The Saturday Broadsheet

The October 2026 Broadsheet

October 10, 2026

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving and welcome to one of my favourite months of the year! October is just beautiful here – the cool temps, the sunny days, the colours of the leaves! Sigh. It’s too bad that October only happens once per year. But then, if it happened more often, it wouldn’t be so special I guess. 🙂

Our garden is still growing. This weekend (Saturday morning to be precise), we hope to get some plastic attached to the large hoop house to see if we can extend the growing season for a few weeks and get our roma tomatoes to ripen. I just picked the first almost fully red one this past week, and I have seen a few changing colours so maybe it will be possible? This year is about experimenting, seeing what happens and learning as we go.

I have been settling into my part-time writer identity fairly well. (See this post if you want more info about that.) I have just completed my first full week of delivering for Uber Eats each morning for a few hours and then coming home to put in a few more hours at my writing job. I’ve been working towards doing this every day, so it’s nice to see that I was capable of doing it. And I expect it to become even easier to do as it just becomes a new routine.

As part of my new business plan, I have identified two core activities to do each day in my writing life. These top priority items are 1) one 30-minute writing time block and 2) one 1-hour audiobook production time block each day. So far, I’m finding this manageable. So with all that in mind… let’s get into my writing and audiobook news and all the regular Saturday Broadsheet info.

But first…

While we’re speaking of business plans, my friend Rose has some business news that she shared this month in the Sigh-worthy Romance Tearoom. You can see her goodbye/hello message here.

Okay, now on to my news.

IN WRITING NEWS

various white and purple flowers on a lavender background with a white band across the middle that has the following text written on it: Darcy Family Holidays, Book 5 (Lydia's story: a grumpy/sunshine, age-gap, seaside romance) A work in progress by Leenie Brown

I have started sharing Lydia’s story on my Patreon page each Thursday. This past Thursday, chapter 5 posted, and I need to re-read and schedule chapter 8.

This week, I focused my 30-minute writing time slots on Harriet and the Colonel’s story, as well as writing this newsletter.

Next week, I’ll be back to Lydia’s story.

IN AUDIOBOOKS NEWS

If you subscribe to my website or my Substack, you already know that I have completed adding all 69 of my eBooks to ElevenReader. And since that project is done, I have started sharing links to my audiobooks on YouTube on my website and Substack. (They are already all on Patreon.)

ebook cover of An Accomplished Lady (of the best sort) with the tag line of "He had to prove his friend wrong in order to make everything right." on a purple background with a teacup and earbuds

The plan at present is to share one YouTube audiobook video each week. This past week, An Accomplished Lady (of the best sort) was the audiobook that was added.

eBook cover of Not An Heiress with headphones draped over it on a purple background. Includes these bits of text info: She had found it quite delightful, over the past three years, to fluster her parson on occasion. Chapter 7. Audiobooks by the Chapter

I have been working on producing Not An Heiress as an audiobook and have been sharing that story as a by-the-chapter audiobook on YouTube. Yesterday, Chapter 7 posted over there, and after I complete this Saturday Broadsheet, I hope to complete the second pass of Chapter 8 so that I can get that made into a video and have it ready for next Friday. Chapter 8 is the final chapter in this story except for the epilogue, which I hope to have out the next week after Chapter 8, but Monday is a holiday, so it might be delayed a week.

IN BOOK PROMOTIONS

Cover of Finally Mrs Darcy on the right. On the left it says He lost her once. He won't let that happen again. $0.99 for a limited time.

This month’s $0.99 book is Finally Mrs. Darcy. (That’s $0.99 USD, CAD, AUD, NZD, EUR, GBP, with all other currencies also reduced and on all my regular eBook retailers.)

OR…

You could get Finally Mrs. Darcy as one of your two eBooks to Keep as a paid Patreon member. Memberships start at $2 and unlock access to my full library of 69 eBooks, 14 audiobooks, and new releases first.

This month's Patreon FREE read. Cover of Unravelling Mr. Darcy on a background of grey with some delicate pink flowers on the left

The other eBook to Keep for paid Patreon members this month is Unravelling Mr. Darcy, which also happens to be a free read for all free followers until the end of the month.

And now for…

SOMETHING NEW TO READ

In this section, we are on our way to London and taking a stop at a coaching inn.

Please remember that there are sections where previous chapters from all the Harriet and the Colonel stories can be read on whichever platform you subscribe to.

On my blog, look for Harriet and the Colonel in the menu options.

On Substack, look for the Harriet and the Colonel section on the home page.

On Patreon, look for On the Way to a Wedding in the collections tab.

On the way to a wedding title graphic with the title and an image of a Regency couple talking near the door to a garden on the left and then the words As read in the Saturday Broadsheet On the Way to a Wedding, a Harriet and the Colonel Story by Leenie Brown on a deep terracotta coloured background on the right

Chapter 4 (part 1)

The carriage rattled to a stop in the courtyard of a familiar inn. It was the one where Harriet and her brother always stopped for an extended period when traveling from their estate to town or from town to their estate. In fact, it was the same inn at which she had stopped with Andrew and her father and mother when they were alive.

“That bench between the inn and the stables,” Richard whispered in Harriet’s ear, “is where Edmund met Elizabeth.”

Harriet smiled. That was her favourite place to sit with a sandwich on nice days when they stopped – Edmund enjoyed it as well. Yes, it smelled a bit of horses out here, but the tree lent a nice bit of shade when its leaves were still attached to its limbs, and the noise of horses, carriages, and the people who worked with them was preferable to the din that could grow quite raucous indoors.

