Happy New Year! Yes, I am well aware we’re 10 days into the new year, and I’m running a bit behind. December was a whirlwind of good and bad. I am blown over by the reviews on Catching Lizzy. Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed it. It was definitely a mood booster while I was ill over Christmas. Some virus decided it liked me, my husband, and my eldest daughter. They’re both over it, and the cough is still lingering with me. I do have my attention span back since that took a vacay while I was sick, but I admit to being lazy some days when the cough tries to make a come back.
January arrived with the news that An Endeavour to be Worthy came in 3rd place in the 1st Annual Members’ Choice Audiobook Awards! I’m just tickled pink that everyone loved the audiobook enough to vote for it. I’m in the mood to celebrate, so I have 5 paperback copies of An Endeavour to be Worthy that I am giving away (US only due to the crazy cost of postage these days! Sorry!). Please note that these were the first paperbacks I received after publication and I forgot to put the title on the binding (my bad!) but I will sign the binding in Sharpie if you want :). Just let me know when you enter in the comments. For worldwide, I will give away 3 audiobook codes for An Endeavour to beWorthy and 3 audiobook codes for A Gentleman of Worth (the 2nd book in the series). In your comment, please let me know which giveaways you’re entering as well as what audiobook code you will need (US or UK).
Now, to what’s coming! I’m thrilled to announce that Deborah Balm is currently working on narrating A Worthy Woman (3rd in the Montford Cousins series) and I hope it will be out next month. I also have Scarlett Mae Clarke currently working on Catching Lizzy. The first 15 minutes sounded great, and I’m looking forward to hearing more. She was doing great with drunk Lizzy so I’m really excited. I’ve also started working on Jane’s story. I’m over 20K words in and trying to get my pace back moving forward after the holidays.
I have also been working on a real office of sorts! For the past two years, I’ve been using my old Ikea kitchen island as a computer table on one side of the kitchen. With my younger daughter now moved out and at college/university, I have repainted the room and bought a real desk and office chair. I’m currently planning on repainting some of my daughter’s old furniture to use in there as well. I still need to make a place for the printer!
I’d love to hear about your holidays! Don’t forget to leave me a comment for the giveaway with which giveaways you’re entering and the market for the audiobook! Another chance to win will be on Monday at Austen Variations!
Yes, I have no patience, but I figure no one will argue when I just up and release a book without warning. Catching Lizzycame out on Friday, and I’m thrilled with the feedback I’ve received so far. It’s not a long story, but it was just the light-hearted romp I needed after a few Regency stories in a row. The first reviews and ratings are in and it seems a lot of people enjoyed a low-angst feel good tale for the holidays.
“L.L. Diamond has once again treated her readers to a delightfully feel-good story, that starts out with a hilarious situation followed by an unforgettable introduction. The story is funny, romantic, steamy, and sentimental. I got teary a couple of times, but only in joyous kind of way.” – Marie, Goodreads
“Who doesn’t love a sweet holiday romance Darcy and Lizzy, his adorable 3-year-old, her BFF Richard…and kittens! “ – mainmom5, Amazon
Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, ladies!!
For those who have read or or going to read, I have a Pinterest inspiration board I used when writing. You can see the inspiration for Lizzy’s wedding gown and other fun bits. I love Pinterest when I’m writing. There’s no end to the fun stuff, not to mention inspiration, you can find.
So, I’m still previewing Chapter 3 for those who haven’t read the story yet. If you haven’t read Chapter 1 or Chapter 2, click the links. After, I’m offering 3 ebooks of Catching Lizzy for 3 lucky winners, so don’t forget to comment to enter the drawing.
Happy reading!
Chapter 3
I pulled into the long driveway and followed the winding path until we reached the house. After two hours on the road, Lizzy had awakened, and her semi-sober state had been too much. The bottle of Patròn now contained less than half, and my best friend was a giggling, crying mess—albeit rarely at the same time. She would one moment say something that made her start laughing hysterically, and the next, she would mention Faith or Jane or some other devastating consequence of today and dissolve into sobs.
As we drew up to the garage, her eyes perked up. “Oooh, pretty.” Even I had to admit, my cousin’s house was impressive with the long, wooded driveway and its situation facing out over the lake. She hadn’t even seen the main façade of the property yet.
“Grab the garage door opener out of the glove compartment, please.”
