***
Because it was such a gray, rainy day, Lizzy and Mr. Darcy could not go for a walk and were thus confined to the parlor with Kitty, Mary, and Mrs. Bennet. The gentleman tried to appear to be interested in their discourse, but he really did not want to hear Mary summarize the vicar’s Sunday sermon, nor was he interested in Kitty’s visit with Maria Lucas, and he most especially wished to be spared the reasons for the onset of Mrs. Bennet’s flutters. All the news he had to share with his betrothed remained unspoken, that is, until Mr. Bennet took mercy on the couple and offered them the use of his study.
“Finally, we are alone,” Darcy said as he pulled Lizzy into an embrace, and the two remained in each other’s arms saying nothing. When Darcy did kiss her, it was a quick brush of his lips across her cheek. “I am at a point where if I were to kiss you on the lips it would have such an effect on me that I would risk embarrassing myself.”
“I am in a similar state, but you probably already knew that. So let us sit on the sofa, and you may tell me of your trip to Herefordshire. How did it go?”
“Very well,” he said, nodding his head for effect.
“As well as it went with your aunt Catherine?”
“Much better,” he answered, laughing. “I may have found Nell the perfect husband. He is the son of a French aristocrat, twenty-six years old, reasonably handsome, of good height and build. The whole family, their servants, and their chef had to flee their estate in Provence because of revolutionary mobs roaming the countryside. It seems that the Reynards are gastronomes. I spent the better part of one evening talking to Vicomte Reynard about nothing more than meats, sauces, truffles, wine, brandy, et cetera.”
“Oh, that does sound promising. I really do want Lady Helen to be happy, but I also want her gone, and not for the reason you might think. I was truly distressed at how indiscreet she was at Pemberley, and I would be constantly on edge, fearing that she would say something that would reveal your situation. With Rupert gone, it will be just you and Teddy, and he is completely reliable.”
“Unfortunately, that is no longer true as Teddy will soon be leaving Pemberley for good.”
“But why? If Nell marries Monsieur Reynard and Teddy leaves, then you will be all alone.”
“Which is exactly the way I want it. Rupert was a menace, and Nell is annoying. Teddy and I could get by on a rabbit or partridge or, God forbid, not eat at all, but if there are three of us, Nell always wants to go after a deer and that causes problems. You cannot leave a carcass out in the woods that has been torn apart by animals as it will cause alarm bells to ring, but it is nothing to her as she gets in her carriage at daybreak and returns to Granyard Hall. But Teddy, Mercer, or I must go out and bury the deer or sheep or whatever she has devoured.”
“I certainly understand why you want Nell and Rupert to leave the pack, but why Teddy?”
“I had an opportunity to speak with Teddy while I was in Herefordshire. He is there because that is where Rupert is being held prior to being transported, and it was he who came to me. At Pemberley, the explanation for Teddy’s monthly disappearances was that Rupert was the son of a nobleman, and once a month he was permitted to go see his father, and Teddy would accompany him as his manservant. That situation no longer exists, and you cannot have a groom go missing once a month. It would make Teddy’s life very difficult with the other grooms, and it might possibly invite comment. I cannot have that. Now that I am to be a married man with a family, I will not take any unnecessary risks and that is what I told the Council.”
“The Council was in Herefordshire?”
“Yes, Rupert remains a problem because you cannot have someone who was so public a figure just drop out of sight. The Council is made up of two werewolves and one man. It was decided that Mr. Clark, the human, will take Rupert to London where he will be seen, and when spring comes, word will have got around town that he wants to go to North America, and Teddy will go with him.”
“Oh, poor Mrs. Brotherton! Can the Council force him to go?”
“It is not a matter of forcing him to do it; he wants to do it. In fact, he turned down an opportunity to become alpha male. The pack in Herefordshire has grown too large, and it must be divided. The position was offered to Teddy, but he declined. He told me that he wants to make his fortune in the New World where rank does not matter. His plans are well thought out, and I told him that I would provide him with seed money if he wants to start a business. I will be sorry to see him go, but go he must.”
“I will miss Teddy, as will your sister, and his mother will be truly heartsick. I do understand why he must leave Pemberley, but I do not like to think of you out there by yourself.”
“That is because you do not yet understand my other life. When I am a wolf, I enjoy doing those things that wolves do. I like to hunt and run and chase and play in the snow. It is not a hardship for me, and when the weather is bad, there is a cave where I take shelter.”
Darcy could see that Lizzy was unhappy, and so he put his arm around her shoulder. “It is only two days a month,” he said, trying to reassure her. “So let us speak of other things, as there is another topic I wish to talk to you about.” Darcy’s face changed from comforting to uncomfortable because he did not know how Lizzy would react to what he had to say.
“I have mentioned before that wolves have a heightened sense of smell, and because of that, I know when… I always know when you are about to start your courses.”
“Good grief, Mr. Darcy! That is no subject for a man, not even a husband!”
“It is for this man because I also know the days when you are fertile. Please allow me to explain why this is important. My mother died shortly after she was delivered of a stillborn child. Bearing children is very taxing on a woman’s body, and so I want to limit the number of children we have because the thought of losing you… What I am trying to say is that I shall know when not to come to your bedchamber.”
