Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Minnie woke the next morning, knowing before she even opened her eyes that something good was upon them.
“Tommy?” she murmured in her sleep before she felt his fingers brush against her face.
“Morning, Min.”
She blinked her eyes open, finding his silhouette in front of her as she lay on her side facing him.
“What time is it?” she mumbled. One thing about those who worked for a living – they certainly rose much earlier in the day. One more thing she was becoming accustomed to.
“Shortly after six,” he said. “I have to work soon, but I wanted to speak with you first.”
“Is all well?” she said, suddenly on alert. Perhaps she had misjudged Tommy’s excitement for concern.
“All is well,” he reassured her. “More than well. Besides the whole Blackwood thing, of course. I talked to Jack last night. He told me he wants me to take over the shop.”
His excitement was obvious, even though she could tell he was trying to contain it.
“Truly?” she asked, pride bursting through her. “That’s wonderful news, Tommy.”
“Thanks, Min,” he said with a wide grin. “It will make all the difference for us. I can feel it.”
Minnie tried to hold the same amount of excitement as he did. She was truly happy for him — for them — but she couldn’t help the lingering fear that bordered that excitement, knowing that the threats of Blackwood lay over their heads, that he could take everything from them at any moment.
“What’s wrong?” Tommy asked, guessing her concern.
“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head, not wanting to intrude on this moment for him.
“Minnie,” he said, reaching out and tracing her face with the pad of his finger, the rough callous running over her cheek. “Tell me. This is you and me now.”
She liked the sound of that. She wasn’t sure whether it was for now or forever, but she would take it.
“I just wish that Blackwood wasn’t threatening us. That we didn’t have to worry about him or what he could do to you and this business.”
“We’ll take care of him,” he said convincingly. “Today.”
“You want to talk to the customs official today?” She asked, her eyes widening, wondering if it could be true, that they could be done with this so soon.
“I’ll go late this afternoon and speak with Jenkins,” he said.
“I’m coming with you.”
“I’d rather you stay with Emmaline or Lily,” he said with a wince.
“Tommy, this is all happening because of me. I want to be there with you, to help convince the official to work with us.”
He studied her for a minute. “You know, you have a point. You just might have a better chance of convincing him than I would.”
“Except that I’m a woman.”
“Yes, but you have connections, and you have a way about you that makes people trust you. Very well. We will go together. But any sign of danger and we’re out of there.”
She smiled in relief that he trusted her, that he didn’t shuffle her opinions away.
“Same for you.”
“Of course.”
Impulsively, Minnie reached up and threw her arms around his neck.
“Thank you, Tommy.”
“For what?” he asked, blinking those deep green eyes in surprise.
“For standing up for me. For protecting me. For believing in me and listening to me and not telling me that I don’t offer any worth because I’m a woman.”
“To me, you offer more worth because you’re a woman,” Tommy said, and that made Minnie fall for him even a little more. “I’ve got some business to do in the shop, and then we’ll go late afternoon, all right?”
“Of course. I’ll come help you.”
“Whatever you’d like to do. Oh, and Flora — Jack’s wife — said she would stop by to visit with you today. She’s happy to talk about being the wife of a blacksmith.”
“Thank you, Tommy,” Minnie said, hoping he could read all she felt in her smile.
How much she had come to care for him. What he meant to her.
That she was slowly falling for him, scared to admit it.
She hadn’t been able to say it yet out loud, for fear that he wouldn’t reciprocate her feelings, but this was becoming more than just an arrangement of protection for her.
She knew that he cared for her. She just wasn’t sure if that was the love of a friend or a romance, although he was clearly physically attracted to her, judging by the other night. Would that be enough?
“Anything for you, Min,” he said just before the door closed behind him. “Anything at all.”
The docks greeted Minnie and Tommy with the usual salty air, lusty catcalls, and hustle of those both working upon them and passing through.
Today, the trepidation in Minnie’s chest seemed like it was about to leap up and choke her, but she kept her hand gripped tightly in Tommy’s, grounding her, centering her, providing her with peace that she didn’t know she needed.
He would take care of things. One way or another. Of that, she was certain.
As Tommy had promised, Flora had stopped by.
She was a motherly figure and understanding of Minnie’s concerns of wanting to help without getting in the way.
