Ok, So I think this is the chapter you have all been waiting for. I am really struggling with the chapter after this but I will try to post it on Wednesday. I know many of you want to the course to run smoothly but it will have a few small bumps. Overall, as I have said before, I like the kinder Darcy so I will endeavor to keep him closer to those elements.
And, thank you so much for the reviews, the favorites and the follows. You can't imagine how they brighten my day! So, please, please keep them coming. The questions and thoughts are my favorites!
"Good morning Mr. Darcy. I am glad you are here a few minutes early as I have a very special case that I need you to work on this morning." Professor Gilpin addressed his young pupil.
This was just about the last thing Darcy wanted to hear this morning. He had arrived a few minutes early with the goal of speaking with the professor to secure a pass on this morning's session. He had some ideas about what to do with Georgie's trust fund and he didn't really have the time to be distracted. "Professor, I was hoping actually, that I could find another time to make up this session. I have an urgent family issue that I really must tend to." William Darcy started.
"Is someone ill or injured in your family Mr. Darcy?" the Professor asked with concern.
"Oh, no. Nothing like that, I just need some time to resolve an issue that has arisen in my family." Darcy quickly responded.
"Well, of course, it's your choice, Mr. Darcy. I understand family emergencies arise, however you did make a commitment to me at the start of the semester and I was counting on you for this morning. I expect you to use your judgment now as only you can assess whether your personal issue is more important than the commitment you made." the Professor answered.
If there is one way to compel Fitzwilliam Darcy it is to make a call on duty and commitment. With the professor's final statement he knew he would be spending the morning at the law clinic today. "Of course, Professor. It sounds as if there is an important issue that you'd like me to work on. " William conceded.
"Thank you Mr. Darcy. Yes. There is a legal situation that I'd like you to take on. As you are aware, the policies and laws that have been developed around immigration are of great interest to me. A woman will be coming to the clinic this morning who has recently discovered she has overstayed her visa by approximately 20 years. You are tasked with providing her legal counsel that will hopefully result with a regularization of her immigration status and an ability to legally work in the United States. We need to accomplish this without jeopardizing her or her family members in the US. Do you understand?" Professor Gilpin asked.
"Yes, I believe so, although I do have one question. You mentioned that she has overstayed by 20 years and this has been only recently discovered?" William asked.
"Yes, that's my understanding. We will want to discuss this with her but I'm not sure it will be relevant to the law or the policies currently in force by the US Border Control Agency and the INS," the professor shared.
Darcy was frustrated. He had a real crisis and yet he had committed himself to stay here and help some idiot who had only just figured out that she was here illegally. If he'd known this was the issue earlier there is no way he would have prioritized helping this woman over a real issue that was going to impact his baby sister in a meaningful way. Darcy shrugged his shoulders and sighed, well better to get it over with and move on. He heard his friend Bingley in the waiting room and decided to step out and say hello. It was rare that he saw his friend these days separate from Jane Bennet or away from class and he might as well greet his friend.
Walking into the waiting room he saw Charles speaking to Elizabeth - Jane's roommate. As usual, whenever he saw her he became consumed with her presence. She looked tired and a little pale. He began to wonder if she was ill. Her long curly brown locks were pulled away from her face. She wasn't wearing her standard class uniform of jeans and a sweater. She was a little more dressed up with a green dress, black leggings and black boots. A black belt drew attention to her very slim waist. The color of her dress seemed to bring out the green flecks in her eyes. He had never noticed them before. He had just realized he was staring at her and was about to turn back into the consultation rooms when Charles spotted him. "Hey ho, Darcy. How are you my friend?" Charles called out.
William turned and walked over to Charles and Elizabeth. "Hello Charles, Elizabeth." he responded.
"Good morning William. Um, if you could excuse me, I need to check on something so I'll leave you two to catch up." Elizabeth responded.
Elizabeth was worried. She hadn't expected to encounter anyone she knew at the free legal clinic. It figures that the only two law students she knew volunteered here. Well, she was here to see a student of a Professor Gilpin's. Here's hoping it's no one she knows.
