The marquess’s fair lady

Lord Alexander Whitemore would rather train racehorses than take unconventional but beguiling Lina Lock from gypsy dancer to perfect debutante. However, to win a wager, he’s willing to try!

Lina is tired of fairs and fortune-telling. So when Alex’s unusual proposition comes just in time to get her out of hot water, she seizes the opportunity. Skeptical of the aristocracy, Lina must curb her rebellious instincts as she’s swept up into Alex’s world and the unexpected passion he awakens in her...

‘You look transformed, Miss Lock,’ Alex murmured.

‘Like an ugly duckling into a swan?’

‘Something along those lines.’

‘Do I at least look suitable for an intimate dinner party?’

Suitable had been the word of the week. Alex had lectured her over and over again about ‘suitable’ clothes to wear, ‘suitable’ topics of conversation, ‘suitable’ people to converse with.

‘I’m not sure what the society matrons would think of a debutante in that dress,’ he concluded, after looking Lina up and down.

Lina looked up and caught the humour in Alex’s eyes, and felt a smile spreading across her face.

‘Is it the colour you object to?’ Lina asked innocently. ‘Or the cut?’

‘Both,’ he said quickly. ‘A demure debutante is only ever really seen in white or pastel shades. And she tries to leave a little more to the imagination with the cut of her dress.’

‘So this dress doesn’t allow the gentlemen to imagine what might be underneath quite so well as a shapeless dress?’ Lina was enjoying herself now. The nerves she’d felt as she’d entered the room were lifting.

‘You know that is not what I mean,’ Alex said, his voice tight.

Author Note

My inspiration for Lina, the heroine of An Unlikely Debutante, came from a summer stroll through a local country fair. There was music and dancing, as well as stalls selling food and various artisan products, but what interested me most was the automated booth in which a clockwork woman promised to tell your fortune. It immediately sparked my interest in the history of telling fortunes, and a few weeks later I found myself rummaging around the Internet trying to find out as much as I could about gypsies and fortune tellers in Regency times.

What I discovered was a diverse group of people, hailing from all across the world, who travelled around England and Europe, never settling for long in one place. Their nomadic lifestyle and completely unique set of social customs contrasted wonderfully with the more rigid way of life of the aristocracy, and instantly I knew a romance between a gentleman and a gypsy would be enjoyable to write.

Lina is without doubt one of my favourite heroines. She’s a woman who knows her own mind and doesn’t back down easily. I hope you grow to love her as much as I do.

An Unlikely Debutante

Laura Martin

www.millsandboon.co.uk

LAURA MARTIN writes historical romances with an adventurous undercurrent. When not writing she spends her time working as a doctor in Cambridgeshire, where she lives with her husband. In her spare moments Laura loves to lose herself in a book, and has been known to read from cover to cover in a single day when the story is particularly gripping. She also loves to travel—especially visiting historical sites and far-flung shores.

Books by Laura Martin

Mills & Boon Historical Romance

The Pirate Hunter

Secrets Behind Locked Doors

Under a Desert Moon

A Ring for the Pregnant Debutante

An Unlikely Debutante

The Governess Tales

Governess to the Sheikh

The Eastway Cousins

An Earl in Want of a Wife

Heiress on the Run

Visit the Author Profile page at millsandboon.co.uk.

For Luke, for making it all possible.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Author Note

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Lina ducked under her uncle’s outstretched arm and darted forward. Normally she was too quick for her lumbering relative, but today Uncle Tom had abstained from the drink that often addled his brain and slowed his body, so he caught her roughly by the arm.

‘One week, Lina. I want my money in one week.’

‘I’ll get you your money.’

She wriggled to get free, but his fingers were gripping her too tightly.

‘You’ll pay me one way or another, don’t you doubt it.’

Her uncle released her, but before Lina could escape to a safe distance his hand caught her wrist and gave one final warning squeeze, tight enough that Lina knew she would have bruises in the morning. Lina felt herself begin to panic as the pain mounted, then just as suddenly as he’d cornered her, Uncle Tom was gone. She had no choice, she would have to find the money she owed from somewhere, but right now she had no idea where.

As Uncle Tom scurried away Lina wondered at the furtive looks he was casting around him. He’d always been unlikeable and secretive, but never before had he threatened her as he had today. Quickly Lina hurried off in the other direction before he could change his mind and return to collect the debt there and then.

Not for the first time she cursed her impulsivity, the flaws in her personality that meant she found it almost impossible to say no when directly challenged. If only she had been a little more circumspect, a little more cautious, then she wouldn’t be in such trouble.

‘Tom giving you trouble again?’ Raul called as she ran past him.

‘Nothing I can’t handle,’ she lied, flashing her brother a dazzling smile and hurrying on. Raul knew nothing about the debt she owed Uncle Tom, nor the foolhardy bet she had made that had got her into this predicament. He’d saved her too many times from her own foolishness, this time she would figure out a solution without her brother having to swoop in and put things right.

Money. She needed money. One week wasn’t very long to raise ten pounds. Ten pounds—what had she been thinking? It was more money than she’d ever seen in her life and she’d tossed the figure out there as if it was a couple of shillings. She’d been so confident when they had passed the field full of wild horses, so sure that she would be able to coax and mount one of the magnificent animals, all she’d had to do was ride it the length of the field and ten pounds would have been hers.

Lina knew it wasn’t only her impulsivity that had driven her to shake Uncle Tom’s hand as he eyed up the frisky horses. Ten pounds would give her a new life, fresh opportunities, the chance to actually do something she wanted to do for a change.

‘Lend me a hand, Lina,’ Sabina called out as Lina wove her way through the crowds.

The whole family were working the Pottersdown Fair. A few of the older men, including Uncle Tom, were busy sharpening their tools and setting out the hand-carved pieces of furniture they were hoping to sell. The older women had set up a rickety table with jars of sweet jams and other tempting treats. Raul and the other young men had started to pluck away at their instruments, providing a lively tune for the villagers to dance to. Sabina, with her wide smile and fluttering eyelashes, was doing a great job of enticing the young men and women of Pottersdown to get a glimpse of the occult and hear exactly what their futures had to hold.

‘I was going to start the dancing,’ Lina fibbed, knowing Sabina wouldn’t let her get away with it.

‘Liar. I’ve got a queue ten people long, just see a couple for me.’

‘I’m not as good at this as you.’

‘Nonsense, you read people very well.’

It was true. The skill she didn’t possess was patience and you needed patience after the tenth twittering young girl had nearly swooned over the idea of being swept away by a tall, dark stranger.

‘It pays better than dancing,’ Sabina cajoled.

Lina glanced over to where Uncle Tom was now polishing a beautifully carved, small table and summoned up a smile for the customers. Telling fortunes wasn’t going to make her ten pounds, but it was a start until she came up with a more lucrative idea.

Sabina led the next young woman behind one of the screens, leaving Lina to greet a woman of about her age, dressed in clothes so fine Lina had to stop herself reaching out and stroking the immaculate silk.

‘Care to hear your fortune, miss?’

The young woman laughed, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, as she tugged on the sleeve of a gentleman standing a few feet away.

‘I know exactly what my future holds,’ the young woman said. ‘But I would like to hear what my dear brother has to look forward to.’

Lina watched as the gentleman in question turned slowly, looked her up and down and then raised an eyebrow in question to his sister.

‘Oh, please, Alex? It’s just a little fun.’

‘It’s nonsense,’ he said, starting to turn back to the conversation he had been conducting before his sister interrupted.

‘For me, Alex.’

The gentleman sighed, the long-suffering sigh of a put-upon sibling, and grimaced.

‘Come on, then, let’s get this over with. Impress me with your insight.’

Lina felt herself bristle at his tone and offered her sweetest smile.

‘Step this way, sir.’

Guiding her new customer behind one of the screens, Lina watched as he took a heavy coin purse out of his jacket and handed her the fee. For a moment her pulse quickened, hearing the money jangle as he tucked it away again.

Despite the bad reputation gypsies suffered in England, and indeed across Europe, Lina had never once stolen anything. Just because they say we’re thieves doesn’t mean we have to actually be thieves, her mother had told her time and time again. Proficient at pickpocketing, a skill Raul had taught her not long after she’d started to walk, Lina had never put the training to use.

‘A little about the present first,’ Lina said, looking up at the gentleman from under her long eyelashes. ‘Would you tell me your full name?’

‘Surely you’re meant to be the one with mystic powers.’

‘I tell fortunes, I don’t divine names,’ Lina said shortly, smiling to soften the ice in her voice.

‘Lord Whitemore. Alexander Whitemore.’

A titled gentleman. He probably wouldn’t even miss the money in that purse, it would be small change to him.

‘An influential man, Lord Whitemore,’ Lina said, injecting the silky, dreamy quality into her voice the customers seemed to like so much. ‘A man of responsibilities. You have an estate to run and a sister to care for.’

‘She’s good,’ Lord Whitemore’s sister whispered in his ear.

‘Nonsense. Anyone with half a brain knows a titled man will have an estate to run and you shouted out to the whole fair that I was your brother.’

‘Shall we see what else my half a brain can determine?’ Lina asked.

Lord Whitemore grunted, turning back to her, but allowing his eyes to roam around the rest of the fair.

‘I already know you’re short-tempered and grumpy,’ Lina said, eliciting a laugh from Lord Whitemore’s sister. ‘But I think that is a front, a facade you put up to keep people at a distance. There’s been heartache in your past, a woman.’ Lina paused, but knew she couldn’t help herself. ‘Someone in love with your warm and friendly demeanour?’

‘Indeed,’ Lord Whitemore murmured, looking at Lina properly for the first time.

‘She left you. A wife?’ Lina watched carefully for his reaction. The twitch just above his left eye gave her a clue. ‘No, a fiancée.’

‘I thought you were meant to be telling my fortune.’

‘Your future is affected by your past.’

‘Just get on with it,’ Lord Whitemore grumbled.

‘You’re bored,’ Lina said.

‘How could you tell?’

‘Not now—with your life. You’re stuck in a rut and you don’t know how to get out.’

