Let Love Find You by Johanna Lindsey Read Free Book Online

husband’s birthday present soon, she’d have to find something else to buy him. But he didn’t see the lady anywhere nearby, and he wasn’t about to go searching for her when he’d rather just leave. He did spot William looking bored with the conversation he was having across the room and, catching his eye, nodded toward the exit. His friend grinned his agreement, so Devin bid his host good night and started across the room—which took him right past Little Miss Sunshine.
    He should have resisted. Really. But if the girl had been on the marriage mart since last year, which was when William had said he’d met her, then she ought to know by now what she was doing wrong.
    Devin paused and leaned close enough so his whisper didn’t reach any ears but hers and advised, “How are your beaus supposed to woo you if you won’t keep quiet long enough to let them?”

Chapter Five

    I T WAS A WONDER Amanda had got to sleep at all last night she’d gone to bed so furious. The nerve of that odious man to say something so outrageous to her and then leave the party before she’d recovered enough to give him the sharp side of her tongue. They hadn’t even been introduced yet!
    But she slept off the worst of her anger and the next day was merely annoyed at the man’s presumption to give her advice when he didn’t know anything about her.
    Who was Devin Baldwin really? A thug, as she’d thought, or just a country clod lacking in manners and refinement? That would certainly account for such audacity, but she should know that for certain by now because they’d spent hours at the same party! He should have had someone introduce him to her at some point last night so she could have found out more about him other than the gossip, which might not be accurate. Why the deuce hadn’t he?
    She’d almost seen to the matter herself after her little chat with Phoebe, which had piqued her curiosity a bit despite hercertainty that he didn’t really belong there. She’d considered introducing herself when she saw her brother talking to him later in the evening. With Baldwin standing next to Rafe, it was like looking at night and day side by side. Rafe was blond and fair. The brute was so darkly tanned, yet she couldn’t help noticing again how handsome he actually was with his raven hair and—were his eyes actually amber? She hadn’t got close enough to him to be sure. He was certainly old enough that this wasn’t his first Season in London by any means.
    Where had he been hiding himself? He was so mysterious! No one really knew anything about him or his family other than they hailed from Lancashire and were long-standing horse breeders, so the rumors that were circulating about him might not be true a’tall. A matchmaker? How absurd to attribute something like that to him when all he’d done was introduce a few friends who ended up liking each other enough to want to marry. She’d done exactly the same thing herself her first Season, but no one was calling her a matchmaker. But she knew how the ton were. They’d latch onto anything worth gossiping about, even something as silly as a horse-breeding matchmaker! Well, that was a bizarre mix, wasn’t it? And exactly why it would be so interesting—if it was true. And exactly why her own curiosity was piqued.
    She’d almost barged in on her brother’s conversation with Baldwin, had been getting up the nerve to do so. And what had that been about? Nervous? Her? She was never overcome with shyness like that! But Baldwin certainly wasn’t the sort of gentleman she was accustomed to—if he could even be called a gentleman. And it was a good thing she did hesitate. The few words he’d said to her had confirmed that her first impression of him had been accurate. He was nothing but a rude,presumptuous country clod, and he’d better hope she never saw him again or she’d tell him so!
    Ophelia came by early that morning to invite her on an outing. “Where are we going?” Amanda