(A/N: Cato Yugi, your review cracked me up.

I tell y'all, this chapter was hard to write. Several times, I edited various spots and at one point, practically rewrote the whole thing. But I think I'm happy with where it is now.

I own nothing!)

Five years ago

Lord Hexley muttered as he tried to get his documents sorted. It had been a little over a week since he'd argued with and banished his son. Ever since then, things were very different around the estate. Before, he could always count on his wife for assistance in whatever he needed help with. Now, she was ignoring him, coming up with every reason under the sun to avoid him. And anytime she did speak with him, her responses were short and cold.

A piece of paper caught Lord Hexley's attention and he looked at it. It was a list of repair projects, some marked as urgent and others not. It was a very well detailed list, better than the one he had made a few days earlier. But the thing that caught his attention was the handwriting. It was his son's.

"Winnifred!"

Lord Hexley went in search of his wife. She was speaking in hushed tones with the housekeeper. Quickly, she finished her conversation and the housekeeper hurried away.

"What?" Winnifred answered shortly.

"Did Cedric write this list last week?"

Winnifred looked at the list before fixing her husband with a cold stare.

"If you had listened to him last week, you wouldn't be asking me now."

Winnifred turned and was about to leave when a maid came walking quickly towards them, her young son in tow.

"My Lord! My Lady!"

The two looked at the maid in surprise. She never approached them unless it was related to her tasks. This didn't look like that at all.

"What is it?" Winnifred asked.

"Forgive my interruption. My son just tried to go work with the horses and spooked several of them. Boy! Tell them what you did last week!"

The boy trembled and tried breaking free of his mom's grip.

"Mama, let go!"

"You tell them right now or you'll be grounded even longer!"

The boy's eyes widened.

"I scared all the horses last week. I didn't mean to, I just want to work with them."

It didn't take more than a split second for the lord and lady of the house to connect the dots. The trembling boy had been responsible for the incident their son had been blamed for. Winnifred quickly dismissed them from the room. Once they were out of sight, she faced her husband.

"You better go find your son and apologize right now! I told you you were too rash last week. And look where that got you! Does it make you feel better to blame Cedric for something that he did not do?"

Lord Hexley didn't respond. He was still very stunned by what he had just learned. All he could do while his wife ranted and yelled at him was stare into the distance.

I really am a fool.

oOo

"What are you doing here?" Cedric asked sourly.

Lord Hexley gave the slightest wince at his son's tone.

"I came to talk with you."

Cedric was perplexed by his father's tone. It had sounded...remorseful? Cedric wasn't certain his father would use that tone if he were about to disown and banish him for good.

"Now you want to talk?" Cedric scoffed. "I've been trying to talk to you for weeks and you didn't care at all."

"I know. And I have no excuse for how I've treated you. It was uncalled for."

Cedric's eyes bulged out of their sockets. He wasn't certain he was actually awake. The resulting pain from a pinch told him that this was real. Lord Hexley was actually acknowledging that he hadn't treated him well. If it was real, Cedric wasn't certain though that it wasn't a trick. Years and years of being pushed away didn't go away in the blink of an eye.

"Alright, who are you and what happened to the person who yelled at me this morning for trying to help him?"

"He had some cold, hard truths shoved down his throat. I was given something to think about."

Cedric looked curious. But his father didn't elaborate. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper and held it out to his son. Cedric was puzzled but took the paper, recognizing it quickly. He had written this very list five years ago.

"I should have listened to you that day," Lord Hexley said. "And I shouldn't have sent you away."

"So you did see this," Cedric said sardonically. "What of it?"

"It was better than the list I made," Lord Hexley admitted. "And shortly after I found that list, I learned the truth of how the horses really got loose."

Cedric bristled. "Why wait five years? Why brush me off when I returned, even knowing the truth?"

"I hadn't intended to wait five years. I wanted to find you quickly."

"But you didn't," Cedric said flatly.

"I know. I didn't know where to look."

"The letters I sent home would have told you plenty," Cedric's tone was accusing.

"Ah yes, the letters. Your mother demanded I produce them but I couldn't produce something I didn't know anything about."

Cedric's eyes bulged. "You didn't take them?"

"No, I didn't. I didn't know anything about them until your mother told me about it."

"I don't understand," Cedric muttered. "How are several letters lost like that?"

"I don't know. What I do know is that even if I had found you, I wouldn't have known how to face you and admit that I was wrong all along. I tried hard to find the words but I never could. Eventually, it became easier to pretend that I had done nothing wrong. Guilt is a strange thing."

