Special shoutout to tnet. I had a difficult week and the comments that tnet left, especially on chapter 20 were so wonderful and lovely. Thank you. Comments are so helpful to keep a writer going, especially when faced with someone doing their best to spread vitriol. It makes me wonder why this 'guest' person is continuing to read the story if they hate it so much?!

8 April 2024

He went back to work the next day and still couldn't get her out of his mind. She'd bewitched him. It was intense and frightening especially because in all his years Will Darcy had experienced nothing like it. Through the confusion of his feelings he also saw hope. He'd let her in by asking her questions about happiness and spending time with her being vulnerable in a way he'd never done with anyone. And maybe she'd done the same? He didn't know if he was correctly understanding her feelings. But for now maybe it would be enough.

Harriet saw his distraction and said nothing. She knew what was on his mind. She'd been astonished at his response to her question. But maybe she shouldn't have been. Over the past few weeks, the man she knew had irrevocably changed and she couldn't be more proud of him. Elizabeth Bennet could be his making in ways that even he probably didn't understand yet. She couldn't wait to get to know her better.

Joe had effectively narrowed down the head of legal job to 3 candidates. Darcy interviewed all three of them with Joe to make the final decision. But even during the interviews he kept comparing them to Elizabeth. Her passion for her work was so wonderful. The candidates in front of him were adequate. But they didn't have the zeal he hoped they might. Maybe he'd ask her what she thought? Yes, that's it. Another question for her to answer. Another reason to talk to her.

He smiled when she answered the phone with her lilting voice. He needed to know how she was. "How are you doing? Your ribs?"

She smiled at his concern, not sure where her tender thoughts were coming from. "Almost healed I think. I go for an xray tomorrow. Richard is getting on my nerves."

"Anything I can do to help?" He'd move mountains for her if he could.

She chuckled at his eagerness, "distract me, how's work?"

He shrugged, this was the last thing he wanted to talk about. An inane topic, but he'd talk about socks if it meant talking to her. "Oh, hmm. It's fine. I suppose after 6 weeks off, there's a lot to do. Though less than I thought. Maybe I should leave this to Joe and just semi retire."

She laughed loudly, "you'd get so bored."

He smiled at her exuberant response, "yes, I would. Though who knows. Maybe I'll find something else to do? I would like your advice on something though. Can I stop by tomorrow or day after?"

She wondered if he was just making up reasons to see her. But she quickly brushed that thought off, certain that he wouldn't do that. "How about Friday? Stay for dinner. Jane will cook?"

He was pleased at her response, "Friday? Yes, that works. I'll be there. Wouldn't want to miss Jane's food."

Caroline heard the phone conversation through the open door. She knew Will was back at work, but he was still refusing to meet her. She'd taken to walking the corridor near his office. But that stupid Ms. Reynolds would spot her and ask her to leave, as if she needed to pay heed to a lowly assistant. So, she carried on, and it had finally been fruitful. She wondered who he was talking to, having heard only one side it was hard to tell. She'd have to overhear a few more things in the next couple of days if she wanted to be prepared for Friday. Jane's cooking obviously meant Netherfield, she figured.

…

That evening, Georgiana decided to face her fears. She was going to drop by Netherfield, all on her own. She was going to meet Richard after 4 years. On the 15 minute walk it almost felt like she couldn't get control of her own body, she could feel her heart pounding, her hands sweaty, and her eyebrows furrowed. She was scared, but she could do this. She had learnt from Lizzy that sometimes you have to do things that you think are scary, get out of your comfort zone. She'd seen proof of it in the life she had now. She'd left Wickham and now she had love, support, a job helping people. So she could do this. She rang the bell and closed her eyes. It was Charles who answered.

He smiled unsurely, "Georgie, what are you doing here. You know that Rich is staying with us."

She was surprised at her own boldness, "I know. I decided it was time to meet him. Please don't make this harder than it has to be."

