Rather than have a repeat of the previous day’s unfortunate speculation by Mr. Darcy as to the meaning of her coming down so late to breakfast, Lizzy was in the breakfast room by nine o’clock. Even so, she was the last one to put in an appearance. She understood the reason for Georgiana’s early arrival. Mr. Darcy’s sister wanted to make sure that she did not miss anything, especially any comments made about the previous night’s ball. But Anne looked exhausted and should have stayed in bed.
Georgiana did most of the talking, and a good deal of her conversation concerned Mr. Albert Norwall. Although not the handsomest of men, he had a most pleasant disposition and was an excellent dancer. When Darcy was asked by Anne for his opinion of the young gentleman, he merely grunted. When pressed by Georgiana, he said, “He is too young. He has not even finished his studies at Oxford.”
“Will, all I want to know at this point is, did you like him, because I most certainly did.”
“I shall need to know a good deal more about him before forming an opinion,” he said, looking at his sister with a furrowed brow. “I have reason to question his judgment in choosing Oxford over Cambridge, and to the best of my knowledge he neither plays cricket nor attends the matches, which makes him suspect in my book.” Georgiana groaned at her brother’s comments.
Between yesterday’s grumbling and today’s grouchy responses, Lizzy was getting the impression that Mr. Darcy was not a morning person. Another possible cause for his grumpiness might be the realization that he would soon have gentlemen asking for his permission to call on his little sister. A third reason, and the most likely for his being peckish, might have to do with Anne. Had she said something to him about his performance at the Granyard reception? She had hinted at her displeasure during the carriage ride to Pemberley, but Mr. Darcy had ignored her comments and had stared out the window, saying nothing.
“Perhaps we may all go for a walk after breakfast,” Lizzy suggested. “Granted, the day is chilly, but the sun is out. And the ground is carpeted with fallen leaves that make that wonderful rustling sound.”
Anne excused herself, citing fatigue, and Georgiana declined, stating that she had to practice on the pianoforte because she would be performing a particularly difficult piece at a dinner party in Berkeley Square during Yuletide.
“And what is your excuse, Mr. Darcy?” Lizzy asked.
“I have none. Nor do I want one. However, you will need to wear a heavier coat and bring your muff and scarf. If you are agreeable, I thought we might walk up to the gazebo. You can see all of the manor house and the gardens from there, but it does get windy.”
As the ladies rose to leave the room, the slightest of smiles appeared on the lips of Anne and Georgiana. It had turned out exactly as they had hoped.
***
When they reached the top of the hill and the gazebo, there was a stiff breeze, and Lizzy stood behind Mr. Darcy to use him as a windbreak. But he had an even better idea, and he pulled her to him and held her tightly without saying a word. He just wanted to experience the joy of being able to take her in his arms knowing that it was where she wanted to be.
“After we have admired the view, we shall walk over to the copse where it will be less windy.”
“As long as you hold me close, I do not mind because I love the view from here.” She thought about the first time she had ever seen it. It had been two months after she had rejected Mr. Darcy’s offer of marriage at Hunsford Lodge. On the occasion of her visit to Pemberley with her aunt and uncle Gardiner, he had been so gracious and forgiving, and by that time, she was in need of forgiveness because in his letter he had exposed Wickham’s true character. The weight of her error in judging Mr. Darcy so harshly had crashed down upon her, and the thought of what her misjudgment had nearly cost her was something she did not wish to dwell on.
“Before you came into the breakfast room this morning, both my cousin and sister were admonishing me for neglecting you last night,” Darcy said. “Their criticism is justified. I should have asked you for at least the third dance before we ever left Pemberley, but my mind was more agreeably engaged. I was thinking about how fortunate all of Lord Granyard’s guests were to have an opportunity to meet my Elizabeth.”
“My goodness, William, such flattery. But since you are not known for meting out excessive amounts of praise, you may continue.” They both laughed, and Elizabeth assured him that his sister and cousin had judged him more harshly than she had. “If the purpose of your kind words is your way of asking for my forgiveness,” Lizzy continued, “there is no need, as I was treated to an exceptional performance by Nell.”
“How so?” Darcy asked, genuinely puzzled.
“Nell had the whole thing planned out. From previous balls, she knew that because of Anne’s health the first dance would go to her, and of course, being a family friend, you would engage Lady Elaine, who was coming out, for the second set. And while you were dancing with Lady Millicent, Anne explained to me that the lady is a ward of His Lordship, and although she seems to be perfectly lovely, she is somewhat plain, her fortune is meager, and she is dependent upon the kindness of Lord Granyard for all her expenses, which explains the lack of dance partners. Nell correctly anticipated that if she asked you to dance with the plain Millicent, you would not refuse. After you had agreed to that request, and with Nell standing right there, what could you do but ask her to dance? At every turn, you were outmaneuvered by Lady Helen.”
