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A Reputation for Notoriety (The Masquerade Club Book 1), by Diane Gaston
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Raising the stakes…
As the unacknowledged son of the lecherous Lord Westleigh, John "Rhys" Rhysdale was forced to earn a crust gambling on the streets. Now he owns the most thrilling new gaming establishment in London.
Witnessing polite society's debauchery and excess every night, Rhys prefers to live on its fringes, but a mysterious masked lady tempts him into the throng.
Lady Celia Gale, known only as Madame Fortune, matches Rhys card for card and kiss for stolen kiss. But the stakes are raised when Rhys discovers she's from the very world he despises.…
- Sales Rank: #719491 in eBooks
- Published on: 2013-06-01
- Released on: 2013-06-01
- Format: Kindle eBook
About the Author
Diane Gaston’s dream job had always been to write romance novels. One day she dared to pursue that dream and has never looked back. Her books have won Romance’s highest honour—the RITA Award, the National Readers Choice Award, the Golden Quill, and the Golden Heart. She lives in Virginia with her husband and three very ordinary house cats. Diane loves to hear from readers and friends. Visit her website at: http://dianegaston.com
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
London—May 1819
Rhys and his friend Xavier sat at a table in the dining room of Stephen's Hotel. They had just been served their food when Rhys glanced towards the doorway.
Two men stood there, scanning the dining room.
Rhys knew them. Had known them since childhood. Viscount Neddington, ne William Westleigh, and his brother Hugh, the legitimate sons of Earl Westleigh.
His brothers.
Rhys turned back to his food.
Xavier put down his fork with a clatter. 'What the devil?' He inclined his head towards the doorway. 'Look who is here.'
Rhys glanced up. 'They are looking for someone.'
Stephen's Hotel catered to military men, or former military men like Rhys and Xavier. Not the usual stamping ground of the Westleighs.
Rhys waited for the inevitable moment one of the Westleighs would notice him and slip his gaze away as if Rhys had never existed. Over the years when their paths had crossed, Neddington and Hugh always tried to act as if he'd never existed. Certainly that was their wish.
Ned, the elder, taller brother, turned his head in Rhys's direction. Their eyes locked, but this time Ned did not look away. This time he nudged his brother and the two walked straight for Rhys's table.
'They are headed here,' Rhys told Xavier.
His friend blew out a breath. 'I'll be damned…'
Rhys continued to hold Ned's gaze. Rhys always stood his ground with the Westleighs.
They stopped at the table.
'Rhys.' Ned inclined his head in an effort, Rhys supposed, to appear cordial.
'Gentlemen.' Rhys would be damned if he'd greet them by name and pretend an intimacy that had never existed. He gestured towards Xavier. 'My friend, Mr Campion.'
'We are acquainted.' Ned bowed in acknowledgement.
'We are indeed.' Xavier's tone was sarcastic.
Rhys cut another piece of meat. 'Are you merely paying your respects, or do you seek me out?'
'We seek you out,' Hugh replied, his voice taut and anxious.
Xavier glanced from one man to the other, obviously curious as to the purpose of this unusual visit.
Rhys made his expression neutral. Years of card-playing taught him to conceal his thoughts and emotions. He certainly had no intention of revealing anything to a Westleigh. He lifted a piece of beef into his mouth.
'Forgive us for interrupting your dinner.' Ned's tone was conciliatory, if somewhat stiff. 'We need a word with you.'
They needed a word with him? Now this was unique.
Rhys deliberately kept his attention to his plate, but he gestured to the empty chairs at the table. 'Have a seat.'
Hugh, shorter and always more hot-headed, emitted an indignant sound.
'We would prefer to speak in private.' Ned seemed anxious to avoid offending Rhys in any way.
Xavier straightened. If his friend were carrying a sword, Rhys suspected he'd have drawn it.
Rhys gazed at the two men, seeing only the boys they once were. The bitter memory of their first encounter, when Rhys was nine, flashed through his mind. He'd confronted them with what he'd just learned—that they shared a father.
That moment, like countless others from their childhoods, had resulted in flying fists and bloody noses.
Rhys stared into eyes identical to his. Dark brown, framed by thick eyebrows. Like his, Ned's and Hugh's hair was close-cut and near-black. Rhys might be taller and thicker-muscled, but if he stood side by side with these two men, who could ever deny they were brothers?
