Chapter 22: Jumping the Gun
Will Darcy had an enormous respect for Norman Phillips, Gianna's attorney. The man was shrewd and calculating, and was doing whatever was in his power to help Gianna with her case.
Will knew that they had found a rare ally in Norman. Gianna felt strongly that she couldn't confess to anything that she was not guilty of; other lawyers would have pressured her to keep the case from going to trial, but Nolan respected her decisions and supported her when she refused the plea deals offered. He was very clear however, that unless Wickham was captured and gave a confession, there was a strong possibility that the state would pursue Gianna heavily for a conviction. Although much of the evidence was circumstantial, it was also damning.
Will shook the man's hand and took the offered seat. "It's good to see you Will. What can I help you with today?"
"I'm here to discuss the conditions of the gag order to understand them better."
"Okay, what would you like to know? It's pretty cut and dry."
"Well, I've encountered someone who would benefit from knowing more about Greg Wickham and what he is capable of."
The attorney's eyes narrowed in realization. "And you would like to tell them about the case."
"Yes."
"Are they connected to the case in any way?"
"Aside from knowing Greg Wickham, no."
"And evidently they don't know about his criminal behavior?"
"I don't believe so; hence why I want to give them a warning."
"Are they able to serve as a Character Witness for Gianna?"
"Unfortunately not."
"Have you known this person long?"
Will briefly glanced down at his hands. "A little longer than a month."
Norman didn't bother to hide his surprise. "A month? You have no way of being sure of this person's confidence then."
"I would like to think that I do."
"Will, this is not something to be taken lightly. You were one of the main proponents for the implementation of the gag restriction in the first place - the judge would not be tolerant of you being the one to break it. If whoever you give the information to lets on what they know, and it is traced back to you, you would be found in contempt of court. Although sometimes a judge sees fit to only impose a fine, my guess would be that Judge Carter would demonstrate his displeasure at your blatant disregard for his courtesy by mandating jail time."
All Will could do was press his lips together in displeasure behind the hand draped over his mouth in concentration.
Norman continued, "There has to be other things you can tell this individual. You can be general instead of specific when talking about Wickham. Or at least, tell them what he did while you were at school together. However, in no way would I recommend talking about any details of the case with this person."
Will knew that he was right. Just because he loved Elizabeth didn't mean that he could guarantee that she could keep his secret. One slip up during game night would definitely mean even more legal troubles for both he and Gianna. Well, I already tried the general method; I guess I'll have to hope the plagiarism story convinces her.
Will nodded his head in thought and stood to leave. "One final question: can I at least tell them that there is a gag order in place?"
Norman leaned back in his chair and looked thoughtful. "You can, but that will certainly create more questions than you will have answers for. Are you sure the individual would be satisfied with only that information? Would they then seek the information elsewhere; and if so, could that potentially pose a threat to the case?"
Will bowed his head and sighed. He had no options, and he knew it. Elizabeth would never let that small amount of information rest; how many times had she pursued tense topics of conversation with him without reserve? And even if she did, what guarantee would he have that she wouldn't approach Wickham for the answers he refused to give? And what would Greg tell her in return? Will quickly knew that the curiosity he would simultaneously create and be unable to satisfy might cause more trouble than simply not saying anything at all: the last place he wanted to send her was back into the hands of Greg Wickham.
Will extended his hand towards the attorney. "Thank you for the clarification. And as always, thank you for your time."
Mr. Phillips stood also and shook his hand. "You're welcome. You're a good guy Will, I'm sure she'll listen to you."
As Will exited the office into the chilly Vermont air, he stopped when he had a sudden realization: when had he told him that the person was a 'she'?
Thankfully, Lizzy's workday on Friday was extremely busy. The final pieces of the Longbourn campaign were coming together nicely, and everything was proceeding correctly for the December 1st launch. She took the first half of her day reviewing the revised submissions from the art department; only finding one or two areas to improve, she sent the storyboards back with a note explaining the items and expressing her thanks for all of their hard work.
During their staff meeting the previous day, her team had agreed that sometime in late January or early February they would take a business trip to England to see the implementation of the campaign firsthand; the purpose of their travel would be to take notes and conduct market research in order to refine their strategies further for the U.S. release of the vehicle. Although excited about the opportunity for her team, Elizabeth felt an equal amount of anticipation for herself. The prospect of another trip shortly after her vacation to the Dominican Republic was almost too good to be true; after last night, Lizzy felt the best place for her to be was as far away as possible from the two men who seemed to divide her thoughts to the point of distraction.
After a good night of rest, Lizzy had been able to draw some conclusions about Greg Wickham. She liked him, but not as much as she thought she would considering how well they got along. Maybe it's because it seems like he is always trying too hard to flatter me, like telling me that I 'could rule over his heart any day'. Compliments always had a way of turning her off; she had only raised an eyebrow when he had expressed that particularly sappy, and not entirely welcome, sentiment.
The larger question, however, was whether or not she felt that he was being honest. He had seemed completely open as he dove into the particulars of his past with Will Darcy, and every fact connected to what she had previously surmised about Mr. Darcy's personality. Wickham had laid the entire story before her with very little hesitation and very thorough details. For the most part, she had to admit, she did believe him: simply put, there was truth in his looks. It had been amazing to her what a close connection they had with each other; of all the people to run into at a Starbucks – the God-brother to an individual with multiple claims on her life: new boss, sister's boyfriend's best friend, and the motivation behind one begrudgingly acknowledged teensy-weensy, very small (almost non-existent!), tiny, little crush.
