When the manor house of the Earl of Granyard came into view, Elizabeth could hardly believe it. Granyard Hall was actually larger than Pemberley. For the most part, the architecture was Jacobean with some later additions that, to her mind, gave the house a busy, cluttered look. She much preferred the symmetry of a Georgian manor house, and from the look on her face, Darcy correctly interpreted that her preference was for Pemberley over this rambling abode.
Elizabeth had been nervous about going to a reception for the daughter of a member of the aristocracy, but once she had been accoutered from head to toe by Georgiana and Anne, she felt more at ease. With so many prominent guests in attendance, she anticipated that once she went through the receiving line, no one would pay any attention to her.
The earl was married to his third wife and had children from each of his marriages, and it seemed as if all eight were present. His Lordship was flanked by his eldest daughter, Lady Helen, and the young lady who would shortly be coming out into society, Lady Elaine. She and Georgiana were great friends, and Georgiana had delayed her own debut so that they might be presented to the queen at the same time.
As pretty as Elaine was, it was her older sister who was garnering the lion’s share of the attention. She was the most beautiful woman Lizzy had ever seen. Dressed in an exquisite mauve silk gown and weighed down with jewels, she had all the men gawking at her, that is, every man except Mr. Darcy. Lizzy found this to be most curious. Not looking at the beautiful Lady Helen was like trying to ignore the existence of the sun.
After making her way through introductions of all the siblings, Lady Elaine, and His Lordship, Lizzy was greeted by la belle femme, and she wondered if another Helen, Helen of Troy, whose face had launched a thousand ships, was as beautiful as she was. And although she knew that they had never met, there was something vaguely familiar about Lady Helen. Lizzy was trying to think where she might have seen her—in a portrait gallery perhaps—when the lady took her by both hands and walked with her to a nearby alcove. Lizzy looked to Mr. Darcy for guidance, but he had stayed behind so that he might converse with His Lordship.
“Oh, Elizabeth, how good it is to see you again.”
“Again, Lady Helen? Forgive me, but I cannot recall our being introduced.”
“Oh, we were never formally introduced. The situation was not conducive to such an exchange,” she said, giggling. “However, we have been in each other’s company, but from a distance. You know me as Nell.”
Lizzy went wide-eyed. This was the she wolf that Mr. Darcy was running around with! The most beautiful woman in the world! And she looked over her shoulder hoping to catch his eye, but her betrothed was now talking to Viscount Wilston, the earl’s heir.
“I am not surprised that Alpha did not tell you about me. He is very protective of members of his pack.” She looked at Mr. Darcy and let out a little sigh. “But even though he is very strict, we get along famously.” Although a lupine, she was practically purring.
“Yes, I know. I saw you running together in the glade.”
“Oh, were you there? I had not realized that you were up on the hill. Alpha was very rough that day, running at me from every direction, giving me a nip here and another there, and repeatedly jumping on top of me. He is always like that with me.”
“That is exactly how one would expect a brother to act,” Lizzy said, smiling, and then she thought of Mr. Darcy’s portrayal of their relationship. According to dear Will, Nell had no interest in him whatsoever. What did he call her overtures? Harmless flirting? Merely getting in a little practice before she became betrothed to a peer in Devon. What nonsense! According to Nell, she had not realized that she was being watched by Lizzy from atop the hill. Well, that was interesting since Lizzy had not mentioned where she had been that day. There was absolutely no doubt that Nell had set her sights on Fitzwilliam Darcy, and she was letting Lizzy know it. This situation required some redirection, and Lizzy leaned forward and whispered, “I understand that you are shortly to become engaged.”
“Oh, no! Not shortly. If such a thing should come about, Lord Angelsey and I have agreed that a lengthy courtship is desirable. He is exactly my age and needs some maturing as he is most definitely not ready to take on the responsibilities of the leader of a pack. Lord Angelsey must be Alpha’s equal. Otherwise, I would be marrying someone who is beneath me. Besides, men change their minds all of the time, don’t they?”
“One would hope that men would be as constant in their affections as women.”
“Yes, one would hope. But in reality, it is not the case at all, and life is so unpredictable.”
A crowd that had been waiting for Lady Helen to return to the line was pressing in on them, and so Lizzy excused herself and went in search of “Alpha.”
***
Now that she had met Nell, Lizzy was sorry that she had suggested their engagement not be announced until Mr. Darcy could speak to her father. As a result, Nell did not know that they were to become engaged, and she was acting on the assumption that there was still time to capture Mr. Darcy’s heart before he gave it to another. To highlight their differences, Nell had referred to William not as “Mr. Darcy” but as “Alpha,” making it clear that she was able to offer him something Lizzy could not: uninterrupted companionship and a complete understanding of his world.
Before arriving at Granyard Hall, Mr. Darcy had explained to Lizzy that because of Anne’s health, he had asked his cousin for the first dance because it would be a minuet and, therefore, suitable for so frail a lady. Such an arrangement was perfectly understandable, but because Mr. Darcy was a Granyard family favorite, the second dance went to Lady Elaine and the third to another sister, which was also understandable. But then the amateur members of the Granyard family gave way to the professional. By careful maneuvering on her part, Nell had succeeded in getting Mr. Darcy to claim the fourth dance. Because of the number of couples, the dance would last nearly an hour, and custom dictated that those who danced the last set before supper would dine together. Darcy and Lizzy exchanged glances, and she gave him enough of a smile to let him know that she understood his dilemma.
