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Author's Chapter Notes:
I hope you read and enjoy this chapter, it was very difficult for me to write.
Thanks,
spufette
HEAVENLY DREAMS?


Chapter 4: ‘Dreams In Paradise; Nightmares In Hell’


A/N: This is the chapter where the angst begins and hopefully, readers will begin to understand where this story is going? (I hope, I hope, I hope!)


Summary: William and Elizabeth continue their life of married bliss; with the joy of a child on the way. The chapter will skip through time (days; weeks and months) via little vignettes of the couple’s life together. The angst will come at the end of the chapter and will take the plot into Chapter 5.


Chapter 4:


All through his life of twenty-two years, William Hampton had been seen as a man of a most serious nature. He had never been a young man of much joviality; only on rare occasions would he even laugh out loud. His childhood had been a happy one, of course, since he was the only son of rich and important parents.

However, Lord William was usually most serious in nature and somber of mood. Even as a young boy, with his necessary spectacles and his mass of fair curls. He looked like the typical studious school boy, even when he had grown into a good-looking young man.

Now, however, everything had changed, completely in William’s life. He had his Lizzy, his beautiful, loving wife and the promise of new happy future; a child was on the way. Everything was perfect in William’s life, now, and he laughed, constantly, with a newfound giddiness brought by pure joy.


Right at the moment, as William pondered, again, his new found lease on life? He was laying next to his Lizzy; in their big bed. Both of them were pleasantly naked as new born babes.

“I am already getting fat,” Lizzy sighed, a pretty pout formed on her pert mouth. “Look at this,” she groaned as she pointed a slim finger at her puffy little tummy.

“You are not getting fat, Lizzy darling,” Will chuckled, “you’re just expanding a bit to make room for baby. I think you’re beautiful and even if you get big as an elephant? I shall still love you as much as always have.”

Will finished his heartfelt declaration to his wife by tickling her poofy, but adorable little tummy. All the while, he placed kitten kisses on her sweet face and pouty little mouth.

“You had better mister,” Lizzy giggled in reply, especially when her husband’s tickling became especially aggressive. Albeit quite a nice feeling on the soft flesh of her stomach and hips.

“Will, now stop it,” she cried gleefully. “We need to come to some conclusion about ‘these’ names for the baby!”

“Oh Lizzy,” Will laughed heartily, giving in to her wishes, and taking her in his arms. “We’ve ever so much time to come up with the baby’s name. There are months and months until…..”

“No Will,” Lizzy retorted with her most determined countenance which signaled she meant business. “Before we know it, our child will be here and the poor little thing will not have a perfect Christian name to be called.”

Lizzy pouted once again, causing Will to quit his protests and give in to her. She was probably right, anyway; Lizzy was always right, about everything. It was just one of the traits he adored in his wife.

“Now,” Lizzy snuggled deeper into Will’s embrace, “I demand that we name our first son ‘William’ of course,” she began evenly.

“No!” Will grunted in adamant protest. “No son of mine is going to go through his life with my poncy name!”

“I won’t have it Lizzy. Name him Henry or Hank for your dad; or even Randalph for mine. Bloody hell; name him Dalton for my best mate, but do not try and name my boy…..” William had worked himself up into a fine state by this time; his body was tense as a coil

“Oh calm down you big baby,” Lizzy giggled and slapped at Will’s strong chest playfully. “We will not name our son ‘William’ if that is what you wish!”

Will seemed placated by his wife’s verbal promise so he relaxed his body and grinned warmly at her. “Besides,” he continued mischievously, “I do believe this shall be a girl anyway. I hope so,” he sighed dreamily.

“Perhaps you are right,” Lizzy murmured, just as dreamily, “then her name shall be Aurora Joyce, just as we discussed?” She more asked then stated her choice. “I did kind of re-think the name of Aurora,” Lizzy murmured, her brows furrowed together in thought.