Taking hold of his hand, Lina made a show of tracing the lines although they meant nothing to her. The skill in telling fortunes lay in reading people, in understanding their facial expressions and reactions.

‘There will be change soon, a great adventure, a new love. Someone who will challenge you.’

‘See, Alex, there is hope.’

The withering look Lord Whitemore directed at his sister wasn’t lessened when he turned back to Lina.

‘Is that everything?’ he asked, standing up.

From the corner of her eye Lina saw the outline of the coin purse inside his jacket and knew soon the opportunity to raise the money to settle her debt would be missed. She hesitated, hating the gnawing pain in her gut, knowing that she would never be the same person again if she did pick this man’s pocket.

‘Do tell your friends to visit us,’ Lina said, stepping forward and pretending to trip over an exposed tree root. She careened into the solid body of Lord Whitemore and slipped her hand into his jacket. Her fingers closed around the soft leather of the purse and for a second she hesitated before withdrawing her hand and patting Lord Whitemore on the chest with her open fingers. ‘Sorry, how clumsy of me.’

His eyes met hers and Lina had to look away as she realised he’d known exactly what she had been up to. Only his confusion on finding his purse still full and in the correct place lightened Lina’s embarrassment a little.

* * *

‘Your trouble is you’re bored, Whitemore,’ Mr Richard Pentworthy, Alex’s brother-in-law, said.

Alex took a long mouthful of local cider whilst allowing his eyes to roam over the people at the fair. Pentworthy was right, he was bored. His life was good, easy even, but there was no excitement, no challenge. After inheriting at the tender age of nineteen he could now run his estate with his eyes closed and hands tied behind his back. His only sister was comfortably married and happily producing bouncing, healthy babies and the women who fluttered and flirted with him during balls and dances all seemed unimaginably dull. Alex couldn’t bear the thought of having to choose one of them as his wife.

No, the only thing that got his pulse racing these days was a visit to the auction house to bid on a promising new horse, or breaking in a lively young colt, that battle for power and mutual respect between animal and rider.

‘There’s more to life than horses and racing.’

‘What are you two talking about?’ Georgina asked as she bustled over to the two men. Perpetually nosy, that was how their parents had described Georgina at the age of five, and Alex was sure she’d only got worse with age.

‘I was observing that your brother is bored.’

‘And lonely,’ Georgina added.

‘He needs a wife.’

‘Someone who will challenge him.’ Georgina pursed her lips. ‘How about Annabelle Mottrem?’

‘Too quiet. And her nose is rather large,’ Pentworthy said. ‘He wants someone at least passably attractive. What about Caroline Woods?’

Georgina rolled her eyes and swatted her husband on the shoulder. ‘The girl is as vicious as a hungry cat.’

‘Pretty, though.’

Before Georgina could launch into a long-winded reprimand Alex held up a hand to stop them.

‘I don’t need a woman. And I most certainly don’t need you two matchmaking for me.’

‘You haven’t done very well these last few years on your own,’ Georgina murmured. ‘We just want to see you happy. Ever since...’

‘Don’t,’ Alex said sharply. ‘Don’t say her name.’

Georgina sighed. ‘Ever since she left you haven’t looked at another woman seriously.’

It wasn’t true. Alex looked. He smiled and charmed and danced with women. He listened to the empty twittering of the debutantes year after year and wondered if they were trained to talk only of the weather, fashion and—if he was especially lucky—the latest opera they had seen. Maybe it was unreasonable to want more, to want excitement and humour and that spark of attraction, but he’d experienced all of that with Victoria and refused to settle for anything less again. True, his liaison with Victoria had ended in a heartbreak even he wasn’t sure he was fully recovered from three years down the line, but at least she’d amused and enthralled him with her quick wit and sharp observations.

‘And you do need to produce an heir...’ his sister said, dropping her voice.

‘But preferably one with at least average intelligence,’ Alex murmured.

‘You do the young debutantes a disservice,’ Georgina reprimanded him. ‘From an early age we women are told that men like us meek and obedient, without strong views on politics or other worldly matters. If you would just get to know one or two young ladies properly, I think you’d find surprising depths.’

‘I’m not sure I want a wife who believes to please a man she needs to blend into the crowd.’

‘I’m not sure you want a wife, Whitemore,’ Pentworthy said quietly.

All three fell quiet as they contemplated the truth behind the words. Alex saw his sister open her mouth and knew he had to say anything to stop her getting her next quip in. Sometimes his sister could be too sharp, too observant, and his character flaws had taken enough of a verbal beating today already.

‘All I’m saying is I could take any woman here today and turn her into the perfect debutante. All she would need is a few fancy clothes, good manners, some passing knowledge of banal topics of conversation and me as her sponsor, of course.’

Georgina sighed and rolled her eyes. ‘Have I ever told you you’re arrogant and insufferable?’

‘Once or twice.’

Pentworthy held up a hand. ‘Wait, wait, wait. I have an idea. A wager.’

Alex eyed his brother-in-law uneasily as he saw the excitement shine in his sister’s eyes.

‘Whitemore, we give you six weeks to turn one of these country lasses into the perfect debutante. The first ball of the London Season will be around then—that can be the test. If she fits in, has a full dance card and doesn’t do anything scandalous, then you will have won the wager.’

‘What are the stakes?’ Alex asked. He knew he should decline right away, but he’d never been able to resist a challenge.

‘If you win, Georgina and I will never mention marriage or try to pair you off again.’

Already Alex felt the smile spreading across his lips. He would be free to accept invitations to dinner without having to worry whether some eligible young miss would be placed next to him, expecting to be wooed.

‘And if he loses?’ Georgina asked.

‘Then he has to seriously look for a wife.’

Alex waved a hand dismissively. Admittedly the stakes were high if he lost, but he wasn’t in the habit of losing and didn’t plan on starting now. How hard could it be? Most of the young women in attendance at the Pottersdown Fair were the daughters of the country gentry. Even if he were unlucky and a servant or shop girl was selected, six weeks was a long time. He was sure he could teach them the basic etiquette for the ballroom.

‘Who chooses the woman?’ he asked.

‘We’ll leave it to chance. Once we’ve agreed and shaken hands, it’ll be the next unmarried woman of an appropriate age to walk past us.’

‘And if she doesn’t agree?’

‘That is part of the wager, my dear fellow. You have to persuade her.’

‘And you’re not allowed to pay her,’ Georgina added quickly.

Alex nodded slowly. There was a small chance the woman or her family might flatly refuse to be part of this, but Alex was charming and eloquent and there weren’t many things he couldn’t persuade people to do. Besides, what young woman wouldn’t want to be bought beautiful dresses and escorted to sumptuous balls?

‘I’m in,’ Alex said, holding out his hand and suppressing a smile as his sister squealed in delight. He shook Pentworthy’s hand, then slowly all three turned to look to see who would be the next eligible young woman to walk past.

He saw the brightly coloured skirt first and with his heart sinking in his chest he slowly let his eyes travel upwards to confirm his fears. Beside him, Georgina was in hysterics, laughing in a very unladylike manner. Even his brother-in-law was chuckling softly.

‘Do you want to give up now?’ Pentworthy asked quietly.

Alex shook his head, but even he knew it would be a stretch to transform the pretty gypsy girl into a member of the gentry. Gypsies had a bad reputation, much of it unfounded, but Alex knew the young woman walking towards him would be more at home dancing around an open fire than waltzing through a ballroom.

Chapter Two

Lina eyed the gentleman in front of her suspiciously. ‘You want me to do what?’

He sighed, threw a glance back over his shoulder to where his sister and another young man were sitting, barely able to conceal their mirth, before trying to explain again.

‘My name is Lord Whitemore,’ he began slowly.

‘I got that part,’ Lina said, adding under her breath, ‘I’m confused, not deaf.’

‘The woman sitting over there is my sister. The man with her is her husband. They have made it their aim in life to see me settled down with a wife and no doubt multiple children.’

‘That’s lovely,’ Lina said. ‘But I hardly see how any of this concerns me.’

‘I have made a wager with my sister and brother-in-law that hopefully will stop them meddling in the affairs of my heart for the foreseeable future. You are that wager.’

Ever since Lina had blossomed from a gangly girl into a pretty young woman she had received many indecent proposals both from the men she travelled with and the customers she flirted with at the fairs. She usually found the best way to deal with them was a sweet smile, a swift knee to their nether regions and a quick escape.

She’d just summoned the sweet smile when Lord Whitemore’s eyes narrowed and he quickly stepped back.

‘Not like that,’ he clarified. ‘Goodness, what sort of man do you think I am?’

‘We have been acquainted for less than five minutes,’ Lina said. ‘I have no idea what sort of man you are, Lord Whitemore. Now, if you would excuse me, I have work to do.’

She moved quickly, darting away through the crowds without looking back until she was sure she must have lost him. The fair was getting busier as the morning turned into afternoon and it was easy to hide herself amongst the large groups of visitors.

‘You’re quick on your feet,’ a low voice came from close to her ear.

Lina tried to hide how she jumped as Lord Whitemore’s words tickled her neck.

‘All the better to get away from lecherous men,’ Lina said, turning to face the young gentleman.

‘I understand your reluctance to consider my proposal, but I’m in a bit of a sticky situation. I cannot lose this wager. My sister would see me settled with some sweet, banal wife before the year was out and my life would be miserable. And I do hate to be miserable.’

Despite her instinct to run as far away from this man as fast as possible, Lina felt a little intrigued. When she’d told his fortune, he’d been dismissive and bored, but even then she’d sensed an energy, a simmering vitality hidden underneath. A few minutes earlier she’d found herself watching him from a distance as he’d laughed and joked with his brother-in-law, wishing she knew exactly what it was that made his eyes sparkle and caused him to fling his head back and let out a raucous laugh. Now he was right here, in front of her, and she knew the safest thing would be to leave and not look back.

‘What was the wager?’

‘Come share a drink with me and I’ll explain everything.’

‘What was the wager?’ she repeated without moving.

