Let Love Find You (28 page)

“Yes, I’ve imagined it,” he said with much less enthusiasm, but then he hugged her shoulder. “I’m going to miss you, m’dear. Do pick whichever of those two lives closer to Norford.”

She laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll visit so often you’ll be saying, ‘You’re here
again
?!’ Now let me chat with a few of my friends before dinner is served. I just noticed Phoebe Gibbs is here. I’ll leave it to you to find which table is ours so I only have to look for you instead of reading all those name cards on each table. I’m surprised our hostess used name cards when this isn’t a formal dinner.”

“Aren’t all these tables a novel idea as well?”

“Yes, but I suppose she just wanted to assure there would be at least one person at each table who is well-known for keeping the conversation lively, thereby assuring the evening is a success.”

“You mean chatterboxes like you?”

Amanda giggled. “Exactly!”

A
MANDA QUICKLY HEADED STRAIGHT
for Phoebe before any of Amanda’s beaus noticed she was briefly without her father in tow. She’d hoped Phoebe would have more to tell her about Lord Robert, but she only repeated what Larissa had already mentioned in her note, and nearly verbatim, so she’d probably got her information from Larissa, too. She did have one interesting new tidbit, though.

“Beware Jacinda Brown, Lady Anne’s daughter, or have you already met her?”

“I don’t think I’ve even met Anne Brown, much less her daughter.”

“Then let me tell you, Jacinda is proving to be quite the minx. She’s far too forward in her flirtations, dare I say, improperly so.” Phoebe leaned close to whisper, “I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s—experienced.”

Amanda frowned. “You shouldn’t spread that around, Phoebe, not without proof.”

“Of course I won’t,” Phoebe said in a wounded tone. “But
you’re my best friend and I just wanted to warn you why you should stay clear of her. As bold as she is, she’s bound to get into trouble. And she’s being quite nasty to any of the young debs seen talking with Devin Baldwin.”

Amanda stiffened. “Why?”

“She hasn’t actually said so, but it’s obvious she’s set her cap for him. Yet she’s not the only one hopeful in that direction, so tempers have been flaring, enemies are definitely being made, and there’s bound to be an unpleasant scene sooner or later because of it.”

So jealousy was running amok, over
Devin
? Did he even know? For that matter, was he looking for a wife this Season? If he was, wouldn’t someone have mentioned it by now? He was still a hot topic for gossip.

Quite curious now, she asked Phoebe, “Is she here tonight? Jacinda?”

“Over there, already latched onto Baldwin. I wouldn’t be surprised if she surreptitiously changed name cards around to make sure she sits with him tonight.”

Amanda glanced in that direction. Had Phoebe got into the habit of exaggerating? Amanda had actually noticed Jacinda before in passing. She was one of the prettier debutantes this Season, blond, dark brown eyes, a little taller than normal, a lot more curvaceous than normal. They’d never actually met, but Amanda recalled she’d giggled to herself when she’d seen Carlton Webb ogling the girl’s breasts one night. But the young debutante wasn’t even talking to Devin as Phoebe had implied. She was chatting with his companion, Blythe Pace. No, actually, he
was
paying attention to their conversation. Was that a sultry look the girl just gave him?

Amanda didn’t realize she was grinding her teeth and
burning a hole in Jacinda’s forehead with a fulminating glare. But the heat in Amanda’s eyes went away when Devin walked away from the two debutantes. Obviously thinking Blythe was well occupied for the moment conversing with Jacinda, he moved several groups away to talk to John Trask. Yet the moment he left, so did Jacinda, and poor Blythe was left standing alone and suddenly looking ill at ease because of it.

Amanda decided to rescue the girl, and telling Phoebe she’d see her at Norford soon, she crossed the room to stand with Blythe. Amanda only had to shake her head sternly at Farrell Exter who was quickly heading to intercept her, to discourage him from it.

“We meet again, Miss Pace,” she said in a friendly manner. “How are you enjoying the Season?”

Blythe gave her a warm smile. “Wonderfully.”

“It would appear your brother is still trusting you to Devin Baldwin’s care?”

“Not by choice. William had an accident recently that will be keeping him in bed for a while.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. But he’ll be all right?”

Blythe grinned. “Oh, indeed, he’s already complaining about it. He deplores idleness.”

“Well, let’s hope he recovers quickly, because your current chaperone is a little less attentive than he ought to be, isn’t he, leaving you alone like this?”

“Actually he’s very attentive,” Blythe said in Devin’s defense, then whispered, “I don’t think he likes Jacinda Brown. She keeps joining us, pretending friendship with me, when she isn’t the least bit friendly when we’re alone. I don’t doubt he’ll be back in a moment, as soon as he notices she’s gone elsewhere.”

Amanda wished she could believe that, but it was probably just the impression he wanted to give Blythe. How could he not find Jacinda Brown attractive and her interest in him highly flattering? The chit was too pretty. Then it struck her. Good Lord, this was how she’d felt about Ophelia her first Season! Jealous? Just because Devin was
her
riding instructor? She did enjoy the give-and-take and the challenge he posed during their lessons, so was she feeling a little possessive over a man she was starting to view as a friend and confidant?

“You know him well, do you?” she asked Blythe.

“Oh, yes, since I was so high.” Blythe raised a hand that didn’t get any higher than their breasts. “My brother brought him home from school every year for a few weeks, and twice he spent the whole summer with us. I used to fancy I was in love with him,” Blythe added with a blush.

Amanda pursed her lips. And still was, was her guess, but the girl obviously didn’t want to admit it. But when Amanda heard herself say, “Used to?” she did some blushing herself. That was none of her business!

“Well, it’s obvious he has no interest in getting married, while I do. And my brother would prefer I settle on someone immensely rich, which Devin isn’t. The Baldwins aren’t poor by any means, but you know how brothers can be.”

