Mr. Darcy's Bite (6 page)

Darcy directed Lizzy to a corner of the drawing room that was not directly in view of the foyer, but rather than sitting on the sofa, Lizzy chose one of a pair of chairs nearest to the fire. Although Darcy had surrounded himself with the most loyal of servants, there was no doubt that the lives of their master and mistress were of keen interest to those who lived belowstairs, and Lizzy's presence had prompted much speculation as to whether the master would finally take a wife, creating a palpable buzz in the house.

After moving his chair closer to hers, Darcy began by apologizing for his aggressive behavior the previous night. “It may be helpful if you understand what happens during my transformation back to human form. As soon as the sun appears over the horizon, the changes begin. The physical process lasts for about twenty minutes. However, it takes longer for the mind to adjust to the altered state. Because of this, I remain in my study until I am sure that I am thinking as a person and not as an animal. But last night, as soon as I entered the room, I knew that someone was there, and my lupine instincts took over. I am truly sorry that I frightened you.”

“I
do
understand,” Lizzy quickly responded. “I should have waited for you to come to me in the morning. That was really my fault, not yours.”

“Thank you for that,” he said and reached across the divide and took hold of her hand. He wanted to kiss it, but that would have meant bending over so that his head was almost at her knees. “Damn it! This is ridiculous,” he said standing up.

“Why don't we go to the second drawing room, where we will have more privacy?” Lizzy offered.

“Thank you,” he said with a sigh of relief, and the couple quickly made their way to the yellow drawing room. But they were not alone. David and Goliath had been with their master all morning, ready to spring into action if necessary. Lizzy was of the opinion that the whippets did not approve of her and that would explain why they seemed always to walk between Mr. Darcy and her. After signaling to his dogs that they were to stay put, he looked at Lizzy. “Now, where was I?”

“You were speaking of your transformation.”

“Ah, yes. Well, the same thing happens when I go from human to wolf form. It is in that first hour that I must be careful, as my mind has not fully gone over to being a wolf. Lest I confuse you, you should know that there is a part of me that always remains human, which is why I understood what you were saying on the terrace, and there is a part of me that always remains a wolf, which is why I knew that…”

“Yes, I understand,” Lizzy quickly interjected. “You were speaking of your transformation.”

Darcy smiled, remembering Lizzy's embarrassment when she learned that he knew how she was reacting to him physically. He would never have kissed her in such a way if she had not signaled her interest with her scent.

“I realize that I quite overpowered you last night when I carried you to the sofa and…”

“William, I completely comprehend what happened last night. There is no reason to go into detail. All is forgiven.” She looked away from him because the mysterious stirring had returned, and there was no way he would not know what was happening to her.

“Again, I thank you for your understanding,” he said with a smile in his voice. “Now, you said that you had some questions for me.” With that, his back stiffened. He could just imagine what she must be thinking and what questions she would ask. Would she be disgusted by the idea of his hunting down an animal and eating it raw? Would their children be werewolves? Why did wolves howl? But the question he feared the most was that she would want a detailed description of his transformation. She would be repulsed by a vision of a man dropping to his knees as his arms became legs, followed quickly by the thickening of his neck, an emerging muzzle, and the change in his teeth that were designed to tear an animal apart. The metamorphosis was completed when his hair became fur. She would want to know all of that, and his stomach churned at the idea of speaking of such things to the woman he loved.

Lizzy hesitated, realizing that any question would be intrusive, but there were things she needed to know. “Tell me all about Nell?”

“What?” Darcy burst out laughing, in part because he had been so wrong about what question she would ask and in part out of relief. “Nell? You want to know about Nell? Why?”

“Because you spend two whole days—and nights—together every month. I know she is attracted to you.”

“Attracted? She is a friend, neighbor, and member of my pack—no more than that.”

“And because she is your friend, you think she cannot be attracted to you? Haven't you noticed how she sashays when she is near you?”

