It’s a busy time of year! School is wrapping up, people are making their summer plans, and I’m furiously editing a book. If you haven’t checked out the preview of Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 at Austen Variations, click on the chapter to give it a read! In the meantime, what can I tell you without giving away vital bits of the book. I can give you one hint with the blurb!
“I have endured the deepest agony, only to be shown a hope so bright I cannot but yearn for it.”
Fitzwilliam Darcy is mourning the love he lost—a love that was never allowed to bloom. What will become of him when Georgiana is wed, and he is left by himself? He cannot give away a heart not his own. Must he remain in this mournful existence, anticipating the nights to come, where in his dreams, he can finally be with Elizabeth, a spectre of his once living, breathing beloved. When a surprise visitor brings unexpected news, his hope is breathed back to life. Will he finally obtain his deepest desires? Will Fitzwilliam Darcy be able to leave behind the agony of the past and hope for the future he once thought impossible?
Due to circumstances beyond her control, Elizabeth Bennet’s family is irrevocably altered. Her father is dead, Lydia is missing, and her mother and remaining sisters are to be relegated to a life of poverty. Fitzwilliam Darcy’s behaviour at Pemberley indicates he still loves her, but too much has happened. She can never hope for him to once again make the offer of his hand. Elizabeth’s sole option is to abandon the life she once led and start anew. But what happens when her path once again crosses with the love she thought lost to her? Will Elizabeth choose to protect him with the one option available to her or will she put aside the agony of the past and choose hope?
The book is just under 70K words but because of the timeline of the story, there is a bit of steam but no explicit scenes. We’ll just have to see what unfolds. I hope you’re up for it!
Hi there, everyone! This is a bit I wrote in 2014 for a theme called “April Showers.” I’ve done a bit of editing on it, but hopefully, I’ve caught all of the errors. Stick around after! I have a link for the first chapter of my new book, Agony and Hope, that I posted Tuesday at Austen Variations!
Weighted with a shopping bag in each hand, I stood under the awning of the local grocery store with my son, watching the rain. With the pleasant spring weather, we had walked the short distance from our house. Now, in light of the sudden downpour, my decision seemed to be a poor one.
“The sun was out when we went inside,” said Jensen, my fifteen-year-old. He leaned forward, looking past the awning to the sky overhead where more menacing clouds loomed in the distance.
“I don’t think the rain will let up anytime soon. We’re just going to have to get wet.”
His eyes widened, and he shook his head. “The loaf of French bread won’t survive.”
“If we wrap the groceries in the garbage bags we bought, everything will stay dry.” Jensen groaned before glancing back out into the rain. I peered around then grabbed a cart, settling the bags inside before fishing around for the box of trash bags.
My son stepped beside me, so I nudged him in the ribs with my elbow. “Come on, you used to love jumping in puddles when you were a little boy. Where’s that adventurous spirit?”
“I haven’t jumped in a puddle in years, Mom, and I’m wearing my new sneakers.” I glanced down, and sure enough, the expensive athletic shoes I’d purchased a few days ago gleamed, even in the cruddy weather. Crap! I certainly couldn’t spare the money to replace them if they were ruined.
I bit my lip. “We’ll have to wrap those in a bag, too. You can go barefoot.”
“Mom!” His voice hit a higher pitch than it had in years. “There are no sidewalks until we cross the street, and I’m not walking barefoot through the parking lot!”
He was right. I dropped back against the brick wall behind me. The last thing I wanted was for him to cut his foot on some glass or metal we couldn’t see in the water. “I’m sorry. I’ll call a taxi.” I pulled out my cell phone and pulled up the phone number for a taxi service. How I hated spending even five dollars for a ride of a little over a mile.
“I have an umbrella if you need help getting to your car.”
I spun around. The last person I’d expected to see when I woke up this morning was William Darcy, but there he was, and still as hot as the last time we’d crossed paths. We hadn’t spoken for a few years—the night he drove me home from Charles and Jane’s anniversary party. I cringed. The things I’d said to him. How was he even speaking to me?
“Hello, Elizabeth.” The arm at his side held a large umbrella while the other held a full, reusable shopping bag.
“Hi,” I said. My voice was weak. The assumptions and accusations I’d made that night. He’d been nothing but kind by driving me home when my father’s car broke down, and I’d treated him horribly. My cheeks burned at the memory.
Jensen glanced back and forth between us, his eyebrows drawn down in the middle. “Hi, Mr. Darcy.”
William smiled and extended his arm to shake my son’s hand. “You’ve certainly grown since I saw you last. I understand from Charles that you’re doing very well at your swim meets.” My jaw nearly hit the ground. Had he asked my brother-in-law about my son?
“At my last meet, I won the 200-yard butterfly and freestyle, and placed second in the 400 I.M.”
Darcy smiled wider. “Congratulations.” His tone held a note of warmth. His praise of Jensen was genuine. “I know you’ve worked very hard for it.”
I inhaled a fortifying breath and took a small step forward. “I appreciate the offer of the umbrella, but we walked here before the rain started. I was actually just calling a taxi to take us home.”
He looked into the rain. “As I recall, you don’t live very far from here.”
“No, it’s about a mile.” I peeked over my shoulder. What had captured his attention? When I turned, his eyes had returned to me with that same appraising stare that once made me uncomfortable—made me believe he was criticizing me. Now I knew, that was not criticism. My eyes couldn’t maintain the intense connection and latched onto a nearby puddle.
“If you give me a moment to get my car, I’d be happy to give you a ride home.
I shook my head vehemently. How could he be so nice when I’d been so horrid to him? “That won’t be necessary. We’ll be fine with a cab.”
“I know you’d be fine, but you’d have to wait. The weather is worsening, and I’d like to know that you’re both safe at home before that happens.” He began to rummage around in his pocket. “I’m parked right there.” He pointed to an electric sedan parked in one of the closest spots.
“Please, Mom. I don’t want to sit here forever. I have that paper due tomorrow.”
I plastered a smile on my face and dropped my phone into my purse. “Thank you, it looks like we’ll accept your kind offer.” I picked up my bags while William high-tailed it out to the car.
How long had I known William Darcy? Twelve years seemed like forever these days. The first time I met him, I’d been Matron of Honor for Jane’s wedding, and Darcy had stood with Charles as his Best Man. I’d been drawn to him more than any man I’d ever met. I’d been forced to ignore that pull, because although I was only twenty-three, I’d been married to Ryan for the past three years. Jensen was also a rambunctious toddler of three.
William and I ran into each other from time to time over the years—Charles and Jane’s birthdays, the births of their children, christenings. He’d always made me uncomfortable. The way his eyes seemed to follow me around a room with an intensity that gave me goosebumps, the way my insides shook when we spoke, as well as all of those little physical signs of attraction that I tramped down as best I could. I was married after all!
Then, four years ago, my marriage imploded in a spectacular fashion. Ryan had been having an affair for years. I made that discovery when the other woman, Lydia, showed up at my house one day while my husband was at work. She was pregnant and with a toddler in tow—a mini-me of Ryan. I filed for divorce as quickly as I could get my friend Charlotte to file the paperwork.
