A little too aware of Miss Richards’ presence in the room, Jonathan took the letter and turned it over, looking down at the seal. He had been so sure about Miss Richards beforehand, and now he felt as though he were being tossed about by the sea waves, unsure of where he was to land.

Sitting down by the fire, he waited for Miss Richards to sit down opposite him before breaking the seal and slowly unfolding the letter.

Clearing his throat and feeling rather awkward, he began to read aloud.

“Lord Michael,” he began, his color already rising. “I am writing to you to explain about my recent behavior in regards to finding myself a husband. I will not pretend that I feel nothing for you, as last night’s behavior ought to prove. However, whilst I would accept both a request to court me and for my hand in marriage, circumstances prevent me from doing so.”

He glanced up at Miss Richards, seeing her lip wobble just a little. Circumstances? What circumstances?

“Keep reading, if you please,” she said, as the pause grew too long. “There is a great deal more you need to understand.”

Jonathan held her gaze for another moment before returning his attention to the letter.

“My dear brother, Lord Richards, comes across as a wonderful, jovial fellow. Whilst he is all that, he is something of a gambler. This is a fact I have tried my best to keep hidden from the rest of the beau monde, and I am glad to say that after a few rather loud arguments, my brother has decided to stop his gambling habits.”

Frowning, Jonathan stopped reading and looked up at Miss Richards. “Your brother certainly did not come across as a gambling man! I do not recall seeing him in the card room at all.” The words died on his lips, as he recalled something Lord Michael had said to him one of the first times Jonathan had mentioned his introduction to the man.

“You have remembered something?” Miss Richards asked softly. “There is a rather stricken look on your face.”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Jonathan shot her a rather rueful look. “The true Lord Michael mentioned something about Lord Richards enjoying the card table a little too much when he first knew him, but I did not remember it until this very moment.”

“My brother inherited the title when he was a rather young man,” Miss Richards explained, a look of both frustration and sadness on her face. “My father did not have adequate time to teach my brother all that was required for managing the estate. My brother took the fortune he had been left and threw himself into as much pleasure as he could.” She shook her head, blinking rapidly to keep her tears at bay. “I suppose we all grieve in our own way.”

Compassion rose in his heart. “You could not stop him?”

A harsh laugh escaped her lips. “I was lost in my own pain, grieving a father I loved dearly. I did not know the extent of what he had done until I came to London for the Season. I barely saw him. He went out most evenings and came staggering home in the mornings. After a month of this, I demanded to know what he was doing. Then, the truth came out.”

Jonathan wished he could lean forward and take her hand, such was the pain on her face. He could not imagine what that must have felt like for her, being completely without any control whatsoever whilst money was slowly being drained away from beneath her.

“I believe that was the time I became who I am now,” she continued, rather softly. “I demanded my brother take me to our solicitors, who looked over all the debts my brother had incurred, and after a great deal of deliberation, laid out matters for us.” Pressing her lips together for a moment, she fought against the wave of emotion that had taken hold of her. “It was worse than I had expected.”

“My goodness,” Jonathan whispered, a great bolt of shame slicing through him. “I am truly sorry, Miss Richards.” He did not know what else to say, aware that he did not need to read the rest of her letter. Slowly, he had begun to put the pieces of the puzzle together, finally understanding why she had no other choice but to set her sights on a man of wealth.

She managed a smile, drawing in a shaky breath before continuing on. “It was the shock my brother needed. He took us both back to the estate and spent years trying to fix what he had done. Unfortunately, it has not been enough. Now, our tenants’ homes are in need of repair and the house itself has some rather pressing issues. He is only just able to pay for them.” Shaking her head, she put her head in her hands for a moment. “I had to do what I could to help him.”

“And so you decided that a man of fortune had to be your goal,” Jonathan said, slowly. “A second son, with less income and significantly less wealth, simply would not do.”

Miss Richards lifted her head and caught his gaze. “Read the rest of the letter,” she whispered, her expression stricken. “Please, I beg you. I need to know that you understand.”

Shame burned into him as he finished reading the letter, well aware that everything he had thought about Miss Richards had been entirely wrong.

“My brother’s spending, however, has left the estate in a rather precarious situation. Therefore, for the sake of my brother and for the title which he upholds, I must find myself a wealthy husband who will, when the time is right, be generous towards my brother. I cannot see any other way for the estate to survive. Even if there is only one poor harvest season, the estate may sink into debt. I hope you can understand that. Whilst I hold you in my heart, I can never allow anything but friendship between us. It is for my brother’s sake that I do this, else I would have allowed myself to give in to all that I feel. Yours, etc.”

