Page 6 of The Hellion and the Captain (Scandals and Scores #2)

Chapter Six

E mmaline stepped through the heavy deep green door, beneath the painted sign of some unknown monarch, with trepidation that she tried to hide deep within her.

It was not her first time in the pub, even though her parents wouldn’t have appreciated her visits here.

But it was Emmett’s first time.

She nodded to Milton behind the bar until she remembered that she was supposed to have never met him before.

“New around here?” Milton asked as he cleaned a glass with a rag.

“I’m with Manchester Central now,” she said, jerking her thumb toward the table where a few of the other players were beginning to congregate.

“Ah, you must be Williams,” he said, telling her that there had been some talk about her.

“That would be me,” she said with confidence she didn’t quite feel.

“What can I get for you?” Milton asked before peering closer at her. “You know, you look awfully familiar to me. ”

“I get that a lot,” she said nonchalantly. “I must just have one of those faces. I’ll have an ale.”

Rhys had told her to come for a drink. If she was going to listen to him, might as well go all in and drink what the rest of the team was having.

Milton filled a mug and slid it across the bar toward her.

She reached out and took a long drink, thirsty from practice. It was still warm at the beginning of September. She was now looking forward to the weather cooling slightly, and soon enough she would have her own uniform, for games at least.

“Williams!”

She turned when she heard the call, finding that Tommy – of course – was waving to her to join them.

She made her way over, selecting a chair that was, from what she could tell, covered in more darkness than the rest of them.

“Good to see your face off the field,” Tommy said.

Emmaline nodded, taking another sip of her ale. “It’s good to be here,” she said, trying to keep her voice low and even.

Rhys slid into the chair across from her, his piercing blue eyes studying her intently. “I’m glad you could make it, Williams.”

She met his gaze, hoping her disguise would hold up under his scrutiny.

She was about to say that she hadn’t had much choice, but she bit her tongue and smirked at him, knowing that he understood exactly what she wasn’t saying.

Instead, she said in a tone on the edge of sarcasm, “I couldn’t agree more, Captain.

The stronger our camaraderie, the better we’ll play together.

” She smiled as she would have as Emmaline, forgetting for a moment that as Emmett, she wouldn’t be flirting with the handsome, burly captain.

Rhys’s lips twitched into the barest hint of a smile as that questioning expression returned. “Well said.” He raised his own pint in a toast. “To Manchester Central. This is our season, boys.”

Emmaline lifted her glass, clinking it against his. “To success,” she echoed, taking a long drink to hide the nerves fluttering in her stomach.

As the team fell into easy conversation around her, Emmaline found herself relaxing slightly.

She laughed at their jokes, interjected with the occasional comment, and listened attentively to their stories.

For a moment, she almost forgot that she was playing a role, that she wasn’t truly one of them.

The illusion was shattered when the pub door swung open.

She had expected Colin, of course, but she hadn’t expected his companion.

Lily. Her arm was looped through her husband’s, her eyes scanning the room until they settled on their table.

Emmaline froze, her heart pounding in her chest. She trusted Lily with all her heart, but would she accidentally reveal her secret?

Lily’s gaze landed on their table, and her eyes widened in recognition. She tugged on Colin’s arm and then began to make her way towards them. Once Lily was upon them, mischievousness glinted in her eye.

“Well, well, well,” she said, her voice dripping with amusement. “What do we have here? The entirety of the famous Manchester Central team, bonding over drinks?”

Colin chuckled, his arm tightening around Lily’s waist. “We’re all here now. Williams, good to see you.” He nodded towards Emmaline. “Lily, this is our newest addition to the team. He’ll play in Joey’s place, for this season, at least.”

She swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady. “Emmett Williams. Mrs. Thornton, good to meet you.”

Lily’s eyebrows shot up. “Well, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Williams.”

Emmaline inclined her head, hoping the dim lighting would hide the flush creeping up her neck at Lily’ s teasing tone. If she didn’t hold back, both Colin and Rhys would know something was off. “The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Thornton.”

Rhys cleared his throat, drawing their attention. “Lily, what are you drinking?”

“I’ll get it,” Colin said, rising from the table and walking toward the bar. It was busy tonight, so Milton had his hands full.

