Page 57 of An Unlikely Debutante

Lina inspected the list of horses racing first, picked out Dawnbreaker’s name and went to place her bet. Although she could have picked any horse she liked the sound of, as an unknown horse Dawnbreaker had the highest odds, and Lina always liked rooting for an underdog.

She returned to Alex’s side, betting slip in hand.

‘Who did you go for?’ he asked.

She showed him and watched as the warmth blossomed in his eyes. Before Lina knew what he was doing, he pulled her closer and gave her a peck on the cheek, having to duck his head under the brim of her bonnet to reach her skin.

‘Alex!’ they heard Georgina hiss from behind them. ‘You can’t do that in public.’

Quickly she inserted herself between Lina and Alex, gripping on to Lina’s arm as if to protect her from any further improprieties.

‘She bet on my horse,’ he said.

Georgina surveyed the crowd for a few minutes, watching the faces and levels of interest in their fellow racegoers.

‘I think you’re safe.’

‘Safe from what?’ Alex asked, leaning against the rail that separated the spectators from the racetrack.

‘Scandal. Notoriety. Unwanted attention,’ Georgina snapped. ‘It may be none of my concern what goes on between you two in private, if you are sensible enough to keep it discreet, but you cannot parade your affair in public.’

‘Nonsense, Georgina,’ Alex said with a laugh. ‘Nobody saw us. And besides, half the gentlemen here are with their mistresses. It’s not scandalous, just a fact of life.’

‘We’re not—’ Lina began to say, but Georgina was already ploughing on with her reprimand.

‘That’s as may be, but they do not go about kissing or pawing them in public, and they’re not under the same scrutiny as you. You’re a marquess, for heaven’s sake, probably the most eligible man in England.’

‘We’re not—’ Lina tried again, but this time Alex started talking at the same time.

‘Then it shouldn’t matter if I strip Lina naked and consort with her right here in the middle of the racecourse. I’d still be eligible, still be good enough for the daughters of the ton.’

‘Don’t be so flippant,’ Georgina hissed. ‘You might be eligible, but many women would be put off by such a flagrant display of affection in public. What if one of those is the woman you’re destined to spend your life with?’

‘Unlikely. She eloped with my closest friend, remember?’

Lina felt his words as if they were a blow to her abdomen. Her denial of an affair between her and Alex died on her lips for a third time as his words registered. Despite his protestations, despite his flippancy when it came to the subject of Victoria, she’d known there was still a maelstrom of feelings for his ex-fiancée buried inside—and that he viewed Lina as no more than an outlet for his desires.

In the silence Lina felt the tears building in her eyes and knew she had to escape before she made a complete fool of herself. Of course she’d had her reservations; she’d known nothing meaningful could ever happen between her and Alex, but deep down she supposed she’d nurtured a tiny flame of hope. With those few words, Alex had extinguished it. He’d had his perfect woman once and she’d left—Lina was nothing more than a pleasant distraction for him.

‘We are not having an affair,’ Lina said at last, far too loudly, spinning and fleeing through the crowd before she could gauge anyone’s reaction.

Faces and bodies blurred in front of her as the tears began spilling down her face and Lina dipped her head, hoping the bonnet would be enough to save her from too many pitying looks.

* * *

‘Lina! There you are. I’m glad I found you,’ Pentworthy said, sitting down beside her on the grass.

She turned to look at him, offering a weak smile, but unable to summon anything further.

‘I apologise for Georgina,’ he continued. ‘She can be rather blunt and, for a woman who spent her childhood being taught how to be the picture of demure womanhood, sometimes she lacks diplomacy. Here.’ He took out his handkerchief and offered it to Lina.

Dabbing her eyes, Lina tried to rally. It would do no good to wallow in self-pity; truly there was no reason for her to be sad. She hadn’t lost anything—at least not anything that she’d ever truly had.

‘Love can be painful,’ Pentworthy observed after a few moments of silence.

‘I know Victoria hurt Alex more than he cares to admit.’

‘She did,’ Pentworthy said slowly. ‘But I wasn’t talking about Alex.’