Page 77 of An Unlikely Debutante

It took much longer than Lina expected to travel to the Wilcox ball, given the journey would have only taken twenty minutes by foot, but as they edged closer to the front of the queue of carriages she was thankful for the delay. From what she could see out of the carriage window, the ball was to be a grand affair. Coloured lanterns lit the way to the entrance where liveried footmen stood to attention, welcoming guests into the house and providing liquid refreshments. Through the windows Lina caught sight of a large number of people standing in groups, talking and laughing merrily. Somewhere would be room set aside for dancing and nearby at least a quartet of musicians. All this, Lina had learnt by questioning Alex and his sister about what would happen tonight, but now she saw it with her own eyes it seemed so much grander than they had described.

‘Are you nervous?’ Alex asked. He was lounging back in his seat, but Lina could tell he was on edge by the way he hadn’t teased her throughout the whole carriage ride. The declaration of love that had tumbled from her lips a couple of days ago was no doubt the cause of this change in character.

‘I don’t want to let you down,’ Lina said.

It was the truth. Ever since their afternoon at the rooms in Grosvenor Square, Lina had been wondering whether it would be best for her to just leave, to walk out on Alex and the wager, but she had realised that it was important for her to see this through. She had given her word to Alex that she would do this, and after all the time and effort that had gone into preparing for this evening she wasn’t going to walk away just before the final hurdle. Deep down Lina knew she also couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Alex, even a day early. Every minute was precious, despite what had occurred between them. He might not have been able to admit his feelings for her, but that didn’t lessen how she felt for him.

‘Whatever happens tonight I want you to know how grateful I am to you. You’ve worked so hard to help me. Thank you.’

Grateful.That was his overriding emotion towards her. Not love, not even desire any more, but he was grateful.

Resolutely fixing her eyes on a coloured lantern on the Wilcoxes’ railings, Lina tried her hardest not to show any emotion. Part of her wanted to grasp Alex by the shoulders and shake him, scream and shout and beg him to recognise what they had between them, but she knew it was in vain. Either he felt the connection, too, or he didn’t. She couldn’t force it.

Before she was ready, their carriage had pulled to a halt and a footman was opening the door. Alex helped her down, escorting her up the steps towards the door, whilst Lina felt every sense being overwhelmed. The coloured lanterns were complemented by streams of ribbons fluttering in the breeze, all in vibrant blues and reds and yellows. The soft sound of a string quartet floated out through the open doors, an enticing piece of music pulling Lina inside. Infused in the air was the scent of orange blossom, faint but sweet enough to make Lina want to bite into a succulent segment of the exotic fruit.

They hadn’t even reached the front door and already it was the grandest party Lina had ever been to. The country dance paled in comparison and suddenly Lina felt awkward and out of place.

They passed the line of footmen and stepped over the threshold, the air inside the house already marginally warmer and stickier than that outside.

‘Lord Whitemore, we’re so glad you could make it.’ An immaculately presented woman in her mid-forties beamed as they approached.

‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Mrs Wilcox, Mr Wilcox. May I introduce Miss Lock.’

Lina and the Wilcoxes greeted each other formally and they were just about to move on when Mrs Wilcox thrust a young, slender woman in their path.

‘And this is our daughter, Miss Anne Wilcox.’

The young woman looked decidedly uncomfortable, but bobbed a formal curtsy all the same. Lina supposed she’d been paraded out in front of all the guests so far, and the young Miss Wilcox didn’t look too happy about it. As they made their greetings, with Alex dutifully asking their hostess’s daughter for a dance later that evening, Lina saw the flare of triumph in Mrs Wilcox’s eyes as she secured a dance with a marquess for her daughter.

‘The ball is in honour of Miss Wilcox’s debut,’ Alex murmured as they made their way into the already-crowded ballroom. ‘She’s making her bow into society tonight.’

‘She doesn’t look too pleased about it,’ Lina observed drily.

‘Her parents are ambitious. I think they hope she will ensnare a man with a title.’ Alex paused, dropping his voice even lower before continuing, ‘They are extraordinarily wealthy with no sons, making Miss Wilcox a very eligible heiress. Of course, in return for all that money, they wish for their new son-in-law to bring a title to the table.’

‘How romantic.’

Alex shrugged, as if to say this was just the way of the world he lived in.

The ballroom was even more beautifully decorated than Lina could have ever imagined. Hundreds of candles burned around the peripheries, adding to the light from three glittering chandeliers suspended from the ceiling. The mirrored walls glittered and shone, making the crowded room seem more spacious and allowing the immaculately presented debutantes to examine their appearances every few minutes.

There was a jolly atmosphere in the room, much more so than Lina had anticipated, and she realised that most of these people must know each other in some way or another.

‘Whitemore! Where have you been hiding yourself away?’ A young man with an expressive face came and clapped Alex on the back.

‘Sir Thomas Wainwood, Miss Lina Lock,’ Alex introduced them, leaning in to add to Lina, ‘Wainwood is a complete scoundrel. Keep well away.’

‘You wound me, Whitemore.’

‘It’s the truth, no matter how hard he protests.’

‘You forget I was witness to all your exploits at university, Whitemore.’ Turning to Lina, he gave a friendly wink. ‘Perhaps you would like to hear all about it, Miss Lock, if you’d be kind enough to grant me a dance.’

‘I would be delighted to.’ Lina handed him her dance card and he scribbled his name on one of the lines. Already it was filling up, what with Alex’s two dances pencilled in, and two more with Pentworthy. One half of the wager was almost won. All she had to do was conduct herself with decorum for the evening and Alex would have triumphed over his sister and her husband.

They moved on, strolling around the ballroom, having to weave through the crowds now even more guests were arriving. Their progress did not go unmonitored and Lina saw multiple pairs of eyes following them as they walked.

‘People are talking about us,’ she murmured, glancing at two middle-aged women who were whispering behind raised hands. It was hardly discreet.