“Are we taking a full half hour?” Richard asked Julian.

“Do you need it, dear?” Julian asked Samantha.

“Oh my, I would love a day and a half,” she replied as she rubbed her back. “I doubt a half hour would be any better than a quarter hour.” She smiled at Harriet.

“Do not rush on my account,” Harriet said. “I posted my message to Edmund at the last inn. It is well on its way to informing him to be careful.” She turned to Richard. “We will take the full half hour and a private room.”

“Does that meet with your approval?” Richard asked Julian.

Julian laughed. “I dare say it must if Harriet has decreed it to be necessary. She does know her sister well. Samantha would press on without a stop at all if she could.”

“This is true,” Samantha agreed. “I do not enjoy travelling overly much. I mean, the scenery is lovely, but the constant bumping along the road does make one grow weary. And in my current state, I find it makes me twice as weary.” She punctuated this with a small pat of her belly. “Harriet is likely wise to force me to take some time away from the carriage.” She sighed. “I am just anxious to see Edmund with my own eyes.”

“I still cannot believe that you have been involved in an intrigue that is adjacent to dangerous people.” This was not the first time Julian had scolded Harriet with a severe look as he had said something similar.

“I was perfectly safe,” Samantha replied. “And Harriet will do her best to keep herself safe, because if she does not, she will never get to marry her colonel.”

Richard chuckled at that just as he had each time Samantha had said the same thing in reply to Julian’s scolding.

“I promised Richard I would be careful,” Harriet replied as always. “And I would never lie to him, nor would I do anything to put my sister in danger.”

“Not purposefully,” Julian grumbled.

Harriet sighed.

“No one is going to be in danger,” Richard said as helped Harriet out of the carriage. “Edmund will be warned in time.”

He had taken Harriet’s troubling thought about Edmund being led into a trap with great seriousness. It was he who had decided that they needed to apprise Samantha and Julian about some of the details of their investigation. The results of doing so had been beneficial, since it had helped them start their journey earlier than originally planned, for both Samantha and Julian were anxious to be certain that Edmund was safe.

Together, the four of them entered the inn, and after a few minutes of waiting, were escorted to private room. It was less than five minutes later that a tea service was set out for them.

Their half hour had stretched to thirty-five minutes before Richard suggested that he and Harriet take a stroll of the yard before they re-entered the carriage.

And that was how they came to be almost to Harriet’s favourite bench when Samuels rode into the courtyard to request a new horse.

“He is alone again,” Harriet said, while Richard lifted a hand in greeting to draw the man’s attention to them. Thankfully, it worked and neither of them would have to hire a horse to ride after him to discover why he was here instead of in town.

“Colonel, Miss Phillips,” Samuels said as he approached them. “Are you headed to town? Lillesley mentioned you would be returning early to prepare for your wedding.” He added a wink to his words to indicate he knew precisely why they were travelling.

“Have you seen my brother recently?” Harriet asked as one might when coming upon a common acquaintance, but with a greater reason to ask than it being just a nicety.

Samuels nodded. “I was at Lillesley house just yesterday.”

“And he was well?” Harriet pressed.

Worry filled the man’s eyes. “He seemed to be. Is there a reason he might not be?” He glanced to the right for a moment before turning his attention to their left. “Have you learned something?”

“Nothing that I am sure you do not already know,” Harriet replied.

“[name] has a connection to Wickham,” Richard said softly. “I do not know if Lillesley knows that.”

Harriet’s mouth popped open on a small gasp. “That is important, is it not?” she said to herself more than the men with her.

“It is,” Samuels agreed. He shook his head as his cheeks puffed out and then, he expelled a breath. “Even more so now,” he added.

Nervous butterflies began a jig in Harriet’s belly. “Why do you say even more so now?”

Samuels knocked his hat against his leg, as if he were trying to rid it of dirt from the road. “He is why I am here.” He looked very much like he did not want to admit anything further, but he did. “No one of our lot has seen him in two days.”

Thank you so much for being my readers! Have a lovely weekend!

<3 Leenie

The September 2026 Saturday Broadsheet

September 12, 2026

Happy New (School) Year!

When you’ve been a teacher for years and years, had kids in school, and have a husband who still works at a school, September becomes a month to mark new beginnings.

And this month, it is marking some new beginnings for me in my writing life.

If you read the latest SWR Tearoom post, you’ll know that I’ve been struggling with feeling like quitting. I’m not going to, but I am going to have to change some things in order to keep doing this writing business – which I love.

Here’s the link to the SWR Tearoom article so that I don’t have to repeat myself.

To sum it up into one compound phrase that really does not encompass all of what I said in the article but at least gives a hint as to what it’s about, I am now a part-time author and am shifting my business plan a bit.

So, during this month of new beginnings, I am attempting to work into a part-time schedule that will be productive. To aid me in this, I’ve set two daily goals for myself, neither of which I have yet accomplished every day.

Those two daily (M-F) priorities are writing/working on a story for 30 minutes and working on audiobook things for 1 hour. And everything else will have to be slotted after those two things are done.

Today (Thursday), my writing time is being used writing this newsletter and updating the about section on my Patreon page. It will take more than 30 minutes to do all that, but I took a day off from Uber Eats because it was pouring rain this morning and I had no desire to get soaked, so I have a bit more time to do it.

My audiobook time today will first be used to add a new book to the ElevenReader library, because I haven’t gotten one added there this week, and then, if there’s time, I’ll do some more production work on chapter 5 of Not an Heiress.

