“I had forgotten that Mrs. Brotherton is Teddy’s mother. How awful for her.”
“She is a strong lady who believes that all will turn out all right because her son is a sensible lad.”
“I know that Mr. Darcy speaks highly of him, but it is because of the actions of another that he is in trouble.” Lizzy finally asked who this young man was and why such risks were being taken on his behalf.
“Of course, you would not know about Rupert. William is very cautious when it comes to sharing information about those under his protection, but let us return to the study where a fire is burning and we can be more comfortable.”
Lizzy sat in the chair closest to the fire—Mr. Darcy’s chair—but it brought no comfort or warmth. She recalled his last words. “You will have ample time to reconsider. You are not bound to me.” With such uncertainty, it would be impossible to go forward. She understood that he had uttered those words out of concern for her, but she was unhappy that he had anticipated that she would reconsider his offer at the first sign of trouble. Did he believe that her love for him did not match his own?
“Elizabeth, do you drink brandy?”
“No, but I am thinking about starting,” she answered. In three days, she had known the depths of despair, only to have her spirits soar when she realized how much Mr. Darcy loved her and how deeply she was in love with him. But now, she was at the bottom of the well again—with only a hint of sunlight—and she reached out to take the glass from Anne.
“You asked who Rupert was, so I shall tell you. His grandfather is the king.”
Lizzy gasped. “Oh, no! Not
“Yes, he is
“The newspapers have reported that he is in Ireland. If only he were.”
Rupert was one of the many illegitimate children fathered by the Prince of Wales who were scattered about the country. All that was known of his mother was that she had died giving birth to him.
“With such a history, no wonder he was banished to the country. But with reporters following him everywhere he goes, is it not possible that Rupert could lead prying eyes directly to Pemberley and Mr. Darcy with disastrous consequences?”
“Rupert’s coming to Pemberley was arranged by the Council, and so many precautions were taken when he was brought here. It is unfortunate that this task fell to William because he did not want to take him in. However, you can imagine how difficult it was to say no to the heir to the British throne. When he finally agreed, William made it clear that if Rupert misbehaved he would be turned over to the Council and that it was highly likely he would be banished to an area of British North America near Hudson Bay where a mixed werewolf/wolf colony lives. Because the hunting is so good, I understand that it is a wolf’s dream come true, but if you are a wolf for only a few days a month, it can also be a frozen version of hell.”
Lizzy could feel her anger rising. From what she had read about Rupert, a year or so in a place of endless winter might be just what was required to straighten out so misguided a youth.
“Mr. Darcy spoke briefly to me about the Council. What do you know about it?” Lizzy asked Anne.
“We have already spoken about the gathering in Scotland in July. It is at that time that a leader is chosen from all the wolves living in Britain, Scotland, and Wales. He, in turn, chooses two counselors—one a werewolf and the other fully human. For a two-year term, the three serve as judge and jury to all those werewolves who do anything that jeopardizes the wolf population. Even for those with royal blood, you are allowed only one mistake. This is Rupert’s second.”
“Does Mr. Darcy go to these gatherings?”
“Not every year, but he does try because he does so enjoy them. While he is at the Underhill estate, he is completely at ease. It is my understanding that there is a mix of werewolves, their families, and trusted associates. It was at such a get-together that William met the brother of a werewolf who would be attending Cambridge, and so arrangements were made for them to share a room.”
“But how could Mr. Darcy go to university?”
“When he enrolled, he claimed to have asthma, a disease that restricts passage of air into the lungs, so he would leave Cambridge, feigning illness, at different times of the month, not just at the time of the full moon, so that no one would be suspicious of his comings and goings. Of all the things William has endured because of his being part wolf, it was his inability to play cricket at Cambridge that bothered him the most because he is an exceptionally talented batsman. Because of his ‘illness,’ William could only be an honorary member of the team, and he had to stand by and watch as those inferior to him played a game he loved. Although he was permitted to practice with them, he could never play against Cambridge’s competitors, and it nearly drove him to distraction. But at these gatherings in Scotland, he does play cricket and, recently, a number of them have taken up the game of golf.”
“None of this surprises me,” Lizzy said, with a half smile. Although it pleased her to think of the athletic Mr. Darcy standing on a cricket pitch, it was probably something she would never see for herself because he had decided
“Anne, I am so tired. I can hardly think. Will you please excuse me?” She went to her bedchamber.
After untying the ties on the drapes around the bed, she climbed into her cave. Even though she had burrowed deep into a mound of quilts, she was still shivering, and she found that the only way she could get warm was to curl up into a ball, very much like a dog would—or a wolf.
Lizzy would have preferred to stay in her bedchamber for the remainder of the day, but with Mr. Darcy’s sudden departure and Georgiana being closeted in her room with Mrs. Brotherton, if she did not go downstairs, it might invite comment from the servants. Besides, it seemed cowardly. If Mr. Darcy would not retreat from his responsibilities as the head of the Darcy family and the leader of his pack, she would not hide under her bedcovers, and so she rang for Ellie so that she might dress for supper.
When Lizzy went into the drawing room, she found Anne, Georgiana, and Mrs. Brotherton having a lively chat. There was no sign that this was a family in crisis. In fact, the atmosphere was definitely positive—almost cheery. What had happened while she had been resting?
“Oh, there you are, Elizabeth. You look so much better now that you have rested,” Georgiana said, greeting her guest. “Mrs. Brotherton will be joining us for dinner, which should be ready within the half hour. Anne has just asked that I perform a piece that she is particularly fond of,” she said as she walked to the pianoforte.
Anne gestured for Lizzy to sit on the sofa with Mrs. Brotherton. It was obvious that Georgiana’s lady’s maid had something to share and that Miss Darcy’s playing was meant to prevent their conversation from being heard by others, but with Mr. Jackson standing nearby keeping watch, she did not see how that could happen. Obviously, everyone was exercising an abundance of caution.
“Elizabeth, I think you will be very interested with what Mrs. Brotherton has to say. As Teddy’s mother, she has been in regular correspondence with him since his arrival in Scotland. She is very hopeful that everything will end well and the only harm done will be that we all had a good fright.”
Lizzy was puzzled. What intelligence could Mrs. Brotherton possibly have? She was not aware of any messenger having come from Mr. Darcy, so what could account for it? Lizzy looked eagerly at Mrs. Brotherton and asked her to explain the reasons for her optimism.
“First, Miss Elizabeth, I want you to know that when Teddy arrived in Scotland, he went through weeks of training so that he would know how to act in almost any situation. Second, those two young men are not alone by any means. There are those who work for the estate manager as well as members of the community nearby who are ready to act in case anything goes wrong on the estate.”
“Then why did Mr. Darcy go to Scotland?”
“Because he has a responsibility to the members of his pack, as well as to any others who may be affected by Rupert’s actions, to find out exactly what happened. It is what a leader must do. But if you read the letter, you will understand that things may not be as dire as Mr. Darcy thinks. Upon closer inspection, I think you will agree with me that the master misread the first sentence. But before you read the letter, please allow me to explain that the term ‘daybreak’ is the process of transforming from wolf to human, just as the term ‘nightfall’ refers to the transformation from human to wolf.”
