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Business of Brunettes and Blonds

By La Reine de Saphir

SUMMARY: Fitzwilliam Darcy is a client of Elizabeth Bennett's father's firm. When they first meet, sparks fly, but they both choose to ignore it. Later, they met again but under business, and the attraction grows. Once again, they fight it. Will fate win over two of the world's most stubborn people?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pride and Prejudice, but if I did, I'd be Mrs Darcy! But the plot is mine, apart from any that you can recognise from the book.

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Part 1: Introductions

Chapter 1: Meet the Bennetts

BIG NOTE: There is little plot in this Part. It is only the (edited) history of the future Mr and Mrs Darcy.

For the sake of this story, law school is only four years, and there is no 'internship' period. That makes becoming a lawyer easy, doesn't it? Once again, this is set in Australia, but some parts will be in other areas of the world. And, no, this story is NOT realistic.

No major changes. I think it's only the disclaimer that's different.
It is a truth acknowledged by Forbes' Top 10 Rich List that Fitzwilliam Darcy IV was the world's richest man, having 70 billion dollars. It was also acknowledged that he was a single, handsome man by the ladies.

Over the Saturday family dinner, Mrs Grace Bennet said in a loud voice, 'My dear Mr Bennett, why did you not tell me that Darcy Corp. has asked you to handle their latest case? I only found out by having a chat with your secretary!'

Mrs Long was a trusted worker of many years for Mr Thomas Bennett, but was prone to telling his wife every last detail of his meetings and anything else she happened to know.

'I did not think that it was that important,' he replied in a rather dull tone.

'But it is! Can you not see the opportunities! Maybe Mr Darcy will take a liking to your company, and may even form a merge! Better yet, he might like one of our girls! Jane is the most beautiful, but Libby is quite a stunner, if I say so myself.'

Jane, still not used to compliments after twenty-seven years, blushed and said nothing. Libby, the youngest daughter, only twenty-two, did not notice this, as she was too busy going through the latest Chanel collection in her mind.

'Have you forgotten our little Lizzy? If anyone had a chance of getting to know Mr Darcy, it would be Elizabeth. I have not seen two people more stubborn!' he joked.

Elizabeth Bennet was Mr Bennett's pride and joy. At the age of twenty-five, she had already made millions for her father's company.

'No, papa, this acquaintance can only be for business. You know it is not good to get involved with clients in a more personal way. How would you know that I would have a chance with Mr Darcy? I am not a good as Jane, for sure.'

Mr Darcy certainly interested Elizabeth, but she held strong values about her work, and after all, Mr Darcy could have his pick and any women! Why would he choose her? What if it ended all wrong?

'I suppose if he wants an opinionated woman Elizabeth would do, but rich men like he do not! No, Jane would be a better wife for him.'

Seeing his eldest daughter uncomfortable by his wife's words, Mr Bennett said, 'Grace, I think that is enough for tonight's dinner. Now, Libby, tell me about university. Any progress with your textbooks?'

As the conversation moved away from Mr Darcy, there was a more eased feeling in the dinning room. Mrs Bennett thought it was necessary to play matchmaker for her daughters, even though they each had a rather large trust fund to fall back on if things got tough. As his girls grew up, Mr Bennett discovered that it was Elizabeth who deserved to own his company when he retired; not because Jane or Libby were any worse than she was, but because she had a natural talent for business and determination to succeed.

Jane was a lawyer in her father's company, while Libby had decided that it was being a doctor where you met all the 'cute' young men, as seen on TV shows, so she applied for medicine. Elizabeth had also become a lawyer, but following her father's footsteps, she made an imprint on the business world when she started suggesting ideas for the firm.

Bennett and Sons Lawyers had been started by Mr Bennett's great-great-grandfather. For the first two generations, it was a smallish business that didn't really take off until Mr Bennett's grandfather came alone and took over. Mr Bennett's grandfather had invested wisely with lent money from his father and when his father died, he took the money from the investments and increased the size of the law firm. Originating in Australia, it also became the number 1 firm in New Zealand and the UK twenty years into his ownership. The present Mr Bennett expanded it to the USA market, and started in France and Italy.

