Protecting the Duke's Interests

With her brother away on his wedding journey, Ruby Bancroft comes to stay at Winchester Park as a guest of the duke and duchess, where sparks fly as she renews her friendship with Harry Darwin. Meanwhile there are forces at work against the duke, seeking to right perceived wrongs.

An unscrupulous person looks to exploit Ruby in her brother’s absence with a plot that will bankrupt Harry and destroy the duke’s reputation forever. He sets about entangling her and Harry in a web of intrigue involving gambling dens and orphaned girls smuggled into Winchester from various European countries for disreputable purposes. But the mysterious figure who controls matters reckon without the ingenuity of two of his captives. Will those captives be able to escape a fate worse than death, and will the timely reappearance of a beloved family member be enough to save the day…