Placing the empty mug in the dishwasher, Izzy closed the door before checking that she had all she needed. Everything from her posture, the somewhat somber expression on her face and lack of haste to leave her mother's home would have made it plainly obvious to even the most unobservant person that there was a serious lack of enthusiasm about Izzy today.

She had planned on trying once more to reach Brian today. However, with all the upheaval of the weekend, it had completely slipped Izzy's mind that tonight was to be the first of the museum's late night openings. It had seemed like a wonderful idea of Wilbur's when he had first announced his plans, and Izzy had been more than happy to work later than normal. Of course now, it was the last thing she wanted to be even thinking about. For Izzy, there was a more pressing matter at hand, and she feared the longer she delayed trying to make amends with Brian, then there was every possibility that the happiness she had felt over the last few weeks was going to come to an abrupt end.

"Sweetie, why don't you talk to Wilbur when you get into work, see if he'll allow you to swap with somebody just for today," Grace suggested, walking into the kitchen.

Izzy glanced at her mother, a tired sad smile appearing.

"Wilbur allow me to swap due to my personal life? We both know that will never happen mum," Izzy pointed out. "I'll maybe try and reach Brian when I'm on a break, see how things are," she added more quietly.

Izzy swung her purse onto her shoulder, knowing she was going to have to leave or feel the wrath of Wilbur for being late. And that was one experience she knew she could do without today.

"I won't be finishing til around 10, so I may go home tonight, I'll let you know," Izzy told Grace, kissing her cheek.

"Ok sweetie, but I really don't mind if you want to come back here again, you know that," Grace assured her.

Izzy nodded, giving a brief wave as she headed out of the front door.

Sipping her coffee, Grace thought ahead to what her day was going to consist of. Amber was going to be bringing Brian over around 4. Grace had spoken to Amber whilst Izzy had been relaxing in the bath the previous evening, and knew that Brian had been in a bad way over the weekend. Grace just prayed that she could have a helping hand in helping both he and Izzy overcome this little obstacle. Which led her onto what she had to do that morning. After the phone call she had made on Saturday night, Grace knew that some of Izzy's future happiness lay with what should have been faxed through to the clothing store her friend Arlene owned in the Main Place shopping mall. Not wanting to waste a moment longer, Grace left her cup in the sink and decided now was a good a time as any to start her day.

**********

The bell above the door of Impressions rang loud and clear, announcing to it's propieter, Arlene Franklin, that her first customer of the day had arrived. Walking out from the back room, she smiled warmly.

"Grace Hamilton, whatever happened to the lady that used to like to lounge in bed with coffee and the paper til whenever it suited huh?" she asked, accepting the embrace her friend offered.

"When it comes to Izzy, there's no time to be tardy," Grace stated pointedly. "Did it come through?" she enquired, her voice a little shaky.

Arlene nodded, and disappeared briefly, only to return moments later with a handful of crisp white paper.

"Did you look at it?" Grace asked, thanking Arlene as she took them.

"I didn't want to, but I got curious. That bastard," Arlene murmured.

"I know, as if he hasn't done enough damage already," Grace mused, her eyes scanning through the paperwork.

"I'm surprised she agreed to help out," Arlene admitted.

Grace looked up from what she was reading.

"His parents may never have approved of me, but his father always adored Izzy, even if he never showed that very often. That was why her grandmother was happy to send this on, just so Izzy can finally lay some ghosts to rest, and basically tell Charles where to go."

"Well if that doesn't do it, then nothing will," Arlene stated. "Coffee?" she offered.

Grace shook her head with a smile.

"No thank you. I have some things I want to get done before Brian and Amber come over later."

"He must be something pretty special for you to be going to all this trouble to ensure he and Izzy work things out."

"Let's just put it this way Arlene, if he'd walked into 'Heaven's Gate' back in 1979, Charles wouldn't have even got a second glance!" Grace said with a grin.

"Gracie!" Arlene cried.

"Oh Arlene! I'm kidding, even though he is very handsome. But if you'd seen the change in Izzy these past few weeks, you would understand why I'll do all I can to help them."

Carefully folding the papers, Grace put them away safely in her purse.

"Thanks for this Arlene, I'll call you tomorrow , let you know how it all went," Grace promised as she headed for the door with a wave.

Arlene returned the gesture, hoping it would be nothing but good news.

************

"There's no need to look so worried Brian, Grace wants to help you and Izzy...she's not going to rip your head off and use it for bowling practice."

Brian turned from where he had been gazing out of the passenger window and smiled at Amber and her teasing. He knew she was right, but that still did nothing to eleviate the doubt that this could prove fruitless. There was every chance Izzy didn't want to work things, and he couldn't blame her, especially after having ignored her calls Saturday night.

Brian suddenly remembered he'd not switched his phone back on since. He pulled it out of the small duffle bag that Amber and Matt had packed some of his clothes in when they had picked him up from Jimmy's yesterday. The sound letting him know he had voicemail went off as the phone came to life.

"Hey, it's me. I thought I'd give you a call, see how you are. I guess you're busy. I'd better get back to work, maybe I'll catch you soon. Bye"

"Fuck!" Brian hissed, snapping his phone shut.

"Everything ok?" Amber asked, a little concerned.

