Clear skies and milder temperatures followed in the wake of the storm, and it was a perfect day to make a snowman. Elizabeth and Georgiana enlisted Mercer’s help, and the result was a fine-looking snowman with a button nose, two eyes made out of coal, and crowned with one of Mr. Darcy’s old top hats.
“It is one of William’s old hats, isn’t it?” Lizzy asked Georgiana.
“Well, it is now.” The two ladies dissolved into laughter.
The snow had proved to be the perfect antidote for Lizzy’s emotional exhaustion, and because somewhere in the woods behind her Mr. Darcy and Nell were also enjoying the snow, she was happy as well.
While building the snowman, Lizzy asked Mercer how he occupied his time when Mr. Darcy was away “doing other things.”
“Even with the master gone, there is still a lot to do, but I do have the evenings to myself. So I decided to tackle something I didn’t know anything about, and I learned how to make fishing flies. I’m proud to say that when Mr. Darcy steps into the streams hereabouts, he’s using one of my flies.”
“What a marvelous idea, Mr. Mercer. I could view Mr. Darcy’s absences as an opportunity to make improvements in those areas where I am lacking, such as riding a horse. I could also work on my French. Since I am to have a French maid who speaks passable English, it would be nice if she had a mistress who spoke passable French.”
After decorating the front lawn with numerous snow angels, the ladies, soaked through to the skin, were walking back to the house when two rabbits dashed out in front of them.
“For their sake, let us hope Nell does not see them,” Lizzy said, and the giggles began anew.
While Georgiana played a beautiful piece on the pianoforte, Lizzy was looking out the front window and noticed a carriage coming down the drive. Instead of following the U to the front entrance, the carriage continued on to that part of the drive that led to a courtyard and the servants’ entrance.
“It must be Mr. Jackson and Mrs. Bradshaw,” Lizzy announced, which caused her to bite her lower lip. She was now the mistress of Pemberley, and when Mr. Darcy was away, she was supposedly in charge of the house, or so he had told her.
Seeing the anxious look on Lizzy’s face, Georgiana joined her at the window. “I know you are thinking about Mrs. Bradshaw, but you should not worry. When she brings you the menus, agree to everything she says. That is what I did. And why should you not? She knows more than anyone else, and she will tell you so. Aunt Marguerite, Aunt Catherine, and Mrs. Bradshaw were all cut from the same cloth, and there is no changing them.”
Within the hour, Mr. Jackson sought out his mistress, first, to present her with letters from her mother and sister and, second, to tell her that because of the poor roads, Mrs. Bradshaw had insisted that the silver, china, and crystal be left behind. “Abel Metcalf remains at Netherfield Park for the purpose of…”
“Guarding the plate?” Lizzy asked.
“Of course not, ma’am,” Jackson quickly answered. “Please understand that it is our responsibility to ensure that everything is returned to its proper place here at Pemberley.”
“I am teasing you, Mr. Jackson. I know how diligent you are in making sure that everything is exactly as it should be, but if Abel is at Netherfield Park, who was driving the carriage?”
“I was, ma’am. It has been a while, but I don’t mind saying that I can still drive a carriage. It is said belowstairs, and behind my back, that I am the Jackson of all trades.” Mr. Jackson smiled, and Lizzy wished that Mr. Darcy had been there to witness it.
“Ma’am, on behalf of the staff,” Jackson continued, “may I say that it is an honor to serve you, and once everyone has returned after Twelfth Night, it will be my privilege to formally introduce you to those who are in your service. Of course, I should point out that David and Goliath do not consider themselves to be a part of the staff, and you will need to deal with them directly.”
“Mr. Jackson, you are quite a wit,” Lizzy said, chuckling.
“Yes, ma’am. If you say so.”
***
Georgiana and Lizzy spent a pleasant evening playing cards, but immediately upon saying good night, Lizzy returned to the front sitting room as she had done the previous night. After lighting a candle, she waved it in front of the window for several minutes and looked for any hint of movement, but after seeing none and hearing no howl, she returned to her room. It was her intention to sleep for a few hours before going to the study to wait for Mr. Darcy’s return. She was not sure if he would approve, especially since he had told her that he would come to her as soon as he had bathed, but he had not specifically told her not to go to the study. Either way, it did not matter. She was determined to be there when he came home.
When she awoke during the night, she jumped out of bed and crossed the room to view the mantel clock. It was only six o’clock, two hours to daybreak. Because she did not want to risk missing him, she decided to spend the rest of the night in the study.
After sliding out of her chemise and slipping on her green silk nightgown with its matching robe, she went to her dressing table, brushed her hair, and pulled her tresses back with the pearl combs Georgiana had given to her as a wedding gift. As she ventured down the hallway, she avoided those areas of the floor that squeaked, and although she was able to walk past Mercer’s room without alerting him, she suspected that he knew of her plan. Her hunch was confirmed when she went into the study and found a fire burning and a blanket folded neatly on the sofa. After draping herself in the blanket, she put her head on the arm of the sofa and was soon asleep.
***
As Darcy waited with Nell at the rendezvous point, he was trying to hide his annoyance. By her excessive whimpering, she let him know that she was not happy with his taking them so close to Pemberley or with his howling twice on the first day of nightfall. Obviously, she did not realize how important that candle in the window was to him. Or maybe she did, which would explain why she had chosen to hunt on the far side of the Darcy property. No matter. He did not have to see the candle to know that Elizabeth had lit another one for him.
Darcy signaled his displeasure with her sulking by leaving as soon as Lady Helen’s maid stepped out of the Granyard carriage. Usually, he would brush against her side or lick her muzzle before leaving, but she would receive no such attention from him this daybreak.