With Darcy and Nell dining at the most lavishly adorned table and Georgiana talking happily with a handsome young man, Lizzy sought out Anne’s company. She was in an anteroom, far removed from the cacophony created by a hundred voices all chattering at the same time. Anne did not like balls and would not have attended this gala but for one reason: Nell. Unlike her cousin, who was unaware of Lady Helen’s plans for him, Anne was not equally deceived.
“I had hoped that Mr. Darcy, you, and I would take supper together,” Elizabeth said with a sigh, “but it seems that his presence is required by another.”
“I am sorry, Elizabeth. I am sure you are asking yourself, ‘Why did Anne not warn me?’ But, honestly, it is a performance not to be missed.”
“I find it difficult to believe that Mr. Darcy does not know that the lady is actively pursuing him. She is the most outrageous flirt I have ever seen. She makes Caroline Bingley look like an amateur.”
“William and I have spoken about this subject on several occasions, but he insists that he only sees her as a member of his pack. And, yes, I do believe him. Two years ago, the family was very keen to have them become engaged, but William succeeded in convincing His Lordship that it would be like marrying someone whom he regarded as a sister, and he could not do it. When it was discovered that Lord Angelsey, whose estate is in Devon, was in a similar situation, that match was promoted.”
“They may promote it all they want, but she only has eyes for…”
They were interrupted by servants presenting trays full of hors d’oeuvres. Both accepted, but Lizzy did not touch hers. Watching Nell’s intrigues had resulted in a loss of appetite. But a smile returned to Lizzy’s face when Mr. Darcy, looking somewhat sheepish, came to talk to Anne and her.
“First, Miss Elizabeth, may I request the honor of the next two dances?” he asked, smiling broadly, guessing that he might be in trouble.
“Gladly, Mr. Darcy, that is, if you can fit me in.”
Darcy sat back in the chair and let out a sigh. “I am not happy with the way the evening is progressing, but the Granyard and Darcy families are so intertwined. We are related by marriage and are near neighbors here in Derbyshire as well as in London. His Lordship’s first wife was a good friend of my mother’s. We have always been close, etc., etc.”
“Some members of your two clans seem to be closer than others.”
“I know how it appears, but let me assure you there is nothing…”
“Mr. Darcy, excuse me for interrupting, but I can assure you that there is something, and that something needs to be addressed.”
And then the goddess herself put in an appearance, and before she returned to the ballroom, she had succeeded in securing the last dance with Mr. Darcy.
As Lizzy watched Nell return to the ballroom, she thought, “Tonight, you may have won the battle, but it is my intention to win the war.”
***
The Darcy party did not return to Pemberley until four o’clock in the morning, and after such a long night and so many dances, Lizzy longed for her bed. But the gentleman begged a word with her before she retired. She agreed, but declined his offer to go into the drawing room. If she sat down, she would not get up—she was that tired. Instead, she went to the wrought iron staircase and took two steps up. In that way, she could look into his beautiful green eyes.
“Are you angry with me?” he asked while running his fingers along her hand.
“No, I am not, but I am amazed that you are unaware that Lady Helen is determined to have you as her husband,” she answered, as she traced the outline of his chin.
“Well, after tonight, I have to admit that I can see that there is an interest there, but it does not matter. I love another,” he said, moving up one step.
“Will, she is the most beautiful woman I ever saw.”
“Do you think so?”
“Who do you know who is more beautiful than she, and do not say me?”
“I have seen portraits of Lady Hamilton, Lord Nelson’s amour, painted by Romney. She is very pretty,” he replied, while putting his hands around Lizzy’s waist. “I am partial to brunettes.”
“I too have seen a portrait of Lady Hamilton, but she cannot hold a candle to Nell.”
“Again let me say, it does not matter. I do not love her. Besides, she is boring.”
“What do you mean she is boring?” Lizzy asked, taking a step up and away from him.
Darcy let out a sigh. This was not the way he had envisioned the evening ending. Rather, he had pictured something more intimate involving the use of lips and hands.
“When we are in the woods together, there are only two topics of conversation with her: food and grooming. She eats every bit as much as I do, and I have twenty pounds on her. Allow me to give you an example of the enormity of her appetite. In the spring, four of us took down a deer. By the time we had finished, there was no meat left on the carcass and everyone was satisfied, except Nell. No sooner had we finished eating than she ran out and caught a rabbit, and when it comes to pheasant, she kills more than the best gun I have ever hosted at Pemberley.”
That statement made Lizzy wonder. If Nell gained weight while she was a she wolf would she keep the weight on once she had regained her human form? She might end up looking like Wolfie, the Darcy Newfoundland. One could hope.
“What do you mean by grooming?”
“Tonight, you may have gathered that Nell spends a lot of money on jewels and dresses and whatnots. She devotes a lot of time to her appearance. Well, in the wild, you tend to get dirty, have grass and twigs in your coat, etc., but she will not let anyone rest until all unwanted material is removed.”
“And how is it removed?”
“Thank goodness for Teddy Brotherton, as that chore usually falls to him, but since Teddy and Rupert are in Scotland, I have to do it. So I rake through her coat with my claws.”
“Hmmm.”
“I could do the same for you,” he said, stepping closer to her. “Would you like me to help you take your hair down?”
“You are very kind, sir, but I must refuse your generous offer. However, may I suggest that we journey to Longbourn as soon as possible so that you may ask my father for his consent to our marriage? After doing so, we will share our good news with all our friends and that would include the family of the Earl of Granyard.”
Darcy started to laugh. “That is fine with me. But, again, I must tell you that it does not matter what Nell wants. She cannot have me.”
Lizzy leaned into him, and after placing her cheek against his, she whispered in his ear, “No, she cannot have you.”