Author: Leenie Brown

Leenie Brown fell in love with Jane Austen's works when she first read Sense and Sensibility followed immediately by Pride and Prejudice in her early teens. As the second of five daughters and an avid reader, she has always loved to see where her imagination takes her and to play with and write about the characters she meets along the way. In 2013, these two loves collided when she stumbled upon the world of Jane Austen Fan Fiction. A year later, in 2014, she began writing her own Austen-inspired stories and began publishing them in 2015. Leenie lives in Nova Scotia, Canada with her two teenage boys and her very own Mr. Brown (a wonderful mix of all the best of Darcy, Bingley and Edmund with healthy dose of the teasing Mr. Tillney and just a dash of the scolding Mr. Knightley).

Music Monday: All This Time

“All This Time // Fanny & Edmund (Mansfield Park).” Video created for and uploaded to Youtube by Cornishbluepixie. 19 May 2012.

THE LINK BETWEEN MUSIC AND STORY: 

First, for those who don’t know, this movie and the novel on which it is based are some of my favourites…way up at the top of the list!  And I must say that the song the creator of this video chose is perfect! Well done, Cornishbluepixie! 🙂

Now on to my small sample from this past week’s writing. I am in a very busy time of year right now…end of quarter, yearbook final deadline, marking, grades, photos needed, pages to complete…aaaaaah! It is overwhelming at times, and it has taken a toll on my writing time. I think I only managed two short writing times this week.  So the selection from which to pick an excerpt was limited, and I thought I might not even have an excerpt, but then I remembered this video and knew the idea of the song goes well with the premise of my story.

Anne refused Mr. Madoch six years ago, but he has never wasted his time or words on another.  He wants her and no other. Below is a conversation that Lord Brownlow, Lord Rycroft, Jonathan Lester, and Alex Madoch had one rainy afternoon (see last week’s excerpt) in the sitting room at Lord Brownlow’s home.

EXCERPT FROM Her Heart’s Choice: 

“I find it difficult to believe that you would do anything in haste.”  Rycroft directed the statement to Alex.  “You seem more the calm and calculating sort.”

Jonathan snorted.  “To a point,” he agreed, “but pass that point and all bets are off, gentleman.  He would cut ties with his mother if she crossed him.”

“I would not,” Alex retorted.

“She would not cause you to ever have need to prove me right,” replied Jonathan.

“I say, you have a very different relationship,” said Rycroft, once again looking at the two men with some interest.

“We are nearly brothers,” said Alex, “or should I say Lester is more a brother to me than mine ever was.”

“Well, we share a common interest,” said Jonathan, “your brother knows nothing of horses and sees your pursuit of them as only a waste of legal training.”

Alex nodded thoughtfully.  “True.  Neither he nor father was pleased when upon my graduation I refused to take up my robes and instead took a position with my uncle.”  He placed his cup on the table.  From the looks of interest on the faces of their companions, he felt his relationship with Jonathan needed some explanation.  “I clerked for a year after my graduation. As was my custom in any area where I found myself, I learned who had the best horses and grooms.  One of those grooms happened to have a son who was more keen to learn accounting and bookwork than how to mend a harness. I traded what I knew of the subjects for the opportunity to learn to mend a harness.”

“He knew how to mend a harness.”  Jonathan’s mouth was once again full of pastry.

Alex shrugged.  “True, but your father knew things that I did not, and I wanted him to share them with me.” He turned toward Rycroft.  “He is, in my opinion, one of the best grooms I have met.”  He smiled. “Tucked away in the country serving a country squire and happy as any man could ever be.”

“And it kept him from having to attend many social functions.” Alex chuckled.

Alex chuckled.  “I only had to attend one assembly and two or three card parties during the entirety of my term.  It annoyed my employers wife to no end, which pleased him quite well. Of course, I used the opportunity to meet the gentlemen of the area.” He pursed his lips and thought for a moment.  “I think I managed to only be required to partner one or two young ladies for a dance.  They were lovely, but my heart was not available and my plans were not to be fulfilled through courting.”

“Ah, see I was right!” said Rycroft.  “Cool and calculating.”

“Driven,” mutter Jonathan.

“I find it admirable,” said Brownlow.  “I wish I had thought of pursuing the breeding and sale of cattle as a means to avoid social events.”


Music Monday: Kiss the Rain, Yiruma

YirumaVEVO. “Yiruma, (이루마) – Kiss the Rain.” YouTube, 09 Feb. 2012.