Last week, part of my writing time was used to write the segment of Harriet and the colonel’s story at the end of this newsletter.

And last week, I also missed sharing a chapter of Not an Heiress on YouTube because I just hadn’t had enough time to get it ready. I hope that I’ll have chapter 5 ready for next week, but we’ll see.

So now, let’s jump into all the book news, starting with…

Audiobook News

I am still working on adding my Sweet Possibilities and Extras stories to ElevenReader. This is the final series that I have to add over there, and after today, I will only have two books left to add. Today (Thursday) I am adding Pretending to Love Mary to ElevenReader. It may actually be live over there by the time you read this on Saturday.

You can find all my books on ElevenReader @ bit.ly/Leenie-11R.

Sweet Possibilities and Extras on ElevenReader @ bit.ly/Leenie-11R with a graphic of a headphone and four book covers on a white background. Book covers are of Matching Mr. Darcy, Moonlight, Mistletoe, and Mary, Christmas in Gracechurch Street and Midnight with Mary

On YouTube, as mentioned above, I have started sharing Not an Heiress as a by-the-chapter audiobook and yesterday, chapter 4 went live over there. Chapter 5 is still a work in progress so it may be there next Friday or the following one.

purple background with a graphic of Not an Heiress eBook cover with headphones hanging over the eReader, Writing included on the graphic includes: Chapter 4, Audiobooks by the Chapter, and this quote from the chapter: Darcy's mouth dropped open again, and he turned to his aunt, who was smiling, and sipping her tea. "What have you done?"

If you haven’t yet subscribed to my YouTube channel, I would love to have your support in reaching my first 1000 subscribers so I can apply for monetization. You can find me on YouTube @ youtube.com/@leeniebbooks.

Book News

I have begun sharing Lydia’s story on Patreon! Chapter one posted this past Thursday, and there will be a new chapter added each Thursday as long as there is one ready to go. I have several chapters already scheduled to post for the next few Thursdays as I continue to write that story.

The background is of a partial crossword puzzle on the left side and a partial wordsearch on the right side. Laid over this is a partially transparent black square where you will find Names and Colours, Bookish fun from With Quill and Ink and Arguing with Mary. Under this are the eBook covers for those two books.

On Wednesday evening this week, I shared a Bookish Fun post called “Names and Colours from With Quill and Ink and Arguing With Mary Crossword and Wordsearch.” You should be able to find that in the Bookish Fun section of my blog, Patreon, or Substack if you missed seeing it in your inbox.

As the name suggests, it includes both a crossword and a wordsearch based on two of my Sweet Possibilities and Extras books.

Cover of Arguing with Mary on a blue background with the caption: She scowls at him, argues with him, and causes him to stumble and bumble. And still, there's no other lady he'd rather spend forever with. Then, there is an orange stamp shaped like a circle with a jagged edge that is white which says $0.99 for a limited time

Arguing with Mary is this month’s $0.99 book.

That’s $0.99 USD, CAD, AUD, NZD, EUR, GBP, with all other currencies also reduced, and it’s marked down at all the regular eBook retailers.

The covers of Arguing with Mary and Moonlight, Mistletoe, and Mary on a light pink background with the caption: Free to keep with your Patreon subscription this month and @patreon.com/leeniebrown

As you can see, Arguing with Mary is also one of the two eBooks to Keep that Patreon members can download this month.

The cover of Moonlight, Mistletoe, and Mary on a light pink background with the caption: This month's Patreon free read and @patreon.com/leeniebrown

Moonlight, Mistletoe, and Mary is the other eBook to Keep and is also the free Patreon read this month.

If you’re a subscription reader, Patreon is just one of the subscription places where you can read my books. In addition to Patreon, my books are included in the Kobo Plus and Everand subscription programs.

Pink background with off white text box at center that says "A bit of good financial news 50% off all box sets only on Smashwords until September 29" includes a graphic of a duck or goose carrying a stack of books on it's back and with a heart like a thought bubble over its head.

And one more impromptu book promotion that wasn’t planned until recent current events took place. I mean I’ve heard enough doom and gloom tariff talk to last me for years, although I know it’s not over yet and likely won’t be for some time. So, I thought, why not have some fun with it, and let there be some good financial news.

Therefore, from now until September 29, all my box sets are marked down by 50% on Smashwords. This is a public coupon code so it should be applied automatically at check out. Just double check that it is before clicking buy. (In case you need it, the code is 7X6Y6)

You can find a list of all my box sets on the Box Sets page of my website at this link.

And now for…

Something New to Read

In this section, Harriet and the colonel’s reunion continues.

Please remember that there are sections where previous chapters from all the Harriet and the Colonel stories can be read on whichever platform you subscribe to.

On my blog, look for Harriet and the Colonel in the menu options.

On Substack, look for the Harriet and the Colonel section on the home page.

On Patreon, look for On the Way to a Wedding in the collections tab.

Chapter 3 (Part 2)

Four hours later, the various aspects of travel had been sorted, dinner had been eaten, and a fire crackled in the hearth of the drawing room where Harriet sat snuggled into Richard’s side on a sofa, while Julian softly read a story to his wife on the opposite side of the room.

“This is lovely,” Harriet whispered. It was cozy and tranquil with a distinct domestic air. In her opinion, it was perfect and a lovely glimpse of the future. “The only piece that is missing is Edmund,” she continued, “and someone with whom he can share a quiet evening.”

“Perhaps that should be your next assignment,” Richard teased.

