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).
Home Free. “Do You Hear What I Hear? (Home Free) (Christmas A Cappella).” YouTube. YouTube, 4 Dec. 2015.
Remember that for the next few weeks, I plan to share some favourite holiday music each Monday, but I don’t intend to have a story connection or really much to say about the songs I will be posting. However, this week, I just have to mention a “sort of” connection. This video was filmed in Minnesota, which just happens to be where I began my Christmas celebrations as an almost-three-week-old baby many years ago. I have many fond memories of Christmases in Minnesota — a tree cut from the woods, snow drifts piled high against the side of the house, listening to the Santa report on the radio and worrying that Mom and Dad not being in bed might make Santa pass our house, Christmas music playing on the record player, and the food (potato sausage, lefse, Swedish meatballs, pies, cookies — there was also lutefisk, which is NOT a pleasant memory 🙂 ). It was such a magical time of year!
I love Brian Crain’s music, and over the past few days, I have been working on listening to this playlist while I have been writing. (It is nine hours long, and I am at about the four-hour mark.) I find this music calms and focuses me, and those were two things I needed heading into the last few day of November.
November is National Novel Writing month — a month in which writers pledge to write novels of at least 50,000 words. I considered taking the challenge, but when I mentioned it to my husband, he thought it would be better if I did not attempt such a feat. He knew that with all the other things I had to do this month, adding such a daunting challenge would only cause stress, frustration and a cranky wife. So, instead, I set my goal a bit lower…a novella of at least 30,000 words… and last night, I made it! The first draft of the No Other Choice is complete and ready to begin the polishing process. 🙂
I am including an excerpt below, but remember, excerpts from this part of the story may contain spoilers. So, read at your own risk!
Starting next Monday, I plan to take a break from posting song and story connected music for a few weeks. Instead, I will share some of my favourite songs of the season.
“BRIAN CRAIN – 143 Song Golden Collection, 9 HOUR Piano Music Playlist for Studying.” YouTube. YouTube video posted by YirumaCollection, 13 Nov. 2014.
From No Other Choice:
Rycroft pushed the door open slowly and shivered slightly at the coolness of the air. He held high the candle Mr. Bennet had given him as he looked around the room. He saw her in the corner. Curled into a ball in a large chair. Her face was peaceful and her shoulders rose and fell as she breathed slowly and steadily. He placed the candle on the table. It must not have been so dark when she first entered, for a candle sat unlit next to her. “Mary,” he called softly as he shook her shoulder gently. “Mary.”
Her eyes fluttered open for a moment, and she smiled at him before closing them again.
“Mary, ” he called again. “You must wake.”
This time, her eyes snapped open. “Oh,” she said as she pulled herself into proper posture. “I did not mean to fall asleep. I only wished a few moments of quiet.”
Rycroft chuckled as she immediately checked her hair. “Not a strand out of place,” he assured.
”How did you find me?” she asked. “Has everyone arrived? What time is it?”
He still her hands. “Your father told me I could find you here. I came early, which I know is poor form so do not lecture me.” He smiled at the scowl she gave him. “It is yet an hour before the others arrive, and an hour and a half before we dine.” He rubbed her fingers with his hands. “Your fingers are so cold. I am surprised you do not catch a chill napping in here.”
“The rest of me is quite warm,” she assured him. “It is only because my fingers were outside of my coverings.” She tried to pull her hands out of his. “We should not be here alone,” she said softly.
“We have permission from your father,” he replied. “Your mother and sisters think I am in your father’s study. We are safe.” He sat back on his heels where he kneeled beside her chair.
“But someone may come looking for me,” she argued.
He shook his head. “Mrs. Darcy will see that they do not.”
“And why is that?” asked Mary.
“I have asked her to see to it.” He shifted trying to make his position more comfortable.
“You have?”
He nodded.
“So, you have purposed to have a private conversation?” Her heart raced slightly at the thought.
He smiled. “I have.” He hoped that the slight widening of her eyes and the faint pink tinge to her cheeks were signs that she would welcome his addresses.
She tipped her head to the side and raised her brow as she smiled at him. “Then, you may wish a chair instead of the floor for comfort.”
“Very true.” He rose from the floor and pulled a chair close. “I am not sure how to begin,” he said as he sat down. “I wish to marry you, you see, but to just say so seems rather direct and not at all the thing.”
Her mouth hung open for a moment before she closed it and gave a small shake of her head. “It is most certainly direct,” she said.
Passenger. “PASSENGER – ‘And I Love Her'” YouTube. YouTube, 03 Feb. 2015. Web.
I am at that point in the story where sharing any excerpt poses a risk of a spoiler, so I apologize for any spoiler this excerpt may contain.
From No Other Choice:
“I am sorry,” said Rycroft. “I promised Bingley I would protect her from schemers and yet, it is I who has brought this schemer to her.” His jaw and fists clenched.
“And you wish to do harm to him,” said Darcy quietly. “But he is a friend and it feels wrong to think of harming him.”
Rycroft nodded. “But what he has planned…”
“Is reprehensible. I understand far more than you know,” said Darcy. “You remember I was once friends with Wickham.”
Again Rycroft nodded. “I know I must deal with Blackmoore, but what of Mary?”
“I shall speak to her,” said Elizabeth. “Perhaps her affections have not been engaged.”
Rycroft’s shoulders relaxed as a weight lifted off them.
“You have not failed her.”
Rycroft looked at Darcy in surprise.
Darcy gave him a wry smile. “As I said, I understand far more than you know. You have kept your promise to Bingley. Did you not hear of a scheme and take immediate steps to prevent harm?”