After a few minutes of awkward silence while Emmaline searched for something appropriate to say to Lily that wouldn’t make her friend respond with anything untoward, Rhys took a sip of his drink, staring down into it as he spoke, causing curiosity to rise within Emmaline.

“Where’s your friend tonight, Lily?”

“My friend? Do you mean Emmaline?” she said, risking a wide-eyed glance at Emmaline.

“Miss Whitmore usually isn’t far from your side.”

“I am not certain where she is,” she said, and Emmaline wished she would stop looking at her. “I thought the two of you were always at odds with one another,” she said to Rhys, peering closely at him. “Do you miss the banter?”

He shrugged. “She’s good for some entertainment.”

Entertainment! Emmaline scoffed as Lily tried desperately to hide the smile that was attempting to grow on her cheeks.

If she could, she would tell Rhys exactly what he could do with his “entertainment” comment.

She was good for a lot more than that except, of course, it was all that anyone had ever thought of her.

That she was a good time, enough for some fun but too much for anything more than that.

“You do know that Emmaline is the daughter of a baron, do you not?”

“I do. Doesn’t seem to stop her from spending time at The King’s Head.”

“No,” Lily mused, “it does not. ”

“You’re wondering about Emmaline?” Colin said as he rejoined them and placed Lily’s drink in front of her. “That’s a good question. We haven’t seen her much lately.”

“Oh,” Lily said, her lips curling in that feline smile of hers, “I am sure she will be here in due time.”

Emmaline whirled upon Lily with a glare. How could she say such a thing?

“If you’ll excuse me,” Lily said, ignoring Emmaline, “I must use the lady’s necessary.”

“I’ll escort you,” Colin said, but Lily waved him away.

“No need,” she said, and with a parting glance at Emmaline, she took off.

Understanding Lily’s unspoken request, Emmaline waited a few minutes before excusing herself as well.

She had just rounded the corner to the back hallway when a pair of hands grabbed her, and soon enough she was stumbling into the lady’s room.

It was decorated much more exquisitely than Emmaline would have guessed for a tavern, with floral wallpaper, worn as it was.

A large vanity took up one side of the room, empty but for a bowl of water, while a small window let in a soft glow from the setting sun.

She could imagine it was the perfect place for a tryst.

Not that she had time to consider that right now.

“Lily! Why would you say such a thing? I cannot be two people in the same place at the same time.”

“I had no choice. They were going to start questioning why you hadn’t been around more. Emmaline, it seems to me Rhys has a particular fondness for you.”

“He does not! He hates me.”

“I beg to differ. Perhaps he is disguising his fondness as hate.” Lily studied Emmaline closely for a moment and sighed. “I can hardly take you seriously when you look like that.”

“My costume is working just fine, thank you very much.”

“If Colin ever finds out, I cannot wait to tell him what an idiot he is for not seeing beyond your disguise. Tommy too, for that matter.”

Emmaline rolled her eyes. “You must quit being so obvious. Someone is going to suspect something.”

“I—”

They both stopped when a knock sounded on the door. “Lily? Is everything all right in there?”

“Colin,” Lily whispered to Emmaline. “I’m fine!” she said more loudly. “I’ll be out in a moment.”

She returned to her whisper. “You have to change back to Emmaline and return to the pub.”

“I have no clothing, and I am not travelling all the way to Ellesmere Park.”

“My former maid lives nearby. You can go to her house.”

“I am not risking?—”

“She works elsewhere now. There is no threat, and she was always discreet – with the right bribes.”

“Lily, this is ridiculous.”

“Make your excuses and go,” she said. “Besides, if you stay like this long enough, sitting across from Colin, he will figure it out. Which would make my life easier, but the choice is yours.”

“Very well,” Emmaline said with a sigh. “You leave first as I’m sure Colin is lying in wait. Oh, can you imagine if he suspects an affair between the two of us?”

They started laughing and had to clamp their hands over their mouths to keep the sound from carrying.

“I’ll see you soon – as Emmaline,” Lily whispered, motioning Emmaline out of the way before joining Colin beyond the door.

“Thank you for waiting, darling,” she said in a loud voice, and Emmaline waited a moment before leaving herself.

This was quite the predicament she had found herself in.

And it was only just beginning.