“Sashays?” Darcy started to laugh again. “You know, Elizabeth, once a year, there is a werewolf gathering on an estate in Scotland, and there is a time set aside for exchanging stories and anecdotes. I now have mine. When my fellow lupines hear that Nell ‘sashayed' so that she might attract me, they will truly howl—with laughter.”

“Do not make fun of me. Call it what you will, but she is flirting with you.”

“Yes, she is, but only to practice her skills. I have no interest in her as my mate, and let me put your mind at ease. A werewolf is more human than wolf, and as such, the males engage in the act of procreation only when we are in human form because we only sire human children. You need not be jealous of her.”

“I am
not
jealous of her. I was just pointing out what is patently obvious to me.” But she was not fooling him for one second. “Is she beautiful?”

“I have heard her described in such a way.”

“What color is her hair? A mousy brown, perhaps?”

“Not mousy at all. She has hair as golden as Jane's and eyes as blue as a summer sky.”

“I see you have a poetic side that I did not know about. How do I compare to her?”

“You are beyond comparison with any woman. If you are fishing for compliments, and I can see that you are, I shall tell you the truth. I love your dark curls that are impossible to restrain. You have an adorable nose and mouth, a firm chin, and the cutest dimple. But it is your dark eyes that draw me in, but you should know that they reveal much about you. I can tell your mood quicker from your eyes than from what comes from your mouth. How did I do?”

“You were doing fine until that last bit, but since you said that I was beyond comparison, I shall forgive you. Shall I get to meet Nell?”

“Yes, and quite soon, as we are all to attend a reception in honor of Lady Elaine, the younger daughter of the Earl of Granyard, who is coming of age, and it would please me greatly if you would accompany me.”

“I would be honored,” she said, reaching out and taking his hand. “I am satisfied with your answers regarding Nell, but I do have more questions.” She hesitated to say the name of the man Mr. Darcy detested more than any other. “What of Wickham?”

“Wickham? What do you mean?”

“Wickham is now my brother-in-law, and he can be dangerous. There is always the risk of discovery. I do not understand how you succeeded in keeping your altered state from him since he grew up on the Pemberley estate.”

Elizabeth knew something of Wickham's personal history. He had come to Pemberley after all of his family had died in a typhoid epidemic, and the only relation the local parson could find who would care for a six-year-old boy was Mrs. Wickham, the wife of the estate's butler.

“You already know that Wickham is a liar, and he started lying at a very young age,” Darcy explained. He professes to have secured my father's affection, when the truth is quite the opposite. My father recognized his true nature and enrolled him in a grammar school in Essex, and from the age of ten, he was permitted to return to Pemberley only twice a year so that he might visit with the Wickhams, who, for reasons beyond my understanding, had grown fond of him. Apparently, in that short interval, he was able to convince my sister that a correspondence between the two would be appropriate. He told her that because he was a member of the extended Pemberley family, I need not be advised of an exchange of letters. Well, you know the rest.

“But you need not concern yourself on his account. I was truly unhappy that the successful conclusion of Lydia's escapade required that she marry that villain. Because of that, I have retained the services of a firm that employs men to follow individuals. Most of the time, it is a wayward spouse or a prodigal son who is being watched, but they do other things as well. Wickham cannot make a move without it being observed. I receive monthly reports, and I can now tell you that your sister has readily adapted to the life of an officer's wife and that she is safe and secure. Additionally, all the merchants have been made aware of Wickham's habits and his outstanding debts, and so his pay is not being squandered in the shops. The same holds true for the public houses in Newcastle. Hopefully, we will see little of him.”

“You have been watching over Lydia all this time?” Lizzy leaned over and kissed Darcy's cheek, and then rested her head upon his shoulder. For a long time they sat with their fingers entwined, but there was so much Lizzy wanted to know. “How many wolves are in your pack?”

