DISCLAIMER: I do not pretend to own any of the works by Jane Austen or any other author and their characters. I am but a lowly servant.


Weeks past amide classes and frantic calls from Jenny to tell her about Chris and his romantic side. They'd been to almost every café in the entire city and Jenny had watched as he graciously signed autographs until such a time when it would be acceptable to duck out and run away, Jenny's hand clasped in his. It was these flights that entertained Jenny so much, she loved the way he looked after her, not that she felt that a woman's place is such that a man should need to protect her, but it felt…safe somehow.

They'd exchanged phone numbers that night at the parent teacher thing and hadn't stopped talking to – or about – each other since.

Will would roll his eyes and even ventured to caution his friend against this unknown woman who might be in it only for the money, but Chris would have none of it. To him, Jenny was the end of a lifelong search, the One. This of course gave reason for Carols to laugh, Will to roll his eyes and Ritchie and Laura to smile secretly to each other over the head of their son.

Chris would laugh it off and go to his room to wait patiently for another text from her telling him anything, what she had for dinner even, he didn't mind, just that it was from her.

Jenny wasn't much better, she did txt him about such trivialities such as what she had for dinner, what she was watching on TV, things that he seemed to lap up. Charlie would laugh, spouting some 'reasoning' against love which Jenny would immediately overthrow while Eleanor remained the steady mediator.

Will paced the room a piece of paper in his hands; he kept reading it over trying to find a loophole in the printed email.

"What is it Will?" Ritchie asked wandering into the room, Jack at his heels.

"Our Aunt has found the art of email," his cousin muttered, "She's sending a legal person over."

"Why?"

"Something with the school, I don't know. She wants him to stay in a hotel, thank god, and for us to introduce him to 'all the girls'".

"There's Girls?" Ritchie looked up from where he was sitting to see Will laugh slightly.

"She thinks so. Anyway, He'll be here tonight."

"Great, then what?"

"I suppose we'll have to organise a meeting of some sort with Mr. Deary. Hopefully we'll only see him at these meetings"

Ritchie rolled his eyes, hating the legalities and then Jack brought him a story book and they sat there reading about Spot's adventures in the garden.

And thus life continued until one day Mr. Deary called Eleanor into his office, "What am I to do?" he asked her, showing her a letter.


17 February 2006

Mr. Alan Deary

St. Helens Grammar School

16 Longbourne Terrace

Norland

To ensure that the terms are carried out correctly, my superior Lady Catherine Debouf, wishes to inform you that she will be sending a representative of her legal counsel to the school within the next few days and will expect to see a representative of your legal counsel present to welcome him. The representative in question is a Mr. Jerry Collins who has been with Lady Debouf for many years and is her trusted servant.

This procedure of legal counselors is normal in my business Mr. Deary and should not be seen as any sort of attack on you or your school. Lady Catherine Debouf is sometimes seen as rather traditional in her ways.

Yours Sincerely

William Darcy

CEO of D Productions

LRW


Eleanor looked at the letter and then at Mr. Deary. "When does this 'legal counsel' person show up?"

Mr. Deary shrugged, "No idea, but Eleanor you know that we have no lawyers here, we can't afford them."

"I know a lawyer; do you want me to ask for her help?" Mr. Deary looked thankful to say the least. "She's fully qualified and everything."

"That would be lovely," Mr. Deary said. "Can you give her a call?"

Eleanor nodded and excused herself to call Charlie.

"Hello, Charlotte Lucas how can I help you?"

"Charlie? It's El, I need a favour."
Charlie laughed and after a quick explanation of the situation she readily agreed. "When shall I come and have a look at the documents?"

"Whenever, now if you're free," she said looked at Mr. Deary's happy face. Charlie agreed to come over to the school and have a look at the 'legal stuff' and left Eleanor in Mr. Deary's office watching him smile broadly.

"Whatever would I do without you? We don't even teach legal studies here." Eleanor smiled.

"I know, Charlie's good at this kind of thing, she'll sort it out."

Sort it out she did. Within five minutes Charlie had the legal documents sorted out ready for whatever representative 'Lady' Debouf wished to throw at them.

The next day someone called Jerry Collins scheduled an appointment with Mr. Deary for 10 am saying to the secretary that 10 in the morning is the perfect time for business, neither to close to breakfast so as to feel bloated, to too close to lunch for your mind to be elsewhere. Mr. Deary invited Charlie, Eleanor and Kit (a senior representative) to the meeting and the four of them sat patiently waiting. When the clock in the town hall struck 10 am the man they had been waiting for stepped into the room with a briefcase and a small hat upon his roundish face.

"Mr. Jerry Collins at your service Mr. Deary."

Mr. Deary shook the offered hand and introduced his companions, as Mr. Collins's hand shook Eleanor's he chuckled and stared into her eyes. Eleanor shank back a little, this small man gave her the creeps. Charlie smiled pleasantly and Kit smirked and the meeting officially began.

"So what are your concerns Mr. Collins?" Charlie asked opening her folder of papers.

"Simply this, Lady Debouf accepts that this is a school and you need to have the students and we have every intention of asking some of the students to be extras in the movie, but is there anyway we can get them to simply…disappear for the duration of filming?"

