[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-116573-en":3,"doc-seo-116573-105":29,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":90},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":11,"is_downloadable":11,"audit_status":11,"page_count":20,"language":21,"language_code":22,"site_id":23,"html_lang":22,"table_of_contents":24,"faqs":25,"seo_title":26,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":27,"read_time":28},116573,1374391975076,"Riley","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/14000253ca4ec9f6853?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1783305029341752051",1,"Story & Novel","Almost an Equal - Chapter 1 - A Duke Must Stand Alone","Almost an Equal follows Nathan Shern, Duke of Byworth, as a threatening note from another duke puts his marriage and family at risk. Terrified that his wife’s diary will expose humiliating secrets, Nathan chooses a solitary plan to steal the diary back, relying on his trusted steward, Henry Stackpool. Henry tries to protect his employer while guarding his own past, and his loyalties are tested when rescue comes too late and lies unravel. The story builds suspense through power, secrecy, and moral conflict.","Almost an Equal Barely a Master Hardly a Stranger  \n[OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com)  \n[OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com)  \nThe characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not  \nintended by the author.  \nAlmost an Equal Copyright 2011 by Heather Boyd LLD Press Cover Design by Heather Boyd  \nAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without written  \npermission.  \nFor more [information visit: ](information visit: www.heather-boyd.com)[www.heather-boyd.com](information visit: www.heather-boyd.com)[ ](information visit: www.heather-boyd.com)[www.heather-boyd.blogspot.com](www.heather-boyd.blogspot.com)  \n[OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com)  \nA duke must stand alone  \nWhen Nathan Shern, Duke of Byworth's, empty sham of a marriage is threatened by a fellow duke he is naturally aggrieved. He cannot allow the potentially damaging contents of his wife's diary to reveal the depths of their estrangement because exposure of his secret dalliances with other men would taint his innocent children's lives. Not to mention end his life. So, without revealing his mission to his steward, Henry Stackpool, a man he trusts for everything else, Nathan undertakes to steal the diary back alone.  \nA servant must keep to his level  \nFormer pickpocket and molly house whore, Henry Stackpool, works hard to keep his position as right hand to a moral man, the Duke of Byworth, but he fears his kind hearted employer is ill-equipped for a confrontation with his unstable opponent. Yet Henry cannot reveal his knowledge of the threat without exposing the secrets of his past or his keen interest in Byworth's safety. So when fate places Henry in harms way, he risks his hard won reputation to retrieve the diary. Yet he too is held captive, and when Byworth comes to his rescue his lies are revealed.  \nCan Byworth forgive him for his deception and will Henry keep the country life he's grown to love?  \nAuthors Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations some readers may find objectionable: anal play/intercourse, light spanking, male/male sexual practices.  \n[OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com)  \nDedication  \nThis book is dedicated to my mentor, Jordan. Thank you for your inspiration, ideas and dedication to sharing your knowledge with so many  \nothers.  \n[OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com)  \nALMOST AN EQUAL  \nChapter One  \nNathan Stern, Duke of Byworth, glanced at the pale note on his dark desk, anger burning through his usually contained demeanor. No one threatened a duke and got away with the impertinence. But in this case Nathan’s hands might be tied.  \nThe note from the Duke of Lewes threatening to publish Nathan’s wife’s diary could prove . . . uncomfortable.  \nHow uncomfortable would depend on what exactly his duchess had written about their estranged marriage. If she’d written even part of the truth—Nathan would hang.  \nA chair creaked in the adjoining small chamber.  \nNathan turned his head and caught his steward glancing swiftly back down at his papers. He took a deep breath and buried his apprehension. He could not disclose his fears to his most trusted servant because if he did he’d no longer have him close by.  \nAlthough his thoughts were improper, and any action taken to fulfill them life threatening, he let his gaze rest on what he could see of the other man. Tall, neat and as sleek as a cat, Mr. Henry Stackpool had drawn his eye from the moment their paths had crossed. Stackpool’s interview for the position of steward had gone badly, but not because of anything he had done. It had been Nathan who struggled not to grin like a fool and then covered it with excessive coughing. His gaze had drifted over the lanky younger man and dreamed . . . of things that should not be.  \nA familiar ache pinched","cbCairOl2j07TiGt","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCairOl2j07TiGt","pdf",1636935,268,"English","en",105,"# Almost an Equal\n## Chapter One - Nathan Stern, Duke of Byworth\n## A Duke Must Stand Alone\n## A Servant Must Keep to His Level\n## Authors Note","[{\"question\":\"Why does Nathan Shern fear the threat from the Duke of Lewes?\",\"answer\":\"A note threatens to publish Nathan’s wife’s diary. Nathan worries it could reveal truths about their estranged marriage, endangering his life and standing.\"},{\"question\":\"What mission does Nathan undertake regarding the diary?\",\"answer\":\"Without telling his steward, Nathan decides to steal the diary back alone to prevent the contents from being exposed.\"},{\"question\":\"How does Henry Stackpool’s past affect his response to danger?\",\"answer\":\"Henry fears confrontation because acting on the threat would expose secrets from his past. When events force him into harm’s way, his lies and trust are challenged during the eventual rescue.\"}]","Almost an Equal - Chapter 1 - A Duke Must Stand Alone | PDF",1785660586,413,{"code":4,"msg":30,"data":31},"ok",{"site_id":23,"language":22,"slug":32,"title":13,"keywords":33,"description":14,"schema_data":34,"social_meta":85,"head_meta":87,"extra_data":89,"updated_unix":27},"almost-an-equal-chapter-1-a-duke-must-stand-alone","",{"@graph":35,"@context":84},[36,53,67],{"@type":37,"itemListElement":38},"BreadcrumbList",[39,43,47,50],{"item":40,"name":41,"@type":42,"position":11},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":44,"name":45,"@type":42,"position":46},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":48,"name":12,"@type":42,"position":49},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/story-novel/",3,{"item":51,"name":13,"@type":42,"position":52},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/almost-an-equal-chapter-1-a-duke-must-stand-alone/116573/",4,{"url":51,"name":13,"@type":54,"author":55,"headline":13,"publisher":57,"fileFormat":60,"inLanguage":22,"description":14,"dateModified":61,"datePublished":61,"encodingFormat":60,"isAccessibleForFree":62,"interactionStatistic":63},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":56},"Person",{"url":40,"name":58,"@type":59},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-08-02",true,{"@type":64,"interactionType":65,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":66},"ViewAction",{"@type":68,"mainEntity":69},"FAQPage",[70,76,80],{"name":71,"@type":72,"acceptedAnswer":73},"Why does Nathan Shern fear the threat from the Duke of Lewes?","Question",{"text":74,"@type":75},"A note threatens to publish Nathan’s wife’s diary. 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