He put a hand on her shoulder in comfort, "right, sorry. Come in. They're in Lizzy's room. I'd knock. Who knows what they do in there." He chuckled nervously.

She took three deep breaths, and then knocked three times. She heard laughter coming from inside and Lizzy say, "come in."

Georgiana was not prepared for what she saw inside. Richard and Lizzy were sitting in bed, as her nose was angled towards his neck and her eyes were closed while his were full of mirth. When he saw her, he felt tears in his eyes.

She inhaled sharply. Feeling like she was intruding on something intimate she lowered her eyes to the ground.

Lizzy widened her eyes in surprise and patted Richard. To break the impasse Lizzy said, "he needs to shower as I was just telling him."

He released Lizzy and got up immediately. "Georgiana. Oh my god. Georgie. Georgie. I'm so glad you're ok. It's so good to see you. I'm so happy you decided to meet me. You did decide to meet me, right?"

Lizzy laughed, "geez, Ruff. Let her get a word in."

"Hello, Richard," she said without looking up.

He walked over to her, without entering her personal space. "I'm sure we're more interesting than the floor, little one. Won't you come sit with us?"

She nodded and went to Lizzy's side.

Lizzy took her hand, "dearest, I'm so proud of you. I hope you didn't come only to talk to me?"

She pursed her lips. The worst was over now, she could breathe. "No, I wanted to say hi to Richard too."

He beamed at her.

They slowly exhausted some small talk and then Lizzy started asking her some questions to draw her out. "Do you want to tell us about your work at the centre?... "How do you like Meryton?" … "Have you made new friends?" Timidly Georgiana answered these questions and became more relaxed. And eventually she could say that she was proud of the progress. Throughout, she saw that Richard had taken Lizzy's hand and they were the picture of a couple. She didn't understand it. She decided to use her curiosity as a guide to downplay her nervousness once more. "So, I didn't know you two know each other until Lizzy told me after her hospital visit…" She left it there wondering if this was enough of a prompt for them to start talking about their relationship.

Surprisingly it was, both of them told her their story together, one completing the other's sentences. It was Lizzy who ended the conversation, saying, "what we are is what we are. And that's only relevant to us."

Were they really just friends? Georgiana couldn't help but wonder.

Lizzy saw the confusion in her eyes and decided to send Richard away for a little bit. "Can you get some tea and gingerbread for the three of us?"

Richard understood that she wanted to check on Georgiana and obliged. Before leaving the room, he kissed Lizzy on the cheek and slipped out.

G alone with her friend asked her the one question she needed an answer to. "You both clearly love each other, why are you so fixated on keeping it platonic?"

She shrugged, "we have no romantic feelings towards each other. This relationship we've created with each other is like an anchor for both of us. We hold each other in place in a chaotic world, knowing we can always come back to each other and feel grounded. Enough about that, how are you after meeting him again?"

G gave a small smile "it wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be."

Lizzy asked her, "would you like me to give the two of you some time alone to reconnect if you'd like that?"

"I don't know about time alone just yet. I need to take it slow."

Lizzy nodded, "of course, dearest. I'm so proud of you. You're amazing."

She squeezed Lizzy's hand, "I'm learning from the best."

Never good with compliments, Lizzy only said, "don't be silly, G. I'm nothing special. I just try my best, work hard, and when things go wrong as they do I try to have fun anyway."

G said assertively, "you're the best person I know."

"I tell her the same thing," said Richard entering with a tray.

When Georgiana left, Richard and Elizabeth spoke a little more. "I can't recognize the shy teenager I used to know. You've worked wonders on her."

She refused to see it that way, "that's all her. She did the hard work. I'm just here to support her with what she needs."

He wanted her to see herself as he saw her. "You change everyone around you, just by being you. Look at me, look at Will. Or maybe it's just something about our family."

She smiled but didn't agree completely.

Richard was almost cross with her for being so stubborn in her opinion of herself, "why can't you believe this about yourself? Why is it such an argument for you to accept any compliment not about your legal skills?"

