Page 79 of An Unlikely Debutante

Sensing the tears prickling in her eyes, Lina quickly excused herself, keeping her head down and dashing towards the entrance hall. There she followed a flutter of young ladies into the set of rooms that had been made available for the ladies to tend to their intimate needs during the ball. She was grateful to find a small room with a lock on the door and shut herself in before the tears properly began to fall. Tonight she might be on Alex’s arm, but before too long it would be another woman in his heart. Somehow she had to accept it, but even here in the privacy of the retiring room, Lina felt her heart squeezing painfully in her chest.

Ten minutes later and Lina knew she would have to return to the ball. Quietly she unlocked the door and poked her head out into the antechamber. When she’d entered, a few young ladies had been positioned in front of the mirrors adjusting various aspects of their appearance as they chattered away. Now the room was thankfully empty and Lina had time to splash a little cold water on her cheeks before the door opened again.

‘You need to leave,’ a low voice came from behind her.

Lina spun around to see Victoria standing holding the door open, her eyes narrowed and angry.

‘I’ve finished, the room is all yours.’

‘No, you need to leave this ball. You’re an embarrassment.’

‘Pardon me?’

‘Don’t think I don’t know what you are, Miss Lina Lock,’ Victoria spat. ‘Stay and you will make a fool of Alex as well as yourself.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Lina said, forcing herself to hold her head up high as she tried to walk out past Victoria. The other woman held out an arm, blocking Lina’s way.

‘I’ve checked who you are,’ Victoria said, a flash of triumph in her eyes. ‘You’re nobody. No title, no family, no money.’

‘And that is all that matters to you, isn’t it?’

‘It does matter. It matters to everyone. And having you here is an absolute disgrace. For Alex to bring his mistress to a society event—it’s an embarrassment.’

Lina was about to duck under Victoria’s outstretched arm, but then she froze.

‘Why do you care what he does?’ she asked.

‘Because it is an affront. I don’t wish Alex to be made a fool of.’

‘Surely you gave up the right to have an opinion on what he does or does not do when you ran off with his friend.’

Victoria’s pale cheeks became even paler and her lips grew thin and pinched.

‘Don’t you dare speak to me like that.’

‘It is exactly how you are speaking to me.’

‘You’re a whore, a harlot! I am Lady Winchester, wife of the Duke of Winchester.’

‘Actually, I’m not a whore or a harlot,’ Lina said, beginning to enjoy herself a little. The other woman was so out of control she was easy to upset. ‘I’m a gypsy.’

Victoria’s eyes widened at this newest piece of information, but still she refused to back away.

‘What I don’t understand,’ Lina mused, ‘is why you are so concerned about what Alex does. You left him, broke his heart and waltzed off with his closest friend without a single thought of how it would affect the man you were supposed to love. And now you’re jealous that he’s moved on? It doesn’t make sense.’

‘I’m not jealous of you,’ was all Victoria could manage.

‘You didn’t want him, but you don’t want anyone else to have him either, is that it?’ Lina asked, leaning in closer and watching as the truth of her words was reflected in Victoria’s eyes.

‘I certainly don’t want him consorting with the likes of you.’

‘I suppose there is a power in having a man in love with you. Perhaps you hoped you would hold that power over Alex for ever, despite you moving on.’ Lina took a step back. She was thoroughly enjoying herself now. Reading Victoria’s reactions was far too easy and she had nothing to fear from the cold woman in front of her. ‘I don’t understand what Alex ever saw in you.’

On the few occasions Alex had talked about his ex-fiancée, he had mentioned how she was his intellectual equal, how they had enjoyed discussing all manner of topics whilst being able to laugh and relax with one another at the same time. Although Lina had only spent a limited amount of time in Victoria’s company, she couldn’t reconcile that picture with the woman in front of her, but people could change. Perhaps the old Victoria had been nicer, or perhaps Alex had been blinded by the love he felt for her.

‘I take it your marriage is not a happy one,’ Lina said as she confidently strode forward and ducked under Victoria’s arm, stepping out into the hallway. Before the other woman could answer, Lina had glided away, her head held high, but her heart hammering in her chest. She might have enjoyed getting the better of a woman who’d sought her out to belittle and degrade her, but Lina wasn’t so naive to think she could speak to a woman of such a high rank in that manner without their being consequences. She might well have just ruined Alex’s chances of winning his wager.