Mister Jonathan Pine

Mister Jonathan Pine was the second son of the good-for-nothing, Viscount Belford. A spare without a title and an unwanted and unneeded son in his family's eyes. Never for once had he been coddled by his mother as an infant, only receiving disgusting looks when he tried seeking some comfort from her.

Since returning to his father's Estate in York, Mister Pine had taken it upon himself to balance their accounts and ledger books. He was the cleverest in the Pine Family and had done all the work his stupid older brother and heir, Lord Nigel Pine, and his useless father had not been able to since his grandfather's passing.

But not even all his hard work could stop his family's bitterness toward him. On the contrary, his presence there only reminded them that Jonathan was everything they could never be and was in possession of something they would never have. The Dowager's Belford inheritance.

Jonathan was raised and loved by the late Viscount Belford. The man had seen what he had never seen in his only son and heir. He always thought his son and Nigel were both fools, and it would not take long after his passing for both to ruin everything he had worked to accomplish.

But the late Viscount saw a great future in the young Jonathan. His grandfather saw how the boy was treated in their household and took him under his care. He knew when the time came, it would be Jonathan helping them not to fall into ruins, or at least Jonathan would manage not to sink with them if they did not accept his kind help.

Before his death, the late Viscount made sure to leave all of Jonathan's studies and lodgings paid at Cambridge University and a generous monthly allowance. He knew his son would pull Jonathan out of there if he did not take the matters at hand. The late Viscount also had a great deal of respect for his wife and therefore left the Mayfair townhouse as a Dowager House for her retirement. His wife would only have to suffer in their presence during the London season, but she would be able to endure as she would be the lady of the house. The new Viscountess would have to respect her. After all, they were mere guests at the house.

His wife loved London more than the country and resented Jonathan's mother for what she did to him. The man was sure his wife would not be threaded fairly at their Estate in York if he was no longer the master of the house. Straight after her husband's funeral, while in full mourning, the Dowager moved permanently to London, taking Jonathan with her. It would be her duty to make him into a fine gentleman.

The Dowager was also fond of the boy. After he had resumed his studies in Cambridge, he would often be seen visiting her at the Dowager House and staying while on leave of the University obligations. Jonathan was devastated by her death three winters ago. But what hurt him the most was that his family resented him, even more when the news came while in mourning.

The Dowager had left the Dowager House, jewellery and the little money she possessed for Jonathan's benefit. She wanted to follow in her husband's footsteps securing something for Jonathan as she was sure he would be thrown to the lions after she was no more. But the Dowager was not a fool and was well aware of her daughter-in-law's evil craft ways and would not be underestimated. She hated the woman and made her late husband's good friend and solicitor adding a clause on the will stating Jonathan would be able to inherit everything only after his marriage.

His grandmother wanted him to have something for himself, a beautiful family in London away from his vicious family. She knew Jonathan was pleasing in the eyes and would be able to secure a lovely miss or even a lady that did not mind marrying below their rank. The money she left was in trust, which would help him establish a household after he had secured a bride.

But truth be told, Jonathan was a Rake through and through with capital R. With his pleasing face and handsome male attributes was not difficult for him to be favoured by the matrons and light skirts of the ton. Jonathan had no interest in chasing novice debutantes at balls or the marriage mart.

When the time comes, he would be happy to settle for an experience young widow without children or a more mature bride that did not have air inside her head instead of brains. Jonathan was sure those debutantes did not even know they could touch themselves before their husbands did. And would wait for him covered till the brim in a dim chamber on the wedding night.

That was not what Jonathan was looking forward to in a wife. He would not stand for all this propriety and never see his wife bare or wait till dusk to touch her because, God forbid, they would go to hell if he wished to take his marital rights when there was barely dark outside.

But with each passing social season has become more and more impossible for him to keep his rakish ways in bed with the matrons. The Dowager House was closed after the will was read, and he knew how displeased his family was at him. After all, it was all his fault they were in this predicament and would not be taking lodgings at the beautiful townhouse in Mayfair.

This year it would be the third season they would be renting in a less favourable part of London. And Jonathan knew within this season, being his sister Miss Lizzy Pine's debut, it would become the worst London season to endure. Jonathan knew all the good things the Pine Family had to offer were only for his two siblings, he was used to that, but it did not mean it hurts less to witness it. And a month before they arrived in London, he was already suffering from it. Viscountess Belford could not even set sight of him without blaming him for their family's misfortune.

Every night at the dinner table, there was only loathing in their eyes. They made Jonathan feel less than nothing, and his mother would rant that her beloved daughter would not have a decent place to entertain her future suitors. But Jonathan knew that even if they were at the Dowager House at a very favourable location, Lizzy would not be able to secure a wealthy husband or even guarantee she would not become a spinster.

Miss Lizzy Pine had less than a medium size figure dowry and was not pleasing in the eyes neither did she possess any accomplishments that the ton saw fit for a young girl. She was not amicable or agreeable. She had nothing a good gentleman would be looking for in a wife. And Jonathan knew not even if Lizzy lived at St James' Palace. She would be able to secure a high-rank match as his mother so much desired.

Jonathan had longed for his family's affection for five and twenty springs. His parents loved his siblings but never even glanced at him with pride of the fine gentleman he had become. With the advantage of being handsome, his less fortunately, siblings were always jealous of him. Making him also lack siblings' affection growing up.

Jonathan knew that only marriage might be able to salvage the situation. And that was precisely what he had decided to do after seeing one more time how disgusted, and contemptuous his mother looked at him when they arrived at the rented house for the season.

If he secured a match and a quick wedding now, they would be able to move into the Mayfair House early into the season. He had to look for an agreeable young widow or spinster that would be desperate enough to accept not being a lady of her own house.

Mister Pine thought if he gave his mother the Dowager House, maybe he would no longer be the disgusting spare that should not have been born.