I want to thank the readers and especially the reviewers for their support. And a especially, special thanks to Janice ;) And of cause thanks to the wonderful ladies who help me with this story, Eb Evans, darcysfriend and Patricia. I love you all!

William, Chapter 5

With a hint of humour in his voice, Mr. Darcy's replied. "Do you really have to ask, Elizabeth?" he said with a soft chuckle. "If you thought I would fail you again, do think twice." Then he became gravely serious. "I will never let you go again. Even if I wanted to, I cannot." He desperately wanted to touch her, to hold her in his arms and, oh God, just take her … but he knew it was too soon, too fast. Instead he heaved a cleansing sigh as he added, "But all in good time. First, I would like to meet William, if you allow me. The rest can wait; in truth, I have waited for twenty long years."

In her mind she had decided already… no more pain and heartbreak for them come what may, they would deal with it together. The revelation of having been betrayed by somebody else all together, someone from her own family or... she could not think about that now or she would collapse; it had shocked her to the core. They had belonged to one another from the day they had met, but somebody had tampered with their destiny, it was too incomprehensible to conceive.

The look in her eyes conveyed her answer, seeing that Darcy's countenance softened and became serene. "Well then…," she said, while she took his hand. "We will do this together then." While wondering about the rapid turn of events, and the way she let her feelings and emotions take over common sense. He wrapped his arms around her pulling her close; he put his chin on her dark curls and kissed it softly almost reverently. They sighed contently simultaneously. It felt like heaven to be in each other's arms…it felt like home.

They did not talk for many minutes, not ready for the world around them they stayed like that for a long time, just savouring the feel of warmth and bliss to be together. Neither dared to steal a kiss for fear to lose control and do something entirely inappropriate; it was improper enough to be alone in the study for so long. Though for once, they did not mind.

Elizabeth relished her current position while thinking about all the consequences of a union between them to be overcome, when the time came to care about that. She was acutely aware there would be consequences. She was not, however, about to let those consequences rule her future without a fight. William and her other children would leave her in a few years and would have to accept Darcy, and she knew they would. They were good children and would want her happiness, especially when they would hear how her-and consequently their-life had been interfered with. They would accept her error of the past; she had made it a point to teach them that nobody was perfect and they all made mistakes. This had to be accepted, in order to live one's life in peace with each other. But to wilfully tamper with her and Darcy's life was no mistake. That was evil and reprehensible and not so easily forgiven.

A knock on the door disturbed their temporary sanctuary. Feeling regret that their time together had to come to an end they straightened their clothing for each other and Darcy smoothed Elizabeth's hair. They did that with such an ease and familiarity, it left them baffled, as the whole situation had, but were reassured in their affection for each other. They both looked haggard and affected but nothing could be done about that now.

She called, "enter." Expecting her butler, but to her extreme surprise it was her William.

After his mother left for her study to receive that man, William was not sure of what to do. Should he wait for her in his chambers as she had asked him to do? Should he join his siblings? The thought gave him pause: are they still my brothers and sister? The indiscretion committed by his mother, coupled with that man's deceit, would undoubtedly affect so many people he loved! And as he himself was the result of that indiscretion, William was not quite sure how to conduct himself.

But these were ruminations not for the present. Right now, other things were pressing, such as the presence of that man in his mother's study. While William was certain that there was little harm the man could do in the house, he could not trust the cur for one moment. He could not leave his mother in a situation in which she might get hurt, again. Whatever she may have done, William knew he could never allow anybody to hurt his beloved mother.

His mind was in turmoil after hearing her tell him the truth of what he had suspected in Brighton. It seemed so outlandish, though - his mother in intimate relations with another man before marrying his father? Again William paused. Ah, his father … the goodness of one William Lloyd to have forgiven and accepted his mother without reservation, enough to marry her, struck William hard. Could William, raised as a son by this most noble of men, do the same selfless act? Did he want to? Though his mother had taught him, nobody was perfect and everybody makes mistakes and mistakes had to be forgiven. The unthinkable thing she had done, was it a mistake or deceit?

William thought back to his years with the man who raised him, loved him, fed and clothed him, educated him. That was not his father, after all – but William loved him all the more for it. This Darcy, though, him William had already judged as the scum of the earth. This man had hurt his mother … and may do so again in the study! This, he thought savagely, was not to be borne!

Quickly, William made his way to the study, feeling a little more relieved that keeping watch was John, his mother's personal footman who served more as a guard. The door was a chink open to preserve propriety, but no sound could be heard from inside. William motioned John away and took sentry in front of the double doors. John hesitated for a second, then quietly moved a few feet away.

It was then that he heard a man's harsh voice, "The boy I saw in Brighton … is he mine?" Good God, William thought, did he come for me? His heart was pounding. He could not hear his mother's reply, but she must have concurred, for next he heard the same voice, this time broken by sobs, "Then why did you abandon me? I have lived in hell all these years, why?"

