The Desperate Duke

A duke in disguise . . . a damsel in distress . . . a match made in—Manchester? When 23-year-old Theodore Radney becomes the Duke of Reddington after his father dies, the weight of his new responsibilities is enough to send him into a panic. Theo soon accumulates a pile of debts—and discovers he can't touch his inheritance until his father's will is probated. His brother-in-law, mill owner Ethan Brundy, lends him the money, with one caveat: Theo will repay the loan by working in the mill. Daphne Drinkard and her mother have fallen on hard times, and are now reduced to taking in boarders. When a Parliamentary candidate hires the dining room for a series of political meetings, Daphne knows he might be her last chance for an advantageous marriage. Still, she's far more intrigued by the boardinghouse's newest resident. Mr. Tisdale is obviously a gentleman—but why would a gentleman be working in a cotton mill?