Lizzy fumbled with the latch for a moment before the door dropped, and she startled. She brought the controller closer to her face and concentrated on the gadget like the fate of the free world depended on her pressing the button. After two attempts, the door opened.
After she tossed the controller back into the glove compartment, she relaxed back into the seat and raised the bottle of Patròn to her lips yet again. Shit! I needed to slow her down. My cousin was going to have kittens!
As soon as I had the truck inside, I reached over and took the bottle. “Whoa! Let’s slow down. I don’t want to have to carry you.”
“You want some tequila?” She pushed the open bottle in front of my face. The familiar tang made my nose crinkle. I’d had a particularly bad experience with tequila a few years ago after a breakup. Other than the occasional margarita, I never touched the stuff.
“No, but why don’t you let me hold it for you?”
Thankfully, she passed the bottle of clear liquid over to me without argument, then peered down at her lap. “Where’s my phone?”
“You threw it out the window a couple of hours ago. Don’t you remember?”
She snorted and covered her nose for a moment. “Oh, yeah.” A fit of drunken giggles made her bend over at the waist.
I hopped out to plug in the truck before making my way to her side of the vehicle. When I opened the passenger-side door, she all but fell on me, and I grabbed her to steady her on her feet. “Come on, let’s get you some water and a bed.”
“I’m not ready to go to sleep yet. I have to finish the bottle of tequi… tequil… tequila.”
“Sweetheart, I really don’t want to make a trip to the ER tonight. Why don’t we save the tequila for in the morning?” I’d be pouring it down the drain tonight, but she didn’t need to know that.
“Good idea, Dickie. I knew there was a reason I kept you around.” She lightly slapped her palms on my chest before she turned toward the door.
I had an arm around her back as I supported her on unsteady legs into the house. “You keep me around because I’m your best friend. Who else will you get to shop with you for the perfect dress?”
“Not Faith! She doesn’t like my fashion sense.”
“Yes, well, Faith is a dumbass with an unhealthy addiction to lace.”
Lizzy buried her nose in my neck and snort laughed. If I hadn’t already known she was wasted, that would’ve been a sure sign. “Did you see the suit she bought for the wedding?” Her head lolled onto my shoulder while she looked at me.
“I did. She looked like a baby blue doily.”
My friend grinned. “Lace blouse, lace covered coat, and lace covered skirt. There’s nothing Faith can’t find in lace. It’s an evil superpower.”
No, Faith’s evil superpower was taking a beautiful and talented woman and reducing her to a self-conscious, approval-seeking mess. As much as Lizzy knew the truth for herself, I wasn’t going to beat her over the head by bringing all that up. She had to make the decision to stop allowing herself to be her mother’s punching bag once and for all, and I would be her staunchest supporter when that day came. I could only hope this was finally that day!
When we reached the living room, Will Darcy, my cousin, stood with his arms crossed over his chest, the forbidding expression he was famous for pasted upon his face. “Richard, what in the hell is going on?”
Lizzy dragged her head up. “Dickie, who’s the hottie with the stick up his ass? That scowl might just scare Faith, it’s so good.”
I fought to keep from laughing when Will’s eyebrows rose high on his forehead. “You brought one of your drunk friends to my house?”
“It’s a long story. Which room can I put her in?”
“Are you sure she’s not going to vomit?”
I glanced down at Lizzy, whose eyes appeared as though she was having a difficult time staying awake, but so far, she had no green around the gills. “I think she’s fine at the moment, but Mrs. R.’s puking pot would certainly not be refused.”
Will’s jaw clenched and released. “Georgie’s upstairs, so you’ll need to bring her to a hotel.”
“It’s after eight! Georgie’s asleep like the rule-following little mini-me she is. By the time your daughter wakes in the morning, Lizzy’ll be sober, and no doubt, nursing one heck of an alcohol and emotional hangover.”
“Lizzy? You mean the Lizzy?”
“Yes, the one you refused to ever meet.”
My cousin’s foot began to tap in a furious rhythm upon the wood floor. “Because you were attempting to set us up. Don’t get any ideas, Richard. I’m not interested.”
“Why would I want to be fixed up with a tight ass like you?” Lizzy swayed with a finger pointing at Will’s chest. “Geez, and I thought Bill could be a prick.” She flounced the skirt of her dress, then giggled again. “These bows are the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Is she wearing a wedding gown?”
