FanStory.com - The Unwilling Heir - Chap 26by Begin Again

END OF CHAPTER 25
The flames had died down, leaving ashes and the scent of burnt paper.

Sebastian placed Sandra in Tim's arms, murmuring, "She'll need rest. When she wakes, it will only be a bad dream."

As Tim carried Sandra to the safety of her bedroom, Sebastian joined Billy near the ballroom doorway.

Angry, Billy shouted, "It was Victoria, wasn't it? She sacrificed us all — for what? To be tortured and sent to hell?"

Still reeling in grief, Sebastian murmured, "I tried to warn her."

Billy scoffed, "Why? You're a celestial being. You should have known she'd choose the treasure in the end. Why didn't you stop her?"

Billy's remarks stung but effectively brought Sebastian back to his mission. "I wanted to, but I don't have that power. It was her choice."

"All of this was for nothing. My grandfather —" A wave of sadness choked Billy as he remembered his whole reason for choosing to come to purgatory. His eyes drifted to the flickering flames and the burnt book. "Without my grandfather and the book, we're all doomed. What was she thinking?"

"In the end, she asked for forgiveness. She burned the book so they wouldn't have it."

Billy dropped to his knees, sobbing. "I tried Grandfather. You told me always to be a warrior, but I failed."

Sebastian touched Billy's shoulder as he spoke. "There still might be a chance."

*****

CHAPTER 26
Lorrie carefully tucked the comforter around Sandra, ensuring she was snug and comfortable. The soothing effects of the housekeeper's special tea had finally brought Sandra into a peaceful slumber, erasing the haunting remnants of a dreadful dream from her mind.

Tim sat by the window in the dimly lit room, his tall figure silhouetted against the closed drapes. His presence was a comforting watchfulness over Sandra, but Lorrie could sense his inner turmoil.

"I know what you're doing, Lorrie," Tim's deep voice broke the silence, catching Lorrie off guard. "Your fussing won't hide anything."

Lorrie feigned innocence, adjusting the pillow beneath Sandra's head. "Me — fussing? I'm simply attending to her needs. It's my duty."

Tim's eyes were dark and intense. "You're blaming yourself, aren't you?"

Lorrie hesitated, her staunch facade cracking. "Blaming myself? I don't understand what you mean."

"For not foreseeing Sandra's need to return to the bowels of this place, perhaps," Tim's voice softened with empathy. "Or for knowing and not being able to prevent it. She's young yet focused on this career she's chosen, but she's strong-willed and doesn't always think things through properly."

"She's much like you!" Lorrie murmured, her eyes dropping to Sandra's peaceful face. "Maybe when she wakes, you should reveal who you are. She deserves to know your story, considering the impact of your disappearance on her and her mother."

Tim's gaze turned away, his eyes fixed on the flickering flames. "I don't want to burden her, Lorrie. It could add unnecessary pressure if she knew I was her father, especially now."

Lorrie considered his words. "True, but it could also bring her closure and ease the sorrow she carries, knowing you never intended to leave her or your wife."

Tim remained silent, the weight of his unspoken words hanging in the air. The air thickened, and the room seemed to whisper, the ghosts of the past lingering just beyond the firelight.

******

"Esther, I want you and Will to take a walk in the garden. You don't need the fresh air, but you could enjoy God's beautiful creations. Walk in the garden and catch up on — the good things. Will, I am sure that Esther would like to know about your childhood and Rebecca."

Esther looked at Sebastian, her ghostly form shimmering with worry. "But I need to stay with William." Her spectral eyes pleaded with him not to make her leave.

"I know, but I need to speak with him. He needs to hear about Victoria, and I think it should come from me."

"Victoria! She betrayed my father. What good could come from telling him?" Will moved closer to Esther. "She —"

"Right or wrong, she loved your father. She made bad choices and suffered the consequences, but that doesn't change the fact that they shared a life. Your father needs closure to cleanse his heart, or redemption will never be his."

Will nodded and took Esther's trembling hand. "I suppose I do have a lot to tell you. Let's take a walk."

Sebastian watched the silhouettes of mother and son fade away before taking the chair beside William's bed. At first, he sat quietly as the whispering grew silent, then he offered a prayer, hoping for guidance as he talked to William.

"William, it's Sebastian. I don't know if you remember me, but it doesn't matter. The council has sent me to help you and the others. I don't have the power to change your decisions, only to suggest and show you the way."

William stirred. His eyelids fluttered, and his lips moved, but then he returned to his comatose state.

"Don't strain yourself, my friend. You'll need your strength soon. For now, I need you to listen. I've got a message to deliver from Victoria."

William moaned, and his hand jerked as if trying to stop Sebastian, or maybe the sound of her name triggered something deep inside his heart.

"William, calm yourself." Sebastian waited and then continued, "No one's life on earth is perfect. We all make bad choices, but that doesn't mean we can't be forgiven. You made some serious mistakes, and though you tried to make amends, you lost the chance because others took your life. Victoria was blinded by the thought of the treasure and being an aristocrat once again. She made a crucial mistake and paid the price."

William moaned, his ethereal glow fading as his earthly form lost shape.

"William!" Sebastian's voice rose above his normal calming tone. "William, stay with me. Don't give up."

A chorus of angelic voices filled one corner of the room while evil whisperings hung far back, assuring their distance from Sebastian yet eager to claim another soul.

Knowing William's soul hung in the balance, Sebastian raised his eyes to the ceiling and begged, "Please, give me strength and guidance. So many souls depend on this man."

