A/N: Thank you to those of you who reviewed so far, it means a lot to me to hear your thoughts so please continue to review. For those of you are still confused with regards to the Darcy family situation in my story: Lucy and Frank Fitzwilliam, Darcy's cousins, were adopted by Darcy's father when their parents died. Georgiana was three when her and Darcy's mother died of cancer. Lucy fell pregnant at sixteen and died at the age of eighteen when Leo was nearly two in a car crash caused by Leo's father. Reginald Darcy(Will and Georgie's father) decided to let William take over with the guardianship of Leo because Frank is in the army and because Georgiana was only nine as there are ten years between her and Darcy and still needed a lot of her father's time and attention. Darcy feels an attachment to Leo who is his adoptive nephew and he was quite close with his cousin aka adoptive sister Lucy. I hope this clears up some confusion, more will be explained as the story goes on.
Darcy watched as Leo sat at the dining table, continuing his maths work with a private tutor that his uncle had hired until September when he would be allocated a place at school. Most of the house had been unpacked and luckily for him, Mrs Reynolds(their family housekeeper at Pemberley) had agreed to come and work for him after having found a replacement for her at Pemberley.
"Margaret, thank you again for leaving Pemberley. I'm sure my father wasn't happy with your decision." William said quietly.
"It's no trouble Fitzwilliam, the boy needs some familiarity and your father will understand when he gets his head around the idea." Margaret replied.
"We both needed a change of scenery, how long for I do not know. Nothing has been the same since Lucy died."
"Aye, it hasn't," the woman agreed, "But Fitzwilliam, you aren't the only one who still feels her loss. Your father feels like he has lost three children, he sees Lucy and Frank as his own since the adoption and of course, Frank is off in the army and hardly ever returns home when he's in the country. Lucy is gone now and you've moved here with Leonard. Only Georgiana remains, he feels that he has nobody left to inherit the estate when he dies-"
"I will inherit the estate but Pemberley is filled with memories of Lucy, even the times when she brought him for dinner. She's been dead for the last four years, I felt suffocated." William explained.
"I understand, you needed an escape and I know how you feel about Leonard. You treat that boy as if he were your own." Margaret said with admiration.
William looked back over to the boy, so interested in numbers which made him laugh, "I always promised Lucy that if anything happened to her than I would raise Leo. His own father never bothered with him and Leo is better off never knowing him. My own father still has to look after Georgiana and the managing of the estate to do."
"Uncle Will, I'm finished!" Leo declared from the dining table.
He smiled, "Well done Leo, shall we go to the beach for a walk?" he asked.
The boy nodded and went up to his bedroom to put his shoes on as Will bade goodbye to the tutor and Mrs Reynolds, waiting at the front door for Leonard to come downstairs, hoping that he had made the right choice in getting away from Pemberley for a while. Leo could hardly remember his mum but on the days that he did remember the little snippets that remained to him of Lucy, he got upset. Portsmouth was supposed to be their way of living happily for a time and he hoped that his decision had been the right one.
ooOoo
"Lizzy, you are a diamond for babysitting for me!" Paige said thankfully.
Tuesday, exactly a week and one day since Charles had returned to Portsmouth. Their boss had sacked all three of the part timers and were currently looking for their replacements. As such, Charles had begun to help out in the cafe with the opens and closes but they couldn't manage with three staff and the boss forever, especially as Paige had a child to look after and Lizzy was at university, working and doing a placement for her course.
"It's no trouble at all Paige, I'll take him to the beach or something seeing as the weather is actually nice. Would you like that Harry?"
The four year old looked up and nodded with a wide grin, causing his mother to chuckle lightly.
"Text me where you are when I leave work, if you're out then I'll come and meet you or I'll come to yours to pick him up."
"Bye Paige." said Lizzy.
Harry piped up a little goodbye to his mother and they left the cafe and began to walk to the seafront. Harry soon complained that his legs were hurting so Lizzy opted to get the bus from town to Southsea instead of doing the thirty minute walk with a four year old. Harry liked the bus journey, pointing out the different shops that his mother liked or different coloured cars that took to his notice.
