I think I've said this before. But I will say it once again if not clear. Richard and Lizzy are 100% platonic. People of different genders can be friends. The first part of this chapter adds very little to the plot. But as we know Lady Catharine must have her share of the conversation. So this is for her.

Wickham had decided to take his time. He was finally free, why shouldn't he enjoy himself and recuperate a little bit before getting onto the task at hand. After all, no one would know what he was upto. Even if they heard that he was out of jail, they would only presume that he'd try and leave the country. He figured that he'd lay low for a few days. Take that bitch lawyer and make her speak, then find his "wife". Georgiana had been a thorn in his side. He'd kept her around for the possibility of a payout and now maybe he'd be able to get another one apart from what the red head had already given him. What if he kidnapped the lawyer first and then his wife and ransomed both of them to Will Darcy. He needed to think about the plan a bit more. But in typical style the idea of having to think and plan went out the window rather quickly and he spent more time thinking about what he would do when he was finally out of the country than planning how to go about the task at hand.

...

When the two lovers headed back inside hand in hand, they found a surprise visitor, and it was barely 8 am.

"Do you know this man? He says he's here to meet you?" said Jane looking at him doubtfully.

She bristled at seeing him, "Mr. Collins, it is entirely inappropriate for you to be here on a Saturday as if we have a personal relationship. How did you even know where I was?"

The smarmy man said, "my dear Elizabeth, you are quite silly! Of course we have a personal relationship. I've asked you out and in denying me you've simply increased my anticipation of when you will say yes. We've been playing this cat and mouse game long enough. I came to see if you're alright and if you'll finally see sense. Both when it comes to us and if we can work out this little land dispute on our own without the great lady getting involved."

Richard had entered the room hearing the commotion, and started laughing. He tried to cover it with a cough but it was too late. Collins heard him, "and who, sir, may I ask are you?"

Before he could answer, Will responded.

He looked at all the men in the room. "My my, Elizabeth. I had no idea that you live with so many men. It is a little untoward don't you think. I don't think this kind of behaviour will do at all, especially when we are together."

Lizzy squared her shoulders and faced him head on, "Mr. Collins, I will say this once again for your benefit and in front of witnesses so you cannot deny that this conversation has taken place. I won't now, nor ever go on a date with you. It is completely inappropriate that you have asked me multiple times when each time I have said no. Your coming here after propositioning me multiple times is sexual harassment. I will report you to the Inns if you don't stop this very instant."

He looked at her condescendingly, trying to copy the 'great lady' as he called her. "You will, will you? You think very highly of yourself, as the great lady has said herself. What do you hope to achieve by going against your betters?"

Will bristled at the way the man was leering at her, "Collins was it, I think the lady has given you your answer. I think it's best you leave now."

He looked the man up and down. There was something familiar about him, but he gave it no more thought before he said, "no, sir. I am here on behalf of the great Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and I am here to settle the case." He looked at Elizabeth, "I've been reasonable, and if you don't settle right now, you'll see how unreasonable I can be."

"Aunt Catherine? You're her lawyer?" said Will somewhat incredulously.

Richard guffawed.

"Oh my, I don't know how I hadn't made the connection, love," said Elizabeth looking at Richard.

Will got up, "Mr. Collins was it?" he nodded. "You may tell the 'great lady', that her behaviour in sending a lawyer to the home of someone who is convalescing is highly inappropriate and won't be overlooked. I haven't publicly denounced her, but if you or she continue in this vein I won't hesitate."

"And you are?"

"Will Darcy, you may tell my aunt my exact words. To make sure you do, I will also send her an email. I won't tolerate her behaviour any longer."

He cowered, "you're Mr. Darcy? Her favourite nephew. Why are you here? In the home of such a lowly lawyer? I must tell the great lady."

Richard looked at him threateningly, "and let me be clear, since Will is being polite. If you threaten Elizabeth, I will have you watched and make sure that my aunt is as well."

"Aunt? You're a nephew too?" the simpleton looked like he would faint.

"Richard, enough. Will you too. Both of you please leave the room. I can handle this."

Richard saw that Will was unlikely to leave, and pulled him by the cuff of his shirt, kissed her cheek and left, "we will be at the other end of the room. Try not injuring yourself again."