She said nothing, already lost in her thoughts. She had trouble sleeping her thoughts about what Ruff had said about Will kept her up. She liked him, he seemed like a good man. It seemed her first impression of him had been rather wrong. She'd hated him before they even met, because he was having G followed. Then when that confusion had been cleared up, she hated him because he called her a non-tempting two-bit lawyer, which she'd taken not only as a slight against her legal skills but herself. Then after that impression, things had mounted up, his behaviour at Jane and Charlie's welcome home party where she was sure he tried to look at her to find something to criticize as she was then convinced. Slowly though, the man had changed in front of her eyes or maybe he was just coming into his own. He'd realized his mistakes the way he treated G, the way he treated others around him. And she desperately hated being wrong. He wasn't a bad person, he just prioritized the wrong things and changing his perspective had helped him. Instead of telling her things he'd asked her questions, even for advice. With all of this it was inescapable that he was a complex person with so many different shades in his personality that it was difficult to pin him down. He cared for her as a friend, that was obvious. But every time she spoke to him now, even before the Wickham incident she'd felt things that disturbed her equanimity and she tried to forget about it. She threw herself into work and helping G. Now with that out of the way she had time to dwell on too many other things. It was hours before she fell into a fitful sleep.

…

She was allowed to walk! Slowly, movement was barely allowed, but she didn't have to be in bed all day.

Her father had come after the xray to hear about her progress. The whole time Richard sat there looking dour. She understood the conflict between these two men. But she knew that Richard spoke out of concern. And that her father was the way he was, he wasn't going to change. And nor was her mother.

"Franny wants to see you. She's worried," said Thomas towards the end of his visit.

Richard snorted, "I can't imagine what she'd be worried about."

"She is my mother, Richard. Let this go," she said sharply.

"When she stops criticizing you for every little thing - sure. Till then, don't hold your breath."

"Oh whatever. Go somewhere else for sometime. I don't want to deal with you," said Lizzy feigning annoyance. She knew that Richard wasn't wrong. But it was difficult to admit it, even to herself.

Watching Richard's back, Thomas chuckled, "you've got him well trained."

"Don't dad. Just don't," she was starting to get a headache.

"What, I'm just saying, the way he stands up for you-"

"Well, someone should shouldn't they?" It slipped out without meaning to. With all the time on her hands she'd been thinking about her life recently and the changes in her family. Sure, she always could hide with her father when she went to visit, but he never stood up to their mother for her or for Mary. It had been hard on both of them. Though with Maria and Olivia and the centre, Mary had found her place in the world.

"So, he's finally poisoned you against me. I was wondering how long it'd take," he said sardonically.

Lizzy raised her hand to stop him, "enough. I've had enough. I love you, dad. I think taking on mom's care as a form of penance has made you forget that as a father you still have other responsibilities. Never, not once, did you stand up for Mary or me to her. You let her criticize and berate both of us for who we are. Do you think it never hurt me or Mary? Yes, you protected me, gave me a haven at the bookshop. But you never stood up for me. And Mary never even had that. Lydia running away changed all of us, it appears though that it only changed you towards mother, no one else. You're still the same disinterested man you always were. You rarely ask about me or my life, only my work seems to concern you. Do you even understand what happened that I was injured in the way I was? Other than Jane who tried her best, Richard is the only person who has ever stood up for me and you play it off as if it's nothing. As if he wants something insidious. Apparently, I can stand up for everyone around me. But not for myself. Well, I'm done. Please show yourself out."

As soon as he left, Richard was back in the room. Holding her as she cried. When her tears slowed, he asked her gently, "that was great, love. Do you feel lighter?"

She nodded into his chest. "A little. But I was so harsh. I've never spoken to him like that. We've always had a good relationship and I've let it slide. Let everything slide."