Harriet laughed softly. “It has crossed my mind, but I would not have liked for him to have pushed me at anyone –”

“And yet, he did attempt to do so,” Richard interrupted. “How many times did he mention this gentleman or that one to you before some soiree?”

This was true. Her brother had put in a valiant effort to find her someone to marry who was not Richard. “He mentioned and suggested, but he did not force me to dance with them or go on drives or anything like that.”

“Yes, well… I am still somewhat put out with him about his refusing to let me court you for so long. Not that I do not understand why he chose to do as he did, but I did not appreciate being kept from you.” He lifted her hand and placed a kiss in her palm. “I might still be waiting if it were not for your interference. And that is why, I think perhaps it might not be so bad a thing to offer some assistance to your brother in this – maybe not to the point of concocting schemes that put anyone or their reputation in danger, but surely, you could discover someone who might fit nicely into his life.”

“I cannot believe you are suggesting that I play at matchmaking. You have always despised such things, or at least that is what you have said in the past.”

“I have never been so happily matched as I am now, and I find that I very much wish for my dearest friend – for you brother is still that to me – to be as content as I am.” Here, he pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head before punctuating his point with a contented sigh.

“I would like for him to be loved as I am and you are,” she agreed.

“I would assist you if needed,” he offered.

“And I would be happy for the help,” she said. “But first, we must marry, and that cannot happen until our current assignment is done.” Hopefully, it would be over soon. While she thoroughly enjoyed figuring out puzzles and the prospect of helping her brother and his men rid the world of horrid people, she was rather eager to be Mrs. Fitzwilliam and settled into a life with the man at her side.

He hummed his agreement while tightening his hold on her for a moment, but said no more. Harriet also did not feel a pressing need for conversation, so the two of them sat in silence, just listening to the lilt of Julian’s voice and the snapping and crackling of the fire.

Lack of conversation did not mean that all was quiet, however. In her mind, Harriet was busy going over all the pieces of the investigation as things had transpired so far. Of course, she was not certain she knew all the details. It would not surprise her to learn that Edmund had withheld some information from her. He had withheld information from Richard about Mrs. Younge’s relationship with Mr. Wickham. And if he would withhold information from his best man, he would definitely withhold it from his sister.

“Are Mrs. Darcy and her maid, as well as Miss Darcy recovering well from their ordeal?” she asked as her thoughts had brought them to mind.

Richard nodded. “They seem to be. I think being able to vent her spleen on your brother did Mrs. Darcy much good.”

“I am glad to hear it. I still cannot believe he did not tell you about Mrs. Younge.”

“He will not make that mistake again,” Richard assured her.

“I hope not,” she muttered.

“I read the letter he wrote to Darcy about his part in the ordeal,” he added. “It will not happen again. I believe any chance that it might have, was removed when Mrs. Darcy put her bit of theatre into action at that inn.” He chuckled softly. “You would have enjoyed it.”

“I am certain I would, and it makes me anxious to meet her.” With this said, the pair once again lapsed into silence as Harriet turned her mind to Mr. Wickham.

She had never met him, but she had heard about him. He was charming – dangerously so, according to Miss Cooper. Of course, Miss Cooper was speaking about the fellow’s ability to charm a lady into ruin, but Harriet knew that the danger in his charming ways extended further than that – to life itself. He had orchestrated an abduction that was quite bold and well-crafted to cause pain and financial distress to someone he had once counted as a friend.

What still boggled her mind was why was someone, who could charm his way through life and diabolically scheme his way nearly into substantial wealth, suddenly fearful? If she had to guess – and truly, that was all she could do – she would say that Mr. [name] had something to do with it. But what? And how did Mr. Wickham, who had known Mr. [name] for many years, not know that he was the one for whom they were looking until recently?

Samuels’ visit before Edmund went to town played again in her memory, and it still did not sit right. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she knew that Mr. Wickham was playing out some sort of scheme.

“What do you think Mr. Wickham’s scheme is?” she whispered to Richard.

He simply shook his head and said, “I wish I knew, but perhaps we will know more when we get to London.” She felt him draw a deep breath before he added, “Your brother would not be the first to underestimate that miscreant.”

She sucked in a quick breath as a terrible thought entered her mind.

“What is wrong?” Richard asked.

She swallowed and whispered as softly as she could for she most certainly did not want her sister to hear this. Indeed, she did not wish to hear the thought outside of her head. But if anyone needed to hear it besides herself, it was Richard. “What if Edmund is being led into a trap?”

Thank you so much for being my readers! Have a lovely weekend!

<3 Leenie

The August 2026 Saturday Broadsheet

August 15, 2026

Hi. It’s the middle of August… already!

My hubby is currently on holiday from his main job but has picked up some side jobs while he is off. We haven’t planned any day trips yet because he’s got those side jobs and because my car was having issues… again!

It now has two new CV joints and is driving quieter than it has in a long time. It is currently waiting for a new oil pan to come in so they can replace the one that has a leak.

snapshots of potatoes, tomatoes, beans, lettuce, and zucchini over a background collage of various garden plants and with the heading "the harvest begins"

The garden is growing, and we are slowly getting to enjoy some home-grown produce. We are also learning a lot and planning changes for next year. In fact, we may be rearranging the layout of our “hoop house” today. It’s on the schedule, but I am writing this on Friday, so anything could change our plans between now and then. We’d like to be able to reach both sides of the tomato plants for harvesting more easily. That’s the reason for the shuffling of things. (Again, it’s all part of the learning process.)

