Chapter 24

Magic was not the only one with her nose pressed up against the glass. As soon as Lizzy walked into the house, she was set upon by her mother.

“Well, what did Mr. Darcy have to say? Why did he leave? Are you engaged?”

Lizzy did not need this kind of attention. She wanted to digest what Mr. Darcy had said, but her mother was like a hound on the scent when she thought there was a possible suitor in the neighborhood.

“Mr. Darcy came to say hello to his sister and to inform me of the happy conclusion of events in Scotland. He left because he is tired from such a long journey, and we are not engaged. Did I answer all your questions?”

“I have no doubt that you let that fish get away. Just like Mr. Collins. You will have to start all over again, and Jane has not been particularly helpful in finding you a husband. Mr. Bingley has four brothers. Why have you not been introduced to them?”

“We were introduced to two of them. You have forgotten that the next three oldest Bingleys after Charles are his sisters and that James, whom we did meet at the wedding, is only nineteen years old.”

“Nineteen years old? He is too young for you, but he will do nicely for Kitty.” Lizzy could see the wheels turning. “As for you, young lady, since there are no young men in the neighborhood with a fortune sufficient to support you, we must look to Aunt Susan.”

“If by ‘looking to Aunt Susan,’ you mean Mr. Nesbitt, I would rather have married Mr. Collins because whoever does marry Mr. Nesbitt will have to have a very large bed as the elder Mrs. Nesbitt will be sleeping between husband and wife.”

The Nesbitts were neighbors of Aunt Susan, Mr. Bennet’s sister, and because mother and son came to all their aunt’s teas, Lizzy had been in the gentleman’s company on several occasions. Excluding his resemblance to a stork, it was his habit of always sitting on his hands that made it impossible for Lizzy to take him seriously. Whenever Jane and she returned from a visit with Aunt Susan, they would have the best time trying to guess what Mr. Nesbitt was trying to stop Mr. Nesbitt from doing.

“You may jest all you want, Lizzy, but Mr. Collins is married to your best friend because you would not have him, and Mr. Nesbitt’s attentiveness to his mother shows that he has a kind heart. He also has a good income and a good-sized house and will shortly be called to the bar.”

“Mr. Nesbitt could live in Grosvenor Square and have ten thousand a year,” Lizzy said to her Mama, “and I would not marry him. I would rather be a spinster living on the parish than marry Mr. Dalton Nesbitt.” Turning away from her mother, she called upstairs to Kitty, Mary, and Georgiana to come outside so that they might finish cutting the holly. “I shall be going to Netherfield Park this afternoon to visit Jane. Mr. Darcy has been so kind as to offer his carriage.”

“Oh, that is very good. You must stay overnight, and I insist that you remain at Netherfield Park until you are engaged.”

“Shall I remain at Netherfield even if Mr. Darcy leaves?” There was something comical about her mother’s doggedness. But wishing to end the conversation, she finally said, “I promise I shall not leave Netherfield Park until I am engaged, but if I have not returned by the spring, please do come visit me.”

***

Darcy’s impression that Mrs. Bingley had given him a less than warm greeting the previous day had been correct. When he mentioned that he had ridden over to Longbourn, Jane had asked how her parents were.

“I was not so fortunate as to see either of your parents, Mrs. Bingley.”

“Oh, that is unfortunate, as I am sure that was your purpose in going to Longbourn.”

So sarcasm was a Bennet trait, Darcy thought. Although Elizabeth was better at it than her older sister, Jane had landed a good punch.

“I briefly spoke to Miss Elizabeth, and I am to send a carriage for her this afternoon.”

“Now that is good news. I can never see enough of Lizzy, so it is a good thing for me that she did not remain in Derbyshire as long as I had anticipated.”

Another jab. But since the tone of Mrs. Bingley’s voice had softened, Darcy did not feel the sting as much as the first.

“Please excuse me, Mr. Darcy,” Jane said, rising, “One of Lizzy’s favorite dishes is mutton chops, and so I shall need to speak with Cook.”

“More mutton,” Darcy mumbled. During his last nightfall, without Teddy and Rupert to help in the hunt, Nell, who was not one to miss a meal, had asked her steward to make sure that a freshly killed sheep was left at a prearranged spot on the Granyard property, and he had eaten mutton on both days. But what was on the Netherfield dinner menu was the least of his problems. Trying to figure out what Elizabeth had meant by “not making any noble speeches” was his top priority; shaving was his second.

***

Although Darcy had hoped to speak to Elizabeth upon her arrival at Netherfield, Mrs. Bingley had other plans for her sister, and most of Elizabeth’s time was taken up with discussing what was required to prepare for the arrival of baby Bingley. Darcy knew that he was being punished by Jane Bingley for his dillydallying in asking Elizabeth to marry him, so he would just have to wait until after supper. But when the meal was finished and it was suggested that they play cards, Darcy had had enough.

