Mr. Darcy's Bite (3 page)

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.

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 nudged her again. “Stop that. You are not going to force me to do something I do not want to do.” But he ignored her complaints and continued pushing her with his nose until he had backed her up to the doors.

“You are not a werewolf at all. You are a stubborn mule or worse, a bully, who is used to having his own way. Don't you need to go chase some rabbits?”

But then Lizzy looked around, and she realized that with the light of a full moon shining down on the landscape, he was completely exposed, and if anyone were to walk between the house and the stables, they would see him. Nell confirmed this by inching closer to the manor while making whimpering sounds to warn Darcy that he had gone too far and needed to retreat.

“All right,” Lizzy said exasperated. “I will go into the house as soon as I see you and Nell safely back into the woods.” Darcy ran circles around her to show his approval for her decision before sprinting toward Nell. But then he came to an abrupt halt, turned around, and ran toward her at full speed. Just before he reached the terrace, he leapt so high into the air that he was almost vertical, and then he made a dash for the treeline.

“I don't believe this!” Lizzy said with her mouth hanging open at the spectacle she had just witnessed. “I am being courted by a werewolf!”

It was nearly noon before Lizzy came down to breakfast. Her face was gaunt with dark circles under her eyes, and she felt a listlessness that she had never experienced outside of the sickroom. She poked her head into the breakfast room and found Anne waiting for her.

“All the dishes have been cleared away, but I can have Mrs. Bradshaw make something for you if you would like.”

“No, thank you. I am really not hungry.” The events of the previous day had completely unsettled her, and the very thought of eating made her queasy. “It seems that I have slept half the day away, and you should have done the same. You look very tired.” But Lizzy understood that Anne would not rest until her cousin had returned to his human form.

“Do not worry about me. I intend to have a very quiet evening, and if it makes you feel any better, Georgiana is still in bed. On an average day, she can easily sleep ten hours, and since it was so late when she finally fell asleep, I do not expect to see her until after two o'clock. But her absence will provide an opportunity for you and me to visit. I imagine that you have a great many questions for me.”

“After last night, I have even more.” Lizzy related the scene on the terrace with her nocturnal visitor.

“Forgive me for laughing,” Anne said, “but there is something quite funny about William putting on such an exhibition, although I should not be completely surprised. You may find this odd, but until a few years ago, my cousin was fairly content to be a werewolf for those two days each month. Because he is one of England's most eligible bachelors, mothers and fathers are always seeking him out on behalf of their daughters, but because of his unique situation, he can show no emotion, as it would be interpreted as a sign of interest in one of the ladies. And, of course, that cannot happen. So you can imagine what a release it must be for the staid Mr. Darcy to run wild and free.”

“Mr. Darcy is content to be a werewolf? Are you in jest?” Lizzy could hardly imagine such a thing.

“Why wouldn't he be? When he is a wolf, he is free of all societal restraints. For twenty-six days of the year, he becomes a part of Nature with no responsibilities other than to his pack.”

“You said he was content to undergo this transformation ‘until a few years ago.'” She turned around to see if anyone was listening. “What has caused him to change his mind?”

“He wanted to find a mate and have pups.” Anne said, repeating a phrase that her cousin found amusing, but Lizzy's expression showed that she did not.

A mate? Pups?
Lizzy swallowed hard, and there was that queasiness again.

“I know that sounds awful to the ears of someone who is fully human, but no matter the words, what William is saying is that he wants to get married and have children.”

Lizzy felt her heart sink. Children? She had not given any thought as to what the offspring of Mr. Darcy would be like because she was still dealing with the idea of what it would be like to be his “mate.”

Anne could see from the expression on Elizabeth's face that she believed that as Mr. Darcy's wife, she would give birth to a litter of pups, but she explained that that would be impossible.

“A werewolf can only sire human children, and they can never become werewolves themselves. In the womb, they develop an immunity to whatever transmits the characteristics of the werewolf.”

“How do you know this? How can you be so sure of such a thing?”

“Because there is a medical doctor in Edinburgh who has been married to a she wolf for thirty years and has spent many hours researching his wife's condition. All the werewolves have a gathering at an estate in Scotland every July, and all of this information is shared.”

For the next hour, Anne shared with Lizzy all that she knew about werewolves. Lizzy learned that they had the ability to recognize one another on sight, a trait that allowed them to assist members of their community in moving safely about the country and beyond, and that the length of their transformation depended on how deep the initial wound had been. For some, the change lasted as long as five days, but never less than two.

“If I understand you correctly, the wife of the werewolf would not have any such immunity, and if bitten, she would become a werewolf as well.”

“That is correct, and because of that, William is rarely in the house during his transformation. It is only in the worst weather that he remains indoors in a room accessible through a hidden panel off the study. During that time, he has no contact with anyone other than Mercer and Mr. Jackson, and it is only when he is in his altered state that there is any danger to a human from a bite. But rather than discussing William, why don't we go see him. Mr. Ferguson, the gardener, has cleared an area high on the ridge where he and Nell romp during the day.”

“Mr. Darcy romps?” But then a picture of an enthusiastic Mr. Darcy nearly jumping over the tea table at Longbourn came to mind, and Lizzy decided that it was possible that Mr. Darcy actually did romp.

“Then that settles it. We must go up to the clearing, and I shall speak with Mr. Jackson immediately. We shall take the phaeton, and, yes, I do know how to drive one. So, my dear, go change into your traveling clothes. We are going on an adventure.”

***

“How appropriate that Mr. Darcy was transformed on the eve of All Saints' Day,” Lizzy said to Anne as they traveled up toward the clearing. “That is when ghosts, goblins, and witches come out.”

“Surely, you do not believe in such irrational drivel,” Anne said.