That was how Georgiana found them. She'd decided to come by every evening for an hour or so to build up her courage. She had been delighted to find that it hadn't been as tough as she had made it in her mind. "Lizzy, are you ok? What happened? Can I help?"

"Oh, love. I'm fine. It's just been an emotional day. I'm so glad you came," she gave G a watery smile.

After a few minutes Lizzy left to take a nap and left the two cousins on their own after making sure that they were ok with that. They spoke about inane things for a little while and G left, she still didn't have the courage to talk about anything more than that.

When Lizzy woke up from her nap, she saw a missed call from Will. She still wasn't sure what their friendship was or what she felt about him. Was he calling only to check in?

He picked up the phone huskily, excited almost to see that she was calling him, "Elizabeth, how are you? How was the Xray?"

"Richard didn't tell you? It was fine, healing satisfactorily. I can walk around a little," she smiled at the concern she heard from him.

"I'm so glad to hear that."

As per her routine, Caroline was walking around outside Will's office and was able to hear a few things through the open door.

"Are you still coming over day after?" asked Elizabeth.

"Of course, unless I shouldn't. Is Jane still cooking? Or should I bring some food for you?"

Just the conversation Caroline wanted to hear. Why would he want to bring food for Charles?

"No, it'd be nice to see you," said Lizzy truthfully.

"Really?" he was surprised but happy.

"Yeah."

"You sound tired."

"Oh, I just woke up from a nap and saw your call."

"I thought you said you were getting better," he asked.

"Doesn't mean I can't nap if I get the chance," she tased.

He laughed, a throaty chuckle, "will you tell me how you actually are, though? Should I distract Richard for you?"

Whose Richard? wondered Caroline.

"No, he's been so great. I've just, I've had an emotional day," sighed Lizzy.

"Oh? The Xray would be cause to celebrate wouldn't it?" asked Will confused.

Xray…hmmm, so someone is sick? Thought Caroline.

"No, it isn't that. Are you sure you want to hear though? It's a lot. I know you're busy." Lizzy asked wondering about the depth of their friendship. What were they?It was never this complicated with Richard. But this, it seems fraught. In a way I don't understand. What do I do?

"If you want to tell me, I want to hear it, Elizabeth," said Will tenderly.

Elizabeth? Jane? That could only mean ELIZA BENNET. WHAT. WHY IS MY WILL DARCY TALKING TO HER? All the more reason to have dinner with the Bingley's on Friday and put that fool in her place, thought Caroline.

Walking up to her office Caroline thought about what she'd heard. How could that bitch be talking to Will? And that too about such personal things. How did they even know each other that well that he was taking a personal call in the middle of the workday? Why did she put a smile on his face. She'd never heard him talk so tenderly to anyone before. This was a disaster. She had one shot on Friday, to stop this whatever it was, before it started. Eliza Bennet was injured, she needed to find out what happened and who Richard was.

…

Lizzy felt emotionally drained after that phone call. She still didn't truly understand him or her own feelings. Why was it so hard. Emotions had always been so hard for her and compartmentalizing was always her go to defense mechanism. She decided it was a good idea to just distract herself and focus on something else. Char had promised to come over today since she'd just returned from work related travel the day before. Just as she thought that she heard the bell ring and the door open. She hobbled to the door wondering if it was her other best friend. It was only on the way to the door that she realized that Ruff and Charlotte had never probably met though they obviously knew about each other. One was travelling while the other was here. And she'd never really paid much attention to that. But they'd actually meet today and that would be fun! Something else to take her mind off. She wondered why she never thought about this before.

She saw that Ruff had answered the door and was staring at Char. If Lizzy had been prone to observations like her mother and her matchmaking, she'd believe that Char and Ruff were made for each other. The air seemed charged as she came into the room wondering why her two best friends just seemed to be staring at each other. She figured that whether or not she'd try her had at matchmaking, she would move this conversation along. "Can you two please come in and sit here. The door is too far for me right now."

