“All of it?”

“There is some nominal amount left, but not enough. That’s why I need you here.” She looked at him with a speculative gleam. “Greyley has never cared for me, nor I him. But he’s always seemed fond of you.”

“I will not ask Greyley for assistance. He would never agree to—”

“Don’t be a ninny. Of course he won’t give us money. He despises the entire Elliot family, even though he is one himself.”

“Can you blame him? Look at the hell we’ve put him through. Every time he turns around, he has to rescue yet another of us from the clutches of our own foolishness.”

“That’s his duty as the head of the family. Why he should complain about such trivialities is beyond me. Nevertheless, what I need from you has very little to do with Greyley. Almost nothing, in fact.”

A warning flickered deep in his stomach. “What does it have to do with, then?”

“James’s children.” A sly smile curved her mouth. “They inherited the deed to a diamond mine.”

“A worthless diamond mine. I remember when James bought into that. You said it was all folly, that he’d lost his shirt on that one.”

“He did. They began mining, but didn’t find any diamonds. James was furious, for he’d invested a lot of money in verifying the site, but something went wrong. All of the other investors pulled out, but by that time, James had no more money and he couldn’t afford to just walk away. He was left holding the deed to the entire operation.”

“He was an obstinate fool.”

“This time it paid off. The week before James died, I ran into him at the Havershams’ musicale and he was looking more pompous than usual.”

“They found diamonds after all?”

“Something almost as good.” She picked up a small heart-shaped box on her dresser and opened it. A velvet bag lay inside. She lifted it free and tossed it to Rupert. “See what your brother did with his last few shillings.”

Rupert opened the bag and poured the contents into his hand. Three large, perfectly cut rubies lay in his palm. “Good God.”

“I’ve already had them evaluated and they’re almost perfect.” She sat on the stool by Rupert’s chair and patted his hand. “The only way I can get my hands on that mine is to convince Greyley to let me have the children. According to James’s express instructions, any funds or investments he possessed are to be held in trust for the children by whoever takes care of them.”

Rupert could not seem to look away from the gems.

Lady Putney’s glitter-hard smile widened. “If Greyley chooses to send the children elsewhere, he can, but he will have to relinquish their funds as well.”

“We are lost, then. Greyley would never turn those children over to someone else.”

“He will if his new wife refuses to countenance them.”

Rupert pulled his gaze from the rubies. “Greyley is getting married?”