“And what is your excuse, Mr. Darcy?” Lizzy asked.
“I have none. Nor do I want one. However, you will need to wear a heavier coat and bring your muff and scarf. If you are agreeable, I thought we might walk up to the gazebo. You can see all of the manor house and the gardens from there, but it does get windy.”
As the ladies rose to leave the room, the slightest of smiles appeared on the lips of Anne and Georgiana. It had turned out exactly as they had hoped.
When they reached the top of the hill and the gazebo, there was a stiff breeze, and Lizzy stood behind Mr. Darcy to use him as a windbreak. But he had an even better idea, and he pulled her to him and held her tightly without saying a word. He just wanted to experience the joy of being able to take her in his arms knowing that it was where she wanted to be.
“After we have admired the view, we shall walk over to the copse where it will be less windy.”
“As long as you hold me close, I do not mind because I love the view from here.” She thought about the first time she had ever seen it. It had been two months after she had rejected Mr. Darcy’s offer of marriage at Hunsford Lodge. On the occasion of her visit to Pemberley with her aunt and uncle Gardiner, he had been so gracious and forgiving, and by that time, she was in need of forgiveness because in his letter he had exposed Wickham’s true character. The weight of her error in judging Mr. Darcy so harshly had crashed down upon her, and the thought of what her misjudgment had nearly cost her was something she did not wish to dwell on.
“Before you came into the breakfast room this morning, both my cousin and sister were admonishing me for neglecting you last night,” Darcy said. “Their criticism is justified. I should have asked you for at least the third dance before we ever left Pemberley, but my mind was more agreeably engaged. I was thinking about how fortunate all of Lord Granyard’s guests were to have an opportunity to meet my Elizabeth.”
“My goodness, William, such flattery. But since you are not known for meting out excessive amounts of praise, you may continue.” They both laughed, and Elizabeth assured him that his sister and cousin had judged him more harshly than she had. “If the purpose of your kind words is your way of asking for my forgiveness,” Lizzy continued, “there is no need, as I was treated to an exceptional performance by Nell.”
“How so?” Darcy asked, genuinely puzzled.
“Nell had the whole thing planned out. From previous balls, she knew that because of Anne’s health the first dance would go to her, and of course, being a family friend, you would engage Lady Elaine, who was coming out, for the second set. And while you were dancing with Lady Millicent, Anne explained to me that the lady is a ward of His Lordship, and although she seems to be perfectly lovely, she is somewhat plain, her fortune is meager, and she is dependent upon the kindness of Lord Granyard for all her expenses, which explains the lack of dance partners. Nell correctly anticipated that if she asked you to dance with the plain Millicent, you would not refuse. After you had agreed to that request, and with Nell standing right there, what could you do but ask her to dance? At every turn, you were outmaneuvered by Lady Helen.”
“It is exactly as you have described,” Darcy said in amazement. “I am embarrassed to find that I am so easily manipulated—in human form, at least.”
Darcy thought about how different he was when he was transformed. He was a fair but firm leader, and he tried to take into consideration the different personalities of those in his pack. Although he might agree to rake through Nell’s coat to remove debris that did not mean he would hesitate to discipline her if the situation merited such action. Not all of his nips were playful. And then he thought about Rupert, the most recent addition to the pack.
Because of the circumstances surrounding Rupert becoming a werewolf, Darcy had been wary of taking the twenty-year-old as he was irrevocably prejudiced against him. Only an imbecile would tease an animal whose leg was caught in a trap, and his thoughtless actions had resulted in the werewolf being executed. But because of his father’s rank, it would have been all but impossible to refuse the request, especially when Lord Granyard had intervened and asked Darcy to take him under his wing as a personal favor to him.
The meeting between Darcy and the Prince of Wales had gone better than Darcy would have expected from a man who took orders from no one, including his father. After making it perfectly clear to His Royal Highness that if Rupert did anything to jeopardize the safety of another werewolf he would be disciplined, the prince agreed to every condition as the son had exhausted all of his father’s patience with his juvenile antics. Additionally, the prince lived in fear that a reporter from one of London’s scandal-driven magazines would learn of his son’s dual nature, and the story would be carried in every paper in every corner of the globe. Who knew what such a scandal would do to the royal family, which was why none of the other royals knew of Rupert’s condition.
Lizzy was in such a fine mood that she had not noticed how distracted Mr. Darcy was, and she was still talking about the ball when his attention returned to their conversation.
“Lest you become conceited, William, I shall inform you that you were not the only handsome gentleman there. Viscount Wilston is a fine looking man, and he engaged me for two dances.”
“I like the gentleman, as he takes good care of his sister’s needs with regard to her transformation, but I have never thought of him as being particularly handsome.”
“That is because you are not a woman. But speaking of Nell’s transformation, it is quite a coincidence that she became a werewolf in exactly the same manner you did.”
Darcy looked at her with the most quizzical expression. “Who told you that?”
“Anne did. My impression was that she received that information directly from Nell. Is it not true?”
“No, it is not. What did you and Wilston talk about during your two dances?”
“Oh, no you don’t. You are not going to leave me with a simple no and expect me to be satisfied. You must tell me how Nell came to be a she wolf.”
Darcy let out a sigh. Because he was uninterested in gossip, he failed to understand its attractions for others. However, it was understandable why Lizzy would want to know all about a woman who was vying for the attention of the man she loved.
“Prior to marrying His Lordship, Lady Granyard was married to Lord Boyle, an Irish peer. They have an estate near Macroom in County Cork in Ireland that is adjacent to the Gougane Barra, a wilderness area of remarkable beauty and one of the few remaining places in Ireland where there are wolves—and werewolves.
“The Granyards were visiting the Boyles, who happened to have a son close in age to Nell. Without a chaperone, the two went into this wild woodland and happened upon a wolf’s den sheltering a half dozen pups. While the parents were out hunting, the den was being watched by a werewolf. It is not uncommon for werewolves to live in close proximity to a wolf pack, as it affords the werewolves additional protection because if a werewolf is sighted, it can be explained by the presence of the other wolves. Nell stupidly picked up one of the pups and was bitten by the defending she wolf. When Boyle attempted to beat her off, he was bitten as well.
“There is an organization in Britain that is simply known as the Council. It was organized thirty years ago to provide protection for werewolves and their families. Any encounter between a werewolf and a human must be reported to the Council as soon as possible. If it is determined that a human has been bitten, the Council will write a letter to the family explaining what will happen to the person in the next few months.”
“But who would believe such a story?” Lizzy asked.