In my writing life, I’m still plugging away at my various projects slowly. They are creeping forward, and I am planning to start sharing my Lydia story with my Patreon subscribers as a work in progress at the beginning of September on Thursdays. You do have to be a $2 or higher subscriber to gain access to that.

And I have run into a little problem with my Harriet and the Colonel story, which I will tell you about when you get to that part of this Broadsheet.

But first, in…

AUDIOBOOK NEWS

I told you last month that I had started adding the Touches of Austen series to ElevenReader.

Collage of the six Touches of Austen book covers with the words "Touches of Austen now on ElevenReader" with a sketch of a pair of headphones and a web address bit.ly/Leenie-11R

That series is now complete, and I am currently working on adding my final collection of books to the ElevenReader platform.

That’s my Sweet Possibilities and Sweet Extras books.

Sweet Possibilities are my Pride and Prejudice meets Hallmark-style romance stories. They are Darcy and Elizabeth variations which employ some of the tropes you might find in a Hallmark or similar movie. Such as: shared inheritance, Christmas traditions that force people together, an unwelcome suitor showing up to stir up trouble, and matchmaking friends and relations.

And each and every Sweet Possibility story has a Mary and the colonel Sweet Extra novelette sequel.

Covers of the first four book covers in the Sweet Possibilities and Extras collection with the words "Sweet Possibilities and Extras now on ElevenReader" with a sketch of headphones and a web address bit.ly/Leenie-11R

As of this week, I have two such pairs uploaded to ElevenReader and three pairs left to upload. I am still only uploading one book per week, so it will be the end of September when I finally get that project completed.

I am looking forward to finally having all my books listed at Elevenlabs as it provides greater accessibility for those who want or need their books to be read to them.

YouTube thumbnail for Not an Heiress with a cover image and headphones on a light purple background. Includes the caption: Colonel Fitzwilliam would not be hers- no matter what her heart's desire was on the matter.

On YOUTUBE, chapter 1 of Not an Heiress posted yesterday. I have the next chapter scheduled and waiting for me to proof-listen to it to make sure no strange noises were added in the transfer from video creation software to my hard drive to YouTube. But that’s as far as I have gotten with work on that project as of this moment.

Discovering Mr. Darcy is now available as an audiobook in several places (other than YouTube) and is listed at an introductory price both on retail stores and library catalogues until the end of August.

Audiobook cover for Discovering Mr. Darcy with a list of the places where it can be found:
Get it when you become a patron
YouTube (free with ads)
Kobo
Spotify
Nook Audiobooks
Everand

BOOK NEWS

Book Promotions:

A collage of book promotion graphics on a summery background with sand and seashells and boards painted aqua. The book graphics show the covers of Matching Mr. Darcy and With Quill and Ink. Both books are downloads for patrons this month, while Matching Mr. Darcy is the free read, and With Quill and Ink is $0.99 everywhere. The with Quill and Ink image also contains these story details: Love discovered through the pages of a late friend's private diary, A secret garden inheritance with a marriage stipulation, and A matchmaking house party and a list of eligible bachelors.

This month’s series highlight is my Sweet Possibilities series.

With Quill and Ink is the $0.99 book this month – which can be found at a variety of stores and is reduced in all currencies.

Matching Mr. Darcy is the Patreon follower FREE read this month and is also one of the two eBooks to Keep over there for subscribers. (With Quill and Ink is the other eBook to Keep.)

SOMETHING NEW TO READ

As I stated above, I have just found an issue with my Harriet and the Colonel story. I have been writing this new part as if it is to take place in the summer. However…

I had intended it to match with Oxford Cottage at the time when Darcy and Elizabeth meet Lord Lillesley at an inn while travelling to London from Oxford Cottage.

Um, that took place in October. Not summer. So, I will have to go back and adjust things in this story accordingly, but I’m going to write from here to the end as if it is early October and not the summer. This is just part of the story being a WIP. 🙂

I will not be changing the chapters that I have shared at any of the places below, but the corrected timeline will appear in the final product. (And no, I have not yet named the gentleman suspected of being the ring leader. He is still just Mr. (name).)

Please remember that there are sections where previous chapters from all the Harriet and the Colonel stories can be read on whichever platform you subscribe to.

On my blog, look for Harriet and the Colonel in the menu options.

On Substack, look for the Harriet and the Colonel section on the home page.

On Patreon, look for On the Way to a Wedding in the collections tab.

Chapter 3 (Part 1)

Two days later, Samantha and Harriet, along with her husband who had joined them just that morning, were returning from a walk in the garden when a rider approached the house.

“Who do you suppose that is?” Julian asked with a laugh, since Harriet was already nearly running toward the garden gate that would connect her to the driveway. But how could she not hurry when her colonel was nearly at her doorstep.

“I have a message for the lady of the house,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said as drew his horse to a stop near her. “It is an acceptance of your dinner invitation from Mrs. Darcy.” He swung down and withdrew a letter from his pocket. “She is anxious to meet you. Nearly as anxious as I was to see you – which is why I am playing the part of an express rider.”

He swept her into his arm and kissed her soundly before she had a chance to do any more than say, “You are here.” No other words of welcome were spoken. But did she care? Not one wit. Kissing was exactly how she had hoped to welcome him.

“Julian is here,” she said, once they had stopped kissing. “He and Samantha are in the garden sitting room.” She added this part after peeking over her shoulder to see if her sister and brother-in-law had followed her. Thankfully, they had not. “I am so glad you came.”

