1 April 2024

Richard's back!

Before he knew it, Monday evening was here again. He then looked around his apartment, deciding to cook something as he was famished. He decided to take time to cook up something almost a little complicated hoping it would take his mind off what had been going on in his mind this entire time. As he was putting things away, he heard someone at the door walking in. He figured it was either Richard or Harriet. He hoped like hell it wasn't Richard. He didn't know what to say to him.

Richard had been on assignment outside the country. It was normal for him to go silent when he was on assignment. 6 weeks was always a long time because he felt like he needed to pick up the threads of his old life whenever he came back and that was always difficult. He smiled remembering that it was always easier with some than others. He looked Darcy over and saw that he wasn't looking very well. Now he felt a bit guilty allowing Darcy to shoulder the entire burden of finding Georgie and bringing her back.

Richard appraised him, "you don't look so good."

"On earth we say hi." He smiled parroting Elizabeth's response.

"Will Darcy being funny? Has the Earth stopped turning?" Richard widened his eyes.

"Yes, it's been a tough few weeks. But I appreciate you giving me some space to pursue this my way." He immediately regretted bringing it up at all.

"And what have you learned so far?" Richard asked as he went and poured himself some of Will's best scotch.

He had no idea how to tell Richard all of this. He tried to deflect, "Georgie is safe. That's what matters."

Richard nodded, "yes, that's true. But where is she?"

"She's under the protection of someone who is doing their utmost to make sure she is protected, safe, and healing," he smiled, thinking of Elizabeth.

Richard was surprised at Darcy's response and wasn't going to let him get away that easily. "That's all you're going to say? Trusting your sister to the wild dogs of this world? Have you learnt nothing?" His anger was barely simmering below the surface.

"Wild dogs? She is with is someone I trust." He was surprised at what he was saying. Nothing here was untrue. He did trust Elizabeth.

"You trust someone? Other than Harriet or me? Charlie was the only one you almost trusted like that, but I know you lost touch with him a while ago." Richard wondered who his cousin had met.

"Yes, I trust this person. And I'm asking you to leave well enough alone," grimaced Will.

"I can't do that," said Richard in his commanding way.

"Fitz, I'm asking for this one thing. This is the only thing I've ever outrightly asked for, you gave me 6 weeks. This person has promised that as soon as Georgie wants to meet with us, she will. Georgie knows I want to meet with her, but she's told this intermediary that she needs more time. And I've decided to give her as much time as she needs," said Will decidedly.

"As much? Darce, you must trust this person a lot."

Will smiled, but said nothing.

Richard was lost in his own thoughts wandering to the only person he'd ever trust with Georgie. He then looked at his cousin, truly surprised at the change he saw in his cousin. It was heartening but he wasn't sure what brought it on. He wondered if it was a woman, if someone had finally caught the eligible bachelor. "Ok, I'll give you time as long as this intermediary gives you some proof that Georgie is actually ok."

"I can do that," internally jumping at the idea of having another reason to talk to Elizabeth.

"Ok cousin, that works for now. So, tell me, what else have you been up to these past weeks? Are you cooking up steaks, one for me too please. Potatoes would be nice as well."

Will snorted and picked up his phone to order out. They both enjoyed their drinks, Darcy unsure where to start in his tale of the 6 weeks. He didn't want to talk about Elizabeth, he didn't even know what to say about her. So, he asked him the question that Harriet had asked him, "what would make you happy?"

Richard looked at him, almost alarmed. Unsure what to say, "happy?"

"Harriet won't let me come back to work unless I answer this question."

Richard started laughing, "so you probably told her something along the lines of Pemberley's profits, or doubling the Darcy wealth?"

Darcy was turning purple at being so transparent and added, "I also want Georgie safe and sound."

Richard nodded and said, "well, what would make me happy? I wish I had more money to do whatever I wanted. But other than that, I'd say I'm pretty happy. I'm drinking good scotch, waiting for a good meal. Not sure what else is needed."

Darcy raked his hands through his hair, "I don't understand you. I just don't understand this entire idea of happy and what it means."