“Are you telling me this now because I shall be fertile on our wedding night, and we shall not lie together?” Lizzy asked in near panic.
Darcy started to laugh. “No, I made sure of that before agreeing to the date. Actually, it works out perfectly. You will begin your courses tonight or tomorrow at the latest, and so you will be finished by our wedding day, but you will not yet be fertile.”
Lizzy covered her face in embarrassment. “This really is too much—for you to know when it is my time.”
“But it is all a part of the natural order. There is no need for you to be embarrassed, and there are advantages. I will be more understanding of your moods.” As soon as Darcy said it, he knew that he had erred.
“My moods?”
“Occasionally, your mood does alter. For example, when I went to Longbourn to invite you to Pemberley, you were, you know…”
“Oh, I see. So the reason for my unhappiness was not your coming and going without explanation for six months. It was because of my courses.”
“No. That is not what I am saying.”
“Well, what are you saying?”
“Merely, that it was a contributing factor.”
“No, Mr. Darcy, it was not a contributing factor. By the time you had come back to Longbourn from your last disappearance, I had been angry with you for three weeks.”
“I stand corrected,” he quickly responded and sealed his lips together.
“That is all you have to say?”
“Elizabeth, there is no way I can win this argument, so I apologize for any past, present, or future transgressions.”
“You are a quick learner, Will Darcy,” Lizzy said smiling, and she kissed him on his cheek.
Chapter 30
In the midst of all the hubbub caused by the wedding preparations, Lizzy could almost forget that the man who would shortly be her husband was also a werewolf, but when the snow started to fall on the morning of December 22nd, Lizzy
was jolted back into the reality of a life lived by the lunar calendar and the necessity of reaching Pemberley by the afternoon of the twenty-eighth.
“Elizabeth, I know what you are going to say,” Darcy said as soon as they were behind the closed doors of the sitting room. “You are concerned about the weather, and because I know that you worry about such things, I am going to tell you exactly what will happen in the next few days.” They walked hand-in-hand to the sofa.
“Because of the snow, we will leave early on the morning of the twenty-fifth. This is now a hard and fast date, and all entreaties for us to remain must be firmly rejected. We will leave Netherfield at dawn, but we will not have far to go—only about twelve miles—where we will change from my carriage to a coach. Mercer has already left to see to these arrangements.
“The ride will be less comfortable than in my carriage, but the coach can go faster and will have horses better suited to our purpose. Our first night will be spent with Mr. and Mrs. Gowland. Although they are paid by the Council, you are not to engage them in conversation. You will call me sir, and you will be addressed as madam. Georgiana is miss, Mercer is my manservant, and Metcalf is the coachman. No names are to be used. I have stayed with the Gowlands before. The rooms are small, but clean, and their home is amply provisioned.
“I am afraid that you and Georgie will be very tired from traveling, but we will leave first thing in the morning and press on to my aunt Marguerite’s house. Weather permitting, we will stay there just the one night before leaving for Pemberley. If all goes well, we will arrive home with plenty of time to spare. If necessary, I can transform at Ashton Hall. I have done so on three occasions, so a plan is already in place. Since Jeanne and George Wimbley are in town, there is only Aunt Marguerite in residence, and she knows what to do.”
All the while Darcy was talking, Lizzy was holding his hand, and she felt as if she had not taken a breath since he began speaking. He was making it sound as if every contingency had been considered, but what if the snow prevented them from reaching the Gowlands’ refuge?
“There is another Council house along the route, but I would more likely take you, Georgie, Metcalf, and Mercer to an inn, and I would stay outside.”
Lizzy shook her head, and tears began to pool.
“Darling, please remember that I spent two years near Hudson Bay. By the end of my first winter, I lost a quarter of my weight, but I survived. If I can survive in one of the most hostile environments in the world, I can spend two nights in the woods in the English countryside, but I do not think any of those things will happen. We had a light dusting of snow this morning and nothing since. I am taking all of these precautions because of you.”
But when her expression remained unaltered, he continued. “Elizabeth, I would never have asked you to marry me if I did not think you were strong enough to deal with my altered state and all that goes with it. You are afraid for me because everything is new to you, but after a few nightfalls, you will not give it a second thought. My sister is an example of this. While you are sitting here worried, Georgiana is at Netherfield playing cards with Jane and Bingley.
“However, there are things you can do to help. When we are this close to nightfall, I will ask that you do everything I ask as soon as I ask it. If I say we must leave now, please stand up and leave with me. If I say that you must remain and I must go, you must not argue. Do you understand?”
Lizzy nodded because she could not speak.
“Elizabeth, the day after tomorrow, we will marry unless…”
And Lizzy put her fingers to his lips, “Entreat me not to leave thee or return from following after thee; for wither thou goest…” But that was all she could manage to get out before he pulled her into his embrace.
***
The following morning, while Jane and Lizzy were discussing the next day’s nuptials in their once-shared bedroom at Longbourn, Bingley and Darcy were visiting with Mr. Bennet, who was trying to stay clear of his wife. Mrs. Bennet was running hither and yon but in her husband’s opinion, to little effect, and so he had lured the two young men into his study for a discussion of Napoleon’s expansion of his empire on the Continent.