THE LINK BETWEEN MUSIC AND STORY: 

I admit the song and story link this week is a bit of a stretch. It has been raining and there is rain in the story excerpt below, so I went looking for a song about rain.  While I think that the most appropriate song for this excerpt would be Rain, Rain Go Away, I chose to go with the song above which is beautiful and is now part of my Music to Write By playlist.

FYI: This song does have lyrics that are rather sad.  If you would like to see a video with the lyrics to assuage your curiosity (like I had to) here is a link:

Kiss the Rain Lyric Video

EXCERPT FROM Her Heart’s Choice: 

Alex paced the length of the green sitting room at Brownlow’s townhouse.  Then, he peered through the window before turning and pacing the length in the opposite direction.  “Blasted rain,” he muttered for the fourteenth time in the last half hour.  There would be no riding in the park and no sitting on the step at Matlock House today.  And at present, he did not know where she would be this evening.  He had hoped to discover that bit of information when he saw her at the park.

“Blasted rain.” He inhaled deeply and rapidly and then exhaled just as quickly, as he turned to make yet another circuit of the sitting room.

“It is not necessary to wear holes in one’s boots before purchasing a new pair,” said Rycroft coming into the room. “Brownlow will be along soon.”  He took a seat near the window.  “I have come to learn that you are in town to marry my cousin.”  He tossed his right leg over his left knee.

Alex stopped his pacing, tilted his head, and gave Rycroft an appraising look. “That is the plan if the rain ever stops.”

“Ah, yes, rain will put a damper on outdoor plans such as riding?”  Rycroft raised a brow and steepled his fingers together in front of him. He smiled as he achieved the full attention of the man who was still wearing a path along the length of the room.  “My uncle.”  He chuckled.  “And my mother.  They seem to like you.  I can’t imagine there is much more that I need to know about you that my uncle has not already told me.  He does not shower praise to earn friends.  He only speaks highly of those he deems worthy. It seems you are worthy.”  Rycroft shifted slightly in his chair.  “I almost feel jealous, for I do not believe I have ever earned such accolades as you have.”

Alex shook his head.  “I do not know why he feels I deserve them.”

“You saved his horse,”  Jonathan said from the corner and then turned his attention back to his book.  “And your as upstanding as any man ever was, which is one of the reasons so many of us stand with you even when we do not agree with you. You are annoyingly correct.”  He muttered the last bit in a tone that was very close to a growl.

“Have you met Mr. Lester?” Alex asked Rycroft.

“Not officially, but my uncle could not speak of you without speaking of him.  You, Mr. Lester, also seem to hold my uncle’s good opinion.”

Jonathan inclined his head in acceptance.  “That is Madoch’s fault,” he said with a smile, “as is most of the good fortune I have met in my life.”  He stood, placed his book on the table, and bowed.  “Jonathan Lester at your service, Lord Rycroft.”

“Please,” Rycroft waved the man back to his chair, “I do not stand on ceremony among friends, and since my uncle has spoken so highly of you both, I intend for us to be friends, unless there is an objection.”

“You will get none from me,” said Alex, finally taking a seat.

“Which means you will also get no objection from me.”  Jonathan picked up his book again and ignored the pointed glare that Alex was giving him.  “Not that I would have objected if I had been able to form my own opinion.”

“Read your book before I sack you.” Alex growled.

Jonathan chuckled and opened his book.  “That is not possible. I am invaluable, you know.”

“Read your book,” Alex growled again.

Rycroft eyed the two.  He had learned that one employed the other but that before that they had been best of friends and inseparable. According to his uncle, Madoch was the man with the grand ideas and Lester the one with the skills to assist in seeing them accomplished.

“Would you care for a game?” Madoch motioned to the chess set at the far end of the room.  “I admit to being unable to sit unoccupied for any great length of time.”

“Especially when there is a plan that is being thwarted by rain,” Jonathan added from behind his book.

Madoch sighed.  “Especially then.”

“You remind me of my cousin,” said Rycroft rising from his chair.  “It was one thing at which I could best him.  Richard and I use to challenge Darcy to a game of sitting.  We would pick a place and an object to observe and then see who could hold their position the longest.  I never won — Richard always did — but I also never lost.  Darcy was always the first to quit the field claiming he had something that needed his attention.”  Rycroft arranged his pieces on the board.  “However, place a book or a tiring pile of estate papers before him, and he will out sit me every time.”  He chuckled.  “This is one game in which I hesitate to ever accept his challenge.”