“I was thinking,” she continued sweetly, “of keeping the original concept of Aurora, but perhaps making it simpler. Such as Dawn Joyce? Same idea, just another form of the name?”

Lizzy glanced up at Will, coyly and was rewarded with a big, wide grin from her handsome husband.

“Of course, it’s perfect, sweetheart,” he chuckled, that deep, satisfied sound he made that Lizzy adored so.

‘And if it is a boy?’ Lizzy grinned to herself, ‘I shall see to it that his name ‘is’ William. Just you wait William Hampton. It is a perfectly beautiful name and will fit your son; the way it has always fit you, my love.’

{Some months later…..}


Christmas was in just two more days and Lizzy was beginning to really show her pregnancy. True to his word, Will found her more and more delightful; the bigger she got.

They were going to spend the holidays at Will’s parents’ country home. Hampton Shires had been the site of the couple’s wedding night and Lizzy insisted that they accept Lord and Lady Hampton’s invitation. Of course, Lord and Lady Summers, Lizzy’s folks, were invited also.

One morning, at the Shires, when Will and Lizzy were on their morning constitutional walk; they happened by the open barnyard.
A mama pig and a new baby piglet were lazing in the cold air, searching perhaps for a bit of an unusual sunny spot.

Lizzy stopped, stunned at the site; piglets were usually born in the spring and this little one’s existence was quite a rarity indeed. “Look at him,” she giggled as she pointed at the tubby, pink little pig. He followed his mama about, trying to catch hold of a bright pink teat to suckle.

“He is a rare one,” Will reply with a warm smile. His arm was linked in Lizzy’s, as usual, and he was truly in Heaven. Even here by the Shires barnyard wooden fence.

“Name him sweetheart,” Will ordered her gently. “You are so clever with names and I know me mum and dad haven’t taken the chance to. Please name him.”

“Well,” Lizzy began, giddily, “I think I shall name him Mr. Gordo.”

“Mr. Gordo, luv?” Will gave her a dubious look. “Where did you ever come up with that one?”

“I do not know, Will,” she giggled in reply and snuggled into his warm body. It truly was cold out this morning.

“I know that gordo is Latin for ‘fat’ or ‘large’ and for some reason,” she continued with a slight frown, “it just popped into my mind!”

“Well, Mr. Gordo it is, then,” Will chuckled in response while he placed his left hand on Lizzy’s now obvious tummy.

“And, how is our little Mr. or Miss Gordo this fine morning,” he murmured, affectionately tickling Lizzy’s said tummy through her heavy winter coat.

“I’ll have you know that ‘our’ baby is not going to be fat or large, William Hampton,” Lizzy snorted in mock hurt. “Our little boy or girl will have delicate, fine features; just like ours!” She began to giggle outrageously, causing Will to join in the reverie.

Yes, William Hampton’s life had come full circle, truly. He was a blessed man and naturally assumed he would be a blessed father of many children to come.

Christmas day came and went, like all Christmas days tend to do. Even with all the hoopla and drama that surrounded the holiday, it seemed to come and go too quickly for William and Elizabeth.

Will had given his Lizzy a beautiful gold chain with a magnificent, huge sapphire pendant to wear on it. He had also slipped perfectly matching sapphire earrings into the box as well.

Lizzy cried like a newborn baby herself when she opened that huge box to find the smaller one hidden inside. She had insisted that Will place the earrings and necklace on her himself. Which, he did of course.

For Will, Lizzy had scoured the bookstores of London to find an original, signed book by Charles Dickens. With Lady Anabella’s help, she had discovered a copy of Oliver Twist; a stroke of luck on her part.

There was also a set of blank, leather bound journals and fine quill pens for Will. Lizzy had carefully picked out the finest supplies to better aid her husband in his dream of writing.

William went completely gaga over the gifts and spent the better part of Christmas day pouring over the book and jotting notes down in the journal. He did break for the great feast, of course, and presented Lizzy with one more present: A lovely little Persian kitten, with a pink nose and blue eyes.

