Lizzy decided to let the comment about Magic pass. It would be difficult to defend the Scottie’s behavior considering that she basically ran the household and listened to no one, except Mr. Darcy, even though he spent so little time with her.

“You seem to have a real interest in wolves, sir. Is this another scenario you imagined as a boy—running with a pack of wolves?”

“Not a large pack—more on the order of one or two other wolves—or werewolves.”

“Werewolves!” Lizzy started to laugh. “Surely, you do not believe in such legends. Vampires and werewolves. They are stories made up to scare children into behaving themselves.”

“I agree with you that stories about vampires are utter nonsense and are believed only by the simpleminded, but a lot of legends have their roots in fact.”

“That is true of some things, but not werewolves.”

Darcy stopped and turned to Lizzy, and she looked into his eyes. They were a beautiful gray-green and one of the first things she had admired about him. But he had never looked at her with such intensity, and a sense of foreboding came over her.

“I love you, Elizabeth Bennet. Whenever I see you, I am filled with joy.” After stepping away from her, he continued. “I actually never thought I would fall in love for reasons I shall shortly explain. However, I am in love—deeply and profoundly in love—and if after I share my secret you have not run back to Pemberley, I shall have a question to ask you.”

“Mr. Darcy, you are making me nervous. What secret could you possibly have that would cause me to run away from you?”

“That is a good question, and my answer begins with an event that happened fourteen years ago when my father and I were traveling in the Black Forest in Germany. Our carriage became mired in mud, and while the men tried to dig it out, I went into the woods. Not very deep, but Nature called. This next bit is rather embarrassing, but it is necessary for you to understand what happened. Nature required that I have my pants down, and just at that moment, a wolf walked by. She had not seen me, and because I had startled her, she scratched me with her fang. I know that it was an accident because she began to cower and whimper.”