MM: Always (Peder B. Helland)

UPLOADED TO YOUTUBE BY PEDER B. HELLAND ON JANUARY 18, 2018

Today’s musical selection is one of those songs which I can put on and immediately my mind calms and my imagination begins to play. I often listen to this song while writing, but it is also a favorite to listen to while taking a walk. And that is the reason I have chosen to pair this song with the story excerpt below because, in this section of Matching Mr. Darcy, which releases tomorrow, Mr. Darcy is out on a walk and trying to clear his mind.

Matching Mr. Darcy, Chapter 6 Excerpt

Darcy reined in his mount so that he could take in the view before him. The ground rose and fell in gentle swells and small undulations. There were stands of trees that interrupted fields and stood in both great and small gatherings. The countryside was beautiful but lacked the sharp edges that surrounded his home, which was utterly unfortunate, for, he thought to himself, a good rocky crag right in the middle of Longbourn’s garden would have come in handy yesterday for disposing of the insufferable Mr. Newell. That man would not allow himself to be separated from the side of Miss Elizabeth. Not that Miss Bingley would have allowed Darcy to leave her side either.

Vexing botherations, the two of them! How was he supposed to prove to Miss Elizabeth that he was a gentlemanly sort of gentleman if he was separated from her at every turn?

His horse blew through its lips and shifted under him.

“My thoughts exactly, Aegeus. It is unsettling and frustrating business.” Darcy nudged the beast’s sides with his boots. “Go on. Take me up to the crest.”

Immediately, his horse began walking up the well-worn trail they were on. There was most likely a very good vantage point from which to take in the area at the top of this rise for this path to be so worn – or, at least, Darcy hoped there was for that was why he was on his way up this hill. He wanted to get a good look at the place Bingley had chosen to call home.

Darcy had passed through this county a great number of times in his travels, but he had never taken the time to survey his surroundings. There had been no need to do so. He only needed to know the road and the inns. But now, he had a friend who was looking to him for advice, and so, he would do his duty and make his assessment as best he could.

If only women were as easy to read as the lay of the land and possibility of productive fields and the prosperity of a neighborhood were.

Darcy huffed in frustration as his thoughts turned back to Miss Elizabeth. Not only had Miss Bingley and Mr. Newell placed themselves in his path, the lady herself had done an admirable job of creating a separation. He was certain that Miss Elizabeth was not the sort of lady to coo over dresses and fripperies – or at least, he imagined she was not – and from the way her punch-spilling youngest sister had looked both shocked and confused when Miss Elizabeth began to talk about such things, Darcy thought it safe to assume his supposition was correct.

“Why Miss Bingley? Of all people,” he said to the morning breeze. Caroline was fond enough of him and his estate without his being forced to compliment her on her appearance. She needed no encouragement!

Thanks to his call at Longbourn, he had been compelled to seek solitude in his bedchamber for so much of the evening as he could without being thought excessively rude. Bingley had, of course, found that fact nearly as amusing as he had found Darcy’s attire at the end of the assembly two days ago.

Reaching the top of the hill, Darcy dismounted, secured his horse, and made his way toward where he imagined the best viewpoint would be. “I should just return to London,” he said once again in conversation with the solitude of the morning as he straightened one of his gloves.

“It might be best if you are unhappy with where you are.”

Darcy stopped walking and ignored the urge to straighten his other glove. Solitude was not supposed to reply. Slowly, he turned toward the source of the retort.

“Good morning, Mr. Darcy.”

He should have been paying closer attention to his surroundings. How had he missed seeing the beguiling lady who greeted him.

“And good morning to you as well, Miss Elizabeth.” He sketched a shallow bow. “I was hoping that this prominence would give me an excellent perspective from which to view the area.”

Miss Elizabeth returned to her seat on a log which seemed hewn and placed purposefully where it was. “I find this view to be the best.”

She glanced at him over her shoulder. Her bonnet was lying on the ground next to her feet, and a few tendrils of hair had escaped their confines and lifted on the breeze, causing her to tuck them behind her ear. “You may join me if you wish.”

He looked at her warily. “Are you certain? Would you not rather find a woodland creature to sit beside you so that I might be forced to find a place on the ground?”

She smiled and chuckled. “No, I do not like sharing my morning respite with wild creatures.” Her eyes danced with amusement. She was no doubt attempting to forego adding an impertinent comment.

“But you will make an exception for me?” he teased and then wondered at such a familiar exchange that seemed to fall so easily from his lips.

She laughed, and her laughter was just as delightful as he had imagined it might be, which made him not care in the least why he felt so at ease as to attempt to guess her impertinent response.

“Yes, I will, though I doubt you are ever very wild, Mr. Darcy.”

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Matching Mr. Darcy is on pre-order in the Kindle store, as well as at Kobo, Nook, and Apple. You can find links to all these stores and a couple more at this link. (I am sharing another chapter of this book tomorrow at Austen Authors, and there will be a giveaway included with that post.)

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