The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy

by Sara Angelini

  What the hell just happened? he thought. It had taken him weeks to think up this stupid scheme! He had the vague idea that by working closely together, they would get to know each other, acknowledge a mutual attraction, and then wait out the remainder of his term before they could date. He had deluded himself into thinking that she would jump at the chance of working with him and that once she had fallen for him, as inevitably she would, she would be content to wait out the remainder of his term - a year away - for him to ask her out. Was he stupid? She must have a line of men out her door waiting to ask her out; he could step to the back of the line and by the time his term was up maybe he’d be somewhere near the front! Idiot!

  Wait. She thought he was rude and condescending?! What the fuck was she talking about? He was a perfect gentleman... wasn’t he? He tried to think of an instance where he had been short-tempered with an attorney or party and was dismayed to have several pop immediately to mind. Jesus, she was right; I’m a brute.

  He thanked himself for planning his vacation and was relieved that it was only a week away. He’d take a little break, collect himself, remember his manners, and try to get her out of his mind. A couple weeks in England would do wonders!

  ***

  “Are you kidding me? You said that to him?” Lou exclaimed over coffee. Elizabeth nodded.

  “I’m afraid I did,” she answered.

  “Aren’t you afraid that now he’s going to remember it for every one of your cases?” Lou said.

  “I’m going to try to avoid him for the next week, then I’m gone for two weeks. Hopefully he’ll have forgotten all about it by then,” she said, grimacing.

  “Really, Lizzy, you need to learn to watch what you say!” Lou laughed.

  “This from the man who told my father he’d like to continue to sleep with me if only he weren’t gay?” Elizabeth laughed. Lou scowled.

  “I was feeling pressure from your mom,” he grumbled. Elizabeth laughed again.

  “You know, in her eyes, being gay is no excuse for not marrying me.”

  Chapter 7

  June 1-Saturday

  The flight to England was long and tedious but it was made less so by Bingley’s charm. He sat with a Bennet sister on each side and while he had eyes only for Jane, he appreciated the envious stares he got from the other men on the plane. He played it up like a pimp, to be sure. He put his arms around each of them, gave them both kisses on the cheeks, and generally pretended that he was the luckiest man in the world. Which he was but he needed only Jane to qualify for that.

  “How exactly do you know this guy?” Elizabeth asked him.

  “Will was my roommate at Cambridge. You met him at the Halloween party, I’m sure. He’s my best friend. Jane’s met him many times.”

  “You’re not trying to set us up, are you? Because Richard didn’t work out too well,” Elizabeth said warily. Bingley laughed.

  “No, no!” he laughed. “He’s seeing my sister... sort of... I think... actually, I can’t quite figure out their relationship,” he said, bemused. He knew that they were friends, slept together occasionally, but that Caroline freely dated other men. But as Darcy had never seemed too concerned about it, Bingley had never interfered. He wondered if Caroline was secretly breaking Darcy’s heart then laughed inwardly at the idea. They were adults, as long as both were satisfied, he wouldn’t interfere.

  But he was glad that Elizabeth had decided to come along; Darcy had a tendency to brood and she seemed like she’d be able to lighten him up. He didn’t want Darcy to feel like a third wheel and it was a convenience that he could pair them off together. He felt very proud of himself for arranging this whole scheme. He put his nose back into his magazine and smiled privately to himself.

  They got off the plane and a car was waiting for them at the airport. Bingley greeted the driver warmly and their luggage was loaded in and soon enough they were on their way.

  “You guys are going to love this place,” he said as they sat cozily in the car. “I used to spend holidays there when I was in Cambridge. The house is spectacular, one of those country estates that goes back hundreds of years. I always feel like I should wear a tuxedo to dinner,” he grinned.

  “Does your friend mind our coming along?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Of course not! Besides, if he did, the house is big enough that we’ll never have to see him for the whole two weeks!” he laughed. Elizabeth felt uneasy and regretted accepting the invitation without meeting the friend in person. What if he was a creep? But she trusted Jane and Jane trusted Bingley and so she had to put her faith in them.

