Shattered Dreams Read Online Free PDF Page B

he imagined Fellingsdown’s on-the-shelf sister would.
    Brent reached out to take a glass of brandy a footman held out to him and lifted the glass. His arm stopped midway to his mouth and his breath caught in his throat.
    The magnificent rider he’d met as he’d arrived sat on a velvet sofa in the center of the room looking as elegantly regal as if she were holding court. A younger woman sat beside her, the Countess of Berkingham, he thought. But how could one be sure when one twin looked so much like the other? It didn’t matter. The dark-haired beauty was the one from whom he couldn’t take his gaze.
    Her rich auburn hair was pulled loosely from her face in a seductively becoming style and fastened with tiny pearl pins. Delicate wisps framed the perfectly shaped face he remembered from this afternoon. She wore an inviting smile as if that expression was a part of her.
    Her gown was of dark scarlet, the bodice revealing enough to hint at the perfection hidden beneath. He couldn’t imagine a shade that would compliment her coloring more perfectly or a style that flattered her more.
    This afternoon she’d been beguiling and beautiful. Tonight she was breathtaking.
    He stared at her for another long moment but wasn’t content just watching her. He had to talk to her. For a few minutes before he began his charade of pretending to be enamored of Fellingsdown’s ugly sister, he had to spend just a few glorious seconds in her company.
    He took a sip of Fellingsdown’s excellent brandy and noticed Lady Berkingham rise to greet two new guests who’d entered the room. Before anyone could occupy the empty seat beside her, he moved toward the sofa as if a magnet pulled him in that direction.
    “Good evening, my fearless horsewoman,” he said when he reached her.
    She hadn’t been looking in his direction. When he spoke she snapped her head toward him and looked up.
    Time ceased to move forward. A warm blanket settled inside his chest.
    Her eyes opened wide and sparkled with recognition. At the same time the corners of her mouth tipped upward in a slight smile, then broadened to a wide, welcoming grin.
    “Oh, it’s you.” Her voice was as deep and rich as he remembered from earlier.
    His heart took another tumble in his chest.
    “May I?” He pointed to the chair beside her.
    “Of course. Please, sit down.”
    Brent lowered himself to the chair opposite her. “Have you recovered from your excitement this afternoon?”
    She gave a sideways glance in both directions then leaned forward. “I can’t ever remember enjoying myself so.”
    Brent laughed. “Neither can I.”
    “I’m afraid, however, most of the people in this room would be shocked at our behavior.”
    “Including our host?”
    She smiled broader. “Oh, especially our host.”
    Suddenly, Brent remembered the purpose for this party. Was it possible that this elegant creature was the Marquess of Fellingsdown’s special guest? She was, after all, the most fascinating woman Brent had ever met. The thought that she was linked to Fellingsdown disturbed him more than he cared to admit.
    “Does our host’s opinion matter to you?”
    The exquisite beauty’s gaze traveled to where Fellingsdown stood among a circle of a half-dozen males and females.
    “Of course,” she answered and the warmth Brent heard in her voice sent an uncomfortable niggling he couldn’t explain. It wasn’t jealousy. Of course it wasn’t jealousy. He hadn’t known her long enough to have formed any feelings for her.
    But when she looked back at him, the blood in his veins heated several degrees.
    “So, unless you intend to tell him about our adventure,” she said with a gleam in her eyes, “I can almost guarantee he’ll never find out.”
    Brent laughed again. Only this time the laughter came from deeper inside him. A place that hadn’t felt any laughter in a long time. “You really are a little minx.”
    “Oh, I assure you I’m not.”
    She batted her long, dark lashes, and