PearsonAcree
A war took his leg and the life he expected. One invitation gave him reason to live again.
Captain Emmett Shaw, now Lord Shaw, returned from the War of 1812 without his leg and the future he once envisioned. Five years of bitterness and slow acceptance have left him quiet, observant, and far more comfortable with paintbrushes and canvases than with crowded drawing rooms. When his aunt suggests a restorative stay at Eastbury Manor, Emmett agrees, never suspecting the invitation will alter the course of his life.
She planned her Season to perfection. Fate had other ideas.
Lady Evelyn Wyndham has planned her debut London Season since she wore her hair in braids. She carries a diary of gowns, ball invitations, and eligible suitors with determined enthusiasm. But when her father falls ill, and her presence at home proves more hindrance than help, she is sent to her uncle's estate, only to discover her most insufferable cousin by marriage is already in residence.
Resolved to leave the very next day, Evelyn instead finds herself agreeing to a most improper arrangement.
A fake engagement.
What begins as a convenient deception-designed to draw out a mysterious source-quickly becomes far more complicated. Forced into close quarters, Emmett and Evelyn must confront old grievances, unspoken wounds, and a growing attraction neither anticipated.
Because pretending to be betrothed is far easier than risking one's heart.