“As much as I would enjoy playing cards, Mrs. Bingley, I am eager to acquaint Miss Elizabeth with some events that took place in Scotland. I was called away on a family emergency, and since she knows some of the parties, she expressed an interest in learning how things turned out.”

It was only after getting a nod from Elizabeth that Jane finally agreed to retire for the evening and leave Lizzy and Darcy alone. Knowing that it was important that no one hear their conversation, Lizzy closed all the doors of the drawing room. She went and sat on the sofa next to Mr. Darcy, so that they would not have to whisper, an intimacy she was not prepared to engage in at the moment.

Darcy related every detail of what had transpired in Scotland, and there were times when Lizzy’s heart dropped into her stomach, especially when she learned how close Rupert had come to being discovered in his lupine form. After Mr. Darcy left Pemberley, she had asked Mr. Jackson to bring her every book on wolves and werewolves in the house. These tomes were concealed in the hidden room behind the study, and Lizzy had pored over them. The picture that emerged was that wherever wolves roamed, there was a concerted effort to exterminate them and that they had been successfully eradicated in all but the most remote areas of Britain.

Lizzy remained silent as Mr. Darcy spoke of his visit with the laird, waiting for Rupert’s Council custodians to arrive, their arduous return visit, and Nell’s reprimand.

“Disciplining Nell must have been difficult for you, and then nightfall came hard on the heels of your reprimand.”

“It was awkward for the first few minutes, but Nell knew that there was a fresh kill on the property, and she could not wait to get at that sheep.”

Lizzy started to laugh, and Darcy joined in. Nell’s appetite had become a source of amusement for them.

“In the spring, Nell will visit the émigré population living near the Welsh border, and she should be able to find a mate as there are some aristocrats amongst them.”

“Then Nell and you will not…”

“Will not what?”

“Will not be getting married?”

Darcy shook his head in confusion. “Me marry Nell? Why would you think that? I have never given one moment of thought to withdrawing my offer of marriage to you. It is you who have reconsidered. Jackson told me what you said after you and Nell came out of the study. You said that ‘you had changed your mind.’”

“I said no such thing. My response to her efforts to separate us was that ‘it had changed everything,’” Lizzy said visibly upset that her words had been misinterpreted. “After she told me of all the dangers werewolves face, I swore that, except for nightfall, I would never leave you again. It is as Ruth said to Naomi in the Bible: ‘Entreat me not to leave thee or return from following after thee; for wither thou goest, I shall go, and where thou lodgest, I shall lodge. Thy people shall be my people.’ That is exactly how I feel about you.”

“Then you still want to marry me?” Darcy asked in a stutter, choking up after such a speech, and every frustration Lizzy felt since she learned that Mr. Darcy was a werewolf came to the surface.

“How dare you ask me such a question,” she said, standing up and stepping away from him. “Without so much as a backwards glance, you left me at Pemberley with no words of comfort or an embrace to reassure me, and your noble effort to release me from my promise to marry you left me heartsick.” When he started to apologize, she told him that she was not finished. “I waited and waited for some word from you, and when it came, it was three lines of prose that you could have written to your solicitor.” She made her hands into fists. “And then you come to Longbourn and play these cat-and-mouse games with me. I am so angry I could hit you.”

“You may do so, but I warn you that I took lessons at Mr. Jackson’s Boxing Academy.”

“Do not think you can make me laugh and that all will be well, Fitzwilliam Darcy. These weeks have been pure torture for me. I did not know if we were truly engaged.” Hot tears poured out of her, and when he offered his handkerchief, she refused it and went in search of one of her own.

“Elizabeth, you can be unhappy with me, but is it necessary for you to take your frustration out on my handkerchief?”

When Lizzy went to take it out of his hand, he pulled her to him, and he held her tightly until she stopped fighting him. After he felt the tension leaving her body, he placed his hand on her head and brought it to his chest, and she put her arms around his waist and clung to him.

“You are not angry anymore,” he said, and when she looked up at him, he traced the outline of her face with his fingers and kissed her forehead. “You must understand that I did not know what was happening in Scotland, so I had to leave immediately. The only reason that this situation did not end in disaster was Teddy did everything exactly right. If it had not been for him, I do not know what would have happened to Rupert. But there was no way for me to know that until I reached the Underhill estate.

“As for my letter, what could I write? After all that you had gone through in those two days after nightfall, I had to leave you to rush to Scotland to tend to another werewolf situation, so I thought it only right that you should have an opportunity to end our engagement. If I had written a love letter to you, it would have been the same as pleading with you to stay with me.”

“Your letter to your sister was longer than the one you wrote to me,” Lizzy said, after seeing the logic behind his staid missive.

“What was the point of writing the same thing twice?”

“Mr. Darcy, you have a lot to learn about women,” she said, shaking her head in dismay. After drying everything that was wet, Lizzy took him by the hand and returned to the sofa. “I have had weeks to think about our marriage, and I have made a decision. I want to go to Gretna Green right away.”

