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