by Laura Martin
‘That’s what I always tell him,’ Georgina added.
‘If I suddenly start attending lots of social functions and dancing with all these unattached young ladies, then it will be assumed I am searching for a wife.’
‘What is so bad about that?’ Lina asked. ‘It is only an assumption. You don’t actually have to marry anyone.’
Alex shuddered. ‘When the word is put out an eligible bachelor is looking to settle down he is besieged by ambitious mothers and dull daughters. I value my peace and my privacy too much.’
‘I think you’re overthinking this too much,’ Lina declared after a moment’s consideration.
‘Too clever for his own good,’ Pentworthy agreed as he wove through the crowds and joined their little group, giving Georgina a kiss on the cheek. ‘How lovely you look tonight, Lina. May I have the pleasure of the next dance?’
Although he was rarely at Whitemore House, Lina had warmed to Georgina’s husband on the few occasions he had returned from London to spend the evening with them. He was an intelligent man and successful from what Lina had learned from the snippets of conversation she had overheard, but he was very likeable and kind. He wasn’t as good a dancer as Alex, but he laughed at himself every time he got a step wrong and kept up a stream of conversation throughout the two dances they danced together.
As they stepped off the dance floor, another man approached, introduced himself and asked Lina to dance. With her confidence growing by the second, Lina agreed. In the dances that followed, she was aware that she would crane her neck every few steps to see if she could catch sight of Alex anywhere in the hall, wishing it was he spinning her around, even while knowing she should be content with the partners she had.
‘You seem a little distracted,’ her latest partner commented as he escorted her to the edge of the dance floor.
‘I’m sorry,’ Lina said, turning to look at him properly for the first time. He’d introduced himself as Mr Gillingham, but she didn’t know any more about him than his name. She’d been less than the perfect dance partner—although she’d executed the steps with precision she hadn’t engaged Mr Gillingham in any small talk and now she felt a little guilty about the neglect. ‘I haven’t been to many dances before. I suppose I’m a little nervous.’
‘Let me get you a drink, then maybe you would like to step outside for some air?’
The suggestion was a welcome one. After nearly an hour of dancing and making small talk, Lina’s throat was parched and her head starting to spin. She hesitated for only a second; Alex had warned her about avoiding any situation where she was left alone with a gentleman—it was another way to be the subject of a scandal, but Mr Gillingham seemed friendly and decent and not at all like he was thinking of taking her outside to compromise her. Besides, the doors to the hall had been left open and people were wandering outside all the time.
‘That would be lovely.’
They picked up two glasses of lemonade and headed for the door. Outside the air seemed wonderfully cool compared to the stuffiness of the hall and Lina felt immediately revived.
‘From your earlier comment, am I to assume this will be your first London Season?’ Mr Gillingham asked.
‘It will. Al—’ Lina caught herself just in time. ‘Lord Whitemore and Lady Georgina Pentworthy have been kind enough to sponsor me for the Season.’
‘You are a friend of the family?’
‘Exactly.’
They strolled arm in arm as they talked, never straying too far from the other couples and groups of people emerging from the hall for a few minutes of air. Lina began to relax as she realised no one was going to expose her as a fraud and allowed herself to enjoy this experience. After these six weeks were up she would be back to her normal life. It would be foolish not to treasure every moment, even if she wished it were Alex by her side instead of Mr Gillingham.
* * *
‘Please excuse me,’ Alex said, flashing the four young women gathered around him a sunny smile. ‘It has been a pleasure to meet you all.’
Before any of the women could protest Alex strode away, parting the crowds with his determined expression and quick pace. The evening hadn’t been terrible, but the last hour hadn’t been fun, either. He’d been abandoned first by Lina and then by Georgina and her husband, left to the mercy of the ladies of Pottersdown. Not that he couldn’t protect himself from the gaggles of young women—he’d had plenty of practice at balls and dinner parties over the years—but it was a little tedious all the same.
