“As well you should.” Win got to his feet and circled his cousin. “You left, letting Mother and Father believe you needed to make your fortune on your own because of some sort of obligation to your parents or yourself, that never was entirely clear, although it did sound good.”

“That’s exactly why I left,” Gray said staunchly.

“Is it? You knew full well Father’s plan was to put you in charge of the family’s business interests, whereas I would handle the estates and properties. I suspect he thought together, as a family, we could, I don’t know, rule the world or something a step below that.”

“Yes, well—”

“It wasn’t a misplaced sense of obligation on his part, and it certainly wasn’t charity, and you know that as well.”

“I suppose, but—”

“But, instead, you turned your back on your family and allowed a woman who had discarded you for someone with a fortune and title to influence how you lived your life.”

Gray bristled. “It wasn’t—”

“Wasn’t it?” Win’s eyes narrowed. “If I recall correctly, Camille Channing, now Lady Lydingham, the woman you loved, threw you over to marry a much older man with wealth and position. A man who had what you did not. Am I accurate thus far?”

“In a manner of speaking—”

“At very nearly the same time, you, who had always seemed a most sensible sort, got it into your head to flee the country and go off and seek your fortune, armed with little more than a modest loan from Father. Again, am I correct?”

Gray nodded. “Go on.”

“And then, when she was widowed and you had made a great deal of money, indeed, at that point, you could have been considered almost unseemly wealthy—”

“I don’t know that—”

“Nonetheless . . .” Win continued to circle Gray, like a beast of prey moving in for the kill. It was most annoying. “You still refused to come home. Because . . .”

Gray clenched his teeth. “Because?”

“Because it wasn’t enough.” Triumph sounded in Win’s voice. “You needed to prove to her not only were you as good as the man she chose, you were better. No title, perhaps, but more money. And as she and her sisters have always been rather mercenary in that regard, returning once your fortune was greater would be a lovely triumph over the woman who broke your heart.”

Gray could scarcely deny it. “I admit, that might have been a factor of motivation—”

“Aha! I knew it.” Win raised his glass. “Now you can throw your success in her face.”

“Once perhaps, but now . . .” Gray shook his head. “It’s simply not worth the effort.”

“ ‘Not worth the effort’? Good Lord.” Win stared. “When did you become so noble?”