"You really are the devil’s spawn, aren't you?" George snapped. "First you steal what was rightfully mine, now you won't even let me make an honest living!"
"You don't know the meaning of that phrase," Will snapped, unable to help letting his voice rise to a roar now. "One more slip up and I will make you sorry you ever met the Darcy’s, George! Just see if I don't!"
Chapter Sixteen
Elizabeth stood with puzzlement and shock as she processed the moment in the lobby. She really liked Jane's new boyfriend. He seemed extremely competent, kind, and very level headed. She had the utmost respect for Charles as both a man and a lawyer, but it was dreadfully apparent that they had different opinions on what calm and reasonable were. Either that or their janitor was taking a very personal call in Mr. Darcy's office. A very loud and strange personal call. Surely, a lawyer like William Darcy did not go around threatening people.
She shifted uncomfortably as a raging inferno of threats erupted from the office that was unmistakably marked with Darcy's name. When she glanced over at Charles, he at least looked appropriately appalled at the intimidations coming from the office.
“Elizabeth…umm…would excuse me a moment?” Charles asked as he stared uncomfortably at the door.
“Of course.”
Elizabeth gave a short nod and Charles rushed to deal with the situation that was unfolding out of their vision. What was that all about? It was sounding less like a law office and more like one of those old radio dramas.
Left to her own devices, she decided to take the moment to get a better look at her surroundings. It was lovely, professional, but it also struck her as largely extravagant. It reminded her somehow of the old Victorian private studies. Everything from the book-laden shelves to the coffee table was elaborately carved, dark, hardwood. She could smell the orange oil in the air, which explained why they shone so flawlessly. Moldings ran around the perimeter of the ceiling, depicting intricate pillars, winding vines, and other beautiful details. She had no doubt the price of the trim alone would have sent her into cardiac arrest. To top it off, the canvases adorning the wall had to be worth tens of thousands of dollars. Even the carpets and the accent rug had a lush vibrancy that only a top brand could produce. Darcy’s certificates were all strategically placed in areas of prominence, adding to the slightly intimidating feel the opulence gave the place. Everything was carefully arranged in a grand, meticulous manner. She was torn between awe at its beauty and discomfort at the impracticality. It seemed almost as if its owner were flaunting his status through these small details, pressing the point that it was one of the top firms in the city. She frowned at the thought. That was not a road she should travel down, especially when she was critiquing a potential employer!
I’d best sit and worry more about my interview than the wallpaper she scolded herself as she made her way toward a chair to wait.
“Cancel my appointments for the day,” the voice from a moment ago stated as the door opened a crack.
Elizabeth tried to keep her expression neutral as she realized that the man must indeed be Mr. Darcy. She hoped that this type of behavior was an exceedingly rare occurrence. She leaned to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of the figure in person. However, he was turned far to the side, likely looking at Charles as he spoke.
She'd seen a few pictures of the man, of course. However, a picture was not always worth its thousand words. For example, what she remembered of Darcy was of a somewhat distant man of perfect posture. Absolutely nothing of his images mentioned that he was also a raving, raging lunatic when his temper was crossed.
“But Will,” Charles’ voice came nervously from further in the room. “There is the Duncan case. The attorney is coming by this afternoon to touch base on next week’s court hearing.”
“He will have to wait until tomorrow,” Darcy stated with a flippant tone that made Elizabeth's jaw drop. She took in a breath as she scowled. “I've no mind to argue details and nuances with him today.”
What nerve! A man of his position knew full well how important such meetings were. To brush someone off so casually and with so little warning, and all because he did not feel like dealing with it? Surely, this wasn't the same Darcy that everyone respected, hated, or wanted to emulate. This man must be some hopeless slacker in the family that the real Mr. Darcy felt obligated to employ!
“Then there is still the internship we were discussing,” Charles said quickly, dashing Elizabeth's hopes of his conversant being some childish assistant. Those she knew how to deal with, but if this was indeed was her new employer… You need this internship, the voice in the back of her mind scolded, warning her against confronting the man in question. She would have to deal with all types in the field. She might as well learn to live with an arrogant superior as soon as possible.
She'd still rather eat raw chicken liver than do so.
You NEED this internship! She reminded herself sternly once again.
“What internship?” Darcy asked after a brief silence.
Elizabeth jumped in her seat at the annoyance and puzzlement in his tone. He'd taken so long to respond to Charles that she almost assumed that she might have spoken her stern thought aloud.
“Miss Elizabeth Bennet,” Charles prompted. “She is seeking out an internship with our firm. Her background is top notch for a student.”
“I've even less use for an intern today than I do the Duncans,” Darcy said with poorly concealed contempt, causing Elizabeth to bristle in her seat. Her fingers dug into the folds of her black slacks as her lips pierced themselves into a hard, thin line.
“We discussed her interview only yesterday,” Charles protested as he gazed over the oddly haphazard desk and some scattered papers on the floor. What in the world happened while I was out?
“Charles, I am at my wit's end with gutter-trash trying to use this company as their stepping stone into society,” Darcy said with such a sharp tone that Charles took a step back in surprise.