Glancing around the hall as he reached the area that had been allocated to be the dance floor, Alex frowned. The past hour, throughout the conversations and introductions, he had managed to keep one eye fixed on Lina. As he’d predicted, she’d been asked to dance by a procession of young men and seemed to be having a great time. He’d known she wouldn’t struggle to fill her dance card—Lina was attractive and vivacious, and men were drawn to her confidence and her beguiling smile—but she had followed his rules and not danced more than twice with the same man. Last time he had glanced her way she had been smiling at a smartly dressed young man as he led her from the dance floor, then they had disappeared.
With a growl of frustration Alex spun around slowly and searched the hall. There were swarms of people, mostly organised in little groups, but he had the advantage of being at least a head taller than most of them so could peruse the room quite easily. After a minute Alex was certain Lina wasn’t there, which meant she had stepped outside with her latest dance partner.
Quickly he pushed his way to the door, feeling the cool breeze as he left the hall. The occupants had spilled out into the town square and if Lina and her escort were out here amongst the other guests, there would be no impropriety, but Alex felt his muscles tense all the same.
He saw them underneath a tree in the middle of the square. Lina was laughing in the carefree, light-hearted way that Alex liked so much, although now it was directed at this other man it made him want to storm over and pull her away.
‘Alex.’
He spun, surprised to hear the familiar voice behind him. ‘Victoria.’
‘I didn’t realise you would be here.’
He shrugged. It was a fair assumption to make, he didn’t normally attend country dances.
‘Did your husband accompany you?’ Alex asked, his eyes straying past Victoria to where Lina was perched. Had he seen her sway a little closer to her escort?
‘No.’ A moment’s hesitation. ‘He stayed in Hampshire.’
Alex wondered if he sensed there might be a strain in their relationship, but then realised he did not want to know. Once Victoria’s pain would have been his pain, but she’d chosen her path, pushed him away and he had come to terms with it. Now he did not want to know if her marriage was a happy one. They were not friends and they never would be.
He heard Lina’s laugh again and stepped forward.
‘I’m keeping you from Miss Lock,’ Victoria said, a hint of sadness in her voice, placing her hand on his arm.
Alex stopped and saw her look up at him hopefully.
‘Please excuse me, Victoria. I hope you have a pleasant evening.’
Swiftly he walked away, closing the gap between him and Lina within a few seconds. She was turned half-away from him, but seemed to sense as he approached, stiffening and the laughter dying on her lips.
‘Lord Whitemore,’ she greeted him formally. Although she’d been doing nothing wrong Alex could see a hint of guilt in her expression.
‘I was worried, Miss Lock,’ Alex said.
‘I never wished to cause alarm.’ Lina’s companion stood and turned to Alex. ‘I am Mr Gillingham, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Whitemore.’
Alex gave a stiff nod of greeting before turning back to Lina.
‘Come, it is time we left.’
‘But it is still early.’
‘You will thank me for the early night in the morning.’
‘Can we not...?’ The quest
ion died on her lips as she met his eye and instead she turned to Mr Gillingham. ‘Thank you for a most pleasurable evening, Mr Gillingham,’ she said sweetly. ‘I very much enjoyed our time together.’
Alex knew she was just doing it to annoy him, but he could hardly suppress the growl in his throat when Lina fluttered her eyelashes at the young gentleman. As she placed her hand on his forearm, Alex started to stride away, forcing her to almost run to keep up.
‘What a lovely gentleman,’ Lina mused. ‘So polite.’
Alex grunted.
‘He is a keen rider. Goes out with the hunt every month.’
‘Enough about Mr Gillingham.’
‘I think tomorrow we need to work on your manners, Alex,’ Lina said primly.
They walked back to the hall in silence and spent ten minutes trying to navigate the crowd whilst searching for Georgina and her husband. Throughout their search Lina walked passively by his side, but he could sense she would tell him exactly what was on her mind when they were in private.
