Beginning on 10 February 2024. Slightly longer chapter.
Chapter updates will likely be every 1-2 weeks! I'm mainly only working out some kinks now.

It'd only been a month since G arrived in Meryton, but she felt like she'd lived there for years. She enjoyed the solitude while keeping herself busy with the centre. She couldn't help looking over her shoulder every now and then though, especially as she had taken to exploring the neighbourhood on solitary walks. She never really stopped worrying that she might see Wickham and he would take her away forcibly from the life that she started building. She watched as the erratic English winter ran warm yet dreary and the days became longer. She'd begun by venturing to the supermarket nearby to get the weekly supplies for the centre. Now that Mary had encouraged her to renegotiate and sign the contract she also decided to buy a few things for herself with the money that she earned for the first time in her life. She decided to try out a few of the recipes that she learnt in the centre's cooking class. She loved both the independence of no one wanting anything from you and the sense of accomplishment at having created something new. It was so much fun to be here, learn new things. She was slowly coming to realize what it was about building your life back piece by piece that felt so significant. It was the power of making a choice and knowing that you made it and that through that choice, you created the life you're living. It would still take some time for her to be able to inhabit that understanding but for now understanding it seemed enough.

The more she explored the neighbourhood the more she got to know the people that lived in it. Meryton was a small town, and everyone knew everyone. And everyone knew the Bennet sisters. Now that she was more familiar with the neighbourhood, she also noticed things that were unfamiliar – like the new man that she seemed to run into 3 times this week who no one at the centre seemed to know anything about. When she asked Mary if there was anyone new in town Mary had no idea. G's thoughts spiralled as to the identity of this person and why he was following her.

The sisters came to the centre that night. They were to call Jane, whose arrival back to England was delayed because her husband got the flu. G found herself wanting to talk to Lizzy. She felt silly at first. But her history with Wickham gave her pause, maybe it was one of his friends. Lizzy noticed that she looked shifty, "what's wrong, G? Out with it. I can tell something is the matter."

She started wringing her hands, "yes. It is. I don't know. I think I keep seeing the same man everywhere I go. What if he's following me. What if HE hired him to find me or it's his friend?"

"Will you let me take care of this as a lawyer? I might be able to find some things out. And like Jackie, everything will remain confidential between us only."

G nodded and hugged Lizzy. "Thankyou for taking care of me," she said as her eyes shone, feeling like she'd never been at the receiving end of so much love.

Lizzy soothed her as best she could rubbing circles on her back. She decided that the following day she would do something that she hadn't done in a long time - take the morning off and go with G to see who was following her.

…

More than a month had passed since that bitch had left him. He decided it was time to move down to London. He didn't think that she had the gumption to leave and stay away for this long. Maybe she died? It's not like she could've gotten far. He hoped not, because then where would he be without his golden goose be? When he had called Darcy those weeks ago all he wanted was to taunt the man and find out if she'd gone there. The surprise in his voice had been evident. But maybe it had taken her time to get to London. After all it's not like she had any money. Where else could she have gone? Finally after waiting around for a few weeks he realized he would actually have to do something to get her back. He decided to slowly make his way down to London. He'd have to be deliberate not to run into old acquaintances while still feeding his gambling and alcohol habits. It would be tough but he had confidence in his abilities.

…

When G pointed out the man following her to Lizzy a few meters behind them Lizzy lost her temper but did nothing at the moment. She recognized the man immediately. It was Grant one of Lee's men, and raised one eyebrow as she caught his attention, he shook his head slightly. She had no idea why he would be following G. Wickham could have never afforded him from everything G had told them, so who was paying him for this job?

She decided to stop by his office to gather more information. They'd met when Lydia had run away and Thomas Bennet had asked him to help look for his youngest daughter. The trail had been cold and he hadn't been able to find her. But Lizzy had stayed in touch with him long after hoping that he'd be able to find something on Lydia. "Lee! It's good to see you."