“Elizabeth is an exceptional candidate, Darcy.” Charles floundered, his thoughts in disarray. He could not remember Darcy mentioning other interns as of late.
“Why is her application coming in so late?” Darcy asked impatiently. “Records aren't worth much if one does not use them promptly. I thought every candidate in the city flooded our office with requests weeks ago. I remember that nonsense well enough.”
“Would you just take a few minutes to look at her application? She’s at the top of her class. She's had trouble securing her internship,” Charles replied reluctantly, looking worriedly at the crack in the door. “Darcy, please close the door a moment, she is just—”
“JUST a waste of time, Charles!” Darcy snapped with growing exasperation as his hand fell away from the still open door.
“Darcy! The young lady is—”
“I won't hear it, Charles!” the man said impatiently.
Charles was alarmed at the set of the man's jaw and the red that was blossoming in his face. He'd never seen Darcy so angry in all the years they'd known each other.
“Have you considered that there might be a reason she cannot secure an internship? She was homeschooled throughout high school. Her credentials are likely not even worth the paper they are printed on! Look Charles, I’m sorry you’ve been duped. Miss Homeschooled doesn’t have what it takes to tempt me into wasting my time.”
Darcy shook his head and made his way out into the lobby, before he said something he would regret. He needed a moment to think over the situation, to regain his composure. The intern was unfortunate, especially in the timing. However, I stand firm in my belief. The others would not pass up a promising intern. His mood did not improve as he saw a young woman rounding the corner, the door swinging shut behind her.
******
The nerve of him! Elizabeth fumed with indignation and embarrassment. How dare he accuse her of faking her records, especially when he’d apparently never checked them to begin with!
She stormed down the sidewalk
, eyes trained ahead as she tried to calm herself. She could feel the creases of a scowl deepening with each passing moment. Her stomach was twisted in knots as she fought the wave of frustration that threatened to burst forth. The Darcy firm was seen as the peak of professionalism and ethics. A Holy Grail every student wished to achieve, but rarely expected to attain. And when I finally get here, I find out the man is nothing but a belligerent tyrant lording over the office! To top off the disillusionment, this so-called expert made a terrible judgment on her character without ever reading her full application, never mind meeting her!
She rose her hand to hail a taxi, earning herself a barely veiled scowl from the driver as she slammed the door. Go ahead buddy; you’re not the first to think the worst of me today. She considered turning her phone off in case someone tried to call once they’d discovered her absence. In the end, she decided that it did not matter if they called or not. She would not accept an interview from Mr. Darcy if he ran the last law firm on Earth!
Chapter Seventeen
“What in the world has come over you, Will?” Charles demanded as he regarded his partner with shock.
He'd thought that time six months ago was bad, but he’d never seen Darcy act like this in the office! Not even at his worst did he ever raise his voice here; much less insult a young lady while she was in the next room, or any room—or ever!
Will returned from the front entrance looking suitably mortified and subdued. “Did you know there was a guest in the lobby? Who would it have been?”
“As I tried to tell you,” Charles could hear the sharpness in his own tone as his patience reached its limit. “That young lady was the intern in question. The talented Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Top of her class. Highly recommended by her Dean. Not only did you insult all interns, but also you insulted her most specifically while she was in earshot, as well as acting in the most unprofessional manner. As if all that weren’t bad enough, I was rather insulted by the insinuation that I would not have thoroughly checked her records. Surely you know I would have done so, or do you really have that little faith in my judgment?”
“No, of course not. Nothing like that. There is no one I would trust more.” Darcy rubbed anxiously at his temples with a soft groan. “I'll call Miss Bennet and apologize. My assessment was unfair.”
“In all honesty, I think it would be best if you don't.” Charles regarded the man with a stern frown. “In your present state you would only stand to worsen the situation.”
“You make a good point,” Darcy reluctantly admitted. “Perhaps you should do it then. Please let her know that I will extend our formal apology in person as soon as I am able.”
“That is all well and good, Darcy. But I don't think...” Charles began. His brow furrowed with worry and his sentence trailed off as he watched Darcy return to his office. He was acting less like himself by the minute.
He took two steps toward the office then hesitated, glancing back at the entrance to the lobby. Changing his mind on following Darcy, he quickly pulled out his cell.
******
Elizabeth bristled as she heard her phone go off, half tempted to let it go to voice mail. She did not want to talk to anyone. She didn't want to explain how she did on her interview. She did not want to disappoint a hastily and prematurely made congratulatory offering, and she definitely did not want to deal with that man right now. The problem was that her sense of discipline and professionalism gnawed at her, and whoever was waiting there on the other end would haunt her like a ghost, praying on her mind until she either answered or returned the call. She suddenly became insanely jealous of her sister Kitty. The girl had the enviable ability to ignore an issue such as this until she was good and ready to deal with it, and on her own terms. It wouldn’t matter to her how unprofessional it was; if it weren’t convenient, she wouldn’t deal with it. Elizabeth had to admit that she wasn’t Kitty. Reluctantly, she picked up.
