“I know it wasn’t you, Jonny, but for whatever reason, she doesn’t trust you. Hasn’t from the start. Do you know why?”
“I have an idea,” he murmured, but Colin didn’t push him as they entered the crowded tavern to cheers from the patrons inside, most of whom had followed them from the game. Even Liverpool and their fans were here, and they shook hands with the players, the teams on good terms. It had been a friendly, if competitive match.
They couldn’t ignore the glances sent their way, and Jonny slid into the seat next to Ada, who was staring into her drink.
“I had nothing to do with this,” he said as firmly as he could so she would understand how serious he was. Serious, and annoyed that she would believe such a thing.
“Never said you did.”
“I need you to know the truth.”
“Why?” she asked, those blue-green eyes meeting his. “Why does it matter so much?”
He wished he had an answer for her. One that he could admit to both of them. But at the moment, all he had to offer her was that he didn’t want to be falsely accused.
“I think it’s important we discover what actually happened.”
“Was it Will?”
“Could have been,” he said with a shrug. “No way to know for sure.”
“What would his motive be?”
He considered that for a moment. “It could just have been to draw attention to you, but…” He scratched his chin.
“But what?”
“What if they don’t want to see your father’s business legitimized? What if this marriage to David Carter wouldmean that your father could no longer supply Sharpe, and they want to keep that from happening?”
She quieted for a moment, and he could tell she was considering his words. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that he was right.
“That could be,” she admitted. “So, it was likely Sharpe or Will.”
For some reason, the thought that it was Will had him feeling guilty, even though it was no fault of his own.
A group of men began to walk up to the table, some of them stumbling, and Jonny instantly went on alert as they all seemed to be focused on Ada.
“What is she doing here?” one of them slurred, pointing to Ada.
“She is here with us,” Jonny said, sliding back his chair and standing. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“No one in with Sharpe should be here.”
“Didn’t know you owned this town. Besides, what makes you think she works with Sharpe?”
Ada was tugging at his arm, trying to get him to sit down, but Jonny was worked up from the game, which had been too close for comfort, and now someone thought they could come fromhisgame and object tohiswoman being here.
Not that she was actually his woman.
But they didn’t know that.
“Everyone says so,” one of the other drunkards said.
“Which makes it true?”
The man shrugged.
“Listen up,” Jonny said, raising his voice so that anyone near them could overhear, “Ada Jones has absolutely nothing to do with Sharpe or anyone associated with Blackwood’s crumbling empire. It’s all malicious rumors, and if you repeat them, you’re no better than whoever started them. Got it?”
