I found a clip on YouTube of a song that I thought was appropriate for this particular Monday morning. 🙂 I hope you enjoy it — and don’t forget to scroll on down and read my updates and a story excerpt (if you dare 😉 since it may contain spoilers).
Maldonado, Gregory. “In Your Easter Bonnet – Judy Garland (Easter Parade).” YouTube, YouTube, 23 Apr. 2011, youtu.be/lYac9O3GYTM.
Writing News:
Confounding Caroline: THE scene posts this Thursday. You know — the one where Caroline falls into a betrothal. There are only two more posts after that one, and we will be ready for a new story to start posting after a short hiatus. Confounding Caroline is back from my first reader and just waiting for me to give it some attention before it goes off for the next round of edits. However, it has to wait since I must first attend to…
Mr. Darcy’s Comfort: I finished the first draft of this story on Thursday of this past week. I have begun to reread it and do a bit of polishing in preparation for sending it to my first reader. I hope to have it off to her by the end of tonight or maybe tomorrow. I will be posting the last chapter of the story on Patreon tonight. It took me a little longer to get this story written than expected, but I am still hoping to release it in April. However, it will probably toward the end of the month with a preorder up by April 17th or so.
That means both writing projects are now editing projects. Therefore, I have begun working on two new stories.
Delighting Mrs. Bennet: This will be the next Thursday story and will pick up Darcy and Elizabeth’s story from where it left off in Confounding Caroline. Plans for this story include some hopefully fun twists as well as a naughty little puppy. 🙂
The Sequel to Mr. Darcy’s Comfort: I have had some “conversations” with the characters, and I have some goals, conflict, and motivation sorts of ideas roughly sketched out. However, I have not written a word of this story yet. That will hopefully happen tonight, although my husband is off today, so it might be tomorrow before I get to begin. This story holds promise to be a fun story as well and will star another character that most readers do not particularly like. (Why do I feel compelled to work with the trying characters? :D) Hopefully, there will be a few readers willing to try it because it should be an entertaining read.
That’s it. A lot of transitioning from one project to another. Next week, there may not a story excerpt because I don’t think I will be far enough into either story to be comfortable with sharing from them. Today, the excerpt is from the end of the story, so read at your own risk.
AN EXCERPT FROM Mr. Darcy’s Comfort:
It was on this day, that Darcy was greeted by a most unwelcome sight upon entering the sitting room at Longbourn, for reclining in a chair near Elizabeth was…
“Wickham.” He attempted to keep his tone flat but from the way Elizabeth’s eyes grew just a small bit larger, he knew he had failed to keep all of his displeasure from his tone.
“Darcy,” Wickham responded with what was not quite his normal amount of ease. That was good. He should feel a trifle uneasy. In fact, he should feel extremely uneasy.
“Of all the vermin…” Richard muttered as he entered behind Darcy.
That was the moment when Wickham’s slight disquiet turned to obvious anxiety as he stood.
“Colonel Fitzwilliam,” he said with a bow. “I had not thought to see you. I had heard Darcy was at Netherfield, but I heard no word of your arrival.”
“Did you not?” Richard crossed the room. “The room seems rather full.”
“Indeed, it does,” Wickham agreed without moving from his place.
Richard’s eyes narrowed. He looked to Wickham’s left where Lydia sat and then toward Darcy before procuring a chair from the far corner of the room and placing it between Wickham and the youngest Miss Bennet.
Lydia huffed.
“He is not for you,” Richard explained.
Lydia’s mouth gaped open for a half minute before she snapped it closed and folding her arms, glared at Richard. “That is not for you to decide,” she snapped.
“Very well,” Richard replied. “Do you have a fortune?”
Lydia blinked and stammered a no.
“Then, as I said, he is not for you. The last young lady he importuned was an heiress – more his type. He has no land and quite likely not many pounds to his name. Are you willing to be impoverished?”
Darcy chuckled softly to himself at the look of utter loathing Lydia leveled at Richard, not that Richard would be perturbed by such.
“Miss Elizabeth,” Darcy said while his resolute cousin continued to stare down the immovable Lydia Bennet, “I had hoped to take a walk in the garden. The sun is bright.”
She smiled at him and held out her hand, which he took readily and drew her to her feet.
Wickham’s brows rose. “So that is how it is, is it?”
Darcy did not appreciate the note of laughter in the man’s voice but rather than succumb to the urge to flatten him, he tucked Elizabeth’s hand in the crook of his arm and replied with a simple yes followed by an offer to join them if he wished.