The buzzer rang with the food dissipating some of the tension in the room. They ate in silence both of them lost in their own thoughts. Richard was alarmed at Darcy's behaviour and his words, it seemed erratic. Less Darcy like. He waited to see what else Darcy would say. He loved him like a brother but their relationship wasn't one where they normally had serious conversations about life. "What happened with Harriet?"

Darcy wondered what Richard thought of him. He told Fitz about what Harriet had said about his parents. How his mother wasn't overly arrogant, and his father had thrown himself into work making profit after her death.

Richard nodded, "ah, I see. I'm not sure I like Harriet for forcing you through this existential crisis, but she sees you far more than I do. I think that you shoulder too many burdens and have a stick up your arse that you shouldn't about some of this stuff. I'm a realist, Darce. But when Georgie left, I wasn't as upset as you that she was going to marry someone not from money or society, I didn't care. I cared that it was Wickham after everything he'd already done. Had he truly loved her and not just for her trust fund, I would've given them my blessing too."

"Truly?"

"Why are you so surprised? You and I have different world views. I tried to tell you this 4 years ago and last time we met. I think Harriet is right, you should figure out where your priorities lie."

They spent the rest of the night drinking and talking about memories of their family life growing up. Darcy had rarely opened up to his cousin like that. But it felt good to talk through some of his thoughts and he was grateful for Richard's steadiness. Richard was happy to help his cousin figure things out. He remembered how difficult it had been to figure all this out for himself. Like Darcy he had been raised to think better of himself as part of the British establishment, even as a second son. But he'd slowly lost some of that because of the work he did and the situations he was thrown into and then a few years ago it had all come crashing down on him anyway. He wanted to be there for his cousin, if he could.

…

Wickham spent Easter weekend in bed with Adelaide. He did take some time to look up the address of the building outside of London. He considered the offices there: a lawyer's chambers, chartered accountants, insurance office and other small businesses. Will Darcy would have no need for most of these. But he continued poking around the offices, looking next at the staff. Taking food meant a more personal visit than it did a professional one. None of this made any sense. Why would a man like Will Darcy be here? He waited as the profiles of the different businesses opened up. The insurance firm seemed to have mostly men, the other businesses were small without staffing pages online. The lawyers' chambers had multiple lawyers, one did insurance cases, another did real estate and commercial work, the third was a human rights lawyer. No luck then he decided to look up these businesses and people on LinkedIn. While he might be willing to do some research, he never had the patience for true work and decided that he knew what must be happening after looking at 2 online profiles. The human rights lawyer was a truly stunning woman by the name of E. Bennet. He couldn't be sure, it didn't seem likely that Darcy would ever visit someone like her socially. But maybe she was helping keep his wife safe and that's why Darcy was meeting with her. Or maybe he had actually fallen for her. For Darcy to fall for a human rights lawyer would be right karma for him. Stuck up bastard. Lawyers were slimy creatures, he knew. Wickham didn't much care once he'd decided he knew what Darcy was doing there. He quickly brainstormed and decided that he needed information.

He turned to the woman he was in bed with. She was older than he'd last seen her and the years hadn't been particularly kind to her. She was still far better than his ice princess wife. But she was less amorous than she had been those years ago at Ramsgate. He needed more, more money, more women, more alcohol, just more. After everything, didn't he deserve that? A better life? He couldn't believe that things weren't going to plan. It should've been easy keeping his wife away from her brother by breaking her. Why hadn't it worked? Where had she got sudden courage from? He needed to get her back. Maybe it would be even better this way, dangle his wife in front of her brother and tell him that for a million pounds he could have her back. No, he dismissed the thought. He wanted more, the trust fund. That's what he was after. Maybe he could make this work. If his little wife went back to her brother, he could wait for a few years while still remaining married to her. He just had to make sure that she couldn't go through with a divorce. Once she was back with Darcy and he thought her safe he'd sign over her trust fund then if something were to happen to her then as her next of kin he'd get it all. He liked the plan, almost drooling at the thought of the money and more importantly screwing over Will Darcy at last. He knew Will loved Georgiana, it was the only reason he'd kept her even if it meant that he may not get her trust fund. But maybe this way he could do both. He wondered if it was enough, or if he needed to sharpen in. Find ways to reduce the contingencies. For now though, he'd go with his earlier idea of at least finding this E. Bennet. Wickham wasn't sure that it was E. Bennet that Darcy was meeting in that building. He decided to go by and check, if nothing else maybe he could charm the lady and have some fun with her.