Jonathan dropped his head, the letter fluttering from his fingers onto the carpet. He had not allowed her an opportunity to talk to him the prior evening and had never allowed her a single moment to tell him the truth about her situation. Had he done so, then he might not now be in this rather dreadful mess. He had hurt and offended Miss Richards, the one person he had come to care for, simply because he had not allowed her the opportunity to explain all.

“Can you now see why I was so angry when you would not read my letter?” she asked, softly. “You did not allow me to speak last evening, even though you kissed me, and that tore me apart. My heart was already wounded in knowing that I would never be a part of your life, no matter how much I desired it. That rebuttal was almost more than I could take.” There was a short pause, as Jonathan continued to stare at the carpet, his eyes burning with shame. “I am glad you have read it now though.”

Jonathan looked up at her, hardly daring to bring his eyes to meet hers. “I have treated you so terribly,” he said hoarsely, feeling a heaviness in his stomach. “I was drawn to you because you were different from the rest of the ladies in the ton, and yet how quickly I believed what was said about you.”

A small, sad smile, touched her lips. “What is said about me is true, I suppose,” she answered, with no hint of anger towards him. “I am seeking myself a husband of fortune, but not for the reasons society thinks.” Miss Richards shook her head to herself, clasping and unclasping her hands. “I could never tell anyone about my brother’s affairs, nor what he had done, for fear of jeopardizing his own reputation, as well as my own. After all, no gentleman would be inclined to marry me if it was known that I had a poor brother and a somewhat small dowry.” She held his gaze, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I know it is his own doing, but I cannot help but want to aid him in whatever way I can. He is the only family I have in the world, and he has changed. He is doing everything in his power to make amends for his mistakes.”

“Did he know of your scheme?”

She nodded, looking away from him. “Only very recently. He tried to dissuade me of course, but once I showed him what I intended in all its detail, he slowly began to accept that it might be a good idea.” Her eyes dimmed. “He is a good brother, in his own way.”

Jonathan rubbed a hand over his face, taking on the full weight of guilt that rolled onto his shoulders. Miss Richards was more than he had ever thought her. Instead of being entirely focused on herself and her own status, she was giving up her own desires in order to do what she could for her brother.

She was not a social climber in order to further her own gains, but rather to prevent her brother’s title from falling into disrepute. It was a rather risky scheme, for there was no assurance that whoever she wed would ever decide to give her brother some kind of financial award, but the fact that she was willing to even consider such a thing spoke volumes about her character. She was kind and compassionate, overlooking her brother’s faults and doing what she could to help him. Her love for her brother was beautiful to see, and Jonathan could not help but admire it, despite being rather angry with her brother for being so foolish.

Lord Richards should be looking to secure a match of his own, not declare that he might remain a bachelor simply because he preferred that life, he thought to himself.

“And why does Lord Richards not find himself a rich bride?” he asked, pointedly. “This should not fall on your shoulders, Miss Richards.”

She smiled over at him, grief in her eyes. “Ah, Lord Rivenhall, you do not understand, I think. When one begins courting with the prospect of marriage, does not the father of said lady ensure that the prospective husband is worthy of his daughter, particularly if she has a large dowry? Should he do so, then knowledge of my brother’s debts would immediately come to the surface for it cannot be all that easily hidden. In fact, it is a wonder we have managed to do so for these few years!” Her fingers tightened, as she pressed her palms together, the words dragging from her lips. “In such a circumstance, the lady would refuse to wed my brother and certainly the gossip would start almost immediately. It would be well known that Lord Richards has very little to rub between his fingers. No, it would be too dangerous. Therefore, I have very little choice.”

Jonathan rose from his chair and went to take her hand, looking down at her with the agony of his mistakes slowly beginning to tear his heart apart.

“I am so terribly sorry, Miss Richards,” he said honestly. “I do not know how you will ever be able to forgive me, but I must beg it of you regardless. How I treated you last evening, as well as today, is far beyond the pale. You are quite right, I should have allowed you to speak, allowed you to explain. The fact I did not do so is what has landed me in this mess. I realize I have only myself to blame. Is there anything I can do that will aid me in receiving your forgiveness?”

Miss Richards slowly got to her feet, her eyes on his. The marks of stray tears were on her cheeks, her eyes still sparkling with them.

“Lord Rivenhall, I—”

Just as she made to speak, the door flew open of its own accord and Lord Richards walked in, accompanied by a rather bemused looking butler.

“Mary,” he exclaimed, coming towards them both. “Whatever is going on? Where is your maid? And why has my carriage gone missing?”