“You will need to thank your brother for that. He thought it would be a good show of things surrounding your returning to town a bit earlier than you normally do.” He wrapped her arm around his, and they began walking toward the gate to the garden. “Apparently, a dinner party has been arranged, since the Darcys will only be in town for a short time, before retiring to Pemberley for a few months. And I have not been granted any extended time away from my post – just a few days to see to the safety of my betrothed as she travels to join her brother.”

“That is a very good plan, and my brother concocted all that on his own, did he?”

Richard chuckled. “How could he have, since it was you who extended the invitation to the Darcys? The rest was all his; although, I do believe Elizabeth had a hand in part of it in an indirect fashion.”

“Mrs. Darcy inspired part of my brother’s story about your arrival and my return?”

“You would have been impressed.” He led her down a path away from the door to the garden sitting room and began to regale her with the story of the mock abduction that he had helped Elizabeth stage at the inn where he was to meet with Lillesley. “It was after this that he decided to have me come here to accompany you to London as a good faith demonstration to Elizabeth that her words about protecting those in need of protection had not fallen on dull ears.”

Harriet shook her head as she smiled broadly. “You are correct, as you often are. I am quite impressed with Mrs. Darcy.” She drew a breath.

“She is expecting a child, but I am not to tell anyone,” Richard whispered. “Therefore, any scheming you may have in mind to do with your soon to be cousin through marriage will have to wait and likely be confined to safer pursuits that do not involve guns, knives, abductions, or criminals that are more hardened than a young child who steals a cookie or breaks a vase.”

“You do know that will not be easy, do you not?” Harriet almost teased. Her tone was teasing, but the truth that lay in the statement was just that – truth. “These past two months in the country have been rather boring, or at least they were until (name) called on us and Edmund departed for London.”

Richard has slowed his pace to nearly standing still. “What do you mean by that? What have you been doing while your brother was away?”

“I believe that Samantha and I have discovered who is behind the whole operation.” Or, at least, she hoped that what she had discovered from Mrs. Cooper’s visit was the final piece of their puzzle. For she truly wished to be a married woman before Christmas.

“You will need to elaborate on that,” his tone was rather demanding.

“We did not do anything dangerous,” she assured him. “It was merely a bit of tea and all the accoutrements that accompany such a call between ladies.”

“Gossip? You are basing your discovery on gossip?”

She shook her head. “My information is just that – details that hold a great deal in common with our current assignment. A flirtatious maid named Muriel, a family who took her to town, who had a son with a dangerously charming friend named George whose last name likely started with a W, and the head of that family is not at his estate presently. He is, rather, in town.”

“And you discovered this over a cup of tea?” Richard asked in surprise.

“Well, not the part about Mr. (name) being in town. That information was gained at the milliner’s shop. There are two other gentlemen in the area who are not in residence as would be normal, but the one who seems the most likely to be the person in whom we are interested is Mr. (name).” She shrugged. “Edmund would not tell me the name of the gentleman in town that he wished to see.”

“He had mentioned that to me, which is another reason he gave for me to come see you.”

“He expected me to discover what he would not tell me?”

Richard nodded.

Harriet smiled. “I am once again impressed. It seems my brother is finally realizing that I do possess some skills.”

Richard laughed. “I do believe he has. Although, he has always known you were clever.”

“Not that he ever wished to acknowledge it.” She shook her head. “That is not entirely true. He used to think it was a good thing, and then, he went away to war.” She snuggled into his side closer as they walked. “It changed him. And then Andrew died, and that also changed him. But he was not alone in changing. We all were touched by those things in different ways.”

“You are not just clever, my love. You are wise. And I do think your brother will come to realize that more and more as he settles into his new role. I will assist him in seeing it.”

Harriet laughed lightly. “Is that your way of telling me that I do not need to continue to prove my cleverness and wisdom to him?”

“You are wise,” Richard said before kissing her fingers. “Now, I do think we should enter the house and discuss our preparations for travel.”

—

Thank you so much for being my readers! Have a lovely weekend!

<3 Leenie

The July 2026 Saturday Broadsheet

July 11, 2026

Summer is in full swing for us here in Nova Scotia. School is out. My husband and the rest of the caretaker team at his school are scrubbing desks, dusting vents, washing windows, doing floor care and the like to wash away the residue from the last school year and get the place ready for the next one.

My husband has also decided to try his hand (and mine) at gardening. This year is about learning. So overcrowding when planting or not knowing how to stake things properly and using make do items and solutions is part of the fun. It’s not supposed to be perfect. Mistakes are expected. And you know, so far, it has been fun.

Here’s an image of the container garden he’s created as it stands right now. The bug netting is not yet secured and we need one more length of it, but the hoops to hold it are in place. And yes, the potatoes (bottom left corner of pic) are being grown in cardboard boxes this year because he saw it on a YouTube video. 😀

Picture of a container garden covered with insect netting supported by a hoop house frame. Stands in a back yard next to a deck.

And his plans for future beds and more plants keep expanding. He’s definitely enjoying the activity. Personally, I’d love to see the grass in the backyard mostly replaced with various beds of flowers, vegetables, and even fruit. But for now, it’s just a WIP (work in progress).

Speaking of works in progress…

I am still working on Lydia’s story and it’s not going any faster than it was – which is frustrating but I am attempting to not be uptight about it. (I’m not really succeeding at not being uptight about it, but I am attempting to be. LOL) So, that’s my update there. Now, let’s move on to the other book news and then, I’ll share the next portion of Harriet and the Colonel’s story.