…

Tuesday morning through a spate of texts, Will and Elizabeth found themselves in a conversation.

I thought about what you said. ~WD

And? ~EB

I think I understand, but how would I know if I'm right? ~WD

I won't pry and ask what you came up with. But what does you answer feel like? ~EB

Feel like? It's supposed to feel like something? ~WD

Well, it felt like something to me when I figured it out. I wonder if it did to you. ~EB

What did it feel like? ~WD

Right ~EB

It felt right? ~WD

I don't understand ~WD

It felt like I finally figured out something the universe had been trying to tell me, but I was too afraid to listen to it. It felt like how it does every time I win a case, that something is right in the world. ~EB

This makes no sense. Can I stop by? ~WD

7ish? ~EB

…

Wickham knew that he had to get her alone. From what he found online about the building, he figured boxing her into her office was the best way forward. His experience taught him that if she felt boxed in she'd give him what he wanted. He walked up the stairs to the chambers. There was no receptionist at this time, he'd made sure that he wouldn't have to deal with more people than necessary. He walked into her office she didn't look up. So, he cleared his throat to bring his presence to her attention.

She saw the man in the doorway and made sure to have her lawyer façade on. She was surprised, but she knew exactly who this man standing in front of her was from how G described him but made sure not to let that reflect on her face. There was no denying that he was a good-looking man. But his soul was vile. Her hair was standing on end. Yet, she was confident that she was well prepared. Grant had checked in with her a few times today as well as Lee. But as soon as she saw him, she knew what was about to happen. "Good evening, how can I help you?"

"Good evening, I'm looking for a lawyer. An E. Bennet."

She smiled flatly, still pretending, "you've found her. If you're a new client. Send us an email and we'll get back to you. You should know I only take very specific cases."

"I see." He feigned disappointment. "Are you sure you're not available to talk now?" he gave her his most winning smile that was sure to win her over.

"No."

Her tone was brusque, and she seemed to dislike him. He wondered if he was losing his charm or if she actually knew who he was. He had too much confidence in his charm and brushed that thought aside almost immediately. Then she must know Georgiana. "How exactly do you know Will Darcy?" he asked hoping to see if he was right. The spark of recognition in her made him realize that he was right.

She was considering the best way to incapacitate the man in front of her. When he asked her about Will, she remembered that he was due to arrive in a few minutes and that his help might be useful in this situation.

Wickham dropped the charade then, "are you protecting my wife? Or whoring around with one of the most eligible bachelors in England. Or is it both?"

She didn't take the bait. She knew how to handle herself. "Mr. Wickham, I suggest you leave well enough alone if you know what's good for you."

He laughed and took a step forward trying to threaten her. "What will you do? I could kill you right here and go through your files and find that bitch."

Elizabeth arched her eyebrow at him, "you could try, but I can guarantee unless you understand encryption higher than most intelligence agencies use, you'll not find her."

He changed tact then, hoping to throw her off, "what in the world could Darcy see in you. You're attractive enough, but not in his sphere at all."

She said nothing, knowing that he would make a move sooner or later. Men like him, abusers, they just need to find a flimsy excuse to try and exert their power. Her phone beeped, and she didn't look down at it. She stared at him, calmly waiting. The fact that he was trying to inch closer wasn't lost on her. She could see that his body language seemed like he was trying to dominate the room. Can he not see that I'm not intimidated? His advancing will do nothing except make him an easier target for me.

Wickham didn't understand this woman, why wasn't she scared? He'd been at his most menacing. "Tell me where that bitch is. I won't ask again."

Her glare was piercing, she was readying herself as best she could without him noticing. "You clearly have no understanding of lawyer-client privilege, do you?"

He stared at her, she wanted to discuss the fine points of the law. Well, he wasn't going to have it.

She got up from her chair. She needed to be standing to be in optimal position for what she knew was coming. Wickham sucker punched her, somehow managing to hit her nose straight on. He saw a few drops of blood. That should stop this bitch.