Not long after, Darcy not only delivered me home, but also delivered the bombshell that he’d been in love with me for years. Perhaps I would’ve been kinder, if he hadn’t given his opinion of my marriage to Ryan? Perhaps I wouldn’t have been so insulted if he hadn’t insulted my mother? I freely admit she’s not the most sophisticated of women, but in my defence, I was still trying to pick up the pieces. I was also in no position mentally to be dating anyone yet, so I lashed out. I’m still mortified by the worst of it.
“What kind of man falls in love with a married woman! Did you fantasize that I would leave him—that I would abandon my son for you, or that we’d have an affair?”
Now here I am, about to climb into a car with him for the first time in four years. Not only was William enough of a gentleman to congratulate my son on his success, but also he would ensure we arrived home safely.
An elbow to my side made me jump. My head whipped around to Jensen. “What?” He did nothing more than lift his eyebrows and point to the car at the curb. Before I could apologize for snapping, Darcy sprang from the driver’s seat and took the shopping bags from my hands. As soon as Jensen scooted inside, he shoved the groceries in after him and opened the passenger side door for me.
After he was out of the weather, he turned to me. “So, do you still live in Beau Chêne?”
“Yes.” I glanced down at my hands and then back to his face, studying him. He had a few grey hairs sprinkled in at his temples and maybe a line or two around his eyes. When had that happened? “Thank you so much for doing this.”
“I’m glad I saw you out there,” he said, his eyes on the road. “You could’ve been stuck for a while, especially if you waited out the weather.
She nodded and peered down at her hands in her lap. Was he involved with someone? A pang ripped through her chest at the thought. The question was valid. After all, he could’ve eloped or married privately. Charlie mentioned little of him over the last few years, and I sometimes wondered whether Darcy had confided about what happened that night. My brother-in-law had always spoken of William without reserve before I made a mess of things.
I glanced in his direction and was just about to face forward when he turned the car, giving me a clear view of his left ring finger—bare. There wasn’t even a tan line. My hands began to quiver. I often thought of him, and I hadn’t dated since my divorce. Of course, I’d had men ask me out, but for some reason, I was never interested. Was a part of me was waiting for William to return?
He stopped the car and turned. I practically flinched when he busted me staring at him. When I diverted my eyes, I gasped at the view of my garage in front of us.
“Thanks a bunch, Mr. Darcy!” The backdoor opened and Jensen tore across the driveway with the grocery bags in hand. He punched the code into the panel, the garage door lifted, and my son disappeared into the house.
A loud roar began to pound against the top of the car as the rain began to come down in sheets. The garage was barely visible even though we were as close as you could get without entering.
“You can’t drive home in this,” I said. “Lord only knows how long you’d end up sitting in this driveway, much less the side of some highway somewhere.”
“I don’t mind.” He gave a tight smile. “I’ll probably remain parked here until it passes, if that’s okay with you.” When I faced him, he stared at me the same way he did years ago—with that same intensity—turning my insides to mush. He cleared his throat and dropped his gaze to study his hands. “It was good to see you again.”
“William.” Had I ever called him by his first name before? I’d always been so ill-at-ease in his company, I’d tried to remain distant in any way I could. When I said his name, his head popped up, and I held his steady gaze while I inhaled in an attempt to gather my courage. “Please come inside for a while. You can’t sit out here in the rain. You could be here for hours if it doesn’t let up.”
“I’ll be fine,” he said in soft tones.
“I know you’ll be fine, but you’ll have to wait.” A corner of his lips twitched. Had he recognized that I’d turned his own argument against him? “We can bring your groceries inside and put any that need to stay cold in the freezer or refrigerator. You can even bring your briefcase and ignore us while you work. Jensen has a paper to finish so he won’t be watching TV.” My heart plummeted as he began to shake his head.
Impulsively, I reached into the back seat, grasping his grocery bag by the handles. I then grabbed his briefcase as I opened the car door. I heard him call out to wait, but I was already running for my open garage. I glanced back and motioned for him to follow before I walked into the utility room door.
Jensen had dumped his shoes in the middle of the laundry room, so I shifted them to the side. At least didn’t track wet footprints through the house! I removed mine and joined my son in the kitchen where he was already unloading our shopping bags.
“Thanks, honey,” I said. I set William’s bag on the kitchen table.
“Is that Mr. Darcy’s briefcase?” Jensen’s forehead furrowed.
“Yup, I stole it.”
My son rolled his eyes. “Why would you want his briefcase?”
“Because the rain is too heavy for him to drive, and he was insisting on sitting in the driveway until the storm passed.”
“So you stole his briefcase so he’d have to come in?”
“Pretty much.” My son’s laughter never failed to make me grin in return, but the moment was broken when the door in the utility room open and closed. A moment later, William entered in sock-clad feet. Had he always had such big feet?
My son smirked and shook his head. “I’m going to go work on my paper for a while.”
“I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.”
William walked up to the table, and I turned to him with a raised eyebrow. “Do you have anything in here that needs to stay cold?” He nodded and pulled out some milk, cheese, and frozen dinners that I stored away.
Jensen had left out the ingredients for dinner, so I began chopping peppers while William leaned against the counter. I sighed. I couldn’t keep avoiding the elephant in the room, so I set down the knife and faced him. “I owe you an apology for the last time we saw each other.”
He squeezed his eyes closed then quickly reopened them as if I’d put the knife through his heart. “No, much of what you said was true. For most the time we knew each other, I was horribly rude to you.” He stepped over to the kitchen table, removing his suit jacket and hanging it over the seat. “I have realized since our argument that I felt horrified at falling in love with a married woman. To keep from falling at your feet, I did everything I could to push you away. I would’ve never been able to live with myself if you’d only been an affair.” He returned to the counter and gave a long exhale. “When I learned that you were finally free, I’m afraid I leapt without thinking. I should’ve known you’d need time, and I never should’ve made those comments about your ex-husband.”
I shook my head. “Why not? They were true.” I wiped my hands on a nearby towel. “Why don’t we do our best to forget it happened? Remember the past that’s pleasant?” I held out my hand for him to shake. When his palm made contact with mine, I bit my cheek instead of gasping at the spark when our skin touched. Had he felt that too?
I picked up the knife and continued chopping the peppers. “I know you moved after, but Charles never said where.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the counter. “There were some major leadership issues with the offices in Australia. I was asked to take control and get that wing of the company back on its feet. After that night, I thought the opportunity a good opportunity to get away… to forget.”
I swallowed hard when he said “forget.” During the past few years, how many times had I thought of him? I’d tried to convince myself that I’d put him behind me—I’d forgotten, but had I been honest with myself?
Now that I knew he’d left to get away from me, my heart cracked and bled. Tears stung my eyes, and as much as I blinked and tried to keep them from falling, I couldn’t do a thing when they began running down my cheeks like the rain in rivulets down the glass of the kitchen window.
“Elizabeth?”
A sob escaped from my lips as he took the knife from my hand. He placed it on the cutting board and gently pulled me back from the counter. “It must be the onions,” I said. I swiped at my cheeks with the backs of my hands.
