An Unlikely Debutante. Laura Martin

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       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?’ СКАЧАТЬ