“If you are not able to dance, there is always the chance of a stroll in the garden,” Mr. Carlyle said.
Felicity ducked her head and blushed but not before Victoria saw her cast an uneasy glance at Mr. Clayton. “I do enjoy gardens.”
“Indeed,” Mr. Clayton muttered. He turned and looked back towards the house. “They will likely start playing games soon. We should head back.”
“But I had hoped to see the far side of the rotunda,” Felicity said with a small pout.
“You do not need me for that,” Mr. Clayton said. “I find I have had my fill of gardens.”
Victoria’s eyebrows rose. It appeared Mr. Clayton had reached his limit for endurance. She could not help but feel somewhat happy for him.
[from His Darling Friend, A Touches of Austen Novella, and the current Sweet Tuesdays story]Published to YouTube by Daniel Jang on November 22, 2014.
That Felicity! She’s a piece of work! In His Beautiful Bea, she was the character who was supposed to have touches of Maria Bertram in her, and she has not left those unsavoury details behind just because we are in a different book now. Oh, no! As you will see in tomorrow’s story, her unpleasant personality is flourishing.
And while we are talking about tomorrow’s story…
I think I will start my writing news with the exciting fact that I have reached the end of the story! At this moment, it stands at fourteen chapters and just under 32,000 words, so a nice sized novella. The final post of His Darling Friend will be on May 7, 2019. I’ll be getting that scheduled this week and will then start a reread of the completed story making any adjustments that are necessary. I’ll also be trying to figure out what story will be next on the Sweet Tuesdays roster.
I have a short story that I started way back in January and then pushed aside over and over again that I would like to post in between longer stories. I’m hoping to get that one finished this week or next.
In other writing news, I completed one chapter each of A Scandal in Springtime and Loving Lydia. I gave one of my writing sessions originally scheduled for A Scandal in Springtime to His Darling Friend because when I am that close to the happily ever after moment, to stop and put it away for a week would be torture! 🙂
In Loving Lydia, Mary and Lord Westonbury continue to be problematic, but Lydia has finally gotten to see the colonel. However, at this time, I am not going to tell you how that goes.
And in A Scandal in Springtime, well, our hero is doing a stellar Darcy-like job of impressing Kitty. LOL So a fun time is being had by me but not so much for him or Kitty!
Tomorrow is my day at Austen Authors. As I mentioned last week, this post will be some of my thoughts on short stories. I hope you get a chance to stop by and leave a comment or click the like button so that I know I am not keeping only the crickets company. 😀
Now, back to A Scandal in Springtime. I told you last Monday that I would reveal who the hero is.
Welllll, have you read Henry: To Prove Himself Worthy? If you haven’t you should. In fact, you should read the whole series so you can have the best picture in mind of how that series (Other Pens, Mansfield Park) and this series (Darcy Family Holidays) collide. (Yes, I am using that word on purpose! 🙂 You’ll see when you read the excerpt.)
Henry’s story is the book in which we first met the hero from A Scandal in Springtime. He’s a very proper sort of fellow who can be rather severe at times about impropriety. (And yet, he is friends with Henry Crawford and Charles Edwards. Go figure! LOL)
He is also usually very self-assured and knows just what to do or say. He would never treat a lady poorly or purposefully insult her.
Heeheehee. (Evil author laugh)
At least he wouldn’t before he met Kitty. However, meeting Miss Kitty Bennet has had a very peculiar effect on him, and his ordered, all-is-proper world has been turned on its end.
This excerpt from A Scandal in Springtime contains the “meet cute” moment so if you do not want to have that spoiled for you, then please avert your eyes and have a lovely Monday and a good week. However, if you are the curious sort who likes to live dangerously by reading spoiler-y sorts of excerpts, keep reading (and then after you’ve had a little chuckle, you may also have a lovely Monday and a good week. 🙂 ).
Kitty made her way out of the kitchen, past the servant’s hall and the butler’s rooms to the stairs that led up to the ground floor.
She was just about to enter the drawing room, when the door opened and a gentleman stepped out. Perhaps if she had not been so distracted by how tall and broad he was or by his light brown hair that fell in waves, she might have been able to move out of his way before he crashed into her. But, sadly, she had been distracted by the handsome stranger and so it was that she ended up stumbling and nearly falling. Thankfully, she caught his arm and kept her feet. Unfortunately, the tin of biscuits was lost in the action. Biscuits tumbled across the floor as the tin clattered and skipped before coming to a stop.
