“He was referring to werewolves in general, and for some, it truly is a matter of survival. When a wolf is hungry, he is more inclined to take risks and to come out into the open, but William and Nell do not have such concerns.”
“I am happy to hear that he is not alone. How old is Nell?”
“I believe she is just shy of her twenty-first birthday.”
“But if Nell is of a marriageable age, why does Mr. Darcy not marry her? He would be marrying one of his own kind.”
Anne was careful in formulating a response. She did not want to say anything that would further distress Elizabeth, but Miss Bennet was in need of correction.
“In order for William to marry ‘one of his own kind,’ as you put it, he would need to marry a human as he was born a human and that is the form he takes for all but two days in every month.”
Lizzy could see that her question had stung, but was it possible to be both human and animal?
“What I meant to say was that if he married Nell there would be no misunderstandings. Both would come to the marriage knowing each other’s altered state, and his chances of being happy would be much greater.”
“That is true that there would be no secrets between them. But there is a problem. William is not in love with Nell; he is in love with you.”
Lizzy fell back into the chair. She felt as if someone had reached into her chest and pulled out her heart. Yes, Mr. Darcy was in love with her, and she was in love with him. She had come to Pemberley with such high hopes, only to find that her handsome gentleman turned into a furry Mr. Darcy with every full moon.
At that moment, there was a mournful howling very close to the manor house, and Anne looked alarmed.
“William is nearby. I do not understand. He never comes this close to the house. It is not wise.” Anne went to the window, but before she could unlatch the door leading to the balcony, Georgiana came running into the room.
“Anne, did you hear Will calling? He is too close. A servant or one of the grooms might see him.”
“Yes, dear, I know. But William has a cool head on his shoulders, and he will soon depart.” But no sooner had that statement been uttered than another heartbreaking howl was heard.
“Oh, God, Anne. He knows. That is why he is nearby.” Georgiana fell to the floor in a heap, her body wracked with great heaving sobs, and then she looked up at Lizzy, her face a picture of the anguish she was feeling for her brother. “He knows that there will be no candle in the window, and he cries out in his grief.”
Chapter 4
Georgiana was inconsolable. Nothing Lizzy said or did calmed Mr. Darcy’s sobbing sister, and Anne only succeeded in getting Georgiana off the floor and into a chair. When she was finally calm enough to talk, she began a litany of praise for her brother. “He is the best landlord and best master that ever lived. He is generous to a fault, and Mr. Keller, our vicar, would praise him all day long for his attention to the poor of the parish. All of his tenants and servants will give him a good name,” Georgiana said, while making little chirping sounds brought on by all her crying, “and whatever can give me pleasure is sure to be done. There is nothing he will not do for me.”
“I am sure he is kindness itself,” Lizzy said, fully believing that he was, but he was also a werewolf.
“Then you will light the candle?”
When Lizzy said nothing, Georgiana renewed her crying.
“Please, Georgiana, I would ask that you give me time to think. Anne tells me that you have no memory of your brother when he was not a werewolf. You must give some consideration to how I feel now that I have learned that your brother is not fully human. Until yesterday, I was not aware of the remarkable transformation he undergoes during a full moon.” And I certainly did not know he chased mice or that he howled.
“Then you will stay so that you might have more time to think about Will’s offer?”
Lizzy looked to Anne, and although she said nothing, there was such pleading in her eyes that she agreed. “Yes, I will stay for another day or two.”
“The day after tomorrow, when you wake up, my brother will be back in human form, and he will be able to address all of your concerns.”
Lizzy’s commitment to remain at Pemberley satisfied Georgiana, and she went to her room with Anne. As soon as her young cousin fell asleep, Anne returned to Lizzy, who was staring out the window looking up at the moon. She would never look at that celestial orb in the same way again.
“I hope you do not think less of Georgiana for her emotional display. She does have a flair for the dramatic, but then she is only eighteen and her exposure to the real world is so limited. She knows little beyond her own family and friends.”
“On the contrary, her love for her brother is laudable—and quite touching.”
“That is very kind of you. However, if you still wish to leave in the morning, I will release you from your promise to Georgiana as it was made under duress. You have every right to go home if that is what you wish to do.”
“No, a promise is a promise. Besides, it would be wrong of me to leave without saying good-bye to Mr. Darcy, as I came to Pemberley at his invitation, and he deserves the courtesy of a proper withdrawal.”
“Very well. I shall leave you now, but if in the morning you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them. Good night, Elizabeth. Sleep well.”
But Lizzy did not sleep at all. Although totally spent by all the emotional turmoil caused by Mr. Darcy’s revelation and Georgiana’s hysteria, her mind would not settle. Finally, she decided that she needed to go outside into the night air in order to clear her head, and after donning a cloak, she made her way to the terrace that overlooked a great expanse of lawn.
Because of the lateness of the season, the chairs were all covered, and so Lizzy sat down on the stone steps. It was unseasonably warm for late October. The mild temperatures had been a favorite topic of conversation at Longbourn and in Meryton because it had allowed all the villagers and those who lived on the neighboring farms to have more time to visit out-of-doors. The Americans had a term for it: Indian summer.
Lizzy looked up at the moon, and from its light, she could easily make out the lawn that led to a wooded area. Mr. Darcy must have been in that patch of woods when she had heard him howling, and she shuddered at the memory. Was he really crying out in grief as Georgiana had suggested? She did not want to think so because that would mean that he had fallen into despair. But he was with Nell, and perhaps she had a strong shoulder for him to lean on. She knew that when Magic, her terrier, thought someone was sad, she would come and lie next to that person as a way of comforting her. She hoped that Nell would do the same for Mr. Darcy.
And why had he placed himself in such peril by coming so close to the house. She doubted that he was at risk of discovery from the senior servants. They had been on the staff of Pemberley for so many years that they would have to have known him before he had been bitten. What role did the servants play with regard to Mr. Darcy being a werewolf? Did such a creature require a special diet and were such things discussed with Mrs. Bradshaw, the cook? “Mr. Darcy, may I suggest wood mice sautéed in a burgundy sauce and served with a side of lambs’ ears or voles on a skewer? Of course, I can always prepare your favorite, steak tartare.”
And what of dear Mrs. Reynolds, the faithful housekeeper? Lizzy actually smiled as she thought of Georgiana’s praise for her brother. It was taken almost verbatim from what Mrs. Reynolds had said to Lizzy and the Gardiners on their tour of Pemberley. The housekeeper was obviously in the habit of saying the same thing to everyone who toured the estate, and over the years, Georgiana had memorized her speech.