Page 2 of The Hellion and the Captain (Scandals and Scores #2)

Chapter Two

“ O h, Lily, this looks beautiful. You have truly made this space your own,” Emmaline said as she stepped into her friend’s drawing room, instantly cheered by the comfortable and intimate atmosphere.

Once Lily’s father had finally accepted that she would marry Colin, whether he liked it or not, he had gifted his only child the dower house at the edge of his property in Ellesmere Park.

While it wasn’t far from where most of the mill workers lived in Salford, it was another neighborhood altogether, housing some of the most affluent of Manchester.

Colin’s mother and youngest sister also lived with them, but they had their own rooms on the top floor of the house, and Colin’s mother spent a great deal of time with Mrs. O’Connor, Lord and Lady Harcourt’s cook, who had been like a second mother to Lily.

Colin’s mother and sister were not in residence tonight, having decided to spend some time with Colin’s other sister, Diane, in her home in Marshton, where she had taken a teaching job .

The ornate chandeliers cast a warm, golden light around the room, while intricate shadows danced on the floral wallpaper.

Emmaline and Lily walked together over the soft carpet to one of the dark blue couches across the room, in front of plush velvet drapes framing the windows, which added a touch of elegance to the space.

“Thank you for coming early,” Lily said, gripping Emmaline’s hand tightly, the only sign of her nervousness. “I am not sure what to expect tonight.”

“Oh, Lily, it will be wonderful,” Emmaline reassured her. “It is mostly Colin’s friends in attendance, is it not?”

“Yes,” Lily nodded, although her eyes were still rather wide with concern. “Most of the footballers.” The very footballers Emmaline had spent some time with recently. “The few that are married will bring their wives. Then you will be here, of course, as well as Minnie and Ada.”

“Are they coming alone?’ Emmaline said, lifting a brow.

The daughter of a baron, she was one of the few young ladies of her social standing who was not closely chaperoned.

Her mother, the daughter of a businessman, had seldom been chaperoned in her youth, so she saw no reason to do as was expected with Emmaline.

She was also an advocate for women’s rights and had always said she would only provide Emmaline with the same strictness as she did her sons.

Of course, it had caused most other women to prevent their titled sons from ever offering for Emmaline, but that didn’t matter to her.

“Their parents know that they are attending a gathering in my home,” Lily said, biting her lip. “I am respectable, being a married woman and all of that now. However, I believe they left out that a group of single footballers would be joining them. ”

Emmaline laughed at that, as well as how delightfully guilty Lily looked.

“If only they knew you were much more respectable before you met Colin.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, now that you’ve found Colin, you haven’t hesitated from exploring all of the?—”

“Emmaline!” Lily finally understood Emmaline’s line of thinking.

Emmaline couldn’t help the loud laughter that escaped her, until an added presence caused a hush to fall over the room.

A looming figure in the doorway caused Emmaline’s breath to stall.

“Rhys, you’re here!” Lily said, jumping from the couch and crossing the room toward him, greeting him with a smile.

A few other players followed behind him, telling Emmaline they must have arrived together, which made sense, for most of them lived in Salford, near the mill and the practice field, a few miles from Ellesmere Park.

“Thank you for inviting me,” he said stiffly as he walked through the door and took a seat on the opposite end of the room from Emmaline, his teammates surrounding him.

Emmaline busied herself with the drink before her, concerned about coming too close to any of the football players. She could only hope that Lily had invited other gentlemen, for avoiding the majority of the men in the room all night would be a sad state.

“Minnie! Ada! You’re here!” Emmaline cried when they entered, embracing them with pleasure.

It had been some time since she had seen her friends, and she was looking forward to a night where they could be themselves and not worry about what anyone else thought.

These footballers didn’t judge in the way gentlemen did .

“It’s good to see you,” Minnie said, tossing a few stray tendrils of her fair hair behind her shoulder.

She was a beauty, and despite receiving multiple marriage offers, she had yet to accept any.

Meanwhile, Ada had been in love with one man for years, the one she was betrothed to marry, yet nothing had come of it yet.

Emmaline didn’t miss the way Rhys watched them, and she could only imagine that he was appreciating Minnie – not that it mattered. For Rhys was nothing to her but either an advocate or an impediment to her joining Manchester Central. Which one remained to be seen.

Soon, the drawing room was alive with chatter and the soft glow of gas lamps as guests mingled.

The women were still separate from the men, as though both sides feared approaching the other, likely more so because of the contrast of social classes rather than gender.

The few wives from the football team sat with the women, but still kept themselves separate.

For once, Emmaline sat back and watched the room.

She had decided that tonight was about more than just enjoying herself.

She needed to perfect her disguise if she wanted to pass as Emmett.

Her appearance was fine, as far as she could tell, but she knew her mannerisms would eventually give her away if she wasn’t careful.

Since she didn’t want to draw attention to herself tonight, anyway, she would take the opportunity to observe the male footballers’ interactions, noting their mannerisms and storing them deep in her mind for her own use.

“Emmaline, how are you?”

“Tommy!” she said in true pleasure, greeting Colin’s best friend.

Truth be told, Tommy had asked her to dinner once before, but they had found that while they enjoyed one another’s company, there was nothing more between them than friendship.

Emmaline supposed her mother would be happy to know that, for as much as Lady Daughtry encouraged Emmaline to follow her heart, their lives would be much easier if Emmaline married within their own class.

“You haven’t found a young lady to accompany you?” she asked him now with a grin.