  They drove for some time out into the country. The sun was still hanging low in the horizon, casting a golden glow on everything. As the road curved around a lake, a huge sandstone mansion crept from behind the trees.

  “Behold Pemberley,” Bingley said with quiet drama. Elizabeth was speechless. The driver stopped by the lake to allow them to get out and take a look. The house was gigantic!

  “I thought you said it was a summer home!” Jane cried. Bingley laughed. Elizabeth gazed at the home with its stately columns and subdued landscaping. “Lovely,” she murmured and, for once, she was sincere.

  They reached the main house and were greeted by Mrs. Reynolds, who hugged Bingley and greeted Jane and Elizabeth warmly. She instructed a servant ‘a servant!’ to take their bags and showed them into the dining room where a simple dinner was waiting for them.

  “When does Will arrive?” Bingley asked her as the dinner dishes were taken away.

  “He emailed me that his flight wasn’t due to arrive until 1 a.m. so not for some time. I don’t think you will see him until tomorrow morning,” she answered. Elizabeth stifled a yawn with the back of her hand. Mrs. Reynolds smiled.

  “But of course you are all exhausted; I’ll show you to your rooms and you can get some rest. I’ll take you on a tour tomorrow if you like,” she said as she rose from her seat.

  The three weary travelers followed her upstairs. At Jane and Bingley’s room, Elizabeth bid them goodnight. Mrs. Reynolds showed her on to her own room.

  “How long has your family been here, Mrs. Reynolds?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Well, for several generations we have always had someone on staff. I don’t know exactly how far back we go at Pemberley, though,” she answered. This surprised Elizabeth, who thought Mrs. Reynolds was the owner. But she didn’t want to appear completely stupid and so she asked how old Pemberley was.

  “The estate itself dates back to the fifteenth century,” she said as she opened the door to Elizabeth’s room, “but the family has origins back to the 9th century in France,” she concluded. “Now if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. Unfortunately, we don’t keep servants on hand at all hours like they did in the old days so I’m afraid you’ll be on your own if you can’t find me.” With that, Mrs. Reynolds smiled and closed the door.

  Elizabeth got ready for bed and climbed between the sheets. She wondered whether Will would be a total bore and drifted off to sleep.

  ***

  Darcy’s flight was delayed for several hours and he languished in the airport in sweltering heat. The flight itself was no better even though he had booked first class. He tried to sleep and succeeded a little. He was glad to be going back to England. He had been missing it badly lately, had been feeling the urge to return to his roots. He was looking forward to seeing Mrs. Reynolds and the staff, and riding the horses through the fields. He thought he might ride his motorbike as well. He had no desire to intrude on Bingley’s romantic vacation and was content to spend time alone at the house. He was sure they would be frequenting London.

  He needed this vacation to get his head back on, too. He had been thinking too much about Georgiana’s pressure for him to date. He agreed with her, he needed to find someone. The problem was, the only person he was remotely interested in at this time was Elizabeth Bennet and he could not have a relationship with her. Her shocking statements to him about his courtroom demeanor had
hurt and angered him but had done nothing to lessen his desire for her.

  He steered his car from the airport toward Derbyshire. The sun was just beginning to creep over the horizon when he swung past the lake. He stopped to admire the mists rising from the water, the water fowl stirring, and the warm glow of the house behind the lake. This was Home, where he could be himself again.

  He pulled out his bags and quietly made his way upstairs to his bedroom. It was the same as it had been for generations: huge four-poster bed with oversized mattress, heavy antique dresser and nightstands, fluffy down comforter and pillows. He had eschewed such trappings when he was younger but after his father died, he had moved into this room. It wasn’t that it felt stately but it felt as if the Master of the house should be in this room. He had found it surprisingly comfortable: masculine and old-fashioned. Aside from lengthening the bed, he hadn’t changed anything. It suited him perfectly. Only in England, he thought to himself.

