He never thought he’d become a duke,
or that the secrets of his past will cost him his greatest love...
or that the secrets of his past will cost him his greatest love...
A MOST UNLIKELY DUKE
Diamonds in the Rough #1
Sophie Barnes
Releasing June 27, 2017
Avon Books
Raphe
Matthews hasn’t stepped foot in polite circles since a tragedy left his
once-noble family impoverished and in debt. The bare-knuckle boxer has spent
the last fifteen years eking out an existence for himself and his two sisters.
But when a stunning reversal of fortunes lands Raphe the title of Duke of
Huntley, he’s determined to make a go of becoming a proper lord, but he’ll need
a little help and his captivating neighbor might be just the woman for the job…
After her
sister’s scandalous match, Lady Gabriella knows the ton’s eyes are on her. Agreeing
to tutor the brutish new duke can only lead to ruin. Although she tries to
control her irresistible attraction to Raphe, every day she spends with him
only deepens her realization that this may be the one man she cannot do
without. And as scandal threatens to envelope them both, she must decide if she
can risk everything for love with a most unlikely duke.
EXCERPT
“Ye fought
well today, lad,” a man’s voice suddenly spoke from directly behind him.
Bristling,
Raphe set down his beer on the counter and turned to face his handler, whose
attire—a purple velvet jacket and matching top hat—lent an air of flamboyance
unmatched by anyone else. And yet, in spite of the fine attire, there was
nothing cultured about this man, a scoundrel who’d gained his wealth through
illicit deals and by taking advantage of others. His origins were questionable,
but rumor had it he’d killed more than once in pursuit of power.
Raphe didn’t
know what to believe. All he knew was that in spite of his own prejudices,
crime in St. Giles had decreased since Carlton Guthrie’s arrival eighteen years
earlier. Or so he’d been told.
“Mr. Guthrie.
Good to see ye.” A blatant lie, if ever there was one.
Guthrie’s
moustache twitched. “Likewise.” He sounded jovial, but only a fool would
mistake that for kindness. Least of all when his henchman, a scarred boulder of
a Scotsman by the name of MacNeil, stood at his right shoulder. Guthrie nodded
toward Ben, who returned the salutation.
“Come. Share
a drink with me,” Guthrie said, addressing Raphe. “We’ve much to discuss, you
‘n I.”
“And
Thompson?” Raphe asked, not wanting to abandon his friend.
“I’m sure he’ll
be willin’ to wait for ye till ye get back.” Reaching into his pocket, he
pulled out a gold coin and dropped it in front of Ben. “For yer trouble. What I
‘ave to say to Matthews ‘ere doesn’t concern ye. Understand?”
Raphe glared
at Guthrie for a moment before
looking at
Ben. “I’m sorry. I—”
“No worries,”
Ben said, pocketing the coin that would keep his family fed for the next few
days. “I’ll see ye tomorrow at work, aye?”
Nodding,
Raphe watched him go.
“Well?”
Guthrie’s voice drew Raphe’s attention back to him. “ ‘Ow about that drink
then?” Eyeing first Guthrie and then MacNeil, Raphe gave a curt nod. “By all
means.”
Guthrie’s
eyes sparkled. “Excellent.” His lips stretched into a smile. “Follow me.”
Turning away, he led Raphe through the taproom, where tobacco smoke mingled
with the smell of roasting meat and beer. Dice rolled across one table in a
game of hazard. A hand touched his thigh, inappropriately stroking upward until
he pushed it away.
“No’ in the
mood, luv?” the woman to whom it belonged asked. She was sitting down, her legs
spread across the lap of a man who was busily burying his face between her
half-exposed breasts. Pitying the life she’d been dealt, he told her gently,
“I’ve not the
time.”
“La’er then?”
she called as he strode away, not answering her question. Blessedly, his
sisters had managed to avoid such a fate.
“ ‘Ave a
seat,” Guthrie said moments later as they stepped inside a private room at the
end of a hallway. It was sparsely furnished, with just a plain wooden table and
four chairs. On top of the table stood a pitcher and a couple of mugs. “Some
ale for me champion?” Guthrie asked, indicating the pitcher. Grabbing a chair,
Raphe dropped down onto it and poured himself a drink, while Guthrie claimed
the other chair with more finesse. “Will ye ‘ave some?” Raphe asked, indicating
the same pitcher. Guthrie beamed. “Don’t mind if I do.” He waited for Raphe to
pour before reaching for the mug and raising it. “To yer victory today.”