Without waiting for a sign, Sebastian laid his hand on what remained of William's ghostly being and spoke, "In her own way, Victoria loved you. She made the choice to find the book, but in her last moments, she sacrificed herself and the book for you and the others. She asked forgiveness as she slipped into the darkness." He paused, took a deep breath, and exhaled. "Don't make her sacrifice be for nothing. You need to come back to your family and finish this quest. For you, Esther, Will, and everyone involved. Think of your grandson — Billy needs to know —"

"Needs to know what?" Billy's voice interrupted. His ghostly form materialized at the doorway, after rushing to his grandfather's side.

Sebastian stood and faced Billy as if expecting the visit, calmly answering, "That you are loved."

Sebastian bent over and touched William's body. A brilliant glow surrounded his hands and generated into the fading shape, leaving warmth. "Sit with your grandfather. Give him your strength by talking to him about how blessed you were to have him in your life. How the love you shared outshined his misjudgments in life."

"He knows that! Isn't that why I'm here? I chose to fight for his soul, no matter the cost."

"True — but your journey is to do so much more."

"Tell me."

"In due time, Billy. It's not my place. I am only here to guide you. I've told your grandfather about Victoria. Now, you must help him return to us."

Sebastian's celestial figure faded, leaving Billy alone with his grandfather. He settled into the chair near the bed and touched his grandfather's hand. A tear trickled down his face as he stared at the remnants of the man who had been his hero throughout his life. The reason he fought for the chance to save him and the others from damnation.

"Grandfather. It's Billy." He waited for a sign of recognition, but when nothing happened, he continued, "Please, don't leave me alone. You are the only family I have ever known. I'm doing this for you — for us. Please come back. Let's do this together. The book is gone. You are our only hope."

William's ethereal body began to take shape once again. His lips moved as he muttered, "Go forth."

"I will, Grandfather, but I don't know where to start. You've got to help me."

"Go fort —"

Billy buried his head in his hands. "Grandfather, I don't know what that means. Where do you want me to go?"

William's eyelids fluttered, and then he was staring at his grandson. As his form grew brighter, he whispered, "Our secret." His lips continued to move, but Billy couldn't understand the words. Finally, William gasped, "Fish."

Billy's shoulders sagged as he repeated his grandfather's words. "What are you telling me?" He mulled over the words and then repeated them out loud. "Go forth. Go fort. Our Secret. Fish."

Suddenly, Billy's eyes lit up. "Oh, Grandfather, I love you. I've got to tell the others."

As he raced out the door, Sebastian materialized, smiling. "You can rest now, William. Your grandson is on the hunt."

*****

After a short walk through the wildflower fields, Will led his mother into the rose garden, choosing a wooden bench for them. The ethereal glow of their forms shimmered in the sunlight but left no shadow.

"Mother," he began, his voice filled with sadness. "I've told you about my childhood and Rebecca, but we must discuss father."

Esther nodded, her translucent figure flickering slightly. "I was never part of their circle, so I only heard the gossip."

Will took a deep breath out of habit, not because his earthly form needed it. "I want to preface this conversation by telling you he was the best father any young boy could ask for. And his power and riches opened every possible door for me. He had the high standing of being an exceptional judge. Still, he was deeply involved with the mob for some unknown reason."

"Maybe a judge's salary couldn't maintain the quality of life Victoria demanded." Esther sighed, her voice echoing faintly. "I don't mean to speak poorly of her, but her need to appear above others certainly didn't work out well for her."

"Yes, and despite his shady dealings, he always had a heart of gold for our family. He did everything to protect us, especially when he tried to redeem himself with the treasure."

Esther's eyes flickered with regret, their light dimming. "I suspected as much. The town gossiped, and it wasn't always about me."

"When I met Rebecca, Victoria was livid. She was a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, but Father didn't care. He understood how much we loved each other, and when she became pregnant, he provided her with shelter and care. Of course, she couldn't stay in the main house, but the cottage suited her far better."

Tears lined Esther's eyes as she recalled the life she once lived. "I remember Rebecca and so many other young girls just like her, shunned by the women of society. Even though your father succumbed to Victoria's charms, I knew he loved you and would do right by anyone you loved."

"A friend challenged me to a horse race, and my horse stumbled, breaking his leg. I was thrown onto some boulders near the creek and died instantly. Father, though heartbroken, continued to care for Rebecca. When she died in childbirth, he took our son and raised him as his own."

Esther reached out, her ghostly hand passing through Will. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Rebecca, and your son."

"It wasn't your fault, Mother," Will replied gently. "But now, as lost souls in purgatory, we need to band together and return the treasure to its rightful owners so we can find redemption and enter eternity together."

A loud male voice brought Will and Esther's attention to the garden gate as Billy raced through it, calling "James — Ryan — Benny." Not recognizing the two ethereal beings on the bench, Billy stopped, unsure what he saw.

The man on the bench was a much younger replica of his grandfather. The woman — he'd seen her face, but where? Instantly, he remembered his grandfather in his study holding the picture of this woman and a young boy.

"Grandfather?" Billy's voice was hesitant and filled with confusion. "But I just left—" he turned to Esther. You —you were someone very important to my grandfather."

Having heard Billy calling their names, James and the other men appeared at the cottage door. James spoke first. "What's happening, Billy?" Then he noticed Esther and Will on the bench and realized the answer.

Billy glanced at the two spirits and then at James. "Maybe you can tell me. I don't think I have ever met these two people, yet they seem so familiar."

James stepped forward, spreading his arm toward the two. "I suppose it's about time."

Billy scowled, "Time for what?"

James took Esther's hand, and she stood. "For you to meet your grandmother — the Judge's first true love."

Billy's eyes widened as he stared at her, trying to understand why he'd never known this woman. Then he turned to Will. "And you look so much like my grandfather."

Will nodded. "I'm his son. And you would be mine, I presume."

Billy's jaw dropped. "You're my father?"