Lee, an older, rotund man who reminded her a bit of santa claus with his shaggy beard and sparkly eyes to boot smiled at the voice of one of his favourite people. "And you, my dear. How's your father?"

Lizzy kissed his cheek in greeting, "same you know. Refusing help. Anyway, that's not why I'm here. I saw one of your men, Grant I believe, following one of my clients. You know I can't allow it. She's a young girl whose very scared."

He knew who she was referring too, "she's one of your clients?"

"I got an offer I couldn't refuse to track her down. But now that I know she's one of yours, here's the report. I was about to take it to my client. It'll save me the trip if I just hand it over to you. His name is Will Darcy."

She was perplexed, why would a businessman worth billions of pounds want anything to do with G? Why was he having her followed? It made no sense. But she decided to do the only thing that made any sense to her. She took action immediately. She decided to send a somewhat cryptic email to the man on question.

14 February 2024

Sir,

I would like to schedule a meeting with you and your lawyer. As I understand it you are represented in your personal capacity by a Mr. Edward Gardiner. I have taken the liberty of cc'ing him on this email. At the moment, the only information I am able to provide is that one of my client's is interested in filing a civil suit against you under the Protection from Harassment Act, 1997. I only offer such a meeting out of courtesy to Mr. Gardiner as he was a mentor early in my career. If you decline this meeting, please expect the legal documentation to be served to Mr. Gardiner in the coming weeks.

Best

E. Bennet

She knew it would get his attention. And if nothing else, Uncle Gardiner would make sure he knew she meant business. Her phone was ringing, she wanted to ignore it but then saw who was calling.

She smiled at the promptness of his response. "Hello uncle, are you still working? Shall I tell my Aunt?"

Gardiner was surprised, "Lizzy, dear. What is this email. You know you don't need to have a meeting under the Act – you could file the case direct."

The man was always teaching. He never could let it go. "I know Uncle, but I need to get to the bottom of something. I don't understand why a Darcy of all people would be involved."

He shook his head, "This isn't one of your human rights cases. If you think your client is being harassed, take us to court. But do it the right way."

Lizzy knew that his advice was sound. But she knew that she had to do it this way. "I appreciate the advice. But this isn't just any client. This is a friend, and I need to protect her."

Gardiner knew that as always her heart was in the right place, "I don't know who does a better job of protecting people you love than you, dear. But be careful. Will is a prickly sort of fellow he will be difficult to deal with."

"With my track record these past few years, I think I can handle him. I've won against tougher players than Will Darcy."

He laughed good naturedly, "well, there's bound to be fireworks. Fine darling, if this is how you want it, I'll tell Will to take the meeting. But no favours other than that."

Lizzy laughed, "have I ever asked you for a favour?"

He said in mock irritation, "I hate that you refuse to accept my help."

"You just said you won't do me any favours!"

"You're my niece and I don't want to appear as opposing counsel. So, get to the bottom of this and hopefully this threat of civil suit will be over, and we can all move on with our lives."

She wondered if it would be as easy as that. Simply moving on after this, or if this meeting would reveal yet another mystery.

…

Will Darcy was having a very bad month. First the call with Wickham, having to employ a PI to find Georgiana, and now this bloody email. He was glad he didn't have a teacup in his hand right now, he'd thrown 4 cups in the week after Wickham's call. His ever protective and stern assistant, Harriet Reynolds had taken to giving him to-go cups.

Edward Gardiner was a shrewd man. He knew that Lizzy wouldn't do something rash. But this didn't seem like her. He worried for her. While he was thinking about her, his phone rang, and he shook his head seeing the caller id. "Good morning, Darcy. What can I do for you this morning?

"Gardiner, this email. Who the hell is E. Bennet? What do you know about this?"

"She's a very good lawyer. We should meet with her."

"Is she serious?"

"As a heart attack."

He grumbled, then said, "fine, I'll set it up. But I won't hesitate to call security if I think she is going after me because I have deep pockets or if she's just contriving a meeting with me because of who I am." He snidely wondered if she was just doing this to get a meeting with one of England's most eligible bachelors.

