Let Love Find You (23 page)

“What blunder?”

“I never should have started you off on a damned sidesaddle. So let me show you what I’m talking about.”

He grabbed her hand and led her out of the office and down the aisle to his working horse, which one of the workers had tethered to a post. Without warning, he simply tossed her up into the saddle. She tried to hook her leg over the horn, but it was a man’s saddle and Devin gently pushed her right leg over the saddle so that it dangled on the other side.

Amanda gasped, trying to shove her skirt back down over her exposed legs. But she couldn’t do it with a horse between her legs! “Get me down! I can’t sit on a horse like this!”

“Of course you can. You already are.”

“But this is indecent!”

“I’ve already seen your leg,” he said, his eyes locked on hers.

“That’s beside the—”

“Sit up straight,” he cut in sharply. “Use your legs, girl. Grip the animal’s sides. That’s your courage. That’s your control. That’s how you’ll stay in the bloody seat. If you’d pause a moment in your ranting to take notice, you’ll see how natural that feels.”

Did he
have
to be right? She grumbled, “I still can’t ride like this.”

“Of course you won’t, not without proper clothes. This was just a demonstration for you. But if you still want to become a horsewoman after today, you’re going to master riding astride first, before you attempt to master a sidesaddle again. So borrow a pair of your brother’s breeches or get a skirt made for riding.”

“I’m already wearing a skirt made just for riding,” she huffed.

“No, I’m talking about a pair of breeches that looks like a skirt. I’ve only seen a couple of women wearing this type of garment, but off the horse, it looked like a skirt. Yet when the woman was sitting astride a horse, it fully covered her legs. All very proper. Talk to your seamstress. I’m sure she can figure out something like that for you.”

That sounded interesting. She could even envision what he was talking about. And she didn’t feel afraid sitting on the horse like this, not with her legs giving her such firm purchase. Though that could just be because of that horrid drink he’d given her, but it was still worth a try.

“Very well. But do get me down before someone walks in and—”

She didn’t have to finish, he was already holding up his arms to her. She leaned to the side, reaching for his shoulders, but
didn’t quite get that far before he pulled her off the horse much too fast. She slammed right into his chest! He quickly put his arms around her to steady her, though she was steady—until she caught the look in his eyes. Oh, my! His amber eyes were looking right into hers, and they had that glow of passion in them again. She shivered deliciously. But he let go. Gasping, flustered yet
again
, she stepped back to make sure her skirt had settled into place properly.

“Bring a chaperone with you next time,” she heard him say in a distinctly annoyed tone.

Her eyes flew up to him. “I have one, she’s—”

“I mean a man. Preferably a relative of yours who might have some input about your riding—and will prevent you from taking on more lessons than you can handle in one day.”

She stiffened. So that drink had affected his judgment as well, and now he regretted giving her that lesson in kissing? He obviously wanted to make sure it didn’t happen again, by insisting she bring a relative with her next time. No wonder he sounded so sharp. How embarrassing.

He grasped her elbow and escorted her out of the stable, adding, “But don’t bring your brother, or you may end up ruining Lady Ophelia’s surprise for him.”

He took her straight out to the hired coach and helped her into it. She would have said a proper good-bye, might even have thanked him for his efforts today on her behalf, but his parting words just before he shut the door and gave the driver the signal to head out left her speechless.

“By the way, you’ve got nice legs.”

A
MANDA COULDN
’
T BELIEVE HE
did that! For the second time, Devin had said something in front of one of her chaperones that was going to get her reprimanded.

It would have been nice if Alice had nodded off while waiting for her because then she wouldn’t have heard Devin’s scandalous remark, but no such luck. The maid was staring at her now with eyes as wide as saucers.

Amanda tried to escape this lecture by saying, “He was just joking.”

“Joking? When there’s evidence on your chin and lips that says otherwise? You better hope that abrasion fades from your face before we get home, or I won’t be the only one telling you that you stepped so far over the line it’s a wonder you ain’t still tumbling down the hill!”

Amanda winced. She didn’t want to discuss that kiss when merely thinking about it stirred her pulse again. So she explained about the fall, assured Alice she didn’t break anything,
but then lied, “His face must have scraped against mine when he carried me back to the stable.”

Amanda wasn’t worried about the evidence of the kissing lesson Devin had given her until Alice mentioned it, but since they weren’t going directly home and still had to stop back on Bond Street to collect the St. John coach, she decided to go to the seamstress shop again and order a couple of those special riding skirts Devin had told her about so she could ride astride. By the time she and Alice were riding home in the St. John coach, enough time had passed for that slight redness from Devin’s rough face rubbing against hers to fade. And a good thing. Her father was there at Julie’s house waiting for her.

Julie, Preston, and Rebecca were in the dining room for luncheon. Amanda called out her greetings as she joined them, then hugged her father’s neck from behind before she took the seat next to him.

“I understand you’re leaving us today,” Julie said right off. “I’ll have your trunks sent over to Rafe’s house this afternoon.”

Amanda grinned. “So Father told you that he’s going to be in town for the duration?”

“Yes, that news nearly knocked me on my arse,” Julie said in exaggeration.

Preston chuckled at his sister. “I don’t know why you think I’m a bloody recluse. Just because I love Norford Hall and prefer my comforts there doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the festivities in London for a Season—for a good cause. And my daughter is an exceptionally good cause.”

“’Course she is.”

