“Because most of the furniture was gone,” he pointed out with a grin that suggested it hadn’t bothered him. “It was sold off first to pay creditors and get us by. After that she sold her jewelry, one item at a time. Fortunately, most of it was quite good quality pieces she’d received from her parents while growing up, but there were a couple of lesser pieces my father had bought her as well and all of it went over the years . . . including her wedding ring and engagement ring from my father.”

“No,” Suzette cried with dismay.

“She sold those to pay for my schooling,” Daniel admitted and couldn’t keep the sadness from his voice. These last years as his return on investments had increased his wealth, Daniel had ensured his mother had anything she wanted. But the one thing he could not replace were the rings signifying his parents’ love, and he knew those had been the hardest sacrifice she’d made. The engagement ring and wedding ring his father had given her had been irreplaceable. His mother had truly loved his father, and still did. His being dead these last twenty years had not made that love fade. Daniel knew without a doubt that parting with those rings had been one of the most heart-wrenching things she’d ever done.

“How sad,” Suzette said softly. “It must have been hard.”

“Yes, my mother had it very hard for a long time there. She suffered horribly for her love of my father.”

“It was a willing sacrifice,” Suzette said quietly, and then added, “But I meant you. It must have been hard for you too.”

Daniel’s eyes widened, but he shook his head. “As a child I didn’t understand that we were poor or lived any different than anyone else, and then I was away at school and that certainly wasn’t hard. I had a warm bed, more plentiful meals than I’d ever before experienced and good friends. Richard was the best of them.”

“I thought you said you were not friends with Richard,” Suzette reminded him, her eyes growing narrow.

Daniel stiffened, hesitated, and then said carefully, “We were the best of friends as children. But I am certainly not friends with the man who has been the Earl of Radnor since the fire that burned down his townhouse.”

Suzette relaxed a little and then sighed. “So the death of his twin really did affect him?”

Daniel hesitated again. He really didn’t want to lie to Suzette about this, and had actually managed not to so far in this conversation by speaking very carefully. Finally, he said, “The fire in the townhouse and George’s death both changed everything. However, now the Earl of Radnor is his old self and a man I am proud to call friend.”