Lizzy was so beside herself with joy that she could barely eat a bite of the magnificent supper. All of her family, Will included insisted that she settle down and eat a hearty meal.

“The sprog needs its nourishment, Princess, and so do you,” Will had admonished her lovingly.


{A month or so more has passed…..}


“I so wish I could go ice-skating,” Lizzy Hampton grumbled under her breath as she eyed the inviting icy pond, wistfully.

“Now, darling,” Will began patiently. “You know that you must not do anything physical like that,” he tsked lovingly. “The doctor has been most adamant that you take it easy these last few months before the baby,” he added sternly.

“But, I should be so careful Will and the pond is so inviting! I miss it,” she countered stubbornly. “I know!” Lizzy suddenly brightened at her thought.

“You go ice-skating for me Will, please!” Lizzy clasped her husband’s arms and pleaded with him. “If you go, it will be as if I am out there too,” she finished on a high note.

“Oh, Lizzy,” Will groaned audibly. “I’ll look even more like a ponce then I already to,” he whined like a spoilt child.

“No, you do not look like a ponce, William Hampton,” Lizzy insisted in her most persuasive voice. “You are the most dashing looking man I have ever laid eyes one. I wish you would believe that about yourself, my love and…..”

“You really do think I am dashing, don’t you darling?” He asked hopefully, his tone was now quite light and hopeful.

“Yes, of course I do,” Lizzy mumbled impatiently eyeing the icy pond again.

“You are so bright and beautiful, Princess,” Will chuckled as he pulled her back into his arms. “In fact, you are truly effulgent,” he cried gleefully.

“Effulgent? What word is that, Will?” She asked curiously. “I do not think I have ever heard such a term.”

“That’s because I just thought of it,” Will smiled proudly as he took out his old ice skates from their bag. The ones that Lizzy had apparently snuck in there for just this surprise occasion.

“Yes, I will ice-skate, for you, my sweet,” he sighed in defeat. There was a definite smile of pleasure on his face, however, as he slipped on the skates and slid out onto the ice. Although he tried to concentrate on his ice skating; Will could only think of his lovely wife, just over there by the fence.

How he loved her, his Lizzy and how he always would. Even in his afterlife, William would always love his eternal wife.


{Another month goes by…..}


Dalton watched his best friend, William Hampton, as he doted on his beautiful wife Lizzy. Mrs. William Hampton was in the last, most noticeable time of her pregnancy, but Dalt had to admit it. William had been right; Lizzy Hampton was even more beautiful then before she become with child.

A constant, lovely rosy flush adorned the mother-to-be and even her obvious weight gain just seemed to emphasize Lizzy’s beauty. William had never looked so happy or even carefree in the entire time that Dalton had known his younger friend.

“The novel is coming along then, Will?” Dalton asked coyly as he took a sip of the brandy Lizzy had provided him. He had been invited to supper and afterwards, he and the happily married couple were in the study, having a nip of warming liquor.


“Oh, it’s bloody hopeless, Dalt,” William sighed in frustration. “I am stuck on a chapter; writers’ block they call it. Can’t seem to make the characters work in this one. I’m afraid I am a bloody awful novelist and…..”

“Well, I have read the manuscript, up to this chapter, Dalton and I believe it to be brilliant!” Lizzy offered with all of her sincerity.

“Your opinion is biased sweetling,” Will interject wistfully. “You just adore me so much that…..”

“Yes, tis true,” Lizzy giggled happily, something that caused her pink blush to expand down to her sleek neck. “I do adore you, my love, but I am honest to a fault and you know it. The manuscript is brilliant and I stand by that!”


William sat in his stuffy old private office at the bank, his head in his accounting books. He truly hated this job, but it was his line of work and that of his fathers. If he had to do this, to truly support his Lizzy and their children until perhaps? Until he did succeed in writing the great novel of the 19th Century!

