"Better now that you're here. Though I suspect I'll feel less pleased once I've explained why I summoned you."
Harriet felt her stomach tighten. "Mrs. Briggs mentioned that there were things to discuss."
"Yes, well. Mrs. Briggs has a gift for understatement." Lady Fordshire patted the edge of the bed. "Sit, darling. This may take a while."
Harriet sat, still holding her mother's hand. Up close, she could see the lines of worry etched into Lady Fordshire's face,lines that had not been there a year ago, when Harriet had last visited.
"You're frightening me, Mama."
"I don't mean to. But there's no gentle way to say what needs to be said, so I'll simply say it." Lady Fordshire took a breath. "We're in debt, Harriet. Serious debt. Your father's gambling, your brother's attempts to rescue the estate, it’s all come to a head."
"How serious?"
"Serious enough that we may lose Fordshire Park."
The words hit Harriet like a physical blow. Lose Fordshire Park? This house, this land, the only home she had ever known?
"How?" she managed. "How did it come to this?"
"Your father was... not prudent with money. You knew that. What you didn't know.what Richard tried so hard to hide, was the extent of the damage. By the time your brother inherited, there was little left but debts and obligations." Lady Fordshire'svoice was steady, but her hand trembled slightly in Harriet's grip. "Richard spent the last years of his life trying to set things right. He made progress, but then..."
"The accident."
"Yes. And with him gone, the creditors lost patience. They've been circling like vultures for months, and now they're finally closing in."
"What about the London house? The investments?"
"The London house is mortgaged. The investments were liquidated years ago, to pay off the most pressing debts." Lady Fordshire sighed. "There's nothing left, Harriet. Nothing except the estate itself, and even that may not be enough."
Harriet's mind was reeling. She had known things were difficult, Richard had hinted as much, in his oblique way, but she had never imagined it was this bad.
"What does any of this have to do with Lord Vane?" she asked. "Mrs. Briggs said Mr. Thornton was waiting for him specifically."
Lady Fordshire was quiet for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was careful.
"Your brother had borrowed money from Lord Vane a substantial sum, to pay off the most dangerous creditors. Sebastian…" She paused, as though catching herself. "Lord Vane never asked for repayment. He told Richard the money was a gift, between friends. But when Richard died, the debt became part of the estate, which means…"
"It has to be repaid."
"Or accounted for, at least. Mr. Thornton says that Lord Vane's claim must be acknowledged before we can settle with the other creditors."
"But if Lord Vane never wanted the money back…"
"What he wants and what the law requires are different things." Lady Fordshire squeezed Harriet's hand. "I don't blamehim, darling. He's been nothing but gracious about the whole matter. It's simply... complicated."
Complicated. That seemed to be the word of the day. Harriet thought of Sebastian, sitting in the study with Mr. Thornton, learning the full extent of the disaster that had befallen her family. Learning that he was owed a fortune by people who could not possibly pay it.
"What happens now?" she asked.
"Now, we wait for Mr. Thornton and Lord Vane to finish their discussion. There may be options, arrangements that can be made to satisfy the creditors without selling the estate. But I won't lie to you, Harriet. The situation is dire."
Harriet sat with that for a moment, allowing the reality of it to sink in. Everything she had grown up taking for granted, the security, the comfort, the certainty of always having a home to return to was all at risk.
"I should speak with Mr. Thornton myself," she said finally. "If my family's future is being decided, I want to be part of the discussion."
"I thought you might say that." Lady Fordshire smiled a small, tired smile, but genuine. "You've always been the stubborn one. Go, then. But Harriet?"
"Yes?"
