Why Are Our Heroes and Heroines Rich?

As a writer or reader of romantic fiction, has this thought ever crossed your mind? It has mine Hmmm...

Recently I finished one of the Carpathian Novels and it left me wondering over this phenomenon. Of course, characters and story arc come first. And in reality the main characters can be as rich as royalty or as poor as peasants, but as long as their struggles against life lead them to a happy future together, then I’m happy.

For me as a writer it is all in the struggle. Some of the journeys they take will be ones, only they themselves can figure out, and when they do the relationship will be so worth the wait.

When I am plotting a story (yes, I am a die-hard plotter not a pantser), usually one of the leading characters steps up and declares they will be the one with the money. Now whether that means the character(s) will be rolling in the cash by various means such as:

* they worked hard for it

* married for it

* were born into wealth

* had it left as an inheritance

*stole or acquired it by some other ill-begotten means

As a writer this is entirely a matter for my muse to figure out. It may be that one or both are rich, so they can fund their adventures, journeys, and lifestyle expected for the story and move along smoothly.

I know, most people are saying, “Real life isn’t like that?” And perhaps you are right, perhaps not. Many people in real life do work exceptionally hard and save to aquire what they want/need/aspire to have. Some inherit generous amounts from relatives, while others are lucky enough to have ‘old money’ in the family. But in all reality we read stories for the enjoyment of it. A good story gives us pleasure because we go along for the ride and most of those characters need exorbitant amounts of money to live in their world and to carry out what is needed for them to get to the happily ever after.

A Duke for instance who lived between the eighteenth and twentieth century, may own many estates and be responsible for his relatives. In reality we do know this was the case of many of the upper-peerage during the 1800's.

Now, for the story's sake, if he was destitute then he may lose his homes, carriages, servants, the list is endless, but in other words his ‘lifestyle’ would be over and he would have to think of doing something radical to turn his situation around. A lot of the time this meant selling assets not entailed, like carriages, horseflesh estates or he would have to marry a woman who was wealthy in her own right.

And it seems there were plenty of those about, a widow, an heiress, distant cousins, rich daughters of business men from other countries, were often the go or perhaps the ugly, ‘rich’ woman next door.(Plenty of story plots there) But why does it make sense to us as the reader, that we want money to be no object for our hero/heroine as they go about their lives? I mean, even the blasted romanticized Pirates were loaded. *grin* But of course, who'd have it any other way.

So far, for most of the leading men in the books I want to write, money is no object, *wink* only two of them will fall under the captive spell of wealthy women. But we'd be interested in your thoughts on the topic. 


Do you rather a wealthy hero or heroine in your historical stories you write or enjoy to read and why is that? Or perhaps it does not really matter, as long as it works! 
Let us know your opinion on the way you feel about our heroic characters' financial positions?

Sources:

sketch from: http://www.stephanieboles.com/Regency_Glossary.html