Page 4 of The Moonstone Major
He cast her a melting smile. “The good news is nothing seems to be broken.”
“Just sprained?”
He nodded. “I think so. Can you stand? Do it carefully. There may be a light fracture that I have not detected. Just be careful when I help you up.”
He rose and wrapped an arm around her waist to assist her.
Dear heaven.
She felt the light ripple of his muscles as he drew her closer to lean against the rock wall of his body. “Try gently putting your weight on that foot. Don’t worry, I have you. I won’t let you fall.”
She caught Mrs. Halsey grinning at her from behind him.
Did everyone know she was wildly in love with the major? Why was he the only one too dense to notice?
Or perhaps he had noticed and been purposely avoiding her this entire month, ever since his return to Moonstone Landing. She had first met Fionn Brennan three years ago when he was a young lieutenant scouting potential locations for a new army hospital. He was now commanding officer of the local army fort and had the added duty of overseeing construction of the new military hospital about to be built here.
Finding a location for the new hospital had brought him to their quiet village several times over the past three years. With each visit, Chloe had fallen more deeply in love with him. This feeling was quite unbearable now that she knew it would never be reciprocated.
She did not understand what had suddenly happened to interfere with their easy friendship. They used to enjoy each other’s company, but now their every encounter seemed strained.
Even now, she could see the turmoil in his eyes.
They had gone from referring to each other by their given names, Fionn and Chloe, to the more formal address one was required to use among acquaintances when in polite company.
She glanced at this magnificent man with eyes the color of silver crystals.
He was looking away, as though he could hardly stand to look at her.
Why did he not like her in any romantic way?
She was considered a catch.
What did he not like about her?
Chapter Two
“Can you standon that leg at all?” Fionn asked Lady Chloe, aching to keep her in his arms and knowing it was the worst thing possible.
Blessed saints, he ached every moment he was apart from her…and ached worse whenever they were together.
“No, Major Brennan. Please, help me sit back down. It truly hurts.”
He could see the strain on her lovely face and the clearly etched pain reflected in her eyes. He helped her back into her chair, maintaining a supportive arm around her as he said, “Mrs. Halsey, will you please fetch Lady Chloe a cup of tea? She doesn’t look well at all.”
“I’m sure I will be fine in a moment.” She cast him a sweet smile of assurance that did nothing to stem his worry. “But what about you? Are you certain you were not hurt?”
“Not a scratch.” Fionn had grown up on the streets of London, hardened by the daily desperation of staying alive. Because of this, joining the army to fight Napoleon had not been much of a hardship for him. Nor was he very much troubled by the leg wound that had never properly healed. He was left with a limp hardly worthy of notice.
Growing up wretchedly poor and now permanently lame was not nearly as intolerable as seeing Lady Chloe Killigrew again and knowing he could never have her. She was an heiress, the elegant daughter of an earl, and would be courted by the loftiest men in the land.
Who was he to merit her?
He might have tried to compromise her were he the sort without scruples. But he was no fortune-hunting knave.
He may have been born in filth, but he had his pride. Indeed, this was all he had. He did not even know his real name or if he had ever been given one.
How could someone like him ever be a suitable prospect for this beautiful earl’s daughter?
