Yes...It's been 7 months. I know. I've been really lazy. I see the excuses others post. Incredibly busy lives- yes, we all have them. I do too but really, I have no really great excuse but losing my muse for a bit. Many thanks to those who have recently found the story and sent me messages. It has prompted me to post. I've actually begun to revise it from the beginning I have some changes in mind but the storyline is the same. I hope you all enjoy this.

All my love,

DylangraceB

Checking the time William realized Lizzy was still in her class. A quick phone call to his Uncle Henry secured dinner plans. "We're all going to reconvene at 6 at my uncle's." Matthew nodded his head in agreement and the men went their separate ways in silence. Each trying to sort through their emotions of the afternoon.

When Lizzy arrived home from class William pulled her into his arms for a tight hug. All afternoon, as he wrestled with his aunt's true nature, he could only think about being with someone who represented the goodness in his life. It was the best way to counteract the bad.

Pulling away, Lizzy reached up to stroke William's face. "What happened? Tell me."

"Honestly, I don't think I can talk about it more than once and I need to fill in my uncle. Can we wait to discuss it until dinner?"

"Ok. What do you want to do then?" Lizzy asked.

"Just tell me about your day. Tell me anything you want." William whispered.

Settling themselves on the couch, Lizzy began to talk of lectures and assignments. She'd received back grades from papers and exams that had been turned in before Spring Break and overall was pleased with how the semester was progressing. It was difficult to imagine how quickly it was speeding along and yet Lizzy was full of enthusiasm for her classes and the plans she'd made with friends for the coming weeks. She was embracing this semester with her friends on campus and he was happy to hear about all she was planning to do to make the most of it. Holding her in his arms filled him with contentment and he was so happy in this moment it was hard to imagine how unhappy he'd been when when he had first learned of the codicil. This was his silver lining and reward for doing the right thing.

William leaned over to Lizzy and kissed her lips softly. "I love you and am so glad we're married."

Lizzy looked at him a bit surprised. She didn't know where this spontaneous declaration came from but imagined it had to do with whatever he learned this afternoon. The statement did warrant a kiss however and it wasn't long before things became a bit more heated. Eyeing the clock they certainly had enough time before heading over to the Fitzwilliams. Lizzy wanted to demonstrate her love to William. Out of adversity came so much good and they needed this time together to reinforce it.

The trip to the Fitzwilliams took less than twenty minutes and yet Lizzy could sense the rise in tension apparent in William's entire demeanor. She was at a complete loss as to how to calm him and chose to simply hold his hand. Perhaps maintaining a physical connection would remind him that together they could face any difficulty.

The Senator and his wife were equally grim, anticipating the worst. It wasn't until they were all seated around the table, Sophia and Henry, Chloe and Matthew, Lizzy and William, that the events of the afternoon began to unfold. It was soon clear to the elder Fitzwilliams that Catherine DeBourgh had used the illness of three people to perpetrate a scam against her own family; convincing them all that she was granted custody of Georgiana and access to her wealth. Why did she delay its implementation? They could only speculate that her hope was that time would blur their memories of illness and lessen their access to the key participants. Indeed Mrs. Baker and Matthew's father lived less than a year after the elder Darcy's passing. It hadn't taken long for the principals in this scheme to be unavailable for questioning in the most convincing way possible.

"It's hard to imagine my sister could be such a scheming witch. Truly I'm horrified that she has used our cousin's stroke and another woman's strife to make a claim on her own niece's assets. What could she be thinking?"

William voiced the concern which had been weighing him down all afternoon. "We have no actual proof she did anything of the sort. A thank you note, an ill-timed signature on a legal document. That's all we have. To truly invalidate any and all claims, we'd have to prove that her payment of Mrs. Baker's funeral was related to her illegal notarization of Matthew's father's signature on the codicil. It's all circumstantial."

Matthew sighed. "He's right. I've been thinking about this all afternoon. To actually invalidate the codicil in a court of law we'd need more then what we have today. I can't imagine putting Nicole Baker on the stand. She doesn't deserve that either. Her memories are actually positive and we've already raised enough doubt in her mind, I wouldn't want her to testify that her mother was a criminal in her dying days."

The table fell quiet for several minutes. Four of the six were still processing the information gathered. It was Sophia Fitzwilliam who broke the silence. "That bitch. She is never welcome in my home. Ever again. And I will gladly tell her exactly why. You don't need to prove anything beyond a reasonable doubt. We all know and once she knows that we know, she won't dare try anything. Besides, Lizzy is here to stay in William's life so we know Georgie is safe. Henry, you and William will visit Catherine tomorrow. Surprise her...but make it clear. We know what she is and what she has done."

Henry leaned over and kissed his wife. He wasn't a man of grand gestures but he knew his wife was right. They'd be taking a trip to Maine tomorrow and would send a message.

