Mr. Darcy's Bite (24 page)

After making love, Lizzy and Darcy fell into a deep sleep, and it was only a dying fire and a chilly room that awakened the exhausted pair. There was also the matter of a not quite eighteen-year-old Georgiana. Since she did not know they were in the study, she must be wondering why the newlyweds were still abed at noon, especially since she was teased unmercifully by her brother about her habit of sleeping so late into the day. So instead of crawling into a warm bed, both scooted up the backstairs, got dressed, and joined Georgiana in the sitting room, finding her dressed for another day of playing in the snow.

Darcy needed little encouragement, and both returned to their rooms to change into something more appropriate for an outing. Georgiana was eager to show her brother the snowman they had created the previous day, but when they stepped out onto the portico, they could see that their creation was now a mound of snow with Darcy's top hat embedded in the pile.

After studying the blob before him, Darcy offered his opinion: “Except for that perfectly good top hat, I must say that I am unimpressed with your efforts.”

Georgiana sputtered an explanation for the use of what she thought was an old top hat. She was about to point out the obvious, that yesterday's warm temperatures had caused the snowman to melt, when Lizzy hit him in the back with a snowball. Thus began a blizzard of white missiles flying through the air, with no quarter given by either sex. Victory was declared when Darcy dropped to his knees and covered his head with his hands, indicating defeat.

After they stopped laughing, all agreed that they needed to go into the woods and make another snowman, one that would not fall victim to the rays of the sun. Darcy retrieved the hat and after dusting it off said, “Obviously, that fellow did not appreciate the quality or cost of this hat, so we shall give it to the new snowman, who will, hopefully, take better care of it.”

With David and Goliath at their master's heels, they marched off to the woods, and while Lizzy and Georgiana gathered branches, twigs, and rocks for the arms and face, Darcy worked alone in crafting, in his opinion, the perfect snowman, and to show that he was not displeased with his wife and sister for using his apparel to clothe their frozen creation, he took the scarf from around his neck and placed it on the snowman.

When the ladies suggested that he join them in making snow angels, he declined. Although he had been willing to have a snowball fight and to build a snowman, he had to draw the line somewhere. He held firm until the ladies knocked him down.

As they ventured farther into the woods, Darcy pointed out the cave in which he transformed each nightfall. It was an ideal location and perfectly concealed within a copse of trees and thickets. To further put her mind at ease, Darcy explained to Lizzy how the cave was connected to the house through a tunnel that only Mercer and Jackson knew about.

Lizzy commented that it was a well-chosen site and indicated that she could rest easy now that she knew how he returned to the house at daybreak. But in her mind, she could picture her husband and his black coat contrasted against the blazing white snow, but because this was now her life, she remained silent.

***

“Will, so much has happened in such a short time, I almost forgot. It is New Year's Eve,” Georgiana reminded her brother.

“So it is. Between the wedding and nightfall, Christmas came and went unobserved, and here we are on the cusp of a new year. Personally, I found 1811 to be the best year of my life,” William said, smiling at Lizzy, “but I predict that 1812 will be even better for everyone. Hopefully, Napoleon will be stopped and peace will return to Europe.”

“I shall pray for peace in Europe,” Georgiana quickly replied. “But, Will, this is also the year I shall come out into society.”

“Of course, my apologies for the oversight. Your debut is much more important than something as insignificant as putting an end to two decades of misery caused by that Corsican corporal.”

“Your brother is teasing you,” Lizzy said, giving him a look to let him know that Georgiana's debut was as important to her as their wedding had been to them. “So what do the Darcys do to usher in the new year?”

“The family and the senior servants gather in the upstairs sitting room,” Georgiana explained, “and we bid farewell to the old and welcome in the new with a toast in which we wish everyone health and happiness.”

“That is it?” Lizzy asked. “All you do is stare at the clock until it strikes midnight and drink a toast? What about opening the back door to let out the old year?”

“Superstitious nonsense,” Darcy grumbled, “practiced by the ignorant and those from the provinces. The custom is especially prevalent in Hertfordshire.”

“Well, then, what about the symbols of the new year: coal to ensure the home will always be warm?” Lizzy asked, ignoring his comments.

“No worries there. We have timber enough for a lifetime, and unlike Antony, I pay my coal bills.”

“Salt and money to ensure the household will be prosperous?”

“We are not doing too badly financially.”

“Bread to ensure that the occupants will be well fed?”

“If you want some bread, I shall ring for a servant.”

“Greenery to ensure long life and good luck?” Lizzy said, pretending to be desperate.

“Well, it is true that we did not string garland over the mantel of the drawing room, and there was no wreath upon the door. So with my permission, you may go out tomorrow and cut some holly, which I know you know how to do, and we shall use it as a centerpiece for our New Year's Day dinner,” Darcy said, smiling graciously.

“Oh, Elizabeth, he is only teasing,” Georgiana said, in case Lizzy did not appreciate her brother's sense of humor. “Do you have any more New Year's customs?”

“Yes, the first dark-haired male stranger is invited into the house, that is, if he comes bearing one of the gifts I mentioned. No matter how humble his station in life, he is invited to take dinner with the family.”

