“Yes, thank you, I would like a glass.”

“Shall we go into the study?”

After lighting some candles, Mercer immediately went to the fire, and in the ashes he found some glowing embers, and soon there was a small but sufficient blaze going.

“If you would like a drink, Mr. Mercer, please help yourself, and do sit down.”

“If you don’t mind, I’ll have something less sweet, ma’am.” He poured himself a glass of port and sat on the edge of his chair, as if being comfortable in the presence of his mistress might be viewed as being disrespectful. She hoped to put him at his ease by asking about his service to Mr. Darcy.

“Excuse me, ma’am, but you don’t have to make small talk with me. I can see that you are troubled, and all I can say is that it will get easier with each nightfall.”

“That is what Miss Darcy says as well,” she answered, her voice trailing off.

“Meaning no disrespect, ma’am, but Miss Darcy’s situation is a little different from ours. She grew up knowing what her brother was, but it wasn’t that way with me and you. First, we come to know him and then to like him and then to love him before learning of his burden, and it hurts us to see Mr. Darcy having to carry this weight on his shoulders, especially since he don’t complain about it or ask why this had to happen to him. He just goes out there once a month and does whatever is necessary to protect Lady Helen and any other wolves who might be on the property.”

“Mr. Darcy made me promise not to go out of the house at night,” Lizzy said, “but would there be any harm in going up to the glade tomorrow?”

Mercer shook his head no. “Right now, with you being newly married, he probably wants you to see him only in his human form, not as some creature of the night.”

“Yes,” Lizzy said, nodding in agreement. “I see the wisdom in your advice.” She went quiet for a moment, and another idea came to mind. “When I was last here, Mr. Darcy asked that I put a candle in the window if I was willing to accept him as he was, and I am ashamed to say that I did not do it. But I could do it tonight. I am not sure he will see it, but I would like to do it nonetheless.”

Mercer’s response was immediate. “I’ll get a candle.” After doing so, he led her to a sitting room in the front of the house which was directly over the portico. After pulling away the drapes, he said, “If you set the candle on that table, he’ll see it right away, that is, if he’s about.”

“Thank you, Mr. Mercer. You may go back to sleep. I wish to stay here for a few minutes longer.”

Lizzy went to the window carrying the candle and looked at the falling snowflakes. If the snow continued to fall at this rate, there would be several inches by morning, and she would have something to look forward to because she loved snow-covered landscapes. When the coach had turned into the Pemberley property, she had seen a great white expanse broken by denuded oaks and pine trees groaning under the weight of the newly fallen snow. She wondered if, in her role as the mistress of Pemberley and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy, she would be permitted to throw snowballs and to make snow angels as she did with her sisters. She certainly hoped so.

After one last look at the moonlit scene, she left the candle on the table and stepped away from the window, but before she reached the door, she heard a howl pierce the night. Quickly returning to the window, she waved the candle back and forth. A second howl followed, and there was nothing mournful about it.

Chapter 36

Clear skies and milder temperatures followed in the wake of the storm, and it was a perfect day to make a snowman. Elizabeth and Georgiana enlisted Mercer’s help, and the result was a fine-looking snowman with a button nose, two eyes made out of coal, and crowned with one of Mr. Darcy’s old top hats.

“It is one of William’s old hats, isn’t it?” Lizzy asked Georgiana.

“Well, it is now.” The two ladies dissolved into laughter.

The snow had proved to be the perfect antidote for Lizzy’s emotional exhaustion, and because somewhere in the woods behind her Mr. Darcy and Nell were also enjoying the snow, she was happy as well.

While building the snowman, Lizzy asked Mercer how he occupied his time when Mr. Darcy was away “doing other things.”

“Even with the master gone, there is still a lot to do, but I do have the evenings to myself. So I decided to tackle something I didn’t know anything about, and I learned how to make fishing flies. I’m proud to say that when Mr. Darcy steps into the streams hereabouts, he’s using one of my flies.”

“What a marvelous idea, Mr. Mercer. I could view Mr. Darcy’s absences as an opportunity to make improvements in those areas where I am lacking, such as riding a horse. I could also work on my French. Since I am to have a French maid who speaks passable English, it would be nice if she had a mistress who spoke passable French.”

