Shattered Dreams Read online

  “How could you think creating an admirer who doesn’t exist would make her happy?”

  “We had to do something,” Lilly said in a rare show of bravery. “She’s never even had a beau. She only hides away here at The Down.”

  He slammed his fist on the top of his desk. “You make it sound like Elly’s starved for attention, that she’s been locked away in the country because we don’t want her around us.” Harrison stepped around the corner of the desk. “Plenty of people pay attention to her. She receives more love and attention than any other woman in England. Male attention, I might add.”

  “But the four of you are her brothers!” Lillian cried out. “That’s not the same!”

  Harrison gave his sister a hostile look that made her shrink back, no doubt wanting to run into her husband’s comforting arms. But the Earl of Berkingham wasn’t here. Only he and George and the two females who’d caused this travesty. “For the life of me,” he continued, “I can’t imagine what in hell possessed you to do something so irresponsible.”

  “We wanted Elly to have a romance,” Patience repeated for the hundredth time. “We wanted her to know someone thought she was special.”

  “By allowing her to give her heart to someone who doesn’t exist?” Harrison waved the letters that were the cause of their problem.

  “We never imagined it would go this far,” Patience, always the braver of the two, answered.

  “Just where did you imagine a correspondence like this would end? Didn’t you think for one second that Elly would eventually want to meet this—” Harrison crushed the love letters in his fist and threw them into the fire. “—this...paragon of virtue and masculinity?”

  “No,” they answered together.

  “Elly’s never shown any interest in men,” Patience continued. “Not that it would have been possible the way the four of you stand guard over her.”

  “Just what do you mean by that?”

  Harrison thought of their two brothers who were downstairs, Jules and Spence. They were both tall and broad-shouldered, the same as George and he were. United, they presented an impressive front in their determination to protect Elly from any harm – which they would each do to the death. Partly because she was special. Partly because they were responsible for what had happened to her.

  “You know as well as anyone that the few times we’ve convinced Elly to travel to London, the four of you surrounded her like an armed guard. There wasn’t a man in all of England who was brave enough to face such an invincible force to even carry on a conversation with her.”

  “It was Elly who always shied away from going out in public. Or have you forgotten the reason she might hesitate to be put on display?”

  “It’s you who can’t forget, Harrison. You and George and Jules and Spence. You’re the ones who won’t let her risk hearing something that might offend her. You who are afraid she might be stared at when she’s in public. It’s the four of you who are overprotective of her because you can’t stop punishing yourselves for what happened. Lilly and I just wanted to let her glimpse the world she was missing.”

  “So you thought giving her some nameless fantasy was what she needed.”

  “We just wanted Elly to think someone wonderful admired her,” Lillian said.

  “Every woman needs to be loved just once in her life,” Patience added, recklessly treading into deeper waters. “She’s seven and twenty already. Everyone knows she’s far past the age when any man will—”

  “Enough! What you did was implement a half-witted scheme with the potential to cause irreparable damage.”

  George had been very quiet so far, but at Harrison’s outburst he sat forward in his chair. “Have you written Mother and Father to tell them we’re hosting a two-week house party?”

  “Yes.”

  Patience and Lillian’s eyes opened wide. “Do you think that was wise?” Lillian asked after sharing a concerned look with Patience. “They’ll know something’s wrong when they hear.”

  “Something is wrong,” Harrison fired back. “Very wrong!”

  “But maybe Mama and Papa wouldn’t have found out,” Lillian offered tentatively.

  “Do you think there’s a chance in hell we could have a gathering of this magnitude without one of Mama’s friends writing her as soon as the first invitation went out? Have you forgotten who your parents are?”

  Patience’s gaze lowered to the floor. Lillian’s followed.

  “Nothing happens the Duke and Duchess of Sheridan don’t know about. Usually before it happens.” His last statement almost contained a rare hint of something that anyone who didn’t know him might mistake for humor. “But if everything goes as planned, and the party accomplishes our goal of making Elly forget the secret admirer you two so aptly invented, Mother and Father will agree this was necessary.”

  Harrison turned on his heel and paced from one side of the room to the other. He had to make Elly forget the secret admirer Patience and Lillian had introduced her to in a series of love letters. And she could never discover what they’d done. If she did, it would kill her.

  Harrison would rather have a stake thrust through his heart than have her suffer any more than she already had.

  “So,” he said, filling his lungs with air, then releasing it. “It’s time to begin this fiasco. George, go down and assist Jules and Spence.” He looked at the twins. “Find Elly and make sure she’s ready on time.”

  Patience and Lilly nodded then turned to the door. Patience stopped with her hand on the knob and turned.

  “We know who you’ve invited as guests for the house party, and who Jules and Spence and George have invited. But as yet we don’t know who you’ve invited for Elly. Or for yourself.”

  Harrison lifted his gaze. It was time to reveal the man he’d chosen to play the role as the perfect partner for Elly, the person he’d chosen to make her forget the imaginary admirer Patience and Lillian had invented. It was too late for them to do anything but accept his decision.