“The onion hasn’t been cut yet.” I groaned and covered my face.
“Elizabeth?” He pulled my hands away. “I left to forget, but I couldn’t. I found myself constantly wondering what you were doing. I drove poor Charles crazy with questions whenever I called. He finally told me to come back and find out for myself.”
A laugh bubbled from my lips, and William smiled, gently brushing the tears from my cheeks. “Do I dare hope that your feelings have changed?”
“Oh William, I was so stupid that night.”
He put his finger over my lips and pulled me close. “I thought we agreed to forget that.” I chuckled and leaned my forehead against his chest. He was so warm and his large hands rubbed up and down my back. I knew Jensen would return soon and ask about dinner, but I didn’t want to move—ever.
One of his hands caressed my face and tipped up my chin. He leaned in ever-so-slowly and kissed me. I nearly gasped at the softness of his lips, the feel of his strong body pressed against mine, and the way he gradually deepened the kiss. His tongue caressed mine, and my body went up in flames. Good Lord, I needed to put a stop to this or I’d spread him out on the kitchen table and have my wicked way with him! Who knew that feeling could be real—that an attraction could be so overpowering? I pulled back and bit my lip in an attempt to prevent a wide grin from spreading across my face. William smiled brilliantly, and kissed my temple as I turned back to the peppers I was chopping.
“So, what’s for dinner?” he asked. That mischievous glint in his eye brought a heat to my cheeks that hadn’t been there since high school.
I laughed and looked outside at the rain. Maybe the downpour would continue all night long!
Have you read the first chapter of Agony and Hope yet? If not, click here! Coming soon!!!!
Did you know that in as late as Victorian times water was considered dangerous? In fact, one of the main causes of death in children was tainted water. Adults avoided a similar fate by mixing wine with their water—nothing like a little alcohol to kill the germs! So, in Regency England, if you eliminated plain water, what was left?
We often read of Darcy enjoying a brandy, Mr. Bennet having some Port or sherry, or everyone drinking a glass of wine with their dinner. Tea, coffee, and drinking chocolate were non-alcoholic options—particularly in more affluent homes, but the rich comprised only a small fraction of the population in 19th century England. Servants and the lower classes required something to drink and tea was an expensive commodity many could not afford. Servants drank tea brewed from what was left after the mistress of the house served the family and her guests, but what else did the servants drink?
Many of us are familiar with beer and ale, but did you know they were usually made in one’s own house? The wealthy would hire a brewer who would reside at the estate for a month as he brewed several hundred gallons for the family with hops and malt purchased from local merchants. This person would not only brew the higher quality ale for the master of the house, but also the weaker version for the servants. Some great houses even had pipes that ran throughout the servant’s area below stairs. These pipes were part of an elaborate system that brought the ale from the drums to the kitchen and other areas of the house to be served.
Small Beer, which was also referred to as ‘small ale’, ‘common beer’, and ‘rot gut’, was the low alcohol ale often drank by the servants of the house. On average, servants consumed a minimum of a quart of beer a day, and due to such heavy consumption as well as a short shelf-life, that particular mixture was brewed often over the course of a year.
Porter was a dark brown beer brewed from toasted malt. It had a “modest” alcohol content. Porters and laborers were said to drink it for strength and often cost around two pence. Though this type of beer originated in England and was likely popular due to its low cost, it is not widely consumed these days, much to my husband’s chagrin.
Gin was cheap alcohol in those days and was called such names as: Madame Geneva, Strip-me-naked, and Blue Ruin. Since it was more than fifty percent alcohol by volume, a man could get well into his cups for as little as a penny. Two-pence could render one in need of a bed of straw to sleep off its effects.
Rum was the other hard liquor common during this time as whiskey was virtually unknown. As this particular drink was imported, duties to the government were to be paid before a drop could be sold, so rum for the lower classes was often mixed with something else. For example, sailors often drank Grog, which consisted of rum, water, and lime juice; however, the wealthy would use rum in punches comprised of water, rum, citrus juice, sugar, and spices.
Punches was commonly imbibed during this time, and quite a few recipes can be found for different versions. Gin could be used in the place of brandy and rum, but gin was not as popular as brandy and rum.
Other variations of punches included-
Negus – Wine or port, boiling water, lemon, sugar, and grated nutmeg heated. Some recipes include calves foot jelly (Yuck!).
Ratafia – Punch flavored with the pits of fruits such as peaches, plums, or apricots. The object was to have it taste of bitter almonds.
Arrack – Distilled juice of a coconut palm.
Ramfustian – A dozen whisked eggs, a quart of strong beer, a pint of gin, a bottle of sherry, nutmeg, sugar, and lemon rind. This resembles what we today think of as Egg Nog, which according to my research was once also referred to in England as Egg Flip.
Regent’s punch – Two bottles of Madeira, three of champagne, one of Curacao and hock, one pint of rum, one quart of brandy, four pounds of oranges, lemons and raisins sweetened with sugar, two bottles of seltzer water. It could be diluted with green tea.
Madeira was quite fashionable in Regency England. This vintage was a sweet fortified wine from the Portuguese island of the same name. Madeira was matured in the hull of a ship as it sailed near the equator, the heat of the trip providing it with a distinctive flavor. No one is sure why the wine was not ruined from the maturation process.
Port was another wine imported from Portugal and often drank by the men after the ladies departed the dining room. The host would bring out the decanter, pour himself glass, and pass the bottle to his left (the port side), where that gentleman would pour his glass and pass the decanter again swiftly before he was deemed rude by the remainder of the guests.
Sources: Copeland, Edward. The Cambridge Edition of Pride and Prejudice. Cambridge University Press. 2006. Pg. 459. Lane, Maggie. Jane Austen and Food. Hambledon (1995). Pg. 70. Martin, Joanna. Wives and Daughters. Hambledon Continuum (2004). Pg. 160. Olsen, Kirstin. Cooking with Jane Austen. Greenwood Press (2005). Pp. 366-368. Shapard, David M. The Annotated Pride and Prejudice. Pheasant Books (2003). Pg. 143. Shapard, David M. The Annotated Emma. Anchor Books (2012). Pg. 651 Sullivan, Margaret C. The Jane Austen Handbook. Quirk Books (2007). Pg. 146. Wiltshire, John. The Cambridge Edition of Mansfield Park. Cambridge University Press (2005). Pg. 659. http://www. janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2007/12/01/the-wassailing-of-trees/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/victorianchristmas/activity/wassail-punch.shtml http://www.intowine.com/madeira.html
Hi, everyone! I’ve been spending some time lately re-designing the cover of A Matter of Chance. I wanted a bit of a different look but still incorporating my watercolor of the Mississippi Gulf Coast at the same time. I hope everyone loves the reboot! I’m really excited about it 🙂 The new cover is live on Amazon! You can also read A Matter of Chance free with Kindle Unlimited!
Kindle Cover
Charles turned onto a paved road surrounded by trees, that quickly forked, and they steered to the left. When the woods cleared, there was a lake with what appeared to be a very large barn on the opposite bank. As he again looked to the left, he saw the large house. He stared at the home in awe. From what he knew of Jane’s sister, he didn’t understand how she could afford living in such a place.