“What an astute observation! Yes, it’s a wedding dress. She ran out on her wedding today and needed a friend to help her get away so she could think. I brought her here because you’ve said I’m always welcome, and this is the perfect place for her to gain some perspective on her life. Now, can I take her upstairs before I have to carry her?”
“I don’t feel so good.”
This time, when I glanced down, she was green. Fuck!
Before I could shuffle her into the half-bath down the hall, she folded over at the waist and puked all over my cousin’s bare feet. Will squeezed his eyes closed, his nose scrunched, and his lips pressed tightly together.
“Will—”
“Take her upstairs. Second door on the left. That room has an en-suite. You won’t be able to leave her alone tonight. She’ll need someone to watch over her to make sure she doesn’t get sick in her sleep. But I do want to talk to you after you get her settled in.”
We turned at a gasp to my cousin’s nanny/housekeeper standing in the doorway. “Oh, sir! I’ll be back in a moment with some towels.”
Lizzy slumped against me, and I groaned. “Crap! I guess I’m carrying her now.”
We’re up to Chapter 2! If you have yet to read Chapter 1, click on the link to catch up. I’m hoping to have it out by Monday. I hope you’re ready! It will come quick!
Chapter 2
When we reached my truck, I unlocked my custom 1970s electric Bronco and opened the passenger side door for Lizzy. “I know I have an old SUV, but that skirt still won’t fit.” Despite compressing the garment to get through the window, the humongous hoops had popped right back to their original state. What the ever-loving—! I’d shoved it down until it was half its size. How was that possible?
“I can’t get this thing off by myself.” Lizzy began frantically lifting armfuls of frilly material up from the asphalt under our feet. “What do you want me to do?”
I blew out a noisy exhale. “You owe me for this,” I muttered. Before I could consider what I was doing, I dropped to my knees, ducked under the layers upon layers of frills, and found the waist of the underskirt. My fingers traced from Lizzy’s belly button all the way to the back, but no fastenings. Had they sewn her into the damned thing? “Where’s the freaking button or snap?”
“It’s a drawstring.”
I repeated the process in the opposite direction. “I can’t believe I’m in your skirts.” I couldn’t help but laugh at my own joke. We’d been friends forever, and I’d never, ever imagined I’d have to do this!
“Oh, my God. You would go there.”
“Ha!” My finger caught the loop of a bow that popped from underneath the waistband when I pulled the fabric away from her waist. I tugged and tugged at the knot, but it wouldn’t give. “Don’t move.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to use my pocketknife, or we’ll be here for hours. Faith obviously doesn’t want grandchildren from you if she tied this.”
“Stop trying to be funny.”
With a quick flick of the blade, the underskirt fell, and I bolted from under the mass of fabric before I became trapped and suffocated in the fashion faux-pas fiasco of bows and organza… or was that tulle? As soon as I was back on my feet, I brushed at the knees of my black tuxedo pants. “I’m going to need to get them cleaned.”
Lizzy hurried up into the passenger seat without waiting for me to help her. “Stop whining and get in the truck.”
“I’m not whining.”
“I’ve never known a guy who was so fastidious about his clothing.”
I let out a cross between a laugh and a cough as I climbed inside the cab. “I bet Bill is.” She’d even told me how he could only wear suit coats with an even number of buttons.
“Don’t say his name ever again.”
I grinned as I started the engine. “Who? Bill?”
At her glare, I held up my hands. “Okay, okay! I promise I won’t mention him again.”
I let out another huge exhale as I drove out of the parking lot. All I needed was Faith Bennet to spot me liberating Lizzy from that prick she’d convinced her daughter to date and marry. Not that I cared. Faith could kiss my ass. I was Lizzy’s friend and would never abandon her—especially now!
After about ten minutes of silence, there was a sniff. “Richard, I think I need to go back.”
“You want to go back and face Faith?” The woman would eviscerate Lizzy.
“Ugh! No, she’ll kill me. On second thought, I need alcohol.” Lizzy’s voice was small, so when I stopped at the next light, I glanced over and flinched. Tears poured down her cheeks which were now covered in trails of gloppy black. Most of the time, she hardly wore any makeup and was gorgeous as she was. The thick mask Faith had applied to Lizzy’s face was now melting away. The effect was terrifying.
“Sweetie, don’t cry. I promise everything will be okay.”
“You don’t know that.” The words came out on a sob.