Will’s pleasant thoughts were interrupted by his apprentice accountant, young Andrew Pryce. The usually slightly nervous young eighteen-year-old Andrew burst into William’s inner office; his light eyes wide with anxiousness.

“It’s your mother-in-law, Lord Hampton,” Andrew squealed in his antsy high tone. “She says for you to come to her home, immediately. It’s your lady, sir, she’s……”

Will did not wait for Andrew to finish his stammered sentence. He grabbed his coat and hat from the rack and flew out of the bank. On the street, he hailed the nearest hack and jumped into the passenger seat.

While he rode, anxiously berating the driver to go faster, William envisioned the worse possible scenarios in his mind. He knew, quite rightly, that if the baby was on it’s way? It was still a bit too early. Most first babies, or so he had been told, were a bit stubborn by nature and born later then expected.

As he tried to calm himself; telling his worried mind that he was overreacting? William felt the icy cold fingers of fear surround his rapidly beating heart. In his heart, if not his mind; William Hampton knew that his beloved wife was in trouble and it near killed him.

All the way to the Summers’ mansion, William cursed and swore, silently. In the mean time; he berated the driver, time and again, to speed things up. This was an emergency after all.


William’s worst fears were realized when he was met at his in-laws’ door by Hank Summers, his father-in-law. Hank’s face was the color of white chalk that William had used in child’s school.

“Will,” the man stammered, unsure obviously of how to tell his son-in-law of the complications.

“It’s Lizzy, isn’t it!” William exclaimed as he pushed past Hank and ran up the long staircase, taking two steps at a time.

“William!” Hank called from the bottom of the stairs, but the worried young husband ignored the older man.

When he reached Lizzy’s old childhood bedroom, Will burst into the room and gasped in horror at the sight that met his eyes.

His beautiful Lizzy, the only thing he ever truly wanted or needed in his entire life, lay on the massive bed. Her little body was barely covered, modestly, and William could see from where he stood that she was covered in sweat. That and blood; blood that seeped from her cunny, all over the fine white linen sheets below her.

Lizzy noted the minute her beloved had entered the room because she lifted her weary head. Wide, pained green eyes met fearful blue ones in a heated gaze.

“I am sorry, Will,” Lizzy whispered raspily, the pain and anguish evident in her usually light voice. “Something went wrong and…..”

Lady Joyce hurried to William and took him by the arm. She turned him to face her, away from her daughter’s pain filled stare.

“William,” Joyce began, her voice echoed the pain and ache of her only daughter’s. “I am sorry, Will,” the mother continued, trying to fight back tears. “It was all so sudden,” she sobbed, unable to control her own anguish.

“Lizzy came for tea,” Joyce tried to explain to William, between sobs. “Everything was fine and then suddenly, Lizzy’s expression went blank and she seemed to lose connection to this world. She cried out, briefly and clutched her stomach and…..”

“The baby?” William rasped hoarsely. “Where is the baby?” He asked his mother-in-law, though he somehow already knew the painful, horrific answer.

“She…” Joyce began carefully, then broke down into sobs.

Margaret, who had steadfastly stood by her sweet Lizzy’s side during the whole ordeal, stumbled over to Mr. William and Lady Joyce.

“Twas a girl childe, Lord Hampton,” Maggie whispered in a tear-stained voice. “The poor little lass, her heart stopped beating, I believe while she was still in her mum’s frail little body. We tried, Mr. William, truly. Lord Summers went right away for Doctor Benjamin, he’s downstairs giving orders to his nurses. He says that your wife is in grave danger and…..”

As if on cue, Dr. Benjamin reentered the large bedroom, a look of sadness on his fine chiseled face. The medical man gave William a look of pity and that was when he knew. William knew that not only would he lose his child, but that he was to lose his beloved wife also.

