A Gentleman Never Keeps Score

A Gentleman Never Keeps Score (2018) Cat Sebastian (Seducing the Sedgwicks)

Set in London in 1817

Sam Fox is an ex-boxer and a Free Black–a pillar of his community who tries to help others as he was helped by this before him.

Some black families, like Sam’s mother’s people, had been in England for centuries. But a generation ago, Britain had promised black Americans freedom if they fought against the colonists. Sam’s father had been one of them.

And he wants those he cares for to be happy, so he decides to search out the nude painting of the woman who should be his sister-in-law, to recover it so she can destroy it. Which leads him to Hartley Sedgwick.

Hartley Sedgwick has become a recluse after stories have gone around to ton about how he really earned the house left to him by his godfather.

There are several interesting things about this story, the first of which is the life of a free black man in London in the early 1800s. It was nowhere near as bad as how men were treated in the United States, but it certainly was more difficult than the lives of other working men trying to make their way.

Because if he started hitting everyone who looked down on him because of his race or his class, he’d wind up going on some kind of spree.

The second is the damage that was done to Hartley, in his effort to build better lives for his brothers. It’s quite clear that despite his natural inclinations, he’d been into situations that were abhorrent to him, which broke him, and kept him from any kind of normal relationship.

But it’s that damage that makes Hartley look out for those in his care, and I enjoyed seeing his friendship with Sadie develop.

How could anyone sleep under these conditions? Sadie might die. Her baby might never live. It was appalling that this was how people came into being and Hartley had a mind to lodge a complaint, or, since that was not possible, to weep onto someone’s shoulder.

I liked that Hartley’s background allowed him to understand just how dangerous childbirth was at that time.

I also liked the glimpses into the life of his brother Will, who is clearly struggling, but just as clearly trying as hard as he can.

Will periodically went into what Hartley thought of as a decline and Ben called an episode. He didn’t sleep, barely ate, forgot to write whatever he was meant to for those horrid publications, and was forced to seek even more dismal lodgings than before. During one terrifying period the year before, he had turned to opium to calm whatever trouble roiled inside him.

That’s a tough one, and I’m not quite sure how one survived that in the 1800s.

The romance was… okay. I liked seeing how Hartley was slowly able to put the pieces of his life back together, and I liked seeing Sam come to learn that it wasn’t a failing to depend upon others.

Publisher: Avon Impulse
Rating: 7/10

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