“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.”
“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 sauteed 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.
It would be impossible for his manservant not to know his secret, and she wondered if Mercer had to sweep up tufts of fur like the Bennet girls did for Magic. And what clothes did Mercer lay out for his master on those nights when he knew he would shortly be transformed? Or did he just wear a great coat with nothing underneath? Lizzy understood that these ridiculous notions were a result of her being physically and emotionally exhausted, and she wondered who else might be privy to this dreadful secret.
Of course, Mr. Jackson, the butler, must be among the select few. Surely, he had the most challenging job because he would need to make sure that none of the junior servants learned of their master’s condition. If such news got out, it would spread like wildfire, and Lizzy thought about the possible repercussions. A vision of torches and a mob marching to the manor house shouting, “Kill the beast!” appeared before her, and Lizzy pulled her knees up to her chin and closed her eyes to blot out any scenario in which Mr. Darcy might be in danger.
Although her eyes were closed tightly, Lizzy had the feeling that she was being watched, and when she looked up, she saw a shadow moving along the treeline and then a pair of gray-green eyes. Slowly, the animal crept closer, one studied step at a time, so as not to frighten her. But she wasn’t frightened; she was mesmerized. The form coming toward her was a wolf, a magnificent animal with a lustrous black coat and a well-muscled form. Mr. Darcy had come calling.
She could not take her eyes off of him, but then she heard laughter coming from the stables, and fearing that one of the grooms might walk their way, she stood up and tried to shoo him away.
“Go. You should not be here. Run away.” She waved her hands in an attempt to get him to move in the direction of the woods, and then she saw a second pair of eyes. Nell was nearby in case she was needed, but from her uneasy movements, Lizzy knew that Mr. Darcy’s friend was uncomfortable with him being so close to the manor house.
“Nell has more sense than you do. Please, go now. You might be discovered.” But the wolf continued toward her, and without thinking, she extended her hand, palm up, to let him know that it was safe to come to her. He closed the short distance between them, and while she was thinking what she should do next, he pushed her with his nose, and pushed her again, so that she was forced to take a step back toward the French doors. And then again and again. He wanted her to go into the house.
“You may push me all you want, Mr. Darcy, but I will go inside when I am ready and not before.” Then he
