Let Love Find You (9 page)

She glanced down to see Amelia frowning at her. “I don’t
hate them a’tall, I just don’t like to ride them. But what makes you think I’d want to hurt them?”

“I heard my father talking about it.”

“About
me
?”

Amelia shook her head. “No, he was telling my mum about the rotten hay that made some of the horses sick, and my mum said the horses would have turned up their noses at rotten hay, so it had to be something else that hurt them.”

Amanda understood now. Of course the child would take note of something that sounded mysterious and scary and build it up in her mind.

Hoping to ease the child’s worries, Amanda reminded her, “From what you’ve told me, your uncle Devin sounds too nice to have enemies.”

“I didn’t think anyone was trying to hurt him, just the horses.”

Amanda chided herself for giving Amelia even more to fret over, so she chuckled to make light of it. “I’m sure Devin isn’t going to let anything bad happen to his horses. Now I must rejoin my brother’s wife, since it appears she’s picked out the horse she wants to buy. It was nice to meet you, Amelia.”

Amanda hurried back to the front of the stables. Having calmed down after talking with the little girl, she realized she was a bit chilled after being outside for so long. She stepped into the stable to warm up for a few minutes, and when she heard Ophelia’s voice coming from the back of the building, she headed that way.

“—so I’ll take him.”

“A good choice,” Devin said. “My current stud was sired by him, which is the only reason I’m willing to let him go. But don’t you want to know his price first?”

“When it comes to pleasing my husband, price is irrelevant. And that goes for his family, too.”

Amanda came around the corner in time to see Ophelia hand Devin a heavy purse. “This is for your matchmaking abilities,” Ophelia added. “I’ll double that when you’re successful.”

“And who is it you want me to help?”

“My husband’s sister. She’s having a deuced hard time finding love and she won’t settle for anything less. And after three Seasons trying, well, the whole family feels her plight. You’re just what’s needed to turn this situation around, and I’m delighted you’ve agreed to help.”

Amanda stopped cold in her tracks, mortified that Ophelia would do something like this without even discussing it with her. And to make it sound as if she were in dire need?! To tell
him
that!

She didn’t even notice that Devin had begun to frown halfway through Ophelia’s explanation, but heard him ask, “I don’t suppose your husband has more than one sister?”

“No, just Amanda.”

Devin handed the purse back to Ophelia with a rude snort. “Forget it. If a duke’s daughter can’t make a match in three Seasons, she doesn’t need my help, she needs a miracle, and I’ll even tell you why, free of charge. She talks too much, is too vain to listen to anyone tell her what she’s doing wrong, and by all accounts, she’d much rather run up a tally on how many men she can keep dangling before they get a clue that—”

“How
dare
you!” Amanda cut in, marching forward. “You’re the one without a clue, you obnoxious clod!”

Devin stiffened, but all he said was “That might have been a bit too blunt, what you just heard, but I didn’t anticipate a young lady would be sneaking around my stables eavesdropping. Not
that I’m in the habit of wrapping up the truth prettily for any reason.”

Amanda gasped, even more hot color reddening her cheeks. “No, you’re just in the habit of being an arrogant boor.” But she was even more enraged at Ophelia and dismissed Devin completely to turn her heated glare on her. “Pheli, how could you do this?! Hire him behind my back?
Him?
I could be drowning and I wouldn’t accept
his
help!”

Ophelia winced. “Mandy—”

“No, not in front of him. Not another word in front of him!” Amanda hissed.

She lifted her skirt and ran back the way she’d come, afraid she was going to burst into tears at any moment. She could barely breathe she was so choked with emotion. She’d never been so humiliated, but she’d never behaved like such a shrew, either. My God, she didn’t know what was worse, what she’d heard or how she’d reacted to it!

Pushing open the stable door, she ran out and immediately collided with someone. She would have lost her balance completely if a pair of hands hadn’t quickly come to her shoulders to steady her. She glanced up to apologize for the near accident, but no words came out. She was looking at the amiable countenance of one of the most dashing gentlemen she’d ever seen.

“Hello,” he said in a deep voice. “That was clumsy of me. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No, I—” She found herself completely tongue-tied. He was so handsome! Curly, light brown hair, beautiful green eyes, nearly six feet tall.

“Let’s sit you down for a moment to make sure you’re all right.” He led her to the bench under the lone tree in front of the stables. “Please allow me the liberty of introducing myself.
Lord Kendall Goswick, my lady, at your service. May I beg your name?”

Blushing, she said, “Amanda.”

“You
are
all right? Please, assure me.”

“Truly, I’m fine. The fault was mine, I wasn’t watching my step.”

With a boyish grin he said, “I consider that my good fortune. Are you here buying a new mount? Baldwin has remarkable stock.”

“Yes, for my brother’s birthday.”

“Then you must love horses as much as I do!”

“Well, actually, it was my sister-in-law’s idea, but, yes, certainly, what isn’t there to love about horses?” Amanda smiled at him but she groaned inside. She couldn’t believe she’d just said that!

D
EVIN STARED AT THE
chit as she ran away and in that direction after she was gone from sight. Twice now she’d stalked off in a rage. Amanda Locke, all fire and brimstone, was definitely a sight to behold. Blue eyes flashing, fists clenched, trim little body bristling, she was too angry to even listen to Ophelia’s explanation. He didn’t know too many ladies who would actually lose their decorum like that for any reason—no, scratch that, he couldn’t think of a single one.

After a few moments Ophelia actually snapped her fingers in front of his face to get his attention. He started to laugh at himself, but cut it off and glanced at her instead. She didn’t look too pleased either and appeared to be filled with annoyed chagrin.

“You probably should have warned her,” he said with an amused grin.

“No, I wanted to make sure you were available before I broached the subject with her.”