After decorating the front lawn with numerous snow angels, the ladies, soaked through to the skin, were walking back to the house when two rabbits dashed out in front of them.

“For their sake, let us hope Nell does not see them,” Lizzy said, and the giggles began anew.

While Georgiana played a beautiful piece on the pianoforte, Lizzy was looking out the front window and noticed a carriage coming down the drive. Instead of following the U to the front entrance, the carriage continued on to that part of the drive that led to a courtyard and the servants’ entrance.

“It must be Mr. Jackson and Mrs. Bradshaw,” Lizzy announced, which caused her to bite her lower lip. She was now the mistress of Pemberley, and when Mr. Darcy was away, she was supposedly in charge of the house, or so he had told her.

Seeing the anxious look on Lizzy’s face, Georgiana joined her at the window. “I know you are thinking about Mrs. Bradshaw, but you should not worry. When she brings you the menus, agree to everything she says. That is what I did. And why should you not? She knows more than anyone else, and she will tell you so. Aunt Marguerite, Aunt Catherine, and Mrs. Bradshaw were all cut from the same cloth, and there is no changing them.”

Within the hour, Mr. Jackson sought out his mistress, first, to present her with letters from her mother and sister and, second, to tell her that because of the poor roads, Mrs. Bradshaw had insisted that the silver, china, and crystal be left behind. “Abel Metcalf remains at Netherfield Park for the purpose of…”

“Guarding the plate?” Lizzy asked.

“Of course not, ma’am,” Jackson quickly answered. “Please understand that it is our responsibility to ensure that everything is returned to its proper place here at Pemberley.”

“I am teasing you, Mr. Jackson. I know how diligent you are in making sure that everything is exactly as it should be, but if Abel is at Netherfield Park, who was driving the carriage?”

“I was, ma’am. It has been a while, but I don’t mind saying that I can still drive a carriage. It is said belowstairs, and behind my back, that I am the Jackson of all trades.” Mr. Jackson smiled, and Lizzy wished that Mr. Darcy had been there to witness it.

“Ma’am, on behalf of the staff,” Jackson continued, “may I say that it is an honor to serve you, and once everyone has returned after Twelfth Night, it will be my privilege to formally introduce you to those who are in your service. Of course, I should point out that David and Goliath do not consider themselves to be a part of the staff, and you will need to deal with them directly.”

“Mr. Jackson, you are quite a wit,” Lizzy said, chuckling.

“Yes, ma’am. If you say so.”

*   *   *

Georgiana and Lizzy spent a pleasant evening playing cards, but immediately upon saying good night, Lizzy returned to the front sitting room as she had done the previous night. After lighting a candle, she waved it in front of the window for several minutes and looked for any hint of movement, but after seeing none and hearing no howl, she returned to her room. It was her intention to sleep for a few hours before going to the study to wait for Mr. Darcy’s return. She was not sure if he would approve, especially since he had told her that he would come to her as soon as he had bathed, but he had not specifically told her not to go to the study. Either way, it did not matter. She was determined to be there when he came home.

When she awoke during the night, she jumped out of bed and crossed the room to view the mantel clock. It was only six o’clock, two hours to daybreak. Because she did not want to risk missing him, she decided to spend the rest of the night in the study.

After sliding out of her chemise and slipping on her green silk nightgown with its matching robe, she went to her dressing table, brushed her hair, and pulled her tresses back with the pearl combs Georgiana had given to her as a wedding gift. As she ventured down the hallway, she avoided those areas of the floor that squeaked, and although she was able to walk past Mercer’s room without alerting him, she suspected that he knew of her plan. Her hunch was confirmed when she went into the study and found a fire burning and a blanket folded neatly on the sofa. After draping herself in the blanket, she put her head on the arm of the sofa and was soon asleep.

*   *   *

As Darcy waited with Nell at the rendezvous point, he was trying to hide his annoyance. By her excessive whimpering, she let him know that she was not happy with his taking them so close to Pemberley or with his howling twice on the first day of nightfall. Obviously, she did not realize how important that candle in the window was to him. Or maybe she did, which would explain why she had chosen to hunt on the far side of the Darcy property. No matter. He did not have to see the candle to know that Elizabeth had lit another one for him.