The Story Behind The Forgotten Duke by Sophie Barnes

Carlton Guthrie, the Scoundrel of St. Giles, is without a doubt my favorite character from the Diamonds In The Rough series. I knew from the start, since his very first scene with Raphe Mathews at the beginning of A Most Unlikely Duke, that he’d one day have his own story. With this in mind, I went ahead with additional books in the series, continuously building on Carlton’s personality and backstory as I did so. Every part of this book was a joy to work on and while I felt slightly sad once I finished it, I was glad to have given Carlton the love he deserves.

Seeking justice for a terrible crime committed against him and his family decades earlier, The Forgotten Duke finally provides Carlton with the perfect opportunity to carry out his revenge. For as luck would have it, Lady Regina Berkly, the daughter of the man Carlton hopes to kill, suddenly finds herself relying on him for help. Having fled home to escape the arranged marriage her parents hope to force her into, she ends up in the slums of St. Giles with Carlton as her only hope for safety. Little does she know when she trustingly accompanies him to The Black Swan inn that he is determined to use her against her father. First as a means by which to taunt him, and later as bait. The only problem with the plan is that the more time Carlton spends with Regina, the greater the risk to his heart and vice versa. Innocent and good, she represents everything he isn’t while he in turn offers her the adventure she never dared hope to enjoy. Together, these two will learn that there can be so much more to a person than meets the eye, that they can chart their own course as long as they have the courage to do so, and that love is worth risking everything for.

In a way, this was one of the easier books for me to write because I already felt like I knew Carlton so well. Regina was a bit more challenging since she was new to me, so I had to get to know her first. I wanted her to be innocent and slightly naïve, but open-minded and strong enough to grow from her experiences with Carlton. Unlike my other Regency romances, this story lacks the lavish backdrop of splendid manors, grand estates, shimmering ballrooms and gorgeous gowns. It takes place almost exclusively in the slums of St. Giles, primarily at Carlton’s inn, but that was part of the fun: to surround a well-bred young lady with riffraff and see how she fares. I can only hope my readers will agree that this was precisely the way in which this story had to be written.

Sophie Barnes is the author of the new book The Forgotten Duke.

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