“To me
victory,” Raphe muttered, downing the bitter resentment he felt with a brew to
match.
“I’ve ‘igh
‘opes for ye,” Guthrie said, tapping a finger against his nose. “Unbeaten for
the fifteenth time. That’s unprecedented, tha’ is.” Raphe saw the spark that
lit his eyes, like the
promise of
treasure or some such thing. “Wha’ do ye want, Guthrie?”
“So cynical,
Matthews.” Guthrie’s upper lip drew back, revealing his teeth. “Must a man
always want some’in? Can’t ‘e simply enjoy a drink wi’ an old friend?”
Old friend?
Hardly.
“Not when
‘e’s got ’im by the bollocks.” Guthrie’s mouth tightened, his eyes darkening
just enough to offer a glimpse of his true nature. “Is tha’ ‘ow ye see our
relationship, laddy?”
His demeaning
tone made Raphe’s muscles flex. He glanced at MacNeil, who stood by the door,
running his thumb along the edge of a wicked blade, and was instantly reminded
of the punishment he’d suffered the one time when he’d been foolish enough to
try and thwart Guthrie’s wishes. Shoulders tensing, Raphe returned his gaze to
the man who owned him.
“ ‘Ow else
should I see it? I’m yer puppet, ain’t I?” Guthrie nodded. “Aye, but ye’re me
favorite one. Which is why I’d like to offer ye a deal.”
Raphe
stiffened. “What sor’ of deal?”
“The sor’
that could set ye free, laddy.” A tempting notion, but surely too good to be
true.
Still, he
couldn’t help but ask. “What do ye have in mind?”
Leaning
forward, Guthrie placed his elbows on the table, the fingers of his right hand
reaching up to stroke his chin. “Ye see, there’s goin’ to be an opportunity
soon—a grand one, at that.”
Raphe crossed
his arms. “Ye don’t say.”
The corner of
Guthrie’s eye flinched. “No need to get cocky, now.” Snapping his fingers, he
drew MacNeil closer. “Give the laddy ‘is earnin’s.” There was a pause, and then
a pouch dropped onto the table with a jangling thump. “Naturally, we’ve kept
our share.”
A fat 90
percent.
“Naturally,”
Raphe echoed. He didn’t bother to hide his displeasure.
“But . . .”
Guthrie took another sip of his ale.
“Word ‘as it,
the Bull will be comin’ to town in a month or so.” Raphe straightened in his
chair, while Guthrie wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, removing a line
of foam. “If ye figh’ ’im and ye win, ye’ll be debt-free. The winnings are
gonna be that huge.”
Raphe didn’t
doubt it. The Bull was, after all, the bare-knuckle boxing world
champion—undefeated since beating Tobias Flannigan several years earlier.
Since then,
he’d crippled several of his opponents. The man was a legend. “I’ll do it,”
Raphe said without blinking.
“But if ye
lose . . .”
“I won’t,”
Raphe assured him.
“But if ye do
. . .”
Grabbing the
pouch that still sat on the table, Raphe pocketed his money. “I know the risk,
Guthrie, an’ I’m willin’ to take it.”
CAT'S REVIEW
"A Most Unlikely Duke" by Sophie Barnes is a wonderful tale that I couldn't put down. Our lovely couple, Raphe and Gabriella, warmed my heart. They are so untraditional for a historical couple but that is what made them so endearing. Raphe, while unsophisticated, truly has a heart of gold as he tries hard to provide for his sisters. Gabriella, trying so hard to please her mother but underneath is nothing like the ideal Lady groomed to be married. Seeing both fight to be the person they are expected to be yet still hold on to their true selves is a delightful journey, as they help each other along the way. Ms. Barnes writing is paced fast but not so the reader is lost but keeps the reader engaged throughout, eagerly turning each page. I enjoyed the path our couple took, the ups and downs and the twists and turns. Of course, there are bumps along the way, but the way in which Ms. Barnes handles these made me smile and cheer for Raphe and Gabriella throughout. (received copy for honest review)
★★★★★
Born in
Denmark, Sophie Barnes spent her youth traveling with her
parents to wonderful places all around the world. She's lived in five different
countries, on three different continents, and speaks Danish, English, French,
Spanish, and Romanian. But, most impressive of all, she's been married to the
same man three times—in three different countries and in three different
dresses.
When
she's not busy dreaming up her next romance novel, Sophie enjoys spending time
with her family, swimming, cooking, gardening, watching romantic comedies and,
of course, reading.
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