"Will, I thought you were going to get out of volunteering this morning." Charles joked.
"Well, I made a commitment to our esteemed professor and he wouldn't let me out of it. I'm so frustrated. Turns out that only after I told him I would stay he informed me it was to help some stupid woman who is in the country illegally and needs help to stay. I've very little interest in taking my 'free time' to help idiots who can't abide by the laws of this country. How does one accidentally overstay their visa by 20 years!? I mean seriously. This woman probably barely even speaks English and I have to figure out how to keep her in the country and able to work. She deserves to be kicked out." Darcy vented.
"Wow Darce, that sounds tough. Well good luck. I hope that you can resolve it quickly." Charles sympathized. "I just finished up and am going to head out. Give me a call later? Maybe we can grab a bite this evening."
"Yea, will do." Darcy said and turned back towards the side door leading to the consultation rooms. Maybe he could do a quick scan of the immigration laws before this woman arrived.
Lizzy stilled. Could William Darcy be the person who was supposed to help her? Oh, great. This was definitely a bad idea. Who knew he could be such a judgmental jerk? She needed to leave and find a different option to resolve this. There was no way she was going to open herself up to his scorn. Who did he think he was, judging her like that! He didn't even know her and yet had already made all kinds of assumptions about her.
"Miss Benetez?" she looked up and saw an elderly gentleman calling her name. He started to walk over to her with a broad smile across his face. "Ah, you must be the bright young woman that Edward Gardiner told me all about. I am so pleased to meet you. Come with me. We'll find a solution to your challenge." Professor Gilpin said as he reached out to grasp her hands.
"I am so sorry to have wasted your time Professor Gilpin. I'm afraid I need to leave. I appreciate your willingness to provide me with advice but I don't think I will need it any longer and so I'll just leave now." Elizabeth said pulling away and trying to make her way towards the door.
Professor Gilpin had encountered many a scared and frightened client in his years in the law and Miss Benetez definitely fit this description. Something had deeply upset her and he was not about to let her leave without understanding the issue.
"Truly? This I must hear all about. Why Edward just came to see me yesterday! Well you can't leave without telling me the solution to the issue he shared with me. I am most interested in these issues. Please come back into my office and tell me all about it." The professor pressed as he pulled her towards the doors to the consultation rooms.
Lizzy was surprised by the strength of this elderly professor. She did want so very much to trust him and to share her fears and hopes. She needed help navigating the immigration laws and Professor Gardiner had told her there was no one better, but... she just couldn't help replaying Will Darcy's words in her mind.
"Professor, is there anyway that I could simply share this with you - and no one else?" Lizzy asked.
"Oh my dear, we are an educational institution. We only meet our mission if we use the experiences of our diverse community to educate our aspiring lawyers. No, I must insist. My best pupil is waiting in the back and I insist you share your story with both of us. Now come along." Professor Gilpin insisted.
Somehow, Lizzy found herself in a small conference room. There was a table in the middle of the room, two metal chairs on each side of the table. The windowless room had a framed print of the US Constitution haphazardly hung in the middle of the opposite wall. The room was otherwise empty.
"Now, Mr. Darcy. As I shared with you earlier, this young lady has had some recent concerns around immigration. She may have found a solution and she is going to share with us what she has learned. Please proceed Miss Benetez." Professor Gilpin introduced.
Elizabeth looked up and blushed, a brilliant red covered her face from top to bottom extending down her neck and towards her chest. William looked at her open mouthed, staring. He couldn't imagine any reason why Elizabeth was sitting across from him in this room with his professor. He was supposed to be meeting with some woman who had a visa issue. What was Lizzy doing here?
"Uh, uh, hi Will." Lizzy began. Her eyes riveted to the table.
"Oh, you know one another. Now I begin to understand." The professor murmured. "Well, we adhere to the rules governing attorney-client privilege. Mr. Darcy and I will keep anything you share with us in confidence and it will be protected. No one can compel us to give evidence against you and I have already committed to Edward that we would help you. It may be helpful Ms. Benetez for you to have the aid of someone who is familiar with you and all of your many contributions to our community. This will be a difficult road you'll be travelling and having a friendly face to support you along the way will be important." Professor Gilpin offered.
