“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.