‘Enough,’ Alex declared when they still hadn’t found Georgina after two laps of the crowded hall. ‘Home.’
‘You’ve been reduced to sentences comprising of just a single word,’ Lina observed.
Ignoring her comments as they made their way to his carriage, Alex tried to let some of the simmering feelings go, but found it was almost impossible. Seeing Lina enjoying herself with Mr Gillingham had made him feel something he hadn’t felt for a very long time: jealousy. He’d wanted to storm over and snatch her away and keep her all to himself. It was ridiculous—Lina wasn’t his to covet. In four weeks’ time she would be out of his life and moving on with her family. And he would be... Well, his life would return to normal. Once he’d won the wager he could concentrate on what was really important: training his racehorses.
‘I was the model of propriety this evening,’ Lina declared as he helped her up into the carriage.
‘And I?’ Alex asked, raising an eyebrow as he settled into the seat beside her. It was a snug fit and Lina had to wriggle over a little to make room.
‘You were rude.’
‘Forgive me?’
She huffed, then looked at him slyly. ‘Were you jealous?’
‘Of Mr Gillingham?’
‘You certainly acted as though you were jealous.’
‘I acted as any responsible sponsor would on finding the young lady they were chaperoning had disappeared outside with an unknown man.’
‘There were plenty of couples outside.’
‘Has anyone ever told you that you’re exceedingly argumentative?’
‘Has anyone ever told you you’re arrogant and self-important?’ Lina countered.
‘My sister tells me most days.’ Alex smiled. ‘I take it as a compliment.’
Lina exhaled sharply as if biting her tongue and turned towards the window. Although he’d never admit it out loud he’d begun to like how argumentative she was, how she was never afraid of voicing her opinion. It might make their relationship a little more fiery, but underneath that it was a testament to how much she cared about what they were doing, how she had started to care for him. That was a hundred times more valuable than an easy life.
The ensuing silence gave Alex a chance to study her profile; the soft lips, round cheeks and thick, shiny hair. It would be so easy to turn her to face him and kiss her. He didn’t think she’d protest, he’d seen the way she responded when their hands touched or when he held her to dance. Perhaps he should allow himself this one pleasure. He’d held himself so tightly, been so strict for so long. Maybe it was time to start indulging in a little of what he desired again.
Chapter Eleven
The room was warm despite the wide-open window and it was a relief when Lina was able to slip out of her dress and let her body breathe. She was clad in a variety of petticoats and a thin chemise, which Georgina had assured her were absolutely necessary under her dress. Although she was tired, and a part of her just wanted to flop down on to the bed, she felt unusually restless and knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep.
Bending down to slip off the silky petticoats, Lina heard a creak behind her and spun quickly, her arms flying up to protect herself.
‘Hush,’ Uncle Tom said as he advanced from the shadows.
Lina backed away. Tom was a relative, her father’s uncle, but that didn’t mean he’d ever been kind or sentimental about their bond. He was here now for a reason and by the cruel glint in his eyes Lina didn’t think it was anything positive.
‘You’ve been a very naughty girl, Lina,’ Tom said, stalking towards her, his hand hovering just above his waistband as if suggesting he had a weapon tucked away just out of sight.
‘I’ve still got two weeks to get you your money,’ Lina protested.
‘You have.’
The hard plaster of the wall behind her pressed against her back and Lina glanced around the room, searching for something to protect herself with.
‘But you have broken the second part of our deal.’
Lina knew very well she was supposed to have let Tom know when the house was empty. The country dance was just the opportunity her uncle was waiting for to strike and she’d deliberately let the occasion slip by.
‘I wasn’t sure if Mr Pentworthy was going to accompany us all to the dance or stay here until the very last moment,’ Lina said with a shrug, trying to project a bravado that she didn’t feel. ‘Anyway, you’ve got in here without my help, you could easily be helping yourself to the valuables downstairs now instead of threatening me.’
