Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Tommy had spent the past week on edge.
First, there was sleeping next to Minnie every night.
Yes, he was on the floor beside her and not in bed, but he was sensitive to her every movement, her every sigh, her every rustle under the bedcovers.
And while they might not be physically intimate, he felt closer to her every day, every night, through their conversations as they discovered more about one another.
While he didn’t want to go back on his word about providing her as much freedom as she chose, he was also nervous when she was out of his sight.
He hoped that Minnie understood just how dangerous Blackwood was, to what lengths he would go to in order to see his plans through.
Until they could find a solution, Minnie was at risk as collateral in this deal her father had made with the devil.
She seemed to understand, for while she never spoke much with him about it, she stayed close throughout the day, helping him in the shop.
It took some extra time at first to teach her what to do and how she could help him, even with the simple tasks, but she was a quick learner, and soon enough, the time it had taken to train her was paying off with her efficiency.
Tommy loved the way she smiled at him during the day — when she passed him a needed tool, when the faint scent of her floral perfume lingered as she walked by to tidy up after one of his jobs, and when she greeted customers with her easy, welcoming manner.
If there was ever a problem, she often resolved it without Tommy even knowing about it. He found himself much more at ease, working away, a song on his voice.
Most of his regular customers were both surprised and impressed when she introduced herself as his wife.
This Saturday was another game, and he was worried about what it would mean to have Minnie in the stands. Fortunately, it was an away game, and when he asked her to accompany him to Nottingham, he was relieved when she agreed.
He loved how she leaned into him on the train ride, even when she was speaking animatedly to Emmaline and Lily, as though she drew strength from being next to him, strength that he was happy to provide her, for he received it from her in turn, whether she realized it or not.
When they were offered food and drink, he loved how they ate together, how they worked in synch, seeming to understand the rhythm they had set with one another.
At one point when she leaned over to speak with her friends, Colin looked at him knowingly from his seat across from him.
“The two of you get on well together,” he noted.
“We do,” Tommy said cautiously, not wanting to say too much with Minnie close enough to possibly hear his response.
“Has it all become real?” Colin murmured.
“It is real. She’s my wife.”
“Yes, but in all the ways?”
Tommy sighed before running a hand through his hair.
“In some ways yes, in some ways no,” he said, unsure of the answer himself. “We have an understanding.”
“I see,” Colin said, his mouth set in a grim line as he nodded slowly. “I think there could be more there, Tom. It’s not like you to be afraid.”
“I’m not afraid,” he said indignantly before lowering his voice to nearly a whisper. “I just… I don’t want to ruin this.” He leaned forward. “First, I have to make sure she’s safe. That she won’t be taken from me, by her father or this Blackwood. Then we’ll worry about the rest later.”
“I don’t think the two intentions have to be separated,” Colin said, furrowing his brow. “Not like you to plan things out like this.”
“Maybe not,” Tommy said with a shrug. “But this all has me feeling some kind of way, Colin.”
“What does?” Minnie asked, choosing that moment to return to the conversation.
“The game,” Tommy lied easily. “We just barely beat Notts County when we played them a couple of seasons ago. 'Tis going to be a tough one again.”
She didn’t appear to completely believe him, but she let it go, reaching out and taking his hand, squeezing his fingers between hers, warming his heart.
When they arrived in Nottingham, Tommy kept her close beside him as they walked through the train station, never losing the grip on her hand, even during the short carriage ride to The County Ground.
When they arrived, he looked around, wondering if he should be wary of this crowd. He didn’t even want to let her out of his sight, so concerned was he about her, that he wouldn't even enter the bathhouse.
“Not to worry, Tommy,” Lily said as the women began to leave them for the stands. “We will sit with my parents and their footman the entire time. We’ll keep a close eye on her.”
“Thank you,” he said with a nod before running off to join his teammates in the changing house, although he was on edge, and it was a feeling he didn’t like.
Not one bit. This was why he had never allowed anyone too far into his heart before.
It brought up too many emotions that he preferred to set aside.
After changing as quickly as possible, he returned outside, refusing to enter the pitch until he ensured Minnie was safe.
He scanned the stands, searching for her familiar face.
There she was, in the front row, flanked by Lily and Emmaline, her golden curls shining in the afternoon sun, the three of them a bright spot amidst the sea of spectators.
Minnie caught his eye and waved, a tentative smile on her lips.
Relief washed over him, but it was short-lived as the rest of the team joined him, pushing him along. Tommy's heart pounded in an unfamiliar uncertainty as he sprinted onto the pitch, his boots digging into the grass.
The roar of the crowd faded to a dull buzz as his mind was consumed with thoughts of Minnie.
Tommy tried to focus on the ball, on his teammates' shouts, and the rhythm of his feet against the turf.
But his mind kept drifting to the danger that might lurk in the shadows.
What if Blackwood had sent men to snatch her from the stands?
What if her father had discovered their whereabouts and dragged her away to make good on his promises?
The ball flew past him as the game began, jolting him back to the present.