They got off their bus at South Parade Pier which was still in dire need of repair thanks to the January storms. Lizzy had read about it in the local newspaper, how the pier was falling apart and how it had been boarded up to prevent people from walking underneath and climbing on the end of the pier where it was a popular fishing spot. It had once been a popular attraction in the city, with a huge indoor arcade, fishing spots and shops on the inside but now it was all but a ruin.
They carried their walk along the seafront, Harry having decided that he wanted to go on the boats at Canoe Lake. After Lizzy had agreed that they could, they carried on their walk until she bumped into the last person that she had expected to see.
"Hello Miss Bennet." Darcy greeted.
"Mr Darcy." she replied, with a nod that she mocked.
Only he didn't look like the Mr Darcy that she had seen on the last few occasions, he was dressed casually; in light blue jeans and a black t-shirt, his hair still as curly was the only thing that remained the same. They stood awkwardly for a few moments but then he did the last thing she had expected, he smiled in amusement at her nod. What had he done with the man who had been unpleasant over the past week that she had known him? Since her close on Thursday, he had been in and out of the cafe with Charles and seemed more talkative.
"Your son I assume?" Darcy asked.
"Not mine no. He is the son of my friend Paige Forster. Harry, this is Mr Darcy and his nephew Leo." Lizzy introduced.
The boys talked quite a lot, making a new friendship rather quickly as Lizzy stood there awkwardly with Mr Darcy.
"Where are you headed?" he asked.
"To the park and Canoe Lake, Harry likes to ride on the swan boats there. Would you like to join us? It seems that the boys would rather like to play together." Lizzy offered politely.
"Thank you, I think that my nephew would like that very much."
They carried on walking towards the park and crossed the busy road, watching as Leo and Harry ran on ahead past the lake and into the park that, surprisingly, wasn't so busy for an afternoon in the middle of May. Lizzy and Darcy sat on one of the benches in the park as the two boys ran around and climbed on the climbing equipment.
"Do you often look after little children, Miss Bennet?" he asked.
"I look after Harry every now and then to help Paige out, her husband is in the army."
"She seems rather young to be married and have a child." William commented.
"Paige is twenty-five and Harry is only four. She met her husband Patrick when he was in basic training for the army and after a year of dating, they were expecting. They're quite a happy couple, although she misses him dearly when duty calls him away from her and their son." Lizzy explained.
"I'm nearly twenty-five but I do think myself it is a little young especially if your friend has been married a time."
Lizzy raised an eyebrow, "And you typically live the life of a bachelor? A girl in your bed every morning in a big house?" she teased.
William smiled again, surprising her further.
"No Miss Bennet, I just haven't found someone to share my life with. It is quite the burden from time to time and most women do not want to be involved with a man raising his nephew as his own son." he explained.
ooOoo
He watched as her expression softened at his statement that he was raising Leonard as his own child. In his experience, not many women who he was lucky to know would like the fact that he was young and looked after a child of nearly seven years of age. Caroline Bingley was one of those women, his best friend's little sister who fancied him something rotten. Darcy always cringed whenever he and Caroline happened to be alone in each other's company, she always made snide comments about being thrown into the responsibility of caring for Leo although she didn't know the full circumstances behind him doing so, she always said that she cared a lot for the company of Georgiana but whenever the Bingleys were invited to Pemberley, she refused to spend five minutes with his little sister.
"Raising him as if he were your own?" she asked, with a little admiration.
Darcy nodded, "Yes." he confirmed.
"That...That's very...noble of you." Lizzy complimented.
"I would hardly call in noble, it was the right thing I do. I made a promise to my sister that I would raise Leonard should anything happen to her and none of my other family were in a position to give Leonard the time and attention he needed."
"I assume something happened to Leonard's mother that would cause her not to be able to care for him?" she asked.
William looked at her, his smile fading.
"She died four years ago, Leonard was two."
William watched as she ran a finger through her ponytail, biting her lip as if she were regretting asking him about Leonard's situation in life. He smiled assuringly at her that he hadn't minded her asking her question and that he hadn't taken offence to it.
"I'm so sorry." Lizzy mumbled.
"It's okay Miss Bennet." William assured her.
"Forgive me for intruding on your personal life." Lizzy implored.