‘There’s one slight problem with that,’ Tom said, stepping closer so there was now only a foot between them. Lina refused to cower backwards, but couldn’t help but flinch as Tom’s breath hit her face. ‘I need money, not goods.’
Lina frowned. Tom had never been particular before about what he stole: money, valuables, jewellery—it was all the same to him.
‘Why?’
‘What does it matter to you why? You need to find out where your toff keeps his money and then inform me when the house will be empty.’
It didn’t make sense. Tom could have stolen a few silver candlesticks in the time he’d been up here threatening her. Understanding slowly dawned.
‘You’ve been caught, haven’t you?’ Lina asked. ‘The magistrates have got their eye on you and if they find you with any more stolen goods, you’ll hang. Money can’t be easily traced.’
‘Never you mind,’ Tom said, but Lina could tell she had come to the correct conclusion. No wonder Tom had been pushing Raul to move on to a different county—he wanted to be somewhere he wouldn’t be known. ‘I’m giving you one last chance, Lina. Find out where he keeps the money and sort out an opportunity for me to get my hands on it.’
There was a desperation in Tom’s eyes and Lina wondered what other trouble Tom had got himself into. He’d always been a greedy, thieving scoundrel, but he wouldn’t normally risk breaking into a titled gentleman’s house to make a little money.
‘Is it worth the risk?’ Lina asked softly.
Fury flashed in Tom’s eyes. ‘I don’t need any judgement from a whore like you.’
Holding her hands out in a placating manner, Lina tried to move farther away, but she was hemmed in by furniture and her back was firmly up against the cold wall.
‘I need some payment for your debt now,’ he said, his voice low.
‘I’ve got two more weeks until the deadline.’
‘The deadline has changed.’
Quickly Lina whipped the silver comb from her hair. It wasn’t expensive enough to cover all her debt, but it was a start.
‘Take this.’ She offered the comb.
Tom hesitated. ‘It’s not enough and I need money, not trinkets,’ he said eventually.
Without hesitation Lina launched herself forward, screamed as loud as her lungs would allow and plunged the teeth of the comb into Tom’s arm. Raul had taught her to act fast and never look back if being attacked, and it had se
rved Lina well over the years.
Tom shouted in pain and anger, lashing out, but Lina was too quick for him, ducking under his swinging arms and rushing for the door. Footsteps in the corridor made Tom falter, but as the door crashed open he dived for the window and threw himself out.
Lina kept running, her body careening into Alex’s solid form, and immediately she felt his arms around her.
‘What happened? Are you hurt?’ Alex asked, tilting her chin up so he could examine her face.
‘There was a man,’ Lina said breathlessly. ‘He jumped out of the window.’
Alex darted over to the window and peered out.
‘Is he there?’ Lina asked.
‘Across the lawn,’ Alex shouted, directing the two footmen who had just arrived in the room to chase after the intruder. Turning back to Lina, he took her in his arms. ‘Did he hurt you?’
She shook her head. The sensible thing to do would be to tell Alex everything: Uncle Tom’s identity, his plans to involve her in his scheme to steal Alex’s money, the hold he had over her. But looking up at the concern etched on Alex’s face, she knew she couldn’t. He’d throw her out, assume she was just the same as her criminally minded relative and Lina wasn’t ready to leave yet. Soon it would be time to bid Alex and this life goodbye, but she would do anything she could to have a few more weeks, a few more days even.
It was almost laughable, given her views on the aristocracy before she’d met Alex. She hated their superiority, their customs, the need for everything to be ordered and structured. She hated the way they used and discarded the lower classes, hated how not everyone was created equal. Alex was doing the same with her. He was using her to win a wager, just as he might a horse, and after he had won she would be discarded. She knew all this, but still she didn’t want her time in Whitemore House to end.
For the first time in ten years she was starting to understand how her father had felt. There was something captivating about Alex that made her wish for one more dance, one more ride together. Even though Lina knew nothing could ever happen between them, nothing meaningful anyway, she couldn’t stop the fantasy building in her mind.