Chapter 3
Chapter Three
It was almost as though Minnie was floating through the house the next day.
All she could think about was the way Tommy had looked at her, the intent in his eyes when he had promised her that they would see one another again very soon.
She had believed every word of it and could hardly wait until he made good on that promise – even if she knew that it was likely far from her best interests to do so.
She peeked into the drawing room, but upon seeing her mother sitting there entertaining Mrs. Nesbitt, one of the nosiest busybodies in Manchester, Minnie silently crept away from the room, staring at the empty stretch of corridor, missing her sister now as much as she had many times over the past year, since her sister had married and moved away to Sheffield.
They had been close, and while it was only two hours by train, it certainly wasn’t just down the hall as they had been for years growing up with one another.
The loss of her sister’s presence had only added to Minnie’s sense of aimlessness, although she could admit that yesterday, for what felt like a fleeting moment, it had passed during the football game and her time with Tommy in the tavern afterward.
She had tried different pastimes to cure her boredom, including playing with Emmaline’s women’s football team.
She hadn’t been as skilled as her friend Ada, but she had enjoyed it for a time.
Her parents hadn’t been particularly pleased when they found out, although that had made her want to continue playing even more.
She joined in whenever her time allowed.
She heard voices from down the hall and realized they were coming from her father’s study. Her curiosity led her to creep closer, until she was right outside the door. It was likely only business negotiations, but even that seemed far more interesting than anything else that could occupy her time.
Her father’s low voice rumbled through the study and down the hall, anger lacing his tone.
“Mr. Blackwood, I told you before that you are not welcome in my home.”
“I wouldn’t have reason to be here, Mr. Draper, had you paid your debts on time.”
“I told you the money was coming.”
“You do not make the schedule, Draper. We had an agreement. One that you submitted yourself to when you borrowed the money with the promise of payback.”
Her father had borrowed money? Minnie’s cheeks heated with growing concern, anger, and resentment at whatever her father had lowered himself to, for this did not sound like a typical business arrangement.
He was a partner in what she had believed to be a thriving business.
For what reason would he need to borrow money from a known moneylender?
“You must have some understanding,” her father said, his voice changing slightly as he shifted to a more pleading tone, one that didn’t sit well with Minnie. “I only recently paid for one daughter’s dowry, and I have another which will come due soon.”
Soon? Had her father made plans he hadn’t shared with her?
“You should have thought of that before you gambled away those dowries and borrowed even more.”
“I had some bad luck. How was I to know it would all come to naught?”
“Can’t say I’ve seen many gamble their way ahead. Thankfully so, as it’s a thriving part of my business.”
The man cackled, and Minnie’s nails dug into her palms where they were fisted at her side, her anger growing both at the man who seemed to take pleasure in cashing in on the pain of others, as well as at her father, who had made questionable choices that would affect all in her family.
“I’ll give you one more week,” this Mr. Blackwood said, “but that week comes with a price. A rather hefty one, as the interest rate remains the same.”
“This is ludicrous!” her father burst out, his voice rising, showing how angry he must be, for he almost never allowed such emotion to show. “If you want to see your money, then do not make it impossible for me to repay you.”
“As I said, Mr. Draper, you agreed to the terms. I am just following them. Now, you don’t want to see me here again? Come up with the money.”
Minnie heard a chair scrape across the floor, and she scrambled back away from the study, darting down the hallway and around the corner just in time as the door opened and her father called out, “Smith! See this man out.”
Footsteps started down the hallway as her father slammed the office door behind the moneylender. Minnie paused, knowing she should pretend she had never heard a thing. This was her father’s business, and he would care nothing about what she thought.
But this was her family, and she had every right to know just what her father had done. Whether he cared or not, this would affect her as much as it would anyone else, from her dowry to her everyday life.
Before she could think better of what she was doing, she marched up to the study and knocked on the door.
“Yes?” her father called out in a surly voice from within.
“It’s me,” Minnie said as she opened the door, stepping inside and closing it behind her.
