Lizzy hesitated, realizing that any question would be intrusive, but there were things she needed to know. “Tell me all about Nell?”
“What?” Darcy burst out laughing, in part because he had been so wrong about what question she would ask and in part out of relief. “Nell? You want to know about Nell? Why?”
“Because you spend two whole days—and nights—together every month. I know she is attracted to you.”
“Attracted? She is a friend, neighbor, and member of my pack—no more than that.”
“And because she is your friend, you think she cannot be attracted to you? Haven’t you noticed how she sashays when she is near you?”
“Sashays?” Darcy started to laugh again. “You know, Elizabeth, once a year, there is a werewolf gathering on an estate in Scotland, and there is a time set aside for exchanging stories and anecdotes. I now have mine. When my fellow lupines hear that Nell ‘sashayed’ so that she might attract me, they will truly howl—with laughter.”
“Do not make fun of me. Call it what you will, but she is flirting with you.”
“Yes, she is, but only to practice her skills. I have no interest in her as my mate, and let me put your mind at ease. A werewolf is more human than wolf, and as such, the males engage in the act of procreation only when we are in human form because we only sire human children. You need not be jealous of her.”
“I am not jealous of her. I was just pointing out what is patently obvious to me.” But she was not fooling him for one second. “Is she beautiful?”
“I have heard her described in such a way.”
“What color is her hair? A mousy brown, perhaps?”
“Not mousy at all. She has hair as golden as Jane’s and eyes as blue as a summer sky.”
“I see you have a poetic side that I did not know about. How do I compare to her?”
“You are beyond comparison with any woman. If you are fishing for compliments, and I can see that you are, I shall tell you the truth. I love your dark curls that are impossible to restrain. You have an adorable nose and mouth, a firm chin, and the cutest dimple. But it is your dark eyes that draw me in, but you should know that they reveal much about you. I can tell your mood quicker from your eyes than from what comes from your mouth. How did I do?”
“You were doing fine until that last bit, but since you said that I was beyond comparison, I shall forgive you. Shall I get to meet Nell?”
“Yes, and quite soon, as we are all to attend a reception in honor of Lady Elaine, the younger daughter of the Earl of Granyard, who is coming of age, and it would please me greatly if you would accompany me.”
“I would be honored,” she said, reaching out and taking his hand. “I am satisfied with your answers regarding Nell, but I do have more questions.” She hesitated to say the name of the man Mr. Darcy detested more than any other. “What of Wickham?”
“Wickham? What do you mean?”
“Wickham is now my brother-in-law, and he can be dangerous. There is always the risk of discovery. I do not understand how you succeeded in keeping your altered state from him since he grew up on the Pemberley estate.”
Elizabeth knew something of Wickham’s personal history. He had come to Pemberley after all of his family had died in a typhoid epidemic, and the only relation the local parson could find who would care for a six-year-old boy was Mrs. Wickham, the wife of the estate’s butler.
“You already know that Wickham is a liar, and he started lying at a very young age,” Darcy explained. He professes to have secured my father’s affection, when the truth is quite the opposite. My father recognized his true nature and enrolled him in a grammar school in Essex, and from the age of ten, he was permitted to return to Pemberley only twice a year so that he might visit with the Wickhams, who, for reasons beyond my understanding, had grown fond of him. Apparently, in that short interval, he was able to convince my sister that a correspondence between the two would be appropriate. He told her that because he was a member of the extended Pemberley family, I need not be advised of an exchange of letters. Well, you know the rest.
“But you need not concern yourself on his account. I was truly unhappy that the successful conclusion of Lydia’s escapade required that she marry that villain. Because of that, I have retained the services of a firm that employs men to follow individuals. Most of the time, it is a wayward spouse or a prodigal son who is being watched, but they do other things as well. Wickham cannot make a move without it being observed. I receive monthly reports, and I can now tell you that your sister has readily adapted to the life of an officer’s wife and that she is safe and secure. Additionally, all the merchants have been made aware of Wickham’s habits and his outstanding debts, and so his pay is not being squandered in the shops. The same holds true for the public houses in Newcastle. Hopefully, we will see little of him.”
“You have been watching over Lydia all this time?” Lizzy leaned over and kissed Darcy’s cheek, and then rested her head upon his shoulder. For a long time they sat with their fingers entwined, but there was so much Lizzy wanted to know. “How many wolves are in your pack?”
“It varies. I have had as many as seven. Nell and Teddy are permanent members, but I am occasionally asked to take on a young man who is in need of some instruction in survival techniques, such as stalking and hunting, but it is also important for any new member to understand the hierarchy of the pack and its society. For the protection and well-being of all, there is only one alpha male. Currently, I have under my aegis a young man named Rupert, who was getting into trouble because he kept straying into populated areas. I was not happy with his progress while he was here at Pemberley, so I sent him to a large estate west of Edinburgh. Conditions there are primitive. Such a stark contrast to the life of privilege he has led will, I believe, provide sufficient incentive for him to behave properly. Hopefully, he will come back and retake his position in the pack. If not, he goes back to his father.”
