Let Love Find You (43 page)

“I have given you both more leeway than I ever should have, because I was informed by a reliable source that you’ve fallen in love with each other and just hadn’t realized it yet,” Preston
said. “My own observations support that fact. So what, pray tell, are you both waiting for? Why haven’t you asked for her hand, Devin?”

Amanda gasped. “Father!”

“Quiet, m’dear. I cornered your maid. I know exactly how much you’ve been crying your heart out over this man since he disappeared. I demand to know why, when it’s clear to everyone else that he loves you.”

She bolted in embarrassment. But Devin didn’t let her get to the door, wrapping his arms around her, ignoring her struggle to get loose.

Over the top of her head he told Preston. “There is nothing I want more than to marry your daughter. But I knew when you learned the truth about me, you wouldn’t allow it. So I couldn’t tell her how much I love her. As impulsive and brave as she is, she would have defied you and married me anyway. I couldn’t do that to her. She would have come to regret hurting you.”

Amanda had stopped struggling and put her arms around Devin. He felt it and looked down at her, let go to cup her cheeks in his hands. “I told your brother the whole truth, about myself, about what we did. I was pretty much leaving my heart in his hands. If he could say that my illegitimacy didn’t matter, then nothing on this earth would have stopped me from marrying you—other than you. But I’ve changed my mind about leaving the decision to him, or to your father, for that matter. Mandy, I want you no matter what, and if you’ll have me, I
will
marry you, even if we don’t have your family’s blessing. I’ll make you so happy, there will be no regrets, and once your family sees that, maybe they’ll come around and forgive me—”

Preston coughed. “I could have done without hearing that.
But I will say in your defense that you simply don’t know this family well enough yet.”

“What he means by that,
and
what I tried to tell you before, is we don’t judge a man on something
he
didn’t do,” Amanda said. “You haven’t done anything except make me not want to live without you. Yes, I’ll marry you. I love you! If I were strong enough, I’d drag
you
to the altar.”

Devin was looking a little bit amazed. But he wanted to hear it confirmed by her father. “My illegitimacy really wouldn’t have had you turn me away?”

“No, it wouldn’t have. Mandy’s happiness means more to me than any trifle like that. But—I better never hear of her crying again because of you.”

Devin laughed and got a groan out of her, he hugged her so tightly. “I assure you, m’lord, she will never find fault with me again.” Then he bent his head to whisper by her ear, “If you weren’t sure, that promise was for you. I hurt us both by trying to do what I thought was right for you, instead of just trusting that we could overcome any obstacle. I’ll never make that mistake again. I love you too much.”

Preston cleared his throat and stood up. “Well, that went much quicker than I figured. I’ll go make Ophelia deliriously happy now by telling her she has a wedding to plan.” He headed to the door to give them some time alone, but before closing it behind him, he added, “And stay out of my daughter’s bedroom—until after the wedding.”

Amanda hid her face against Devin’s chest with the realization that her father knew
too
much. She was going to kill her brother!

“I can honor that, if you can,” Devin said to her.

She peeked up at him. “This passion you make me feel is a bit overwhelming. I’m not sure I can.”

He groaned. “There are other rooms.” He began kissing her. “Including this one.”

She took a moment to savor his taste, his tender touch, before it sank in what he meant, and she broke away. “Not in my father’s study!”

He laughed. “I was teasing. I will respect your father’s wishes. That’s the very least I can do for the man who has lifted this guilt from my shoulders. I would have married you anyway, Mandy, but to not have your father’s blessing would have kept our happiness from being complete. You do understand that, don’t you?”

“I understand it worried you. It never even occurred to me. But you!” She wagged a finger at him. “You still tried to foist Kendall on me when you and I share more interests than I ever would with him—fishing, horse racing, and, believe it or not, I’ve even come to enjoy riding.”

“If I wasn’t sure I didn’t stand a chance with you, I would have pointed that out sooner.”

She grinned. “So Cupid would have recommended himself?”

“Imagine my amazement, to be struck by my own arrow.” He put a hand to her cheek. “I’m sorry for not presenting my misgivings to you, but to your brother instead. Leaving it to your family to decide, when I was so sure they wouldn’t decide in my favor, was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But on the way back here, I knew I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t leave
our
happiness to chance like that.”

“I wish you had come to your senses sooner, before I soaked my bed with tears.” She’d only been teasing. Her happiness had
already wiped away that heartache. But he winced. She threw her arms around his neck. “It’s all right, I forgive you! I cried because I love you so much and didn’t understand. Now I do. But never hold back your feelings again, Devin, please.”

“Never. I will share anything and everything from this day forward.”

“I promise to as well. Now come.” She took his hand to lead him out of the room. “I want to share this happiness with my family. I think some of my aunts are still here. Oh! How could I forget.” She stopped, turned to ask, “What happened with your father?”

“He’s really not worth mentioning, Mandy.”

“Stop it. You
just
promised me no more secrets.”

He gave her a wry smile. “I didn’t want to tarnish the moment. I will say I’m glad I got to meet him at least once before he dies, if only to understand that it was an act of kindness, probably the only one he ever did, to stay out of my life. So I have my answers, which is all I ever wanted from him.”

“It was deliberate? For your own good?”

“Yes, but he’s not worth a single one of your thoughts.”

“I’m just sorry he wasn’t what you’d hoped for.”

He chucked her chin and tried to lighten the mood. “That’s because you’re too sympathetic! We’re going to have to work on that flaw.”

She understood what he was doing and went along with it, snorting. “It’s not a flaw. And I’ll be grateful to your father, thank you very much, for giving me you.”