Mr. Deary looked startled. "Excuse me?"

"Well, is there another campus they can go to? Another site?"

Eleanor smiled forcefully, "I'm afraid not Mr. Collins. You see, this is a school and at a school kids are taught things."

"Miss Bennet I don't expect you to understand this, but try, we are a multimillion dollar company and we need to have your auditorium, but the actual students will simply get in the way."

"Have the auditorium Mr. Collins, by all means, but the students need to stay here." Mr. Collins looked up at Mr. Deary for the height difference was vast.

"Is that your final word on the matter?"

Mr. Deary nodded and showed Mr. Collins the door, they shook hands politely and Charlie and Eleanor followed Mr. Collins to the door on Mr. Deary's pleas.

"Thank you Charlotte," Mr. Collins said as Charlie held the door for him.

"Miss Bennet, I hope to see you very soon." Eleanor was startled at the look he gave her, it was quite disconcerting.

They watched him drive off and Eleanor smiled and shook her head. "That man is a joke," she told her friend as they made their way back up to the principal's office. Charlie smiled and laughed with her friend until a student ran up to Eleanor and asked her about question 5 of their homework. While her friend tried to explain it to the girl, she continued upward. Mr. Deary's secretary came running out at her and through half breaths she asked Charlie if she was free for a follow up meeting with a Mr. Darcy and Mr. Collins tomorrow at lunch time. Charlie nodded; it wasn't like she had a life.

Charlie and Eleanor went out to lunch later that day, Jenny was with Chris somewhere and 'couldn't make it.' Charlie ordered a usual and looked at Eleanor. "He likes you, you know that right?"

"What am I, a chronic flirt or something?" Eleanor laughed and leant back in her chair. "At least I can talk to people of the opposite sex."

Charlie glowered "that's unfair."

"I know, and I'm sorry." Eleanor was still laughing when someone brought their lunch. The absence of Jenny did nothing to their conversation other than give it another topic. "What do you think their doing?"

"Ooh, anything, something a little naughty perhaps. I mean, he is an actor."
Eleanor hit Charlie lightly over the shoulder, "It's Jenny remember?"

That seemed to be all the explanation they needed and continued their conversation until Charlie had to run to a meeting and Eleanor to a class.

Will sat in his study and flipped through papers and contracts and scripts trying to organise a schedule for the shoot when there was a knock at the door.

"Yes?"

Carols walked in with a dressing gown tied tightly around her small waist. "That Mr. Collins or something called, he needs to meet you."

"He can meet me tomorrow at the school."

Carols smiled, "I love it when you talk like that."

Will was suddenly alert and annoyed. "Look, Carols, please can't you just stop this?"

He ducked around the door and out into the hallway where he went into the safety of his room and a lock on the door.

There with his laptop he began an email.

Gina

Hey, I'm sorry, but this might take longer than I thought it would. I will be back for your birthday, you know I'd never miss that, but do you mind f I only just make it? I'm REALLY sorry.

Anyway, things are normal here…Carols still scares me witless and Chris seems to have found a new girl, must be careful of this one. She's an 'artist'. 'Con artist' I think.

Sorry about that, anyway, I'd better go, I'm quite tired. Ill call you soon, promise.

Will

The next day at noon Mr. William Darcy walked over the threshold to the school and into the principal's office, Chris Bingley and Ritchie Fitzwilliam next to him. Chris smiled at Eleanor and Ritchie smiled pleasantly. "Good afternoon Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Fitzwilliam. I assume you know Lady Debouf's legal counsellor Mr. Collins?"

Mr. Darcy looked at the small man looking up at him eagerly, "No, I haven't."

"But you're Lady Debouf's nephews aren't you? Mr. Darcy and Mr. Fitzwilliam?"

Mr. Darcy sighed, "Yes, she is my aunt."

Ritchie came to stand next to Eleanor as the others became involved in legalities. "Will hates to mention the family connection," he told her. "Makes it seem like he got in easily."

Eleanor smiled at him, "I'm sure, well, did he?"

Ritchie laughed, "No, he worked his arse of to get where he is. He's very strict about that."

"He's very strict about many things."

Ritchie smiled while Will indicated that whatever legal jargon was going on, it was going to take a while. "I had better go," Eleanor said, "I have a class."

Mr. Collins turned in his seat and stopped her. "Miss. Eleanor, you are needed here for a moment."

Will looked up and from Mr. Collins to Eleanor and back again and said that should they have need of Miss. Bennet's services, they would call for her.

Eleanor walked out of the room and into her class that had been taken over by a new sub teacher.

"Mr. Wickham?" Lucy put her hand in the air; nobody had noticed Eleanor watching through the window in the door. "Where do we hand in our forms for the trip?"

The substitute, a Mr. Wickham looked confused as Eleanor walked in and took Lucy's form from her hands.

"Thank you Lucy." She said and turned to the teacher.

"You must be Mr. Wickham, lovely to meet you."

They shook hands and she looked up into his green eyes, she'd always had a thing for green eyes…and his blonde hair fell into his face and she smiled.

She might be sick more often.

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