Darcy burst out laughing. This was a good sign. Lizzy had not lost her sense of humor, but after seeing the look in her eyes, he realized that she was serious.

“No,” Darcy firmly said, “it was a terrible idea when I suggested it. It sounds even worse coming from you. Do you really want people to be looking at your belly for the next few months wondering if you are in a family way and had to get married?”

Lizzy thought of all the tongue-waggers in Meryton who would delight in speculating on a possible pregnancy. “No, I do not want that, so we shall do as you suggested and get a special license.”

“Special licenses are expensive.”

“I believe you said that you had a few pounds in the bank. Did you gamble away your fortune while you were in Scotland?”

“No, I am not a gamester, but I think your suggestion of having our banns announced in the village church is the right one. If we set a date for after the first of the year, that will give us ample time to make arrangements. You may wish to go up to London for your wedding clothes, and there is much to do to prepare for the wedding breakfast.”

“After the first of the year? This is quite a change from the man who carried me to his sofa. Where has all that passion gone?”

“I can assure you I do not want for passion. If you knew what my thoughts were, you would run from the room.”

“I know what your thoughts are, and I am still here.” She gave him such a flirtatious smile that he felt his manhood rising, and so he crossed his legs, causing Lizzy to start laughing.

“Have you no compassion, you heartless wench?” he said amused, but uncomfortable.

“I do have compassion, and so I suggest that we marry in three weeks after the banns are announced.”

“That will not work because it will bring us to within a few days of the next full moon. Surely you do not want your husband to leave you so soon after we are married.”

“But you will always leave me for two days every month, and I will always be there to welcome you back.”

“Very well,” Darcy said, nodding his head in acknowledgment of her commitment to him, and after some quick calculations, he added, “shall we say December 24th?”

“Yes, I like that. You first told me of your other incarnation on the eve of All Saints’ Day. It is fitting that we should marry on Christmas Eve. There is a symmetry in that.”

“Now that we have set a date, please tell me what you would like as a token of my love. My mother’s ruby ring, my grandmother’s emerald necklace? Perhaps while you are in town, you will want to go to a jeweler and pick out a diamond ring. I shall get whatever you wish.”

“I would be honored to wear your mother or grandmother’s jewelry, but I have no need of diamonds. However, I would like something. A dog. Actually dogs.”

“Do you mean a Scottie like Magic, except better behaved?”

“No, a Scottie is too small,” she said, ignoring his cutting remark about her little terrier. “I was thinking about male and female Newfoundlands, not from the same litter, so that they may breed, and I must insist that David and Goliath have no say in the matter.”

“Newfoundlands? They are enormous. But if you come and sit on my lap and give me a kiss, I will agree to your request. However, please do not think that you are fooling me as to the reason for you choosing Newfoundlands. You are trying to protect me, so that if anyone should report a wolf sighting, you would be able to produce one.”

Lizzy leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Lady Helen told me about how you were discovered by the poachers, and if you did not have Wolfie, who knows what would have happened. So, yes, the ring is negotiable; the dogs are not. As for sitting on your lap, I cannot, sir. You are not the only one who can sense things. In your present state, if I were to sit on your lap, I might risk my maidenhood.”

“You need have no fear of being deflowered by me—not tonight anyway—but if you think you are leaving this room without kissing me, you are mistaken.” Darcy moved so quickly that Lizzy had no time to flee. As he lay on top of her, she quickly settled into his rhythm. From the pleasure it gave her, she understood the freedom from society’s constraints that he so enjoyed when he was in the wild, and she decided that for a little while, she, too, could be free.

***

Lizzy stood still as Mr. Darcy returned her curls to their rightful place, and before tucking her lace back into her dress, she attempted to tie his neckcloth in the same way that Mercer would have, but her hands were not yet steady. If Mr. Darcy had not rolled off of her, she doubted that she would have stopped him. If the warmth she was feeling throughout her body was the result of his hands and lips, she could only imagine what it would feel like if he were to use everything in his arsenal, and the thought caused her to giggle.

“Why are you laughing?” he asked as he motioned for her to turn around so that he could make sure that her dress was not a wrinkled mess.

“I should be thoroughly ashamed of myself,” she answered. “Although you did not act as a gentleman should, you showed more restraint than I did.”

“I did so for selfish reasons. When you and I come together as man and wife, we will not be listening for servants or a sister, and our time together will not be measured in minutes, but hours.” Lizzy remained silent. “You have nothing to say to that?”

“What can I say? You can sense how I feel, and so you know that I find it to be an excellent plan,” Lizzy said, blushing. “However, what I can tell you is that I love you more than anything in both your incarnations because you are a good man. I could not ask for better.”

Darcy pulled Lizzy into one last embrace and held her there so that she would not see his tears.