“Tommy. If, after this, you no longer want to be married to me, I understand.”
“How could you think that?” he said, placing his utensils down. “Iam the lucky one. You deserve better than a footballer. One who might be disgraced by the end of this. What kind of life will that be for you?”
“It would be a life with a man who gave everything for me.” If it actually happened.
“We obviously both still have reservations,” he said, pushing back his chair. “Why don’t we agree that we will revisit this once the danger has passed?”
She hated how guarded his face had become.
“Tommy—”
“I have a meeting with Jack,” he said. “We’ll just be downstairs, so you’ll be safe here. If you need anything, please come tell me.”
“I don’t want to leave it like this,” she said softly.
“I know,” he said. “But all will be fine, Minnie. I promise. After this, we’ll decide on our next steps. To find safety again.”
So he could be rid of her. As much as he wasn’t putting it into words.
“The man I spoke to today said the police are all in Blackwood’s pocket,” he continued. “Tomorrow, we’ll take the evidence to a customs official. Hopefully, we can take down Blackwood that way.”
“Are you sure that will be enough?”
“It has to be,” he said with a sigh, standing and finding his hat. “Goodnight, Minnie.”
“Goodnight, Tommy,” she said softly, hearing what he was saying. He wasn’t interested in spending more time with her tonight.
She could only hope it would be a good meeting with the blacksmith.
Tommy deserved something to go his way.
“’Evenin’, Jack,” Tommy greeted his employer as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
Jack Carstairs was his employer, yes, but over the years, he had become much more than that. He was his mentor, his friend, a father figure, especially when times had gotten hard with his own father’s injury.
“Tommy,” Jack greeted him. “Have a seat.”
He led them over to the small table near the front of the shop, where the sturdy metal chairs were designed for customers waiting to speak to one of them.
Jack’s face was expressionless, revealing no hint of what he wanted to discuss with Tommy, although Tommy had a feeling he already knew.
“I received an interesting visit earlier this afternoon,” Jack said, sitting back and crossing his arms over his beefy chest.
“Oh?”
“From a man who goes only by Garrick. Said to work for Blackwood.”
Garrick. So that was his name.
“You’ve heard of Blackwood?” Tommy asked, still unsure of just what Jack assumed about his involvement.
Jack snorted. “Who in Manchester hasn’t heard of Blackwood? He said you’ve got your nose in business you have no reason to be involved in.”
Tommy sighed. “That’s not altogether true. It’s my wife’s father who lost his way with Blackwood, became indebted to him.”
“This is Draper, of Draper & Hanson Shipping?”
“The very one.”