AUDIOBOOK NEWS

The full Marrying Elizabeth series of books is now available in the ElevenReader Library.

Cover image of Her Secret Beau with at QR code to find the story on ElevenReader

And I have started to add the Touches of Austen series to ElevenReader. This week, I added Her Secret Beau, which brings the number of stories I have on ElevenReader to 58, and drops the number left to upload to 11.

There are three more books in this series to upload. So, that should be done by the end of July.

On YOUTUBE, the epilogue for Discovering Mr. Darcy posted yesterday. I have the full audiobook video ready to proof and schedule. And I will be starting to get the book ready to distribute, first, to my Patreons and then, to Spotify and all the stores that will take it. It will be listed for an introductory price until sometime in August.

YouTube thumbnail for Discovering Mr. Darcy, Epilogue. Contains this statement on it: In which, we peek at the Darcys' in the future and learn Lady C is matchmaking again.

I will be taking a week off from posting on YouTube once the full audiobook is posted – to give me time to get the audiobook distributed to all the places – and then on July 31, I hope to begin sharing Not an Heiress as an Audiobook by the Chapter story on YouTube.

BOOK NEWS

Book Promotions:

This month’s series highlight is the Darcy Family Holidays series. This is the series that my current WIP is part of.

Cover images of all the books in the Darcy Family Holidays series. A Scandal in Springtime is marked $0.99. The rest of the series is $1 off this month. Darcy Family Holidays a kisses only Pride and Prejudice variation series made up of seasonal holiday stories

As you can see I’ve reduced prices across the series for the month of July. That’s on all retailers and all currencies have been reduced, although the $1 drop is referring to USD, CAD, EUR, GBP, AUD, NZD, as is the $0.99 for A Scandal in Springtime.

And the free read at Patreon is Two Days Before Christmas, which is also one of the two downloads for Patreon subscribers.

Cover images of A Scandal in Springtime and Two Days Before Christmas on a background that shows snowballs, snow covered conifer trees and Santa Claus. Reads Free to keep with your Patreon subscription this month.

If you’re a subscription reader, Patreon is just one of the subscription places where you can read my books. In addition to Patreon, my books, are included in the Kobo Plus and Everand subscription programs.

So, what exactly are the stories in my Darcy Family Holiday’s stories about? I’m so glad you asked. Here you go:

The Darcy Family Holidays is a Pride and Prejudice-inspired collection of seasonal holiday stories.

In Two Days Before Christmas, Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet overcome past misunderstandings and the transgressions of a rogue to find a love that is the ultimate Christmas present.

One Winter’s Eve sees Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam look past Caroline Bingley’s sharp exterior, leading to a transformation of character and a romantic match before Twelfth Night.

A Scandal in Springtime follows Kitty Bennet to London in the spring, where a social blunder with the wealthy Trefor Linton sparks a surprising courtship.

Sketches and Secrets of Summer finds Mary Bennet in Derbyshire, where her unique perspective captures the heart of Stuart Alford as they care for his two young nieces

(Lydia’s story will find her at the seaside searching for love and finding it where she doesn’t expect to.)

Go to the Current Book Promotions page

Smashwords July Summer / Winter Sale graphic with beach and winter forest images in the background

The Smashword Summer/Winter Sale is happening this month. All my books are marked at 50% off for this sale. This means that the Darcy Family Holidays books will be 50% off the reduced price, except for A Scandal in Springtime, which is free.

Mary: To Protect Her Heart, free until July 15. Graphic reads: If you love stories about redemption and growth. Then, you've got to read this.

Remember that Mary: To Protect Her Heart is still FREE until July 15. (You may have already downloaded this during the JAFF Bonanza, but in case you missed it then, you still have a couple of days to get it.)

Go to the Current Book Promotions page

SOMETHING NEW TO READ

On the Way to a Wedding title graphic features the title and a picture of a young man and lady talking at the door to a garden

We’re continuing to set things up with our story this month. Harriet has been busy trying to discover the identity of the man Wickham fears.

Please remember that there are sections where previous chapters from all the Harriet and the Colonel stories can be read on whichever platform you subscribe to.

On my blog, look for Harriet and the Colonel in the menu options.
On Substack, look for the Harriet and the Colonel section on the home page.
On Patreon, look for On the Way to a Wedding in the collections tab.

Chapter 2 (Part 2)

For two days after their tete-a-tete in the garden, Harriet and Samantha made the trip to the village to see and be seen, but most importantly to talk and listen to those they met.

As far as the two ladies knew from these excursions, there were three men who were not at their country estates as would be their normal wont. One had gone to visit his brother who had suffered an accident while riding. Another had inherited a second small estate and was seeing to the setting up of things there. And the third was in London overseeing the remodeling of his townhouse.

All seemed perfectly reasonable reasons to stray from the normal pattern of things. However, that was the best way to cover one’s true intent when one did not wish for that intent to be discovered.

But was that not what she and Samantha had been doing, Harriet thought as the two of them settled into the drawing room at home for an afternoon of sewing. With any luck today would prove to be beneficial to ferret out which fellow was attempting to cover his nefarious business.

A carriage had been spotted in the driveway twenty minutes ago, so it was no surprise when guests were announced.

“Mrs. Cooper, Miss Cooper, it is lovely to see you. Did the ribbon you purchased match your dress as you wished it to do?” Harriet said in greeting as her guests took their seats.