That broke the silence and Ruff moved back from the door to let the awesome woman at the door enter. He'd seen pictures of this woman with Bea before but never in real life had he considered that he'd be so struck by the figure in front of him. He smiled wryly to himself wondering why he found her attractive. The conversation swirled around him and he was lost to his own thoughts not saying much.

Charlotte had always considered herself quite unromantic to the point she considered herself to be aromantic. So to be struck by anyone was a new experience for her. She needed to concentrate on her best friend and everything that happened to her. She could think about her thoughts later. Lizzy and Char talked for about an hour and Richard stayed for most of the conversation not really contributing much but at the same time learning about himself. He'd always thought that he'd never needed anything more than the constancy that Bea provided him so he'd never thought about it. But he wasn't sure what denying his own instincts had ever got him.

Richard turned to a smirking Bea and looked at her indignantly. "Not a word or so help me, Bea." He rolled his eyes, hating that his best friend looked far too excited at something that was really nothing.

…

Caroline Bingley immediately spoke to some of her contacts in the legal world. Some man named George Wickham had assaulted Eliza in her office and was now awaiting trial. No one wanted to take the case so he had a lousy public defender and he hadn't gotten bail. She decided to go and visit this Wickham character and see how she could use this information. She didn't want to spend time with him, just tell him what's what. So she made some plans and went to the prison.

"Mr. Wickham, I don't particularly care about what you did or why. But here's the only deal you're going to get. I'll get you bail until your trial and pay it out of my own pocket, and you'll do me a favour in return. I want you to finish off Elizabeth Bennet. If you do, I will make sure to pay for a better lawyer for your trial. If not, you can deal with the trial in the hands of an inept public defender."

Wickham knew which side his bread was buttered, "you'll do this for me, someone you don't know. What even is your name? I'll have an added murder charge, possibly, if I do that. I'm not sure it's worth it. Assault, a few years in jail and I'll be out."

Caroline was desperate. She didn't want to get more involved and refused to tell him her name. "well I'm sure you're a smart man, how you do it isn't important to me. Escape to the continent. I don't care. I'll give you 15000 pounds as soon as you're out of jail."

He was curious now, "why do you want her dead?"

"That doesn't concern you, now does it?" she said snidely.

He looked at the vain woman in front of him, and considered her offer for a few minutes. If he could find his wife, he'd do her in too. What's two murder charges he thought. "I suppose not. If I get bail, and you pay for it and pay me. I'll do it. I hate the woman. We have a deal." He hated prison and he was upset he wasn't getting his way with his wife. Maybe he wasn't thinking straight but he decided that if this were a way to get done with it all, he'd take it. No questions asked.

Before she left Caroline had told him "Eliza Bennet is staying with my brother in a home called Netherfield in Meryton." She gave him vague landmarks but left the rest up to him to figure out, not needing to get her hands dirty more than she needed to.

She then immediately went and called her old paramour, Judge Cosgrove on his personal line. He owed her many favours and for this, she'd call all of them in knowing what she was doing would be next to impossible for anyone else. Once the system denied you bail that was it. But she knew how to get things done and she knew how to motivate some powerful people. She knew enough about him to take him down and if he wanted to save his reputation he had no choice. She flirted slightly with the judge on the phone and then made sure he understood what he needed to do.

Friday morning, Wickham was out on jail. Knowing exactly what he had to do. He thought about running with the money. But the pull to see his wife and make her pay for everything she started by running away was just too much. He needed to punish her and there was only one way to do that. Find out where she was, especially by forcing the information from Elizabeth Bennet so he could get to her. He knew he was good at finding answers and figured what was a lawyer who got in a good kick. She would be forced to tell him where Georgiana was.

I tried something for Char. I'm not sure it landed. Since it's not a big part of the story I'm not too worried.

Also, about what Caroline is doing - it's super super unlikely that this could ever happen (like near impossible) but in this story - just on this point I'm asking you to suspend reality slightly and let's pretend for the story that it does happen.