  June 2-Sunday

  Elizabeth woke the next morning to light filtering in between the cracks of the heavy drapes on her window. It had been too dark to see the view from her window last night and she sprang from her bed and swept the drapes aside. The view was lovely; there was a green sweep of grass curving over a gentle slope that framed the edge of the lake. She could see water fowl in the lake - is that a swan? she wondered. She hiked her pajama pants, patterned with skulls and crossbones, up and her tank top down over her belly and found her slippers. She brushed her teeth but not her hair and opened her door to enter the hallway. It was about 7 am judging by the light outside. She tapped lightly on Jane’s door but it was silent inside. She went down the stairs and found Jane and Bingley sitting on the terrace in their pajamas sipping coffee and munching croissants. Two weeks of meeting Bingley in their own kitchen every morning had erased any shyness she had about meeting him in her jammies.

  “Good morning!” she said as she stepped out onto the terrace. Jane and Bingley had their heads turned away from her and as she stepped outside she realized that their host was there. He had been leaning on the balustrade looking over the edge when she came out. At the sound of her voice he turned to her.

  Recognition set in. Long seconds of silence drew out.

  “Miss Bennet!” Darcy finally choked out, his face a mask of shock.

  “Judge Darcy!” she exclaimed, her look and voice both conveying her horror.

  Jane and Bingley watched this exchange, confused. Why were they so surprised to see each other?

  Both Darcy and Elizabeth remained silent, each digesting the awful implications of the next two weeks. It was too much for Elizabeth. She turned on her heel and strode back to her room. She heard Jane and Bingley making some kind of commotion behind her but she didn’t care. She could not face this just now. She needed to collect herself before she could plan her escape.

  Darcy was rooted to his spot on the terrace. He was absolutely speechless. Jane was rushing to follow Elizabeth and Bingley was saying something to Darcy. He neither heard nor cared what Bingley was saying. His mind was working furiously. OK, the woman who wouldn’t get out of his mind had been tossed in his lap in a secluded country estate over which he was lord and master for two whole weeks. Surely he could make this work to his advantage somehow?

  “Darcy!” Bingley said, shaking Darcy’s arm. Darcy snapped out of his mental workings and looked at Bingley. “What the hell is wrong?” Bingley repeated. Darcy laughed humorlessly.

  “You didn’t tell me she was coming.”

  “Of course I did!” Bingley replied.

  “No, you most emphatically did not, Bingley,” Darcy spat out.

  “I’m sure I did,” Bingley said hesitantly. Darcy rolled his eyes.

  “Bingley, you are an idiot. You told everyone but me.”

  Bingley sat on the chair in embarrassment. Had he really been so wound up in sweeping Jane off her feet that he had completely overlooked his friend?

  “I’m really sorry, Darcy, I must have just... blanked. But it’s not a problem, is it? You met her at the Halloween party, didn’t you? You’re both in law, I thought you’d get along.” Bingley looked miserable; he hated making Darcy angry. He looked up to him like an older brother and hated to disappoint him.

  Darcy sat down next to Bingley, trying to relax.

  “It’s fine, Charley. Yes, I met her at the party. We actually work together, we see each other almost every day. We’ve had some pretty contentious, tense meetings lately. You know, me being an arrogant prick and all.”

  “You’re not going to be a prat, are you?” Bingley said.

  Darcy laughed and shook his head. Certainly not. He had a chance to at least show her that he wasn’t as bad as she thought, that he could be a nice guy. He wouldn’t miss the opportunity.

  Upstairs, Elizabeth was actually crying in humiliation and embarrassment. Jane was trying in vain to comfort her, not really understanding what was happening.

  “Lizzy, please stop and tell me what is wrong. What’s happened?”

  Elizabeth took a deep breath. “Judge Darcy is ‘Will’?” she asked shakily. “Why didn’t you tell me he was a judge? I could have put the two together pretty quickly.”

  “Lizzy, you met him at the party!” Jane said in exasperation.

  “I most certainly did not! I would have remembered meeting him. Christ, Jane, I appear before him all the time! We’re always yelling at each other! I told him off last week! Ugh!” She wiped her cheeks and sighed. “I think I’d better get a hotel in London.”