Mrs. Cooper was known for her dedication to all things newsworthy, and so, Samantha, being the excellent sister that she was, had made certain to let the lady know that Harriet would soon be returning to town to finalize wedding preparations.

“Oh, it is perfection!” said Mrs. Cooper. “I dare say Audrey is going to be very sought after in town this season, for she will be well turned out.”

“That is excellent news,” Harriet replied, though she really was not interested in what sort of fashionable clothing Miss Cooper had procured for her wardrobe – or that is to say, she was not overly interested. She was a lady, after all, and did enjoy beautiful clothing. However, she had a mission to complete, and information that would aid her in the completion of her task was of more interest. Therefore, these mundane topics of conversation were necessary.

“I do hope she will be as successful as you have been,” Mrs. Cooper added with a smile before turning to Samantha, who was embellishing a baby bonnet. “I see the lace you purchased is being put to good use.”

Harriet made use of this turn in the conversation to request that lemonade and seed cakes be brought in.

“Yes, it is,” her sister replied. “And I do think that my husband will not mind it even if this child is a boy.” Samantha chuckled softly. “Julian loves a fine piece of lace on one of my dresses, but he has little tolerance for any such adornments on little boys’ gowns. He is the youngest of four you see, and his older siblings were all girls. He is just as handsome then as he is now, and resembles his sisters so greatly, that if you were to take away his mature features and build and replace it with something softer – as a young boy usually is – and allow his hair to grow and curl as it is most naturally wishes to do, you can likely understand his misgivings about his son being mistaken for a daughter.”

“Did that happen to him often when he was young?” Miss Cooper asked.

“Until he was breeched, and even after that, he often heard comments about how he was just as pretty as his sisters – who, by the by, are beautiful.”

“Well, then, it is very understandable that he would stress that there is a difference in some fashion, whether it be colour or the number of ruffles and amount of lace,” Mrs. Cooper said. “My husband has never concerned himself with anything our children wear. He leaves that entirely up to me. Indeed, I am often asked to recommend colours to him when he is ordering a suit of clothes.” She smiled softly. “He does not see colour as we do.”

“Oh, indeed!” her daughter cried. “But then, my brother is the same. At one time, I thought all boys saw things wrong when I was a girl, but that is not true. I know that now.” She paused as the refreshments were brought in. “You know, Mother, it was a maid who first heard me say that boys do not see things right and corrected me.”

“No, you never mentioned that to me. Was it one of our maids?”

Miss Cooper nodded. “Her name was Muriel.”

Mrs. Cooper gasped. “I remember her.” She looked at Harriet and Samantha and lowered her voice. “She was not with us long. She was a little too friendly with some of my son Ambrose’s friends.” She shook her head. “She was quite pretty so her attentions were not easily turned away by some young men.”

“Did you dismiss her?” Samantha whispered.

“We did. I will not tolerate such things in my home.”

“That is understandable.” And commendable, Harriet added to herself. “Do you know if she found another position?” She asked this as she made certain that everyone had both lemonade and a seed cake.

Mrs. Cooper sighed. “I heard she eventually went to London with the (family name). Why they would hire a maid who was known to cavort with the gentlemen of the house, I do not know. But then, their son and that one friend of Ambrose’s were known philanderers, so I should not be surprised. Oh, what was his name?”

That was interesting as Mr. (name) was the fellow who was, presently, in town and not at his estate. But that could be a coincidence.

“Was it the dangerously charming fellow?” her daughter asked.

“It was indeed,” her mother replied.

“I was only twelve at the time,” she explained to her hosts. “But even at that age, I could tell that he was far too charming, but my, he was handsome. I dare say I have never seen any other gentleman who was as handsome as he was.” She sighed. “He was quite the dandy. A dandy named George something or other. I remember thinking his name was rather regal and fit him as the king of the charmers.” She laughed lightly.

“You do not remember his surname?” Harriet pressed.

She shook her head. “I do not. I think it started with a W or V maybe? I really could not say with any certainty, however. I just remember scribbling his initials on a scrap of paper and the last letter was one of the pointy ones. I never liked how I formed them, you see.”

And with that, Harriet knew she had found the piece of information she needed, but she could not let on to that fact, now, could she? So instead of smiling broadly and looking pointedly at her sister as she wished to do, she said, “It is not really important what his name is. I do not need to worry about whether or not to accept a dance from him this season, and you would know him to see him, so you are safe as well.”

“Oh, indeed, I would avoid him if I saw him,” Miss Cooper assured Harriet.

“That is excellent to know. When will you be making the trip to town?” Samantha said, deftly steering the conversation in a less exciting and more mundane direction.

Thank you so much for being my readers! Have a lovely weekend!

<3 Leenie

The June 2026 Saturday Broadsheet

June 13, 2026

What have I been up to in the past month?

Well, delivering Uber Eats orders, producing audiobook chapters, and trying to get my creativity unstuck so that I can write what needs writing. If you’d like more information about those things, including some research tidbits that I found interesting during my attempt to get unstuck, then, I would suggest that you pop over to the Sigh-worthy Romance Tearoom and read the post I made there on June 1 (which can be found here) .

Since that post was made, I’ve managed to write the next story installment for Harriet and the Colonel, which you will find at the end of this newsletter, and I’ve gotten a half chapter of Lydia’s story done. I know that’s not much, but it’s a start in the right direction, and I’m hopefully optimistic that the worst of being stuck is behind me. In fact, I hope to get that half chapter turned into a full chapter before you read this on Saturday. (I’m writing this on Thursday.) [Friday evening update: I did it! That chapter is complete!]