“I thought you said your sister was an artist. How can she afford the upkeep on a house like this?”
Jane turned so she could see William in the back seat. “The house belonged to my great aunt, who left it to Lizzy when she passed away four years ago. For years, Aunt Mel had requests from people who wished to have outdoor weddings on the property. When our friend Charlotte became a wedding coordinator, my aunt began allowing her to book the affairs. It began small, with a tent for the reception and as the demand grew my aunt expanded a bit to make the venue more marketable. Now there are weddings here nearly year ‘round.”
Jane cleared her throat and gestured to the right. “The barn out by the lake is actually a reception hall with a commercial grade kitchen. The facility is very nice; wood floors, Doric columns, a bar. During the months when it’s too chilly for an outdoor wedding, some choose to have their ceremony within the hall. The money made from the events has paid for the upkeep, as well as the main house’s kitchen remodel last year.”
“She doesn’t find it intrusive?” William asked.
“Most old homes like this give tours, hold weddings, and operate as bed and breakfasts,” explained Jane. “Lizzy values her privacy, so she’s kept it to weddings on the grounds, although recently, the reception hall has been rented during the week for business functions, as well. There’s parking out along the highway, and for events, a shuttle service brings guests from the lots to the property. Other than the catering trucks and a limo for the couple, there isn’t a crowd of cars.”
Jane pointed behind the pond next to the barn. “The fencing by the barn separates the wedding guests from the home, as does the pond. The pond narrows at the footbridge, but typically the bride and groom just take pictures on it, so that the house is in the background. There’s usually a rope up with a sign not to cross.”
She turned to face William once more. “By the way, you weren’t incorrect—Lizzy is an artist, but she also teaches a few art classes at the local college.” William nodded, truly impressed with the operation.
“Jane?” Charles asked, to garner his wife’s attention. “Why is Lizzy mowing?”
“Oh no,” Jane sighed. “I hope she hasn’t run off Billy again.”
Charles groaned. “Charlotte and I both had to convince him to come back after the confrontation they had last year. I don’t know if I can persuade him again.”
“I don’t understand,” interjected William. “Is she not supposed to mow?”
“With the reception area and the acreage around the house, there’s too much for her to keep up on her own. We hire a landscaping service that takes care of the mowing and keeps everything looking a certain way.” Jane chuckled. “Billy Collins, who owns the landscaping company, has had a thing for Lizzy since we were kids. Last year, he proposed marriage, and my sister didn’t appreciate his attempt. She told him exactly where he could shove his offer, and the weekend after, we found her mowing around the house. Although, sometimes she does it when she’s angry or frustrated about something.”
Charles was laughing. “You have to understand. She and Billy weren’t even dating. I don’t think Lizzy had ever had an issue with him in the past, but she certainly wasn’t interested in marrying the man.”
Jane picked the story back up from her husband as they neared the house. “They were never really friends, but Lizzy had nothing against him. To be honest, his proposal was offensive. I won’t divulge everything he said, but he actually said something to the effect that she could never expect that another offer of marriage would ever be made to her.” William raised his eyebrows, wondering what it was that would cause someone to make that kind of a comment.
A dog came up and began trailing the car as they pulled to a stop, and Jane quickly got out of the car, striding to where Lizzy was attacking the grass with a vengeance. William watched as Lizzy halted the mower and began obviously explaining something with large hand movements. As she made a gesture, he noticed one of her fingers was bandaged, and she pointed to the injury as she finished speaking.
“The dog is Bear. You’re going to want to wait until I get out of the car,” explained Charles. “He’s very protective of Lizzy and Mel.” Charles stepped out, and began petting the old blue merle Australian Shepherd. He motioned to William that he could get out as well.
William opened his door and rose from the seat. Bear watched him carefully from where he was standing near Charles, and then came over to give him a sniff. William put out his hand for the dog to smell, but Bear backed away and took a place near Charles.
“His trust isn’t easily gained, but once it is, he’s extremely loyal.”
Nodding, William turned his head to see Lizzy steering the mower around to the back of the house. He could see Jane chuckling as she made her way back to the car.
“Well?” Charles inquired.
“3-D design,” explained Jane.
Charles began to laugh. “What happened now?”
Jane looked at William as she began to explain. “3-D design is a class Lizzy is teaching. She didn’t like the class when she was required to take it, and she’s even less enamored of the idea of teaching it. But the university has no one willing to teach the class—well, that and no budget to hire a new instructor—so they’ve put it on Lizzy’s schedule for the last year.”
“Why doesn’t she like it?” asked William.
“Well, for starters, she isn’t a sculptor. Add to that a healthy fear of power saws and the fact that she doesn’t have a large amount of experience with the other power tools that are used in the class, and you have the general basis of her contempt.” Jane took a deep breath as she removed her purse from the passenger seat of the car and closed the door. “My sister has worried since she began teaching the class that she or one of her students will accidentally cut off her finger in class. Yesterday, she was helping a student, and he shot her in the finger with a nail gun.”
William and Charles visibly flinched at the idea. “Oh, no!” exclaimed Charles. “Is she okay?”
Jane laughed. “Yes, she’s fine. She had her hand x-rayed at Dr. Ladner’s office when the class was over. He also updated her tetanus shot.”
“Wait a minute,” paused William. “When the class was over?”
Jane nodded. “Uh huh,” she replied. “The incident actually happened very early in the class, but Lizzy pulled the nail out and bandaged it up so she could finish teaching.”
William’s eyebrows lifted, surprised, and although he was reluctant to admit it, impressed.
“Is Melly napping?” asked Charles.
Jane smiled. “She should be waking soon. Lizzy’s going to go shower while we finish up the garden.”
Charles nodded. “I guess we should get to work then.”
“Lizzy has all of the tomatoes and corn picked. She also brought out the tiller so you can turn under the plants that are done.” Jane turned and smiled at William. “As I said before we left the house, you can sit on the back porch and read or bark orders.”
Laughing, Charles grabbed a bag from the back seat and closed his car door. “There’s an occupation where a Darcy excels.”
As Jane brought the bag inside, William followed Charles as he began to walk toward the left side of the house. “Lizzy, Jane, and I have been sharing a small vegetable garden since Lizzy took over Longbourn. We often spend Saturdays working on it together, cooking or grilling dinner when we’re done.”
“How long has Lizzy lived here?”
“For almost two years now. She moved in when Melanie was about five months old.”
William began to scan the property. He could see where the drive branched and trailed back. His eyes followed it to a building that he presumed was a garage set back and to the left side of the property where it wouldn’t readily be seen from the front or the barn that was across the lake to the right of the house. A door on one corner of the garage had a path made of brick pavers that led through an arbor covered in wisteria to a courtyard behind the house.
As they rounded the corner of the home, the entirety of the courtyard came into view, and William paused to take it all in from right to left. There were pathways framing flowerbeds, and urns placed in a few of the beds. In the center of the maze stood a large fountain that didn’t flow, although it appeared to be filled with water.
