“For all that happened,” Mr. Draper said. “I am deeply remorseful, and I am finding it hard to forgive myself for the danger that I caused for you, Minnie. I was so blinded by the need to save my company that I didn’t realize by doing so, I would lose everything else I held dear.”
“You could have,” Minnie said, caring but firm. “Fortunately, Tommy saved it all for you.”
“For which, I will be forever grateful,” her father said now, staring at Tommy, who was slightly flummoxed by the apology from a man he never thought would admit wrongdoing. “I would like to make it up to you.”
“To me?” Tommy said, already shaking his head. “You do not have to make it up to me. I have lost nothing. In fact, I have gained something more valuable than anything else in the world, which is your daughter and her love. I have nothing more to ask for.”
He and Minnie exchanged a smile that he felt down to his very toes.
Her father cleared his throat. “Be that as it may, I would still like to make a gesture, at least to make up for all that you went through at the hands of Blackwood. You had no quarrel with him. I did. You should not have had to take that on.”
Tommy waited, hearing him out.
“I would like to offer you a position with Draper Shipping. It would pay very well, and you would gain a great amount of prestige from working for such a company.”
He waited, clearly proud of his proposal, and Tommy actually felt bad that he was about to disappoint him.
“Thank you for your generous offer, Mr. Draper. I appreciate it. Truly,” he said, looking to Minnie, hoping she would understand why he was turning it down. “However, I love my job. Being a blacksmith has been all that I ever wanted. It is a craft I have honed over the past several years, and one I take pride in. Now I am finally in charge of the shop, with a partner – my wife – who has as much vision for it as I ever did. I love my life and have no wish to leave it.”
Mr. Draper blinked, as though unable to comprehend what Tommy was saying, but finally he nodded. “Very well. That is honorable.”
“Thank you, sir,” Tommy said. “And I will support your daughter with that salary. I will make sure she is never wanting.”
“Well, then. Is there anything else I can do?” Mr. Draper asked, and Tommy could tell that he needed some way tomake this right, if for himself more than for Tommy and Minnie.
“Actually,” Minnie said, leaning forward, a gleam in her eyes, “I have an idea.”
Her father splayed out a hand for her to continue.
“I’d like to begin a charitable foundation,” she said, biting her lip as though she was worried about how her idea would be received. Tommy hid his surprise, though he already loved the idea, and she hadn’t even finished her describing plans yet. “For children who are not as privileged as others. To provide them with nutritious food and education, and time to learn football instead of being forced to work in the factories or elsewhere at so young an age.”
“That’s admirable,” her father said, his voice low, and Tommy knew he was going to protest. “But how do you suppose to make it fair? Parents send their children to work because they need the money to support the family.”
“To support their children,” she corrected. “At least, that is how it should be, although I know that is not always the case. My suggestion is that the foundation would provide enough for the children that they would not need additional money to support them. Then the children wouldn’t have to work. Perhaps we could provide extra support to the families and make those who do not have two working parents for one reason or another a priority. These children don’t make much in the factories or on the docks, Father. You know that. It wouldn’t take much to make a difference.”
Her father nodded slowly. “I am not disagreeing, but I am also not entirely sure how this would work.”
“You don’t need to know,” she said, softening her words with a smile that Tommy knew had likely charmed many a man before him. “That would be up to me. I love working with Tommy and I would like to continue doing so, but itwould mean so much to me to be able to give back. Tommy, you could help as well, could you not?”
“Of course,” he said, grinning with pride at her. “That would be worth far more to me than any position, Mr. Draper,” Tommy said, and Minnie’s father nodded slowly.
“Very well. Consider it done. Come to the warehouse tomorrow, Minnie, and we will discuss how to move forward.”
“On that note,” Tommy said, holding up a finger. “Before Minnie goes anywhere alone, have you learned any more about Bellingham?”
“Yes,” her father said, sitting back heavily. “I have confirmed that he returned to America two days ago.”
“That’s what Inspector Finch told me as well,” Tommy said. “But I wanted confirmation from your shipping contacts whether he was on the actual manifest.”
Mr. Draper nodded. “We had eyes on him on the docks, watched him board the ship to be certain. We don’t need to worry about him anymore. He found some other bride to return to America with."
“Father, I have to ask,” Minnie said somewhat hesitantly, “why go through all this with Blackwood? If Bellingham was so eager to marry me, why did he not come straight to you? Not that I would have agreed—” she shuddered — “but I could never understand why Blackwood was so involved.”
“Bellingham found out about you through Blackwood as he was shopping you around,” Mr. Draper said, wincing. “And I likely would have declined had he come straight to me, given his… notorious background.”
“Notorious?”
“He has been married before,” her father said. “None of his wives survived longer than a year of marriage.”