"That's not who she is, Will. You need to be careful what you say to her."

He bristled at being told what to do, "Gardiner, you've known me since you were father's lawyer. I have no tolerance for bullshit. I've taken down corporations. You think I'm scared of a two-bit lawyer?"

While Gardiner knew that Lizzy would hate it if he tried to protect her by telling Will she was his niece, he had to do something. He sighed and said, "no son, I know you're not. But she's not your average run-of-the-mill lawyer. I would counsel some patience during this meeting."

Will hung up without saying a word glowering at the furniture in the room. He told his assistant to set up a meeting for 20 minutes the next morning at 6 am with this Bennet and Gardiner. That is all he would give this bullshit. He loved early morning meetings. People generally gave him what he wanted because they hadn't properly woken up. Then he remembered, wasn't Charles married to a Bennet. He wondered if this Bennet was any relation. He could ask Caroline, but he hated dealing with her. She would get so bloody over excited if he called her extension that he dropped the idea. He would wait to see for himself.

…

She got an email from Will Darcy's secretary. Her uncle must have called him. She knew his type. He probably wanted such an early meeting to have her wrong footed. Little did he know that Lizzy was a morning person, so much so that she would be in office most days by 6 am, if not earlier. Even before meeting him she had him pegged as arrogant. She didn't need to know much more.

She walked into his office and sat in the reception at 5.50 am hoping she beat him there. She was right, he did a double take when he saw her at the reception, she was reading a thick volume on the Harassment Act, hoping to use it as a prop to intimidate him. She didn't look up from her book hoping she looked engrossed enough. Gardiner walked in a few minutes later. He saw Lizzy sitting there, she smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

He looked down at the book, he'd taught her that strategy. He let out a laugh, "so, it's going to be one of those meetings, is it?"

Lizzy just nodded.

"Go easy on him."

"Never."

He laughed, "that's my girl."

Will entered his office. He was extremely surprised that she had made it in before he had. It rarely ever happened before and usually it meant that the meeting wouldn't go in his favour. She hadn't even looked up from the tome she was reading as if completely disinterested in anything else.

As soon as they were called into his office, both lawyers put on their mask of indifference and sat down. Will was at the window, looking out, at the pre-dawn sky. It had gotten chillier during the week and it had been a bit harder for him to get out of bed. Ms. Bennet however looked chirpy and well put together in her white striped blouse and royal blue trousers. He noticed her numerous tattoos and couldn't understand why she would deface her body with all those tattoos, it was highly unprofessional. How could a lawyer present themselves like that. She was beautiful without them and didn't need to mar her skin. Where did that come from? His eyes then involuntarily travelled to hers. While her face might have shown disinterest, her eyes showed everything. Unbidden a thought came to him I could drown in those eyes given half a chance. He pulled himself out of it realizing that she was scrutinizing him as he was her.

She found it hard to look away at the tall commanding presence he exuded. He had slightly curly hair and piercing blue eyes and wore an obviously well-tailored suit that fit him perfectly. She hadn't been so overtly attracted to a man in a long time. She took a breath reminding herself that she was here for G and nothing else.

It was clear to Gardiner that he wouldn't be an active participant in this meeting, but neither his niece nor Will would actually begin the conversation, preferring to remain at a stalemate. He stepped in, "well I don't know about either of you, but I have other things to do, and we only have 20 minutes, let's get started, shall we? Ms. Bennet, why don't you tell us what this meeting is about since you initiated it."

Lizzy was glad her uncle was here. She was off balance without knowing why and drew strength from his presence. "Certainly, as I mentioned in the email. I have a client who wants to sue you for harassment. I have asked for this meeting because I believe that she might be amenable to settling out of court."

Will ruffled, he knew exactly what this was about. "So that's it then isn't it. You've come here because I have deep pockets. I won't give in to this nonsense from a two-bit, unprofessional looking lawyer. You cannot tempt me into giving you a pence."