Lina watched as Lord Whitemore appraised her before answering. She got the sense he wasn’t a man who people said no to, but she stood her ground, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

‘I made a comment about the conversational ability of today’s debutantes,’ Lord Whitemore said eventually. ‘And I said I could turn any young woman into an acceptable debutante within six weeks, no matter her background.’

‘And your brother-in-law challenged you to do just that?’

‘Exactly.’

‘With me?’

Lord Whitemore grimaced. ‘It wasn’t you specifically. It was the next woman of marriageable age to walk past.’

‘And I’m the lucky girl? What happens if I refuse you straight away?’

‘I lose the wager.’

‘Why should that matter to me?’

Lina watched as Lord Whitemore’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly and she saw the flicker of a smile on his lips.

‘Right now of course it doesn’t, but come and have a drink with me and we can work the details out.’

Glancing over her shoulder as a ruse to buy a few seconds to make a decision, Lina deliberated. Although she knew she should be working, trying to earn the money she owed Uncle Tom, Lina had been performing at village fairs since she could walk and she was bored. She wanted more in her life than travelling with the same people, working the same jobs. She wanted excitement and adventure, and maybe this was her chance.

Lord Whitemore was already walking away towards one of the tents serving the local cider by the time she turned to face him again.

Muttering a string of expletives under her breath, Lina watched him go, wondering when he would realise she wasn’t following him. As much as she complained about her gypsy family and way of life, she couldn’t stand the arrogance of the upper classes. No one in her family would act so imperiously, especially if they wanted a favour. This Lord Whitemore needed her—he’d admitted as much not two minutes earlier—and now he was expecting her to scamper after him like some obedient puppy.

With one hand lifting her skirts, Lina hopped over a muddy puddle and wove through the crowds back towards the lively country music. She allowed herself a satisfied smile at the thought of Lord Whitemore arriving at the cider tent on his own, joining the small group of young women hovering by the musicians.

Raul was plucking away at his strings, tapping his foot to keep time for the little group. When he caught sight of Lina he nodded towards the empty space that had been cordoned off for dancing. It was the same at every fair—people would wander about for the first hour or two, enjoying the cider, looking at the different goods to buy and inspecting the livestock, but before long they would gravitate towards the music. Huddles of young women would look longingly at the fresh-faced young men across the open-air dance floor, hoping someone would ask them to dance. Of course no one wanted to be the first to sashay out into the open with everyone watching, and that was where Lina came in.

‘Ready?’ she asked a young man whom she was probably distantly related to. John was only a few years older than her, with a mass of dark hair and deep brown eyes. He was popular with the village girls wherever they went. He and Lina always took to the dance floor together, performing for the onlookers before splitting up to entice others to dance. It was a well-practised routine and as Raul saw them come together he motioned to the other musicians to up the tempo.

One of Lina’s greatest pleasures in life was dancing. As the music washed over her, she didn’t even have to think about the steps, just allowed her body to take over and move instinctively to the music. At these times she forgot about the audience gathered watching her and instead danced this first dance as if she was the only person in the entire world.

Round and round they spun, their feet barely touching the ground, and only as the music slowed temporarily did Lina catch sight of Lord Whitemore making his way to the front of the crowd.

‘My dance, I think,’ Lord Whitemore said as he reached them, catching Lina by the hand. At the same time John winked at a young country girl, beckoning her out to join him, so now there were four on the dance floor.

‘Lord Whitemore, I applaud your persistence, but I am working,’ Lina said, pulling away.

‘Enticing people to dance?’

‘Exactly.’

‘Then let me help.’

Before Lina could even open her mouth to protest Lord Whitemore had gripped her firmly around the waist, pulled her in closer so her body was pressed tightly against his and whisked her off across the grassy dance floor.

‘I don’t need your help.’

‘It is nice to help out your fellow human being. Rewarding.’ He spun her unexpectedly and flashed a flawless pearly white grin.

Out of the corner of her eye Lina could see her brother looking in their direction. She gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. The last thing she wanted was for Raul to come hurtling at an influential landowner. One well-placed punch and they would be moved on before the fair was even fully underway.

‘Fifteen pounds,’ Lina said, as she was twirled backwards and forward. Lord Whitemore was a good dancer and it was taking all her considerable skill to keep up as he guided her this way and that.

‘Fifteen pounds?’

‘That’s my price.’

‘That might be a slight problem.’

Lina bristled. ‘You don’t think I’m worth fifteen pounds?’

‘Not at all, my dear, I’m sure you’re worth ten times that figure. But one of the conditions of the wager is that I am not allowed to pay you.’

‘Then why would I do it?’

‘From the goodness of your heart?’

Lina laughed. ‘My heart isn’t that good. Six weeks is a long time. If I’m with you, becoming the perfect debutante, I’m not working. I’ll lose money.’

As the last note of the dance sounded, Lina felt Lord Whitemore release his grip just a little. He still wasn’t letting her go, but seemed content to hold her at arm’s length and regard her for a moment.

‘I would not be able to pay you,’ he said slowly. ‘But there was no rule against the giving of gifts.’

Lina tried to hide the flare of hope in her eyes. Maybe this was the solution she’d been hoping for. Uncle Tom might moan, but he would accept payment of her debt in jewellery or other goods, as long as he was paid.

‘What would I be expected to do exactly?’

‘You would come and live with me for six weeks.’ Lord Whitemore held up a hand just as Lina opened her mouth to protest. ‘I will, of course, ensure you are properly chaperoned during that time. Your reputation will be safeguarded.’

‘My brother will still protest. He is rather protective.’

‘As all good brothers should be. I will talk to him, man to man, and give him my assurances that nothing untoward will happen.’

Lina shrugged. If Lord Whitemore could persuade Raul to let her stay with him for six weeks, then she would be mightily impressed. Many people thought gypsies to have loose morals and easy virtues, but in Lina’s experience the same standards were expected of the young gypsy women as every other young woman. They might not live the same conventional lives as everyone else, but if they wanted to find a decent partner to settle down with, they were expected to be untouched and unblemished on their wedding night.

‘And whilst I am staying with you for six weeks...?’ Lina asked.

‘I will teach you to dance, to converse, how to address people at social functions.’

‘Really complicated skills, then.’

‘I admit you can dance, but can you dance a waltz? You can converse, but can you impress a group of society matrons with your demure manner and correct forms of address?’

Lina shrugged. This was why she had always steered clear of the county dances in the towns and villages they visited. There were so many rules, so many opportunities for other people to look down on her, it hardly seemed worth the effort.

‘These things matter. Don’t ask me why, I happen to agree with you. Life would be much more fun if some of the formalities were dispensed with.’

‘So I’d live with you, have lessons in dancing and how to conduct a banal conversation. Anything else?’

‘At the end of the six weeks we would attend a ball together. That is the test. If you get a full dance card, behave appropriately and are successful at blending in with the other debutantes, then I will win the wager.’

‘And I return to my family.’

‘Exactly, and although I cannot pay you, you will be able to take all the new clothes and gifts with you when you leave.’

It probably wouldn’t be enough to pay off her entire debt, Lina thought, but at least it would be a start. Something to keep Uncle Tom at bay for another few weeks.

‘I will do it,’ Lina said.

She gasped with shock as Lord Whitemore picked her up and spun her round. He looked boyish and carefree for a moment, the frown she had picked up on during his fortune telling wiped from his face.

‘If you can persuade Raul,’ she added.

‘That, my dear, will not be a problem.’

Chapter Three

‘You want to do what with my sister?’ Raul asked, his fists clenching although his hands remained by his sides for now.

Alex smiled. It was a well-practised smile that normally portrayed confidence and instilled a sense of trust in the recipient. It was a smile that had served him well over the years, but today it was falling rather flat.

‘I want to turn her into a lady—the perfect debutante to be precise,’ Alex said bluntly, realising a direct approach would be better with the suspicious man standing in front of him.

‘You want to marry her?’

‘Good God, no.’ Alex held up a mitigating hand. ‘I am sure your sister would make any man a wonderful wife, but that is not what I am proposing.’

Quickly he outlined the details of the wager he had accepted and the role Lina would play in the matter.

‘Is this what your lot think of as fun?’ Raul asked, shaking his head. ‘Do you not have better things to do with your time?’

Alex stiffened at the insult.

‘As a matter of fact I do. I run an estate of nearly a thousand acres, with a dozen farms and nearly five times as many residential properties. I employ over two hundred people in various roles and in addition to all that I devote a large amount of time and effort to buying and training racehorses.’ Alex softened his expression and his tone as he saw the respect blooming on the other man’s face. ‘But I also have a sister. A particularly meddlesome sister. And I consider it well worth taking six weeks away from my other responsibilities to ensure I never have to endure her romantic meddling again.’

‘What about Lina’s reputation?’ Raul asked.

Smiling, Alex gave the other man a reassuring pat on the upper arm. He knew he had won this argument already. Lina’s brother would not bother asking about the fine details if he wasn’t going to accept the proposal in principle.

‘Your sister’s reputation is of the utmost importance to me.’ It was the truth. Alex didn’t go around ruining young women’s reputations, whatever walks of life they were from. He doubted this Lina was as pure and innocent as her brother liked to believe, but he would treat her like the most precious virgin for the duration of her stay. ‘My sister is staying with me for the next two weeks. As she is a married woman of good reputation, I trust she will be an adequate chaperone. After that I will arrange for my widowed aunt to visit.’

‘What does Lina get out of this arrangement?’

‘Unfortunately the terms of the wager forbid me to pay your sister for her help over the coming six weeks, but they do not forbid me giving her gifts to reimburse her for her time and efforts.’

‘Lina? Get over here, girl,’ Raul called to where his sister was laughing with some villagers at a nearby table.

‘So, what do you think?’

‘You really want to do this?’ Raul asked his sister.

She shrugged. ‘It’ll make a nice change from dancing and telling fortunes. And I’ll be back with you in no time at all.’

‘Fantastic,’ Alex said enthusiastically, holding out his hand for the other man to shake.

Raul looked at the hand, then slapped Alex on the shoulder in a brotherly way.

‘We don’t shake hands on a deal like this,’ he said, smiling and showing a set of surprisingly white teeth. ‘We fight.’