As his eyes trailed back, he noticed the house made an L shape. Attached to the back of the main building on the opposite side appeared to be the former slave quarters. The doors and windows had been converted to French doors to blend in with the main building. The porches were also all joined, and ran the length of the rear of the house.
The flowerbeds were filled with roses, day lilies, crepe myrtle, agapanthus, and other decorative flowers mixed with herbs, tomatoes, and peppers of different varieties and colors. Behind a small black wrought iron fence, to the back of the courtyard, was what appeared to be a grove of dogwood that eventually blended into the tree line of the forest.
To the left, William’s view returned to the garage, and between him and that building was the vegetable garden. There were corn stalks, a couple of vines with some small pumpkins, what appeared to be small pea plants, a few watermelons, cucumbers, and squash. The plot wasn’t exceedingly large, but seemed to be well planned.
Charles turned and smiled to his friend. “The courtyard is incredible, isn’t it?”
A small smile graced William’s face. “It’s lovely.”
“Jane told me that Lizzy and her aunt drew out the plans themselves when Lizzy was a teenager. Then once the pathways, arbor, fountain and fence were all in place, the two of them planted everything together.”
William’s eyebrows lifted. “It must have been a lot of work.”
“Lizzy will complain about how much work it all is sometimes, but you can tell she loves it. It’s the only part of the yard the landscaping service isn’t allowed to touch.” He looked around at the garden. “Well, I guess we should get going, or we won’t be finishing today.”
There was the sound of a door closing, and they both turned to find Jane coming to join them. Jane and Charles pulled some gardening tools out of the garage, and William extended a hand.
“What would you like me to do?”
Charles stopped pushing the tiller and studied William’s face. “You didn’t bring a change of clothes, and this is going to get pretty dirty.”
William chuckled. “I’m not afraid of a bit of dirt.”
“We brought you along for company, and to meet Lizzy, not work,” explained Jane. Regarding her dubiously, he opened his mouth to speak, when Jane cut him off. “Before you get all half-cocked, we aren’t setting the two of you up. We spend a good deal of time with Lizzy and our niece, so we thought it would be good for the two of you to become friends.”
He relaxed, and Charles stepped closer. “You’ve been in the office all day every day since you returned from London. Take a break today.”
“I’ll feel lazy watching the two of you work,” he complained.
“Then keep us entertained,” suggested Jane.
He sighed as they put themselves to work and William found a swing hanging from an oak tree to the far side of the garden. He chatted with his friends until Charles began running the tiller, mixing the soil where the corn once was. He tried to read his book, but the noise was too loud, so he moved to a rocking chair on the back porch.
There was a light breeze, and he remained there for some time before he heard a voice to one side.
“I’ll be right back, Melly!”
He looked up from his book to find Lizzy closing the door and walking over to a gas grill. She turned on the gas and saw him when she looked up as she was lighting it.
“You must be William,” she said with a raised eyebrow.
“I am,” he replied, “and you’re Lizzy.”
She nodded and looked under the lid of the grill to ensure it had lit. Her eyes were a brilliant color green, and she had coppery brown hair that trailed down her back in long curls. William thought she looked about five foot six or seven, and she had a pleasing figure that he could not help but admire. Her bare toes peeked out from a long flowing skirt paired with a fitted top that resembled an old-fashioned corset. His reverie ended when he heard a small voice.
“Mama?”
He looked to the door where her daughter stood in the open doorway.
“Hey, sweetie,” Lizzy called as she began walking toward the little girl. “Did you get bored with the pots and pans?” Mel nodded, but started when she noticed William. “It’s okay. He’s a friend of Aunt Jay and Uncle Charles.”
William watched as she began to pull her mother, who turned and smiled apologetically, inside the house. As he heard the door close, he turned his attention back to his book, until he heard the door open again and the lilting voice invade his solitude.
“Are you going to help mommy?” Lizzy asked as the toddler followed her out of the door.
“Uh huh.”
“Can you please close the door for me?” Little Mel did as she was asked, receiving a thank you for her efforts, and followed her mother, who was carrying a plate of something William couldn’t identify out to the grill. He noticed that opening the lid would be difficult with her hands full, so he jumped up from his seat.
“Let me help you.”
“Thank you,” she responded, as he strode quickly over to where she was waiting.
He opened the grill and looked down at what looked like a tied-up bundle of twigs. “What is that?” he asked rather abruptly.
She paused and looked at him. “It’s a leg of lamb,” she answered. “The bone is removed and then the meat is seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic. It’s wrapped in rosemary that has been soaked in water, then tied together, and grilled.” She looked at him worriedly. “Jane and Charles said you like lamb?”
He was entranced, watching as her eyes sparkled as she spoke. “Um . . .I do, but I’ve never seen it prepared that way.”
“Oh,” she chuckled. “I saw it on a cooking show once and tried it. It has since become one of my favorites.” She looked down to the plate in her hands. “Would you mind holding the plate for a moment?”
“Of course.” He noticed that she lifted a work surface from where it was folded down the side of the grill before she took back the dish and set it on the makeshift counter.
“Thank you.” Lizzy gave him a small smile and he nodded briefly. He then watched her use tongs and a large fork to place the lamb on the grill before she closed the lid. She picked up the plate and turned to face him. “I should go back inside. You’re welcome to come in if you become too hot out here.”
“Thanks,” he said with a small smile.
Lizzy turned and walked to the door as her daughter followed at her heels once more. “Open the door for mommy?”
They were soon inside, and William was left to stare after her, realizing that he was attracted to this woman. He shook his head as he returned to his seat. She would definitely not do. She was an artist, after all, with an odd sense of style, and most importantly, a kid. No, the last thing William Darcy needed was to get involved with a single mother. Shaking his head as if to clear his mind, he returned to his book.
~ * ~
Lizzy eyed William as he sat across from her at the table. The lamb was wonderful, especially paired with the Greek salad she’d prepared on the side, and he’d graciously complimented her on the meal. He seemed everything that was proper and polite since his comment earlier, but she was still bothered by his attitude. He’d joined in the conversations with Jane and Charles; however, other than the compliment on the meal, he hadn’t said more than two words in her direction the entire evening. She took a sip of her wine, and glanced around as her three guests chatted away.
“Would anyone like any dessert and coffee?” she asked in a cheerful tone.
“Oh, I saw your chocolate cake in there!” Jane gushed and turned to William. “Lizzy makes the absolute best chocolate cake!”
William gave a small smile. “Perhaps a little later?” he asked. “I’m full at the moment.”
She nodded, and stood to begin clearing the dishes from the table. Her daughter picked up her own plate and followed her as she pushed through the swinging door to the kitchen. Lizzy set down the load in the sink and reached down for her daughter’s plate.
“Thank you,” she said, while Melanie smiled in return. “You’re welcome?”
“You welcome,” the toddler replied.
The kitchen door swung open, and Jane came in and swooped the little girl into the air as she burst into a fit of giggles. “Why don’t I take this giggle box upstairs for a bath and a story?”
“Yay!” cheered Melanie, as Lizzy smiled.
“You don’t have to, you know.”
“I know,” replied Jane, “but I enjoy it. Besides, you won’t let her spend the night with us, so I have to get my Melly fix while I’m here.” She began to tickle her niece as she was talking.