"May I ask why two nephews of the great lady are here?" Now that it was only Elizabeth he knew he could dictate her into compliance.

She crossed her arms, "you may not, Mr. Collins. I haven't given you leave to intrude into my personal affairs. Let me be clear. We won't settle the case, there is nothing you have offered that would tempt me to do so. I will talk to my client, when I am back at work. Your offer is laughable, and I very much doubt my client will take it. Now, I bid you good day. And if you do come here again, I won't be as civil."

"Wait till I tell her about her nephews. She'll be here herself."

Elizabeth knew no good would come of it, and she could send a warning, "you can also tell her, that if she comes here she'll deal with her nephews directly. It would be unethical for her to meet with me as opposing counsel alone while there is a case against her. You wouldn't want that fact to come out in court would you?"

He left, tail between his legs, though he was completely red in the face Lizzy couldn't tell if that was embarrassment or anger.

"Your aunt is Lady Catherine de Bourgh of the House of Lords? The one who makes a spectacle of herself every time she holds a press conference? I haven't dealt with a more frustrating person in a long while," she said to Richard and Will.

"She's the worst," said Richard. "I haven't spoken to her in a good long while."

Will laughed, "I haven't met her since Easter last year. But I can't stand her either. You've met her more than we have, I'd wager."

She shook her head, "not because I wanted to. And Ruff, please stop threatening everyone with illegal action you can't take. It's quite useless."

"You mean useful? Yes, it is." He guffawed.

…

An hour and a half later, the great Lady was at Netherfield herself. Jane let her in, unsure what was going on. She went back to decorating the nursery with Charles. Seeing Richard and Lizzy on the couch her feet in his lap. She started talking immediately, "when Collins told me two of my nephews were here, I had to come see for myself. I'm surprised he was not mistaken. Why the two of you be in such a town, let alone the home of an good for nothing lawyer baffles me. Her kind will pollute you both."

Elizabeth had had enough of this nonsense and got up immediately, "it is highly inappropriate for you to be here. Please leave."

Lady Catharine de Bourgh was not used to be treated like this. "I will not be treated like this? Do you know who I am?"

Lizzy smirked, "madam, since I'm opposing counsel and these two are your nephews, we certainly know who you are." Richard guffawed. His eyes were twinkling at seeing Bea in form against a person he so hated.

Lady Cathy went on ignoring her, "you must know why I'm here."

No one in the room said a word.

She continued, "my character has ever been celebrated for its sincerity and frankness; and in such a case as this, I shall certainly not depart from it. Mr. Collins gave me the most alarming report, that both my nephews are here and you are trying to seduce them with your arts and allurements. Even a low born simpleton like you must know neither one of them would ever marry you. I knew it must be impossible."

"Aunt, though I'm not sure you deserve the respect that goes with that title. Coming to Lizzy's sister's home and insulting her is behaving inappropriately, even for you" said Richard in a low dangerous tone. Lizzy put a calming hand on Richard squeezing it, silently telling him that she could handle this.

"I came here to have that report contradicted. At least Darcy isn't here. Collins must've been mistaken about that."

Her being here wasn't good. But Lizzy couldn't pass up the opportunity to have a bit of fun. Plus, Richard was a witness that they weren't talking about the case. "Your coming here will be a confirmation of that 'report', if one existed."

"And you will promise that you won't behave in such an inappropriate manner," Catharine continued as if she hadn't heard what Elizabeth said.

"I do not pretend to possess equal frankness with your Lady. You may ask questions which I shall not choose to answer."

"Are you trying to seduce my nephews into marriage?"

"You've declared it impossible."

"It should be impossible. But your arts and allurements may, in a moment of infatuation, have made them forget what they both owe to their family."

"If that were the case, why in the world would I confess it?"

"They are my nephews I am entitled to know their concerns."

"But, you are entitled to know mine. Nor will your blustering inappropriate behaviour induce me to tell you." With that, she kissed Richard on the cheek, in a slightly coy way just to piss off the woman sitting in front of them. He smiled at her and shook his head. Darcy had come in catching the last part of that scene. He saw Elizabeth getting up, he walked over to her giving her his arm for support and helped her out.

