Chapter 1
London, 1809
Oh no, here he comes, the lascivious Lord Finch and his merry band of drunken fools.Alaina looked out at the crowded ballroom, her eyes connecting with the group of men making their way toward its center. Alaina had only been at the ball for a quarter hour before this particular disaster struck, the leers of the men making the hairs at the nape of her neck prickle. It did not escape Alaina’s attention that Lady Barbara, Lord Finch’s sister, accompanied the group, and wore a sly smile. Hopefully, this latest encounter would be short. Surely, Lord Finch would not want to be rejected twice, let alone in front of a large crowd.
Alaina looked to her right to find her parents close at hand, thankfully, and she stood a little straighter knowing she would not face this alone.
The group of men seemed to move in unison before coming to a halt a few paces before Alaina and her family. A group of onlookers formed a circle around them as if ready to enjoy the ensuing spectacle, Lady Barbara taking her place in the throng. Alaina struggled to focus on the faces of the onlookers as she held her head high, ready to meet Lord Finch and his friends with as much dignity as she could muster. She hoped to project a more serene exterior than she currently felt, her heartbeat accelerating to such a degree that she could feel the blood rushing in her ears.
Lord Finch stepped to the fore of the now halted group, and gallantly bowed to Alaina before speaking, his voice so loud that Alaina was sure people arriving in carriages outside could hear.
“My dearestbeautifulAlaina,” he started, clearing his throat before continuing, “You have set upon me quite a conundrum. I fear I have fallen madly in love with the idea of having you as my wife, and I feel you should be happy with such an arrangement. I am quite the catch, you know, especially for someone from the country, and one who likes toread.”
From behind him, Lady Barbara piped up with an added insult, “Amazing, really, that Alaina found her way out of the library to be here.” Laughter rippled through the crowd.
Alaina cringed at his easy use of her given name, devoid of any honorific, and seethed at the mockery of her character. Lord Finch and his sister sounded ridiculous, pompous, and conceited.
Alaina was frozen in place, her lips trembling in rage, and when no comment ushered forth from her lips, Lord Finch rejoined, unfazed by the one-sided nature of their conversation. “I find myself at an impasse. Shall I continue to press my suit with decorum, or should I make my feelings known to the whole world, so that you may not so easily dismiss them as you have in the past?”
A warmth crept up Alaina’s neck and touched her cheeks, giving her pale skin a glow, although one not easily perceptible in the dim light of the ballroom. She turned once again to where her parents stood, only to find that her father had disappeared, and her mother’s pale face was drawn in embarrassment as she watched her eldest child with dismay. Oh, how Alaina wished her father would have stayed; his tall frame was intimidating to a crowd, and his familiar umber eyes were always reassuring to her.
Resolved to put a stop to this farce, Alaina turned back to Lord Finch and remarked, her voice distant and strange sounding in her ears, “Lord Finch, it seems my earlier rejection of your suit did not deter you in the least, but I ask you to have a care for your surroundings.”
As the words left her mouth, Alaina watched Lord Finch’s face change, his outwardly serene expression making way for something more sinister. His smile twisted into an outright leer, and his pale green eyes seemed to burn of their own accord, the candlelight no longer just a reflection in them. He lowered to one knee and reached out his hands in supplication as he sneered, “Please, will you marry me, mylady?” The emphasis on the last word ensured that Alaina felt the insult.
Lord Finch was quickly joined by his friends, their idiocy knowing no bounds, all of them dropping to their knees in a chorus of marriage proposals, each more mocking and infuriating than the last. Soon laughter rang loudly in Alaina’s ears as the men and then the onlookers seemed to find amusement in her predicament. Her world blurred through a sheen of tears, the faces of the laughing men—now resembling something like demons—the only clear points in her vision.
Alaina glanced about to find her mother and threw herself into her open arms, shielding her from the worst of the crowd. The two women made their way to the outer edge of the ballroom and quickly to the front entrance, only stopping a moment to gather their cloaks before heading out into the cool night. Her father, having had the forethought to make his way to the exit, met them in the front drive, where he had already called for their carriage to be brought around, and not a moment too soon.
The Sinclair family hastened into the carriage, a pall falling on them as the conveyance made its way onto the main thoroughfare and toward their London townhome. Alaina squeezed her eyes shut, focusing on the clip clop of the well-matched team of four, grateful for the silence of her parents, as she let tears make their way unchecked down her cheeks.
The morning light poured into the front parlor, and Alaina noted yet another dreary day. It was one of many in the past fortnight.
“I want to go home!” exclaimed Alaina. She snapped her book shut and leveled a hard stare on her sister, Evelina.
“You are home. I do believe we are safely ensconced in our family’s townhome,” Evelina countered, looking around the room as if to check that she was correct.
Alaina huffed a bit at her sister’s flippant comment. “You know what I mean, Evelina. I want to go back to our home in the country.”
“Now, Alaina, I know your run-in with Lord Finch may have put you off the London season, but running away to the country will not solve anything,” Evelina said gently.
“Oh, I beg to differ, dear sister,” Alaina fumed. “I shall be able to escape into my books with everyone of import stuck here in this cesspool of a city. If I am going to be mocked for being a country bookworm, I may as well live up to the moniker and enjoy myself!”
Evelina rolled her eyes heavenward and shook her head. A silence stretched between the sisters. Feeling the strain of her emotions, Alaina pushed off the settee and began pacing in front of the window.
Alaina presented quite a vision, backlit by the soft light of windows behind her. She was slender with dark brown, almost black, eyes that could sparkle with joy, glitter with rage, or shine with tears. The sage green capped-sleeve day dress she wore was a bit lower-cut than her girlish dresses of the past, the neckline scooped low across the top of her bosom. The empire waist of the gown highlighted her shape, and the dress flared ever so slightly on from the rib cage. Her hem brushed the floor, covering the simple leather boots chosen for warmth, which made little sound as she traversed the narrow space in front of the window.
“Alaina,” Evelina tried once more, “One lord and his heinous sister poking fun at your love of books was only to salve their hurt at being turned down so early in the season. There are plenty of eligible gentlemen who think intelligence to be a virtue.”
Alaina continued on in silence, not looking once at her sister. In contrast to Alaina, Evelina’s dress showed her younger age, with a higher neckline and more voluminous shape, but the pretty pale pink fabric was just as fashionable as Alaina’s. Despite her youthful garb, everything else about Evelina made many question if she and Alaina were actually born on the same day. It often astounded people to learn Evelina was not yet old enough to be out in society.
Finally, Alaina spoke once more, her anger getting the best of her. “It is absurd! It just does not make sense that I am to feel ashamed by the ridiculous actions of some overbearing, pompous, and foolish lord and his drunken friends,” Alaina raised her voice just a bit, rubbing her temples to stave off the impending headache before turning from the window to look at her sister again.
Evelina, who was seated on the nearest couch, averted her gaze. She chose to play with her embroidery instead of meeting her sister’s pointed stare. “Alaina, you cannot let yourself be run out of town by some ignoramus. Your books can only provide so much comfort. And, although our acquaintance is limited in London, I am sure you will make fast friends soon. Mama and Papa always have fond stories to tell of their time in London. I am sure your first season here will be no different.”
Another pause hung in the air without so much as an acknowledgement from Alaina, before Evelina changed tactics. “Besides, you love to dance!”
“And what if my next dance partner turns out to be just like Lord Finch and his friends? The whole lot of them are just awful!”
