Let Love Find You Read Free Page A

in a reasonable manner, and if he was proven wrong, he’d merely laugh about it and go on from there. The only exception was how he dealt with his siblings. Where his sisters were concerned, he enjoyed pulling their cords, was quite the tease in that regard. Her brother had gotten that from their father, too, much to her annoyance.
    Before her father actually forbade her to rely on Rebecca as her chaperone just because she was a few years younger than Amanda, she said, “You did know that Becky was a maid of honor, right up till she married Rue? That’s where he met her,at the palace. But having served in the royal court, she’s more a stickler for proper etiquette than anyone I know.”
    “No, I didn’t know, on either count. Your aunt Julie is still your best—”
    “She doesn’t like going to these parties. She’ll go, of course, but you know how she is when she doesn’t like something,” she mumbled.
    Preston sighed. “I wish she had remarried instead of practicing being a curmudgeon.”
    “She wishes the same thing about you,” Amanda said, then sputtered, “Not the curmudgeon part!”
    Was that actually a blush climbing his cheeks? Surely not. It wasn’t as if the family didn’t know why he chose to stay single after his wife had died. He’d loved her too much. He’d preferred to honor that love and not try to replace it. Actually, she and Rafe had concluded that their father didn’t want to be disappointed in a second wife after having been so happy with the first. They could hardly disagree. They didn’t want their mother to be replaced either. But they did want their father to be happy, so if he did find someone who could make him that happy, they certainly wouldn’t object. He just wasn’t looking. He already knew all the unattached ladies at home and wasn’t interested in any of them, and he rarely came to London, where he might meet someone new.
    But he was here now. She wondered . . .
    “By the by, I sent Avery home,” Preston said matter-of-factly. “I’ll be your escort tonight, m’dear. I want to see for m’self the current crop of eligibles and what’s taking you so long to make up your mind.”
    Although it was quite hard to utter a delighted squeal and a groan in the same breath, Amanda managed it just fine.

Chapter Two

    “T WO PARTIES IN ONE night, is that normal these days?” Preston asked curiously.
    Raphael laughed at his father. “Is that why you and Mandy showed up so late? Went to another party first?”
    Preston made a face. “Your sister insisted she couldn’t miss either one, so, yes. The other was at an old school chum’s house just down the street. Wouldn’t even call it a party, so few were in attendance.”
    Raphael was keeping his father company on the edge of the large ballroom where Ophelia’s guests were gathered that evening. Thankfully, no one there was likely to recognize Preston, he so rarely came to London, and never for social events unless at the queen’s request. So they didn’t know that the Duke of Norford was present. If they did, they’d be lining up to make his acquaintance.
    At least Raphael’s father was used to social gatherings in the country these days, thanks to Ophelia. Preston’s five sisters used to entertain at Norford Hall frequently, but that was so longago Mandy hadn’t even been born yet. And after the last of the five had married and moved elsewhere, Norford Hall remained quiet. Their mother preferred it that way, and after she died, Preston had become somewhat of a recluse. He wouldn’t even entertain for Amanda’s first come-out, had simply sent her off to London where she could be guaranteed her pick of the most eligible bachelors of the realm. It was the bane of the family that she hadn’t picked one yet.
    As for his father’s curiosity, Rafe said, “No, two parties in one night isn’t normal a’tall and is probably Phelia’s fault. This party was rather impromptu. She only sent out the invitations for