* This is a repost of the chapter with a name change thank you for being understanding.

Chapter Three:

"she is my child".

Colonel Fitzwilliam was shocked, unsure of how to reply to his cousin, in a million years he never thought he would find Darcy in this position his brother the viscount Stewart he could believe but not Darcy. Darcy was no rake he would never leave a lady in a delicate position without doing the honorable thing of marrying her, he would stand by the lady ensuring her and the child's comfort even if it meant her own unhappiness.

The colonel read the letter, his military training kicked in he wanted to know who was EB, how Darcy knew her, if he thought the contents were correct he needed to know the whole story, was this a trick to get her cousin to part with a large fortune or trap him into marriage.

The colonel broke the tension in the room by begging to ask the questions that he needed to know he had never seen his cousin so unresponsive and shocked.

"Darcy who is E, B, do you believe what she has written within this letter… Netherfield isn't that the place Bingley rented where you left because he had fallen for an unsuitable lady?" Questioned the colonel. "Why didn't you respond to her previous letter"

"Elizabeth Bennet" whispered Darcy

"Sorry did you speak"

"E, B is Elizabeth Bennet, I never received any letters of her, I met her at the Meryton Assembly while I stayed with Bingley, yes I believe her and the unsuitable lady was her sister Jane Bennet and I left her to come and rescue you."

The colonel took a moment to take the information in.

"So you're telling me you asked Bingley to leave his home and love interest as you had dallied with the sister? where you running from Netherfield..., Is her sister like her is that why she was unsuitable?... Darc I never had you down as a rake!"

The anger boiled in Darcy how could his cousin think Fitzwilliam Darcy was a rake! Elizabeth was not one of those women didn't her letter explain that to them both, and Jane Bennet was the sweetest kindest lady he had ever met, the unsuitable part of his Elizabeth and Jane was their mother, younger sisters, their lack of fortune followed by a lack of connections. He now knew from his time in the Library with Miss Elizabeth that she had been an innocent woman until she had been with him. They had both become caught up within the moment and by the time he's relied on as he had taken, it was far too late.

"No, it wasn't like that…. She was definitely a maiden"

"Well what was it like, Bingley left the sister on your advice and the other sister has left her bastard child on the doorstep of Pemberley"

Darcy, had, unfortunately, given this advice to Charles before the ball he has all intentions of resolving the matter after his time in the library with Elizabeth and encouraging Charles to pursue Jane, then he found out Jane had left with Elizabeth to go to the new world.

"My child has been left at Pemberley, Jane Bennet unsuitability was her lack of fortune and connections, which brought nothing to help the Bingley and his sister climb higher in society…."

The anger was simmering he could feel it, never the less he had to keep calm.

"Mrs. Reynolds!" Called Darcy

"Sir" came the quick reply as she entered the room

"Can you bring the child here as quickly as possible"

"Of cause sir"

Mrs. Reynolds had been in service with the Darcy family as the housekeeper for the past twenty-one years, she had seen the current master and miss Darcy grow from babes to adults. So when the gatekeeper had turned up at her office with the child, after one look she did not doubt that this child was a Darcy.

After collecting the child as quickly as possible she returned to the study where both men look as if there were in a heated discussion. Darcy's focus was caught by her entrance. Mrs. Reynolds walked slowly carrying a small swaddled bundle with the delicate gold trim, instantly the colonel recognized the swaddle of blankets as the child that was with the young lady he had seen earlier in Lambton.

Darcy reached for the child, he knew instantly from the moment he saw her, this was their child. The child had eyes that replica the fine eyes of her mother that had been burnt into his brain. He gasps as the child's stare pierced his soul he knew from that time on he would be a slave to their child.

Taking a second glance he noticed his own features in the child, the same regal nose and high cheekbones she was a Darcy threw and threw with her mother fine brown eyes his heart had melted it had been stolen by his daughter. He stroke the girl's cheek, so soft and delicate her tiny fist grasped his finger and he was lost to her again.

Over his shoulder the colonel was seeing the same noble Darcy/Fitzwilliam features his cousins was, he was frozen still held captive by the huge brown eyes staring back at him.

Darcy the master of Pemberley was back he begun issuing orders to Mrs. Reynolds to have the nursery opened, cleaned and to buy all the provisions daughter would require, if Mrs. Reynolds was shocked by him claiming the child she was too well trained to show it, their discussion of the child's needs were interrupted by the colonel.

"Darcy I've seen this child before, earlier today as I rode threw Lambton"

Darcy looked up from his precious bundle with a confused looked\

"Where"

"They were leaving a cottage on the outskirts of Lambton"

"They?"

"The child was with three women, two were young one brunette a blond who looked like an angel and an older more motherly women"

Instantly Darcy knew who two of these women were and if he was a gambling man he would bet on the third woman been Miss Elizabeth's aunt. He kneed to speak to the Wickham's and he had to find them.

George Wickham, under steward to his Father Mr. Mathew Wickham, was blessed with charming manners but lacking the work ethic of his father. His Father Mr. Mathew Wickham had been born as the third son of a wealthy landowner which lead him to enjoy a gentleman's education. While studying he met and became friends with George Darcy, which later lead to his employment as the head steward of Pemberley and Darcy's vast estates. Mathew thought he was blessed to have worked closely for many years with his closest friends, who he had named godfather to his only child. Mathew sadly had a wife who constantly lived outside her means abated his funds to a point where he couldn't afford a gentleman education for his son. George Darcy stepped in and paid for the boy's education claiming it was for loyal service from Mathew and a belief that everyone had the right to an education.

This, however, lead George Wickham to believe he was above his station in life, much like his mother he also had a fondness for living above his means leaving himself short each week, this wasn't a worry for George as his godfather, namesake George would often top up his wages for him a sign of his affections for the young man, Sadly since the late Mr. Darcy had died some five years early and the son not been as keen to give him extra funds Mr. Wickham had had to become creative.

When he was approached shortly after the late Mr. Darcy's funeral by Lady Catherine De Bourgh over an employment opportunity to become her espionage at Pemberley it was an opportunity he could not turn down. His charming manner & his standing in the estate made him the perfect espionage, but his funds again started run low quicker than normal and his quick thinking to what he believed to be a smart business move, taking Fitzwilliam personal correspondence and selling them to Lady Catherine De Bourgh for an extra shilling per letter George Wickham had made a small fortune from this business dealing.