BOXING WITH MY DUKE (WAYWARD DUKES’ ALLIANCE #16) BY ANNA ST. CLAIRE – eBook Details Online
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- Authors: Anna St. Claire
- Language: English
- Genre: Historical Romance
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DECEMBER 1816 ~ BATH, ENGLAND
Carlton 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
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