He exchanged a glance with Xavier, whose lips thinned in suspicion.
Rhys shrugged. 'Wait for me in the parlour off the hall. I'll come to you as soon as I've finished eating.'
Ned bowed curtly and Hugh glowered, but both turned and walked away.
Xavier watched their retreat. 'I do not trust them. Do you wish me to come with you?'
Rhys shook his head. 'There never was a time I could not take on both Westleighs.'
'Just the same, I dislike the sound of this,' Xavier countered. 'They are up to something.'
Rhys took another bite of his food. 'Oh, they are up to something. On that we agree. But I will see them alone.'
Xavier shot him a sceptical look.
Rhys took his time finishing his meal, although he possessed no more appetite for it. In all likelihood this would be an unpleasant interview. All encounters with Ned and Hugh were unpleasant.
Xavier clapped him on his shoulder before parting from him in the hall. 'Take care, Rhys.'
Rhys stepped into the parlour and Ned and Hugh turned to him. They'd remained standing.
He gestured. 'Follow me to my rooms.'
He led them up the two flights of stairs to his set of rooms. The door opened to a sitting room and as soon as Rhys led the men in, his manservant appeared.
'Some brandy for us, MacEvoy.'
MacEvoy's brows rose. MacEvoy, a man with an even rougher history than Rhys, had been his batman during the war. Obviously he recognised Hugh Westleigh from the battlefield.
'Please sit.' Rhys extended his arm to a set of chairs. It gave him a perverse pleasure that his furnishings were of fine quality, even if the items had been payment for various gambling debts. Rhys was doing well, which had not always been true.
MacEvoy served the brandy and left the room.
Rhys took a sip. 'What is this about, that you must speak with me now? You've made such a point of avoiding me all these years.'
Ned glanced away as if ashamed. 'We may not have…spoken to you, but we have kept ourselves informed of your whereabouts and actions.'
Ned was speaking false. Rhys would wager his whole fortune that these two had never bothered to discover what had happened to him after his mother had died and their father had refused any further support. The earl had left him penniless and alone, at a mere fourteen years of age.
No use to contest the lie, however. 'I'm flattered,' he said instead.
'You've had a sterling military record,' Ned added. Hugh turned away this time. 'I lived,' Rhys said.
Hugh had also been in the war. The two former officers had come across each other from time to time in Spain, France and finally at Waterloo, although Hugh had been in a prestigious cavalry regiment, the Royal Dragoons. Rhys ultimately rose to major in the 44th Regiment of Foot. After the disastrous cavalry charge at Waterloo, Rhys had pulled Hugh from the mud and saved him from a French sabre. They said not a word to each other then, and Rhys would not speak of it now. The moment had been fleeting and only one of many that horrendous day.
Ned leaned forwards. 'You make your living by playing cards now, is that not correct?'
'Essentially,' Rhys admitted.
He'd learned to play cards at school, like every proper schoolboy, but he'd become a gambler on the streets of London. Gambling had been how he'd survived. It was still how he survived. He had become skilled at it out of necessity, earning enough to purchase his commission. Now that the war was over his winnings fed the foundation of a respectable fortune. Never again would his pockets be empty and his belly aching with hunger. He would be a success at…something. He did not know yet precisely what. Manufacturing, perhaps. Creating something useful, something more important than a winning hand of cards.
Hugh huffed in annoyance. 'Get on with it, Ned. Enough of this dancing around.' Hugh had always been the one to throw the first fist.
Ned looked directly into Rhys's eyes. 'We need your help, Rhys. We need your skill.'
'At playing cards?' That seemed unlikely.
'In a manner of speaking.' Ned rubbed his face. 'We have a proposition for you. A business proposition. One we believe will be to your advantage, as well.'
Did they think him a fool? Eons would pass before he'd engage in business with any Westleigh.
Rhys's skin heated with anger. 'I have no need of a business proposition. I've done quite well…' he paused '.since I was left on my own.'
'Enough, Ned.' Hugh's face grew red with emotion. He turned to Rhys. 'Our family is on the brink of disaster—'
Ned broke in, his voice calmer, more measured. 'Our father has been…reckless…in his wagering, his spending—'
'He's been reckless in everything!' Hugh threw up his hands. 'We are punting on the River Tick because of him.'