“The irony is, I have reason to be grateful to him, too, for one unexpected gift—a grandfather who is still alive and is already a friend. I will be proud to introduce you to Owen Culley.”

“Owen?” She smiled. “My family has known him for years.
Oh, and wait until you meet
my
grandmother! She can’t remember a thing anymore, she’ll even call you by every name but your own, but you’ll adore her.”

“Your family will soon be mine. I expect my feelings will mirror yours where they are concerned.” Then he pushed her up against the wall, a teasing light in his amber eyes. “Were you really going to be an old maid? Really?”

“Weren’t you going to be the male version?”

He laughed. “No, I was just determined to never let love into my life because I knew how much it could hurt. I had no idea how wonderful it could be instead—until I met you.”

Such a wealth of emotions filled her heart as she gazed into his eyes. It hadn’t happened overnight. It had taken much longer than anyone expected. But love had finally found her and it was
so
worth the wait.

T
HE ENTIRE LOCKE FAMILY
had wanted a spring wedding. Devin had been willing, wanting to please his new in-laws. But Amanda had put her foot down. With her father’s edict ringing in her ears and Devin determined to respect Preston’s wishes, the most she would delay was a month, so her wedding reception would be one last party, as it were, to finish off the current Season. It was amazing how many other engagements were announced in that month, though most of them were from her flock of beaus, so they’d obviously had second choices lined up all along. Amanda thought that was funny. Even John Trask found an heiress.

Robert Brigston’s congratulations had been the most hearty the day she became Devin’s wife, surprising Amanda at how genuinely pleased Robert was for her. But Devin had been by her side when they received it, and seeing her brow knit in confusion after Robert walked away, he asked, “Something wrong?”

She whispered, “He wasn’t invited to the wedding. He crashed it just to say he was happy for us?”

Devin laughed. “Told you to trust me, that he wasn’t for you. In fact, he’s probably the most happy, next to us, that you’re marrying me instead of him.”

She raised a brow at him. “Do you realize how odd that sounds?”

“That’s all I’m going to say about it,” he teased.

“Say about what?” William asked as he and Blythe came up to offer their own good wishes.

“About her ex-beaus,” Devin said.

“Ah, those poor sods, and, no, I don’t feel as if I’m in that group anymore.” William chuckled. “You were right about the Honorable Margery Jenkin, Devin. I swear I’m in love already, least it feels like it. She’s wonderful!”

“Sounds like he’s in love to me!” Blythe added, grinning, then leaned closer to show Amanda her own engagement ring.

“Lord Oliver?” Amanda guessed.

“Yes!”

Amanda had already known that secret, though she didn’t let on that Oliver, considering her a friend, had told her at the house party that he was going to ask for Blythe’s hand. It had been their secret, but she was glad to know that Blythe had accepted his proposal. Love was definitely in the air, and it wasn’t even close to springtime yet!

It had been a private wedding at Norford, just family and friends, but still quite a crowd for the reception, with most of their neighbors invited for that. Amelia Dutton was there with her father and mother. Amanda had delighted the child when she’d asked her to be her flower girl. Owen Culley was present, sitting at a table with Devin’s aunt and uncle. Owen had cried the day Devin took Amanda to meet him and introduced him as his grandfather. She didn’t want her husband anxious about
anything, ever again, and that could have been a difficult meeting if Devin and Owen hadn’t already been friends before they learned they were closely related, too.

The newlyweds were taking ship to the south of France for their honeymoon, for some warmer weather and fishing! They hadn’t yet decided where they were going to live afterward, although Amanda was surprised by more options than she’d counted on. Devin even owned a town house in London! Although he’d also mentioned the farm in Lancashire, he said if she picked the new farm instead, it would give him an excuse to finally remodel the house there. She rather liked that idea the best, since some of the remodeling decisions could be hers.

Approaching the hour to leave, Amanda slipped upstairs to change out of her wedding dress. Devin, watching her go, didn’t even want to be parted from her that long and started to follow her. But then Ophelia and Julie both converged on him. They didn’t come together, just happened to both arrive in the same moment, and they both had coin purses in their hands.

He rolled his eyes at them. “You weren’t
really
thinking of paying Cupid for arranging his own wedding, were you?”

They both blushed, though Julie snorted, “’Course not.”

Ophelia said, “Just a little wedding gift,” and slapped her purse against his chest the same way she’d done the day she hired him.

And just as he’d done that day, he shoved it back into her hands. “Just so we’re clear, you can lavish whatever you want on my wife, but you are
not
paying me for making her mine, when today is the happiest day of my life.”

He left them to follow his wife upstairs. Julie stared at Ophelia. “So you had a hand in this?”

Ophelia grinned. “Just a little nudge in the right direction
is all. I’d noticed the night she first clapped eyes on him how many glowers she sent his way.”

“Humph. That should have warned you to keep her away from him.”

“When she hadn’t so much as raised a brow at her other beaus?”

Upstairs, Devin smiled as he realized he didn’t need to knock on Amanda’s door anymore and opened it. But she wasn’t alone. He stared at her maid and said, “You can go. I’ll help my wife out of her dress.”

As he closed the door on Alice and turned a heated look on Amanda, she grinned. “Is that so?” she teased.

He started to slowly cross the room to her. “I have a feeling I’m going to be doing this a lot—now that I can.”

She laughed when he tumbled them onto the bed, giving her a preview of what married life was going to be like with him. He hadn’t kept his hands off her before the wedding. They’d been caught in amorous embraces a number of times. He’d dragged her into empty rooms every chance he got. But he always stopped short of making love to her, honoring her father’s wishes. So it was quite a frustrating time, for them both. Until today.