She put the pain away, grimaced at him and let out a snort pretending to not be ruffled. That hurt more than it should've. Broken nose? Or just badly injured? I'll have to deal with that for a while. She knew she was baiting him. But it had to go this way she thought. Her adrenaline flowed through her entire body and she knew how to capitalize on it.

Why isn't she doing anything. Was that a challenge? Why wasn't she backing down? He punched her as hard as he could in the rib and she barely took a step back, defending his attack. As he lift his foot to kick her she kicked him in the groin her foot landing exactly where she intended it to. As the pain hit him, she used her other foot to kick him in his stomach so he fell back a few feet into the 2 inch thick glass of the conference room, and he fell through the glass door of her office unconscious.

It was at this minute that Will Darcy had stepped into her office. He saw the man sailing through the glass door and looked at him. The blood drained from his face. It was Wickham. He looked up and saw Elizabeth touching her nose. The blood flowing down her face freely. "Elizabeth." He whispered her name as a caress. "Are you alright?"

She said with steel in her voice, "just taking out the trash, Will. Give me a few minutes please." She knew that if she slowed down she might get dizzy and light headed from the blood loss. She knew she had to keep going. A few more minutes and she could then close her eyes.

He was startled at her words, "you're bleeding, we need to take you to the hospital."

"No. Wait." She said in a harsh tone.

"Elizabeth, be reasonable." He didn't understand her at all. How could she just sit there and think about other things while her nose could well be broken.

"Will, I have things to do. This will wait."

She fell into her chair and called Grant, "he's here. Unconscious. Come now, please. You might need to get him to the hospital, that's your call."

"I'm fine. No. Do not tell him. Yes, Grant. I'm calling them too." The phone clicked off.

Will looked at her, amazed and unsure. "Now can we go?"

She rolled her eyes, "what no, of course not! Grant needs to come here and clean up this mess."

She picked up her phone and dialled the local police station. "Hi Leticia, its Lizzy. I need you to come to my office now. A man came onto the premises and assaulted me. I'm taking pictures for the record. Pick him up, you can take my statement at the A&E." Just a few more minutes, she told herself. She had to focus on the scene around her and not her pain to make it through.

Will was staring at her in stupefied disbelief. She must be in unbelievable pain, and he watched her in frozen amazement. He ran to the washroom and got some wet towels for her to clean herself with. He came back and saw her taking selfies of her face. "Please, can we go now?" he pleaded with her. This woman would be the death of him.

She shrugged, looking at the prone body, she saw a twitch. Knowing more than ever that she needed to see this through and not let him go, "I need to do somethings, Will. I'm fine. I have a high pain threshold, though I think some ribs might be broken."

An older man of about 40, big built and balding, walked into the office. He took a few pictures and checked Wickham's pulse. Will hadn't even thought to do that. He turned to Elizabeth and said, "well done. You can head off now. I'll wait for the police."

She nodded, "you might want to tie up the body if you have to call the ambulance if you wish. Will and I are going to the local A&E now."

She got up, stumbling slightly. Will took here by the forearm and thankful she had come to her senses. He realized that it had barely been 10 minutes since he had entered her office.

He was so worried and upset and hadn't thought about anything while Elizabeth even in pain was calm and collected. She sent a few texts to her family group. And a separate one to G, letting her know that Wickham was taken care of and that she was going to the A&E. And finally closed her eyes.

He said nothing, he had no idea what to say. He was glad she was taking charge because he couldn't think straight. How is she thinking so rationally, while I can barely drive properly?

She got a call from G. "Dearest, I am fine"… "No. You won't do that"… "I'm ok. You can come visit another time"… "I'll call you. It's not a good idea. I'm with Will, yes. That's right."

Having only heard one side of the conversation he wondered who he was talking to. She wouldn't tell her family not to visit. "Who was that?"

She didn't answer but said, "can we get there faster. I think I'm starting to feel lightheaded and dizzy."

I'm going to try and be a little quicker in my edits now. The story picks up pace.

Tell me if you agree with the M rating after this chapter or if I should demote it?