“Until yesterday, I did not believe in werewolves either.”

Anne looked at Lizzy with the most quizzical expression. It was as if she was saying, “How absurd for you to believe in such superstitious nonsense.”

“As far as ghosts are concerned, the dead cannot rise without the assistance of a higher power,” Anne began, “and there are no such creatures as witches and goblins. They have been invented by people who use them to explain that which is not easily understood. On the other hand, werewolves are a combination of two living beings.”

Before continuing, Anne shortened the reins as the road grew steeper and more rugged. “Have you read about Mary Anning, the young girl in Lyme, who discovered a crocodile-like skeleton unlike anything known in our time? What happened to these creatures? The answer is that they became something else.”

“How silly of me to put werewolves in the same category as ghosts and goblins,” Lizzy answered, and she placed her hand on Anne's. “If everyone had such devoted friends, the world would be a better place.”

They soon came to an area where the phaeton would be obscured from any travelers by a boulder and huge trees with moss hanging from their branches, creating the perfect hiding place for the conveyance. After giving each of the horses a bucket of oats, Anne led Lizzy over fallen trees and past stone formations to a narrow path that cut through the thick vegetation. Without a guide, it would have been impossible to find the path.

Once clear of the thickets and other obstacles, they looked down upon a large open area where two wolves were playing lupine tag, and Nell was “it.” If Lizzy expected Mr. Darcy to be a gentleman, or a gentle wolf, and let Nell win, she was in for a surprise.

“He is not being very gracious to Nell,” Lizzy finally said after watching Mr. Darcy run Nell ragged.

“He never is. He is the alpha male, and he makes everyone in his pack work hard.”

“Everyone? There are others?”

“Yes. There are two werewolves who live on the property, but they are currently in Scotland. One is a groom on the estate who always demonstrates exemplary behavior, while the other is here by a special arrangement made with a titled family.” Anne's disapproval for the visiting werewolf was apparent in her tone of voice. “But all must follow William's lead or risk being disciplined.”

Lizzy's attention returned to Mr. Darcy and Nell. For a man who doted on his sister and saw to her every need, he was doing an excellent job of roughing up his female hunting partner. He pounced, wrestled, broadsided, and flipped her over, but she seemed none the worse for it. In fact, there was something teasing about her actions—a bit of the coquette.

“I do believe Nell is flirting with him.”

“Possibly. She may be practicing the art of courtship as she will soon be going to Devon to pay a visit to a werewolf she met in Scotland during the rendezvous. If all goes according to plan, Nell and that special someone will be tying the knot next spring.” Or so Anne hoped. “No need for you to be concerned.”

Lizzy looked at Anne. “I was not concerned,” she said as she watched Nell sidle up next to Mr. Darcy, swishing her hips all the while. “When does she leave for Devon?”

“I think I heard that she is to go sometime after the new year,” a pleased Anne answered. There was no doubt that Lizzy was experiencing a tinge of jealousy. What Lizzy did not know was that Darcy was aware that he was being watched. The whole thing was a staged performance so that Elizabeth could see what a fine animal he was. When combined with his attractive physical qualities when he was in his human form, it was hard for Anne to believe that Elizabeth would be able to walk away from him.

***

As soon as the phaeton pulled up in front of the manor house, Georgiana was out the door. She had been standing by the window for the past thirty minutes waiting for the travelers to return.

“I am positive you went up to the clearing. Oh, Elizabeth, isn't my brother magnificent when he is at play? I could watch him for hours. And the way he and Nell get on. Well, it's comical, isn't it?”

“Georgiana, you are not allowing Elizabeth to answer, and may we please go in?” Anne said in a tone that was meant to tamp down some of her cousin's excessive enthusiasm. Elizabeth still had a ways to go before she was of a mind to consider an offer of marriage from a werewolf.

The ladies went into the drawing room where Georgiana continued to prattle on and on. In her mind, Elizabeth had gone to the clearing because she had come to terms with Darcy's unique situation and would agree to become his wife. Anne was hopeful, but it was by no means a foregone conclusion.

“Georgiana, do you know what Mrs. Bradshaw is serving for dinner? Since Elizabeth hasn't eaten today, I think it would be helpful to know what she has planned. Our guest must have nourishment.”

Georgiana agreed to speak with the cook, and as soon as she had gone, Anne turned to Elizabeth.

“I sent Georgiana away because I need to speak with you. I think you can discern from Georgiana's attitude that she believes you have made a decision in favor of her brother, but I would like to hear it from your lips.”

Lizzy looked away from Anne. She had thought of little else since Mr. Darcy had revealed that he was a werewolf. She had run the whole thing through her mind over and over again. Could she marry a man who would disappear for two days every month and run about the countryside? Would she be able to lie by his side and forget that he was part wolf? And what of their children? Granted, they would not be werewolves themselves, but what would such young minds think about their father howling and hunting rabbits?

“Anne, I care very much for Mr. Darcy, but this matter of… of his becoming a werewolf. I do not think I would ever get to the point where I would be comfortable with such a transformation, and now that I know that there are she wolves of marriageable age, I think it would be best if he looked for a mate from among his… his peers. I am sure he would be happier in the long run.”

“I certainly understand, and William will understand as well. It was a risky thing for him to do—to fall in love with someone who is fully human. But he is so in love with you that he was willing to place his heart in your hands and hope for the best. So there will be no candle in the window tonight, and when he returns tomorrow morning, you may take your leave of him and return home. I am sure you will remain friends since Mr. Bingley is one of his dearest friends and that will be of some consolation to him.”

“Anne, I am truly sorry,” she said, her voice cracking.

“No need to apologize. If you cannot give yourself to him completely, then you should not become his wife because William would know that your feelings did not match his own and that is a burden he should not have to bear.”