"So what now?" Cedric asked.

"What now? Well, it's time I acknowledged my folly and earnestly hope my son is a bigger man than me and can forgive me."

Cedric blinked in surprise. It had only been that morning that his father had gotten mad at him for trying to help and now this? Cedric was certain he was dreaming.

"Cedric, you are my son," Lord Hexley stated. "And that is never going to change. And nothing will change the fact that you are my rightful successor."

Cedric was even more certain he was dreaming. Slightly dazed, he pinched himself again. The resulting pain was enough to let him know he wasn't dreaming.

"And Sir Idiot?" Cedric asked.

"If I thought for one moment that he would become the next marquess, I would completely destroy the estate and get rid of the fortune amassed. No, you are the rightful heir to the estate and title. You're stubborn, when you set your mind to something, you don't quit. And if something Miss Balthazar said this morning is to be believed, you care deeply about those around you. That's what Hexley Hall needs."

Sofia? Cedric was stunned. "What did she say?"

"Suffice it to say, she is very devoted to those she considers friends. But that's getting off track. Cedric, can you ever forgive me for not being a good father to you?"

Cedric was silent as he processed everything that was happening. It was almost too much. But one thought was at the front of his mind.

Sofia confronted him?

After several long seconds, Cedric finally spoke.

"I don't know. Several years of being pushed to the side doesn't go away easily."

Goodwyn nodded. "Of course."

"But if I hadn't been kicked out, I never would have met Sofia… That, I wouldn't change for anything. If for no other reason now, I think I could. With a bit of time."

Goodwyn gave a smile of relief. He opened his arms, silently asking his son if they could hug. To his surprise, Cedric did. No words were said. They weren't needed. Even if their relationship wasn't completely mended, they were now on the right track.

After a couple long moments, the two pulled apart.

"Now, perhaps you'd tell me what Miss Sofia meant when she said you'd saved her life?" Goodwyn asked. "More than once, it seems. Though she did mention the first time you two met."

Cedric was surprised by the question.

Just what did she say to him?

"When we first met, she'd been thrown from her horse during an early winter storm. They got separated and she was injured. I found her unconscious and took care of her."

Goodwyn nodded, impressed. "And any other times?"

Cedric's mind wandered briefly to his intervention when Graham returned.

"I'm not telling that story without her permission."

Goodwyn nodded, several thoughts running through his mind at that moment.

"Now, don't you have something important to go tell her?"

Cedric stared for a very brief moment before rushing off. As his son disappeared from sight, Goodwyn chuckled before going to find his own sweetheart.

"Winnifred."

Winnifred looked up at her husband, scowling before looking back out the window she was by.

"Do I have to endure another painful farewell? If I do, I'm leaving."

"No. There's no farewell."

Winnifred looked at her husband in shock.

"It's about time Goody. Past time."

Something outside the window caught Winnifred's attention and she motioned her husband over.

"Watch this with me."

Goodwyn came over to the window and smiled. Out in the gardens, Cedric had found Sofia, grabbed her at the waist and lifted her into the air, twirling her around. She seemed a bit surprised by the action but once he set her down, she spoke with him. Although the onlookers couldn't hear any of the conversation, it wasn't hard to guess what they were talking about.

Enthusiastically, Sofia hugged Cedric. After a few moments she released him. Slowly, Cedric leaned close to Sofia. Winnifred and Goodwyn watched even closer, eyes wide.

"Is he…?" Goodwyn couldn't finish the question.

"A blind person can see he fell in love with her," Winnifred answered.

Outside however, Sofia took a step back, putting a stop to what had almost happened.

"What?" Goodwyn was shocked. "She all but confirmed her feelings for him earlier. Why would she do that?"

Winnifred sighed, disappointed but not surprised.

"Like Cedric, Sofia has her battles to fight. But don't worry. Cedric is nothing if not very stubborn. Already, he's beginning to reach her. When the time is right, he'll be able to reach her completely. And we both know she does care for him and respects him greatly."

Goodwyn raised an eyebrow. "You think she's the one for him?" His question was more a statement.

"Goodwyn," Winnifred fixed her husband with a firm stare. "I don't think she is. I've known she is since the first day that I met her. Now come on. It looks like they are coming inside for dinner. We should go too."

Goodwyn nodded and offered his arm to Winnifred. For the first time in a very long time, she accepted the arm.