The King’s Head was as packed as it always was following a Manchester Central match, although Minnie never minded the crowd. She enjoyed the energy of all the people around her and liked talking to those she hadn’t met before.
Tonight, however, was a different story. Feeling under threat, Minnie found she was constantly looking over her shoulder, terrified that one of Blackwood’s men would be standing there, prepared to take her against her will again.
Which, to be honest, made her just as angry as it made her scared. She was sick of being used as a pawn. She was ready to become a player in this game. She was a married woman now — a happily married one at that, she thought with a quick smile — to a man who saw her as not just a prize, but a partner.
A man who considered her. Who listened to her. Who wasn’t afraid to give her power to make decisions and have a say in her own life.
Unlike her father, who had bartered her hand in marriage to save himself.
Minnie watched Tommy now as he spoke to his teammates and accepted congratulations from fans, while his eyes kept darting over toward her.
She wished it was only in appreciation, but she knew that he was watching her to make sure she wasn’t going anywhere — just as he had throughout the game.
She had noticed Garrick standing at the edge of the stands, his eyes on her. Ada had put herself in charge of keeping an eye on him, and when, after the game, he began making his way toward them, they had managed to evade him.
Fortunately, Tommy hadn’t noticed his presence until closer to the end of the match. Otherwise, Minnie was sure that he would never have been able to focus on the game for any length of time.
“Excuse me?” came a voice at her side now, and she turned to find a man she didn’t recognize staring down at her.
He was taller than Tommy, and the cut of his clothing was expensive. A small mustache hovered over the top of his lip, his black hair slick against his head. He was handsome, but in a cold way that had Minnie shrinking away from him.
“Yes?” she said, the hairs on the back of her neck rising. She had a feeling that even if she wasn’t on edge, there would be something off-putting about this man.
“Are you Minnie Draper?” he asked.
“Minnie Ward,” she corrected firmly.
“Of course,” he said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I have been hoping to speak to you for some time.”
“I have not had the pleasure of an introduction,” she said, although her tone did not match the long-trained politeness of her words.
“Arthur Bellingham the Third.”
He reached out to take her hand. She gave it, but when he lifted it to his lips, she pulled it back before he could touch it against his mouth.
She nodded curtly. “Pleased to meet you, Arthur Bellingham the Third. Forgive me for my forwardness, but I must return to my husband shortly. What did you wish to speak with me about?”
“I would prefer we speak somewhere more private,” he said, his eyes glancing around the tavern. Minnie wasn’t certain she had ever seen anyone more out of place in the establishment.
“That will not be happening,” she said, jumping when she felt an arm against her back, but sinking into it when she quickly recognized Tommy’s hold.
“No, she absolutely will not,” he said, a stern, unfamiliar look on his face. “What business could you possibly have with my wife?”
“It is business regarding her father,” Mr. Bellingham said, unfazed.
“Whatever you have to say to me, you can say to my husband,” Minnie said, feeling Tommy’s arm wrap protectively around her side.
“It can wait for another time,” Bellingham said, his lips curling up in a smile that caused a sinister shiver to run down Minnie’s spine. “Quite the game today, Mr. Ward. You have my congratulations.”
At that, he turned and walked right out the door of the tavern. Minnie looked up at Tommy, who was still staring after Bellingham with a deep frown.
“What do you make of that?” Minnie asked.
“Nothing good, Min,” he muttered, but they were interrupted before Minnie could ask him any further what he meant.
“Minnie?” Lily said, placing a hand on her arm. “When you have a moment, Jonny would like to speak with us.”
“Of course,” Minnie said, turning to follow her, Tommy at her side. It was one of the few nights Lily had left her babywith Colin’s mother, and Minnie was grateful, for she knew that her friend had done so for her.
