Thanks again for reading, following and reviewing! I have a just a few more characters left. I don't want to give away who they are, but if you can think of someone I haven't done yet, go ahead and mention it. :)
The world was rife with exciting, lucrative opportunities, if only you were willing to seize them the instant you chanced upon them. Opportunities led to ventures, ventures led to successes, and successes led to more opportunities. It was a glorious, never-ending circle, and his was widening every day.
Today was a very good day. The plans for the international branch of Collins and Collins in Winnipeg, Manitoba, were progressing just as they ought to. Before long, he would be able to permanently establish himself there and leave the Hunsford branch under Ms. Lu's excellent leadership.
Thanks to Ms. Bennet's gentle suggestions at Thanksgiving, he was learning that granting Ms. Lu greater autonomy was highly effective in increasing her productivity and innovation. She was currently visiting her own hometown, but he need not concern himself that she would neglect her duties. She would emerge revitalized from the hiatus, charged with fresh vigor for her meetings in the booming city of Los Angeles.
Perhaps while at home, she would expand her own networks of influence by appearing in Ms. Bennet's videos. It was very savvy of her to access that vast viewership. Collins and Collins could only benefit further from more exposure among the masses of Internet-connected brethren.
Then a troubling possibility entered his otherwise cheery thoughts. What if she mentioned some hint of the coming expansion? She had signed numerous non-disclosure agreements, and he had full confidence in her discretion. Still, Ms. Bennet's videos were of such a casual nature in contrast to the professional, polished flavor of the content produced by Collins and Collins, and perhaps that could lead Ms. Lu to lower her guard.
To assure himself that such an indiscretion had not occurred, he searched for Ms. Bennet's latest video. Ms. Lu had indeed made an appearance, but to his relief his faith in her discretion was justified. Indeed, she was adroitly generating interest in the company's new developments without revealing anything prematurely.
And what was this intriguing suggestion? Ms. Bennet had embarked upon some sort of potential romantic involvement with Mr. Darcy? How fortuitous! This new connection could be of great use to Ms. Lu, and by extension the entire company. The possibilities were myriad and thrilling. As the nephew of his estimable V.C., Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Darcy was already undeniably connected to Collins and Collins, wielding the influence of his considerable digital media empire. This could only strengthen that connection in a most favorable manner.
He contacted Ms. de Bourgh immediately.
She was both wise and wary, two of her most admirable qualities. "Are you sure about this, Collins? It sounds like a nasty rumor, generated to discredit my nephew."
"Indeed I am not able to definitively prove its accuracy; however –"
"You'd best keep your mouth shut about this for now. I'll need to have a word with William."
"An excellent idea! Meanwhile, I shall keep my ear to the ground, so to speak, poised to take advantage of any opportunity that may arise."
"Opportunity? What are you talking about?"
"A bolstering of our company's networks amongst the vast spheres of digital media!"
"Hmm. That's not a terrible idea. I'll keep it in mind for the worst case scenario."
Ms. de Bourgh was so endlessly resourceful! He followed her advice to the letter, keeping quiet about any rumors connecting Ms. Bennet and Mr. Darcy romantically until her own videos confirmed it. With Mr. Darcy's definitive words She and I have begun a relationship, he could proceed with absolute confidence and book a plane ticket for that very week.
It was all the more fortuitous that, when he arrived at the Bennet home, Mrs. Bennet could direct him to a dining establishment where Ms. Lu, Ms. Bennet and Mr. Darcy were all congregated together! It was a most productive meeting, and he could return to Winnipeg, Manitoba with confidence that he had planted seeds that would generate a bountiful harvest.
Let no one ever doubt that he knew how to grasp an opportunity when it came his way.