And that satisfied Amanda’s curiosity. He wasn’t wife hunting himself. And she’d pried a little more than she ought to, so she steered the subject back to Blythe. “Making any headway toward our collective goal this Season?”

“You mean toward marriage?” At Amanda’s nod, Blythe confided, “I’m quite impressed with Oliver Norse.”

Amanda smiled. “I believe you’re both invited to Norford next week. A good time to get to know Oliver better. And it
looks like Devin is on his way back to you, so I’ll go find my father and our table. Enjoy the rest of the evening, Blythe.”

Amanda couldn’t leave fast enough. She didn’t want to talk to Devin tonight. It still unnerved her to see him in genteel settings such as this, where he seemed so out of place, as big and muscular as he was. And after that silly bit of jealousy she’d just had, for whatever reason, she was afraid her temper was a bit too riled up, and he was the one man who could provoke it without even trying, so the less they spoke tonight the better.

She spotted her father already seated at their table and joined him. And in perfect time. The entertainment for the evening began, a young woman with a lovely voice, with piano accompaniment, who would be singing for the duration of the meal. That was the cue for all to find their seats. Most had already noted their name cards, but some hadn’t bothered to, leading to a bit of a confusion for a while, and dinner wasn’t going to be served until the last seat was filled.

Amanda wasn’t really surprised that Lady Durrant would want the Duke of Norford at her table. But there were six chairs, and when Amanda turned to see who else was being honored to sit with their host and hostess, she met amber eyes she was all too familiar with.

Amanda quickly looked away. She should have guessed. The most lofty title in the room
and
the man whose name was still on everyone’s lips were seated at their hosts’ table. Quite a coup for the Durrants. And quite an annoyance for Amanda. She would ignore him, of course, and she didn’t care how rude it would appear. It was easy to keep her eyes off him. But she couldn’t ignore him, not when she was tingling with agitation because of him. She’d never been so
aware
of someone in proximity before. She could smell something spicy coming from
him, and, good grief, she could even hear his breathing! But her wish that he’d ignore her and just talk to the others at their table
was
too much to hope for.

He seemed to wait until Lady Durrant had Preston’s full attention on Amanda’s other side before he said quietly to her, “Will you be coming to the farm at the usual time tomorrow? As long as you’re not late, I should have time to make my appointment at the racetrack in the afternoon.”

“Yes, I’ll be there on time, and I’m always gone before noon,” she reminded him without looking at him.

“I know, but I want you to bring your fishing pole along tomorrow.”

“Excuse me?”

“We’re going to find out if you still like to fish.”

Her eyes snapped to his. “Are you still concerned with my interests? I could have sworn you said the only one I needed right now was riding. Which, I should point out, my father thinks is a ridiculous requirement for marriage.”

“Yet you’re still going to continue?”

“Yes,” she mumbled. “But for myself. As for common ground, I’ll have you know my brother is happily married and he doesn’t share any of his wife’s interests, nor she his. They simply love each other to distraction.”

She caught his shrug before she glanced surreptitiously around the table to make sure no one was listening to them. Fortunately, two other conversations were progressing loudly enough that their low tones wouldn’t be overheard.

“A rarity, that,” Devin said. “More often, a marriage will deteriorate to complacency if the couple has nothing in common other than the first bloom.”

“ ‘Deteriorate’?”

“The husband will start looking to greener pastures.”

She blushed, as he so often made her do with his bluntness. “This isn’t a proper topic of conversation for a dinner party,” she reprimanded.

His grin was unrepentant. “Cupid’s arrow can sometimes be rather pointed.”

Much too blunt as usual, and now she was annoyed because she
would
like to go fishing again, but not with him! So she was going to spite herself and not bring a fishing pole along to her next lesson. She had to make Devin understand that she wouldn’t tolerate being
his
good deed.

But before she could mention it, her father asked Devin how she was doing with her lessons, since he hadn’t chaperoned her on her last few visits to the farm. Devin complimented her in his reply, and her father sighed, “I suppose we should start looking for her white mare then.”

Amanda patted her father’s hand. “My fear is completely gone.” She grinned. “Of course I haven’t gotten
near
a sidesaddle again.”

“And perhaps you shouldn’t. Period.”

She laughed. “Can you really picture me riding astride in Hyde Park?”

“No, but I can picture you confining your riding to private property such as our home in Norford, or if you’re still doing it for your future husband’s sake, on his estate. All points nicely satisfied, including my worry. What do you think, Devin?”

“I’m not a fan of those contraptions either, m’lord. I wholeheartedly agree with you.”

But that would mean her lessons were pretty much at an end. The thought should have thrilled her, but it didn’t, not at all.

Lady Durrant captured Devin’s attention for most of the remainder of the meal, her questions a bit too pointed, but listening to the two without seeming to, Amanda wasn’t hearing anything she didn’t already know until the lady asked about his father. Her own curiosity was piqued, and she was disappointed to hear him bluntly change the subject without even acknowledging the question.

She passed on dessert and escaped for a few minutes to the terrace while her father lingered at the table, conversing with the Durrants. Quite a few other guests had had the same idea of catching a few breaths of night air, but she didn’t join any of the groups and stopped by a tall, narrow statue of a mythical goddess and gazed up at the stars. She loved clear nights such as this when the full spectrum of stars twinkled in the sky, even if it was a bit chilly.

“So you like stargazing, too?”

She’d somehow known it was Devin approaching her, but she didn’t take her eyes off the sky. “They’re so beautiful.”

“Reed and I used to lie out behind the stable when we were children and try to find all the constellations.” She was surprised enough to laugh, which made him ask, “You find that amusing?”

She met his eyes, a twinkle in hers. “No, Becky and I used to do the same thing!”