Let Love Find You (8 page)

“Good Lord,” she cut in furiously, refusing to hear another word. “I cannot believe you’re doing it again. I do
not
want your advice,
Cupid
!” She heaped as much scorn as she could muster into the moniker the
ton
had given him. “You, sir, are intolerable!” Amanda turned and stomped out of the stable.

D
EVIN WATCHED THE LADY
stomp out of his stable. Not so sunshiny today, was she? And what the devil was she even doing here? Wait, she’d started to mention her sister-in-law before he caught her attention. He quickly finished dressing and went off to find Ophelia Locke.

“What on earth did you say to Mandy?” Ophelia Locke asked him. “She’s out front snarling at the grass.”

Devin laughed. “Is she? Funny thing about free advice, it tends to be ignored or scoffed at if it doesn’t come from family or a friend. But pay for it and you think you’ve got your money’s worth.”

With perfect timing, Reed Dutton joined them. Devin’s best friend from childhood before he’d gone off to school and met William, Reed and Devin were still close, and if not for Reed, whom Devin trusted enough to leave in charge of the Lancashire farm, he would never have moved his base of operations near London, where he felt free to deviate from his uncle’s breeding program to concentrate on racers instead. Reed still
brought down the Baldwin horses that were ready for sale, since Devin’s uncle had actually had more clients from the south than near home, and whenever it slowed down on the northern farm, Reed would help Devin on the new one.

Devin introduced Ophelia to Reed, explaining, “Reed will bring some horses for you to choose from to the track. I assume you know your husband’s preferences? Some men actually like the power of a stallion and even enjoy the challenge of handling one—a kind of battle of the wills. Others just want the speed without the occasional difficulties.”

“Rafe’s current mount is a stallion, he even bred him from his very first horse. Sentimental you might say.”

Devin grinned. “I still have the offspring of my very first mare, as well. She’s not good for anything except looking pretty these days, but I won’t let her go.”

“Too old to be ridden?”

“No, just too gentle for my current goals. She’s got the stamina, she’ll just never have the speed, and all her offspring pull toward her temperament, so I’ve stopped breeding her.” Then to his friend he said, “Reed, bring the animals we discussed to the track so the lady can see if we have what she’s looking for.”

As they walked down to the racetrack, Ophelia confessed, “I was actually hoping to buy a horse for Amanda today, too, one like you just described, but she still refuses to ride. Had a fall when she was young and was afraid to get back on a horse after that.”

“Fear can be easily overcome with the right guidance and instruction.”

“I know, but she doesn’t really have a reason to want to try. By the by, I did still have another reason for coming here today. I was quite impressed with your matchmaking theories
last night and would like to hire you for someone who could definitely use some help in that regard—that’s if you don’t have too many clients already?”

“Not a’tall, but I’m not actually for hire in the usual sense. I do, however, agree to help certain individuals in regard to matrimony as a favor.”

“But surely you charge for it?”

“No. But this farm is still being developed, so I don’t turn down gratitude in monetary form. No one feels indebted then for a mere favor, and anything I make off of those efforts, I put into this farm.”

She smiled. “I quite see your point. And I’m so glad you do favors of that sort. I meant to ask you last night, how did that come about?”

He shrugged. “Quite by accident, as it happens. When I changed over to breeding Thoroughbreds just for racers, I spent a lot of time at the track just south of here to test out my stock or acquire new studs. I’ve met a lot of people there, other horse fanciers. Some of them were fathers hoping to get their offspring married. Some of those fathers brought their sons with them. I’m not even sure why I asked one of those sons to describe what he was looking for in a wife. Just making conversation, really, since the boy didn’t want to talk about horses. But oddly enough, I’d just met a young woman through William’s sister who perfectly fit the young man’s expectations, and I introduced the two of them. They were married last spring. And suddenly, out of the blue, other fathers started approaching me and offering me money to get their children married. It certainly wasn’t a hard task, and since I could use the money to improve my breeding stock, I didn’t refuse.”

“How many have you helped?”

“Just four couples so far, though I did find a perfect match for William. I’m just not going to mention that to him yet, since he wants to get his sister married off first, before he looks for a wife.”

“What
is
his sister’s name? I thought he’d bring her to the soiree last night, but I couldn’t remember her name to put it on the invitation.”

Devin chuckled. “Her name is Blythe Pace. She’ll be delighted if you keep her in mind for any other parties this year.”

“Are you matchmaking for her, too?”

“No, she hasn’t run into difficulty yet, having only just turned eighteen. I’m merely keeping my eyes open for her, but she doesn’t give me much to work with. I’ve known her for years, yet all I’ve ever gathered about her is that she’s happy running a household. No other interests to speak of, at least none that she’ll talk about. Mere attraction isn’t enough to make a truly happy marriage.” He grinned. “Though it’s enough to get the ball rolling. More is needed for a lasting relationship.”

“That’s a good point, and yet surely you’ve encountered exceptions to your theory?”

He laughed. “Of course, there are exceptions in any situation. But you’d be amazed how many young people don’t have a clue as to what they really want for themselves, let alone what they want in a spouse. Yet most of them think they have to get married, at least the young women think so, and they foolishly think everything else will just fall naturally into place after that.”