‘Raul, no,’ Lina protested.

‘Only way to know a man’s character.’

‘You’ll get us thrown out of Pottersdown.’ Brother and sister had huddled together conspiratorially and Alex had to strain to hear Lina’s words.

‘I’m not letting you go without this, Lina,’ Raul said after a hushed but heated discussion.

Lina turned to face him and shrugged. ‘He wants to fight. It’s up to you.’

Alex only deliberated for a second, realising Raul was trying to figure out what sort of man he was entrusting his sister to.

‘Let’s fight,’ Alex heard himself say.

‘Good man. Ten minutes, behind the cider tent.’ Raul left, whistling happily to himself.

Holding out an arm to escort Lina through the fair, Alex felt a rush of anticipation. As much as he knew he should count his blessings, these last few months he’d felt as though he’d been going through the motions and not really living, not really experiencing anything. Only the rush of excitement as he broke in a new horse or watched it cross the finish line with a new personal best speed got his heart pounding and his muscles tensing at the suspense.

This boredom he’d been feeling was entirely self-induced. Alex was well aware that his broken heart after Victoria had left had caused him to push away anything that might hurt him. And it had worked: three years on and his heart was mended, but he’d rather lost sight of the thrills in life that made it worth living.

‘What should I call you, then?’ Lina asked as they walked.

‘You know my name. Lord Whitemore.’

She rolled her eyes, the first of many gestures he would have to persuade her to drop if she was going to fit in with the finest debutantes of the Season.

‘Your real name. I’m not going to go around calling you Lord Whitemore, am I?’

‘I certainly hope you are. That is the correct form of address between us.’ Alex, who had always prided himself on being relaxed and informal, felt decidedly conventional and old-fashioned around Lina.

‘What do people actually call you, though?’ she persisted.

‘Do you promise not to use it?’

‘Cross my heart.’

‘Alex. Well, Alexander, but I prefer Alex.’

‘I suppose I’m meant to curtsy when I greet you, as well?’ Lina murmured quietly.

‘We can work on greetings later. I’m sure I can fill a whole morning with the proper way to greet a gentleman.’

‘I’m quivering with anticipation.’

They reached the cider tent and Lina led him around the side to an open area that was partially shielded from view. Alex quickly rolled his shoulders, loosening his joints, before reaching up to undo his cravat and slip off his jacket. He caught Lina’s eyes lingering on him as he rolled up his sleeves to reveal tanned forearms before a group of men sauntered around the tent.

‘Ready for a beating?’ one of the older men sneered.

‘Pay him no mind,’ Lina called. ‘Raul fights fair, not like this devious coward.’

‘Watch your tongue, Lina, or I’ll watch it for you.’

Alex stepped forward, placing himself in between the older man and Lina. He had no desire to be her protector, but she was under his care for the next six weeks and he would not hear her spoken to in that way.

‘Can I not leave you five minutes without you picking a fight, Tom?’ Raul called as he rounded the back of the tent. The older man shot Alex a dirty look, but sauntered away, taking up his place at the back of the rapidly assembling crowd.

‘Are you ready?’ Raul asked.

‘Whenever you are.’

‘We fight until first blood.’

Alex nodded. It was all the same to him. The muscular gypsy squaring up opposite him was obviously no stranger to a fight; indeed, it seemed his preferred way to seal a deal or settle differences. Alex himself had learned to box at school and had thrown and taken a few punches in more recent years. Added to that his work with his horses kept him physically fit and quick on his feet. Although he didn’t expect to win this fight he was confident he would at least be able to leave with at least his pride intact. It wasn’t really about winning or losing anyway. Alex knew it was his character that was being tested, not his skill—whether he was the sort of man to stand and fight or run and cower.

Slowly the two men circled each other, both light on their feet and constantly moving. For Alex all sounds of the surrounding crowd faded to a distant hum as he concentrated fully on his opponent. Suddenly Raul jabbed, a blow that was made to test Alex’s reactions more than anything, and Alex easily blocked it before returning a couple of lightning-quick body blows that elicited quiet grunts from Raul.

Backing off slightly, they circled again. This time Alex struck first, a powerful blow to Raul’s face that the gypsy wove away from at the last moment. Alex’s fist connected, but the impact was glancing and put him slightly off balance. Raul took full advantage of the situation and began hammering down blows, forcing Alex to go on the defensive. He retreated, using his arms to protect his face, and felt the swell of the crowd behind him.

Sensing Raul’s confidence at victory, Alex allowed him one more punch before feigning to the left and darting right. Before Raul could recover, he delivered a hard blow to the other man’s cheek, followed by a left hook to the jaw. At exactly the same moment, Alex felt Raul’s fist connect with his temple and a tearing pain in his eyebrow followed by the warm trickle of blood over his face.

Both men backed off, lifting their hands to their faces. Both sets of fingers came away wet with blood.

‘First blood.’ Raul grinned, wincing as the movement pained his split lip. ‘For a toff, you don’t fight badly. Now, let’s drink.’

Allowing himself to be led to where the cider was flowing, amid handshakes and claps on the back from the dozens of spectators, Alex realised Lina was nowhere to be seen. She had a habit of disappearing—she was quick and nimble and seemed to weave with ease through the crowds. He supposed it was from a lifetime of working at packed fairs, but right now it was a damned nuisance; he wanted to finalise their arrangement and maybe just see that sparkle of admiration in her eyes.

‘You will look after her?’ Raul asked as the two men knocked back their cups of cider.

‘I will care for her as though she’s my own sister,’ Alex promised.

‘Then I have no more objections. No idea how you got Lina to agree, though.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘She hates your lot. Toffs. Always has...’ Raul paused, tapped his cup against Alex’s and grinned. ‘I don’t think you’re so bad myself.’

* * *

‘What a cosy little arrangement you’ve landed yourself in,’ Tom crowed, making Lina shudder as she caught a whiff of his horrific breath. ‘Whoring yourself out to a gentleman.’

‘I’m not—’ Lina caught herself and took a step back. It never paid to get into an argument with Uncle Tom.

‘Shall I expect payment today?’

‘He’s not paying me,’ Lina said.

‘Giving yourself away for free? Your dear mother would be turning in her grave.’

‘He has promised me gifts, certainly enough to cover the debt I owe you.’

‘I want the money.’

Lina shrugged. ‘I will just sell the gifts and then you can have the money.’

‘The deadline is still the end of the week, Lina.’

‘I won’t have the gifts for six weeks.’

‘Not good enough. I need the money now.’ There was a hint of panic in Tom’s voice that made Lina pause for a second.

She closed her eyes, steeling herself for the suggestion she was about to make, and then ploughed ahead. ‘If you give me the six weeks to raise the debt, I will pay you twelve pounds instead of ten.’

Uncle Tom regarded her thoughtfully. ‘Four weeks and I want fifteen pounds.’

Lina swallowed nervously, but still nodded. She didn’t exactly have a choice. She just hoped Lord Whitemore was generous in his gift giving.

‘And I want information.’

‘What information?’

‘Raul tells me you will be staying with this toff. You’ll be privy to his security arrangements, the layout of his house.’

A faint sensation of nausea started to build deep in Lina’s gut.

‘I’m not stealing anything for you.’

‘I’m not asking you to steal. Just to pass on a little information. What’s information amongst family?’

Lina shook her head.

‘That’s the deal, Lina. Either fifteen pounds and a little information in four weeks, or you pay the ten by the end of the week.’

Squeezing her eyes tight, Lina tried to suppress the image of her mother’s disappointed face as she nodded.

‘Good girl. I’ll be seeing you in a few days.’

Chapter Four

The grass was wet beneath her feet as Lina crossed the field, hopping over a shallow ditch and scrambling up a bank before joining the road again. She had caught a ride on a farmer’s cart from Pottersdown to the village of Hilstone and from there a friendly shopkeeper had assured her it was no more than twenty minutes’ walk across the fields to Whitemore House. Lina had dallied, stopping to pluck some wildflowers to weave into her hair, resting on a tree stump and turning her face up to the sun and even pulling off her boots to dip her toes in the cool waters of a gurgling stream. The twenty-minute walk had turned into an expedition that lasted more than an hour, but now Lina knew she could delay no longer.

She wasn’t sure why she was quite so nervous. This was what she had been waiting for: an opportunity to change her life, to do something different, be somewhere different, at least for a short time. For every one of her twenty years she had lived and worked amongst her gypsy family, travelling through England, performing at fairs in the summer and doing whatever work she could find in the long winter months. For a while she had been restless, unsure what was bothering her, torn between a desire to actually belong somewhere and a carefree and adventurous spirit that wanted to experience everything the world had to offer. She couldn’t decide what she truly wanted from her life, so everything had just stayed the same.

‘New experiences,’ Lina murmured to herself as she stopped beside a pair of huge wrought-iron gates, pushed open to reveal a sweeping drive. Fingering the metal for a moment, she peered inside, trying to catch a view of the house.

The drive curved away to the left through immaculately kept lawns and disappeared over a dip with no house in sight. Swallowing her nerves, Lina pushed herself to enter the grounds of Whitemore House, aware of the pounding of her heart in her chest.

When the house did come into view, set back at the crest of a small hill with the drive sweeping dramatically in front of it, Lina had to stop and pause for a second. Then she laughed out loud. It was easily the biggest building she had ever laid eyes on and Raul had taken her into London twice and York once over the course of their travels. It was perfectly proportioned, one central structure with two symmetrical wings flanking it, all in a beautiful sandy-coloured stone.

After more than ten minutes of walking, Lina finally reached the front door and was self-consciously adjusting her dress as it opened before her.

A middle-aged man greeted her with a tight smile.

‘Miss Lock, I presume?’

Lina nodded, her mouth too dry to speak.

‘Follow me, please.’ His words were delivered with a disdain that shook the nervousness from Lina. This was the reason she disliked the aristocracy. They were obsessed with the idea of respect and good manners, but treated anyone inferior as if they were at best a nuisance and at worst an inanimate object, to be used and discarded. Even their servants were rude.

