“I would choose you before I would choose myself.” He placed a hand, which had been made rough from working with his men in the militia and the wood he loved, on her cheek. “I do not have the means just yet to support a family,” he began.
“But you will.” She squeezed his hand tightly.
He smiled and nodded. He would gladly face whatever trials might come as he established himself as a tradesman just to have her continue to look at him as she did now with such confidence in his abilities. “Yes, I will, and when I do, I would very much like to create that family with you. Will you marry me when I am established?”
A smile lit her face and eyes as she nodded. “I would like nothing better.”
“It will not be a life of ease,” he cautioned. For a moment, despite his desire to have her as his wife, he doubted whether he was doing the right thing in asking her to share such a life. His thumb caressed her cheek. “You deserve so much more.”
“I love you,” she said, pressing her cheek more firmly against his hand. “I will be happy nowhere else save at your side.”
He knew that he felt the same. It was why he was prepared to defy his father. No matter the money and property he may be losing by choosing her, he knew his life would never be so pleasant with those things as it would be with her at his side. Still, he could not resist asking, “You are certain?”
“Yes.”
“Then, may I ─ ”
“Yes. You must kiss me.”
[From His Inconvenient Choice]
Published on YouTube by MimaShar on Jul 25, 2014
Sigh. That’s a favourite scene from that book. I do love those moments when one or the other of the main characters finds that their place in life is next to the man or woman they love. 🙂
Trivia Question: Do you know who the he and she are in the above excerpt?
I’m not to that point in any of my current works in progress, however. I’m still either in the very beginning or somewhere in the middle. I am no further along in Mary’s story, but I am making progress in both the short story I am writing and Assessing Mr. Darcy. And other than to tell you that, I really have no writing news to share. School has started. We are getting our routines established and schedule refined, and writing continues as best it can while that happens.
While I have very little by way of writing news to share, I do have a story excerpt. This chapter from Assessing Mr. Darcy will be posted in its entirety on Patreon today. I am currently about two chapters ahead of this spot, but I thought I would share a little taste of what a family dinner at Longbourn might be like.
AN EXCERPT FROM Assessing Mr. Darcy:
“How was your ride?” Mr. Bennet asked that evening as the family sat down for dinner. “Mary said you rode in the direction of Netherfield.” The right corner of his mouth was lifted in a small smirk and there was a laugh lying just below his words.
“It was most interesting,” Elizabeth replied. “Did you know that if you look at the knoll from a distance with your eyes squinched shut just so,” she demonstrated the action, “the trees look almost as if they are made up of daubs and streaks of paints? I am certain even I could replicate it with little effort.” She knew precisely what her father was asking, but, seeing as he seemed in a playful sort of mood, she thought to oblige him with a delectable piece of ridiculousness.
Her father chuckled as he passed William a bowl covered with a cloth. “And will you make the attempt?”
“I should say not!” her mother replied. “And you will not make that expression again, Elizabeth. You shall have lines and wrinkles before you are thirty if you continue to do so.”
Elizabeth shared an amused look with her father. “Yes, Mama,” she replied.
“Were the trees on the knoll all you saw?” her father asked.
“No, we met Mr. Bingley,” Elizabeth replied, adding, “and his friend,” over the squeal of delight from her mother.
“Was he handsome? Did he look rich?” Her mother clapped her hands. “Did he take notice of our Jane? She really is too beautiful to be poor.”
“None of our daughters will be poor,” Mr. Bennet assured her.
“Oh, what do you know of it?” Mrs. Bennet argued. “You rarely attend an assembly. There are so few men of acceptable means. What we need are what Mr. Bingley and his friend provide – wealthy men in want of a wife.”
“I do believe that nearly all men are at one point or another in want of a wife whether they be wealthy or no.” Mr. Bennet placed a thick piece of beef on his plate. “And what is acceptable to you and what is truly acceptable as far as fortune is concerned are not one and the same.”
