Here in Nova Scotia, it is March Break, so this week, I will get a reprieve from homeschooling, and my husband will be home more. However, it will still be a full week, so I decided we should start it with a calm and lovely piece of music that I first discovered while randomly listening to “more like this” songs on Spotify. (I enjoy discovering new songs that way.)
Let’s first cover a couple of things that are happening this week on Tuesday and Thursday which you might want to know about.
Now on to an update about what I did in my writing time this past week.
I worked on getting things ready for the release of Enticing Miss Darcy rather than editing since I did not have a completed manuscript begging for my attention.
However, as of Friday, it seems that has changed, and I now have a story needing first round edits. You see, I have been waffling on what to do with Confounding Caroline. I felt like it was coming to an end as I have been writing on it the past few Fridays. But, I felt conflicted since it is not ending with an HEA ending but rather an HFN (Happy For Now) ending. No matter how I tried to not let that be true, it did not feel right for the story to introduce a new quest or goal for my main character. So, I allowed it to end — very sweetly and with the idea that there will be a story to follow. Therefore, I will be spending what editing time I have this week analyzing the story structure and beginning to reread, and I will be brainstorming how the next story (Delighting Mrs. Bennet) is going to progress. The final post for Confounding Caroline is currently scheduled for April 12th, and then, I will likely take a week or two break before starting to post the next story. This will give me time to actually get that story started and be enough of a distance into it to feel settled in the plot. That’s the “big” WIP news for the week, but it was not the only WIP I was working on.
I have gotten to chapter 6 in Mr. Darcy’s Comfort. Chapters 1-4 have been posted at Patreon, and chapter 5 will go up early this week. It has been taking me longer than two writing sessions to get each of these chapters done. I have really felt “bottlenecked”– as if something has been holding me back, and I suspect that it was making that decision about Confounding Caroline because there was a sense of relief once I finished writing Friday night (well early Saturday morning 🙂 ). Hopefully, this relief will translate to quicker writing, but it is March Break, so all bets are off as I will be spending time with my husband (and kids).
As I was writing Mr. Darcy’s Comfort this week, I moved from the melancholy tone that the story has had to this point to a more hopeful tone. A new character was introduced at Rosings — Mr. Collins :), and I have just returned to Longbourn to check in on Elizabeth before Darcy returns to the area. The excerpt below is part of what I wrote in Thursday’s writing session and is where I will be picking up the story tonight when I sit down to write.
AN EXCERPT FROM Mr. Darcy’s Comfort:
“Come, we must prepare for callers. It has not rained in a day, and the roads are surely dry enough for some brave soul to venture forth.”
“And by some brave soul you mean Mr. Bingley,” Elizabeth said with a laugh.
“Indeed, I do.” Jane’s face lit with a beautiful smile.
“He shall offer for you, and if he does not, I shall declare him to one and all to be the daftest gentleman to have ever walked the earth.”
“Oh, Lizzy, do be serious.”
Elizabeth scrambled off the bed. “I am perfectly serious. I can see how much you admire him, and how could any gentleman not fall in love with you? You are perfection in human form.”
“I am not,” Jane retorted. “And you may ask several near suitors why they never pursued me beyond a call or two. I have not remained unmarried because I have refused any offers.” She stood at the door with her hand on the knob. “Why are you putting on your boots and not your slippers?”
“Mr. Bingley is not calling for me.”
“But he may be accompanied.”
“Yes, by his charming sisters.” Elizabeth looked up and rolled her eyes at Jane. “I shall be devastated to have missed a chance to visit with them, but it is a risk I am willing to take in favour of fresh air.”
“Mr. Darcy might be with them.”
“Why would he be?” Elizabeth asked as she donned her bonnet. “If he has returned, I would not expect a man who is in grieving to call on neighbours whom he has made clear are beneath him.”
“And what if you are wrong? What if he does call, and he does so to see you?”