He shrugged. “Well, you see what I mean? Instead of
admitting she’s going about this husband hunt all wrong, she takes offense.”

Ophelia tsked at him. “Anyone would have taken offense at what you just said.”

“I’ll be the first to admit she shouldn’t have heard that, but the truth isn’t always pretty.”

“The truth could be broached in any number of ways that don’t include derision, but first impressions aren’t always accurate, and from the sound of it, you’ve misjudged Mandy out of hand. I would think that you of all people wouldn’t jump to conclusions like that.”

The lady was scolding him? He did laugh this time. “She doesn’t want my help and I don’t feel like leading any men to the slaughter today. So why don’t we scratch this matchmaking mission up as not doable.”

“You make it sound like you think she’s a lost cause. She’s not, you know. She just hasn’t met the right man yet. But that’s where you would have come in, to find that right man for her. So why don’t you keep this.” Ophelia slapped the purse against his chest. “And simply give it some thought. If after a week or two you can’t think of a single man she might like that she hasn’t met yet, then no harm done.”

Amanda Locke was going to need a lot more help than that, but Devin had already said as much. If the lady still wanted to squander her money on a lost cause, he wasn’t going to throw away a gift horse twice.

“Very well,” he said.

“Oh, and if you should meet my husband again, please don’t mention that I’ve hired you.”

“As it happens, he said he was going to come by for a new horse, so you might want to take your stallion home today and
give him his present early. But why don’t you want him to know about this other business?”

She sighed. “I broached the subject of hiring you to help Mandy with him last night. He was appalled by the notion, told me to bite my tongue and not give it another thought. He thought his sister would be horrified if she found out about it, and he was right about that, as you just witnessed.”

“He forbade you to arrange this, didn’t he?”

She nodded with a slight wince. “And he’ll think I’ll abide by that.”

“You don’t think his sister will tell him, as angry as she is?”

“I’m going to do my best to convince her that wouldn’t be a good idea.”

“But you’re not really worried about deceiving him?” Devin guessed.

She blinked. “I’m doing nothing of the sort—oh, wait, you think his dictate is the final word in the matter?” She almost laughed, he could tell she was fighting it. “No indeed. We have a marriage of the sort you try to arrange, blissful in every way. I’m trying to help his sister. He would have done the same if he didn’t think Mandy would hold it against him. But even their father has concluded that a new plan of action is needed at this point and last night spoke to one of the old matchmakers he is acquainted with.”

Devin laughed. “Then you don’t need me.”

“On the contrary, I don’t know what came of the duke’s conversation with the matchmaker, but I don’t really think she can help. I
do
think you can or I wouldn’t have asked. Your approach is innovative. You go beyond what’s clearly on the surface to make sure a match will be lasting.”

He gave her a skeptical look as he led her into his office
at the back of the stable to conclude their first business. “Do you want me to deliver the stallion today to your London residence?”

“No, we celebrate all birthdays at Norford Hall, and Rafe’s isn’t until next month. The whole family will adjourn to the country for the celebration.” She jotted down the location and the date for Devin. “I’ll think of something to make sure Rafe holds off buying a mount for himself in the meantime.”

“As you wish.”

Devin waited until she’d put the bill of sale away and they were walking toward the front of the stable before he reminded her, “You know I gave your sister-in-law good advice. She took offense and, as you said, was out there snarling at the grass because of it. Now, after what she heard, she’d sooner spit at me than work with me toward her goal.”

“She’s simply touchy about her situation, and that’s quite understandable. All of her friends have found husbands. She’s the only one who hasn’t.”

“Which proves she’s too bloody particular,” he said under his breath as he opened the stable door for Lady Ophelia.

“I heard you, but I disagree. You said it yourself, attraction must come first and—” She paused as she looked outside. “Oh, my, I think that requirement has been met. Who is that handsome young man sitting next to Amanda, enthusiastically talking her ear off? She seems quite enthralled by him.”

“Kendall Goswick, the Earl of Manford,” Devin answered, surprised to see Kendall there. “He’s been a client of mine ever since he came of age last year and shook off his guardians. Quite the horse fancier he is. If you can’t get Amanda back on a horse, he’s not for her.”

“Really?”

“Really. The man spends most of his days in the saddle when he doesn’t have to! He doesn’t just love horses, he’s a bit obsessive about them and thinks nothing of hying off to other countries to track down new mounts for his stable, now that he has control of his purse strings. He must have just returned from Ireland. He went there a few weeks ago to buy a mare he heard about.”

They’d been noticed. Kendall gave Devin a jaunty hail and came over to meet Ophelia. Devin introduced them. Amanda wasn’t looking the least bit furious as she joined them. She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off the young man.

“Was your trip successful?” Devin asked Kendall.

“Indeed! You’re going to be amazed when you see this mare, Devin, and, yes, you can still have the first filly. I’ll bring her round in the spring to—er—”

“Of course,” Devin said to spare the lad more blushing over mentioning Devin’s stud service in mixed company.

Kendall said to Ophelia, “You must be Lady Amanda’s chaperone? I was just about to ask her if she would be agreeable to my accompanying her for a ride some morning in the city, perhaps in Hyde Park? I’ve heard they have extensive riding paths there, though I haven’t been to the city yet to find out. Would that be permissible, Lady Ophelia?”

The smile disappeared from Amanda’s face. Devin noticed that she cringed slightly at the idea. Of course she couldn’t say yes when she didn’t ride!

But before the young man noticed Amanda’s reaction, Ophelia quickly said, “Why don’t you come for tea this week and we can discuss it. I’m sure her brother, Rafe, would like to meet you.”

“Of course, what a dunce I am, first things first!” Lord Kendall eagerly agreed.