He shook his head, trying to clear the fog of worry, and sprinted after the ball.
But his movements felt sluggish, his reactions a beat too slow.
He misplaced passes and stumbled over his own feet, earning frustrated shouts from his teammates.
"Get your head in the game, Tom!" Colin called out as he streaked past, chasing down an opponent.
Tommy gritted his teeth, angry at himself. He had to focus. The team was counting on him. Minnie was counting on him. He glanced up at the stands again, needing to reassure himself that she was still there, still safe.
But the momentary distraction cost him. An opposing player slammed into his side, sending him sprawling to the turf. Pain shot through his hip as he struggled to his feet, wincing. The crowd groaned, and he caught a flash of Minnie's concerned face.
Rhys jogged over, his brow furrowed. "Everything all right, Tommy? You’re off today."
Tommy wiped the sweat from his forehead, frustrated. "I'm fine. Just...got a lot on my mind."
Rhys clapped him on the shoulder. "I get it. But we need you here, now. Minnie's safe with the girls. Trust that."
Tommy nodded, trying to let Rhys’s words sink in. He knew his captain was right. Worrying about Minnie was only hindering his performance, letting down his team. He had to push aside his fears and focus on the task at hand.
The game resumed, and Tommy threw himself into the fray with renewed determination. He chased down loose balls, made crucial tackles, and set up a goal with a perfectly weighted pass to Colin. But even as his body went through the motions, his mind kept drifting to Minnie.
Had he made the right choice, marrying her so impulsively? He knew in his heart that he couldn't have let her be sold off to one of Blackwood's cronies, to be whisked away to God knew where and subjected to unspeakable horrors. The very thought made his blood boil.
But how much better was marriage to him? He wasn’t exactly the marrying type. He hadn’t planned on it, and he wondered how happy she was with him. He couldn’t figure out how to properly treat her as his wife, nor did she prove to be much safer with him than she had been before.
He forced himself to tear his gaze away from Minnie and return his attention to the game at hand. But even as he sprinted down the pitch, his boots pounding against the turf, his mind was a tangled mess of worries and what-ifs.
An opposing player darted past him with the ball, and Tommy lunged to intercept, but his timing was off.
He stumbled, his feet tangling beneath him, and hit the ground hard.
Pain shot through his shoulder as he rolled to a stop.
Frustration surged through him. He couldn't seem to get out of his own head, couldn't focus on anything except the nagging fear that he’d fail Minnie, if he hadn’t already.
As he pushed himself to his feet, he risked another glance at the stands. Minnie was still there, her face pinched with concern as she watched him. Their eyes met for a brief charged moment before Tommy looked away. He had to get it together. For the team. For her.
The game resumed in a blur of sweat and shouts and flashing boots.
Tommy's body went through the motions – running, tackling, passing – but his heart wasn't in it.
Every fiber of his being longed to be up in those stands, planted firmly at Minnie's side, where he could protect her, shield her, keep her close.
In the end, Manchester Central eked out a narrow victory, but there was no joy in it for Tommy.
As the final whistle blew, he bent double, hands on his knees, gasping for breath.
Relief and exhaustion warred within him.
They'd won, but it had been far too close for comfort.
And he knew his inability to keep his mind on the match was largely to blame.
As the team trudged off the field, accepting congratulations from the small away crowd, Tommy's thoughts churned.
Had he made a terrible mistake, tying Minnie to him on a whim?
She deserved so much better than a life spent looking over her shoulder, shackled to a man who couldn't even promise to keep her safe.
But even as the doubts assailed him, he knew deep in his bones that he couldn't have let her be bartered away to one of Blackwood's buyers.
The very thought made his stomach turn. No, as ill-equipped as he might be, marrying Minnie had been the only choice he could live with. The alternative was unthinkable.
He straightened up as Minnie hurried toward him, Lily and Emmaline on her heels. The concern in her blue eyes made his chest tighten. She reached for his hand, her slender fingers curling around his, and in that moment, everything else fell away.
Before he could think about what he was doing, he reached out, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in close, uncaring that he smelled like sweat, that dirt and grass clung to his clothes and would now stick to her dress.
“Tommy?” she said, stepping back and looking up and him, the worry swimming over her face. “Is everything all right?”
“It is now,” he said, gripping her hand tightly. “Will you wait for me outside the bathhouse? Close, with Emmaline and Lily?”
“Of course,” she said as understanding washed over her face. “Is that what’s wrong? You’re worried that something is going to happen to me?”
“Every piece of me is worried about it,” he admitted.
“You can’t spend every moment thinking about it,” she said. “It will all be fine. My father was able to recover his merchandise and has detectives helping him, trying to find a way to bring down Blackwood.”
“It’s not enough,” Tommy said, shaking his head, stepping back and away from her. “Until that man is locked away or… otherwise, I’ll be worried.”
With one last look for reassurance, he hurried into the bathhouse, changing as quickly as possible to return to her.
It was the only way he could know any peace.