“Elizabeth?” the voice on the other end asked.
Charles’ relief that she’d answered was so palpable through the phone line that she could not bring herself to be sharp with him over his blind commitment to his partner.
“Yes,” she admitted with a resigned sigh.
“I apologize!” The voice said quickly, as if he were afraid that she would hang up before he could speak further. “I was completely unaware that… it was a bad time for Mr. Darcy.”
“Apparently,” she responded in a carefully practiced neutral tone. It was not Charles' fault that his partner was a devil. Why he would stay with such a man, she had no idea… “I apologize to you as well, Charles,” she responded. “I should not have left so abruptly. I'm sure it caused you some trouble and I am sorry for that.”
“Please do not apologize. You were perfectly within your right. He never would have spoken that way if…well…not under normal circumstances.”
If he'd known I could hear him, more like, she thought irritably as the scene replayed in her mind. She was too weary to contemplate fully or question the hesitancy in his voice, but she did feel sorry for the man. “It wasn't your fault,” she offered in way of assurance and comfort.
“He wants to extend his apology in person, if you would allow him. He voiced sincere regret over your treatment. At your convenience of course, and today might not be the best. He is not as articulate as he would normally be.”
Goodness, she didn't want to imagine what Darcy would have said on a day he was articulate! She wasn't about to say as much to Charles though; he sounded miserable enough as it was for his accidental role in the whole thing. “I'll think about it, Charles. Perhaps in the future.”
“I know there must be a reason behind the temper,” Charles offered, his insistence almost a plea for her to understand. “He is truly a good man, Elizabeth. He is never like this. Not in all the time I've known him.”
“Just let me think about it.”
After ending the call, Charles slumped his shoulders in exhaustion and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He wished he could have handled the situation better. Explained everything more appropriately. However, he did not even have the answers for himself.
As he contemplated the grueling task of canceling the morning appointments at the last minute, he spied Darcy starting to exit his office with briefcase in hand. Charles' eyes widened with renewed horror. Is he really planning to leave? He was not entirely sure anymore that this was reality. A bad dream would certainly explain this unpleasantness. Perhaps he should consider this the price for watching bad law movies before bed. Darcy did not throw his temper around the office. He did not make accusations without evidence, and he never left work early, much less this abruptly and with his schedule in a mess at that. They’d even joked once that if Darcy were to suffer a mishap, he would have his work wheeled straight into the emergency room. Thinking it over, Charles could only conclude that whatever was plaguing Darcy at the moment and causing him to behave in this uncharacteristic manner was no small matter. Perhaps he could be of some assistance, but he knew the proud man would never accept a shoulder to cry on or a sympathetic ear. Instead, he took a different tactic.
“You are not leaving me with this mess!” Charles scolded as he moved to block the door and Darcy’s exit. “Darcy, I know you well enough that this situation is either incredibly bad, or you've finally cracked. I am desperately hoping that the solution does not involve padded walls and a special jacket!”
“It's an idea,” Darcy snapped, immediately looking repentant for his tone. “I'm sorry Charles. I owe you an apology, the young lady also. No one can get to me like that George Wickham.”
Aha, a name! Charles quickly tried to think of where he might have heard it before. It was certainly not on the client list and nor was it a direct opponent or a rival in the courtrooms, he knew them all by heart. Not a media person either, Darcy saw them as gnats, annoying but not worth the swatting. Wait… George Wickham…. George… “Not the same George as before? The one I met at Pemberley all those years ago? The one wh
o harassed your household?”
“The very same,” Darcy grumbled.
“That man is bothering your family again?” Charles asked, desperately trying to piece the puzzle together.
“Thank goodness no, or I hope that is so. I need to ask Georgiana if he has tried…no she's still in school so I best not distract her with such things.” Darcy set his briefcase down and started to pace the carpet. “The man was using our name as a reference. He claimed to have worked here in order to secure work at another office. He did not count on them checking his references.”
Charles felt his jaw drop. While most of the story was still beyond his grasp, he had learned enough to understand why this would place a great deal of stress on his friend and colleague. To use Darcy as a reference after whatever conspired six months ago was unthinkable. Did this George Wickham even have a brain in his head? It was time to push for the full facts. “What exactly did this man do to you?”
“I truly would rather not dwell on it, Charles. I'd lose what little reason I have left.”
Disappointed but understanding, Charles did not pry further. It certainly explained a lot despite its brevity. If the man was trying to get in under false pretenses then it was little wonder that Darcy exploded at the mention of an intern. Charles had inadvertently thrown Elizabeth in as a sacrificial lamb to the pent up rage and frustration that Darcy was suffering through the actions of this Wickham fellow. It did not even begin to make the situation right, but at least he had some sort of answer that he could work with.
“Did you manage to get a hold of…” Darcy faltered as his brow furrowed, deep in an inner struggle to bring forth the words he needed.
“Elizabeth Bennet,” Charles prompted. “She was surprisingly amicable. However, I am fairly certain that we have lost the opportunity to interview the best intern candidate we could have hoped for.”
Legally Darcy: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice Page 8
