Page 1 of Boxing With My Duke (A Sweet and Lighthearted Regency #16)

December 1816 ~ Bath, England

C arlton Coleman , the fifth Duke of Richmond , stared down at the ledger in front of him. He needed to prove to himself his changes had been worthwhile. When he inherited his father’s dukedom and, subsequently, his uncle’s gentlemen’s club, he made changes, primarily in how the third floor operated.

In his uncle’s time, the club had partnered with Madame Shanty , who supplied women to entertain the members. While Carlton realized this type of entertainment had been part of gentlemen’s clubs for years, he didn’t support the partnership and disliked the financial arrangement his uncle had made. Even so, ledger numbers had driven his decision. The madame had substantially increased her costs, and her sales had dropped.

His father used to say, “ You can't expect loyalty from those people who would do anything for money.” With the numbers backing him, it wasn’t hard to eliminate her presence. However , having the numbers on his ledger to support his decision was even better. A few members disagreed with his decision and had been very vocal.

Carlton refurbished the rooms and rented them to members, demanding a level of decorum and requiring any female visitors to be escorted in through the backdoor by the member. The members well-received the change and had driven a marked improvement in profits. His move had not been to remove the access to women of pleasure; it had been to remove Madame Shanty .

Pleased , he leaned back and puffed his cigar. This modification had not been easy, but with a finite amount of space, it was important to maximize profits. The door to his office opened and his best friend, Damon Devereaux , the Duke of Danforth , strode into the room.

“ Damon ! This is a delightful surprise. I thought you’d be leaving for Scotland this week,” Carlton said, closing the ledger and securing it in the safe behind his desk.

“ My duchess changed things for this year. We’re staying here and having the family visit us,” Damon said, helping himself to a brandy before taking a seat in front of his friend’s desk.

“ I see you were reviewing your books—tedious work. I just concluded reviewing the books with Mr . Garmin , my man of business. I was hoping we could get some time in the ring and work off some of the torment of meeting with him,” Damon said. “ He’s good at his job but has a bothersome habit of chewing his fingernails to bleeding nubs. Rather disgusting. I’ve asked him to stop, but I don’t think he even notices he’s doing it.”

“ I’d be happy to introduce you to mine if you’d like. There’s no bloodletting in our meetings,” Carlton said, laughing.

“ I may take you up on that,” Damon said with a smirk.

“ How are the children doing with your governess-turned-duchess?” Carlton asked, reaching for the decanter. “ And how is married life? Still mooning over your lovely Lydia , I take it?” he teased. Damon’s children had run off six governesses in under two years. When he returned with his family from their Christmas vacation in Scotland , Damon found his housekeeper and butler had hired Lydia as the newest governess. Lydia had a way with the children and turned the children’s destructive behavior around. And despite his best efforts to remain unmarried, Damon fell in love. Carlton was genuinely happy for his friend, even though he did not believe in true love.

“ Lydia insists on staying involved with their lessons. She finally hired another governess but still visits the nursery—although, with her increased responsibilities, that’s lessening. She hired a widow who lost her husband fighting Napoleon . Mrs . Allen . Lydia posted an advertisement in her father’s mercantile.”

“ Bold move— I like it . Her family probably knows the woman. Wise duchess you have there,” Carlton drawled. “ When does she start?”

“ Soon , I hope. I had to insist she find one. She agreed to interview the finalists. My housekeeper took charge of filling the position—which was a much better arrangement than my involvement. I believe she said it would be the day after the twelfth night. January six,” said Damon . “ It’s the same date I gave Lydia .”

“ Your luck changed when you met Miss Hammond .”

“ Yes , it was also a reprieve for the frogs and lizards. The children stopped their pranks—and the frogs stayed in the pond,” Damon said wryly.

“ Will your mother’s family join you from Scotland ?” Carlton asked.

“ I believe so. Lydia insists on handling the arrangements. Now that I’m married, I’m hoping Mother’s focus shifts to the children.”

“ I get it. My mother does much the same with me,” Carlton agreed. “ Frankly , I’m a large man. No offense intended—but I’m not ready for marriage, and if I were, the woman must be taller than most of what I see among the ton .”

“ I get that. I’m six feet, and you tower over me” laughed Damon .

“ Mother is tall, herself—and should understand my dilemma, but that isn’t the case. She’s always suggesting I escort her to some function when I know she’s planned an ambush of debutantes and their marriage-minded mamas.”

“ Thank goodness my mother chose to live in Scotland for much of the year. I couldn’t imagine her living here. She could very possibly have joined the Golden Duchesses , as they’ve all known each other for years. Four well-meaning women who miss nothing. Interfering in one’s life is integral to their group’s mission,” Damon said with a shudder. “ I enjoy their company but prefer it in small increments. Lydia was entertaining them this afternoon, so I welcomed them on my way out, hoping you are up for time in the ring.”

Carlton scoffed. “ They are a force to reckon with. Last year, the duchesses suddenly needed to honor a commitment from their youth and move in together—one year after The Duchess of Featherly had hired Lydia —and just as you had an opening for a governess.” Carlton drained his glass.

“ Yes . But perhaps I’m looking at them all wrong. Their meddling gave me a treasured wife and a loving mother to my children. As a foursome, the Dowager Duchesses are a societal force in the Bath community.”

“ Please don’t let my mother ever hear you say that. She already thinks her meddling in my business is justified.” Carlton pushed back from his desk. “ What do you say about going a few rounds in the ring?”

A frantic knocking sounded at the door.

“ Come in,” Carlton said.

His club footman opened the door. Beads of sweat lined his forehead.

“ What is it, Adams ?”

“ Your Grace , I apologize for the intrusion. But a lady has breached the entrance and is running through the place opening rooms, demanding to see her brother.”