The righteous indignation was obvious on her face. But he couldn't help but notice how frankly amazing she looked so full of rage. She hadn't liked the man to begin with from his responses even before this meeting. But this statement had her fuming. She got up and thumped her hand on his desk, "I'm a lawyer. Not a two-bit lawyer and extremely good one. Look me up on your ridiculously overpriced phone if you want. My client has no interest in your money. And frankly nor do I. This client is a friend of mine. And I am only here for one reason."

He took out his cheque book.

She laughed dryly, "you sir, are extremely arrogant. You didn't hear me. She doesn't want your money. She only wants to know why you are having her followed by a PI."

Her words broke through his stony indifference, and she saw him go pale.

He stammered out, "wh-hat?"

Lizzy wasn't sure why the wan expression on his face drew her in. She said more gently than she wanted to, "she would like to know why you are having a PI follow her. It's a complete violation of her privacy. She's just getting back on her feet, and I won't stand for any interference with that."

"WHAT?" he repeated, not comprehending what she could possibly be saying about Georgiana.

"You heard me, sir," was all Lizzy would deign to say.

His face went from wan to white, "she's hired a lawyer?"

She raised her eyebrow, "ah, good. So, at least we have established you know exactly who I'm talking about."

He couldn't understand why she would hire a lawyer, "why is she upset? I have a right to know where she is. What has happened in her life? Do you know who she is to me?"

Lizzy crossed her arms over her chest and said in a way that brooked no opposition, "no, it doesn't matter. I will protect her like I would my own sister."

"She's mine…." He closed his eyes seeing the last memory he had of her.

Lizzy bristled at his phrasing, "what in the world do you mean you conceited man? Women aren't your property."

He shook his head, trying to explain, "no, I mean she's my sister."

At this Gardiner peeked up, "Georgiana?"

It was Lizzy's turn to go ashen. Lizzy realized her blunder. She should've told G about Lee and Will Darcy and let her decide how she wanted to proceed. But she had asked to treat this as G's lawyer and approached him all on her own. Wasn't she arrogant too? G had trusted her and she'd done this without consulting G because she wanted to go against Will Darcy, a representation of the 'man' with his fancy offices and cars, and solve a mystery.

He pleaded, "how is she? Please, tell me something. I haven't heard from her in close to 4 years. A few weeks ago, I hired a PI because circumstances necessitated it. But tell me something about her please."

Lizzy sighed, "she's fine. She's under my protection. I can't say more."

Lizzy needed to make amends and not make decisions for G. She would have to figure this out with her brother in her own time. All Lizzy could do was support her. She knew G had the right to be mad at her for making a decision for her, she hoped she could avert that. "Look, if this were my sister… I understand. Just … here's my card. If you want to meet her, I can try to help with that. But it must be her choice. She's rebuilding her life piece by piece and if you can't deal with that then you should stay away. She's gone through hell these last few years."

Lizzy got up and started to leave. Gardiner wasn't sure what to do. He looked at Will, knowing that in this state nothing he said would register. So, he simply said, "Will, give me a call when you're ready to talk."

Will sat there agog after the meeting. Had he not had other things to do he would have gone to the pub across the street. But it probably wasn't even open yet. He looked at his schedule and saw he had a meeting with Caroline in a few minutes to update him about contracts and their status. He couldn't deal with her this morning, but he had no choice. There was too much on his mind and he didn't know what to do. Before he could cancel the meeting and ask for an update via email instead, in waltzed Caroline Bingley. He was trying hard not to groan too loudly. He'd only hired her because of her brother. She was a lawyer, not a very good one. Somehow when his head of the legal department had left suddenly due to an illness a few months ago, she'd become acting head of legal by default due to her seniority. He reminded himself it was high time to find a new head of legal, someone who actually knew what they were doing instead of someone who went to law school because her father made a big donation. A thought came unbidden to him as he looked at the card in front of him medusa sketched on the back as a logo, and the front crisp and clean, and his mind went blank.

Caroline's shrill voice pulled him back to the present and he remembered his train of thought. He barely registered a single word she said. He replied a few times and then got lost in thought again.