Ophelia gave him a curious look. “You might be viewing marriage from only the male perspective. You men have so many interests, do you really think a woman needs as many?”

He smiled. “’Course not. And you’re about to tell me that
some women are blissfully happy just being a wife and a mother, that they don’t need a single other thing to feel everything is right in their world.”

She coughed delicately. “Yes, I was.”

“And, yes, that is often the case. But what about the husbands in those marriages? Do you really think they will remain blissfully happy when they have nothing in common with their wives other than the children they produce together? Or is that why they keep mistresses on the side? Because they bloody well aren’t satisfied with their wives?”

He was appalled to hear the bitterness that had just snuck into his tone, and the lady didn’t miss it, either. She was giving him a wide-eyed look. Her maid was doing more than that. She was glowering at him for introducing a subject unfit for her lady’s ears.

Annoyed with himself, he added curtly, “Sorry, I’ve seen it happen. No one’s happy in situations like that. There’s guilt, shame, and a multitude of other nasty emotions that affect everyone involved. And that’s why I feel more is needed in a marriage for both spouses, and they need to know it before they marry, not afterwards when it’s too late.”

Ophelia nodded, mulling that over for a moment. “I must say, you’re sounding more like a guardian angel than a Cupid.”

He burst out laughing. He would never have taken that view, but he knew well that women did
not
think the way men did.

“Oh, my.” She’d noticed Reed on his way back to the stable with a string of horses behind him. “How did he collect them so quickly?”

“We train them as well as breed them. He’ll get them saddled before he brings them down here.”

A
MANDA TRIED WAITING IN
the coach while Ophelia finished her business, but she couldn’t do it. She was still too angry to sit still for more than a moment. Instead she tried walking off her anger, but that didn’t seem to help either. She was still so furious at Devin Baldwin that she wanted to scream. No one had
ever
talked to her like that before. No one!

She was amazed that the man owned this impressive horse farm. He must have other people who handled the business aspects for him or he’d have no clients a’tall. Who would deal with someone as arrogant and condescending as he was? She had a good mind to fetch Ophelia before he ended up insulting her, too. They could go to another horse farm to buy Rafe’s birthday gift.

She passed several benches but ignored them, still feeling too agitated to sit. She kicked several clumps of grass before she realized she’d made a full circuit of the three stables. The second time around she saw where Ophelia had gone, over to the track behind the stables. Three horses had just been led inside it. And
he
was there. It was a wonder hailstones weren’t falling from the sky on his head, she was glaring at him so furiously.

“Insufferable cad,” she said.

“What’s a cad?”

Amanda swung around with a gasp and saw a little girl standing there, holding the reins of a pony and gazing at her curiously. About five or six years of age, she had a pretty, freckled face and red pigtails. What on earth was a child doing on this farm?

Goodness, Amanda didn’t realize she’d spoken aloud. In response to the girl, she said, “A cad is no one you’d ever want to meet.”

“Oh.” The girl looked puzzled. But then she smiled, revealing a missing tooth. “Do you want to meet me? I’m Amelia Dutton.”

Despite her foul mood, Amanda couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, I am delighted to meet you, Amelia. I’m Amanda. Do you live here?”

“No, I live with my parents in Lancashire at Uncle Devin’s other horse farm, but my father brings horses here sometimes. Mum and I don’t usually come with him, but Uncle Devin had this present for me.” Amelia stroked the pony’s mane. “So I got to come this time. He’s wonderful, isn’t he?”

Amanda was startled to hear the word
wonderful
right after Devin’s name, but then she almost laughed, realizing the child was talking about her pony.

“Yes, that’s a wonderful pony you have.”

“You like horses, too?”

“Well, I used to, when I was your age, but I don’t so much anymore.”

“How can you not like horses?” Amelia asked in wide-eyed amazement.

Amanda wasn’t about to frighten the child by mentioning the terrible accident she’d had falling from a horse when she was Amelia’s age, which was why she’d never got back on a horse again. Instead she asked, “So you’re related to Devin Baldwin?”

Another missing-tooth smile lit up Amelia’s face. “I wish I was, he’s so nice and funny, always making me laugh. But Mum said I should call him uncle since he’s my father’s best friend. That’s my father with him now.”

Amanda looked back at the fenced-in track where she saw two men racing their mounts. The demonstration was for Ophelia, who must not have decided yet which horse to buy for Rafe. Devin, on a black stallion, was slightly in the lead. Amanda would have picked the white horse Amelia’s father was riding, but only because she remembered seeing not long ago in Hyde Park an acquaintance trot past her carriage on a sleek white mare and thinking that she’d look splendid riding a white horse herself. She’d even had a spark of courage that day and had thought she should try riding again. The thought had been there and gone before she got home.

Apparently, Ophelia had made her decision because she was waving at Devin and pointing at his mount. Amanda wasn’t surprised. Even she was impressed by how graceful and commanding Devin looked on the horse. He had such presence that she suspected he could even make a nag salable. Had she been too harsh in her judgment of him? Even this child adored him, and children could be uncannily perceptive.

Having just had that thought, Amanda was taken aback when she heard the little girl say, “You don’t hate horses enough to hurt them, do you?”