William Darcy simply stared. He could not process the information he had been given previously with the reality of Elizabeth Benetez. It was starting to fall into place. When he had seen her on the T last Saturday evening she had been so very upset. This must be a part of the story. He needed to say something but as usual, in her presence, his mind went blank. What could he say? Before he could think further he began speaking.
"Lizzy, I mean, Miss Benetez. The professor is correct. Everything you say to either of us is protected." Looking into her eyes William offered, "I promise, I will hold anything you say in strict confidence and will do all I can to help you."
Lizzy looked down at the table again. "Thank you," she whispered. To be honest, she wasn't sure what to think. Only ten minutes ago, she'd heard him say the cruelest things about her situation and now she needed to trust him? Could she really do that? "I deeply apologize Professor Gilpin. This is very hard for me to share and not everyone is understanding of the issues of immigrants." Lizzy's eyes flicked up towards Will as she said these words.
The professor was no fool and understood there was some history between Elizabeth Benetez and Fitzwilliam Darcy and it was not all positive. This was an important lesson for the young Darcy to learn. Having been a professor to both his father and his uncle, he was going to ensure this young man learned to be open to all who crossed his path and to not prejudge a situation. Miss Benetez could be a catalyst to helping break down prejudice for someone who had the potential to have great influence in the future. Professor Gilpin was going to fully seize on this opportunity.
"Miss Benetez, it is important in our work to understand multiple perspectives in order to find informed solutions to problems. Your story is important to me. I too am an immigrant and understand the challenges. America has made it more difficult to immigrate since I arrived but I am committed to you and your story. Please allow us to aid you, as others aided me and my mother when we first came to this country." Professor Gilpin offered.
With a promise of confidentiality, and trust in Professor Gilpin, if not necessarily Darcy, Elizabeth began her story - or at least what she knew thus far. It didn't take her long to cover the critical facts along with what she had learned through her feverish online research. As she spoke, the Professor nodded along and asked the occasional clarifying question. Will took some notes and in general was quiet and reserved. Lizzy had no idea what he was thinking. Nothing new there. When she shared all that she thought was relevant she paused and looked to the Professor.
"Alright. Thank you Miss Benetez for sharing this with us. A few quick words of advice. Please stay in touch with us. I believe that Professor Gardiner gave you my contact information as well as the contact info for the clinic. Do not, and I repeat, do not leave the country. Leaving would make it almost impossible to resolve your immigration issue in a favorable manner. Moreover, I would encourage you to not work or visit your parents during this time period. I realize that Thanksgiving and Christmas are approaching but you are all at risk. You have remained safe thus far but you are safer if you are separated. Moreover, do not attempt to work. I know you have limited your work to your parent's restaurant and have reported wages under a tax id but I do not think it is in your best interest to engage in any work. Focus on your studies. Keep your grades up. William will begin research and we should meet again next Tuesday to update you on our research. Is this clear?" Professor Gilpin asked.
Elizabeth sighed, "Yes, professor, perfectly clear. Thank you for listening most closely. It will be hard to be apart from my family, especially with the holidays quickly approaching. We're very close but I understand your instructions. I will do my best to keep my family safe." She spoke with a resolve she didn't know she had. If this was necessary to keep her parents safe and to help herself she would. Perhaps she could spend the Thanksgiving holiday with Jane or Charlotte if she couldn't go home.
William looked at Lizzy with a whole new perspective. He had always been drawn to her light. When she walked into a room the whole space became brighter, everything seemed to be possible, and her laughter could raise any spirit. Ever since Saturday night however, she seemed lost and so very alone. He committed himself right then that he would do anything to return her spark, her glow. How terrible to be cut off from one's family. To be told it was dangerous to spend time with your own family. He had often thought he was alone. But Will still had Georgie. He still had his cousin Richard and his aunts and uncle. He wasn't alone like Lizzy.