“Dark haired?” Darcy asked. “So what you are saying is that if Charles Bingley or Colonel Fitzwilliam were strangers to us, they would not benefit from our hospitality because they have red and blond hair?”

“That is correct, as those with dark hair tend to brood and scowl more than their fair-haired brethren, making them much more intriguing.”

“Oh, Will, Elizabeth is only teasing,” Georgiana again piped in, but Lizzy looked away from her husband, refusing to confirm that she truly was in jest.

***

Along with the three Darcys, Mr. Jackson, Mrs. Bradshaw, Mrs. Reynolds, Mrs. Brotherton, and Mercer waited for the arrival of 1812 in the upstairs sitting room. Mrs. Bradshaw used the opportunity to “suggest” that a Christmas dinner be served on Twelfth Night with a goose and all the trimmings.

“Of course we must also have a Christmas pudding, and Cassie, the stillroom maid, makes an excellent wassail. It is a Darcy tradition to have a complete Christmas dinner served in the servants' hall as well,” Mrs. Bradshaw added, and before Lizzy could say yes or no, the cook had detailed everything that would be on the menu, but she did allow her mistress to decide if the family wished to exchange Christmas gifts.

Mrs. Bradshaw and Mrs. Reynolds, who were believers in early to bed and early to rise, chose to depart two hours before the clock struck midnight. But before returning to her kitchen, Mrs. Bradshaw whispered to Elizabeth, “I have known Mr. Darcy since he was five years old, and I have seen him grow from a sweet boy into a fine man. With all that he suffers, he deserves to be happy, and now that he has you as his wife, he will be.” Lizzy, caught completely unawares, was speechless and nodded her thanks.

Minutes before the new year, Darcy asked Mr. Jackson to pour whisky for the men and a Madeira for the ladies, and when the clock tolled the midnight hour, all raised their glasses and wished each other all the best in the new year, and when Georgiana mentioned again that this was the year she would come out into society, everyone laughed.

Lizzy, Darcy, and Georgiana were still at breakfast when Mr. Jackson announced that Teddy had returned to Pemberley and wished to speak to the master at his convenience.

“Thank you, Jackson. Tell Teddy that he should visit with his mother first, and then we shall talk in the library.”

As soon as Mr. Jackson mentioned Teddy's name, Georgiana's face lit up. Lizzy had suspected that she had a romantic interest in the son of her lady's maid and that look had confirmed it. But there was nothing wrong with a young girl admiring a handsome young man, especially one who was her brother's hunting partner and companion. Of course, Georgiana did not know that Teddy would be leaving for North America in the spring, and Lizzy knew that she would be unhappy when she learned of it. But once she had made her debut, this beautiful girl with her dazzling smile would have the young gents flying to her like moths to a flame.

While Darcy was meeting with Teddy, Elizabeth received a note from Lady Helen asking if she could call the next morning. Of course, it was impossible to deny the request, and so she wrote a response, her first on the Pemberley stationery. After signing her name as Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy, she handed it to Lord Granyard's groom. When Darcy emerged from the study, she showed him Nell's letter.

“Well, you may receive her, but I am still annoyed and have no wish to see her until next nightfall. So I shall go riding tomorrow morning.”

“Coward.”

“Sticks and stones,” Darcy said, laughing. “Besides, she asked to visit with you, not me.”

“Speaking of visits. What news from Teddy?”

Darcy gestured for Lizzy to follow him into the study because, with all the Darcys in residence, the junior servants were everywhere.

“Apparently, there is a war going on in Herefordshire. There are three groups of Frenchmen: the elite, the bourgeois, and a group of farmers and herders from the Pyrenees. It seems that the first two have been lording it over the other members of the pack, and there has been a peasant revolt. The farmers have elected to emigrate en masse to French-speaking North America, so that will bring the population down to a manageable size. The males will join Teddy and Rupert in the spring, and once they are established in Quebec, they will send for their wives and children. That should be interesting because there are no she wolves in the French delegation, so these men will have to cook and clean and do everything by themselves.”

“As you did,” Lizzy added.

“Yes, as I did, and I have no doubt of their eventual success as these are rough mountain men, but they are as quarrelsome a group as I have ever met.”

“This does not affect the two candidates for my lady's maid, does it?”

“Well, we are down to only one candidate as the other has accepted a marriage proposal from one of the emigrating Frenchmen and will join him once the group is established in their new quarters.”

“The thought of working in your household scared off one of the women, did it?”

“It was not me who scared her off. Teddy told her frightful tales about the razor tongue of the mistress of the manor, displays of impertinence to your husband, and…” That was all he could get out before Lizzy punched him in the arm.

“I suspected you had violent tendencies, so I shall have to tame you.” He lay down on top of her on the sofa, and she made no objection.

***

Unsure of what Nell might say, Lizzy had secured Darcy's permission to meet with Lady Helen in his study. Her purpose in coming was twofold. First, she wanted to know if Alpha was annoyed with her as he had given her that impression at daybreak and, second, had he met with her prospective groom?