Despite the snow, Darcy made excellent time in reaching the cave where he would begin his transformation from lupine to human form. Because so much of the geology of the Peak District was porous limestone, the whole area was pockmarked with caves and caverns, and it was because of these natural shelters that there were still Darcys on the property.
During the Civil War, the Darcys, who had remained loyal to Charles I, had fled the manor house when Cromwell’s men descended upon the estate looking for royalists. After the Restoration of the monarchy, the family returned to Derbyshire to find the house a ruin, and a new Pemberley, built in the Palladian style, rose from the ashes. But with the war and their narrow escape a recent memory, a tunnel was dug leading to this cave, and after further alteration, it was connected to a stairway and a room accessible only from the study. Once Darcy reached the cave, he knew he was safe.
As he waited for his transformation to be completed, all thoughts were of Elizabeth. He pictured her in her bedchamber sleeping on his side of the bed while hugging a pillow and dreaming of those moments when they lay in each other’s arms. When they were finally reunited, perhaps he could convince her to keep to their room for the remainder of the day.
As he lay on a sheepskin cloth, he could feel the start of the last and most uncomfortable part of his return to human form. It was where his buttocks flattened so that his legs could lengthen. Once he was bipedal, he would have to spend several minutes stretching the muscles in his legs and lower back as daybreak was much harder on the body than nightfall was. But the greater challenge was to readjust his mind so that he was thinking like a human and not a predator.
After putting on his shirt and breeches and running a comb through his hair, he ate mint and rinsed his mouth, and then made his way to the study. As he looked at his pocket watch, he thought, just one more hour, a mere sixty minutes, and he would be with his bride.
***
As soon as Darcy slid open the panel, he knew Elizabeth was in the room. As eager as he was to see her, he did not want this. Because his mind was still in a state of transition, he would remain in the secret room until the mental phase of the transformation had been completed. But he made the mistake of stepping into the room to look at his wife, and in doing so, awakened her. She immediately stood up and started to come to him, but he held out his hand to keep her from getting any closer.
“Elizabeth, I want you to go back to your room and wait for me there.” He could hear the gruffness in his voice, but there was nothing he could do about that; the vocal chords were one of the last things to change. But his statement only caused her to step closer to him.
“I must insist that you leave. I am not yet fit company.” But her scent reached him and he could make out her form beneath her nightgown, and he felt his manhood growing. “Go now. Quickly. I could hurt you,” he warned. But she stood rooted to the spot, and so he stepped forward and grabbed her by the arm. “You do not want this.” With his member throbbing, he was now in agony, and he knelt down on the floor, pulling her with him. After shoving her on her back, he pushed her nightgown over her hips and knelt over her while he opened his breeches and then entered her immediately, and he had never felt more like a beast than he did at that moment.
Darcy was sure he was hurting his wife, but instead of whimpers, he heard soft moans and felt her pelvis thrust against his. Her movements sent a charge through his body, and he went from agony to ecstasy in a moment, and as he lifted his chest off of hers, he felt the full force of his release. Now, completely spent, he collapsed on top of her. Ashamed at his performance, he tried to withdraw, but he felt her tightening around his member, holding him inside her. “Please, don’t go yet,” she whispered and ran her hands up and down his back, and only when she felt his muscles completely relax did she unwrap her legs and free him.
Darcy rolled off of her and stared at the ceiling, refusing to look at her, and after seeing the tears in his eyes, she kissed him and told him how much she loved him.
“But I hurt you,” he said, the tears spilling over onto his cheeks.
“No, you did not hurt me. I swear to you that you did not.”
“You should not have come, Elizabeth,” he said, choking on his words. “I understand why you did, but you should have waited for me in your room as I asked you to do.”
“But I wanted to see your scar.”
Darcy rolled on his side and looked at her. “What?”
“Your scar. From when you were bitten.”
“But you have seen it a number of times now,” he said confused.
“No, I haven’t. I always look straight ahead—never down.”
Darcy nodded his head in understanding at what she was trying to do, and he started to laugh. “Well, then I must have been with someone else on the night of December 24th because that lady definitely looked at me.”
“All right. I confess. I did look at you—in all your majesty,” she said, smiling. Darcy, overwhelmed by the power of her love, pulled her onto his chest and held her against his heart.
***
After pouring himself a whisky, Darcy went and sat next to Elizabeth on the sofa. “Are you sure you don’t want anything?”
“No,” she answered, as she rested her head on his shoulder. “I have everything I want right here.”
“You must promise me never to…” Before he could finish, she was shaking her head. “Elizabeth, you are my wife and have taken a vow of obedience to your husband.” Lizzy kept shaking her head. “Why?” he asked in an exasperated voice.
“Although I must accept that I cannot be with you when you are a wolf, I refuse to be kept from you when you are not.”
“You do not understand the process.”
“Oh, I do. You explained it all to me. Your mind is slower to transform than your body, but if you think about it, I believe my being here accelerated that process. When we started to make love, you were more wolf than man. By the time we had finished, you were more man than wolf.”
“You call that lovemaking? I was brutal to you.”
Lizzy assured him with her smile that he had not been a brute, and he could tell from her scent and the light in her eyes that she was telling the truth. After standing up, he took her hand and walked with her to the fur rug in front of the fireplace.
“You look lovely,” he said as he helped her out of her robe, and he whispered, “I love you” as she stepped out of her nightgown. He knelt down on the rug, gently pulling her to the floor, and after tasting and touching every inch of her, he entered her, and in her mind, he was fully human.