“It is exactly as you have described,” Darcy said in amazement. “I am embarrassed to find that I am so easily manipulated—in human form, at least.”
Darcy thought about how different he was when he was transformed. He was a fair but firm leader, and he tried to take into consideration the different personalities of those in his pack. Although he might agree to rake through Nell’s coat to remove debris that did not mean he would hesitate to discipline her if the situation merited such action. Not all of his nips were playful. And then he thought about Rupert, the most recent addition to the pack.
Because of the circumstances surrounding Rupert becoming a werewolf, Darcy had been wary of taking the twenty-year-old as he was irrevocably prejudiced against him. Only an imbecile would tease an animal whose leg was caught in a trap, and his thoughtless actions had resulted in the werewolf being executed. But because of his father’s rank, it would have been all but impossible to refuse the request, especially when Lord Granyard had intervened and asked Darcy to take him under his wing as a personal favor to him.
The meeting between Darcy and the Prince of Wales had gone better than Darcy would have expected from a man who took orders from no one, including his father. After making it perfectly clear to His Royal Highness that if Rupert did anything to jeopardize the safety of another werewolf he would be disciplined, the prince agreed to every condition as the son had exhausted all of his father’s patience with his juvenile antics. Additionally, the prince lived in fear that a reporter from one of London’s scandal-driven magazines would learn of his son’s dual nature, and the story would be carried in every paper in every corner of the globe. Who knew what such a scandal would do to the royal family, which was why none of the other royals knew of Rupert’s condition.
Lizzy was in such a fine mood that she had not noticed how distracted Mr. Darcy was, and she was still talking about the ball when his attention returned to their conversation.
“Lest you become conceited, William, I shall inform you that you were not the only handsome gentleman there. Viscount Wilston is a fine looking man, and he engaged me for two dances.”
“I like the gentleman, as he takes good care of his sister’s needs with regard to her transformation, but I have never thought of him as being particularly handsome.”
“That is because you are not a woman. But speaking of Nell’s transformation, it is quite a coincidence that she became a werewolf in exactly the same manner you did.”
Darcy looked at her with the most quizzical expression. “Who told you that?”
“Anne did. My impression was that she received that information directly from Nell. Is it not true?”
“No, it is not. What did you and Wilston talk about during your two dances?”
“Oh, no you don’t. You are not going to leave me with a simple no and expect me to be satisfied. You must tell me how Nell came to be a she wolf.”
Darcy let out a sigh. Because he was uninterested in gossip, he failed to understand its attractions for others. However, it was understandable why Lizzy would want to know all about a woman who was vying for the attention of the man she loved.
“Prior to marrying His Lordship, Lady Granyard was married to Lord Boyle, an Irish peer. They have an estate near Macroom in County Cork in Ireland that is adjacent to the Gougane Barra, a wilderness area of remarkable beauty and one of the few remaining places in Ireland where there are wolves—and werewolves.
“The Granyards were visiting the Boyles, who happened to have a son close in age to Nell. Without a chaperone, the two went into this wild woodland and happened upon a wolf’s den sheltering a half dozen pups. While the parents were out hunting, the den was being watched by a werewolf. It is not uncommon for werewolves to live in close proximity to a wolf pack, as it affords the werewolves additional protection because if a werewolf is sighted, it can be explained by the presence of the other wolves. Nell stupidly picked up one of the pups and was bitten by the defending she wolf. When Boyle attempted to beat her off, he was bitten as well.
“There is an organization in Britain that is simply known as the Council. It was organized thirty years ago to provide protection for werewolves and their families. Any encounter between a werewolf and a human must be reported to the Council as soon as possible. If it is determined that a human has been bitten, the Council will write a letter to the family explaining what will happen to the person in the next few months.”
“But who would believe such a story?” Lizzy asked.
“Every particular of the encounter is detailed, and the purpose of the Council as a source of information is emphasized so that it will not be seen as threatening. The family is advised to stay in the area for three months until the first transformation takes place. In that way, another werewolf will be nearby to assist them. Because enough of it rings true, most do as they are instructed. After the first transformation, the family receives additional instructions as to how to make use of all the Council has to offer by way of protection and resources.”
“And this is how you learned the truth about how Nell became a werewolf?”
Darcy nodded. “Of course, being her neighbor, I was contacted by the Council and advised of what had happened to her in Ireland. Teddy was already in my employ at that time, so Nell became the third member of my pack. Any other questions?”
“Actually, I do have one. You have explained that a werewolf can only sire a human child, but when you were at Longbourn, you mentioned that Jane was carrying a ‘lone’ child. You said that you had been thinking about the litter that your Newfoundland had just had, but Wolfie was a male and incapable of giving birth.”