“No,” he said in mock sadness, “for the most beautiful woman I have ever met turned me down, and now I find myself unable to find another to fulfill my heart’s greatest longings.”

Emmaline laughed at that, but before responding, she felt eyes on her and turned to find Rhys Lockwood watching her so carefully that she stiffened. Did he suspect her secret? Was that why he was staring at her so intently?

He slowly began walking toward her like a hunter stalking his prey, and Emmaline found her heart beating faster with each of his footsteps.

“Miss Whitmore,” he said, coming to greet them. He sipped his drink, although his face soured at the taste before he stared at the glass as though it had personally insulted him.

“Mr. Lockwood,” she said, careful not to call him by his first name. “How are you?”

“Fine,” he said, looking back and forth from Tommy to Emmaline, as though waiting for an explanation of some sort. Let him wait. If he had something to say, he should say it.

“Having a good night, Rhys?” Tommy asked, taking pity on him.

“Fine,” he said again, and Emmaline couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“Do you know any other words?” she said. “There must be some hiding behind your ruggedly handsome face.”

Her cheeks heated the moment she said it, but as this was not the first time that words had slipped out of her mouth before she had time to second-guess them, she simply lifted her drink to her lips and winked at him. If she was going for it, she might as well go all in.

Rhys remained unmoving and unspeaking, although Tommy filled in some gaps.

“Ruggedly handsome, eh?” he said, looking from Rhys and then back to Emmaline. “You never said that about me.”

“Because you are not ruggedly handsome,” she returned. “You are… devilishly charming.”

She grinned at him as she said it, but when she turned back to Rhys, she was unprepared for his murderous expression.

“My apologies,” she murmured, hoping she appeared unbothered. “Have I offended you?”

“You’ve offended my good sense,” he muttered, and Emmaline couldn’t help but snicker at that.

“You are a curmudgeon, aren’t you?”

“A ruggedly handsome curmudgeon, don’t forget,” Tommy said helpfully.

“A ruggedly handsome and talented curmudgeon,” she said, adding to the jest. “I was very impressed with last season, Captain. The team played like a unit. You have excellent forwards and strong defense, although you have some holes to fill.”

“Yes,” he said, slowly nodding, his expression softening slightly. So slightly that one would hardly notice if one had not been watching so closely. “You know football,” he observed.

“I do,” she said. “My brothers were both keenly interested. They do not play any longer, for they have become too busy with other pursuits, but I enjoy watching Manchester Central play. The team has improved.”

“Did you ever play yourself?”

Oh dear. This was deep water.

“I tried,” she said, telling the truth. “I joined one of the emerging women’s leagues, but my parents found out, and it was too much, even for them.

They told me that a woman of my standing could not be running around chasing a ball.

Quite unfortunate, for I am rather good,” she said, leaning in close and saying the last part in his ear.

“That is unfortunate,” Tommy said. “Should have disguised yourself.”

“Yes,” Emmaline said weakly. “I should have.”

He was right. She should have disguised herself as a different woman first, but it would have been too obvious. So, she had found a different plan instead.

Whether it would work in her favor or not remained to be seen.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Tommy said, “I think I have just fallen in love.”

He left without any further explanation, not telling Emmaline whether it was Ada or Minnie who had drawn him away, but Emmaline decided this was as good a time as any to determine if the captain had any suspicions about her.

She moved in closer, until their shoulders were almost touching. “Have you found any replacements for Joey this season?” she asked, looking up at him from beneath hooded lashes.

“There are a few options,” he said in a slightly strangled voice, his piercing blue eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape.

“Anyone I might know?”

“Doubtful.”

“That’s too bad,” she said with a pout. “Well, I am looking forward to watching whoever joins. I am sure you will make the best decision.” She leaned in and lightly ran her fingers over his arm.

She didn’t even know why she was doing it. Flirting had almost become ingrained within her. She wanted to have the option to marry if she so chose and so had tried to become as feminine as possible while still retaining the strength that made her who she was.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Rhys murmured before walking away to join Tommy in speaking with Minnie and Ada, and Emmaline sighed. She could flirt well, she knew that, and yet, more often than not, gentlemen chose the younger, daintier women over her, the ones who would never challenge them.

Their loss.

The rest of the evening passed rather slowly. They played games, ate dinner, and told stories, but it wasn’t until near the end of the evening that Emmaline had the chance to speak with Rhys again.

“See anything you like?” she asked as she watched him keep an eye on her friends.

He started when she placed her hand on his shoulder.

She wasn’t sure why she was doing this – if anything, it was only to get a rise out of him, to see what it would take for him to provide her any attention in return.

“I have enough to focus on without worry about women,” he said, shaking his head. “Your flirtations have not gone unnoticed.”

“By you?”

“By everyone.”

“I’ve hardly spoken to you!” she said, indignant.

“You’ve spoken to me, to Felix, to Mickey,” he said, waving a hand around the room, lashing out nearly angrily.

“Two of them sat next to me at dinner,” she said, bewildered why this man who barely knew her would be so put out by her speaking to his teammates at a meal that was put together for this very purpose.

“Maybe I am just not cut out for this shit,” he muttered, and she shrugged, perturbed by his response, which actually rather insulted her, if she was being honest.

“Perhaps not,” she couldn’t help but agree, standing with a flourish of skirts.

It had been quite the evening and gave her lots to consider. If all went well, these men would be her teammates – even if they would never know the truth.

As for studying their mannerisms… well, there were some she could certainly say she would not be emulating.

For they would only make her look like an ass.