Page 51 of An Unlikely Debutante

Chapter Seventeen

Lina tapped lightly on the door, listening for the invitation to enter before she turned the doorknob and slipped into the room.

Far from the dark and stuffy sickroom she had imagined, Lady Grenville’s bedchamber was light and airy, with the windows thrown open and a cool breeze blowing through, making the curtains billow.

‘Come, come,’ Lady Grenville gushed. ‘Don’t be shy. Come and sit beside me.’ She patted a spot on the bed that wasn’t covered with piles of books and writing materials.

‘I don’t wish to disturb you, Lady Grenville,’ Lina said, feeling a little nervous. ‘I just wanted to enquire how you were.’

‘In agony, darling girl, but I’m told that’s perfectly natural when one has a broken ankle.’

‘Did the doctor say how long it will take to heal?’

Lina had never broken a bone. Despite her often-reckless antics, she always seemed to land on her feet relatively unscathed.

‘I’ll be in bed for at least six weeks, possibly eight. Then it all depends how well the bone has knitted together. It’s ghastly, I’ve been laid up for less than a day and I’m going out of my mind with boredom already.’ Lady Grenville’s speech was accompanied by wild and animated hand gestures and Lina found herself warming to the overly dramatic middle-aged woman. ‘You must promise to keep me company, dear girl.’

‘Of course. Although I’m sure Lord Whitemore will not let you get bored.’

‘But he is a man and men have the most peculiar ideas as to what constitutes entertainment.’

‘Does this mean you will not make the Season in London?’ Lina asked.

Lady Grenville grimaced and shook her head sadly. ‘Alas, probably not. I’ve been looking forward to donning my finest dress and dancing the night away all year, but I think I may have to wait until next year to grace the ballrooms of London with my presence.’

Both women were silent for some moments, lost in their own thoughts.

‘What is it like? A London ball?’ This was a question she’d been eager to ask someone for a while, but when she had put it to Alex, he’d just shrugged and said it was a house full of people who danced and talked. Hardly enlightening.

‘It’s divine, Lina. I may call you Lina?’

Lina nodded.

‘And you must call me Aunt Lucy. Everyone does.’ She paused, adjusting her position on the pillows, leaning back with a dreamy, faraway look in her eyes. ‘The women are dressed in the finest of silks and satins, their hair coiffed, their necks and arms and ears dripping with jewels. The men, oh!’ Aunt Lucy gave a deep groan. ‘They look so handsome in their evening dress.’

Already Lina could begin to picture the scene. It was enticing, but she knew she did not belong there.

‘The ballroom is decorated with candles and flowers. And as people arrive, they will gather in groups, conversing, with the musicians playing in the background. Then the dancing begins. Waltzes and cotillions, glorious dances executed with precision—at least at the beginning of the evening.’

‘It sounds wonderful.’

‘It is, my dear. The London Season is where young women go to find a husband, so everyone is immaculately presented.’

‘And immaculately behaved,’ Lina murmured.

There was a mischievous twinkle in Aunt Lucy’s eyes. ‘Not so much. Plenty of marriages have started with an illicit kiss stolen at a London ball. You will have a fantastic time.’

Lina shook her head absent-mindedly. She wasn’t sure she would still be around then. A London ball would be a wonderful thing to experience, and this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but she still hadn’t decided if she was staying another night, let alone continuing with Alex’s wager.

‘Are you worried you won’t fit in?’ Aunt Lucy asked.

‘I won’t, but that’s the whole point. Someone like me shouldn’t be in attendance somewhere like that. The whole idea is to appear to belong,’ Lina said, her voice a little melancholy.

‘Think of it as an adventure,’ Aunt Lucy said, patting Lina’s hand. ‘How wonderful to be someone else, just for one night. To live another life, without any repercussions.’

That was what Lina had hoped for when she’d agreed to this crazy wager of Alex’s—the chance to live a different life for a few weeks, to experience something new with the knowledge that once the ball was over and the six weeks were up, she could happily slip back into her old life with no lasting consequences. The problem was, as time went by Lina didn’t know if she would be able to go back. These past few weeks had changed her, made her want more from life, made her see the endless possibilities in the world. How could she return to dancing and telling fortunes at country fairs in the summer months and finding odd jobs to bring in money in the winter?

More important, how could she return to a life without Alex?