‘So are you a member of the family, then?’ Lina asked, making sure she added a coarse quality to her voice as she spoke. She stepped over the threshold, trying to take in the vast entrance hall, the marble flooring and the perfectly sculpted statues that sat in recesses dotted along the walls.

‘Most certainly not. I am Lord Whitemore’s butler.’

‘So a servant. Strange, that.’

The butler looked down at her from his superior height.

‘What is strange?’ he asked eventually with a long-suffering sigh.

‘Well, I always thought servants were meant to be polite. To be a shining example to make their masters proud. But you, you’re ruder than a cow that hasn’t been milked for a week.’

‘I beg your pardon,’ the butler stammered. Lina half expected his face to turn bright red, but instead his cheeks seemed to lose colour and his lips were pressed thin. ‘That sort of language won’t be tolerated, Miss Lock.’

‘Ah, but it will. See, I’m an invited guest and you are a member of staff.’

‘The Marquess will hear about this.’

‘Williams, what is all the noise about?’ a soft, feminine voice called and was shortly followed by the emergence of Lord Whitemore’s sister from one of the many doorways that led into the grand entrance hall.

‘Please forgive me...’ The butler was silenced by a friendly wave of the hand and Lina felt herself being swept into the embrace of the slightly older woman.

‘Come, come, you must be tired from your journey. I have tea set out on the terrace. In the shade, of course, the sun does dastardly things to my complexion,’ Lord Whitemore’s sister gushed. The journey had taken less than three hours and Lina had experienced many more arduous days, but she allowed herself to be swept along by the other woman’s enthusiasm.

‘Thank you...Lady Whitemore?’ Lina ventured.

‘Dear me, we haven’t even been properly introduced. I am Lady Georgina Pentworthy, Alex’s long-suffering and completely devoted sister.’

‘A pleasure to meet you, Lady Pentworthy.’

Georgina shook her head very slightly and laughed. ‘Why don’t you call me Georgina, my dear? Much simpler than trying to untangle which part of my name to use when.’

They walked through a room filled wall to wall with books. Lina had never seen anything like it and paused for just a second to take in the dozens of bookshelves that lined the walls, full of heavy, leather-bound books. It made her much-treasured and battered three-book collection seem rather insignificant.

‘I am so pleased you agreed to come and stay,’ Georgina said, squeezing Lina’s arm lightly. ‘These next few weeks are going to be so much fun.’

‘Would it not have been better for you if I refused?’ Lina asked. ‘Then you would have won your wager straight out.’

‘Don’t tell my darling brother, but I don’t really mind if I win this wager or not. It’s the journey that is going to be the important part.’

‘The journey?’

Georgina motioned to a seat on the terrace, behind a table that looked out over the formal gardens directly behind the house. An assortment of mouth-watering pastries and a delicate china tea set were laid out and Lina wondered if Whitemore’s sister had been waiting on her arrival.

‘My brother is a very accomplished man, very talented,’ Georgina said slowly whilst pouring out a fragrant cup of amber-coloured tea. ‘But he has buried himself in his work for the last few years and I’m hoping you will be able to coax him out.’

Lina took a sip and eyed up the pastries, relieved when the other woman slipped two on to her own plate and motioned for Lina to take her pick.

‘How am I supposed to do that?’ This wager was becoming more complicated by the minute, what with Uncle Tom’s expectations of her and now Georgina’s hidden motives.

‘He will have to take a break, look up from his work and focus on something entirely different. To get you ready to attend a London ball you will have to go shopping, go for day trips, socialise at some local functions...’

‘Does Lord Whitemore not do all that already?’

Georgina grimaced. ‘He does,’ she said slowly. ‘But suffice it to say even if his body is in attendance, his head and his heart are not.’

Taking a bite of a crisp, fresh pastry Lina closed her eyes and savoured the mouthful. She wondered if she had ever tasted anything so delicious in her entire life.

‘How am I meant to influence that?’ Lina asked, putting down the pastry before she spoke so she would not shower her companion in crumbs.

‘Just by being here.’

It seemed like a lot of responsibility and as Lina gulped down the hot tea, she felt a stirring of unease. She liked Georgina, she seemed warm and genuine and hadn’t condescended to Lina once during their conversation. Despite their obvious differences in status and wealth Georgina was talking to her as if she was a treasured friend, not a gypsy girl whose main talents were a little fancy footwork and telling lies to impressionable young girls.

‘Please don’t fret,’ Georgina said reassuringly. ‘I’ll be here to guide you these first two weeks and after that I’m sure you’ll run rings around my brother.’

Lina wasn’t so sure. She knew she had a lightning-quick tongue, but sometimes she was too hot-headed, too fast to jump into a dangerous situation. From what she had seen so far Lord Whitemore had that easy manner of many men of his class, but also a cool, self-possessed quality and the self-assurance to go along with it. Lina wasn’t sure how well her usual tricks would stand up when pitted against Lord Whitemore’s imperturbable logic.

Two children came dashing across the lawn and Georgina stood to gather them in her arms. First to arrive was a boy of about five, followed by a smaller girl, who tottered to keep up, but still managed to outrun the exhausted-looking nursemaid who trailed behind.

‘My darlings, how I have missed you,’ Georgina gushed, peppering the two small children with kisses until both were rolling around, giggling and squirming out of her reach. ‘Now, William, Flora, we have a guest. This is Miss Lina Lock. She will be staying with your uncle for the next few weeks.’

‘Pleased to meet you, Miss Lock,’ William said, his words accompanied by a formal little bow. His expression was serious, as was his tone, and for a second it was as though he were transformed into a miniature adult.

Flora giggled, managed to dip into the sweetest curtsy Lina had ever seen, then promptly turned bright red and hid behind her mother’s skirts.

‘My children,’ Georgina explained rather unnecessarily. ‘William is five, and Flora is three.’ She turned to her son. ‘Now, William, where do you think your uncle might be?’

William’s eyes lit up and he was halfway across the lawn before Flora provided the answer.

‘Horses. Horses. He’s with horses,’ she chanted, flinging herself after her brother much to the nursemaid’s despair.

‘Shall we go and find him?’ Georgina suggested.

Lina nodded her agreement, feeling the excitement swell inside her. She’d known there would be horses on the estate—all the nobility seemed to have them to pull their carriages and to hunt with—but the idea that she might get to ride some of the magnificent animals had never even crossed her mind. She loved horses, loved feeling the wind in her hair as she galloped through the countryside, that sensation of freedom, but the horses her extended family owned were mainly slow, plodding beasts more accustomed to pulling heavy carts than being ridden for pleasure.

‘Lord Whitemore likes to ride?’ Lina asked casually as Georgina linked arms with her and together they followed the two children across the lawn and to the side of the house.

Georgina gave her a slightly curious sidelong look. ‘Yes, my brother likes to ride,’ she confirmed eventually.

They passed through a lovingly tended rose garden before entering a tree-lined walk that filtered some of the sunlight, giving the path a wonderfully dappled effect.

‘If you ever find yourself searching for my brother, this is where he will be,’ Georgina declared as they emerged into a large, dusty courtyard. Lord Whitemore was nowhere to be seen. ‘Well, not here exactly, but somewhere with his beloved horses.’

Daintily Georgina hopped over a pile of manure and led Lina past an assortment of stables and outbuildings to where the fields stretched out before them. In the foreground was a large fenced-off area.

As they drew closer, Lina couldn’t take her eyes off the magnificent, rearing beast that was snorting and stomping in the riding yard. Its coat was a beautiful chestnut brown that glistened in the sunlight and it was by far the biggest horse Lina had ever seen. Currently it didn’t appear too happy, tossing its head and taking hurried little steps sideways, letting out snorts of frustration.

Lina’s gaze was torn from the horse as a figure sauntered across her eyeline. He was tall and particularly muscular, something she could attest to due to the fact he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Sweat dripped over his torso and as he moved Lina thought he looked rather like one of the illustrations in her most treasured book, Greek Gods, Heroes and Myths.

Lord Whitemore approached the horse again, murmuring softly to it words that Lina could not hear, but could see the calming effect they had on the animal. He paused when he was about two feet away, the horse still stomping nervously. Lina was mesmerised; this was the ultimate battle for power and trust, one that she could see Lord Whitemore was well practised at negotiating.

Confidently but slowly he took another step forward, laying a hand on the animal’s neck and stroking softly, still murmuring his soothing words. The horse calmed, became still, and Lina saw the exact moment it capitulated and allowed Lord Whitemore to stroke it gently without any consequence.

Man and beast stood together for a few seconds before Lord Whitemore produced a simple halter.

‘Enough for today,’ Lina heard him whisper, and was amazed as the only recently calmed horse allowed him to slip on the halter and lead it to the edge of the pen. A stable boy quickly opened the gate, but stood back and let Lord Whitemore past rather than taking the animal back to the stables himself.

Lina watched enviously as the animal disappeared from view. She had ridden her fair share of wild horses in her time. She knew how to approach them, how to calm them and how to mount them, but she’d always chosen animals of moderate size, ones that would not cause her too much injury when they inevitably threw her. Every bone of her body wanted to be able to do what Lord Whitemore had just done and more.

‘Ah, Miss Lock. I’d completely forgotten you were arriving today,’ Lord Whitemore said as he emerged from the stables a couple of minutes later.

‘See? There in body, but not in mind,’ Georgina muttered.

Lina bobbed a clumsy curtsy, not knowing where to look as she rose. Lord Whitemore was still topless, but as she watched he grabbed a simple white shirt that was draped over the fence and pulled it over his head. His tanned and muscular torso was still partially visible through the thin white material, especially as it clung to the sweat on his body. Lina swallowed and tried to compose herself. She didn’t know why she was quite so affected by Lord Whitemore’s unexpected half nakedness. In the hot summer months most of the gypsy men she travelled with would set up for the fairs clothed in just their trousers. Lina was no stranger to bare chests and relaxed attitudes to clothing, but something about seeing Lord Whitemore like it had set her heart hammering.

‘What sort of horse was that?’ Lina asked, recovering enough to focus on what was important.