Leaving Richard with their aunt who sat down heavily in a couch across from her nephew. "So, she has ensnared you both?"

Richard said nothing.

Lady Cathy waved her hand about in front of him to get some reaction. "Come nephew, we haven't talked for many years. I understand you barely talk to your parents. But I must have some conversation."

He deadpanned, "I have no idea why you're here. As Elizabeth said, it is inappropriate."

She pouted and said, "I'm simply here meeting my nephews. Wondering why they would be in the home of an obstinate headstrong lawyer, instead of spending time with their family."

Richard then said, "I've never given you a reason to think that you can direct my affairs and concerns. If my parents can't, I don't know what makes you think you can."

She then asked curiously. Not able to understand what was happening in front of her. "Why are you here?"

"Why do you suddenly care?" retorted Richard.

She pursed her lips annoyed, "I've always cared. Whatever might be between you and my brother should have no bearing on our relationship."

He smirked at her, "Aunt, if you had not heard I was here from your idiotic lawyer, would you have even thought about me?"

She knew what the answer was, she hadn't thought about Richard in years. She hadn't particularly cared. Once he abandoned his family it made little difference to her. But here, to see him with the one person she possibly had more distaste for than any other was insupportable. "Do your parents know where you are?"

He raised an eyebrow, "the better question is do they care? The answer is no. So why should I? They've made their feelings clear, by your silence you've done the same. If Darce wants to give you his time that's his business." Richard said looking at his cousin who had just re-entered the room.

Before Will could say a word, Lady Cathy said, "nephew, have you forgotten that you are to marry my niece, Anne?"

Will crossed his arms balling his hands into fists to contain his anger at his aunt's behaviour. "I've never agreed to that…"

Normally, he wouldn't respond to her overtures. That he had unequivocally said no was astonishing. She tried to convince him and cut him off before he could complete that sentence. "As my niece by marriage she is to inherit Rosings on my death. She is from an old family line, just like you. She is perfect for you."

Will's voice had started rising. "If you will let me finish, I have no interest in marrying her. She has never wanted to marry me. This is purely a fiction in your own mind."

Cathy was all bark no bite kind of woman, she raised her voice too, "so you would rather marry a person like that Bennet girl?"

In clipped tones he said, "I will marry whom I choose."

Lady Cathy saw that she was in a losing battle of wills with her nephew. "And this is your resolve? This is what you want?" she continued, "She is not someone you marry, Will. Sow all your wild oats if you wish. Elizabeth Bennet is completely wrong for you,"

He went over to her, taking her elbow, "I think it's time for you to leave. If you continue down this path I will publicly disavow you. I know you aren't doing well without Pemberley money, a few well-chosen words and you could kiss your political career good bye."

Lady Cathy clutched her heart, unsure that she had ever been more surprised. Will never really stood up to her. "You wouldn't! What for a whore like that?"

Richard got up, he wanted to throw this woman out on her ass 10 minutes ago, but let his cousin have his say knowing that it would make more of an impact on the old biddy.

"Watch me, aunt. You came into her sister's home. Not once asking about her health and everything she has done for this family as a lawyer and otherwise and called her names that no one in polite society should. She's changed Richard and me for the better. If you continue to disrespect her. I will make good on my threat."

Lady Cathy went back to Kent, more furious and upset than she had ever been. She would show this Bennet woman who was boss.

