Graeme’s brows furrowed, and he shook his head in disbelief. “Of course, I love her. She’s Bea.” He moved to rise, but Shelton’s hand on his arm stopped him.
“No, not as a friend. She’s the one you spoke about when you visited, is she not?”
Graeme blew out a breath and turned to face his friend. “Bea loves my brother, and I only wish to see her happy.” No matter how the idea of his brother marrying Bea irritated him! She deserved better than a dolt who had to be convinced of her worth rather than recognizing it of his own volition.
Shelton nodded his head slowly as if he were considering what Graeme was saying, but Graeme knew better. Shelton was reasoning things out, piecing things together, and drawing conclusions. A gentleman did not survive as a rake and be generally well-liked as Shelton had without a keen mind.
“She loves my brother,” Graeme repeated. It had been foolish of him to speak to Shelton about a lady whom he found enchanting but was unavailable. However, his tongue had been loosened by alcohol that night after they had ridden out to purchase Shelton’s new hunter, and the things that Graeme had been pondering since the evening he had nearly kissed Bea during that blasted card game had come spilling out. He had been wise enough to leave out names, but still, he knew Shelton was no fool.
“You truly wish to see her happy?”
Graeme looked at Shelton warily. “Yes.”
Shelton smiled. “Then, capture her heart before your brother can break it.”
The hairs on the back of Graeme’s neck bristled. The smile Shelton was wearing was calculating. He had seen it before — often right before some poor chap was about to be fleeced or lose his lady.
“I consider myself the charitable sort,” Shelton continued, “and I am approaching that age where a wife will be expected. I could save her heart from harm.”
Graeme’s eyes narrowed. “You will stay away from her,” he growled.
Shelton chuckled, clearly enjoying taunting his friend. “Will you call me out if I do not?”
Graeme folded his arms and smirked in return. Shelton knew that Graeme would never call anyone out. It was, for one thing, illegal, and for another, Graeme was not the best shot nor all that adept with a sword. So to use a duel as a threat would be of no effect. However, there was a threat that Graeme knew would shake Shelton. “No, I will shoot your horse.”
[from His Beautiful Bea, A Touches of Austen Novella]Published to YouTube by Solis Music on March 5, 2017.
Mr. Shelton in the above excerpt is getting his own story! His story will have some definite nods to Jane Austen’s Emma just like His Beautiful Bea had nods to Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park. And I am working on fleshing out an idea for a story for Bea’s brother Max that will have nods to Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. That book will be released in the fall as part of a multi-author project which I cannot yet tell you about but am nervously excited about being part of. However, you can start reading Mr. Shelton’s story tomorrow right here on my blog. I have chapters 1-3 scheduled and should have chapters 4 and 5 written before the end of the week. (I missed writing a chapter last week — but more on that later.) The name of Mr. Shelton’s story will be His Darling Friend, and even the title has a bit of a nod to Emma in it. In Emma, Mr. Knightley calls Emma dearest and most beloved. I wanted something similar but did not want to use those words, and darling has the idea of being dear and beloved, so that is why I chose that word for the title.
Needless to say, I am a bit excited to begin sharing this story with you tomorrow. 🙂
His Beautiful Bea is going through a little bit of a makeover. I have given it another reading and cleaned up yet more typos and such (although no matter how often you proof, there always seems to be something that gets missed.) I have updated the file for the ebook and given the book a new cover! The print book will hopefully be ready before next Monday. There are a few more hoops to jump through to get that done than to do an ebook. For those who read in Kindle Unlimited, His Beautiful Bea is in that program and can be read using your subscription.
Now, for the reason I did not get a chapter of His Darling Friend written this past week:
I finished writing Tom: To Secure His Legacy!
Yes, I am excited about that as well! This week, I might be a bit less excited as I reread it before sending it off to my first reader to check for story issues. 😀
The bad part of this news is that I will not have any new story excerpts to share here on Mondays for probably two or three weeks as I need to pick a story to work on then start writing. 🙂
I have no idea what that next story will be at this point. Hopefully, I will have that figured out by next Monday as well. It seems I have a lot of things to do this week! 🙂
So, here, for the last time as a Music Monday work-in-progress, is…
AN EXCERPT FROM Tom: To Secure His Legacy:
[note: Do not read if you do not like spoilers or excerpts that end on a bit of a teasing, tempting cliffhanger. 🙂 There is a limit to the amount and type of spoilers I am willing to share. 🙂 ]“Now that I have discovered what caused your frown, I should like to discover what was the source of your smile before you began to worry for my future.” Mrs. Johns rose and limped to where the workbaskets were laid out. She placed her finished garment in the basket on the left before taking a new project from the basket on the right. “Does it have anything to do with your young man?”
Her young man. Those were very pleasant words to hear, for Mr. Bertram – Tom, she rolled his name around her mouth silently – was indeed hers. He had only to earn back his losses, and then he would offer for her. He had said nearly those exact words on three occasions.
“Tell me about how wonderful he is,” Mrs. Johns prodded. “I wish to hear all about your good fortune in finding a gentleman who loves you as you deserve.”
“You may not start any discussion of Mr. Bertram without me,” Olivia said from the door. “I have only to go up to my room for a moment.”
“We will wait,” her mother assured her. “But be quick,” she called after her. “Olivia might have a fourth student,” Mrs. Johns said to Faith. “Soon, she shall have one for every day of the week, and then more of my sewing money can be set aside.”