He chuckled, "There is nothing to forgive Miss Bennet, you asked a question and I answered. If anyone should be asking forgiveness than it's me."
she looked up at him, "What do you need to be forgiven for?" she asked.
"My behaviour toward you. I imagine that you dislike me for the few insults that I have sent your way which I shouldn't have said and so I apologise."
ooOoo
Elizabeth fell speechless when he offered her his apology over his behaviour towards her since their first meeting. Perhaps her first impression of him had been wrong. Perhaps he wasn't so disapproving and haughty as she had first concluded, maybe he was just new to the area and didn't converse easily?
"Thank you for the apology." she said quietly, looking back at the two boys who continued to laugh and play together.
They sat in silence for a while longer, watching as Leonard and Harry slowly got bored of playing in the park when Harry ran up to Lizzy.
"Lizzy, swan boat!" the four year old requested.
She smiled, "Are you going to peddle with me?" she asked.
Harry shook his head and pointed to Darcy, "He can!" he declared happily.
Lizzy laughed, "I think Mr Darcy and Leo have other plans Harry."
Harry pouted until Leo ran up to the three of them, "Uncle Will, please, please can we go on the swan boats with Lizzy and Harry?"
William looked at her and his eyes seemed somewhat warmer in his expression towards her now, certainly the opposite of how he had looked at her during that first meeting and even the second.
"If Miss Bennet doesn't object then yes we can."
Lizzy nodded her head in agreement that he and Leo could join them and they left the park, walking over to the little cafe to pay for a ride in one of the boats before the man gestured to the one they were going to have. The kids climbed into the back, as Darcy held on to Lizzy's hand to help her on to the side of the front that faced the water before climbing in himself. It had been a while since she had been on one of these boats, and after steering the boat into the direction of the middle of the lake, she and William began to peddle the boat.
ooOoo
"Faster Faster!" Harry exclaimed excitedly.
He looked at Lizzy who had started to laugh even more, such a delightful sound and the way her eyes lit up when she did so made him hooked to them any more. She had no idea how she had already enchanted him with her charms, her looks and her teasing. It was impossible to find himself attracted to someone so soon surely?
"I think they want us to peddle faster." Lizzy mused.
"I think we can do that, unless your legs are tired Miss Bennet?" he teased.
Lizzy raised an eyebrow, "What are you suggesting?" she asked him.
He grinned, "Can you peddle faster than I can?"
The two peddled as fast as they could, the whole length of the lake until Lizzy changed course to return back to the dock because their time was up. William looked at the various children and people who were walking their dogs on the land, watching as some teenagers in school uniform were crabbing in the lake whilst primary school children rode their bikes as dog walkers stopped to grab themselves an ice cream. His first impressions of Portsmouth hadn't been that great, it was the most over populated city in England and the employment market was high in unemployment due to budget cuts but it was the seaside and Leonard needed a change from the countryside around Pemberley and being stuck inside the manor with only a private tutor to keep him company.
He had decided that Leonard needed to have the same experiences that other children had, such as going to a school that the local authority funded, wearing a school uniform and interacting with children his own age. Of course, Georgiana had been around during her school holidays but most of the time she was away at boarding school. For now, Leonard still had his private tutor but once September came, he would be enrolled in school and wouldn't be so lonely. At the moment Darcy didn't know how long he would have Leonard in Portsmouth but they had both needed a change from the ghosts of their life in Pemberley.
The swan boat was docked and they all climbed out, with Lizzy thanking William for paying for the swan boat despite her insistence that she pay for it because Harry had originally wanted to go on one but he refused to take her money. They continued to walk until they stopped outside their house.
"Uncle Will, can Harry come and play with my toys please?" Leo asked.
He looked at Lizzy, "It's entirely up to you. I don't want to intrude on your plans any further."
She hesitated for a moment before smiling, "I don't mind, I just have to keep him amused until Paige collects him at nine."
"Cool!" Leonard said excitedly.
"Harry, you can go and play with Leo but we have to leave in a little while to get you some dinner." Lizzy said to the four year old.