  “Don’t be silly. If you don’t get along, maybe this is the time to make it right. Without all the pressures of work around you, maybe you can get to know him a little. I mean, I’ve met him tons of times and I think he’s great. And if Charles likes him, he can’t be all that bad. There must be some misunderstanding.” Jane stroked Elizabeth’s hair and gave her a hug. Elizabeth sighed heavily and flopped back on the bed, pulling Jane with her.

  “Jane, I don’t know if my career will survive this vacation!” she laughed weakly. Jane hugged her again.

  “Lizzy, get dressed and come downstairs. I won’t let this ruin our vacation.” Jane took an uncharacteristically commanding tone as she sat up and pulled Elizabeth up by her arms. Elizabeth had to laugh. Of course it seemed mortifying right now but Elizabeth knew that she had the fortitude to make the best of it and perhaps even repair her relationship with Judge Darcy. If not, she would bail to a hotel tomorrow night.

  Reluctantly, Elizabeth dressed. She took care with her appearance; she didn’t want to appear too casual, good lord, no bra, what was she thinking, or too professional, business suit was set aside. She settled on a pair of low slung boot-cut khakis, some sandals, and a crisp green button down blouse. She ran a brush through her hair and pulled it back in a loose knot at the back of her head and put on a smattering of makeup.

  She met Jane and Bingley, who were both now dressed, on the terrace. Darcy was nowhere in sight. She cringed inwardly. She had chased him off his own property!

  “Elizabeth, I’m so sorry we caused you such a shock,” Bingley said as he took her hands. The gesture on any other man would look foppish; on him, it was warm and sincere. “I really thought you knew about each other,” he said uneasily. “I didn’t know that you work together.” He looked miserable.

  Elizabeth felt a mixture of anger and sympathy for him. He was completely clueless; Jane had better be driving this relationship or they were going to wreck for sure! She took a deep breath and put on her ‘responsible Elizabeth’ voice.

  “Please, don’t apologize. It’s fine; it was just a really unexpected shock. I was embarrassed; I mean, the judge saw me in my pajamas!” she smiled. Bingley laughed.

  “Don’t think about it for an instant longer, I’m sure he didn’t notice at all!” Bingley grinned. He didn’t know how wrong he was.

  Darcy had certainly noticed her tousled appearance. Her hair was mussed, her shirt was clingy and she wore no bra, her pants were
slung below her belly button which was peeking from under the shirt. He thought it was frankly damn sexy even with the ridiculous fuzzy slippers she wore. He thought that is what she looks like first thing in the morning and that led his mind to other avenues such as what she would look like asleep, or naked, or fucking. He stopped his treacherous imagination when he got goosebumps. Thoughts like those were not helping matters at all.

  He made himself scarce for a half hour or so until calm was restored. Then he cautiously approached the terrace again. Bingley and Jane were sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper. Elizabeth was standing by the balustrade - the same place where he had been standing before - looking over the view. He approached her cautiously.

  “Miss Bennet, I want to apologize,” he said quietly beside her. She turned to look at him, her face was an unreadable mask.

  “There is no need to apologize, Your Honor. It appears there was a gross lack of communication between myself and my sister. I would be happy to go to a hotel in London,” she offered. He curdled inside but smiled outside.

  “Don’t be silly, Miss Bennet. It’s an awkward situation but we are adults and I’m sure we can get beyond it and enjoy the next two weeks.” She was surprised by his conciliatory tone. She had a fleeting doubt that she had been wrong about him but it was only for an instant.

  “Of course,” she replied robotically. She resumed her intense viewing of the landscape, hoping that he would take the hint.

  “Well, the house is plenty big enough if my ego is too large to fit in the same room as yours. I could open a wing for you.” He was teasing her, she was surprised to realize. She felt ashamed.

  “I’m sorry, you’re right. About being adults, not about the egos,” she added quickly. “I’ll do my best to act like a grown up. Your Honor.” She avoided his look; she was still embarrassed.

  He laughed. “Miss Bennet, we are five thousand miles away from work.” He assumed a stage whisper. “Nobody will know if you call me Will and I call you Elizabeth.” She felt a smile creep reluctantly to her lips.