“That is excellent.”
Mrs. Johns raised an eyebrow and gave Faith a pointed look. “You do not sound as happy as you should be.”
“She should be singing at musicales in music rooms not teaching in one.” The fact that Olivia could not participate in any of the activities where she might find a husband was one of the things that caused Faith to feel a trifle guilty for having found a happy future with Mr. Bertram.
“Someone will find her. She is too beautiful to be ignored for long.” Mrs. Johns assured Faith. “Three of the possible four young ladies who come for lessons have brothers who escort them to our door – unmarried brothers.” She pressed her lips together quickly as Olivia entered.
“Now, you may tell us all about Mr. Bertram,” Olivia said. “You have not been to see us in days, and the last we heard you had danced with him at a ball and were going to go driving with him.”
Faith had insisted that Robert allow her to spend a few hours with Olivia and her mother after that ball where her brother had played matchmaker. He had sent a note to Mr. Bertram telling him to call an hour later than was normal, and Mr. Bertram had not grumbled one bit about being put off for an hour.
“He took me to see the store that he is helping to finance.” She put her sewing aside while she spoke. “It was in the process of being made ready. We will have to go there together when it is opened. It shall be quite the sought-after place, I can tell you that. I was impressed by the plans and with the work that had been done when I saw it. Mr. Bertram was correct about Mr. Durward never doing anything which is not excellent. I quite approve of Mr. Durward. He was drawing up ledgers when we were there, and he has some very firm beliefs about credit not being abused.” She looked down at her empty lap.
“You may say whatever it is you are thinking,” Mrs. Johns encouraged. “I know my husband’s weaknesses. I shall not faint away to hear them mentioned.”
“Are you certain?” Faith asked quietly.
“I am positive,” Mrs. Johns said.
Faith blew out a breath. “He will not extend credit to anyone who has not settled accounts within a specified amount of time, so his store will not contribute to someone needing to take in sewing to keep herself.” She smiled apologetically at Mrs. Johns.
“I think that is a very good thing,” Olivia said.
“As do I,” Mrs. Johns agreed, reaching over to grasp Faith’s hand. “You are so caring, my dear. So caring.”
Faith blinked against the tears in her eyes. “I wish I could do more for you.”
“And I would not allow you. You do enough as it is. Dressing like a maid to come visit us and spend your time sewing things for which you will not receive a cent – that is enough.”
“It does not feel like enough,” Faith admitted. She felt so guilty for her own good fortune – for having a father who saw to finances as he should and for a brother who was caring enough to be badgered into learning to behave properly.
“Well, it is,” Olivia said. “Of course, when you are Lady Bertram, I should not be opposed to being asked to visit you.”
“Olivia!” her mother scolded.
Faith laughed. “You could not keep me from asking for such a thing, and,” her cheeks flushed, “I am certain Mr. Bertram would be willing to allow me to invite you both.”
“I am so pleased for you!” Olivia cried. “When will you allow us to meet… Does he know you are here?” She rose from her chair and went to the window. “For it seems as if he wishes to stop here.”
“Whatever do you mean?” Faith joined her friend at the window just as Tom removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair. Something was wrong. “I must speak to him,” she said, moving quickly to the door of the sitting room.
“Invite him in,” Mrs. Johns called after her. “You can speak in the music room.”
“Thank you,” Faith said from the doorway before rushing to open the front door and call to Mr. Bertram before he rode away.
“Mr. Bertram!” She waved to him from the step, her heart sinking as she took in his expression when he turned her direction. There was a deep furrow between his eyes and a sad downward turn to his mouth.
“Come in,” she said when he rode over to her.
“I cannot,” he turned and looked up the street and then back at her as if he was lost.
“Please, come in and tell me what has happened. Please.”
~*~*~
O! Such a busy post. Yawn!! That music was amazing. I nearly took a nap listening. It was delightful. You should get an award for the amazing come-back, ‘No, I’ll shoot your horse.” That was so cool, horrid, and I know he would do it, but still that was so cool. I didn’t read the Tom excerpt as I didn’t want a spoiler before reading it. I’ve always wanted a story on Tom. He was such a good candidate for his own story. Such room for learning life lessons and redeeming him life and recovering from nearly dying. Yes, that is a good story. I am so glad you chose to give him his own. We rarely see a story on him. I look forward to reading it. You have been so busy. Blessings on the rest of the week.
He would NOT do it. Dang, I failed to catch that before I hit send.
I have so enjoyed writing a story for Tom. I am starting with him at the place where Jane Austen left him:
…There was comfort also in Tom, who gradually regained his health, without regaining the thoughtlessness and selfishness of his previous habits. He was the better for ever for his illness. He had suffered, and he had learned to think: two advantages that he had never known before; and the self-reproach arising from the deplorable event in Wimpole Street, to which he felt himself accessory by all the dangerous intimacy of his unjustifiable theatre, made an impression on his mind which, at the age of six-and-twenty, with no want of sense or good companions, was durable in its happy effects. He became what he ought to be: useful to his father, steady and quiet, and not living merely for himself…
So, his story here is very much a story of how does he fit into this new role he has taken on of being steady and quiet and not living for himself. I hope you enjoy reading it when it comes out as much as I have enjoyed writing it. It’s one of those books where I am excited to reach his happily ever after but sad to have to leave him and Faith behind.