They made their way past the security gate and up the cobbled driveway and he watched as Lizzy looked up at the house in admiration, the balcony that came out from his bedroom and overlooked the lake. He opened the front door and allowed the two boys and Miss Bennet inside, watching as the two boys took off their shoes and ran upstairs to Leo's bedroom to play.
"Ahh Fitzwilliam, you're back." Margaret greeted.
He caught the gaze of Lizzy who looked at him with a raised eyebrow and her eyes questioning why the housekeeper had called him 'Fitzwilliam' instead of 'William' as she had been introduced to him by Charles.
"Yes, Leo has a friend to play with. Mrs Margaret Reynolds, may I introduce Miss Elizabeth Bennet." William said.
"It's nice to meet you." Margaret said warmly.
"You too." Lizzy replied.
"What would you like for dinner Fitzwilliam? Will you be eating with Leonard and your guests?"
William looked to Elizabeth and asked, "Would you and Harry like to stay for dinner?"
ooOoo
His invitation to dine with them had taken her by surprise. She had intended to allow Harry to play for an hour before they walked back to her flat so that she could cook him something.
"I don't want to be a burden." she replied.
"Nonsense my dear, I enjoy cooking. The more the merrier!" Margaret insisted.
"I think Leo would like it very much if Harry stayed for dinner. It would also give me an opportunity to dine with someone other than Charles." William explained.
"Okay then." Lizzy agreed.
"What would you like? Leonard was asking for pizza this morning."
William led Lizzy into the kitchen to sit at the dining table as Margaret began to pour them both a coffee.
"Shall we order from the local pizza place?" William asked Lizzy.
"Domino's is quite good and has a lot of deals on with sides and drinks." she suggested.
"I've never had a takeaway from there before. In fact, very rarely have I had a takeaway. I think the last time I had one was when I was at Cambridge." William admitted.
Her eyes widened, "Mr Darcy, surely you joke?" she teased.
He shook his head, "Mrs Reynolds is an excellent cook and living in countryside doesn't usually allow for takeaways." he explained.
"Then you have been missing out on city life."
"I've lived in London every now and again, I'll have you know!"
ooOoo
Lizzy laughed as he left the room with the landline telephone to order a pizza, leaving her in the kitchen with Mrs Reynolds. Her gaze went to a picture frame hanging on the wall, a family picture. On closer inspection she looked upon the smiling faces of Mr Darcy, an older man who had passed on his looks to William, a girl who shared the same mouth and eye shape as Mr Darcy and two others who didn't. The girls were blonde haired, one sharing the same brown as William and the other had a light green colour; as did the other man. There was a child in the picture, no older than a year, with the same looks that Leo had now that she concluded the picture was taken when Leonard was a baby.
"It's a favourite picture of many." Mrs Reynolds said fondly, handing Lizzy her coffee mug.
"A family portrait?" she asked.
Mrs Reynolds nodded, the two women continuing to look at the picture.
"It was taken on Leonard's first birthday. You see the young girl there, that's Fitzwilliam's sister Georgiana she was nine when this was taken and his cousins Frank and Lucy and Reginald Darcy, their father." Mrs Reynolds pointed out.
On closer look, Leo shared much of Lucy's looks, the same facial shape and features except for the eye colour. Lucy's green and Leo's blue.
"I've worked for the Darcy family for the majority of my life, I've known the Darcy children since they were babes newly born. The family has suffered much in their short amount of life."
Lizzy looked at the woman, "How so?" she asked curiously.
"Frank and Lucy aren't Darcy's born. They are the niece and nephew of the late Mrs Darcy as their last name is Fitzwilliam. Their parents were killed when they were young children and Mr Darcy adopted them as his own children shortly before Georgiana was born. Mrs Darcy died three years after the birth of Georgiana."
What a lot for a family to go through in a short amount of time. Lizzy felt her insides tie into a knot now that she knew from Mrs Reynolds that the family had suffered much and from what Mr Darcy had told her earlier in the park that his adoptive sister had died and now hearing the other things that had happened in his family, she felt that maybe she had been entirely wrong about him from the beginning. Perhaps he was only the way he was because he was suffering a great deal?
One thing she decided upon was that she wanted to get to know him better, to see whether she had been completely wrong and to see whether she could make a friendship with William Darcy