“I should like to take a walk,” Lydia said, popping out of her chair.
“So would I,” said Richard, rising and placing himself between her and Wickham.
“Not with you,” Lydia retorted.
“I am not allowing you to walk with him,” Richard tipped his head toward Wickham.
“You have no say.” Lydia took a step closer to him, her nostrils flaring.
“Lydia,” Mrs. Bennet scolded. “He is a colonel.”
“He is rude.”
Mrs. Bennet nodded. “His approach is unconventional,” she admitted, “but he is a colonel and his father is an earl. Go get your things and walk with him.”
“You cannot mean it.” Lydia’s voice was tinged with horror.
“Oh, but I do. Mr. Wickham can walk with…” Mrs. Bennet looked around the room, her eyes falling on Kitty.
“No,” Richard snapped, drawing the woman’s attention.
“I beg your pardon?” Mrs. Bennet’s eyes were wide, and her handkerchief fluttered.
“Collins needs a partner,” Bingley interjected.
“I…I… do not need to walk,” Collins stammered.
“What? The heir is to be left to rusticate while everyone else is enjoying the fresh air?” Darcy inserted.
Mrs. Bennet gasped. “You are right, of course, Mr. Darcy. Mr. Collins should join you, but Mary is not here. She is with Hill. I could go get her.”
“There is no need to bother yourself,” Darcy said calmly. “I am certain Miss Kitty could tolerate a turn of the garden with Mr. Collins. Could you not?”
Kitty bit her lip and looked first at Darcy and then Lydia who was now glaring at her. If Darcy was not mistaken, Miss Lydia would rather see Wickham left standing that to see her sister on his arm.
“I am certain I could,” Kitty replied.
“But Mr. Wickham…” Mrs. Bennet muttered.
“You could join us, Mrs. Bennet,” Darcy offered.
“Me? On the arm of a young man in my garden?” The thought seemed nearly too strange for the woman to grasp, but then her look of perplexity slid into a smile. “It’s just the thing!” she cried. “I should hate for Mr. Wickham to go away without seeing the garden. He has not yet seen it you know.” She scampered away, calling for her daughters to follow and make haste in retrieving their things.
~*~*~
KOBO AMAZON NOOK IBOOKS MAILING LIST PATREON SOCIETY6
Oh I do hope the Colonel is only warning Lydia for her own good and not because he is interested in her. She is much too stupid and silly for any gentleman
I tend to be of the belief that some sixteen year old’s kind of come with silliness installed, but it’s not always a lifelong state. They can mature and learn things — especially if guided properly or if circumstances arrange themselves in such a way that it impacts them and leaves them with some serious things to think about (for example Marianne Dashwood). Now, would I put them together? Well, I suppose I might, but I’m not telling just yet. 😉 (Although I will admit to finding the challenge a bit exciting)
Oh-My-Goodness, what a scene. I do so love our dear Colonel. He always cuts to the chase and says what he means and means what he says. I certainly will want to read this. Poor Lydia… as Vesper said, she is too stupid and silly for any gentleman… however, she is young and is hopefully still young enough to learn. What will Wickham do now? He is not happy that the Colonel is in the area. Darcy he can handle… as Darcy plays by the rules. Our dear Colonel, on the other hand, does not and Wickham well knows that the Colonel would just as soon run him through as not. Yep, I love our dear Colonel.
She is young, and I do not like writing off anyone at that age. There’s still room to grow if given the right setting and all. I know what happens with Wickham to a point (as far as this story goes), but I don’t want to give anything away even if it is just a small side happening. 🙂 This Colonel Fitz is very direct. He’s been rather fun to write as a secondary character in this one.
Mrs Bennet and Wickham? Well I didn’t see that one coming! As far as I know she is a little above the age of 15, which seems to be his usual preference, and I don’t believe she has much of a fortune either 🙂
I’m glad to see the Colonel trying to warn everyone (although trying to tell Lydia anything she doesn’t want to hear is a bit like trying to plait fog!)
I don’t think the colonel will be deterred by Lydia’s stubbornness one bit 🙂 And Mrs. Bennet is just being used here as a pawn in a plan that I can’t tell you anything about.
That excerpt sounds fun. I will look forward to reading more.
I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
So I came across this movie on Sunday (Easter) and even though I didn’t watch enough of it to get to this song, it was stuck in my head for HOURS. LOL So very festive. 😉
I am not ready for this story to end Leenie. Just not ready. Love that you’re already moving to the sequels. *happy dance* I get excited to devour them all completed.