Darcy stood and Rycroft followed.
“Go home, Rycroft. Miss Mary shall be well. The most dire circumstances have been avoided.”
Elizabeth took Rycroft’s hat from the table and handed it to him as he reached the door. “Thank you,” she said.
“For what?” he asked in surprise.
“For caring for my sister.” She smiled at him. “You do care for her, do you not?”
Rycroft turned his hat in his hands. “Very much,” he admitted. There was no denying it any longer. She had left, and instead of feeling relieved and his mind clearing and righting itself, he found that his world seemed to be lying at his feet in pieces.
Elizabeth laid a hand on his arm. “A library, an aunt and a ball.”
He chuckled despite his gloom. “If it becomes necessary, Mrs. Darcy. If it becomes necessary.”
Emerson Drive. “That Kind of Beautiful.” YouTube. 29 June 2010.
First, I must say I adore this song, and this group is (another) one of my favourites! Now, on to the story excerpt portion of this post. Lord Rycroft is having a “something you just can’t explain” moment and has come to Darcy for advice.
From No Other Choice:
Darcy’s brows rose, and his smile grew. He was definitely enjoying this. “Then, we have an impasse for I shall not be parted from my wife today.”
Rycroft blew out a breath. “Very well, if you insist.” He shifted again in his chair. “There is a lady of my acquaintance who seems to have a very peculiar and disturbing effect on me.” From the corner of his eye, he saw Elizabeth motion toward the door with her head, but Darcy shook his, and she remained seated. “I find myself seeking out opportunities to be In her presence, even when I know she is going to disagree with me or wish me to leave. And today, when we were out riding, I wished to run off a friend because she seemed to favour his attentions. And,” he swallowed and spoke softly, “her beauty…” He raised his eyebrows but did not finish. “Why? What is wrong with me, and how do I fix it?”
Darcy’s smile had grown quite wide. “And if someone were to threaten her?” Darcy chuckled. “You do not need to tell me. I can tell by your look of horror that you would do whatever you needed to protect her. Correct?”
Rycroft nodded. “What do I do?”
Darcy looked at Elizabeth. “You marry her.”
Rycroft was sure his heart had stopped beating at the statement. “Marry her?”
Darcy nodded. “It sounds to me as if you are in love with the lady, and I find myself a great proponent of marriage these days.”
Rycroft had risen and was pacing the room. “In love?”
“Yes, cousin, in love. It is not such a horrible place to be.”
Rycroft shook his head. “No, I have simply been out of town for too long.”
Darcy laughed. “There were no ladies in the country?”
Rycroft shot him a look of displeasure. “None to my liking. Very grasping.”
“Ah, unlike the ladies of the ton.”
Rycroft did not miss the note of sarcasm in Darcy’s voice. “I cannot marry her.”
“And why is that? Inferior standing?”
Rycroft rolled his eyes. “She is not titled, but she is a gentleman’s daughter, not that standing is of great importance to me, as you well know. She would make a fine countess.”
“Is she married?”
“No.”
“Betrothed?”
“No.”
“Has she been so tainted by scandal that your standing would suffer?”
“No.”
“Then, I really do not see a reason why you cannot marry her,” said Darcy.
Rycroft huffed and folded his arms across his chest. “I cannot marry her because she does not like me.”
The next chapter of this story is available to read and will remain available until next Saturday. And good news came this week, Her Father’s Choice is now available for purchase at both Kobo and Amazon.
Two days later, Richard entered Darcy’s study, a paper in his hand and a piece of wood under his arm.
Darcy looked up briefly from his papers. “Did you lose your way to the workshop?”
Richard took a seat in front of Darcy’s desk and placed the diagram of a jewelry box on top of the papers Darcy was reviewing. “Will she like it?”
“It is lovely,” said Darcy.
“Yes, I know, but will Miss Elizabeth like it?” He pointed to the design to be carved in the top. “Is this a flower she would appreciate?”
Darcy shrugged. “I cannot be certain, but it does seem to be something she would like. I have never thought to ask her which flowers she prefers.”
Richard drummed his fingers on the desktop.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to Darcy. “She said her room was decorated as if she had done it herself. There are some pieces of yours in there. Remember?”
“Quite right!” Richard stood and snatched the diagram from Darcy. “Do you mind if I borrow one? I can follow the pattern from before but add a few distinguishing features.” He was nearly at the door before Darcy could reply that the idea was excellent.
The door opened as Richard reached for the handle.
“Father.” Richard nodded to the man who stood behind Mr. Daniels.
Lord Matlock looked at the wood Richard held under his arm and then, with a raised brow and a pointed look, said, “Colonel.”
“For another year, my lord, and not a day longer,” said Richard as he pushed past his father.
Glancing quickly at the clock on the mantel, Darcy rose to greet his uncle. He knew that in less than an hour, his aunt, who had insisted on being seen in town with Elizabeth would be arriving for tea, and Georgiana, Elizabeth, and Mary would be with her. He did not wish for his uncle to still be here when they arrived, but he doubted that any interview would be short in duration.
“You are still allowing my son to use your workshop?” Lord Matlock waved the butler away.
No, this was not going to be short or pleasant. “I am.”
“I do wish you would not encourage his foolish notions.”
Darcy waited for his uncle to be seated before taking his own. “Perhaps I encourage it because I do not see it as a foolish notion. Women stitch and net. I do not see why a gentleman cannot carve and join wood.”
“It is not done is why. And to compare a man’s pursuits to that of a lady.” He shook his head. “Preposterous! But I am not here about that foolishness. I am here about a completely separate but equally concerning piece of news that I have had from my sister, Sophia.”