“I think you should join Lord Summers, downstairs, Lord Hampton,” the doctor mumbled in his best bedside manner. “Tis no place for a man at this time and we’ll….”

“Let me go to her, please,” William whimpered, pushing past the doctor and his mother-in-law.

“Lizzy,” he murmured softly, taking his wife’s petite hand in his. “Lizzy, I love you,” he choked on his own words, trying not to cry in front of ‘her’ or the others.

“I know, Will,” she sighed wearily as she tried to squeeze his hand with hers. “I have never doubted, for one moment that you have loved me beyond reason. I have loved you, too, thusly. The only time I have ever truly felt alive, Will, was when I was in your presence.”

“M…me, t...too,” William choked out, finally allowing his own tears to fall down his cheeks and land on hers.

“William,” Joyce murmured softly, tapping his shoulder gently. “We best go now,” she commanded tenderly. “It is in God’s hands and the doctor’s now and we shall only be in the way.”

William nodded, wiped his tears and kissed his wife’s dear mouth. He reluctantly allowed his mother-in-law to lead him from the room, although he left, walking backwards, gazing at his beautiful wife as he did.

“Make sure he has a good slug of whisky,” Dr. Benjamin ordered Lady Joyce in a quiet voice. “I pray he won’t need it, but I fear he will.”


William Hampton sat in the parlour of his in-laws fine home, his head in his large hands. He was not aware of just how long he had sat, here, on their fine divan, whisky glass in one hand, cigarette in the other. It must have been hours, he surmised, as his own parents, Lord and Lady Hampton had arrived and so had Dalton, his best friend.

In the corner of the plush parlour, Dalton stood talking to Lord Randalph Hampton; his boyish voice hushed in whisper. William could hear snippets of the conversation:

‘Thank you, Lord Hampton, for thinking of me,” Dalton mumbled nervously as he watched his grief stricken friend on the divan. “I certainly am aggrieved at the loss of William’s child; only hope that Elizabeth can be spared and…..”

Lord Randalph put a finger to his lips to shush the well-meaning account, Dalton. He shook his tired head and glanced at his emotionally suffering only son who sat on the divan, drinking whisky to hopefully numb his pain.

Dalton followed the Lord’s gaze and sighed heavily, then suddenly changed the painful subject.

“I noticed the most unusual trio of people, just at the alley, nearest Lord Summers neighbor’s far side, me Lord,” Dalton stammered uncomfortably. “Twas an odd sight, truly,” he continued, his dark brows furrowed in concentration.

“There was a large man, rough and dark-haired, very brooding I felt,” he added thoughtfully. “A young woman, small and blond held his arm and another female, quite tall and raven-haired held hers. They watched me come to this house and I guess I assumed that they were servants or something. Do you know? Does Lord and Lady Summers have such a mysterious set of servants here?”

“Not that I know of Dalton,” Lord Hampton sighed sadly. “They are probably common street trash, come to gloat at the unhappiness of those of us who are better off in life. Unhappy news travels so quickly these days,” he sighed again and shook his head.


William did not have to see the doctor’s sorrowful expression; nor hear his words of sincere regret. Lord Hampton could hear the soft sobbing of his mother-in-law and his own mum, coming from the bottom of the grand staircase.

His own anguished wails drowned out the cries of his family and servants in the Summers' home.

“William,” Lord Randalph came to stand by his only child. The older man reached out and placed his large hand on William’s shoulder, in a gesture of futile comfort. “You need to be strong now son,” Randalph choked, his own anguish too great to hide.

William raised his head from his hands and looked at his father through bleary, bloodshot eyes. He pulled his shoulder from his father’s hand and stood up slowly from the divan.

“I need to see her,” he rasped in a foreign, harsh voice that his father had never heard from him before.

“I do not think that is a good idea, Will,” Lady Anabella hurried to her son’s side and tried to take him in her arms. William pushed away from his mother and strode past her, just making it to the staircase when Dr. Benjamin blocked his way.

