“You don’t seem a dullard either,” she added, tilting her head to inspect him consideringly.

“Erm,” he said weakly.

“And you aren’t old. That’s another plus.” Daniel was puzzling over that when she asked abruptly, “Are you rich?”

At first, he was just startled by the blunt question. Someone with that artifice and subterfuge she lacked would have gone about finding that out in a much more roundabout way. Actually, most members of the ton wouldn’t even have tried to figure it out. They had all assumed for years that Daniel’s family was well heeled, and his mother had worked very hard to ensure everyone thought that. However, the truth was that they had been near paupers, selling off old family antiques one at a time to keep the creditors at bay, while trying desperately to uphold the image of wealth everyone expected.

His mother had started pestering Daniel to find a wealthy wife the moment he’d come of age and he’d almost allowed himself to be pressured into it when one night, under the influence of too much alcohol, he’d confessed all to Richard. Richard hadn’t been surprised. Much to Daniel’s amazement it appeared his mother’s efforts hadn’t been as successful as she’d thought and his best friend had long suspected their financial state. Or, perhaps being that close he had simply noticed that Daniel wore the same clothes most of the time, treating them gingerly to make them last, or that their parlor was threadbare with wear, and that no one was allowed beyond the parlor, mostly because the rest of the house was nearly empty of furniture.

Whatever the case, Richard hadn’t wanted to humiliate him by bringing up the subject, but had waited for Daniel to bring it up, and the moment he did, Richard offered to help. He offered to spot him for an investment he thought a good prospect. He would loan Daniel the money to invest, a loan that would be paid back with interest. It was only the last part that allowed Daniel to swallow his pride and accept the offer and he supposed Richard had known that and it was why he’d added it. So the two men had made the investment, and it had paid off. Even after paying back the loan with interest, Daniel had more than the initial loan, which he then promptly invested in another scheme Richard suggested.

Richard Fairgrave had the Midas touch when it came to investments and was generous in sharing his business acumen with friends. Over the last ten years that feigned wealth his mother had tried so desperately to project throughout his childhood, had become real wealth. That was the secret Richard and he shared, and how Daniel had known it was the true Richard sending the letter.

“Well,” Suzette asked. “Are you rich?”