“What would I do while you took her for the night? Putter about this big house by myself?” Lizzy shook her head vehemently. “No, thanks!”
“You could go out with Charlotte—we could all go out. Have a girls’ night out?”
“Jane, Charlotte goes out looking for men. I will not find a man I want to date in a bar!”
“You never know,” Jane called out in a singsong voice as she carried Melanie out of the door.
Lizzy smiled and shook her head as she thought about her sister. She wouldn’t have survived the last two years without her, but Lizzy wasn’t a college student any longer. She’d never even been one to party much in college. While she was studying for her masters, there were a group of friends that she’d periodically go out with while Greg was who knows where, but the idea just didn’t appeal to her anymore.
She loaded the dishwasher, pressed the button to turn it on, and cleaned up any remaining mess as she wiped down the counters. She hung the towel on the stove handle and walked out of the kitchen toward the living room. As she crossed the foyer of the house, she heard Charles speaking, and crept to where he and William couldn’t see her. She knew she shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but she wanted to understand what this guy’s problem was. Charles praised him to the skies, and to Lizzy he came across as haughty and rude.
“It’s called an automata,” she heard Charles say. “Lizzy made it in her 3-D design class when she was studying for her BFA.” She heard the telltale clicking of the homemade gears turning and knew her project was being tested out.
“It sticks a bit,” was the arrogant sounding response.
“They’re handmade gears made out of discs of wood and nails. Do you really expect it to operate flawlessly?” exclaimed Charles incredulously.
“It’s tolerable for a first try, I suppose,” said William in a snotty voice. “But she could hardly expect a serious art collector to buy it.”
Lizzy drew herself up to her full height, incensed at the insult to something that she worked so hard to create. She paused as she heard her brother-in-law’s voice once more.
“Really, Will?”
“What?”
“Well, you could be a little less critical. Lizzy would probably agree with you about the project. She was proud of the fact that she built it, but she would never presume to try to sell it. She’s not a sculptor and she’s not mechanically inclined. This was a difficult project for her.”
Nodding, Lizzy mumbled, “Darned straight!” The conversation seemed to have ended, so Lizzy decided to remain a minute before she entered the room. She didn’t want them to realize their conversation was overheard.
“Lizzy! Melly wanted a kiss good night before I put her in bed,” called Jane, as she walked down the stairs, carrying her niece.
Lizzy had just leaned against the wall when she jumped. She whirled around, blanching at being caught listening, while Jane placed the toddler on the floor to run toward her. She lifted her daughter into her arms and rested her on her hip.
“I have a kitty,” Melanie said happily to her mother as she pointed to her nightgown.
“Yes, you have kitty on your nightie,” smiled Lizzy. She gave her daughter a big kiss on the cheek. “And what does a kitty cat say?”
“Mrow!”
Jane smiled and gave a little clap while the little girl beamed. Lizzy suddenly realized the men were standing in the foyer just outside the door to the living room. She turned and gave them a half smile.
“Is it bedtime?” Charles asked as he stepped forward to give his niece a kiss on the cheek. “Good night, sweetie.” Melanie gave him a noisy kiss in return, and everyone smiled.
“Sweet dreams,” William said with a small curve to his lips that almost appeared to be the beginnings of a smile.
Lizzy gave her daughter a kiss. “Sleep tight, and don’t let the bed bugs bite,” she whispered in Melanie’s ear, hugging her tightly. “I love you, my Melly.” The toddler returned the hug and gave her mother a kiss.
“Night night, Mama.”
Jane reached out her arms, and Lizzy passed Melanie to her. The two proceeded back up the stairs, and Lizzy turned to face Charles and William.
“I’m thinking it’s time for coffee and cake,” Charles grinned, rubbing his mid-section.
Lizzy laughed. “I prepared everything earlier. Just give me a minute to go cut the cake.”
The men returned to the living room, and she made her way back to the kitchen to dish out the dessert and place it and the coffee on a tray for the four of them.
The remainder of the evening passed similarly to the first. Charles and William reminisced a good deal about the past and Jane laughed and joined in by asking questions as well as making comments. However, while Lizzy’s sister and brother-in-law included her in the conversation, William Darcy did not.
What was even stranger was that periodically, Lizzy would feel as though someone was watching her, and glance over to find William staring at her. He’d quickly look away, but it disconcerted her. She decided he must have found something he couldn’t like about her, and looked at her only to find more of her faults. This continued until Jane and Charles declared they were exhausted from all of the work that afternoon and the three of them departed to go to Netherfield. Turning off the lights and preparing for bed, Lizzy decided that regardless of the why, she’d think of William Darcy no more and went to bed.
~ * ~
William was once again in the back seat for the return trip to Netherfield. “Why have I never met Lizzy before?”
“Hmm?” asked Jane as she turned in her seat.
“Well, the two of you seem so close, but she wasn’t at your wedding.” He knew he’d brought up the subject with Charles before, but he still found it odd that she hadn’t been at such an important day in her sister’s life.
“No, she wasn’t.” Jane rested the side of her head on the headrest. “She was unable to attend.” He waited for a moment for either Jane or Charles to clarify, but neither did. “It’s really Lizzy’s story to tell, and I try to respect that. I hope you understand.”
“Of course.” He didn’t really understand, but since he didn’t feel like it was right to press the issue, he let the subject drop.
William reclined his head on to the headrest of the back seat, while Jane turned and began a conversation in soft tones to Charles in the front of the car.
When William had first seen Jane’s sister mowing the yard, she was farther away, she’d had her hair pulled up on top of her head, and she was wearing ratty clothes. He hadn’t spared her a second glance. But when she came outside after she’d taken a shower and changed, he’d been able to look at her—really look at her. Her hair was a brown color, but when the sun hit it, there were coppery red and blonde highlights that made it stand out from just simple brown. Her body seemed fit and she appeared to have just the right proportions in all of her assets.
Although, who knew what was hidden under those clothes—stretch marks, flabby skin? She did have a kid, after all. Speaking of her daughter, who was the child’s father? She wasn’t married, and neither Jane nor Charles had ever mentioned a husband, so she’d probably never been married. He didn’t even want to imagine the criticism he’d endure from his family if they had any idea that he was even remotely attracted to her.
He’d realized the attraction during their first face-to-face meeting, but he still held fast to his belief that she was the last thing he needed. He even recognized that he didn’t really believe any of the negative ideas about her, but he clung to them nonetheless, to squash the attraction. But what he couldn’t get out of his head were her eyes—emerald green, warm, intelligent. Keeping his own eyes off of her had been impossible; his line of vision was continually drawn to her.
He closed his eyes and sighed. He couldn’t avoid Lizzy in the future, especially while he resided with the Bingleys. He would just have to be very careful not to show her his admiration, or excite any expectation in her. William Darcy couldn’t afford the distraction that Lizzy presented.
Hello, all! I’m so excited to tell you that Undoing is now on Audiobook at Audible and Amazon. Stevie Zimmerman did an amazing job narrating the characters and breathing life into their words. I even have a sample for you to listen to!
