“Botheration,” Harred muttered under his breath.
William approached the desk and sat down on a chair. “I need to speak to you,” he said, his words slurring. “I need your help.”
“My help?” he asked. “What could you possibly need me for?”
“Sir Percy isn’t releasing Ruth’s dowry and I need to annul the marriage,” William said. “Go to the House of Lords and request that it is done.”
“An annulment is nearly impossible, and I’m afraid I do not have enough influence in the House of Lords to do such a thing,” Harred admitted.
“Father would have enough influence,” William stated.
Harred frowned. “Yes, Father did, but he is not here anymore. I am, though.”
“But you are useless to me.”
Leaning back in his seat, Harred asked, “Did you just come here to insult me? If so, you may as well leave.”
William looked tired with his bloodshot eyes and slumped shoulders. “I made a mistake,” he admitted.
“Just one, or many?” Harred mocked.
“Do you truly intend to kick me when I am down?” William asked.
Harred held up his hand. “My apologies. Please proceed.”
William relaxed into his seat. “I should never have married Ruth and now I am stuck with a wife that I don’t want.”
“Well, you have a wife now,” Harred said. “What do you intend to do about it?”
“I don’t know. I acted hastily and my life is even worse than it was before,” William expressed. “I just thought marrying would be the solution to all of my problems.”
“A word of advice…” He paused, waiting for his brother to object. When no objection was forthcoming, he continued. “The way you treat your wife defines what type of man you are. Are you kind? Loving? Or do you intend to neglect her, making both of you miserable in the process?”
William looked crestfallen. “I don’t know the first thing about being a husband.”
“Father taught us by how he treated our mother,” Harred said. “It is my hope that one day I can emulate his example.”
“But I don’t even know Ruth.”
“Then get to know her,” Harred said. “By all accounts, she appears like a pleasant enough young woman who is just striving to earn your approval.”
William rubbed his forehead with his hand. “She is a pretty little thing, but she is only a merchant’s daughter. Why did I think it was a good idea to bring her into our world?”
Harred resisted the urge to lean over his desk and hit William over the back of the head for saying something so entirely stupid. “Ruth is a part of our world now, and you need to stop insulting her at every opportunity. She may be the daughter of a merchant, but that shouldn’t matter how you treat her. A wife is your equal, in every sense of the word.”
“But—”
He cut his brother off. “There are no ‘buts’ about it. How you treat Ruth is how you can expect Society to treat her.”
“How can you be so accepting?” William asked.
Harred lifted his brow. “How can you not be? Mother taught us to be kind to everyone, no matter their walks of life.”
William dropped his hand to his side. “It would be so much easier if I just had Ruth’s blasted dowry. Instead, Sir Percy holds all the power.”
“I am sure he just wants to ensure his daughter is being taken care of,” Harred mused.
“Yes, but he wants me to consult with her,” William declared. “Can you imagine? A woman should not have an opinion.”