  “As for myself, I’ve invited Aunt Esther as my guest. I’m sure Aunt Gussie will appreciate her company and we could hardly host an event without inviting Aunt Gussie and Uncle Bertram.”

  “But wouldn’t you rather invite—“

  Harrison stopped Lilly’s words with the same glare Elly had often teased him was cold enough to freeze the Thames. “Don’t think there will be a chance for you to play matchmaker. The object of this affair is to keep Elly from getting hurt, which wouldn’t be necessary if the two of you hadn’t put us in this predicament.”

  Harrison took a small amount of satisfaction in seeing his sisters’ cheeks turn scarlet.

  “Whom have you selected for Elly?” George asked.

  “Yes,” Lilly asked, chewing her bottom lip. “We all know she won’t make this easy on him.”

  “That’s probably the most understated remark anyone could make,” George said on a laugh.

  “It can’t be just anyone,” Patience added.

  “No,” Lilly said, turning back into the room. “He has to be someone Society considers an outstanding catch.”

  “Yes,” George added. “And he can’t be a milquetoast. Elly will shred him to pieces before he’s been here a day.”

  “And he can’t be dim-witted,” Patience spouted, focusing her gaze on Harrison. “You’re the only one of us who can hold his own against Elly.”

  Harrison fought the reservations eating at him. “I know. And even I’m not always successful.”

  “But most of all,” George said on a heavy sigh, “he has to be someone so perfect he can topple Elly’s suitor from his pedestal. Who did you invite that has all those qualifications?”

  Harrison straightened to his full height and faced three of his six siblings. They looked at him with expectant expressions as if they were confident that he’d chosen the perfect suitor for Elly. This is the way it had always been. He was the one they always came to when they needed help. And he’d always been successful. He’d
always taken care of them - except for once. The day he’d almost let Elly die.

  “Let me first explain that you are correct in the qualifications Elly’s guest needs to possess.”

  “You’ve found someone who has all of these attributes?” Lillian asked.

  “In my opinion, there is only one person whose reputation is widely known when it comes to charming the fairer sex.”

  “Who?”

  Harrison didn’t answer George right away. He couldn’t. Once he revealed the man he’d chosen he wouldn’t be able to stop the uproar.

  “Why do I have a feeling we’re not going to like this?” George said with a frown on his forehead.

  “Probably because you aren’t.”

  “Who is it?” Patience asked stepping closer to George so the three of them formed an indefensible line of attack.

  Harrison stood a little taller. “Think of the most irresistible male in all of England. Someone who’s reputed to be as rich as Croesus and possesses an unbelievable amount of luck, both with cards and...and with women. Someone whose comings and goings are noted by everyone in Society, and whose opinion, both personal and professional, is constantly sought.”

  “I can’t believe there is such a paragon,” George said on a guffaw.

  “Neither can I,” Patience and Lillian added.

  “Then put a name to the man every eligible female has tried to leg-shackle for years. Someone whose presence at any function guarantees its success.”

  Patience’s eyes grew wide as recognition dawned. Lillian’s expression changed moments later.

  “You can’t be serious,” Patience said barely above a whisper.

  “Tell me you didn’t,” Lillian demanded with a horrified look on her face.

  George’s frown deepened. “Who? Who is it?”

  “The scoundrel is said to break some poor woman’s heart on a daily basis.”

  “And he’s said to have had more mistresses than even he can keep count of.”

  “Who?” George said loud enough to finally draw his sisters’ attention.

  “The Earl of Charfield!” they cried out in unison.

  George’s jaw dropped. He finally closed it and took a step forward. “Bloody hell, Harrison. You can’t be serious.”

  “He’s not at all appropriate for Elly,” Lillian said firmly.

  “He’s not the sort of person Elly should even be introduced to,” Patience said with force.

  Harrison lifted his brows. “Really? Every woman still drawing breath thinks he’s the most handsome man alive. And every father with a daughter to marry off considers him the catch of the century.”

  George slammed his fist on the corner of a nearby table. “But this is Elly! Exposing her to Charfield is like handing a lamb over to a hungry wolf.”

  “Not if the wolf knows up front that his role is to be the perfect partner to Elly, and that his only task is to make her forget an admirer her family considers an inferior choice for her.”

  Harrison placed his palms flat on the top of the desk and leaned forward. “Not if he knows that each one of her brothers will stand in line to tear him limb from limb if he breaks her heart.”

  “How did you get him to agree to this?”

  Harrison shrugged. “Charfield’s reputed to own the finest Arabian horses in the world – next to ours. He’ll do anything for the opportunity to cross their bloodlines with ours.”

  Patience and Lillian dropped onto the nearest settee as if they didn’t have the strength to stand. “But he’s a womanizer,” Lilly said. “A rake. He could break Elly’s heart.”

  “You should have thought of that before you pretended to be Elly’s secret admirer!”

  His sisters’ shoulders dropped in defeat. He regretted his sharp words the moment they left his mouth. “Enough recriminations. The time for assigning blame is over.”

  He went around the desk and held out a hand to each sister. “Come now. Put smiles on your faces. The Down is hosting the first party we’ve had in years. That alone will guarantee its success.”

