PART FIVE

Eliza awoke and blinked in confusion. There was an odd moaning noise coming from the hallway. Are there ghosts here? She wondered, her mind still sleep addled. She rubbed her face with her hands. Then she suddenly had a horrible thought, William! He said he might have nightmares, I had never heard him have one before.

She rose from the bed and quickly ran into the hallway, listening for him. There was a cry as he shouted in his sleep so she ran towards the room she had heard it come from.


"Boy, you are good for nothing! Tell me, why should I spend my money educating ye, if you are going to bring home grades like these? Eh? Tsk, yer mother would have been so disappointed in you." Alistair Reid stood over the young boy who was trying his best not to show his fear.

"I did my best sir. I only missed one question." The boy said, in his defense. "Ha! Then that is NOT your best." Alistair threw the test at the floor, "Pick that up, then go to your room and stay there for the rest of the evening." The boy nodded. Alistair stormed out of the room. The boy bent down to collect his papers. He looked at it sadly, all the of the answers, save one, had check marks next to them. He sniffled, I have to try harder next time, he thought. Then he had a sad realization, I'll miss dinner tonight…

A tear ran down his cheek, landing on the paper. He watched as the teardrop spread, smudging his name, William Wellington.


Eliza tried the doorknob of the room she had heard William's cries coming from. The door opened creakily and she cautiously entered the dark room. "William?" She called out softly. She saw him, he was tossing and turning on the bed. That must be a horrible nightmare, she thought as she approached. William was sweating and he looked as though he were in pain.

"William!" She said a bit louder, she reached out to touch his shoulder, he jolted awake, startling her, and sat up, his eyes wild. "Lizzie?" He said hoarsely. "Yes, yes, I'm here William, I'm right here." She said soothingly.

Eliza spotted a water pitcher on the bedside table. She poured him a glass of water and handed it to him as she sat on the edge of the bed by his side. William took a long swallow, his hand shaking, and he was still breathing heavily. "William, what were you dreaming about? I could hear you from my room." She asked, full of concern.

"Sorry. Nightmare. I knew that was going to happen. Didn't mean to wake you." He said, breathing deeply, trying to calm himself down.

Eliza tentatively reached out to stroke his cheek, unsure of how he would react. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. Then, much to her relief, he smiled at her, and gently ran a finger down her cheek in return.

"You're so much stronger than I, Lizzie. I will always need you, whereas you, you don't really need me." He said softly. She looked up at him in surprise, "That's not quite true Will. Perhaps it may seem as though I don't need anything from you, not your financial assistance, not your protection, but instead I choose to be with you, because you are kind and caring and I love the man you have become."

William nodded, feeling better at her words. Eliza took a deep breath and continued, "I am so sorry for what I had said before. I do trust you, completely. I was jealous and… insecure. You keep saying how independent I am but, when you hold me in your embrace, that is the last thing I care about, all I can think is how happy I am that I'm yours, that I belong to you." She thought it would have been painful to admit it, the fact that she prided herself on being self-sufficient, yet, had to admit that she truly wasn't. Nothing she did really mattered if she didn't have William to share it with.

"I know you've been with other women, it's just, when I saw you holding Seasaidh… I didn't know what to think, how to react. It was so very immature of me." She looked down at her hands.

"Lizzie, I was so surprised at running into an old friend, I was caught off guard, I wasn't even thinking. She had helped me so much when I was young, I promise to tell you everything tomorrow. And yes, I have been with other women, but believe me when I tell you this, you are the first and only woman I have ever loved. There has never been, and never will be, anyone that I love as much as I love you."

Eliza looked up at him she smiled brightly through her tears. "Don't cry now." William said, picking up an edge of the sheet to dry her eyes with. She laughed, happy that his face had brightened significantly, and that he was smiling and his eyes held their usual warmth when he looked at her. "Lizzie, I also want to apologize for how I left things with you. I was being spiteful before." He took her hand and kissed it, then placed it over his heart. "I never won't do that again, even if we fight or argue, I always love you." He chuckled, "I'd probably forgive anything of you." She shook her head, "I hope you never have to." He nodded his agreement.

"Come here." He said softly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her onto the bed next to him, "I don't think I have any more nightmares left in me." She leaned over him and brushed his hair back from his face. "I'll keep them at bay." She promised, and kissed his lips. He kissed her back and she knew everything would be okay.

Eliza moved so William could rest his head on her shoulder. She caressed his hair and he quickly drifted off. I'll never doubt you again. I've been taking you for granted, I think I have been for most of our lives. You always let me drag you around, or I forced you to follow behind, you always wanted to watch me, to keep me safe, but we're partners now, and I promise from now on to trust you and to keep you by my side.