I can’t wait for you to hear the book in its entirety!
I have some codes for a free Undoing audiobook. Just leave a comment below to enter. I’ll pick two winners on Sunday. Please make sure you specify whether you use Audible US or UK 🙂 so I know which code to send you.
We’re wrapping up May and while things have remained busy, I’m still cleaning out, which means another giveaway. Today, I have 5 copies of A Matter of Chance for you! All you have to do is comment for a chance to win a signed paperback. Sorry, but I need to limit the giveaway to the US and Europe. I’ll pick a winner next Thursday and make the announcement after I’ve contacted the winners.
Also! Don’t forget to preorder your copy of Confined with Mr. Darcy! Release day is almost here and it will be on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Paperback! Half of the first month’s royalties are being donated to Jane Austen House Museum’s Covid-19 Survival Appeal, so please give it a read. Also, if you have a bit to spare, please consider donating to the survival appeal.
Also! I’ve started a podcast! I’ve been considering it for a while, but in the first episode, I just talk about JAFF and how I got into writing it, what I read, and there’s a bit about this project. I hope you’ll check it out! https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-b9dz9-dde03f
Okay! Back to A Matter of Chance! I’m posting a short vignette I wrote after A Matter of Chance. This short was based on something that really happened in our house. My daughter had this crafty kit that allowed you to make different animals from puff balls. The children are fictional versions of my own. Our dog Layla was young, and well, you’ll see. This was something that was written quickly and never truly edited, so it’s definitely not perfect, but entertaining.
A Funeral for Lobsty
Elizabeth and Darcy have been married for 9 years, Melly is 12, Ella is 7, Andrew is 4
For a late Sunday morning, Longbourn wasn’t any noisier than it was usually. Lizzy Darcy relaxed in bed with her morning cup of café au lait and her laptop, browsing through the online stores for Christmas present ideas for the children. Her husband of nine years, William was propped up on pillows beside her while he poured over something for work on his own laptop. She had just taken a steaming sip when her seven-year-old daughter, Ella, came running into the room with a four-year-old Andrew following close behind.
“Look what Layla did!” she exclaimed, pushing her cupped hands filled with red fluff and pieces of pipe cleaners in Lizzy’s face. Layla was their nine-month-old Springer Spaniel puppy that they’d adopted from a rescue organization, and she was always getting into something.
Lizzy stared at the pile intently, attempting to figure out what the mass of trash was in her daughter’s hands. “What is it?”
Ella gave an exasperated exhale. “It’s Drew’s lobster!” Her hands thrust forward a bit with each word in an attempt to emphasize scope of the tragedy. The puppy then came trotting in and plopped down beside Ella, panting and looking like she was grinning widely.
She turned back to the mess and looked again, finally seeing the resemblance to the craft project she and her son had made a few months ago. She looked up into his face and smiled softly in sympathy.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. We’ll have to break out the craft kit and make you another animal.”
Drew looked at her sadly. “I want to make another Lobsty.”
“But we can’t,” she began carefully, “there aren’t any more red puffballs and pipe cleaners in the kit. If we find the directions, then you can pick out a new design, and we’ll make that one.”
Little Drew’s face reflected his skepticism of that idea, and Lizzy fought a smile. Suddenly, Layla made a jump for the mass of fluff, and Ella raised her hands to keep it away from her. “Why don’t the two of you go throw what’s left away before Layla finds it again and eats it.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” came William’s voice from behind Lizzy. “We wouldn’t want her to get sick.”
That was when Ella’s face perked up. “We can have a funeral for him!”
Lizzy was sure her eyes widened, but she tried to behave unfazed. “A funeral?” she asked, the doubtful tone that was in her head coming through in her voice.
“Yeah! Let’s go, Drew!” The two of them bounded out of the door, where she could hear the pounding of their feet as they ran around the upstairs.
She looked to William. “A funeral?” He only smiled widely, shrugged, and went back to his work.
Looking back at the monitor, Lizzy began browsing once more while she listened to the voices outside of her door. She was sure she heard the word casket, but most of the time the kids sounded like they were in Drew’s room. Maybe twenty minutes later, Ella and her brother came running back into the room.
“Daddy!” they yelled, “look at the casket we made!” Lizzy’s head shot up to see what looked like a short tray made out of Legos with Lobsty’s remains perched on top.
“That’s nice, but it’s not really a casket,” explained William. After that, she really didn’t hear what her husband was saying since she was too busy staring at “The Casket.” She hoped that he was attempting to straighten out their idea because she was worried they would want to bury the thing. The last thing she wanted to do was to have to dig it up later when Drew wanted his blocks back.
The children disappeared again, but reappeared about fifteen minutes later. “We’re ready for the funeral, come on!” Ella and Drew called out from the doorway.
“Really?” she asked, regarding William warily.
“Really,” he responded before kissing her quickly on the lips. “Let’s go, Mama.” Her husband pulled her out of bed and laced his fingers with hers as they followed the children down the stairs to the kitchen. There were three barstools set up a few feet in front of the pull out that contained the trashcan, and Mrs. Reynolds was already seated in one of them. Melanie, who’d thus far been absent from the lobster saga, was standing beside the cabinet with the “coffin” carrying Lobsty in her hands. Ella and Drew joined her, the latter wearing a Jedi tunic made out of brown felt that he’d gotten at a friend’s birthday party.
“What’s with the Jedi robes?” asked William, chuckling.
The real Layla
“Funeral clothes?” ventured Lizzy. She felt something soft brush her foot and looked down to see their older Springer, Maisy, lay down next to her foot. Layla was standing beside Melanie, waiting for Lobsty’s remains to fall at her feet. One would’ve thought she was holding a steak the way the puppy was sitting and staring at the cotton fuzz.
Ella seemed to wait patiently until they were all comfortably situated, and she raised some pages torn out of an old composition notebook that were covered in a purple crayon handwriting.
“First we will have a speech, then Melanie will dump him, then there will be a prayer.”
Lizzy couldn’t hold it in any longer. The absurdity of it all combined with what her daughter had just said made her erupt in a fit of laughter. She wasn’t alone. Mrs. Reynolds and William were both laughing, and when she looked up, the children were laughing as well. Once their chuckles were back under control, Lizzy apologized.
“I’m sorry, but when you said that Melanie would dump him, I couldn’t help it.” She could hear William beside her now fighting to control his chuckles as Ella raised the papers and began again.
“This lobster was very special to me and my brother, Drew. Lobsty was the best lobster I’ve ever seen. My mom and Drew built this lobster from puffballs, pipe cleaners, and glue. That’s my vulnerable speech.” Her husband snorted from beside her, and she grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently.
“Do you mean venerable, Ella bean?” Her daughter shook her head and furrowed her eyebrows.
“Did you really mean vulnerable?” asked William. She smiled widely and nodded before turning to face her sister.
“Now, Melanie will dump Lobsty,” said Ella in a very official tone as she opened the cabinet. Their oldest turned the tray over into the trashcan, and the mass of red fluff dropped into the white plastic bag, covering whatever Mrs. Reynolds had put in there last. Once the cabinet was closed, they all turned back to Ella.