But he turned to Amanda to say, “But as it happens, Phelia wants to drag us all back home for Rafe’s birthday.”

“But we always celebrate birthdays there,” Amanda reminded him.

He nodded. “I know, but she’s making plans for a grand party, an actual weeklong affair that warrants a long guest list, apparently, so she’d like your help with that.”

Amanda squealed with delight. “She’s throwing a country party? You actually agreed?”

“Yes, because it’s for a dual purpose. She’s going to be inviting all the young eligibles and I’m adding several names to the guest list m’self, young men that come highly recommended, so you might want to pay a little attention to them.”

She raised a brow. “Recommended by whom?”

“A friend of a friend” was all he said.

Before she could wonder about that cryptic response, Julie asked her, “Did you get that mishap straightened out with the seamstress?”

“Yes, but I had a wonderful idea while I was there, and she was intrigued enough to try it for me. A skirt with legs.” Julie just raised a brow, making Amanda giggle and jump back up to stretch her legs as far apart as her current skirt allowed. “Really, imagine it, Aunt Julie, it will look like a skirt unless I stand like this. Only then would you be able to tell it’s actually
very
baggy pants.”

“Pants?” Rebecca chuckled.

“No pants,” Preston said adamantly, and continued to eat his lunch.

“I assume you mean for riding?” Julie said.

“Of course for riding, I wouldn’t need them for anything else.”

Preston turned to face her, his sudden concern obvious. “When did you start riding?”

“I haven’t yet, but I want to try it again,” she admitted hesitantly.

“I’d rather you didn’t” was all her father said, but that said so much.

Amanda knew he was remembering how much pain she’d suffered from her fall, and the horrible worry he’d had that she might never walk right again because of it. Of course he preferred that she never get on a horse again. She’d even agreed with him, until now.

She put her hand over her father’s. “This is something I really want to tackle. If I end up hating it, then that will be the end of it. But it’s a skill I’ve always regretted not developing. So I at least want to give it one last try. I did recently, you know.”

There, she’d done it. There was no going back. Now that her family knew she was attempting to ride again, she
had
to succeed.

“Yes, Herbert told me you’d changed your mind,” Preston replied.

“I couldn’t even bring myself to get on the horse he brought out for me.”

“Then why are we even discussing this?”

“Because I hadn’t been challenged yet to succeed. And I hadn’t been told yet how easy it
could
be under the right circumstances. And because I’ve met a man I’m quite interested in,” she ended with a slight blush.

“Who?” they all said at once.

“Kendall Goswick, the Earl of Manford. He’s not even in town for the Season. I met him when I went with Phelia to a horse farm to pick out Rafe’s birthday present. He was so handsome and charming, he quite stole my breath away! He’s the first man I actually want to see more of.”

“That’s wonderful, Mandy,” Rebecca said, beaming at her.

“When do we get to meet him?” Preston queried.

“Soon, I hope.”

“And what’s he got to do with your suddenly wanting to take up horse riding?” Preston asked.

Amanda grinned. “Because I’m thinking ahead, all the way to marriage. Lord Kendall is an avid horseman. In fact, he loves horses so much he’s chasing down another one in France right now to add to his stable. If we do get married, how will it work if I hate something my husband loves so much? I’d feel terrible about it! He’d be miserable about it. He might not even want to marry me if he finds out I don’t ride.”

“Nonsense.”

“Absurd.”

“Never heard of anything so silly.”

Amanda bit her lip. They sounded so certain. No, they scoffed because they loved her.
She
would rather not put it to the test with Kendall. Besides, learning to ride was still something she wanted to accomplish, Kendall or no. And spending time with Devin was exciting! Even though he was impossible and not quite of her social circle, she couldn’t deny, at least to herself, that she found him intriguing. He was so unlike any other man she’d ever met. She couldn’t tell when he was teasing her and when he was serious. And she could learn a lot more from him than just riding. . . .

She nearly gasped at the thought that he wouldn’t hesitate to answer her questions about men, unlike her brother. She could take advantage of Devin’s bluntness in that regard. She might well learn things from him that would assure her success with her husband hunt. But she couldn’t tell her family any of that!

But she
was
feeling much better about getting the hang of
riding, now that Devin had pointed out one of the difficulties she’d faced, how to feel comfortable and in control while sitting on a saddle.

She explained that to her father. “It’s not just Lord Kendall and how riding might make for a happy marriage with him—if we progress that far. It’s something I’ve always missed out on, anything to do with horses, and I’ve regretted that. I let fear persuade me that I didn’t
need
to ride, but some of that fear was because I never felt secure on a horse. But I’m convinced now that
that
was the fault of the saddle. That’s one thing I do remember about my first lessons, that I was so nervous each time because it felt so awkward. It’s like sitting only halfway on a horse!”

“Couldn’t have said it better,” Julie agreed. “Nasty contraptions, sidesaddles.”

Grateful for her aunt’s support, Amanda continued, “I’m going to take lessons again, of course. If I still don’t like riding after that, then I will feel good about having at least tried. And I’ve been told riding astride is so much easier, which is why I’m having the special skirt made for it. I’ll worry about riding like a lady afterward.”

“No fussing about this, Preston,” Julie added gruffly. “You know very well I rode with britches under my skirts at Norford. The gel needs to feel comfortable in the saddle. She’s got enough to overcome without adding a precarious seat into the mix. Besides, you know how stubborn she can be when she gets an idea set in her head.”

Preston sighed. “Then by all means . . .”