anger instead.
“Just asyouhave let football go?”
“Well—”
“Have you?” she challenged him.
“No, actually, I haven’t. But it’s different,” he said, having the grace to look slightly chagrined. “I am playing for Eton this year.”
Eton. That rang a bell in her mind, but at the moment, she was too preoccupied with being angry with him to pay it any attention.
“Well, I am very happy for you, Freddie, that you have the ability to pursue your dreams. Too bad for me, I suppose.”
“Emmaline, it’s different,” he said, raising his arms in the air in exasperation. “I know when we were children, we allowed you to play with us, but now, well, you must understand your reality.”
“Well, Freddie, I am ever so grateful you allowed me to play. I never realized that I was such a burden.”
“Emmaline—”
“No,” she said, holding up a hand. “This conversation is over. You have no respect for me, my wishes, nor what I would like to do with my time. You do realize who your mother is, do you not? A woman who fights for women’s rights, who is out there, every day, trying to make change in any way she can, despite all that stands against her.”
“Yes, Em. I do know who she is, and I am proud of her,” Freddie said in a quieter voice. “And just what did that woman who fights for women’s rights say when you tried to play football? Even she saw the truth of it.”
Emmaline bit her lip as tears of frustration threatened. He was right. Her mother had told her that she had gone too far, that it was something she could not force no matter how hard she tried. And yet, the fierce realization hit Emmaline sharply in the chest, and her eyes burned with unshed tears threatening to emerge. Tears that she would never allow, for she didn’t want anyone to have the satisfaction of knowing just how much it hurt her not to have their support.
“Welcome home, Freddie,” she said bitterly as she stood,passing the confused maid who stood with a tea tray in hand, until Freddie waved her forward.
“Where are you going, Emmaline?” Freddie asked.
“I do not need you to make my dreams come true, Freddie,” she said, pausing in the doorway. “Some things I must do myself.”
Rhys hadn’t heard from Emmaline in over a week, and he was concerned.
Even Colin wasn’t sure where she was or what she had been up to. She had not only missed the club’s practice on Saturday, but she hadn’t responded to any of his messages to find a time to practice together.
Even if others knew who she truly was, Rhys knew he was walking a fine line as her captain. He was supposed to be looking out for her, and he was also aware that while no rules stated that women couldn’t play on teams vying for the FA Cup, if it was ever discovered there was one playing for Manchester Central, the fact he was involved with her would only make things all the worse.
Perhaps it was for the best that they spent time apart.
Even though he couldn’t deny just how much he missed her.
Then there was the information he had to impart. Information that he was not thrilled about.
They had been correct in their suspicions about who was interested in Emmaline’s activities. He had heard from a few people, including Milton, the barkeep, and Mickey, one of their defenders, that Victor Reeves had been asking questions, and had even inquired with an investigator in Manchester to see what he could find out about Emmett Williams.
Hopefully, there would be nothing to discover, butEmmaline would have to be careful about where she went, mainly ensuring she was never followed. It would be hard to explain Emmett Williams walking into Lord Daughtry’s home in Ellesmere Park.
Rhys knew he couldn’t call upon her directly, but he could see the one person who knew her better than anyone else.
Which was why, the next day after he finished work, he was on Colin and Lily’s doorstep, hand lifted to knock when it was pulled open.
“Rhys!” Lily said, her cheeks flushed pink. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to speak to you about Emmaline,” he said. “Is Colin home?”
“No, he is at work with the solicitor he is apprenticing with,” she said, her words coming out in a rush. “Could we speak another time?”
