Anything But A Gentleman

From the New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Civility. 'A comic masterpiece.' The Times 'Winning . . . gorgeous . . . satisfying . . . Towles is a craftsman.' New York Times Book Review 'A work of great charm, intelligence and insight.' Sunday Times 'Everything a novel should be: charming, witty, poetic and generous. An absolute delight.' Mail on Sunday 'If we do a better book than this one on the book club this year we will be very very lucky.' Matt Williams, Radio 2 Book Club 'Abundant in humour, history and humanity' Sunday Telegraph 'Wistful, whimsical and wry.' Sunday Express On 21 June 1922 Count Alexander Rostov - recipient of the Order of Saint Andrew, member of the Jockey Club, Master of the Hunt - is escorted out of the Kremlin, across Red Square and through the elegant revolving doors of the Hotel Metropol. But instead of being taken to his usual suite, he is led to an attic room with a window the size of a chessboard. Deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the Count has been sentenced to house arrest indefinitely. While Russia undergoes decades of tumultuous upheaval, the Count, stripped of the trappings that defined his life, is forced to question what makes us who we are. And with the assistance of a glamorous actress, a cantankerous chef and a very serious child, Rostov unexpectedly discovers a new understanding of both pleasure and purpose.

The locals in the southern Italian town where he lives call him Signor Farfalla--Mr. Butterfly: for he is a discreet gentleman who paints rare butterflies. His life is inconspicuous--mornings spent brushing at a canvas, afternoons idling in the cafes, and evening talks with his friend the town priest over a glass of brandy. Yet there are other sides to this gentleman's life: Clara: the young student who moonlights in the town bordello. And another woman who arrives with $100,000 and a commission, but not for a painting of butterflies. With this assignment returns the dark fear that has dogged Signor Farfalla's mysterious life. Almost instantly, he senses a deadly circle closing in on him, one which he may or may not elude. Part thriller, part character study, part drama of deceit and self-betrayal, A Very Private Gentleman shows Martin Booth at the very height of his powers

A spinster hatches a plan (with a smattering of blackmail) Miss Augusta Widmore has no time for proprieties. She must force her sister's ne'er-do-well betrothed to the altar with all haste--or watch her sister bear the scandalous consequences. But with the blackguard resisting his duty, she needs leverage. And only one man can provide it.A giant holds all the cards (or so he thinks) Sebastian Reaver has no time for presumptuous women. He has a club to run. So, when a perfect nuisance invades his office, demands a fortune in markers, and refuses to leave until he relinquishes them to her, he knows just the thing to send her scurrying back to Hampshire: Exact a price this prim country spinster would never agree to pay.A fiery battle begins (with both sides playing for keeps) Ordinarily, Augusta would never agree to become the mistress of a notorious club owner--whether he's a lowborn ruffian or the wealthiest man in London or the most intriguing, ill-tempered giant she's ever encountered ... or all three. Calling his bluff raises the stakes (and the heat), but retreat will mean ruin for Augusta. Now, Sebastian wants her total surrender, and he has a few tricks up his sleeve--soul-stealing kisses, unexpected honor, and electrifying persuasion for the woman he never saw coming.

Marianne thought her new neighbor, Lord Ravensford, would be a gentleman, but she was sadly disillusioned. Mistaking her for a lightskirt, he offered to make her his mistress, insulting her beyond measure. Equally, Lord Ravensford had desperately wanted to convince her of his respectability. Then danger and intrigue make them join forces, and they find themselves caught up in a desperate adventure that swept them to the shores of revolutionary France. But was it necessity that had brought them together, or was it something more?

Ralph Waldo Trine was one of the most known New Thought writers. His works are still in high demand today and this edition offers some of his best writings: The Greatest Thing Ever Known What All The World's A-Seeking The Wayfarer On The Open Road Character Building Thought Power Every Living Creature This Mystical Life Of Ours