He smiled at his wife when she gasped at his words. “However, I will agree that our daughters are deserving of the richest men in the kingdom.” He held up a finger. “But only if those men are as honorable as they are rich. No daughter of mine shall be given to someone with a healthy bank account but no heart. Nor shall I see them tied to a fool. Those, my lady, are my qualifications for any suitor for any of our daughters. No matter how dashing a gentleman might look in a uniform or what carriage he drives.”
“But there are so few gentlemen from which to choose,” Mrs. Bennet protested. “If we were to travel to Bath, we might do better.”
“I dare say we would only find gouty men to marry there,” Mary muttered.
“Oh, no!” her mother said with some force. “I have heard tell of many a handsome young man looking for a wife in the Assembly Rooms. Why just last week, Mrs. Goulding was telling me about some fellow who was desperate to marry so that he could claim his inheritance,” she put down her fork and knife and leaned toward the center of the table, “and I can tell you, his inheritance was substantial. Sub-stan-tial.”
“As great as Mr. Bingley’s?” Their father asked, turning the conversation back to what Elizabeth knew he wished to know.
“Why, yes, if what my sister says is true. This gentleman had nearly six a year. Six! Can you imagine? What fine clothes his wife must have!”
“He has no wife,” her father replied. “You said so just a moment ago. Therefore, his wife does not have fine clothes.”
Mrs. Bennet huffed in exasperation. “If he had a wife her clothes would be very fine. Simply the best. They must be you know if she is to represent her husband as she aught.”
“Did Mr. Bingley have fine clothes?” Mr. Bennet asked Elizabeth.
“He did. He was wearing a blue coat and black breeches with a hat to match. He looked very dapper. Would you not agree, Jane?”
Jane smiled down at her plate. “Indeed, I would.”
“And he seemed to forget the rest of us were there when he talked to Jane,” Elizabeth added. “I dare say he is smitten.”
“He s not,” Jane refuted weakly.
“What think you, William?” her father asked around the food in his mouth. “Was Mr. Bingley smitten with our Jane, or is Elizabeth seeing only what she wishes to see?”
~*~*~
KOBO AMAZON NOOK IBOOKS MAILING LIST PATREON SOCIETY6
Lots of things in the post today. I loved the music video and, I will admit to peeking at a few of the other music selections with period couples. Oh… be still my heart. That was a lot of kissing. The excerpt from ‘His Inconvenient Choice’ was so swoon worthy. I loved him in that story.
Thanks for the excerpt from ‘Assessing Mr. Darcy.’ That sounds so interesting. You have been busy. Enjoy this weather while it lasts… it won’t be long before fall is in full swing and then winter. I look forward to snuggling down on a cold day and reading until I have a headache. Yeah, that is a good day. Blessings on the continued work you are doing and I look forward to anything new you plan to launch, I Love your work.
I have enjoyed all the iterations of the colonel that I have written so far, but that version of him in His Inconvenient Choice is a favourite. I think that’s the only version of him that I have written where he is not very teasing.
Last night was a cool one, and it was nice to snuggle up in a blanket. (And I did do some reading, too) I love early fall temperatures but winter ones? Not so much. 🙂
I liked this pairing as unconventional as it may be. It worked so well. And this scene…I love this Kitty too. At the end of the previous book when she is trying to figure out how to earn money surreptitiously and squirrel it away for the Col…just *sigh*
This new story (Assessing…) is such an interesting premise. I’m still trying to get my brain on board. I always have to pause when I start reading because “brother” and “William” make my brain sputter 😂 I look forward to each piece.
I still haven’t gotten comfortable with writing William/brother yet. I’m getting close to it feeling “normal,” but not quite there yet. 😀 But it has been fun.
I re-read His Inconvenient Choice after creating this post with that excerpt. (And yes, I stayed up way too late to finish it even though I knew how it would end 🙂 ) I really do like them as a couple in this one as they are portrayed. I would love to sit in their home and see their love grow and flourish. I think it would be a very welcoming place.