Sickening.
“When…” Draper paused, at least having the decency, for what it was worth, to seem somewhat disturbed by the deal he had just made with the devil. “When would this all transpire?”
“Give me a week to provide you with the name of your daughter’s husband. Then you will secure a common license.”
“A common license… do you know the cost?”
“Do you know the cost if you don’t agree to what I say? A common license, or you will find your name and your company’s name all over theManchester Guardian.”
“Why a week?”
“Well, I need the time to share the word about your daughter’s pretty face and find the highest bidder.”
Tommy was going to be sick.
It kind of looked like Draper was going to be, too, but he had gotten himself into this mess.
“What do I tell my family?” Draper asked, his voice just above a whisper, but loud enough that Tommy could still hear it.
“Not my problem,” Blackwood said without any compassion, not that Tommy would have expected it. “I’ll be in touch within a week. Watch for my summons.”
At that, he stood and left the table, passing by Tommy with a smile on his face that, quite frankly, scared him.
Draper followed more slowly, making his way out of the tavern, his shoulders stooped forward and his head practically on his chest.
Tommy would have felt sorry for him had he not known the circumstances.
He quickly stepped out of his hiding place, scouring the bar for his friend, hustling to his side.
“Jonny,” he said, poking him, even though Jonny had one hand on the wall behind a buxom blonde, her red lips curved into a grin as she stared up at him, although she did not have to look up particularly far, for Jonny wasn’t a tall man.
Jonny ignored him, and Tommy poked him again. “Jon.”
“I’m busy, Tommy,” Jonny said through pursed lips.
“This is important.”
“So is this.”
“Jonny,” he said in such a serious tone that Jonny looked up in surprise. Tommy was usually the jovial one of the bunch, not one to give in to dramatics, so Jonny must have realized that it was a grave matter.
“Fine, Tommy, what is it?”
“Just a minute or two of your time.”
Jonny sighed and looked down at the woman before passing a few notes to her. “Buy yourself a drink and wait for me, all right? I’ll be quick.”
She nodded before slinking off, and Jonny turned to him with his arms folded over his chest.
“This had better be good.”
Tommy told him what he had overheard as succinctly as possible. By the time he was finished, Jonny’s eyes were wide.
“You can’t be serious.”
“I wish I weren’t.”
“What are you going to do?”