  The twins rose to their feet and gave him bright smiles. “Of course it will,” Patience said. “We’ll make sure of it. For Elly.”

  “Yes, for Elly.”

  Chapter 3

  Elly recalled the stranger she’d met that afternoon and breathed a deep sigh. For the first time in her life, emotions she’d never realized she possessed stirred deep inside her.

  There was no doubt he was one of the guests and she’d probably see him countless times during the next two weeks, but for a few unbelievably idyllic moments, someone special had treated her as if she weren’t different. For the first time ever someone thought she was the same as any other woman.

  Of course, that wouldn’t last. In a matter of hours she’d meet him again and everything would change. But for a few special moments, while they’d raced toward the hedge, then jumped it together, she’d been normal in a handsome man’s eyes.

  She’d never experienced such a euphoric feeling in her life.

  A small part of her wished she could stay in her room for the next two weeks so that feeling wouldn’t change.

  But that wasn’t possible.

  Elly gave her hair a final glance and took a deep breath. The sooner she went down, the sooner she could meet their guests. Except for the man she’d met earlier, the reaction of the other guests didn’t matter. The house party wasn’t being held for her. No one would probably even notice her.

  She swiped her damp hands against her skirt. It wasn’t as if she’d be paired with anyone. The twins wouldn’t be that thoughtless, and one of her brothers would always be at hand to escort her when needed. When they weren’t, she’d rely on Uncle Barclay to partner her. He was her paternal uncle and a joy to be around. If Harrison intended to force her to suffer through the next two weeks, she intended to have someone whose company she enjoyed.

  She couldn’t believe the reason they were hosting a party. According to Harrison, one of her brothers had fallen in love. Either George, or Jules, or Spence, or Harri—

  She stopped. No, it wasn’t Harrison. Even though he was the one she wished could find love again, she knew it wasn’t him. Perhaps it was George.

  Elly sighed. No, it wasn’t George, either. She and George were twins and from the time they’d been able to speak they’d told each other everything. George would have told her if he’d fallen in love. He wouldn’t use a house party to introduce his family to the woman of his dreams.

  It had to be either Jules or Spencer. They were both younger, five and twenty, and three and twenty respectively, but that wasn’t too young to give your heart to someone. Look at Patience and Lillian. They’d only been twenty when they’d fallen in love and married.

  Oh, she wished Harrison had told her which brother had invited someone special but he said he didn’t want to give her any clues because nothing was finalized yet. Besides, he said it would be fun to have her guess.

  She released a heavy sigh then slowly pushed herself to her feet. She stopped when the door opened.

  “Oh, Elly,” Patience said, pausing just inside the doorway. Lillian followed her in. “You look lovely.”

  Elly turned, then sat back onto the chair and watched the twins cross the room. They were not only exact replicas of each other, but they resembled their mother so much it was like seeing her face every time she looked at one of them.

  Elly, however, took after her father, with dark hair and dark eyes and a bronzed complexion that wasn’t at all fashionable. The hours she spent riding only deepened her coloring.

  “That shade of scarlet is perfect on you,” Lilly exclaimed, giving Elly a gentle hug so she wouldn’t cause any wrinkles. “I’m so jealous. With our coloring, Patience and I couldn’t be caught dead in a color that bold.”

  “I’ve been waiting for an excuse to wear it. Mother had it made for me the last time she was in London.”

  “It’s lovely.”

  Patience stepped back to wh
ere Lilly stood so Elly wouldn’t have to crane her neck to look at them.

  “Have any of the guests come down yet?”

  “No. We informed everyone that dinner wasn’t until seven. It’s not yet six.”

  Elly nodded.

  “It’s going to be a wonderful two weeks,” Lilly exclaimed. “You wouldn’t believe the plans George and the boys have made.”

  Lilly looked as if she could barely contain her excitement. Patience wore the same expression. Elly wished she could share their enthusiasm.

  “Even Harrison is contributing to the festivities.”

  Elly lifted her brows. “Harrison?”

  “Yes. He came up with the most brilliant ideas of them all.”

  The girls gave her the daily itinerary and Elly let them ramble.

  Each day would include an outing of some sort. There’d be the expected picnic by the lake, boat rides down the stream, and carriage rides through the arbor for which The Down was known. They’d also scheduled trips to the village, especially to shop in Mr. Devon’s crystal palace where they made the most marvelous crystal pieces. And of course, they’d planned a variety of lawn games on the afternoons when the weather was sunny and warm.

  For the men there’d be hunting and fishing opportunities while the ladies stayed indoors and read or went outdoors to stroll through the gardens. Then, every evening they’d entertain each other with parlor games. And music.

  Since music had always been an important part of the Duke and Duchess of Sheridan’s home, Harrison had arranged for a number of smaller ensembles to be brought in several times during the two weeks to entertain their guests. There would be a variety of groups, including a chamber orchestra, a brass quintet, and a concert pianist.

  The most lavish and formal affair of the two weeks, though, would be the ball The Down would host the night before the guests departed. Invitations had already gone out to all their neighbors and the whole countryside was abuzz with enthusiasm.

  The twins assured her that this was going to be the event of the decade.