Her father sat behind a large, sturdy desk made of polished mahogany, framed by tall, built-in bookshelves and dark wallpaper with damask patterns.
Dotting the shelves were globes, and across from his desk, a large map, criss-crossed with threads attached by pins featuring the shipping lines their business followed.
One large window provided natural light; the heavy drapes were pulled back, allowing the light to touch on artifacts that had been brought back from the travels he had participated in with the business.
Minnie declined a seat in one of the wingback chairs before the desk, instead crossing her arms and leaning back against one of the bookshelves.
“What was that all about?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
“Are you referring to my private conversation?”
“Do you mean the one with the usurer who threatened you to repay the money you owe him? Yes, that would be it.”
“It has nothing to do with you,” her father growled. “Leave it be.”
“It has everything to do with me!” she protested. “You just told him that you gambled away my dowry.”
“Says the woman who refuses to marry.”
“I’m not refusing to marry. I am just waiting for the right proposition.”
“Which will be?”
“I will not know until I hear it. But that is not the issue at hand right now. Does Mother know?”
“No, and for the love of all that is holy, you will not tell her. This is exactly why that man should never have stepped foot in my home.”
“Because of the chance that we would find out about this?”
“Yes! This is for me to handle, and I do not need any of you creating greater problems than there already are.”
“I hardly think I am the problem, here, Father,” Minnie said wryly. “But maybe I can help.”
“You? How could you help me?”
“You know that I have a mind for this. You saw how I dealt with the supplier at the warehouse. Explain to me where the issue lies, and I might have an idea on how to change our fortunes.”
He sighed, leaning his head forward and running his hands through his hair.
“You have no idea what could help me.”
“If the business is in trouble, then can Emmaline’s grandfather not help? He is your partner, after all.”
His head shot up quickly at that, and when his eyes met hers, Minnie saw how bloodshot with worry they were.
“You must not say anything to Emmaline, do you understand me?’
“Yes, but—”
“You must not, Minnie. Some problems occurred with the business. Problems I must right. If word got out that I was in this kind of trouble, then it could greatly harm the business.”
“I will not say anything, Father, but are you certain you can trust this Mr. Blackwood?”
A flicker of emotion that Minnie could only describe as fear passed her father’s eyes, but she bit her lip, standing by what she had said. It was insulting that her father would think that she was the one who might threaten their family when she was only trying to help.
“You caused this by gambling, didn’t you?” she asked, seeing the guilt in her father’s eyes when he said nothing. “How could you?”
“I made a mistake. I had a shortfall that I needed to make up for and was sure that I could win back what I had lost,” he said, holding his hands out in front of him. “Then it all fell apart and I had to borrow money to pay back my gambling debts.”
“You lost,” she said bitterly. “You tried to take the easy way out, and you lost. For a man who has found such success, you made a huge mistake.”
“I did,” he said, and Minnie’s anger faded slightly, her heart breaking at the despair on his face. “I did.”
“What do you plan to do now?” she asked. “You have to find a way to pay back this man.”
“I am a man of my word, and I will pay him back,” he said, not looking at her, his eyes cast to the side. “I have one option.”
“Which is?”
“I’m not quite ready to share. But you will know soon enough.”
Minnie’s eyes narrowed as a ball of nerves began to grow in her stomach.
“Does this have anything to do with me?’
“I will tell you more soon, Minnie.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I am happy to assist you however I can, Father, but keeping secrets is not going to help matters.”
“I know, Minnie. I need to finalize some details, and then everything will be in order. I have a solution for all our problems.”
“It had better be surer than those you gambled on.”
“It will be — that I know,” he said. “Now, you get on with your day and pretend you heard none of this, understand me? Trust me to look after you, Minnie. Leave this be and don’t mention it again.”
She didn’t trust him, not in the least — but at least she now knew to keep her eye on things.
“Very well, Father,” she said. “Best of luck.”
She had a feeling he would need it.