And yet, it was due to the awareness that she was slightly drawn to Will Darcy despite everything that Lizzy also felt a strong desire to hold back her final judgment before speaking to Will. Yes, she had not appreciated when he had practically attempted to control her decisions and asked her not to see Wickham. And if he were anyone else, they would already be completely written off in her book without a second thought. But just as Greg had his story and motivations, she was practical enough to concede that Will must have the same.
It also helped that there was a tiny corner of her heart that kept insisting - beyond all reason, really - in believing in the best of Will Darcy; even when his actions perpetually demonstrated otherwise.
One final hesitation came in the awareness that even with all that Wickham had shared the previous night, he had still failed to provide the motive for Will's extreme anger; that is, unless it really had been jealousy after all. Lizzy would hope and despair simultaneously if envy had been the true instigator: envy would mean that he had been upset that she was with Greg because in some way he wanted her for himself. However, envy would also mean that he was a malicious asshole that she would never be able to date in good conscience. Unlike before, Lizzy now hoped that it was for any other reason besides jealousy that he had gotten angry; however, only Will could confirm or deny either way.
Let's hope the man finally finds the words to explain why he feels that Wickham is 'dangerous' on the 17th. Until then, the jury is still out.
Will Darcy sat unnoticed from her across the bar. Her intoxicating smile held his focus as she entertained a small group around her with her lively conversation. Her personality was truly a rare find; Elizabeth lit up a room wherever she went, spreading a contagious gaiety. He felt impossibly drawn to her; almost as though if he released the bar top he was holding onto he would float directly across the room to her side.
Suddenly, the door to the bar swung open, and a man with his coat pulled up over his face to ward against the frigid chill outside entered. His eyes immediately locked onto Elizabeth as he briskly walked over to her. Pulling her to him and away from the crowd, he swung her forcefully into a 1940's Hollywood-style dip kiss; capturing her body and silencing her wit with a sensual and hungry force. Releasing her, the man allowed Lizzy to fall hard on the ground as he turned his eyes to Will.
The eyes were all Darcy needed to see to recognize his foe. In an instant he was at Lizzy's side to check on her. When she rounded her face to meet his, he was physically gripped by terror. Her eyes - those lovely, twinkling orbs that could send his soul into the far-reaches of ecstasy - were changed into vicious, snapping vipers. Will used whatever strength was left in him to attempt a retreat backward, but it was no use: the same magnetism he had felt earlier drew him closer to her, and both snakes recoiled on the verge of another strike…
Will sat up in bed drenched in a cold sweat. Gasping for breath in the chilled air, he collapsed his head in his hands to shake off the filth of the dream he had just suffered. Glancing at the clock on his night table, he read 11:49 pm. Reaching for his cell phone, he dialed Charlie.
"Hmmm?" Charlie answered after five rings. He was almost fully claimed by sleep.
"Charlie, it's Will. I'm sorry to wake you."
Another grunt. "Mmm. Will? What the bloody hell time is it?"
"Almost midnight. Listen, I'm sorry. I should've called in the morning. Go back to sleep."
An audible groan and some covers rustling could be heard. A groggy voice continued, "You can't just call someone in the middle of the night, wake them up, and then tell them to go back to sleep." Will heard Charlie slap his hand across his face. "What did you need?"
"Listen, I know I told you that I wanted you to keep Jane out of this. But I was wondering if you could do me a favor?"
Charlie grunted a response.
"Can you find out from Jane if Lizzy saw that guy from the lounge again? In a not so forward way, of course."
"Will, what is this about?"
"Charlie, like I told you: he and I have a history. I just want to make sure Lizzy is safe. Jane too, by extension."
Charlie gave a deep sigh. "OK. I'll call you when I know something."
"Thanks Bingley."
"Now Will? Get some rest. This isn't like you."
"You know what? I'm starting to realize that..."
A/N
I posted some of the pictures and more will come in time. I hope that you enjoy them!
First, let me generally say that I waited to mention the pictures because I wanted you all to develop your own images for the story first. Even though it is my story, it becomes yours by extension when you read it, and I am positive that all of the characters and scenes that you have already created in your own minds are wonderful! I would actually prefer that you use those images instead of the ones I posted as you continue with the story. As I said in my profile…the pictures aren't perfect; only the closest I could find.
Anyway, we are speeding along towards Hunsford here, but that means the "bumps" will be hard and jolting as we go. Hang on and stay with me. I love sharing this experience with all of you!
Timeline wise, we are somewhere in the middle of his stay with Gianna. The next chapter will conclude his trip with his sister.
Also, I wanted to give you all a heads up: there is a chance I will be changing the rating of the story to an "M" in the future. Please don't worry, I won't be getting excessive in any sense. The feel of the story (what is shared and what is left to the imagination) and the writing will all stay the same. However, the curse words have started to appear more directly (as seen in this chapter), and there are subjects connected to Gianna's case that may warrant the higher rating. I'm gonna feel it out and see how it goes; I am also open to your suggestions about this topic as we continue! Any feedback is appreciated!