“It varies. I have had as many as seven. Nell and Teddy are permanent members, but I am occasionally asked to take on a young man who is in need of some instruction in survival techniques, such as stalking and hunting, but it is also important for any new member to understand the hierarchy of the pack and its society. For the protection and well-being of all, there is only one alpha male. Currently, I have under my aegis a young man named Rupert, who was getting into trouble because he kept straying into populated areas. I was not happy with his progress while he was here at Pemberley, so I sent him to a large estate west of Edinburgh. Conditions there are primitive. Such a stark contrast to the life of privilege he has led will, I believe, provide sufficient incentive for him to behave properly. Hopefully, he will come back and retake his position in the pack. If not, he goes back to his father.”

“Poor Mrs. Brotherton. She is deprived of her son's company because of this Rupert person.”

“Not really. Teddy is destined to become an alpha male, and this is excellent training for him. He was glad to have the opportunity to practice his leadership skills.”

“But while Rupert was at Pemberley misbehaving, were you not at risk of discovery? What if someone saw him? A hue and cry would go up until he was tracked down and killed.” Lizzy felt a chill run down her back, and Darcy, sensing her anxiety, pulled her closer to him.

“Until recently, we had a Newfoundland dog, a big, black, burly animal that scared people because of his size but that was actually as gentle as a golden retriever. If anyone reported a wolf-like animal in the area, it was assumed that it was Wolfie, the Darcy Newfoundland.”

“Wolfie?”

“If anyone cried ‘wolf,' we would have one to show them.”

“I assume that since you said that you had Wolfie ‘until recently' he has died. Why have you not replaced him?”

Darcy took his arm from around Lizzy's shoulder and seemed to be squirming, and the reason was soon revealed. “Because he was odd dog out with David and Goliath, and they were not very nice to him. After he died, the whippets asked that I not replace him because they are quite capable of securing the perimeters.”

“David and Goliath
asked
you? Are you saying that you understand the language of a dog?”

“Yes, it is referred to as ‘canine,' and I do speak the language. It is very close to lupine, as wolves are the ancestors of dogs. Think of it as the animal equivalent of the Romance languages. Spanish and Italian have a lot of words in common.”

“I do believe you are serious that you are bilingual.”

“I made it a point to learn canine because they are our cousins and can be of great help to us. When Nell, Teddy, and I are in the woods, David and Goliath are on patrol running off poachers. The whippets are vital to our safety.”

“But you are putting yourself at risk because David and Goliath do not want another dog on the property. That is not how an alpha male should act. You must be firm with them.”

Darcy flinched at the criticism of his leadership abilities, and knowing their master was unhappy, both whippets stood up and moved closer to him.

“Elizabeth, I would not talk if I were you. Your Scottie is the most ill-behaved dog I have ever seen. She runs circles around every Bennet, including your father.”

“Why you are complaining? Magic is always on her best behavior whenever you visit.” Darcy gave her a look to let her know that he was the reason for the improvement. “Oh, I see how it is. She recognized you as an alpha male, and you said something to her, didn't you?”

“I mentioned that if she were in my pack I would pick her up by the scruff of her neck and deposit her somewhere on the far side of the property, and I would wish her luck in getting back to Longbourn.”

“That is so mean! How could you say such a thing to that little Scottie? She must have been terrified.”

“The desired end was achieved. She no longer yaps endlessly when I arrive, and she certainly does not demand to be fed from the table. But this is totally off the topic we were discussing.”

“What
is
the topic?” Lizzy said, happy to return to the reason they were sitting side by side in the drawing room.

Darcy stood up and asked, “How do you want to do this? Formal or informal? Kneeling or sitting?”

“My goodness! Aren't you romantic?”

“Well, tell me. What is your preference?” he asked kindly and with a smile.

“Sitting,” she said, rolling her eyes, but inside she was delighted.

“Do you want a declaration first?”

“Mr. Darcy, I mean, William, you do not ask if you should make a declaration of your love. You just do it.”