Rogues to Riches (Books 1-6)
Erica Ridley
Contents
Copyright
Rogues to Riches…
Also by Erica Ridley
Lord of Chance
Lord of Chance…
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Lord of Pleasure
Lord of Pleasure…
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Lord of Night
Lord of Night…
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Lord of Temptation
Lord of Temptation
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Lord of Secrets
Note to Readers
Lord of Secrets
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Lord of Vice
Lord of Vice
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
Once Upon a Duke
Sneak Peek
Acknowledgments
Thank You For Reading
About the Author
Jewels of Historical Romance
Copyright
Copyright © 2016-2017 Erica Ridley
Photograph on cover © PeriodImages
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.
Rogues to Riches…
In the Rogues to Riches historical romance series, Cinderella stories aren’t just for princesses… Lovable rogues sweep strong-willed young ladies into whirlwind adventure.
This volume contains the first three books!
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Also by Erica Ridley
Magic & Mayhem:
Kissed by Magic
Must Love Magic
Smitten by Magic
* * *
Gothic Love Stories:
Too Wicked to Kiss
Too Sinful to Deny
Too Tempting to Resist
Too Wanton to Wed
* * *
Rogues to Riches:
Lord of Chance
Lord of Pleasure
Lord of Night
Lord of Temptation
Lord of Secrets
Lord of Vice
* * *
Dukes of War:
The Viscount's Tempting Minx
The Earl’s Defiant Wallflower
The Captain’s Bluestocking Mistress
The Major’s Faux Fiancée
The Brigadier’s Runaway Bride
The Pirate's Tempting Stowaway
The Duke's Accidental Wife
The 12 Dukes of Christmas:
Once Upon a Duke
Kiss of a Duke
Wish Upon a Duke
Never Say Duke
Dukes, Actually
The Duke’s Bride
The Duke’s Embrace
The Duke’s Desire
Dawn With a Duke
One Night With a Duke
Ten Days With a Duke
Forever Your Duke
Lord of Chance
Rogues to Riches #1
Lord of Chance…
Charming rake Anthony Fairfax is on holiday to seek his fortune…and escape his creditors. When an irresistible Lady Luck wins him in a game of chance—and a slight mishap has them leg-shackled by dawn—the tables have finally turned in his favor. But when past demons catch up to them, holding on to new love will mean destroying their dreams forever…
Chapter 1
Mr. Anthony Fairfax might not be the lord of a manor, but he was a king of the gaming hells. At least he had been—he should be resuming his throne at any moment. Anthony glanced at his pocket watch. His luck was already turning around, right here, in a humble inn on the Scottish border. Anthony knew why. He slid another glance toward a certain young woman seated alone in the shadows.
Feigning disinterest in the twitches and tells of the other three men at the card table, Anthony lifted his untouched glass of brandy to his lips and leaned back in his chair. Careful to keep a subtle eye on the other gamblers, he observed the surprisingly well-appointed salon while he waited his turn.
This particular posting house was a bit lavish, given the unpredictable condition of Anthony’s purse, but he’d chosen it for that very reason. Rich guests meant higher profits at the gaming tables.
Who stopped at a small village on the border between Scotland and England, save those on a long, dusty journey? Virtually every soul present had wandered into the guest salon after supper to be entertained for a moment or two— drivers, gentlemen, and ladies.
To Anthony, the most interesting of all was the intriguing woman in the corner. She drank nothing, spoke to no one, and seemed uninterested in the bustle of life about her. Yet, he knew she was not. Making her acquaintance tempted him as much as winning the next hand of three-card brag.
Anthony was certain she was the catalyst for his phenomenal luck this evening, causing a rush of hope to fill him. As a lifelong gambler, he was accustomed to both long stretches of near invincibility as well as dry spells of dashed fortune. From the moment he laid eyes on this mysterious woman, every hand he was dealt contained at least a flush or a run.
She was his talisman—his saving grace.