Earl Westleigh in grave debt? Now that was a turn of affairs.
Although aristocrats in severe debt tended to have abundantly more than the poor in the street. Ned and Hugh would never experience what Rhys knew of hunger and loneliness and despair.
He forced away the memory of those days lest he reveal how they nearly killed him.
'What can this have to do with me?' he asked in a mild tone.
'We need money—a great deal of it—and as quickly as possible,' Hugh said.
Rhys laughed at the irony. 'Earl Westleigh wishes to borrow money from me?'
'Not borrow money,' Ned clarified. 'Help us make money.'
Hugh made an impatient gesture. 'We want you to set up a gaming house for us. Run the place. Help us make big profits quickly.'
Ned's reasonable tone was grating on Rhys's nerves. On Hugh's, too, Rhys guessed.
Ned continued. 'Our reasoning is thus—if our father can lose a fortune in gaming hells, we should be able to recover a fortune by running one.' He opened his palms. 'Only we cannot be seen to be running one, even if we knew how. Which we do not. It would throw too much suspicion on our situation, you see, and that would cause our creditors to become impatient.' He smiled at Rhys. 'Butyou could do it. You have the expertise and…and there would not be any negative consequences for you.'
Except risking arrest, Rhys thought.
Although he could charge for membership. C...
Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
A pleasant read with great characters
By Mary @ *Buried Under Romance*
This novel is a delightful read that at once moves slowly and quickly. Its selling point is the hero, Rhys, who is the illegitimate son of the Earl of Westleigh and estabished a gaming club at the request of his legitimate brothers, intending to prove his success to the world. Rhys has a notorious reputation, yet unlike most other rakes and rogues found among Regency romances, he does not actively seek a scandalous reputation; he already had one from being born a bastard. That said, his determination and drive for success is rather admirable, as is his tenacity to live when he was abandoned by his father at the young age of fourteen, and forced to support himself through gambling, finally amassing enough skill to build his own wealth.
When Westleigh's gambling ran too deep, his sons came asking Rhys for help to establish a gaming club so they could recoup his losses. Rhys agreed, albeit reluctantly, and saw this opportunity to get a boon from his wastrel father, a boon asking to be recognized as a member of the family. Here, the central focus of the story lie, and it is filled with rapid character developments from the growing affection between Rhys and his legitimate brothers and a blatant revealing of Westleigh's horrible character.
The romance aspect of the story moves rather slowly, in my opinion. The heroine, Celia Gale, is a baron's widow who is near penniless due to her husband's gambling away their fortune, yet she possesses superb gambling skills and masquerades as Rhys's club to win enough money to support her stepdaughter and mother-in-law. Celia's stepdaughter, Adele, is a sweet and innocent girl who forms an attachment with one of Rhys's brother, Lord Neddington, and this relationship reveals to Rhys the true identity of Celia, whose person he admired and lusted after. Even as Rhys and Celia begin a romantic relationship, Westleigh continues to serve as an antagonist who, in the past, had caused the death of Celia's father. Halfway throughout the book, the romance aspect was developing nicely, but suddenly the bomb of Rhys being Westleigh's son becomes enough to threaten his and Celia's budding romance. The continuing story somewhat dragged, and the romance was rather thrown aside for the resolution of retribution for Westleigh's past and current sins. In a sense, it feels like Westleigh was given more spotlight he ought to have as a villain, his presence overwhelming the plot of the story.
Overall, this book is enjoyable and a very pleasant read for any hour of the day. I recommend historical romance lovers to read Diane Gaston's writing, as it is filled with historical tidbits and wonderful characterizations.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Fully Enjoyable Story
By A. Carroll
I was fully engaged reading this story. I rooted for the likeable characters and despised the antagonists. There were a couple good surprises and enough character development in some of the secondary characters to spin off interesting stories about them. I love series books; the characters become much more meaningful to me and so the stories are enjoyed that much more!
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Gaston does not disappoint
By Judy T
Diane's characters are well developed and engaging; they weave a captivating story I struggled to put down. The historical details add depth and color, like dropping into Regency England, exactly what I'm looking for in a Regency. The romance is complicated and heartwarming, also what I'm looking for in a romance. A satisfying read.
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