"Izzy called a couple of hours ago. She sounded so...defeated," he whispered, running a hand through his hair, his eyes closed tighty in frustration.

"Take it as a good sign Brian, she obviously isn't giving up that easily if she's called today," Amber pointed out.

"I know. I just wish I could've actually spoken to her instead of her having to leave a message" he murmured, looking back out of the window and realising they were approaching Grace's house.

Amber parked the car and turned to look at Brian.

"Come on, let's get inside and get this sorted, because you look a hell of a lot prettier when you're smiling Haner," Amber teased with a wink.

Brian followed behind Amber up the path which led to the front door. Grace opened the door before Amber even had a chance to knock. She briefly hugged the young woman, then took a moment to look at Brian.

"Whatever am I going to do with you kids hmmm?" she mused with a smile almost identical to Izzy's. "Come here sweetie," she murmured, enveloping in Brian in an embrace that let him know maybe there was a chance of healing the situation, something that he wanted more than anything.



Amber smiled to herself as Brian sat forward in the chair he was occupying, his face full of concentration as he appeared to drink in every word Grace spoke, his need to want to know every last detail about the past of the woman he loved so evident. Brian was already aware of Grace's past as a burlesque dancer, but he couldn't hide his surprise at discovering that Izzy had come about due to a three year long affair between Grace and Charles, him flying to LA on supposed business, or the fact that Grace had no idea Charles was even married until she had told him she was pregnant.

"The next thing I knew, he was getting a divorce from Amelia, and I was being flown to England to become the next Countess of Richmond, and stepmother to Lydia and Victoria, two of the most god awful children you could ever imagine."

"He must have really loved you to do that though, Brian pointed out.

"No sweetie, he was desperate for a son to continue the family name, and a son born out of wedlock would never be recognised. His parents hated me on sight, and of course, he was bitterly disappointed when Izzy was born. From the moment that sweet innocent little girl entered the world, everything changed. I wasn't stupid, I knew he took many mistresses, some of which he even brought home, trying to entice them into our bed for...well, you're no fool Brian, you can imagine what I'm getting at. But despite having them to cater to his every sexual whim, it didn't stop him from trying to get me to bear him another child, even if I tried to spurn his advances."

"You mean he....." Brian couldn't even bring himself to say the word, his face contorted in a mixture of anger and disgust.

Brian listened intently as Grace's tale continued. The beatings she suffered when she failed to fall pregnant again, the way Charles would hide Izzy away from social functions as though ashamed of her, his taunts and deliberate humiliation of her, telling her she wasn't his, that she was a disgrace, and how eventually, once she began to stand up to him, she too found herself on the recieving end of Charles' fists.

"She kept that hidden from me for as long as she could, not wanting to cause yet further problems between her father and I, until one day he got carried away and the black eye and broken nose were something she couldn't hide."

"The little bump in her nose," Brian murmured, more to himself than anyone.

"That was shortly before Izzy's seventeenth birthday. It was the final straw for me, so I went to see Charles' father, and told him that even though I was very aware of how much he and his wife despised me, I knew he loved Izzy, and that if he had any kind of heart, he would help us get away from the monster that was his son. Within days Izzy and I found ourselves on a plane bringing us here, with more than enough money to basically ensure we were set for life, and a seperate account to ensure Izzy could go to college."

"But what I don't get," Brian began "is that if Charles was that keen on almost denying Izzy's existence at times, why he insists on making her not forget who she is now."

Grace stood up and fetched her purse in from the dining room, taking out some papers and handing them over to Brian.

"Izzy's grandfather passed away very suddenly from a heart attack three weeks after we left England. Neither Izzy nor I returned for the funeral, which her grandmother understood, it was too soon for us. However, had either of us gone, we would have been aware of the codicil her grandfather added to his will after I asked for his help."

Grace pointed to a section she had7 highlighted for Brian to read.

"In spite of his somewhat unorthodox attempts over the past seventeen years, my son, Charles has failed to produce a son to continue on the family name. If by the time of my passing there is still no male heir, it is my bidding that Charles forfeits all rights to the Hamilton-Forsythe fortune. I have ensured that all three of my granddaughters and wife, Camille have been provided for, and the remainder of my fortune is to be bequithed over time to various charities and institutions until it is gone. This is to be overseen by Charles. Lastly, whilst it is something I would not normally do, I hereby denounce my youngest granddaughter Isabella of her title, therefore allowing her to live her life and be free of the heritage that she wishes to no longer be a part of......"

Amber gasped as Brian read aloud the words. Brian looked up at Grace in disbelief.

"Her father has kept this from her for the past ten years, letting her believe she was still Lady Isabella?" he questioned.

"It would appear so. After Izzy went to bed on Saturday, I knew I had to do something, so I called Charles' mother, who had been under the impression that Izzy knew, and that was why she never got in contact with any of them after we left. She had this faxed through today, so that Izzy can finally know the truth, and be happy," Grace told him.

"I'm going to call her and ask her to come here once she finishes work, and I think it would be good for you to be here, just so she knows that whatever she has gone through or who she was doesn't matter to you," she added.

Brian finally managed the first genuine smile of the last couple of days.

"I'll be here," he murmured.