Free Shattered Dreams by Laura Landon

leave. She’d never felt so clumsy in her life.
    Sitting and rising had always been the most awkward movements for her, but he acted as if he didn’t notice the ungainly way she rose. He even stood motionless when she got to her feet as if he realized she needed a few moments to steady herself. And the smile he gave her when he handed over her cane caused a molten heat to race to every part of her body.
    Elly slowed to let the other ladies walk ahead of her.
    The focused attention Charfield paid her throughout the meal had caused a rush of excitement as well as a fluttering deep inside her chest.
    She hadn’t expected him to be such a pleasant companion.
    She hadn’t expected him to be so adept at overlooking her disability.
    She hadn’t expected to feel so relaxed around him. So excited just being near him.
    And that scared her to death.
    Charfield hadn’t allowed her to remain a silent observer. He’d forced her to be an integral part of the group as well as a major contributor. In this, he posed a threat she wasn’t sure she could combat.
    A chill raced up and down her spine. Instead of following the ladies to the drawing room, she stepped into the room Harrison used as a study when he came to The Down, then out onto the terrace that ran the length of the house. She needed to be by herself for a minute to think. She needed to sort out her feelings and decide her best course of action.
    She’d never met anyone who could unleash the emotions he brought to the surface. Never met anyone who made her yearn to share the same joys that other females experienced. Never wondered what it would be like to have a future like every other woman dreamed of having. Because for her those joys weren’t possible.
    Even men who were desperate for her father’s wealth had never shown an interest in her.
    Perhaps that was why she’d enjoyed her correspondence with her elusive secret admirer. Perhaps that was why she’d written to her fictitious admirer for so long before requesting they meet.
    Because she knew meeting wasn’t possible.
    Elly walked across the lantern-lit terrace and stared out into the garden. So what did Brentan Montgomery, Earl of Charfield hope to gain by pretending not to notice her limp?
    It couldn’t be her dowry, for Charfield was reputed to be one of the wealthiest men in England. Nor could it be that marriage to a duke’s daughter would raise his worth in London society. Although his rakish character had tarnished his reputation a bit, he was still considered one of the greatest catches of the Season. And she knew why.
    She’d been around him for less than one day and already she’d been drawn in by his handsome features and his charming personality. He was intelligent and witty and when he talked to her, it wasn’t about the boring things Patience and Lilly told her men talked about when they came to call.
    Charfield was interested in horses, of course, as well as the stable Harrison kept, but he’d also asked her how she spent her days. When she explained that most her days were taken up running The Down, he was genuinely impressed. And interested.
    He asked her all sorts of questions. If Harrison hadn’t ended the dinner so abruptly, she was sure they could have spent several hours discussing any number of topics.
    She leaned her injured hip against the cement railing and let the cool evening breeze wash over her. She was enjoying herself ever so much, and for the first time in her life, she yearned for something more than the life she had here. For the first time she had to admit she was a little lonely and thought she might like having someone like Charfield to talk to. She also realized there were things she missed having. Things only a man could give her.
    Which was reason enough to be wary. She would be the loser if she let herself dream of things that could never be. Her disastrous London Season had taught her that. She didn’t want to go through a similar pain again.
    She breathed a deep