‘I will try, sir.’ Miss Yate gripped her hands together, and took deep breaths. At last she spoke, and this time her voice was low, and steady. ‘My brother, Leyburn, is in his second year at Oxford. He … he has taken every opportunity to “raise a rumpus”, being beyond Mama’s control, and has behaved very foolishly. He has, in a desire to reject all that she commands, taken to gambling and, I fear, low female company. I heard from him this morning in a missive that fills me with fear. He has been rusticated for the rest of the term for some prank which overstepped the mark, but he has been trying to remain in Oxford so that Mama does not find out.’ She bit her lip, and then continued. ‘It appears he has exhausted his funds, which ought to have been more than adequate, and has been living in a very insalubrious part of the city and has caught a fever. His note was in a very scrawling hand, and I fear he is exceedingly unwell. He asked me for money but if he is so ill … I must go to him.’

‘Then ought you not to tell Lady Leyburn, regardless of his wishes?’

‘I thought of doing so, but if I do and she … I do not want my brother to feel he cannot trust me, my lord, for if he will not attend to Mama, he may yet attend to me. I want to go to him, but I have neither the money to hand to do more than travel by the mail coach, and am most reluctant to travel on my own, or with just my maid. I wondered …’ She looked at him in mute appeal. ‘You are the only friend, male friend, I believe I possess in London, my lord.’

Lord Henfield rubbed his chin. He could not, in honour, let this young woman down, and he was conscious of having shown her a degree of friendship over the last few weeks in the same manner as he hoped Henry had Mr Newbold, to fan a flame of jealousy. He was not proud of that. However, haring off to Oxford with only her maid as chaperone did not sound the action of the wise.

‘You think the situation that desperate, ma’am?’

‘I do.’

‘And what do you intend when you reach Oxford? To nurse him? Bringing him back to London would defeat your object, since Lady Leyburn would know all upon arrival.’

‘But I might persuade Jasper to return of his own accord, when improved, and I have a pearl ring that I could sell in the meant—’