“Oh, but I do. You didn’t love Bill.”
Her expression turned fierce, and she pointed her index finger directly at my chest. “I said not to mention his name!”
“You didn’t love the tapeworm. Is that better?”
“Eww!” Her nose was starting to run and coalesce with the tears.
I kept a box of tissues in the back, so I grabbed them and put them in her lap. “Well? What did you want me to call him?”
“What was that list of names in Bridget Jones’ Diary?” She sniffled.
“I believe it was ‘alcoholics, workaholics, commitment phobics, peeping toms, misogynists, megalomanics, chauvinists, emotional fuckwits, or perverts.’[1] Which do you want to apply to You Know Who?”
“I can’t believe you can still recite that from memory. Oh!” She pointed up ahead. “There’s a liquor store in that shopping center. Pull in!”
“Firstly, we’ve watched that movie how many times? I’ve also read the book. As for the alcohol, I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“Come on, Dickie.”
“I wish you would stop calling me that.”
She giggled through her tears. “Your grandmother still calls you that.”
I turned into the parking lot and pulled into a space right in front of the store. “What do you want?”
“I’ll get it.”
She began gathering the folds of her skirt, but I grabbed her wrist before she could step out of the car. “In that dress? Without the underskirt, you’ll fall flat on your face.” I wasn’t going to mention the smeared makeup unless I had to.
With a huff, she slumped back into the seat. “Vodka, gin, whiskey. I don’t care.” As I started to exit the vehicle, she grabbed me by the shoulder. “On second thought, go big or go home. YOLO. You know and all that.”
“What does that mean?”
“That Scotch you always drink. I like that one.”
“The Aberlour?” She wanted to get drunk on a $100 bottle of Scotch. “That’s going to be ugly in the morning.” I wasn’t exaggerating either. She may as well drink Jack if she wasn’t going to savor it.
She waved her hand. “Never mind. I’ll take a bottle of tequila.”
I greeted the man at the counter when I entered. The hard liquor was behind the counter, so I stood in front of the clerk while I studied the shelves behind him. I passed over the cheap crap, then pointed to a bottle of Patròn Silver. I wasn’t totally heartless. I would never let her get plastered on rotgut.
When I made it back to the truck, I handed her the bag. She ripped the paper off, then proceeded to use her fingernail to break the plastic seal.
“How are you going to…?” Someone could’ve knocked me over with a feather when she tipped the bottle back and drank down a quarter of its contents. Shit! I’d need to get her some water and soon. Maybe once she got tipsy, I could hide the rest before she got alcohol poisoning.
“What’s wrong?” She wiped her cheek, smearing the black streaks up her cheekbone and into her hair.
“Not a thing.” I winced as I started the car, and as soon as we were on the road, I tapped the steering wheel a few times. “If you puke in my car, you’re going to clean it, then pay a professional to do it again.”
“I won’t puke in your car. Besides, I have the bag the tequila was in. Stop being such a wimp.”
“You ripped the bag, remember? It was also paper.”
“Oh, yeah.” She dropped her head onto the headrest.
“I’ll take you home.”
“No!” Her head shot up so hard I would be surprised if her brain didn’t ricochet off her skull. “My mother will be at my door as soon as she realizes I’m gone. I’ll be stuck inside. It’ll be a siege.”
“No biggie. We’ll go to my apartment then.”
“I have no doubt she’ll try there too. You haven’t moved in the past six years. Both of us would be trapped.”
I could’ve groaned. She was right. Faith would never leave me alone until I gave up Lizzy’s whereabouts. I’d never do that, of course, but I didn’t want to deal with the woman either. “Then what do you suggest?”
“I have to get out of town for a while, at least until Faith cools off. You’ll want to lie low for a few weeks.”
With a groan, I sagged then straightened. “I’ll have to call my assistant at some point. We’ll need to coordinate everything so I can work remotely for several days.” Lizzy wanted to believe Faith Bennet would cool off, but that woman had a memory like a rhinoceros. She never forgot anything and would ram her objections down your throat if you let her. I gripped the steering wheel and winced.
To tell the truth, I was surprised Liz was left alone long enough to get away. Faith was so engrossed in this wedding, I wouldn’t have been shocked if Faith had walked down the aisle herself, and in that insane dress Lizzy was wearing.