Flora had told Minnie that she had been in the same position years ago and had soon found her way, although it had taken some time, for she hadn’t had anyone to advise her, and Jack had been as clueless as she was.
“You’re in good hands with Tommy,” she had told Minnie, and Minnie had agreed wholeheartedly.
It was why, as nervous as she was, she was confident going to meet with this official, as long as she was standing next to Tommy.
Tommy led Minnie into a nondescript building tucked away in a corner of the bustling dockyard.
The interior was dimly lit, the air heavy with the scent of tobacco and stale coffee.
A thin, wiry man with a sharp nose and beady eyes sat behind a battered desk, his feet propped up as he lazily flipped through a stack of papers.
He glanced up as they entered, his eyes narrowing.
“Mr. Jenkins?” Tommy said as they entered, his voice steady despite the tension Minnie could feel thrumming through him from where their hands were still connected.
"Ward," he grunted. "Heard you might be stopping by. And who's this with you?"
Minnie stepped forward slightly. "Minnie Ward. Tommy's wife."
The man's bushy eyebrows shot up as he took her in. "Ah yes. Now I recall hearing about this. Draper's daughter, eh? Married beneath you, didn't you?"
Minnie bristled but kept her tone even. "On the contrary, I couldn't have made a better match. But we're not here to discuss my marriage, Mr. Jenkins.”
“Don’t suppose you are.” The customs inspector’s gaze slid to Tommy. "I'm guessing this isn't a social call.” He gestured for them to sit in the rickety chairs opposite his desk. “What can I do for you?”
Tommy squeezed Minnie’s hand before releasing it to open his satchel, producing the ledgers and placing them on Jenkins’s desk with a thud. "We have evidence about a smuggling scheme.”
“Is that so?” Jenkins said, narrowing his eyes, steepling his fingers. “And just what does that have to do with me?”
“The evidence clearly implicates you, Jenkins. You’ve been accepting bribes from one Reginald Blackwood to look the other way as he conducts his smuggling and match-fixing scheme from these very docks. Because of people like you, Blackwood is soon going to control all of Manchester.”
Jenkins leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "That's a bold accusation, Ward. I hope you have proof to back it up."
Minnie flipped open one of the ledgers, pointing to an entry. "Your name can be found here, Mr. Jenkins. Alongside a sizable sum. And the date coincides with a shipment of goods that mysteriously vanished from my father's warehouse."
Jenkins glanced at the ledger, then back at Minnie, a slow smile spreading across his face. "You've got pluck, Mrs. Ward. I'll give you that." He sighed, running a hand over his balding head. "But I'm afraid you're in over your heads here."
Tommy's jaw clenched. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means," Jenkins said, leaning forward again, "that Blackwood's got half the city in his pocket. Police, politicians, you name it. You really think a couple of ledger entries are going to bring him down?"
Minnie's heart sank at the truth of his words, realizing that Blackwood had gone further than they had even realized, but she refused to let her disappointment show. "We have to try. We can't let him continue to threaten honest businesses, to manipulate and exploit people. You must realize that when Blackwood brings down the city, he’ll be taking you with it. You’d be best to get on the right side of things, to find a way to fight this. To fight him.”
Jenkins gave her an appraising look. "You've got spirit, lass. Remind me of my own daughter. But spirit alone won't keep you safe." He glanced at Tommy. "You're a good man, Ward. But you're out of your depth. Walk away now, while you still can."
Tommy shook his head stubbornly. "I can't do that. I won't let Blackwood destroy everything I love about this city. At least take a look at the ledgers. Tell me that they don’t prove anything.”
The official's brow furrowed as he flipped open the ledgers, his eyes scanning the neat columns of numbers. Minnie held her breath, praying he would see the truth laid bare in black and white.
Long minutes ticked by, broken only by the rustle of turning pages and the distant clang and clatter of the dockyard. Finally, Jenkins looked up, his expression unreadable.
"This is compelling," he admitted grudgingly. "But Blackwood is not a man to cross lightly. Even with this evidence, it will be your word against his. And he has many powerful friends."
Minnie's disappointment continued, but Tommy leaned forward, his eyes blazing with determination.
"We're not asking you to confront him directly.
Just take this information to your superiors.
Let them launch an official investigation.
Blackwood's house of cards will tumble once people start looking closely. "