A cloud passed over Darcy’s face, and he looked uncomfortable. When he had said that his Newfoundland had just given birth, it was a lie, pure and simple, and he detested lies. But at that time, there had been no other way to cover up his careless remark. Obviously, if Lizzy still felt it necessary to ask that question, she was in need of reassurance that it was impossible for her to give birth to a litter of lupine pups.
“When I told you that wolves are cousins to dogs, I failed to mention that werewolves are half brothers and half sisters of wolves, and when members of our family are in difficulty, we help them, just as we would provide assistance to our human relations. In June, I received a letter from a friend that a wolf on her property had given birth to six pups, but that her mate had died. They were in grave danger, and so I arranged to have them transported here, where they remained for about three weeks. Without a male to protect her and the pups, the entire family was at extreme risk. That situation prompted my ‘lone offspring’ remark because I had spent so much time with the pups, and they were still on my mind. You should know that since such situations occasionally arise, the services of a sea captain have been retained. The man will do anything for money, and he transported the mother and her six pups to British North America. Two people, both fully human, went with them to make sure that they were safely released into the wild near Hudson Bay.”
Lizzy made no response. There was so much danger in every step taken by those who had provided assistance to the fatherless family, but from the tone of his voice, Lizzy knew that Mr. Darcy was honor bound to do no less.
“You mentioned that this happened in June. So that is the reason you did not come to Longbourn for the entire month.”
“Yes, it was June, and that was the reason.”
“Does such a thing happen often?”
“No. But when it does, there is an organization in place that was formed to protect the native wolf population that responds quickly. A more common scenario would be to provide a place for wolves to stay who have made the decision to leave England, Wales, or Scotland while arrangements are made for transportation to North America.”
“And the reason they are choosing to leave is because they are being hunted down. You are trying not to say it, but I believe the pups’ father died because a human killed him. Am I correct?”
“Yes. The male killed a lamb and was pursued. I am told that he died ten miles from their den. He did the right thing in leading the pursuers away from his family.” After taking her hand, he continued, “Lizzy, you must understand that I have a responsibility to help those in danger. The only thing that would make me hesitate to provide food and shelter for another wolf is if my immediate family was at risk. Otherwise, I must act. But is this what you want to talk about? Should we not be making plans for our wedding? I am hoping that we will marry on the first available date after the full moon.”
In the past few days, Lizzy had experienced emotional highs and lows and everything in between, and what had happened to the male wolf trying to feed and protect his family could easily have reduced her to tears. But she was determined to fight off such dark thoughts, and she arose from the bench, and after stepping in front of Darcy, she pulled him up with both hands.
“Let us return to the house so that we might invite Anne and Georgiana to join in planning our wedding. I shall need all the help I can get as there is so much to think about, including when and how to tell your aunt Catherine that we are engaged.”
***
On their way back to the house, Darcy and Lizzy roughed out some of the details of their wedding breakfast. Because of the colder temperatures, it would be necessary to have the reception inside, but Darcy assured her that his staff would go to Hertfordshire to take charge of ordering and preparing everything necessary to host such a celebration.
As they entered the drive leading to the house, they had to give way to an express rider. Darcy looked puzzled. He could not imagine what message was so important that it necessitated hiring an express rider, and he wondered if it was another of his aunt Catherine’s ploys to have Anne return to Kent. The last time his cousin had been away for any length of time, his aunt had written a letter stating that there had been a disaster at Rosings. When Anne returned to Kent, she found that the drains had backed up after a storm and the kitchen was flooded, which, of course, she could do nothing about. Aunt Catherine was never happy when Anne was away, and not just because of the obvious selfish reason of not wanting to be alone in that large house, but also because she genuinely feared that she would outlive her daughter. Despite her shortcomings, Darcy’s aunt loved her daughter and worried more about Anne’s health than anything else.
When they arrived at the entrance, Jackson was talking to the rider, and he immediately handed the letter to Mr. Darcy, who opened it as soon as he stepped into the foyer.
“Dear God!” he said as all of the color drained out of his face.
“What is the matter, Mr. Darcy? Is someone ill?” Elizabeth asked, and when he did not answer, she continued to question him. “Is there a death in the family?” What else could account for his shocked countenance?
After handing the post to Mr. Jackson, he explained, “This is a letter from Mr. Underhill. He is the manager of the Council operations on the estate in Scotland where Rupert and Teddy have been staying. Apparently, they were found running around in the woods unclothed.”
Lizzy let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, that is not so very bad. They are both lads, and this can easily be explained as the antics of two foolish young men.”
“I wish it were that simple, but there is more. Rupert was shot in the arm. He is not seriously injured, but the man who shot him insists that he was shooting at a wolf.” Lizzy felt her heart drop into her stomach. “I must leave for Scotland immediately.”