Caroline noticed that he wasn't paying much attention to her. "Will, are you ok? You seem out of sorts. Should I come back later?"

He groaned, "no, let's just get this over with. I have 15 minutes scheduled for you and a packed day ahead."

She pouted but continued droning on. The meeting was nearly over, and he realized he had been staring at the card Elizabeth gave him. As Caroline had been talking, he'd gone back and forth a dozen times trying to decide what he should do. He didn't understand. He hadn't realized Caroline had stopped talking and that she had come and stood by his desk.

He heard her exclaim, "Elizabeth Bennet was here?"

He was surprised, "you know her?"

"She's my sister in law's sister. Of course, I know her. Her whole family is abhorrent. All those tattoos, I don't know how she expects to be taken seriously."

He looked up at her, judgmental and bitchy as usual was Caroline's favourite flavour of ice cream. But then again, hadn't he thought the same thing? Neither her assessment nor his fit with Gardiner's description of her. He wondered who was right.

She decided to tell him some gossip, "I was ahead of her in law school by a year. She got everything so easily while I had to work so hard to get where I did. People always wanted to give her favours because they thought she was beautiful. Beautiful, as if."

Will couldn't hold back his laughter, "Caroline, seriously. You got into law school because of daddy and work here because of Charles. I don't think it's her who got things easily." Caroline's assessment of her was obviously based on jealousy.

Caroline was shocked. After that one night they'd shared, she'd known Will was to be hers even if it was going to take time. After all, she deserved to be with one of the country's most eligible bachelors didn't she? She might be nearing 30 now and so she only had a year or so before she could make sure that she would have him. It needed to be soon because she needed time to plan the society wedding she'd dreamed of since that night. She didn't want to be unmarried and 30. Will and Charles had gone for some party, and he'd come back to their home a little drunk and had gotten into a spare bed not knowing that she'd been home. She'd come out of the shower and found him in her bed. They'd met a few times before and she found him striking. And now to find him in her bed she knew what he must be there for. She started kissing him and he even kissed back for a few seconds before she heard a snore. She told herself he must be drunk, what else could it be? They'd shared a bed. He claimed upon waking that he didn't realize that someone was already in the bed and apologized profusely, she'd batted her eyelashes and said, "I liked having a warm bed to curl into for a change. You're welcome anytime." She hadn't noticed how he'd blanched at that. And him hiring her had been further proof positive in her mind that he must want to be near her. What had that woman done. Ugh, Eliza. She thought she'd gotten rid of her in law school and then her brother had married that stupid Jane. That low life family, addicts, tattoos, homosexuals and who knew what else. She didn't understand what anyone saw in them. she knew that something had to be done before that family could sink their paws in Will too. She needed him to understand, "laugh all you want. But I warn you. She's trouble. Stay away from her."

That helped make up his mind almost immediately. He'd never listened to Caroline because unlike Charles, she always came across as conniving and to be honest a little bit dumb. But she put on this air as if she were very polished and sophisticated. As soon as she started talking it was evident that she was out of touch with reality. It was also obvious that she thought that he and her shared some kind of special bond. Nothing could be further from the truth in his mind. Will loathed Caroline and was only nice because of Charles. He had repeatedly told her, politely and even not as politely that he wouldn't go out with her. But she either pretended not to understand or just plainly didn't understand. He wouldn't look at her a second time if he saw her in the street. She wasn't curious about the world and not passionate. She was empty. He had always thought it ended there, her weird little obsession with him. As it turned out he had no idea that in fact Caroline Bingley was in love with him and hoped to one day become his wife.

Comments help me shape the story. Please do leave a line! Did you enjoy their first meeting? Was it what you thought it'd be?
Caroline's behaviour isn't in line with my own thoughts about addiction, tattoos, or anything really. I hope if you or your loved ones are struggling with things (self-image /addiction / sexuality or anything really) that you're able to reach out and get the help you need. This will not be the only disclaimer on Caro's idiotic behaviour.