Lord Whitemore and Georgina exchanged glances.

‘You’re interested in horses?’ Lord Whitemore asked.

‘I love horses. He looked like an Arabian.’

‘What have I done?’ Georgina murmured as Lord Whitemore grinned. ‘Another horse lover.’

‘Well, these six weeks have just become a lot more tolerable,’ Lord Whitemore said.

Lina bristled, but forgot her indignation as Lord Whitemore offered her his arm and started explaining the origin and breed of his latest horse.

Chapter Five

What had he got himself into? Alex let his head sink into his hands for a fraction of a second, before straightening up. This would not defeat him. He was a man who had broken in the most difficult of horses—he would not be beaten by a girl’s incessant questioning and arguing.

‘It’s stupid,’ Lina repeated. ‘What does it matter if I call your sister Lady Georgina or Lady Pentworthy? Both are respectful, both give you an idea who she is.’

Alex counted to five before answering. ‘But neither is correct. One more time. Lady Pentworthy would be the wife of Lord Pentworthy. Lady Georgina would be the daughter of a titled gentleman, in this case a marquess.’

‘Which she is,’ Lina said through gritted teeth. ‘So why is it incorrect to address her as Lady Georgina?’

‘She is now married to Mr Pentworthy, so she becomes Lady Georgina Pentworthy. A quirk of marrying a husband of lower rank.’

‘A ridiculous quirk,’ Lina muttered under her breath. ‘It would be much simpler to dispense with all these stupid rules and titles and just call everyone by their actual names.’

‘I will forward your suggestion to the Prince Regent,’ Alex said drily.

He watched as Lina flopped dramatically back in the brown leather armchair situated by the veranda doors in the library. It was only their first day and to ease her into her lessons to become the perfect debutante Alex had suggested they start by getting to grips with how to address people. How he regretted that now.

‘Maybe it would help if you spent a couple of hours familiarising yourself with the contents of Debrett’s,’ he suggested, standing and perusing the shelves until he found the heavy book he was looking for.

Lina sighed, levered herself out of her chair and followed him over to the small table.

‘And what on earth is Debrett’s?’

‘It is a peerage reference book.’

Lina glared at it suspiciously.

‘You do know how to read?’ Alex regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth.

‘Just because I’m not titled Lady Lina or Lady Lock or even Lady Lina Lock doesn’t mean I can’t read,’ Lina said huffily, pulling the dusty old tome out of his hands. ‘I would just prefer to read something actually interesting instead of this list of names.’

‘I apologise,’ Alex said, touching Lina lightly on the back of the hand. He felt her stiffen under his touch and quickly withdrew his fingers. It was inappropriate and Alex wasn’t sure what had made him reach out and stroke her hand, but he regretted it immediately.

Ever since Lina had arrived at Whitemore House twenty-four hours ago the time had whizzed past in a whirlwind of activity. It was rather refreshing to have Lina question why they did certain things, to see her amusement at their customs and her awe at the splendour of her surroundings. She was loud, opinionated, sarcastic and not afraid to say exactly what she was feeling, but Alex could see there was more to the spirited gypsy girl than first appearances would suggest. The way he’d caught her running her fingers lovingly along the books on the bookshelves as he’d entered the library, how her eyes had lit up as she watched him with the Arabian horse the day before and how already she and his sister seemed the closest of confidants.

She was pretty, too. Petite and slender, her skin coloured with a hint of warm caramel and dark hair and eyes that told of a heritage somewhere in her ancestors’ past. Once or twice Alex had found himself watching her lips as she smiled and her hips as she moved around the room with a lightness of foot that identified her as a dancer.

This attraction he felt was surprising. Long ago he had been a man who thoroughly enjoyed the company of women. He had kept mistresses, discreetly, of course, and dallied with a selection of both suitable and unsuitable companions. Then Victoria had come along, the woman he thought he would spend the rest of his life with. He’d gently cut off his association with his mistresses, determined to start his married life as he meant to go on: faithful to his wife. Unfortunately Victoria hadn’t shared his values.

Since then Alex hadn’t had the same appreciation for a beautiful woman. He hadn’t reconnected with any of his old mistresses, hadn’t felt that spark of attraction with anyone really. Until now.

It was completely inappropriate and unhelpful. Lina was from a different world and she was here to help him win a wager, not to become his new mistress.

‘Just have a flick through,’ Alex suggested, motioning to the book. ‘I’ll ring for some tea.’ Or something stronger.

Dutifully Lina leafed through the pages of the book, stopping every so often to read an entry. It was quite satisfying to watch her expression turn from one of mild boredom to avid interest.

‘Did you know the Duke of Hampshire has been married six times?’ Lina asked.

‘Unfortunately, yes. He’s rather a lecherous old man, but women can’t help throwing themselves at his title and money, it would seem.’

‘Does he kill them off?’

Alex nearly choked on the mouthful of tea he had just imbibed.

‘Well, to lose one or two is unfortunate... Six is just suspicious,’ Lina said with a grin.

‘I’ll ask him next time I see him.’

‘You know him?’

‘Went to school with one of his sons. From his second marriage, I think.’

‘I’d love to meet him.’

‘Certainly not.’ Alex realised he sounded like a pompous old man. ‘Unless you’re hoping to become wife number seven,’ he added.

Lina fell quiet for a while, turning the pages and occasionally smiling to herself. After a few minutes, she sat back and turned to Alex. Inwardly he groaned. Normally he would praise a woman for having an enquiring mind, but there was a certain way Lina asked her questions—a tenacious stubbornness not to let any matter rest if she wasn’t quite satisfied—that was exhausting. Alex didn’t normally mind admitting he didn’t know something; it happened rarely enough and often the subject matter was something obscure seeing that he was well educated and had an enquiring mind, but he had lost count of the number of times he’d had to concede he wasn’t entirely sure of an answer since Lina’s arrival.

‘What would happen if I addressed someone incorrectly?’ Lina asked.

Alex frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, imagine we are at this ball of yours in six weeks’ time.’

He had to suppress a shudder at the thought. Right now Lina was so far from being ready she’d fuel the gossips for a decade if he took her to a London ball.

‘I’m imagining it...’ he murmured.

‘And you introduce me to some duke or duchess.’

Heaven forbid. At the moment he was wondering if he could get away with only letting Lina talk to strategically placed friends around this proposed ballroom.

‘I curtsy.’

Alex had seen her curtsies; they would certainly need at least half a day’s work.

‘And then I address him as Duke Dorrington. What would happen?’

‘I still don’t understand the question.’ Alex could understand the words, but wasn’t entirely sure exactly what Lina wanted to know.

‘Would I be hauled in front of a magistrate? Exiled to Australia? Would the ceiling of the ballroom crumble on top of me? Would the Duke expire from shock? What. Would. Happen?’

Alex had forgotten to include prone to exaggerate in his mental list of Lina’s qualities.

‘You would probably get some very hard looks and the whispering would start as soon as you were out of earshot.’

‘Oh, Lord—not the whispering,’ Lina murmured.

‘A woman’s reputation can be ruined by just one poorly timed remark or faux pas in form of address.’

‘That’s ridiculous. Everyone makes mistakes.’

Alex agreed. The etiquette and rules of polite society did seem over the top sometimes.

‘To you it may not be of great concern to have some gossipy matrons judging you, but imagine if you were a debutante eagerly searching for a husband. These women would be part of your social circle for the rest of your life and who knows whom they may have influence over? In a matter of minutes you could go from the most eligible young woman in the ballroom to someone to be avoided because of their vulgarity and lack of manners.’

‘And if it were a man that made the mistake?’ Lina asked shrewdly. ‘If it were you that addressed someone wrongly?’

‘I agree it is unfair, but the standards are different for men and women. I could probably call someone Lord Coward, Duke of Half-Wit, and it would be laughed off within seconds.’

Lina nodded thoughtfully, pursing her lips. ‘My mother used to say that women have to hold themselves to higher standards than men. We have to have double the respect, double the strength, double the commitment.’

‘She sounds like a very sensible woman.’

‘She was.’

Alex heard the catch in Lina’s voice as she spoke and was just rising out of his chair to offer comfort when Lina turned to him with a breezy smile.

‘Enough of this,’ she declared. ‘Wouldn’t it be much more fun if we went to see your horses?’

‘And how exactly will that help me win this wager?’

‘I’ll practise addressing the horses as if they were lords and ladies.’

What would the stable boys think? Yet Alex felt the irresistible pull of the stables. All morning he had been eager to dash out to the yard and throw himself back into his work. Spending the time teaching Lina how to address the different ranks of nobility hadn’t been as bad as he had first feared—Lina was quick and clever and had a sly humour that made the time pass much quicker. Nothing, however, could keep his mind from wandering to his new Arabian and how he would approach the next stage of its training.

‘Half an hour,’ Alex agreed sternly. ‘Then it’s back to your studies.’

Lina was up and out through the door before Alex was even on his feet and as he quickened his pace to keep up his mind was calculating training timetables and regimes.

‘What is it that you do with the horses?’ Lina asked as they approached the stables.

‘I raise them, train them and then race them. Well, I get them ready to be raced,’ he corrected himself. ‘Someone else does the actual riding during the race.’

‘How many horses do you have?’

‘At the moment, fifteen. The number varies as I buy and sell them on. And they’re not all racehorses. I have two mares that I’m hoping to start breeding soon, four Cleveland Bays for the carriage and two old thoroughbreds for general riding.’

He saw the excitement in her eyes as he spoke and knew it wouldn’t be long before she had persuaded him to take her out riding. Not that Alex minded. As much as he enjoyed breaking in a new stallion or training a thoroughbred for a race, nothing could beat the feel of galloping over the fields purely for pleasure.

‘And the horse I saw yesterday?’

‘My latest project,’ Alex said. ‘An Arabian that had been giving its previous owners all sorts of problems. They haven’t been able to harness or ride him, so I took him off their hands for a very reasonable price.’

‘Will you race him?’