What? William stifled his gasp, all the while confusion and astonishment assailing him. What is going on? Did this man not abandon my mother? Why would he ask such a question if he had? The despair in the man's voice then pulled at William's heartstrings, unbidden, adding to his own confused agony.

It was his mother's angry and agitated voice that broke through William's haze. "I ... I abandoned you? I did nothing of the kind, sir! You never came." Her voice was unsteady, and William felt his throat constrict. "As if I could have forsaken you. I waited and waited but you never came for me. I was carrying your child... I loved you. I would have crawled from Hertfordshire to Derbyshire if you had asked me." At this, William paled at the depth of his mother's feelings ... for that man. Pain then suffused him. Had it all been a lie? Had she not loved their father?

William knew that it was wrong of him to eavesdrop, but he could not help it. He had to hear ... he had to know everything. Already he could feel his heart clench as he listened to this man, Mr. Darcy, share his story, vehemently stating how he sent numerous letters to Elizabeth's father to keep him informed of his locations and intentions. And he heard the man's voice break on a sob as he added, "I never got any reply ..." William's heart ripped as well, himself close to sobbing as the realization finally hit him: this, this heartbreak was betrayal of the acutest kind!

His pulse beating wildly, William had to strain to hear his mother's reply, "I did not know. I thought you abandoned me because you thought I was wanton. Jane said you must have been using me." He heard her mumble very softly, and he held his breath, afraid to miss a word. "Papa never told me ... could he have deceived me?" William startled at that. Could that be? Would Grandfather betray Mama like that? He could not fathom so. Grandpapa loved his mother too much. All those times he would say how special his Elizabeth had always been could not be counted.

His grandmother, though ... that was an altogether different story. Grandmother Bennet never had much respect for his mother's uniqueness, and even at a young age, William knew that Elizabeth had always been her least favourite daughter.

All these musings threaded with everything that William was overhearing as he stood there by the door. He could hear Mr. Darcy's tear-laced voice, and surprisingly, it had William undone too. He had never heard a grown man cry. Mr. Darcy stated, "I would not dare doubt your judgement, but I sent every letter by my personal courier, and he swore he delivered them all. He told me one of your sisters always gave him some refreshment in the kitchen. He even knew the name of your housekeeper, Mrs. Hill."

William's eyes narrowed at this revelation. What! Somebody at Longbourn had purposefully, wilfully, hurt his mother and father? Who would do such a dastardly deed? William swore he would find out. That scum had hurt not only the three of them but all his family and Mr. Darcy's family, too.

For a while, the room was rife with silence. William heard Mr. Darcy ask something sadly, but was too overcome with emotion that his attention wavered a little until the gentleman spoke again in a stronger voice: "I just want to know two things for now. What is our son's name? Does he know about me?" He was aware that his mother replied affirmatively, and added, "Yes, he does know you are his natural father. I just told him this morning." Anxiety lined her voice as she whispered, "He was very distressed." Well, William thought, that is the understatement of a lifetime, Mother. The sardonic thought almost made him grin.

As he continued to listen in, his mother declared that she would, indeed, find out everything that happened, including who kept the letters from ever reaching her. "He or she will pay," she said with steel in her voice, and William nodded with grim thoughts of his own. Of course the culprit has to pay, he said to himself. Destroying lives should never be rewarded – such an act had a price and it should be paid in full.

He heard her ask with determination. "Mr. Darcy, are you with me?"

With no little awe, William seemed to detect a hint of humour in Mr. Darcy's reply. "Do you really have to ask, Elizabeth?" he said with a soft chuckle. "If you thought I would fail you again, do think twice." Then the voice became gravely serious. "I will never let you go again. Even if I wanted to, I cannot." Darcy heaved a cleansing sigh audible to William as he added, "But all in good time. First, I would like to meet William, if you allow me. The rest can wait; in truth, I have waited for twenty long years."

William briefly closed his eyes. This was his cue, he knocked at the door, waited a bit and opened it unannounced, vaguely realizing that his mother would be displeased with such behaviour. But he did not care … not right now. Circumstances were beyond propriety, and while he meant no disrespect, he wanted to meet his natural father and have his say. Surely, surely, he deserved that much!

He entered the room, his pulse throbbing in his head … and what or whom he saw was like a sudden grip to his heart: the man was his own image! Older, of course, and with red-rimmed eyes and haggard countenance … but William knew that this would be how he'd look in future years. Out of the corner of his eye, he observed his mother. She looked as wretched as he felt, and she, along with the other man, stood stock still, waiting for judgement to fall.

Suddenly, with outstanding clarity, William knew what he should do. He took a deep breath. "Mother, I heard it all."

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