Chapter 13
When the manor house of the Earl of Granyard came into view, Elizabeth could hardly believe it. Granyard Hall was actually larger than Pemberley. For the most part, the architecture was Jacobean with some later additions that, to her mind, gave the house a busy, cluttered look. She much preferred the symmetry of a Georgian manor house, and from the look on her face, Darcy correctly interpreted that her preference was for Pemberley over this rambling abode.
Elizabeth had been nervous about going to a reception for the daughter of a member of the aristocracy, but once she had been accoutered from head to toe by Georgiana and Anne, she felt more at ease. With so many prominent guests in attendance, she anticipated that once she went through the receiving line, no one would pay any attention to her.
The earl was married to his third wife and had children from each of his marriages, and it seemed as if all eight were present. His Lordship was flanked by his eldest daughter, Lady Helen, and the young lady who would shortly be coming out into society, Lady Elaine. She and Georgiana were great friends, and Georgiana had delayed her own debut so that they might be presented to the queen at the same time.
As pretty as Elaine was, it was her older sister who was garnering the lion’s share of the attention. She was the most beautiful woman Lizzy had ever seen. Dressed in an exquisite mauve silk gown and weighed down with jewels, she had all the men gawking at her, that is, every man except Mr. Darcy. Lizzy found this to be most curious. Not looking at the beautiful Lady Helen was like trying to ignore the existence of the sun.
After making her way through introductions of all the siblings, Lady Elaine, and His Lordship, Lizzy was greeted by la belle femme, and she wondered if another Helen, Helen of Troy, whose face had launched a thousand ships, was as beautiful as she was. And although she knew that they had never met, there was something vaguely familiar about Lady Helen. Lizzy was trying to think where she might have seen her—in a portrait gallery perhaps—when the lady took her by both hands and walked with her to a nearby alcove. Lizzy looked to Mr. Darcy for guidance, but he had stayed behind so that he might converse with His Lordship.
“Oh, Elizabeth, how good it is to see you again.”
“Again, Lady Helen? Forgive me, but I cannot recall our being introduced.”
“Oh, we were never formally introduced. The situation was not conducive to such an exchange,” she said, giggling. “However, we have been in each other’s company, but from a distance. You know me as Nell.”
Lizzy went wide-eyed. This was the she wolf that Mr. Darcy was running around with! The most beautiful woman in the world! And she looked over her shoulder hoping to catch his eye, but her betrothed was now talking to Viscount Wilston, the earl’s heir.
“I am not surprised that Alpha did not tell you about me. He is very protective of members of his pack.” She looked at Mr. Darcy and let out a little sigh. “But even though he is very strict, we get along famously.” Although a lupine, she was practically purring.
“Yes, I know. I saw you running together in the glade.”
“Oh, were you there? I had not realized that you were up on the hill. Alpha was very rough that day, running at me from every direction, giving me a nip here and another there, and repeatedly jumping on top of me. He is always like that with me.”
“That is exactly how one would expect a brother to act,” Lizzy said, smiling, and then she thought of Mr. Darcy’s portrayal of their relationship. According to dear Will, Nell had no interest in him whatsoever. What did he call her overtures? Harmless flirting? Merely getting in a little practice before she became betrothed to a peer in Devon. What nonsense! According to Nell, she had not realized that she was being watched by Lizzy from atop the hill. Well, that was interesting since Lizzy had not mentioned where she had been that day. There was absolutely no doubt that Nell had set her sights on Fitzwilliam Darcy, and she was letting Lizzy know it. This situation required some redirection, and Lizzy leaned forward and whispered, “I understand that you are shortly to become engaged.”
“Oh, no! Not shortly. If such a thing should come about, Lord Angelsey and I have agreed that a lengthy courtship is desirable. He is exactly my age and needs some maturing as he is most definitely not ready to take on the responsibilities of the leader of a pack. Lord Angelsey must be Alpha’s equal. Otherwise, I would be marrying someone who is beneath me. Besides, men change their minds all of the time, don’t they?”
“One would hope that men would be as constant in their affections as women.”
“Yes, one would hope. But in reality, it is not the case at all, and life is so unpredictable.”
A crowd that had been waiting for Lady Helen to return to the line was pressing in on them, and so Lizzy excused herself and went in search of “Alpha.”
Now that she had met Nell, Lizzy was sorry that she had suggested their engagement not be announced until Mr. Darcy could speak to her father. As a result, Nell did not know that they were to become engaged, and she was acting on the assumption that there was still time to capture Mr. Darcy’s heart before he gave it to another. To highlight their differences, Nell had referred to William not as “Mr. Darcy” but as “Alpha,” making it clear that she was able to offer him something Lizzy could not: uninterrupted companionship and a complete understanding of his world.
Before arriving at Granyard Hall, Mr. Darcy had explained to Lizzy that because of Anne’s health, he had asked his cousin for the first dance because it would be a minuet and, therefore, suitable for so frail a lady. Such an arrangement was perfectly understandable, but because Mr. Darcy was a Granyard family favorite, the second dance went to Lady Elaine and the third to another sister, which was also understandable. But then the amateur members of the Granyard family gave way to the professional. By careful maneuvering on her part, Nell had succeeded in getting Mr. Darcy to claim the fourth dance. Because of the number of couples, the dance would last nearly an hour, and custom dictated that those who danced the last set before supper would dine together. Darcy and Lizzy exchanged glances, and she gave him enough of a smile to let him know that she understood his dilemma.
With Darcy and Nell dining at the most lavishly adorned table and Georgiana talking happily with a handsome young man, Lizzy sought out Anne’s company. She was in an anteroom, far removed from the cacophony created by a hundred voices all chattering at the same time. Anne did not like balls and would not have attended this gala but for one reason: Nell. Unlike her cousin, who was unaware of Lady Helen’s plans for him, Anne was not equally deceived.
“I had hoped that Mr. Darcy, you, and I would take supper together,” Elizabeth said with a sigh, “but it seems that his presence is required by another.”
“I am sorry, Elizabeth. I am sure you are asking yourself, ‘Why did Anne not warn me?’ But, honestly, it is a performance not to be missed.”
“I find it difficult to believe that Mr. Darcy does not know that the lady is actively pursuing him. She is the most outrageous flirt I have ever seen. She makes Caroline Bingley look like an amateur.”
“William and I have spoken about this subject on several occasions, but he insists that he only sees her as a member of his pack. And, yes, I do believe him. Two years ago, the family was very keen to have them become engaged, but William succeeded in convincing His Lordship that it would be like marrying someone whom he regarded as a sister, and he could not do it. When it was discovered that Lord Angelsey, whose estate is in Devon, was in a similar situation, that match was promoted.”