“No, Lord Hampton,” the good doctor murmured in his most reverent, hushed voice. “Twill do no good and tis best to remember your beautiful lady as she was in life.” Doctor Benjamin clasped Will’s arm and held him fast.

Lord Randalph had shaken off his son’s rejections and rushed to the staircase bottom. His duty now was to his son and to attempt to keep the grief stricken lad from seeing his dead wife’s inert body.

Dalton soon followed, reluctantly, feeling it was his duty, also, to help his friend in the time of his great loss.

“Have some whisky, Will,” Dalton ordered gently. “Twill do you good to drink until you pass out, mate. Make the pain a bit duller and…..”

“Let me go,” William growled hoarsely as he flung both of the strong men’s hands from his body. “Lizzy needs me,” he choked out before trying to push up the stairs.

“Please Will,” Lady Anabella begged her son, through her own pained sobs. “We have sent for Father Montgomery, to give comfort. He should be here, any time now and we feel it is best if…..”



“Fuck Father Caleb Montgomery,” Will hissed through gritted teeth. He glared at his father with something near contempt as he said the obscenity.

“William!” Lord Hampton gasped as he watched his wife turn a deathly pale white. “I know you are beside yourself with grief, son, but you will not speak like that in front of ladies!”


As if on cue, a knock at the door sent a random servant scurrying to answer it. Father Caleb Montgomery, pious, pillar of the local sect of the Church of England entered the Summers’ home. The holy man wore a look of sad resignation, but William did not care. He did not want that pompous, arrogant fool to touch his Lizzy, even in death.

“You go anywhere near my wife, preacher man,” William snarled hatefully, “and I’ll rip your fucking head off!”

“William, old man,” Dalton whimpered as he took hold of his friend’s arm again. “Father Caleb only wants to help you man. Get hold of yourself and allow him to pray over your wonderful Elizabeth. It is in God’s hands now and…..”

William threw Dalton’s small hand from his arm and spun to face the preacher; his mother and the Joyce Summers once again.

“In God’s hands now, is it? Well, mother? Is it in God’s hands now? I ask you; did God give me my Elizabeth; my light and my salvation? Just to give me the wonderful gift of my Lizzy’s love and then cruelly take it away from me?” William’s voice was broken and strained; harsh and hard, something no one could expect from the usually gentle young man.

No one in the room spoke, not even Father Montgomery. Only soft sobs and sighs could be heard in the huge parlour of the Summers’ home.

“Well, I’ll tell you this, preacher man; father and mother; all of you weak, useless excuses for human beings. Take your God and his so called comfort and fucking choke on it. All of you! I defy God and I deny Him; from this day forth!” William roared wildly at the shocked faces that surrounded him.

“He took the only woman I loved, or will ever truly love again!” William wailed, his head thrown back as he roared his defiance to God and man.

Before anyone could react, William rushed to the front door and ran out of it.

“I’ll go after him,” Dalton cried as he hurried after his grief stricken best friend.

Dalton saw William run into the alley where he had spied those odd looking people earlier. Apparently, the man and two mysterious females had taken their leave, thankfully.

Without thought or fear for himself, the small, lithe accountant rushed after his best friend in blind desperation. He would never know, until much later; the fateful path he and William Hampton had taken that horrible night.

William rushed down the long black alley way. He could hear Dalton’s desperate cries to him from not far behind. Never looking back, William stumbled, drunkenly, down the dank alley; leading himself and his best friend into the arms of darkness and death.


A/N: Okay, that was a tough one for me; I am beginning to think I write sex scenes better then angst scenes!

The next chapter is the one where you readers will have to suspend belief in reality (just a bit! LOL) and stick with me, please.

I will give you a bit of a hint of hope here: The next chapter is tentively entitled ‘Spike and Buffy’!

Thank you for reading and please review. All advice, etc. is appreciated, spufette.





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