Carlton rolled his eyes and looked at the ceiling. “ A lady? Who is her brother?”

“ The Earl of Landon . She believes he is being entertained by one of our staff— upstairs. ” The footman emphasized the word and looked beseechingly at his boss. “ Your Grace , she claims the young lord is possessed by a she-devil who has bewitched him into marriage and is concerned about her mother’s wellbeing, should she find out.”

“ A she-devil? Where is Roberts , the manager?”

“ He stepped away to the bank, Your Grace ,” Adams replied.

Carlton turned to Damon . “ I’m sorry. We’ll have to continue this later. I have a fire to douse.”

“ Ah ! No problem, my friend. The lovely Lady Catherine Campbell has breached your club’s defenses, and you have a possible bewitching. Your hands are full,” Damon said, his eyes twinkling with mirth. “ I should get home before my children come up with ideas on how to entertain themselves. For the moment, I think the frogs are safe. But once they hear a new governess is coming, anything is possible.

“ Give Mandy and Michael my love and tell them Uncle Carlton will see them soon.”

Carlton grabbed his jacket and left the room with his footman, and made his way to the front entrance.

“ Why would she think her brother is on the third floor? Does he have an apartment?” he asked Adams as they searched the main floor.

“ I’m unsure if he has one of the apartments. Lady Campbell ranted about the third floor and the illicit activities she’s heard take place in clubs such as ours.”

Lord Landon was a newly minted earl. Carlton recalled hearing Lady Landon was having a rough time with the loss of her husband, having lost her eldest son and heir only a year and a half prior. At least it gave him some understanding of the emotions involved with Landon’s sister.

“ I don’t recall having met his sister. Their father died not quite a year ago. I’m beginning to get the picture,” Carlton murmured.

“ I’ll cover the second and third floors. You cover this floor, and make sure you cover the kitchen.” Carlton started to leave and turned back to Adams . “ Did Lady Campbell name the employee she thinks is the she-devil?”

“ Serafina .”

“ My Serafina ? ” he asked, stopping in his tracks. “ That’s absurd.” Carlton had treated Serafina Davies much like a younger sister and saw her as his ward. As the daughter of a vicar, she had grown up with an education, but her parents perished in a fire at the vicarage when she was twelve. Serafina was shuffled among relatives until she finally ran away at the age of fourteen from the home of her father’s distant cousin, who treated her like a servant. The last straw was when he tried to grab and kiss her. Serafina had met Carlton’s uncle in town once, and he had been very kind to her.

Remembering his uncle’s kindness, Serafina found her way to his doorstep three years ago, looking for a job. His housekeeper, who had no children of her own, took an immediate liking to her and encouraged Carlton’s uncle to help her. Following his uncle’s wishes, she became his ward. Carlton never told a soul when he found Serafina’s cousin and beat him to a pulp for what he tried to do to her.

Presently , she lived under his roof, as his ward, and under his protection, but also under the guidance of his housekeeper, who looked at the young woman like a daughter. Serafina asked to work, and after much discussion, he compromised and gave her access to his club books. She helped with accounting and bookkeeping—a position designed to keep her presence unseen and unknown. He had just received word she would start the Judith Allen School for Young Ladies in January . His mother had pulled some strings to get her accepted and seemed excited about the prospect. So …how did Serafina meet Landon ?

The woman is mad. “ Serafina would never flee with a member.” Would she? His mind screamed no , but there were questions. Niggling doubt wedged itself in his thoughts as he struggled to remember something—something he had asked Serafina to do for Lord Landon .

With cold certainty, he recalled having asked her to sit with the young lord and transfer his father’s account assets into his name. It was something he normally did, but for reasons he couldn’t recall, he asked Serafina to handle it. But how did Lady Catherine Campbell know her?

“ Adams , find out where Serafina is. Leave no stone unturned. I want her in my office in ten minutes. If you don’t find her, report back to me.”

“ Yes , Your Grace . I’ll find her.”

Taking the stairs two by two, Carlton reached the second floor and frantically looked everywhere. The floor housed common areas for the members, but they were all quiet. Exasperated , he climbed to the third floor, where members’ private rooms and suites were located. Normally , the doors were locked. But on the off chance one had escaped the cleaning crew’s notice and was left open, he’d check. Going room by room, he tested the knobs. As he approached the last one, the door burst open, and a woman bumped into him. He caught her to keep her from toppling the two of them.

“ Who are you, sir?” she demanded.

“ I believe the question is, who are you, and why are you going into my club members’ private rooms?” Carlton asked.

“ You never answered my question,” she snapped. “ I am Lady Campbell , and my brother is the Earl of Landon .” She paused for emphasis. “ He should be here, but I cannot find him.”

“ I am the Duke of Richmond , and you, dear lady, are running through my club. And this,” he waved his hands, “is a private floor.” Carlton returned, not bothering to mask his irritation.

“ A lightskirts’ dream, no doubt,” she snorted, placing her hands on her hips. “ Where are you hiding him? I demand you take me to him.”

Carlton caught his breath. The woman was beautiful—and to his liking , she was taller than the average woman, with chocolate brown hair, blue eyes, and curves in all the right places. Not only could he see, but he felt every delicious curve when he bumped into her. Carlton had refused to court a too-small woman who he would crush in bed. A smile rose to his lips. “ Your brother doesn’t maintain a room here. If you cannot find him, perhaps he is not on the premises.”

“ Then you must help me find him! I fear we don’t have much time!”

“ Lady Campbell , suppose we go to my office and sort this out,” Carlton suggested. He had no intention of sorting this out in front of an audience—especially given her unflattering remarks about Serafina .

“ Fine ! But we must hurry. The longer we take, the further away they could be, and the worse things will be should Mother find out what Edward has done,” she blustered.