Christmas in July continues today with a Mary Merry Christmas Medley and another book giveaway. Can you guess which book? Did I give you a good enough hint?
Published to YouTube by pok12341 on December 26, 2011
There are only two books remaining on our list: A Very Mary Christmas and Two Days Before Christmas. The giveaway link is located, as always, after my writing news and just before today’s story excerpt.
Writing News:
I don’t have a lot of news for you this week. I’m still working on writing both Delighting Mrs. Bennet and Charles: To Discover His Purpose. I managed to do three days of two writing sessions each. However, I worked on Charles’s story for most of those second writing sessions since that story needs to be completed first. (I would still like to have this story ready to publish in August — it’s just turning out to be longer than expected)
Because I put extra time into that story, there were 3 chapters posted at Patreon last week, and I know I have at least 2 chapters ready or almost ready to post this week. 🙂
My goal to have the Dash of Darcy and Companions Collection all updated by next Tuesday, the end of the month, is a faint possibility for the ebooks, but the print ones might push me past that deadline as will the fact that I would like to add a couple of bundles. So a more realistic goal for completion is before August 15.
And I think that is it for the writing news. Now, for the …
CHRISTMAS IN JULY GIVEAWAY:
Did you guess the right book? 😀
CLICK HERE TO CLAIM ONE OF THE 5 COPIES OF A Very Mary Christmas.
[Oh! This free copy features the never before revealed updated cover for this book.]
The copies are available on a first come, first serve basis until all five have been claimed or the link expires on Friday, July 27, 2018.
***Update: All 5 copies have found homes***
The following has not yet been posted on Patreon and is about half of Chapter 13.
AN (longish) EXCERPT FROM Charles: To Discover His Purpose:
“I found you.”
Evelyn jumped.
“I did not mean to startle you,” Charles apologized as he entered the interview room at Eiddwen House and held out his hands. “Arthur, Stephen, and I have been polishing boot for two days, and I seem to be the worse for the wear.”
She smiled. It was a most welcoming expression to see her pleasure displayed so.
“And Arthur has mastered the knot I taught him. This is his handiwork.” It felt right sharing these little accomplishments with her. “Do not worry,” he said as he took a seat next to her on the settee. “Mr. Gibbs is in the hall. I told him I did not need an introduction, but he is there, so you have only to call for him if I misbehave.”
“Do you plan on misbehaving, Mr. Edwards?” Her tone was one of amusement.
“I rarely plan on it,” he replied with a grin. “That is not true,” he corrected. “I often used to plan on misbehaving.”
“Used to?” Her lashes fluttered over wide eyes.
“Yes, used to. I am certain I might still on occasion plan on misbehaving, but I find I have other things to keep my mind occupied.” He held out his hands and turned them over and back. “Such as staining my hands while polishing boots.” He leaned back and extended his legs in front of him, crossing them at the ankles. “I shall have to wear gloves tonight. No young lady will wish to dance with a gentleman with hands such as these.”
“I think the stains are wonderful.” Evelyn picked up one of his hands and turned it over in hers. “They speak of your good heart.” She replaced his hand on his leg and gave him a teasing smile. “However, we would not wish for too many to discover that. Your reputation would be in tatters.”
He chuckled. “Indeed. That would be a travesty.” He shifted, turning just a bit more towards her. “I have not seen you in two days. At the risk of sounding like my mother, I was beginning to worry about you.”
Her head dipped, and a pink blush crept up her cheeks.
“The season seems to have taken its toll for I found myself tired and in need of a rest.”
She was inspecting the nails on her hand very carefully as she spoke. There was more than tiredness which had kept her hidden away.
“And yet, you are here. Seeing to the needs of a charity is not rest. It is admirable and necessary work, but it is not rest.”
She shook her head. “No, I feel at ease here.” She drew in a deep breath and expelled it in a whoosh. “Here I can breathe.” She turned toward him. “Do you not ever feel the need to escape?”
“Always,” he replied. “That is why I have thrown myself into the delights of the season with such vigor. Frivolity is as far removed from responsibility as one can get.”
She tipped her head and studied his face. “And you are content and at ease when being scandalous?”
He shrugged and then shook his head. He had thought he was. Now, he was not so sure. “Content might not be the correct word.”
She continued her scrutiny of him as if she needed to know who he was. He could see the need in her eyes.
“Then what is the correct word?”
He shook his head again. “I do not know, but contented is not it.” He sighed. “My scandalous activities fill a void of some sort. It has given me something to do with my time, and I must admit it is something at which I excel.” He smiled wryly. “And that does nothing to make me appear any less abhorrent in your eyes, does it?”
She lifted one shoulder and let it drop while giving him a half smile. “The truth is not always pretty.”
He shook his head. “Not my truth anyway. Yours, however,” he made a motion indicating the room, “is as beautiful as you are.”
Her smile wavered, and she turned her head away. That was not the reaction he had expected to such a statement.
“Have I offended?”
She shook her head. “This is not my truth. It is a passing fancy which I must soon give up.”
“What do you mean? Has your mother told you that you must?”
She shook her head again but did not look at him. “No one has told me I must, but if I am to marry, how will I be able to continue as I am? What gentleman, no matter how kind and obliging, is going to allow his wife to remain in town when his estate is elsewhere?”
His brows furrowed. Had she not declared she would never marry anyone who did not allow her to keep her charity work.
“Has Mr. Marsh changed his position on your work?”
It was the only reason he could think of that would cause her to be recanting her words from their last meeting in this house.
“No,” she replied quickly.
“Then forgive me, but I do not understand why you must give this up.” He took one of her hands in his. “No man who loves and knows you could ever ask you to give up your soul, for that is what he would be doing if he asked you to leave this behind. There must be some way for you to do your duty as a wife and retain your interest here.”
He had never expected to receive a smile from her such as she turned on him at that moment. Though it was accompanied by unshed tears clinging to the rims of her eyes, her smile was a thing of beauty unequalled by any of the masters’ attempts at painting beauty.
“Do you truly think there is some gentleman who would feel that way?”
He shrugged. “I cannot be the only one, can I?”
Her laugh was uncertain.
“What of Mr. Marsh?” he asked quietly. “Is he not the sort who would feel that way?”
She shook her head. “I fear he is not. He does not enjoy town.”
“And you are torn between either accepting him and leaving this behind or giving him up?”
Her lips pursed, her brows furrowed, and he waited for her to reply.
“It is likely a very poor reflection on my character to admit this,” she began, “but I fear I would shed more tears over giving up Eiddwen House than giving up Mr. Marsh.” She sighed.
His heart rejoiced to hear such a thing. There was hope that he might win her instead of that toad, Marsh.
“But where does one find such a man who would accept me and Eiddwen House?” She turned beautiful, blue, question-filled eyes toward him.
The admonition of Mrs. Kendrick from their discussion at the theatre rang in his ears. “If the opportunity arises, present yourself as a possibility. She does not consider you as one, though I suspect she might like to.”
He swallowed and looked down at the hand he held as fear caused his heart to race. “Here,” he said. “Right here in front of you.”
Beautiful music selection and what an excerpt. Wow… you ended on quite a note. My poor heart did a little flip-flop right there in my chest. Aaaah! How sweet.
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed both the music and the excerpt. Charles has fallen hard and fast — now if only Evelyn will view him as he wants to be and not as he always has been 😉