“Poor Mrs. Brotherton. She is deprived of her son’s company because of this Rupert person.”
“Not really. Teddy is destined to become an alpha male, and this is excellent training for him. He was glad to have the opportunity to practice his leadership skills.”
“But while Rupert was at Pemberley misbehaving, were you not at risk of discovery? What if someone saw him? A hue and cry would go up until he was tracked down and killed.” Lizzy felt a chill run down her back, and Darcy, sensing her anxiety, pulled her closer to him.
“Until recently, we had a Newfoundland dog, a big, black, burly animal that scared people because of his size but that was actually as gentle as a golden retriever. If anyone reported a wolf-like animal in the area, it was assumed that it was Wolfie, the Darcy Newfoundland.”
“Wolfie?”
“If anyone cried ‘wolf,’ we would have one to show them.”
“I assume that since you said that you had Wolfie ‘until recently’ he has died. Why have you not replaced him?”
Darcy took his arm from around Lizzy’s shoulder and seemed to be squirming, and the reason was soon revealed. “Because he was odd dog out with David and Goliath, and they were not very nice to him. After he died, the whippets asked that I not replace him because they are quite capable of securing the perimeters.”
“David and Goliath asked you? Are you saying that you understand the language of a dog?”
“Yes, it is referred to as ‘canine,’ and I do speak the language. It is very close to lupine, as wolves are the ancestors of dogs. Think of it as the animal equivalent of the Romance languages. Spanish and Italian have a lot of words in common.”
“I do believe you are serious that you are bilingual.”
“I made it a point to learn canine because they are our cousins and can be of great help to us. When Nell, Teddy, and I are in the woods, David and Goliath are on patrol running off poachers. The whippets are vital to our
safety.”
“But you are putting yourself at risk because David and Goliath do not want another dog on the property. That is not how an alpha male should act. You must be firm with them.”
Darcy flinched at the criticism of his leadership abilities, and knowing their master was unhappy, both whippets stood up and moved closer to him.
“Elizabeth, I would not talk if I were you. Your Scottie is the most ill-behaved dog I have ever seen. She runs circles around every Bennet, including your father.”
“Why you are complaining? Magic is always on her best behavior whenever you visit.” Darcy gave her a look to let her know that he was the reason for the improvement. “Oh, I see how it is. She recognized you as an alpha male, and you said something to her, didn’t you?”
“I mentioned that if she were in my pack I would pick her up by the scruff of her neck and deposit her somewhere on the far side of the property, and I would wish her luck in getting back to Longbourn.”
“That is so mean! How could you say such a thing to that little Scottie? She must have been terrified.”
“The desired end was achieved. She no longer yaps endlessly when I arrive, and she certainly does not demand to be fed from the table. But this is totally off the topic we were discussing.”
“What is the topic?” Lizzy said, happy to return to the reason they were sitting side by side in the drawing room.
Darcy stood up and asked, “How do you want to do this? Formal or informal? Kneeling or sitting?”
“My goodness! Aren’t you romantic?”
“Well, tell me. What is your preference?” he asked kindly and with a smile.
“Sitting,” she said, rolling her eyes, but inside she was delighted.
“Do you want a declaration first?”
“Mr. Darcy, I mean, William, you do not ask if you should make a declaration of your love. You just do it.”
Darcy took a deep breath and launched into his proposal. “Miss Elizabeth Bennet, despite your inferior connections and the criticisms that will ensue once our betrothal is announced, I love you, and I wish…” Lizzy started to laugh and fell into his arms.
When she finally stopped laughing, she asked him to be serious. “This is a serious business,” she said, chiding him.
“I shall begin again,” he said, and then his tone softened. “Miss Elizabeth Bennet, from the moment I saw you, I have loved you. That may sound impossible, but I can assure you that during the assembly at Meryton, I felt an aching in every part of my being, and I knew that the only cure for my pain was to be with you—forever. There is so much to admire about you, and I am not just speaking of your physical beauty, which is considerable. More important to me is your kindness and spirit and willingness to forgive a man with so many faults. I am not the most romantic of men, and I cannot express what I feel as well as some. But no one loves more than I do, and if you could see inside of me, you would find a heart that beats only for you.
“But before you answer this most important of questions, I want you to acknowledge that you fully understand that there will be trials in our marriage unlike any other, and that you will not be able to discuss them with your family. I require your total commitment and loyalty. More than most wives, you will become bound to me because of what I am. Can you do this?”
“Yes, I can,” she answered without a moment’s hesitation, “and I agree to all and everything because of ‘who’ you are not ‘what’ you are. I cannot imagine my life without you.”
Darcy then got down on his knee and said the words Lizzy had been waiting to hear ever since her first visit to Pemberley. “Elizabeth, I love you and ask that you consent to be my wife.”
Lizzy placed her hands on both sides of his face and kissed him. “I would be honored, and I will do everything that is required to protect you from harm.”
David and Goliath, who had never seen their master kiss, inched forward and kept watch, and they had to do so for quite a while.