“My apologies,” his voice was deep and wonderfully smooth. Kitty imagined it was what caramel might sound like if it had a voice – rich and sweet.
He bent and retrieved the biscuit tin which lay at his feet. “I shall gather the large pieces while you retrieve a broom, and I will be sure to tell Mrs. Verity that you were not at fault. You should not be punished for my clumsiness.”
Kitty’s mouth dropped open. Did he think she was a maid?
“I am sure I do not know where there is a broom.” She lifted her chin and affected her most Lydia-like look of disdain. How dare he think she was a servant! Could he not see that she was dressed in a proper lady’s blue day dress?
“You do not know where there is a broom?” He looked at her as if she was the most absurd person he had ever met. “How do you not know?”
“I do not know,” she said as she folded her arms, “because I, like you, am a guest here.”
His hand froze over the biscuit he was about to pick up. “You are a guest?” It sounded as if he were choking on the words which made Kitty smile.
“Yes.”
“Ah, Miss Bennet!” Mr. Edwards cried as he came down the stairs followed by two young boys. “How do I look?”
“Fully clothed,” she answered before she could stop the words from popping out of her mouth. Her cheeks burned as Mr. Edwards’ laughed. “And not any different than you did when you arrived,” she added. “I believe your students have done an excellent job.” Her insides fluttered and flopped with embarrassment. She had been doing so well at being proper until now.
“And these are the fine young fellows who have recreated such perfection,” Mr. Edwards said motioning to the boys behind him. “This is Stephen on the right, and this is Arthur on the left. Lads, this is Mr. Gardiner’s niece, Miss Bennet.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Bennet,” Arthur said.
Stephen nodded his head and muttered his agreement.
“I think he is a bit smitten with you,” Mr. Edwards, who had crossed the corridor to where Kitty was, whispered. “Not without reason,” he added.
Kitty did not know exactly what to say to such a thing but managed to stammer a thank you.
“Linton,” Mr. Edwards said to the gentleman picking up biscuits. “Here to collect your sister?”
“You are Miss Linton’s brother?” Kitty asked in surprise.
The gentleman rose from his crouched position as he nodded.
“You are not at all like her.”
“I think I am,” he said.
“She would not ask me to get a broom.”
Mr. Edwards chuckled.
“You were carrying a tin, and you’re wearing blue.”
Kitty’s mouth popped open, but she quickly closed it while she scowled at him. “And you are wearing black, does that make you a coachman?”
“I have no horses with me,” Trefor argued.
“And I have no broom.”
“I do, Miss Bennet,” Stephen said.
Kitty smiled at him. “Thank you. That is very thoughtful.” She took the broom from the lad and handed it to Mr. Linton. “Your broom,” she said, and then with a flip of her head, she stepped past him and into the drawing room.
Did you recognize the young lads from Charles’s story? 🙂 I enjoyed seeing them again.
~*~*~
There was so much in this post. I loved the music and played it several times as I read this post. Simply beautiful. Felicity… OMG! What can I say? What is she up to? Man… she is a piece of work.
That tease with Lydia and our Colonel was not nice. You are very vexing not letting me know what happened. I suppose I will just have to wait with everyone else and see what happens. Oh, my heart, such palpitations.
I will check out your post on AuAu this week and be sure and click the like button. I don’t ever think to do that. I didn’t think it mattered. I am so sorry to have not done so in the past. I shall change my ways immediately. Thank you for mentioning it.
I loved the excerpt for ‘A Scandal in Springtime.’ And yes I did peek. My curiosity got the best of me. I was hoping it was him. Yeah, I like that guy. His ‘first impression’ of and with Kitty was hilarious. You see how I used that reference. Yes, it reminded me of another {&P couple we know and love. I can’t wait to hear more of this story. Well done. I also loved those young men, Stephen and Arthur. They are so cute. Blessings on all your hard work.
That music piece is gorgeous, and the young man who created it did an excellent job playing all the parts and putting them together. 🙂 I find that fascinating when musicians can do that.
Felicity is up to nothing good, I assure you. She’s just a nasty person, IMO.
Linton has a few Darcy-like qualities to him so his “open mouth, insert foot” -ness seems appropriate. 🙂
Oh, I know you have read my Austen Authors posts as I see your comments. Thank you for that!