Elizabeth, in the last year of university, had been granted $400,000 in lent funds to expand the business, with the money to be returned within two years. What she had done in one year was successfully dominating Italy, France, and Germany, earning more than $7,000,000 that year alone. Now, she was working on China and Japan, with India, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan in her future plans.

The reason why Bennett and Sons Lawyers were so successful was because they had efficient, value-for-money, and trustworthy policies. Not only did you have to be a good lawyer, you also had to be people-friendly, from normal families to the most powerful companies in the world. There was a rule for people who earned less than $45,000 a year: "If we don't win, you don't pay". Clients had an option of a quick summary of the contract/situation, so they knew what was going on, and understood the sometimes very complicated laws, which was free of charge. After that, most people used the Bennett and Sons Lawyers, seeing how well and quickly they worked.

The Bennett family had a private fortune of well over three billion dollars, around five hundred million which came from inheritance. Then there were properties, trust funds, and various investments that took their wealth up another ten or so million dollars. Elizabeth, over two years, had added nearly twenty million, and was set for this year to make at least ten more million, likely a lot more due to new firms set up in new countries.

Her father had insisted that the money she made was to go into her own bank account, not his, because she was the CEO of the Italy, France, Germany, China and Japan branches, he argued. Elizabeth's own fortune was twenty million and rising. Her grandmother had left her with twenty million in her trust fund, and in her father's will she was to own 85 percent of Bennett and Sons Lawyers.

Jane was a very talented lawyer, charging upwards of $700 an hour. Her talent, combined with her natural ability to make people to feel at ease, made her one of the firm's most valuable lawyers. Like Elizabeth, she had a trust fund of twenty million from her grandmother, and was left a 10 percent ownership of Bennett and Sons Lawyers.

Libby was currently studying in the University of Sydney for her medicine degree. The interest from her trust fund paid for the fees, but if she wanted to buy something non-educational, she would have to work for it. Her mother tried to give her some money, but her father kept a close eye on the bank balances. Her trust fund was ten million, and her father's will gave her a 5 percent ownership of Bennett and Sons Lawyers, provided that she became a doctor, and did not have any brushes with the law. If she did, Jane and Elizabeth would both receive 2.5 percent.

The way that the trust funds worked was that in order to access the money, they had to either be married or have turned 30. The trust fund money was their grandmother's own fortune. Her fortune was fifty million, inherited from her own mother. Her will said "in the unlikely event that my son Thomas Bennett has another daughter I leave her ten million dollars in a trust fund…". It was expected that if Mr Bennett had another child that it would be a boy, who would inherit the family business. But, fate did not want a son, and gave them a daughter instead.

The family "home" was a mansion near the waters of Mosman. Jane and Elizabeth had moved out of the house two years ago. They bought an apartment in the city, closer to the Sydney branch of the Bennett and Sons Lawyers. Being close to her father, Elizabeth told him of the apartment that they planned to buy. Mr Bennett then went to speak to agent, and paid 30 percent of the price. When Elizabeth and Jane bought it, the price had dropped rather suspiciously, but they were so excited about owning their own home that they failed to notice.

Apart from the houses, cars, and clothes, the Bennetts were down-to-Earth people (well, Elizabeth, Jane and Mr Bennett were). Their public image of being the not-so-perfect-but-wonderful family helped with promoting the Bennett and Sons Lawyers motto, "For every type of person". There was Mr Bennett, the proud father, Mrs Bennett, the loud, fussy mother, Jane, the angel, Elizabeth, the ideal leader, and Libby, the image-obsessed spoilt girl. What a wonderful family.

Bing-ba-da-bang! That's the first chapter, I think. Story doesn't really start until Part 2, but stay with me, folks!

The next chapter is going to be called:

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Part 1: Introductions

Chapter 2: Meet the Darcys

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Your sometimes humble servant of a writer,

x+x+x+ LA REINE DE SAPHIR/THE SAPPHIRE QUEEN +x+x+x

PS: I need food to go on writing! (aka reviews). Push the go button and type away!