Rogues to Riches (Books 1-6) Read online

  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!

  Love romance? Have a free book, on me!

  Sign up at http://ridley.vip for members-only exclusives, including advance notice of pre-orders, as well as contests, giveaways, freebies, and 99¢ deals!

  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
r />   * * *

  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.