The marquess’s fair lady
Lord Alexander Whitemore would rather train racehorses than take unconventional but beguiling Lina Lock from gypsy dancer to perfect debutante. However, to win a wager, he’s willing to try!
Lina is tired of fairs and fortune-telling. So when Alex’s unusual proposition comes just in time to get her out of hot water, she seizes the opportunity. Skeptical of the aristocracy, Lina must curb her rebellious instincts as she’s swept up into Alex’s world and the unexpected passion he awakens in her...
‘You look transformed, Miss Lock,’ Alex murmured.
‘Like an ugly duckling into a swan?’
‘Something along those lines.’
‘Do I at least look suitable for an intimate dinner party?’
Suitable had been the word of the week. Alex had lectured her over and over again about ‘suitable’ clothes to wear, ‘suitable’ topics of conversation, ‘suitable’ people to converse with.
‘I’m not sure what the society matrons would think of a debutante in that dress,’ he concluded, after looking Lina up and down.
Lina looked up and caught the humour in Alex’s eyes, and felt a smile spreading across her face.
‘Is it the colour you object to?’ Lina asked innocently. ‘Or the cut?’
‘Both,’ he said quickly. ‘A demure debutante is only ever really seen in white or pastel shades. And she tries to leave a little more to the imagination with the cut of her dress.’
‘So this dress doesn’t allow the gentlemen to imagine what might be underneath quite so well as a shapeless dress?’ Lina was enjoying herself now. The nerves she’d felt as she’d entered the room were lifting.
‘You know that is not what I mean,’ Alex said, his voice tight.
My inspiration for Lina, the heroine of An Unlikely Debutante, came from a summer stroll through a local country fair. There was music and dancing, as well as stalls selling food and various artisan products, but what interested me most was the automated booth in which a clockwork woman promised to tell your fortune. It immediately sparked my interest in the history of telling fortunes, and a few weeks later I found myself rummaging around the Internet trying to find out as much as I could about gypsies and fortune tellers in Regency times.
What I discovered was a diverse group of people, hailing from all across the world, who travelled around England and Europe, never settling for long in one place. Their nomadic lifestyle and completely unique set of social customs contrasted wonderfully with the more rigid way of life of the aristocracy, and instantly I knew a romance between a gentleman and a gypsy would be enjoyable to write.
Lina is without doubt one of my favourite heroines. She’s a woman who knows her own mind and doesn’t back down easily. I hope you grow to love her as much as I do.
An Unlikely Debutante
Laura Martin
LAURA MARTIN writes historical romances with an adventurous undercurrent. When not writing she spends her time working as a doctor in Cambridgeshire, where she lives with her husband. In her spare moments Laura loves to lose herself in a book, and has been known to read from cover to cover in a single day when the story is particularly gripping. She also loves to travel—especially visiting historical sites and far-flung shores.
Books by Laura Martin
Mills & Boon Historical Romance
The Pirate Hunter
Secrets Behind Locked Doors
Under a Desert Moon
A Ring for the Pregnant Debutante
An Unlikely Debutante
The Governess Tales
Governess to the Sheikh
The Eastway Cousins
An Earl in Want of a Wife
Heiress on the Run
Visit the Author Profile page at millsandboon.co.uk.
MILLS & BOON
Before you start reading, why not sign up?
Thank you for downloading this Mills & Boon book. If you want to hear about exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions, sign up to our email newsletter today!
Or simply visit
Mills & Boon emails are completely free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send you.
For Luke, for making it all possible.
Contents