…

Lizzy was looking forward to peace and quiet the next day. She wanted nothing more than time with her thoughts. She knew it would be hard to confront feelings that she had been putting off for some time now. She decided to go to the back porch and take some time for herself. She sat in the dim morning light trying to find the connections in her scattered thoughts. The same approach that she would follow to find the best legal argument. Everyone around her had often reminded her that feelings weren't rational and that they didn't work that way. But when Elizabeth Bennet was at a loss, she fell back to her legal training and let it carry her forward. Even if it didn't resolve anything it could help infuse some order into her chaotic thoughts. She'd been over her their acquaintance before, considering it from different angles, though it left her confused. On this occasion she knew that it wasn't the right way to go about it. Instead of starting chronologically, she began with a question that had worried her throughout this awakening of feelings for the man. How was she supposed to do this? Let someone in? Trust them? She thought about Ruff and how easy it'd been to trust him. There'd never been any questions about it. Even the first time they met there was just something about the both of them that clicked. And then after that, they'd been thrown into a dangerous situation bringing them even closer. She thought about something she once read about how trust was built in the little moments, in consistency and showing up. She remembered that trust was a spectrum, while she might trust a person to pay her back 20 quid they'd borrowed, to trust that a person wouldn't hurt her required a leap of faith. Something she'd never been very good at. On top of it all, she wasn't even sure she had a measure of the man. Will was an enigma. He seemed to be the one person she hadn't been able to read. She'd thought him arrogant and conceited to begin with and she'd hated what he did to G in patronizing her. She'd realized that she'd been somewhat mistaken in her hasty judgment of him and had still wanted to hate him. But somewhere along the way her feelings for him had thawed because she'd noticed that under the veneer of the confident businessman, he was deeply hurting and unsure of how to deal with the situation in front of him. She could relate to that too. While he was prideful, it wasn't as if she wasn't. He'd taken what people in his life had said to him seriously and changed for the better. But was that enough? Had she been able to properly sketch his character in a handful of meetings? Or had the strangeness of some of these meetings gotten in the way of her understanding of him? He hadn't been officious at the hospital, he'd asked questions about opioids and why she didn't like them. She'd not truly appreciated that it must've been a change for him to treat her that way when at work he got to call all the shots. And now here he was, declaring his love for her? She wondered how he could possibly love her when she barely felt like she knew him. She wondered again about what Jane and Ruff had told her, that some of this was her fear talking. For her part she just thought she was being careful. Was being circumspect such a bad thing? She wondered if even asking these questions was just some roundabout way feigning ignorance when she did actually have a greater understanding of her own feelings even if she couldn't acknowledge or even identify them.

Will watched her sitting outside. He knew she needed some space and would give it to her.

She was lost in thought. It was only when she saw Richard appear with a cup of tea for her that she realized how long she'd been outside seeing the sun shining in the sky.

"What is it you're thinking about, Bea?"

Smiling in response to the tea she said, "life, chances, fear."

"And?" asked Richard, wishing that she was making headway, but knowing her the way he did, he had a feeling that wasn't the case.

"I don't know, Ruff. I just don't know."

He tried to reframe her thinking hoping that it would help, "just because you always know things when it comes to your work doesn't mean you will here. What do you say about things that aren't in your control? Why do you think your feelings are controllable?"

"I'm not trying to control them. I'm just – I don't know. Contemplating what the point could be?"

"Sometimes, it's good to let your emotions carry the day rather than rationality, isn't it?"

In a small voice she asked, hesitant to hear the answer, "how will I know?"

He didn't know the answer to that. "When it's right you'll know." With that he went back inside.

He watched Darcy at his vigil by the window. He told his cousin, "Darce, staring at her isn't going to make this go any quicker. You need to give her time."

He turned to Richard and said, "how much time?"

"I don't know. I told you you'd have to be patient. I'm going out to Longbourn. I'll be back soon. Keep an eye on her for now." He didn't want anyone to know that he'd heard Jane talking about having coffee with Charlotte today. He hoped that if he turned up at the Café that they'd include him and that way he'd get some time to talk to the intriguing Charlotte. Bea had too much on her mind to be able to talk about this right now. But maybe he could use the discussion about Charlotte to make Bea see that there was more to emotions than fear and who knew anymore than that, he thought wistfully.

As you've probably seen from this story, I've been enjoying taking some of the P regency tropes and testing them to see how they might hold up in modern times. In this story it was about Georgiana meeting Lizzy before Darcy does due to the Ramsgate incident. I've already begun playing with an idea of another trope. Though you will have to wait a bit to see the first chapter, the trope is the one where Lizzy is not a Bennet, but someone else. There's some great regency fictions about that I've enjoyed over the years and I wanted to see what it'd be like here. Moreover, I've already decided that Lady Catharine will have a major and very different role than the one she has here. Because this chapter was about her, I thought it a good time to introduce this idea! I hope many of you will subscribe to my author page and take a look when I start putting up those chapters! Let me know what you think my dears. I always enjoy hearing from you.