Chapter 12
Darcy made a mental note that when Elizabeth and he were married David and Goliath would not be allowed in their bedchamber. It was obvious that the dogs were wary of Elizabeth, and while he had been kissing her, they had inched closer and closer to the point where they were now at his heels. It was damned annoying, and he would have to speak to them about it. However, Lizzy was grateful for the distraction because she was quite overwhelmed by Mr. Darcy’s ardor, and his annoyance at his pooches presented her with an opportunity to wiggle free of his embrace.
“William, why do we not find Anne and Georgiana and share our good news with them?”
Knowing that Darcy could sense even the most subtle changes in her, Lizzy did not want to give him the impression that liberties could be taken, that is, until they were married. After they were wed, well… and she gave him a quick glance to see if he had noticed the glint in her eye. He had.
“There is only one thing that would please me more than sharing our joy with my sister and cousin,” Darcy told her, “and that is for you to agree to travel with me to Gretna Green so that we might marry immediately. The Castletons have an estate in nearby Carlisle, and we could stay at their manor house. I know that the family is in London, so we would have the place all to ourselves.”
“Gretna Green? My understanding is that the wedding ceremony is performed by a blacksmith, which is why they are called ‘anvil marriages.’ Please tell me you are not serious.”
“No, I would never ask you to do such a thing. We shall grab a parson from Carlisle and take him with us.”
As far as she was concerned, going to Gretna Green was no different from the Welsh custom of jumping over a broom. They might as well go in search of a broom and save themselves an arduous journey to the Scottish border.
“My family would be very upset if they were not present when we exchanged vows,” she said with great emphasis.
“Please forgive me. I am not explaining myself very well. What I meant to say is that we shall marry in Gretna Green and remarry in the village church in Meryton in view of all our friends and family.”
“My love, you have not thought this through,” Lizzy said, shaking her head. She knew why he was in such a hurry. While he had been kissing her, she had felt the reason for his haste pressed against her leg, but she would never consent to such an ill-advised and, to her mind, immoral plan. “Please understand that such a scheme was used by Wickham to convince Lydia to leave Brighton with him. The idea is repugnant to me.”
“Of course, you are right. I was not thinking about that at all.” In fact, he had done very little thinking since he had carried her to the sofa and had felt her move beneath him. It had lasted but a moment, but, oh, what a moment! But, then again, he did not want to frighten her either. “There is another solution. I shall send word to my solicitor to take all necessary steps to procure a special license as quickly as possible.”
“Special licenses are very expensive.”
“I have a few pounds in the bank, Elizabeth. You need not concern yourself about such matters.”
“My preference would be to have our banns announced for three weeks as Charles and Jane did, and I might add, as almost everyone else does, and to have our wedding breakfast at Longbourn.”
“That is not possible,” he said in a tone of voice that showed he was becoming annoyed. Why wasn’t she as eager to marry as he was? “That will take us right up to the full moon. As my wife, you must adapt to living by the lunar calendar.”
“Which I shall do when I am your wife and have had time to learn everything that is necessary to adapt to our situation,” she said in a tone matching his own. “However, marrying a week or two after the full moon will take us only to mid-December. That is not so far in the future, especially when you consider that you called on me for six months without my having any idea as to whether you would ever propose. I have waited for you; now you m
ust wait for me.”
“Do I have a choice?”
Lizzy kissed him and whispered, “Not really.”
***
Anne and Georgiana had no doubt of the outcome of Darcy’s proposal and were expecting a jubilant suitor to join them in the study, but when Darcy entered the room, he was wearing a frown because he had not prevailed in his wish to marry as soon as possible. Nevertheless, as soon as he saw Georgiana’s smile, he could not hold back his own, and when she ran to her brother, he picked her up and spun her around.
“You see, I was right,” Georgiana said, addressing Lizzy. “I told Will months ago that you would marry him no matter what, but he kept hemming and hawing, traveling back and forth between London and Longbourn or Pemberley and Longbourn.”
“But that is now behind us,” Anne quickly interjected. “Are we free to share your good news with others?”
“Not yet,” Lizzy answered. “I would like for William to speak with my father before any announcement is made. He will gladly give his consent, and it is merely a courtesy on William’s part, but I would appreciate it if we observed this particular formality.”
“Of course,” Anne said. “But that does not mean that we cannot have our own celebration. I anticipated your happy news and have asked Mr. Jackson to bring us the best wine from Pemberley’s cellar so that we may wish you joy. Am I correct in assuming that you will marry in six weeks after the full moon and the banns have been announced?”
Darcy made a face and looked at Anne and then back at Lizzy. “I see evidence of collusion here.”
“No, you do not, sir, and I hope you are not this suspicious when we are married,” Lizzy said. “Anne and I have discussed nothing about a wedding. Her statement is based on how one would proceed—logically.”
“Oh, never mind. I shall not allow anything to dampen my spirits. This is the best day of my life.” After taking Lizzy’s hands in his, he added, “Up to this point.”
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