“Now for the prayer.” She flipped a page and produced a new page also written in purple crayon.
“It was once a pile of puffballs, and a little boy came along. He put the puffballs together, and made a lobster. And then a dog came along and chewed it all up. And that’s what brought us here today.”
During the “prayer,” the three adult spectators couldn’t control themselves any more and began laughing again. By the time Ella had read it all, Lizzy and Mrs. Reynolds were laughing so hard they were crying, and the children had joined them.
Lizzy stood and kissed and hugged each of her children. She looked over her son’s head as she embraced him, seeing William wiping his eyes as he hugged Ella. Beside her daughter, on the counter were the sheets of paper with the purple crayon writing. Lizzy picked them up and read them, finding the actual speech and prayer from the funeral written out on them.
When the hugs were passed all around, Melanie went off to read the latest book she was engrossed in, and Ella and Drew returned to the Legos to his room. Lizzy quickly pocketed Ella’s papers and returned upstairs with William to lounge around with him some more.
When they were once again comfy in the bed, Lizzy called Jane and described the entire event to her, including reading the speeches from Ella’s notes. Jane was giggling madly by the time Lizzy had recited the entire episode.
“They’re so creative,” her sister gushed. “Just like their mom. “You’ll have to scan those pages and email them to me. I want to tell Charles, but it won’t be the same if I don’t have the words right.”
“I can type it out and email it quicker, if you want.”
“That’ll work. Thanks, sis!”
“You’re still coming over this afternoon to grill, right?”
“Oh yeah, we’ll be there,” responded Jane. “Jacob and Sarah are so excited. You know they love playing at Longbourn. Apparently, Netherfield just isn’t as cool.”
Lizzy laughed. “I don’t know about all that. I happen to think Netherfield is a neat house, but I should get going so I can get some work done before y’all come over.
“Okay, Bye Lizzy.”
“Bye,” she said and hung up.
“What did Jane say?” asked William as he closed his laptop and scooted closer to her.
“She said that they’re so creative… just like me.”
“She’s correct, you know.”
Lizzy rolled her eyes. “I think they’ve got some of my intelligence along with you’re massive brains, and we’re going to be lucky to keep up with them.” She felt William’s hand caress up her leg as he leaned over to kiss her softly on the lips. He dipped down, and she felt his soft lips brush her neck.
“I’m thinking that perhaps we should begin working on another.”
Her eyes widened as he lifted up and looked down at her. “Another?” she squeaked. His hand roamed up to stroke her stomach, and she squirmed. “William, the door is open.” She heard and felt his low chuckle.
“Then perhaps you should go close and lock it.”
The words and the “prayer” came directly from the composition notebook pages my kids wrote from Lobsty’s funeral. I still have them packed away somewhere.
Okay! So, we have 5 copies of A Matter of Chance! Leave me a comment below and you’ll go into the draw.
Just a quick blog post to share that today is the release day celebration at Austen Variations. I have 3 ebooks I’m giving away, so I hope you’ll join me!
It’s official and up on Audible, Amazon, and should be up on iTunes soon! Melissa Kay Benson did a fantastic job narrating our dear couple and bringing everyone to life—including a few of Grunt’s noises. Just have a listen!
I know I’ve been a bit sporadic lately, but between work and writing, I’ve been a busy girl. I am still teaching fitness classes and I’m a personal trainer, so I’m either staring at my computer or in the fitness centre. Either way, it’s a good thing. I love doing both!
So, I’ve got a lot going on!
First and foremost, I have an amazing narrator/producer lined up and recording Unwrapping Mr. Darcy. I’m loving the way Melissa K. Benson sees the humour in each bit and brings it out in the recording. I know she’s hard at work and I can’t wait to hear it in its entirety!
Next is the last book in the Wedding Planners series! I have Charlie and Jensen’s story all written and through the editors. I have a couple of small tweaks to make and then the proofreading. It will definitely be out by Christmas! (I hope so anyway, or I’m going to have to look at making a new cover! 😉 ) I just debuted the cover at Austen Variations on Monday. If you didn’t see it, here it is!
Lastly, while Charlie’s story was in editing, I picked up a story I started five years ago. I was almost six chapters in, and I started chapter 26 yesterday. I want to get the rough draft of that finished so the muse doesn’t get distracted by taking care of those final little edits on Charlie’s story. I’m hoping this Regency will be out in the first half of next year, but it all depends on my amazing editing team. As anyone who follows me regularly knows, I don’t give hints, but I can tell you that it is a Regency. I can’t make any other promises 🙂 I’m just very superstitious I guess.
Anyway! Thank you so much for following and reading my musings. I can’t wait to release what I’ve been working on and I hope you can’t wait too! I love the holidays and this one should be a lot of fun!
From Strasbourg, we made the short trek to Reims, our last stop on our Christmas market tour. Upon learning that the Reims area is famous for Champagne and the Champagne houses, we decided to see what all the fuss was about before we checked into our accommodations and set off for the Christmas market.
After researching the local Champagne houses, we decided on Tattinger. I’d read some wonderful reviews of their tour so I went to their website and booked everything there, which was super simple and quick.
We were a bit early for our 1:00pm tour so we found food and snacked before we checked in for the tour. We didn’t wait long before our tour guide appeared to usher us into the first room where we watched a brief video on the history of Tattinger champagne before he led us out and down into the tunnels under the Champagne house.
Reims was once a huge chalk mining town so underneath the city is approximately 200-250 km of tunnels that are now used as wine cellars for Champagne. These tunnels were also used as refuges for the citizens of Reims during the world wars, giving them a place to hide from bombing raids. In WWI alone, nearly 80% of Reims was destroyed by bombs. During the tour, it’s easy to spot graffiti left behind during the wars.
Remains of the Abbey
Staircase from the Abbey
The tour was extremely thorough, teaching the exact process of how Champagne is made and taking us through the different cellars all the way down to the lowest cellars which were chalk mines dating back to the 4th century. These caverns are 60 feet below the surface and are incredible to see. It’s no wonder the caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site since they’re steeped in so much history.
4th Century Chalk mine
ceiling of 4th century chalk mine
Tattinger Champagne House is also built on the ruins of the St. Nicaise Abbey which originated in the 13th century and still has old staircases and embellishments from that original structure. The monks who lived there also made wine so the site is steeped in history when it comes to the tradition of making wine.
When the tour ended, we enjoyed our glasses of Champagne before we found the flat where we were staying the night. Once we settled in, we walked a mile or so to the town centre for the Christmas market.
Unlike Strasbourg and the German markets, the Reims market wasn’t spread around town but was isolated around the amazing cathedral. After clearing the security checkpoints, we wandered all through and toured the cathedral while we were there. It’s a beautiful Christmas market with lots of wares and great food to sample. The location really made it magical but all of the Christmas markets we visited had their own charm.
We roamed until we were tired and walked back to the flat. The next day we drove to the Eurotunnel and left France behind so we could spend Christmas Eve and Christmas day at home. It was a long trip but worth it to see the mixture of European Christmas markets. I want to do it again but maybe not so many in one go! It made for a long trip.