Alex shrugged. He hadn’t planned to initially. A large majority of the winning horses in the big races were thoroughbreds, but Arabians certainly took some of the titles. His initial plan had been to keep the new stallion for breeding, so good were his bloodlines, but after seeing his strength and spirit Alex thought he might well have a winning racehorse on his hands.

‘Can I race him?’

Laughing, Alex shook his head. ‘Most certainly not.’

‘You’d let me if I were a man,’ Lina grumbled.

‘I have no idea how good you are with horses or if you can even ride.’

‘I can ride. Give me ten minutes with your Arabian and I will have him eating from my hand and racing like a winner.’

‘Slow down.’ Alex laughed, although he had to admire her enthusiasm. ‘I’ll make you a deal. You show me you can care for a horse, and if you impress me, I’ll let you ride.’

‘The Arabian?’ Lina asked, her eyes shining.

‘Not the Arabian,’ he said firmly.

They entered the stables and Alex led her down to the very end where a gentle-natured horse was munching on a mouthful of hay.

‘This is Stormborn,’ he said, raising a hand to stroke the old thoroughbred’s nose. ‘My very first racehorse. He’s retired now, but still a joy to ride.’

He watched as Lina approached the horse slowly, lifting her fingers to rub his nose and murmuring reassuring sounds. Maybe she was good with horses, but Alex couldn’t risk letting her loose on any of his prize-winning racehorses.

‘Clean out his stall, rub him down, tend to the saddle and harness, and then I might let you ride him.’ He was certain Lina would argue; she argued about everything.

Watching in amazement as she hitched up her skirts, revealing two slender legs without any hint of embarrassment and vaulting over the stable door, Alex wondered what sort of deal he had just made. Still, Stormborn would keep Lina busy for a while and give him a chance to work with his new Arabian for an hour or two.

With a backwards glance Alex moved away to the other end of the stables, listening with half a smile as Lina introduced herself to the horse much more politely than he had ever heard her speak to another human.

* * *

Lina was in heaven. Rubbing down the old thoroughbred’s shiny coat might not appeal to many young women, but Lina could not think of anywhere she would rather be. She knew Alex had set her working in a bid to both stop her from asking to ride his precious horses, thinking she would not stick out the unglamorous work, and also to give him some time to work on his Arabian.

How he had underestimated her. She would be content to clean out the stables all day. In fact, she’d go as far as to say she preferred it to practising how to address people in Alex’s comfortable library.

It wasn’t that she was unimpressed with his house—she doubted there was a grander, more beautifully decorated dwelling in all of England, and certainly not one she’d ever be invited into. And Alex had been an exemplary host; he’d been kind and welcoming, even if his question as to whether she could read had stung her more than she cared to admit. No, her unease came from somewhere deep inside. Lina liked to think of herself as adventurous. The whole point of this escapade was to have a more exciting life. Well, that and to pay off the huge debt she owed Uncle Tom. But now she was here, she felt the first stirrings of inadequacy and she hated it.

All her life she had ranted against the aristocracy and the way they looked down on the ordinary people. She’d gone out of her way to avoid even the lower levels of the gentry, staying away from the country dances she dreamed about attending. Now she was here at Whitemore House and Alex and his sister were treating her with such kindness, Lina had to wonder if the problem was partly to do with her.

‘What do you think, Stormborn?’ Lina asked. ‘Am I the problem?’

The horse nuzzled into her hand, rubbing his head against her shoulder in a consoling manner.

‘How are you doing?’ Alex’s voice came suddenly from the other end of the stable. He’d left her for well over two hours, probably expecting her to give up at some point.

Lina didn’t reply, forcing him to walk the length of the stables to Stormborn’s stall. She saw the surprise on his face to still find her there, especially with his favourite horse nuzzling against her shoulder.

‘It looks like Stormborn likes you.’

‘We’ve had plenty of time to get to know one another.’

‘Sorry, I lost track of time,’ Alex said without a hint of remorse. ‘I’m sure you’re keen to return to the house for lunch.’

Lina had already opened her mouth to protest when she noticed the mischievous glint in Alex’s eyes. He was teasing her. Normally she was so good at reading people, but Alex she found a little harder than most. She’d been able to pick up the basics when they’d first met at the fair, but since she’d arrived at Whitemore House he hadn’t given much personal information away.

‘Shall we ride?’ he asked, grinning at her before tossing her the heavy saddle to strap on to Stormborn’s back. Lina staggered under the weight, wondering if he treated his aristocratic lady friends in such a manner. It was all very well him training her to curtsy and flutter her fan like a lady, but if he treated her like a common gypsy girl, no one would ever accept her as anything else. She nearly said something, but decided he might agree with her and put a stop to their ride in favour of another session with Debrett’s.

Chapter Six

Lina craned her neck, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

‘Just be patient,’ Georgina chastised her. ‘The overall effect will be more impressive if you wait until Mary has finished with your hair.’

The wait was agonising. The maid—Mary, a shy, perpetually blushing girl who was skilled at putting together the intricate hairstyles Georgina favoured day to day—was pulling and clipping sections of Lina’s hair with quick, practised movements of her fingers. Lina hardly ever wore her hair up. It was too unruly, too wild to be tamed easily, so she favoured letting the loose curls cascade over her shoulders and down her back. Today, though, Georgina had insisted.

Ten minutes later and Mary declared her work to be done.

Nervously Lina stepped in front of the full-length mirror and let her eyes travel up her body. The shoes and dress were borrowed, quickly altered by one of Georgina’s army of maids, but they were the most magnificent garments Lina had ever worn. The dress was a deep crimson in colour, cut low but not scandalously so, nipped in at the waist to show off Lina’s figure, and with her hair pulled back into an intricate bun, she looked as though she might belong on the arm of a marquess.

‘I can’t believe this is me,’ Lina whispered.

‘You look beautiful.’

‘Thank you, Georgina,’ she said, turning to the other woman as her voice caught in her throat.

‘Now, don’t you start,’ Georgina admonished her, the tears swelling in her own eyes, ‘or you’ll have me weeping, and my face goes all blotchy and swollen when I cry.’

‘I feel so different.’

‘Let’s join the others and show them what a little effort can do.’

Arm in arm, the two women left Lina’s room and made their way to the staircase. Far below Lina could hear the murmur of voices and she felt her heart begin pounding in her chest. This was her first little test. She’d been staying with Lord Whitemore for just under a week and during that time he had worked her hard, teaching her basic etiquette and manners of address. Today they had practised how to behave at a dinner party, with Alex sighing as he’d repeated the different uses of the four forks, four knives and three spoons for the fifth time. After she had grasped the basics, Georgina had swooped into the room and declared it would be much more fun if they had a real dinner party.

Alex, of course, grumbled but Lina could see he wasn’t completely averse to the idea. It would only be the four of them present: Alex and Lina, Georgina and her husband, Mr Pentworthy, who up until this evening had been attending to business in London. Nevertheless, Lina felt a little nervous about it.

The two men paused as Lina and Georgina joined them and Lina watched as Mr Pentworthy greeted his wife with a warm look and a kiss on the cheek.

‘May I properly introduce Miss Lina Lock?’

‘A pleasure to meet you, Miss Lock.’

Like his wife, Mr Pentworthy seemed to be friendly and sincere in his greeting and Lina knew immediately that she was going to like him. She knew how Georgina adored her husband, she talked about him with love and warmth, and Georgina hadn’t been wrong about much since Lina’s arrival.

Lina sank into a shallow curtsy, lowering her eyes as Alex had instructed her, then looking up at Mr Pentworthy from under her long lashes as Georgina had suggested when meeting a gentleman for the first time.

‘I hope your journey was not too arduous, Mr Pentworthy,’ Lina said, the picture of demure womanhood. Socialising in polite company did not seem that difficult.

‘Travelling is never my favourite pastime, but it is worth it to be here tonight.’

‘I am glad you could make it. I’ve been so looking forward to meeting you.’

Alex coughed and Lina risked a glance in his direction for the first time since she’d entered the room. For some reason she’d known he would knock her off balance and she’d been nervous enough without Alex adding to her apprehension. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt and blue cravat with dark, closely fitting trousers and a jacket over the top. Lina swallowed, trying hard to concentrate on anything other than her host. Just his presence was making her feel all hot and bothered.

‘Whitemore tells me you’ve been working hard these last few days.’

‘Lord Whitemore is a tough master, but I have survived more or less unscathed.’

Alex stepped forward, placing himself almost in between Lina and Mr Pentworthy, forcing her to look at him.

‘You look transformed, Miss Lock,’ Alex murmured.

‘Like an ugly duckling into a swan?’

‘Something along those lines.’

‘Do I at least look suitable for an intimate dinner party?’

Suitable had been the word of the week. Alex had lectured her over and over again about ‘suitable’ clothes to wear, ‘suitable’ topics of conversation, ‘suitable’ people to converse with.

‘I’m not sure what the society matrons would think of a debutante in that dress,’ he concluded after looking Lina up and down.

‘Pish-posh—’ Georgina breezed into the conversation ‘—Lina looks ravishing and she would have all the young gentlemen clamouring to escort her in to dinner.’

‘Maybe the unsuitable young gentlemen...’

Lina looked up and caught the humour in Alex’s eyes and felt the smile spreading across her face. He’d been a little distant the last couple of days. Whilst Lina had been reciting titles and practising enquiring about his health, she’d caught Alex staring off as if his mind were elsewhere.

‘Is it the colour you object to,’ Lina asked innocently, ‘or the cut?’

She felt all eyes on her, but was only really interested in Alex’s reaction.

‘Both,’ he said quickly. ‘A demure debutante is only ever really seen in white or pastel shades. And she tries to leave a little more to the imagination with the cut of her dress.’

‘So this doesn’t allow the gentlemen to imagine what might be underneath quite so well as a shapeless dress?’ Lina was enjoying herself now. The nerves she’d felt as she’d entered the room were lifting.

‘You know that is not what I mean,’ Alex said, his voice tight.

‘I think, my dear brother, that if more debutantes dressed like Lina has, then you would be a lot more interested in making their acquaintance.’

‘You judge me to be that shallow?’

‘All men are,’ Georgina said lightly. ‘What do you think, darling?’ she asked, turning to her husband.