While the men plotted strategy for military campaigns, the sisters discussed a much more important subject and one that was foremost on the minds of all brides. What would her wedding night be like? Jane confessed that first night she had found the whole ritual to be embarrassing and that she had insisted Mr. Bingley extinguish the one candle that had been left burning so that she would not bang into something if she needed to use the chamber pot during the night.
“I would rather have had a bruise the size of a goose egg than for Mr. Bingley to see me without any clothes on.” With that statement, the giggling began. Jane assured Lizzy that although there was some discomfort, the deed was done in just a few minutes. “But I should warn you that the scene was repeated during the night and again in the morning. You could say that the sun and Mr. Bingley rose at the same time.” The sisters collapsed onto the bed laughing. “By the time I got out of bed to see to my toilette, I was an old hand at it.”
But Jane’s laughter ceased when Lizzy informed her that Mr. Darcy and she would leave Netherfield Park immediately after breakfast on the twenty-fifth, and her response was exactly as anticipated.
“But why must you depart on Christmas morning? Is it absolutely necessary for you to leave for Pemberley the day after you are married? I do not understand the need for such haste.”
“Mr. Darcy promised his aunt Marguerite, who lives near Leicester, that we would visit. Lady Ashton is the elder Mr. Darcy’s sister and the only one left from that generation of Darcys.”
“That is all well and good, but why must you see her at this time?”
“Because Mr. Darcy wishes it, and I am agreeable to it, and that is all there is to be said.” Lizzy said this in a harsh tone, but it was necessary for her sister to know that this was not a subject open to discussion. “Jane, if Mr. Bingley had asked you to do this on the day after your wedding, you would not have said no. I do not wish to begin our marriage by denying my husband the first thing he has asked of me.”
“Well, I hope that Mr. Darcy will allow you to return to Longbourn when I am near my confinement,” Jane said with a catch in her voice.
“Oh, Jane, please. I would not miss the birth of Baby Bingley for anything. I shall be here. I promise.”
But Jane was now clearly unsettled. “Please forgive me, Lizzy, but there is something I must say, even at the risk of offending you. I have thought for some time that there is something unusual about Mr. Darcy. I cannot put my finger on it, but he has a tendency to stare. When he does, it is almost as if he knows what a person is thinking. The other night, just as I was about to ask Mr. Bingley to bring me a cup of tea, Mr. Darcy went and poured a cup for me, saying that he could tell that I was thirsty. Another time, he retrieved my fan because he knew that I was overly heated when I had said nothing about it. It was very kind of him, but I swear he sensed…”
“I understand why you have that impression,” Lizzy said, interrupting, “but contrary to what you think, Mr. Darcy is not staring at you but through you. I have mentioned this to him, and he is trying not to do it. But old habits are hard to break. I think part of the problem is that you are comparing Mr. Darcy’s quiet nature to that of Mr. Bingley’s more animated disposition, but one should not be criticized for being overly attentive to another’s needs.”
“You do understand that I only want what is best for you.” Jane began to cry, which was something she was doing quite frequently now that she was in her sixth month.
“Then your wish has been granted as I do have the best. Mr. Darcy and I are perfectly suited to each other. He loves me deeply, and when I am with him, there is no one happier than I am.” Lizzy stood up and offered her sister assistance in rising. “Now, you must return to Netherfield Park. Tomorrow is my
wedding day, and you are my matron of honor. I want you well rested so that you will enjoy the wedding breakfast. I do believe that half the county is attending.”
“Only half?” Jane said, smiling, and she went in search of Charles just as Darcy came looking for Lizzy.
“If you are beginning to think about what you will need for our journey,” he whispered, “make sure you have your gloves, muff, boots, extra stockings…”
“Sir, you have told me what to expect, and I shall pack accordingly. You should really take your own advice and stop worrying. Since my mother has turned our wedding breakfast into a spectacle to rival a harvest festival, I plan to enjoy myself.”
By this time, Georgiana had come downstairs, accompanied by Kitty and Mary. The siblings had already received an invitation from Mr. Darcy’s sister to come to Pemberley in the spring. After nightfall, Lizzy said to herself, and she realized that every plan she made would have that contingency attached to it.
After seeing the Bingley carriage turn out of the drive, Lizzy pulled her shawl tightly around her and looked up into an obsidian sky punctured with a thousand points of light and a waxing moon poised over a distant wood. Although Mr. Darcy had told her that in time the rising of a full moon would not merit a second thought from her, she knew differently. The welfare of her husband and her family depended on her being acutely aware of the moon’s every phase.
Chapter 31
Thank you, Mama,” Lizzy said as her mother tightened her stays, “but Jane and I have already had this conversation.” She could hardly believe that her mother had chosen the morning of her wedding day to have “the talk” with her daughter.
“But you might encounter a very different situation than Jane’s as Mr. Bingley is of a slight build when compared to Mr. Darcy, so…”
Mr. Darcy's Bite Page 20
