What is the title of this British Regency Romance book?
The male protagonist is either a Duke or an Earl. He’s wealthy, handsome, lean, has dark hair, and uses a cane. He is involved in jewelry theft, but hires men to do it for him. He is involved in a secret sex club for aristocratic men.
The female protagonist is younger than the Duke and she is also part of the aristocracy. At the beginning of the novel, she intentionally gets into his carriage to his surprise because she wants to make things right between her brother and the Duke. Her brother either had a debt to the Duke or they have an ongoing dispute. She kind of offered herself to the Duke. The Duke takes her home to his London townhouse and sleeps with her.
At one point the Duke takes her to his secret sex club that is meeting in the countryside and he is going to offer her for the others to sleep with, but then at the last minute to her relief he decides not to let them touch her. At the end of the book, the woman and the Duke almost drown in a lake. It all works out between the Duke and the female lead’s brother at the end. Her brother was going to rescue her from the duke, but she and the Duke have fallen in love and they plan to get married.
A side story in the book is that one of the men working for the Duke who steals jewelry from wealthy families for him, meets the maid of the female lead in a room of a house while he is stealing jewelry. There is a party/ball going on at the house in the main rooms. The Duke and the female lead are attending the party/ball. The man who works for the Duke thinks the maid is beautiful, he kisses her, and slips a stolen ring onto her finger which she doesn’t notice until he is gone. The maid and this man end up falling in love.
I listened to it as an audiobook on YouTube in 2018. The title was sinister sounding. It alluded to the main character being devil-like. It did not have a book cover screen with a picture of people. It may have had a black silhouette outline of a person, but I think it just had the title in black writing with a light colored background on the screen on the video to see while listening. I appreciate your help!