Her simple gown was moss-colored, but the blood-red rubies, about her neck and dangling from her ears, indicated wealth. Every time she looked his way, light from a nearby candle reflected in her eyes, even though a nondescript bonnet bathed her face in shadows. Were it not for a rogue ringlet of hair slipping out the back of her bonnet, he would not have known her hair was the color of spun gold.
“Fairfax?” Leviston prompted. “You in?”
“Absolutely.” Anthony placed a dizzying sum of money on the corner of the table. Thirty pounds was more than he’d seen in months—far more than he could afford to lose—however, he knew he could not fail with Lady Fortune gazing in his direction.
Mr. Bost, failing to hide his smug expression, tossed his final cards, face up, onto the table. Mr. Leviston and Mr. Whitfield groaned as they displayed their cards.
As Anthony expected, their cards were no match for his—not tonight. He turned over his straight flush without fanfare.
Bost gasped in dismay. “You are positively beggaring me tonight, Fairfax!”
Anthony gazed back impassively as he tucked his winnings into his purse. He knew a thing or two about being beggared. It was what had chased him from London to Scotland, but only temporarily. He would recover his losses—every penny.
Beau Brummell might be able to hide in France for the rest of his life, but Anthony had friends and family in England. People he loved dearly, who he would miss dreadfully. He straightened his shoulders. London would welcome him back with open arms once his debts were paid. A few more big wins and his IOUs would be a distant memory.
Tonight was the night … he could feel it. Fate had been on his side from the moment his old friend Leviston suggested a game of three-card brag. Anthony could not have possibly resisted.
He had always preferred games of chance over strategy. His strength was not in counting cards or doing figures, but in being incredibly lucky. Any gambler experienced periods of soaring highs and devastating lows. In Anthony’s case, fortune favored him so often that his winnings at the gaming tables had been his family’s sole income for years.
True, he had also suffered agonizing losses, but as any gambler knew, a windfall was always a mere turn of the cards away.
All he needed was one big win.
Whitfield shook his head. “Demme, I should never have believed the rumors of your luck running out. You’re unsinkable! Think you’ll ever retire from the gaming tables and leave a few pence for us mortals?”
“Never!” Anthony twisted his face into a comical expression of horror.
Chuckling, Whitfield gathered the remaining cards and began to shuffle.
Anthony sent a quick smile toward his shadowy Lady Fortune. She was his charm, his muse—her power was immeasurable. He had won the last round simply because she’d gazed upon him.
“I see our would-be adversary has caught your eye,” said Whitfield.
“She wagers?” Anthony asked in surprise.
“She’d like to,” Leviston answered dryly. “But Bost wouldn’t let her join us.”
Bost drained his brandy and waved his empty glass at a barmaid. “What do women know about cards? She’ll lose her money. Her husband should pay more attention to the purse strings.”
Whitfield’s eyes glittered. “And if she hasn’t got one, she should just say the word. I’d be happy to step in for the night.”
Anthony’s lips flattened in distaste. “Leave her alone.”
“Why?” Bost’s laugh was cocky. “You have claims on the lady?”
“You certainly do not,” Anthony countered icily. His tone served to silence the blackguards. He needed to keep winning. A brawl over Lady Fortune’s honor would ruin everything.
“Your wine, my lords.” The harried barmaid refilled the other gentlemen’s glasses, then turned toward Anthony. “Anything for you, sir?”
“Not for me.” Anthony placed a gold sovereign he’d set aside on her tray. “For you. Everyone deserves some good luck once in a while.”
Her eyes glistened. “Thank you, sir. Thank you.”
Anthony inclined his head. The inn staff would not know him this far north, but he always shared a small token from his winnings. Everyone deserved good fortune. He couldn’t imagine a worse fate than having to be employed in order to scrape out a living. Anthony never cleaved to anyone else’s schedule or demands. Gaming hells were much more suited to his style of living.
In fact, he won the next several rounds. A thrill shot through him each time. Lady Fortune’s presence made him unconquerable indeed. Tonight’s total winnings were well over a hundred pounds.