A second’s glance was all I needed to know the woman had selected the gown herself. Lizzy—my best friend since kindergarten—would never wear so many frills or bows, or a monstrosity that appeared as though she was expecting to time travel back to the Civil War.
For as long as I could remember, Mrs. Bennet had talked about when her daughters married—when they found rich men. She had encouraged Lizzy’s friendship with me once upon a time. How many times had she insinuated the two of us would make a “lovely couple” or comment that I should take Jane, who was a mere year older, to this dance or that? Of course, that stopped four years ago when Faith Bennet saw me out on a date one night. At the realization I preferred men, I became the wealthy, unavailable man Faith Bennet no longer had time for, and she admonished Lizzy for remaining my friend.
No, Mrs. Bennet would never forgive her second daughter for running away on her wedding day—she also would never forgive me for helping—but I certainly wouldn’t mention that to Lizzy right now. Telling her that would only make her drink more, and she’d taken several more sips since she downed the first six or eight shots in one gulp.
The piercing sound of a screaming goat filled the cab, and I about jumped out of my skin.
“Oh, God! It’s Faith! She knows I’m gone.” Lizzy picked up her leather phone wallet and opened it, staring at the screen. We’d guffawed when we found that ringtone and set it for her mother. Now, it engendered terror.
“Don’t answer it. You know she’ll only lay a guilt trip on you.”
“I know.” Her head jerked to face me, her eyes bulging. “What if she tracks my phone? Do you remember that stalking case six months ago where the guy did that and the girl had no idea? It was all over the news.” Lizzy began tearing her driver’s license and credit cards out of the phone wallet.
“What are you doing?” Before I could stop her, she opened the window and hurled her phone as far as she could.
“Now, she won’t know where we are.” She wore a satisfied smile that wouldn’t last once she’d sobered and recalled what she’d done.
“What if she finds my number?”
Lizzy snorts. “She deleted that years ago, and your mother would never tell her. I think we’re safe.” She tipped back the bottle of tequila and took another gulp.
I couldn’t argue about my mother. She’d overheard Faith attempting to lay a massive guilt trip on Lizzy in high school. If Lizzy had wanted to leave the Bennet’s house, my parents would have used every legal means to keep her from having to go back. As far as they were concerned, Mrs. Bennet was just plain manipulative, and Mr. Bennet enabled her abuse.
I reached over and took her hand. “Hey, we can make it 275 miles before I need to charge the battery. Any ideas on where you want to go?”
She shook her head. “I don’t care as long as it’s far, far, far away from my mother.” Her words were slurring. She’d fall asleep soon. I squeezed her hand as another tear fell onto her cheek.
“Hon, you don’t ever have to see Faith Bennet again if you don’t want to.”
After she nodded, I turned my attention back to the road. The car was very quiet except for the hum of the heater. Lizzy wasn’t sleeping, though. If she’d passed out, she would’ve been snoring like a freight train. She always snored when she was drunk. Other than the occasional sniff, she hadn’t made a peep.
“Dickie?”
“Yeah, Liz?”
“If neither of us has found someone by thirty-five, will you marry me?”
“What about sex? As beautiful as you are, you’re not my type.”
“Who needs it?” She waved her hand almost falling over in the process. “It’s not like I ever got any from Bill. My vibrator has worked overtime for the past five years.”
My eyes almost popped from their sockets. She’d had a five-year drought, and she’d never told me! And how had her vibrator lasted five years? I shook myself.
I’d known she didn’t love Bill, and I’d tried to make her see sense, but I’d never been successful. If I’d known, I would’ve gotten her drunk and found some decent guy to hook up with her. Anything to get her away from the stiff-necked suck-up. Heck, I had someone I’d always thought was perfect for her. Bill was even more of a fuckwit than I had imagined.
“You won’t need me. You’ll find the perfect man, get married, have those three kids you want, and live happily ever after.”
She snuffled. “No man will want me once they meet Faith.”
“They’ll still love you, and because of that, they’ll never let Faith near you again.”
“That’s definitely a fairy tale.”
When she began to snore, I pulled off the road, capped the Patròn, and tucked it behind her seat. She didn’t need any more. I watched her sleep for a moment while I bit at my lip. Should I? I’d be read the riot act for bringing a drunk friend to crash, but I wouldn’t need to stop to charge. I could plug in my truck when we arrived. How many times had I wanted to… No, that decided it. Lizzy needed me to take care of her, and that was exactly what I was going to do.