‘I think you look beautiful in that dress, Miss Lock, but I’m sure you would look lovely in a shapeless sack, too,’ Mr Pentworthy said softly, putting an end to the argument between brother and sister in such a practised way that Lina wondered how many of these disputes he settled with a well-considered sentence.

‘Quite,’ Alex murmured. ‘Shall we go through to dinner?’

* * *

Alex placed his spoon in the bowl and sat back, watching Lina as she ate. It had been a most enjoyable evening, much to Alex’s surprise. When Georgina had suggested the dinner party he had been tempted to reject the idea, but seeing as Pentworthy was returning that evening anyway, putting a more formal name to them dining together hadn’t taken too much more organisation. Although no part of the wager required Lina to attend any dinner parties, he had to admit it was a good test of what she had picked up so far, in a safe and controlled environment.

‘The key to reading a fortune is observing people,’ Lina explained.

‘I thought you interpreted the lines on people’s hands or something?’ Mr Pentworthy said with a frown.

‘I’m letting you into treasured family secrets here—’ Lina dropped her voice as she spoke ‘—but no one, ever, has been able to tell anything about another person by the wrinkles on their hands.’

‘How fascinating. So what do you do?’

‘Would you like a demonstration?’

‘I’m not sure...’ Alex began.

‘Oh, yes, please,’ Georgina countered. ‘How fun.’

‘This isn’t really an appropriate topic for the dinner table,’ Alex grumbled, feeling like a decidedly old killjoy in the process.

‘You’ve already told Alex’s fortune, why don’t you do my husband’s?’

‘She knows everything about him already,’ Alex said. ‘You two chatter incessantly. Lina probably knows more about your husband’s life than I do.’

‘Well, maybe you should pay more attention, then,’ Lina murmured.

He watched as she turned to Pentworthy, adjusting her position in her chair and flashing the man a sweet smile. She’d never smiled at him like that before.

‘Would you like to know your future, sir?’ she asked, her voice dropping so it sounded almost seductive to Alex’s ears.

‘Please, go ahead,’ Pentworthy replied.

‘First your name—your full name.’

‘Richard Pentworthy.’

Lina took his hand in her own and caressed it for a second before turning it over and studying the lines across his palm.

‘You’re a powerful man, Mr Pentworthy,’ Lina said. ‘And a happy one. I can see you work hard for what you have, but life has not always been easy. You are married and you take your vows seriously, I would say that your wife and children are even more important to you than your work.’

‘You’re just telling him what he wants to hear,’ Alex muttered. Lina flashed him an irritated look, before turning back to Pentworthy.

‘You are a wealthy man, very wealthy, but you were not born into wealth in the same way your wife was. You’ve worked to get where you are today.’

‘I never told her that,’ Georgina whispered at Alex.

‘As for the future...’ She traced her fingers across Pentworthy’s palm in a way that made Alex want to stand up and pull her hand away. ‘I see more children, many more, in fact. You will have a large and happy family. I see success overseas. A business venture, perhaps?’ Alex saw how she watched for Pentworthy’s reaction before continuing. ‘Yes, business—the deal you are working on at the moment—soon all those long hours will pay off. And I see recognition, perhaps in the form of a title, for all the services you have provided to the Crown.’

‘That’s incredible,’ Pentworthy said. ‘How on earth did you do all that?’

‘You don’t actually believe any of it?’ Alex asked.

‘What’s not to believe?’ Lina countered. ‘I gave an accurate description of his life and what’s important to him in the present, and extrapolated his dreams for the future.’

‘You have to teach me,’ Georgina gushed.

‘Go through it all again, but slowly, explaining step by step,’ Pentworthy instructed.

Alex sat back and folded his arms, but listened all the same. Although he was sceptical about this sort of thing he had to admit Lina must have wonderful powers of observation to describe his brother-in-law quite so accurately on their first meeting.

‘I started out with a statement about your status and happiness. I know you are powerful by the people you associate with and also by the royal seal on the documents you left in the hallway. I can tell that you are a happy man by the laughter lines around your eyes. Our wrinkles never lie.’

‘Such simple observations, but so effective. Go on,’ Pentworthy urged.

‘I can tell you work hard, as you have brought a pile of papers home with you to work on after we have finished dinner, and I know you are happily married by the way you look at your wife as if she is the only woman in the world.’

‘How did you know my husband wasn’t born wealthy?’ Georgina asked.

‘He wears very fine clothes, but there are signs of wear on the elbows and down the seams. If I’m not much mistaken, a tear in your jacket has been mended recently,’ Lina said.

Pentworthy raised his fingers to the almost-unnoticeable piece of damaged material.

‘You are obviously wealthy, Mr Pentworthy—you arrived in your own private carriage and your wife has the finest of clothes and jewellery—but you are more thrifty than most gentlemen, allowing your clothes to be mended instead of just purchasing new ones. This hints at a past where money was not so freely available.’

Alex shifted, leaning forward. He knew of his brother-in-law’s modest beginnings and admired how Pentworthy had made his own fortune, but there was no way Lina could have known. He felt a grudging respect blooming for how she had determined that little insight.

‘As for the predictions about the future, all you have to do is look at what is important to the client and build on that. In your case a larger family, an expanded business empire and recognition for the work you have done.’

‘Impressive,’ Alex murmured.

Lina turned to face him, her eyes shining with triumph. ‘I’ve even converted you?’

‘I’m impressed by your powers of observation.’

He watched as her cheeks flushed at the compliment and felt a primal stirring deep inside. Alex tried to suppress it, but as Lina stood, guided by Georgina, he couldn’t help watching her hips sway as she walked away.

‘Wait,’ he called as they reached the door. ‘Lina, I need to talk to you for a moment.’

Georgina shrugged, returned to the table and allowed her husband to escort her from the room instead.

‘Shall we take a stroll on the terrace?’

Gently Lina placed her hand on his forearm, just as he had taught her to, and accompanied him outside.

‘You did very well tonight,’ Alex said as they walked side by side.

‘It was hardly much of a test,’ Lina said with a shrug. ‘Your sister and her husband are not exactly judgemental. They are very easy to spend an evening with.’

‘Nevertheless, I think we might just win this little wager of ours.’

‘My behaviour wasn’t too scandalous?’

‘It wasn’t impeccable,’ Alex said after a moment’s thought, but regretted it as he saw Lina’s face drop. He could have just kept the tone light, congratulated her again, and enjoyed their time together, but something was gnawing at him, making him lash out uncharacteristically.

He stopped, turning to lean against a stone column to try to regain his equilibrium. Throughout the entire evening, ever since he’d seen her walk into the drawing room dressed in red and looking beautiful, he’d had the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her. He’d barely been able to tear his eyes away from her lips and all the time he’d been imagining what her body would feel like under his, what her skin would taste like and what her breath would feel like on his neck. He wanted her more than he’d wanted any woman in a long time.

Alex didn’t like this feeling—the sensation of being out of control. These last three years he had trained his mind and body to live by his strict rules, but suddenly they were rebelling.

Maybe he needed a mistress. Not Lina, of course—she was entirely inappropriate. His past lovers had mainly been young widows, but he had once been attached to an actress for a few months and before that an opera singer for nearly a year. Never had anyone he knew kept a gypsy dancer as a mistress.

Alex’s eyes flitted to Lina’s and for a moment he didn’t care about her background. A mistress was to be kept secret anyway, so perhaps it didn’t matter that Lina was from a different world.

‘What did you want to talk to me about?’ Lina asked. She’d turned half-away from him and was looking out over the gardens, her face illuminated by the moonlight.

‘I wanted to give you this.’ Alex reached into his pocket and pulled out a small package, handing it over to Lina. He felt a spark as their fingers touched that sent a shudder of desire through his whole body.

‘What is it?’

‘Open it and see.’

Deftly her fingers undid the small bow on the top of the box and pulled off the lid.

‘It’s beautiful.’

‘I’m sorry I can’t pay you.’

Not looking up, Lina gave a small nod, running her fingers over the sparkling silver hair comb.

‘Thank you,’ she said, her voice tight. Alex scrutinised her face, wondering if he’d done something wrong.

‘I know it’s not much.’

She shook her head. ‘I think it’s the most beautiful thing anyone has ever given me.’

Despite the words of reassurance Alex could tell something wasn’t quite right.

‘If you would prefer something else we can always return it,’ he added. He didn’t have much experience of buying women gifts, not recently.

‘It is perfect. Thank you.’

‘Allow me.’ He took the comb from her, placed his hands on the thin material that covered her shoulders and spun her round so her back was to him. Against his better judgement he allowed his fingers to trail across the soft skin at the nape of her neck, wishing it was his lips instead. He felt her stiffen beneath his touch and quickly, before he could do anything he might regret, he pulled his hands away. Gently he slid the comb into the back of her hair, adjusting it so it was straight.

‘Thank you,’ Lina said, raising her hand to her hair and gingerly touching the comb. She turned and for a moment they were standing far too close, their bodies only inches apart. It would be so easy to lean forward, take her in his arms and kiss her until she begged him for more. Alex felt his body sway slightly, closing the gap between them, but at the last second he gained control of himself and stepped away.

‘Shall we return to the others?’ he asked stiffly.

He saw her hesitate. ‘I’ll follow you in a minute or two.’

Normally Alex would not let a young woman remain outside by herself, even somewhere as safe as his own home, but right now he had to put some distance between them and if that meant being ungentlemanly, then so be it. He knew if he stayed out here with Lina any longer, he would do something he would regret.

Chapter Seven

Lina watched Alex stroll back along the terrace and disappear inside the house and slowly willed her body to relax. Carefully she raised her hand to her hair and touched the comb again, running her fingers over the intricately decorated surface and feeling the tears spring to her eyes.

‘Don’t be a fool,’ she whispered to herself.

The words she had said to Alex were true: this was the most beautiful gift anyone had ever given her.

Needing some time and space to clear her head, Lina carefully lifted the skirts of her dress and descended the steps into the garden. She would return to the house in a few minutes, but first she needed a moment or two to regain control of herself.

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