"Fitzwilliam. Henry. To what do I owe this pleasure? You so rarely make your way to visit me, I can only hope that nothing is wrong with a member of the family."

William shrugged, a bit uneasy with his role in this second ambush of his Aunt. His parents had taught him to respect his elders and yet, this one relative had never made it easy for him.

Placing a light kiss on his sister's cheek, the Senator decided they might as well get this unpleasant business over with. He could sense his nephew's discomfort and thinking of Sophia waiting at home for him, decided a "rip the bandaid off" approach was likely best. "Hello Cathy. I appreciate your concern and I'm happy to say that all is very well with our family. Well for the most part, all is well, although Cathy I'm quite concerned for you."

Catherine's eyes went wide. "Why ever are you concerned for me? Anne and I are doing quite well in Maine. I do believe she has attracted the eye of a very successful man and he is quite taken with her. The man already has four children from his first two wives and doesn't want any more. Goodness knows what he was thinking having so many in the first place. At least he knows he is done."

As Catherine made her speech, they found themselves seated in her formal sitting room. It wasn't a comfortable room but from William's perspective they weren't there for easy conversation so it was likely fitting. "Please send our best to Anne. I don't believe we will get to see her this time as we are here for a quick visit." Pausing briefly, William took a breath before continuing. "To that end, I recently met an acquaintance of yours and it was so interesting Uncle Henry and I thought we might speak with you about it directly."

This statement got Catherine's attention. She sat expectantly, unusually quiet for her.

"Yes, William and our cousin Matthew met a Ms. Nicole Baker. She had quite a bit to share about her mother and her relationship with you."

Will was watching his aunt's face closely and the only emotion he could detect was a bit of surprise at hearing that long ago name. She said nothing.

"I'm sure the name is familiar. I see recognition on your face and she certainly sings your praises in terms of generosity to her and her mother at a difficult time."

"Yes well. I'm not one to laud my charitable efforts about. Ms. Baker is certainly the exception to prove the rule. Despite her origins she has made herself into a very accomplished young woman by conventional standards."

"It is quite interesting, your friendship with her mother." Henry allowed the statement to hang out there. It was a common negotiating technique. Silence was a very powerful tool in order to get the other side speaking. It generally worked with individuals who liked the sound of their own voice.

"I hope our relationship was mutually satisfactory. Her mother had a difficult life but everyone has their special qualities. I'm sure her passing was a loss and if I could ease that for her and her daughter, I was pleased to do so."

William's patience was at an end. "It's interesting when one examines things more closely, understanding the motivations of each party in an event. It gives one an entirely new perspective. Fortunately, at the time, Ms. Baker only saw your actions as generosity and not payment for services rendered. What we are here to say, if it isn't clear already, is that we understand what you paid for. While I'm glad Mrs. Baker was laid to rest in a manner which honors her daughter, you will never receive the benefits you were long hoping for. You will never gain access to Georgiana or her wealth."

William stood. He could no longer stay in this woman's home. Henry, seeing his agitation stood as well. "Cathy. You are my sister but given the recent revelations, the way you manipulated ill people to your benefit, I'm disgusted. You would be well advised to stay clear of the Fitzwilliams and Darcys. We'd like to keep the memory of Mrs. Baker's good service at FF&D intact. Not to mention the good names of our cousin and my brother-in-law. Any action by you to disrupt that state of affairs will not serve you well. Please extend our best wishes to Anne."

Catherine de Bourgh sat dumbstruck in her sitting room. It was an unusual feeling and knowing little how to deal with the emotion, retired to her room where she could put the very irritating interaction far from her mind.

The car they had driven to Maine was still warm. Ten minutes was all the interaction had required and they were still processing the conversation. It was William who spoke first. "Do you think she really gets it? Does she know that we know: her plan, taking advantage of three ill people for her economic benefit, has been thoroughly uncovered? We never spelled it out."

"She knows. My sister is a lot of things but she is smart. And, she was quiet. If there was confusion, if she thought she had a leg to stand on, there would have been a lot more noise. We can move forward now. This scare you had, around Georgiana's custody and fortune, is behind you. Even if you hadn't married your Lizzy, Cathy couldn't or wouldn't attempt to enforce that codicil.

William took a deep breath. Looking out the window at the passing trees, he could finally put away this obstacle away. He couldn't regret the outcome of the threat his aunt had created. In protecting his sister he'd married an amazing woman. But there was another issue which had been more meaningful to his overall confidence and sense of capability. It was the knowledge that his father didn't doubt his ability to see to all of his responsibilities - including taking care of his sister. And that was the crux of the matter wasn't it. He needed to know that his father had faith in him. Even from the grave.

Comments are very appreciated :)