Elizabeth laughed heartily at the questions as she fastened her pelisse. “Then you may tell him I have gone to Oakham Mount, and he may find me there, although you might wish to warn him that I will look a fright as I suspect my skirts shall not stay pristine.”
“Mama will scold,” Jane warned.
“Undoubtedly,” Elizabeth agreed. Coming to stand next to Jane at the door, she added, “I do not wish to encounter a particular handsome lieutenant, and if the roads are dry enough for Mr. Bingley to call, I dare say, after the way Lydia and Kitty were flirting with the officers, there will be more than one red-coated gentleman in our sitting room.”
Her comments were met by silent protest in the form of a scowl. In fact, to show the depth of her displeasure, Jane remained silent as they descended the stairs.
“You are not going out.” Mrs. Bennet stood at the bottom of the stairs. “You will return to your room and make yourself presentable for guests. Oh, my!” She waved her handkerchief with one hand and placed the back of her other hand on her forehead. “How I shall abide it, I do not know. Now, turn yourself about and do as you have been told! I will not tolerate a word of argument, Elizabeth.”
Her mother rarely used the harsh tone she had just used. Something was not right. “What is it, Mama?” Elizabeth asked as she began to unfasten her pelisse.
“Mr. Collins.” Her mother visibly shuddered as she said the name. “He will arrive this afternoon. I just know I shall despise him, and yet, I must pretend I do not.” Her handkerchief fluttered again. “I do not think I am equal to it.”
“Oh, Mama! How dreadful!” Jane’s voice was filled with understanding. “But I have seen you rise to many other unpleasant occasions with aplomb. Did you not take tea with Mrs. Goulding the day after you heard her gossiping about how dreadfully lacking she thought your garden was? And did you not convince everyone there that there was not a thing out of the ordinary? You performed that display very well. So well, in fact, that Lady Lucas still whispers about Mrs. Goulding and her lack of taste.”
“Well, yes,” Mrs. Bennet conceded weakly, “but Mrs. Goulding will not be tossing me into the hedgerows upon Mr. Bennet’s demise.”
Jane placed an arm around her mother’s shoulders. “And neither will Mr. Collins, for I shall do my best to snare Mr. Bingley, and then, I shall place my sisters in the way of many handsome and rich gentlemen, and you shall have your choice of fine estates at which to make your residence.”
Her mother looked almost convinced that she should be ecstatic instead of despondent but then… “Even Mary and Lizzy?”
“Especially Lizzy and Mary,” Jane replied. “I shall see to them first.”
Mrs. Bennet pondered that for a moment and then smiled before turning to Elizabeth. “Why are you still standing there? Be quick. We have a very important guest to entertain. I will have you all looking your best.” She clapped her hands. “Oh, Mr. Collins is not married. He might do very well for Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “No, Mama. You know I am not the tractable sort that a parson would need for a wife.”
Mrs. Bennet huffed. “Not being tractable is why you shall never marry,” her mother scolded. “Now, go make yourself presentable.” She turned to Jane. “Mary knows more scripture than our parson, and he gives the sermons every week. Perhaps she would be appropriate. I would not mind seeing her as mistress of Longbourn. She would keep it in order.”
Jane guided her mother toward the sitting room. “Indeed, she would, Mama, but perhaps we should let Mr. Collins and Mary decide if the match is a good idea before we begin to plan their future.”
Elizabeth shook her head and chuckled as she ran up the stairs to change out of her walking attire.
~*~*~
KOBO AMAZON NOOK IBOOKS MAILING LIST PATREON SOCIETY6
Jane is so good with her mother. There are a few things that have changed in this story and I’m trying to figure out the lay of the land. I look forward to seeing how this plays out. Where is Mr. Darcy and will he be with Bingley? Oooh this is good.
I’ve always imagined Jane was good with her mother, so I had to show that. Things have definitely changed, but I’m trying not to give too much away. Trying to keep you guessing for now 🙂