“Both of those matters are pack business, and I have nothing to do with that. You will have to speak to Mr. Darcy.”

“I believe he is upset with me because of what I said to you here at Pemberley. I did not mean to give offense, but you can imagine my surprise when I learned that he was interested in you, and not just because of your lack of rank. You see, I was bitten while Mr. Darcy was away in North America, and fearing risk of discovery, my family insisted that I live in this dreadful, damp convent in Ireland. But when Mr. Darcy returned to England and learned of my fate, he came to Ireland and brought me home. How would you interpret such a generous gesture?” she asked Lizzy, but did not wait for an answer.

“And we get along so well in the wild. We never argue, and Alpha is so attentive to all my needs. He loves to groom me, you know. I merely have to look at him with what he describes as ‘eyes the color of a summer sky,' and he comes and rakes his claws through my luxurious fur. I think it is his favorite thing to do.”

“I can form no opinion of his intentions as I never witnessed these kindnesses,” Lizzy said, trying not to roll her eyes. If Mr. Darcy was so taken in by her beautiful coat and summer sky eyes, then why was she Mrs. Darcy and not Nell? The woman was as dense as an iron skillet. “All that is in the past, so let us leave it there. We are neighbors, and we should be friends.”

“But will I continue to be your neighbor? What does Mr. Darcy say about Monsieur Reynard? I fear he has a pointy nose. All Frenchmen have pointy noses. I cannot abide a pointy nose.”

Lizzy could not help but laugh. An entire nation with the same physical characteristic? “You will have to ask Mr. Darcy for Monsieur Reynard's physical description, but to say that all Frenchmen have pointy noses is like saying that all Englishmen are short with big bellies. They are both caricatures used in the press to ridicule.”

“Will you please ask Mr. Darcy for a detailed description about monsieur and write to me as soon as you do?”

“Of course. But I do know one thing about the Reynard family. They are all gourmands, and when they fled France, their chef came with them.”

“Really? Gourmands, you say? With their own chef? The Devonshires have a French chef, and we frequently dine with them. I am very fond of beef in
sauce bourguignon
,
foie gras
with truffles,
confit de canard
,
cassoulet
…”

When Nell finally brought her litany of French dishes to a conclusion, Lizzy could see that Lady Helen was in a much better humor, and she hinted to Lizzy that she might have had a culinary close call. If she had become Mrs. Darcy, she would have been subjected to Mrs. Bradshaw's cooking, and although she was a perfectly good cook, capable of producing roasts and stews, she was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a chef.

***

“William, how would you describe my eyes,” Lizzy asked as her husband brushed her hair, a task he performed each night with great pleasure.

“Dark brown.”

“How would you describe my hair?”

“Dark brown and curly.”

Lizzy grabbed the brush out of his hand. “So Lady Helen has golden hair and eyes as blue as a summer sky while I have dark brown eyes, the color of bark, and curly dark hair?”

“I would not use the word ‘bark.'” Darcy successfully ducked a flying brush. “Are you in need of compliments, my dear?”

“This morning, Nell happened to mention how your favorite thing to do in the whole world is to run your claws through her luxurious coat and to compliment her on her seasonal eye color.”

“My favorite thing to do is to run my hands over your luxurious body and to gaze into your dark eyes, which are pieces of onyx carved out of the night sky.”

“Ahhh,” she said. “That was a good answer.”

“As I told you before, Nell is a beautiful woman on the outside, but because she is also selfish and conceited, little beauty shines from within. Since you are beautiful inside and out, there is no comparison to be made. As for running my claws through her coat, when Teddy is not there, I do it so that I might have some peace but also because it makes her drowsy. It is the same as telling children a story so that they will finally fall off to sleep. On the other hand, I hope to keep you awake for most of the night.”

“Ahhh, that is another good answer.”

After they had made love, Darcy asked Lizzy what she thought would happen in their first year together.

“You and I shall have so much fun getting to know each other better, and I shall learn how to be the mistress of this great estate. Georgiana will come out and will have a brilliant debut, but she will not marry, as she is too young, and I do so want her to marry for love. You and I shall become an uncle and aunt, twice over, with Lydia and Jane, and Anne and Lady Catherine will be frequent visitors to Pemberley. We shall have puppies, all black, running all over the estate, all named Wolfie. I shall succeed in getting Mr. Jackson to smile at least once a month with you present to witness it, and Mrs. Bradshaw will be open to suggestions from me regarding the menus. And by the end of the year, we shall discuss starting our own family.”

“All right, my turn,” Darcy said. “In the coming year, Nell will marry Monsieur Reynard, and the couple will eat their way to wedded bliss. David and Goliath will finally accept you, or at least stop grumbling when you walk by. As you said, Georgiana will make a brilliant debut, and I agree that she should marry only if she is in love. I shall not deny her what I have. I shall see you grow into your role as mistress of Pemberley, and I shall endeavor to be the best husband I can be. I could tell you that I will be more in love with you next year than I am at this moment, but that is an impossibility as I am filled to overflowing.”

As they lay in each other's arms, they continued to talk well into the night about their future together, but neither thought to say anything about the other incarnation of Mr. Darcy.