Summary
Richard Jones serves as William’s stern father and is deeply fixated on his standing within the class hierarchy. Although he possesses wealth, he identifies it as new money derived from business acumen rather than the old money inherited by aristocratic lineage. He strives to transcend this social distinction by arranging for William to marry into a higher class, yet he holds zero tolerance for the notion of Emma marrying up into his family. This rigid stance persists despite certain uncomfortable truths regarding his own past.
