“Do you know,” Walter continued as Grace took a seat on the bench, “that this was my favourite place when I was just a lad and came to visit my grandparents.”
“Was it really?” Grace smiled and ran a hand over the bit of slab next to her where he was about to sit. “It is a lovely bench, and the aspect from here is delightful.” She leaned toward him when he finally took a seat. “I am particularly fond of arched garden gates, and you can see the gate between the hedges quite perfectly from here. I imagine that the gate is even more delightful when all the flowers are in bloom.”
“It is,” Walter agreed. “And when the tree behind us is laden with leaves, there is something very cozy feeling about this place, almost as if one could hide here, which I must say, I have.”
“You have hidden here?”
Walter nodded. “When I was just a boy of about six, I used to curl into a ball under this very bench when playing hide-and-go-seek. Every time.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “I would not advise using the same hiding place over and over if one has been found in it. It is the surest way to lose a game.”
[from Her Secret Beau, Touches of Austen Book 3]Published to YouTube by Simply Three on February 27, 2014
Published to YouTube by SaraBethie on January 16, 2014
The top video is an instrumental piece and has been on my Music to Write By playlist for a long time — it was the first song added to that list. 🙂 The bottom video includes lyrics and is one of the videos on my Music Meets Movies playlist.
I thought the song was good for tomorrow’s chapter of Walter and Grace’s story as they are in the garden alone and in a special place in that garden. Hopefully, you will get a chance to read that chapter tomorrow — it’s a good one. (But then, aren’t they all? Well, not all of them include almost-kisses.)
There is also an Austen Authors post of mine you can read tomorrow. It’s more pictures than words 🙂 I’m sharing pictures from some of my summer fun, and I am hosting a giveaway as well.
Do you remember how I said last week that I should be able to have enough written of Addie’s story to start sharing from it? Well, things did not go as planned. LOL
I actually hit one of those walls which can happen at the beginning of the writing process for me as I am settling into a story and getting to know the characters. I spend a great deal of time pondering how the conflict was going to progress in the story. Friday, I scribbled notes all over a couple of sheets of paper — some of the ideas that had been rolling around in my mind. And then, I began writing, determined that I would not end the week without at least one chapter of that story written.
And you know what happened? Those ideas that I had been pondering came out on that paper in a way that when I had typed the last sentence and sat back made me sit back and say “where did that come from?” I actually felt anxious while writing the chapter — it’s a bit intense and, if things go as I want, there are plenty of things to add to the conflict. I hope I can take it down the road that it looks like it wants to go in my mind.
So, I got that chapter written and one chapter each of Her Secret Beau and Persuading Miss Mary. (By the way — I really enjoyed the discussion we had in the comments on last week’s chapter of Mary’s story. 🙂 )
I also wrote my Austen Authors post and sent out an email and created a Friday post about the two weekend sales I had going on. The Kobo sale finishes today — so if you are not in the US, it is July 29, 2019, where you are, and you use Kobo, you can still get 40% off Darcy And… A Pride and Prejudice Variations Collection if you use the promotional code JULYBOX at checkout today. But it does end today. (Thank you to all who shared the sales info with friends and took advantage of either the free day or Kobo sale.)
Along with the information about the sales, I told my mailing list which books will be going into Kindle Unlimited. I have now added that information to the Books Currently in Kindle Unlimited page here on the blog. It will be this collection:
I have completed a proofread of The Tenant’s Guest and will be working on getting that book updated everywhere. So Very Unexpected is printed out so I can start reading through that manuscript, picking up any errors which have evaded all the editing the book has already endured.
I guess looking back at what I did get done, I can understand why I only got three chapters written instead of the five for which I was hoping. It appears I have been busy.
If you saw the state of this “office,” it definitely looks worked in! I’m planning to do some cleaning up after I get this post scheduled. It’s currently about 9:45 PM on Sunday night. This pic is of the table across from my desk and only one of the cluttered areas that need sorting out.
And now, I know I am not where I had hoped to be in this story, but I think I will share a short excerpt from it anyway. This is how that chapter I wrote on Friday night starts. This has not been edited more than a quick read right now as I post this — so there very likely could be some errors 🙂 and you’ll notice that I still need to name a fellow (more than one in the whole chapter but only one in this portion). One more note, Addie’s father has suffered a stroke and has trouble making his mouth say the words he is thinking — that is why his part of this is broken dialogue.
AN EXCERPT from Addie: To Wager on Her Future
Just before reaching the paddock next to the stables, Addie slowed Damon to a walk. He needed to cool down, and she was in no hurry to face the rest of the day. She could not remember when she had enjoyed a more pleasant morning ride. Mr. Eldridge was certainly handsome. He was also a brilliant rider, but not so much of an expert as to think himself always the best. Had he not complimented her on her riding? The thought caused her lips to curl into a satisfied smile.
Added to his pleasing features and his ability to ride, was that fact that Mr. Eldridge was not the sort to think a female was stupid just because she was a female, for he not only approved of his sister’s knowing about investments, he thought she was capable of giving good advice. And that last fact was likely his most attractive feature. How lovely it must be to be thought capable of more than running a household and hosting soirees with aplomb.
Reluctantly, she rounded the stables and prepared to go about the business of seeing to the running of her father’s house.
“Ah, there he is.”
“James? What are you doing here?”
“Showing these gents a horse.”
Addie looked to her right and left. There were presently no horses in the yard. “What horse?” She handed her reins to a groom and stepped down onto the mounting steps next to which she had stopped.
“Why Damon, of course.”
Damon? Addie stood frozen to the top step, her hand resting in that of a groom who was to help see her safely to the ground.
“He is the finest gelding we have and an excellent racer.”
“He is also mine,” Addie inserted. Father had given Damon to her four years ago.
“He is part of our stables,” James retorted with a glare which spoke loudly of his not wishing her to say anything further.
“He is mine,” she said through clenched teeth as she finally descended the steps.
“Not if Mr. __ and I can come to a reasonable arrangement.”
She would see about that! She turned from her brother, gave a few brief instructions to the groom who held her horse, and, with her chin lifted, walked past her brother and toward the house. Surely, Father would not allow Robert to sell Damon.
~*~*~
“Let me tell you again,” Addie said to her father twenty minutes later. He did not seem shocked by her revelation. Perhaps he had not understood what she had said. “James has a gentleman at the stables and is –” She stopped when her father tapped the table behind which he sat.
“I… know… My mind… works.”
So he knew? “But Father, Damon is mine. You gave him to me.”
The left side of her father’s mouth twitched, and his eyes grew sad. “It is…” She could see that he was attempting to search his mind for a word and make his mouth form it.
Do not say necessary. Do not say necessary. Her heartbeat drummed in her ears as she waited.
“Necess… necessary,” he finally finished his thought just as she dreaded he would.
“Why? What has James done?” She shook her head. That was a foolish question with an obvious answer. “He owes that man something, doesn’t he?”
~*~*~
Lovely things to watch and listen to in this post. The videos were lovely. That first one was delightful. The Emma one was beautiful in sight and sound. Your excerpt was shocking. Oh-my-goodness! What women had to endure if they had a father or brother who gambled or wagered to the point of having to sell or handover property. ‘It is necessary!’ What horrible thing has he done? I can’t wait to learn more. I also look forward to tomorrow’s post. I have to go to the dentist first think tomorrow so I may be late to the party. Blessings on all your hard work.
He’s played cards with the wrong fellow. I really like that first video, too. They always do such a lovely job with their instrumental takes on songs. Hope your appointment goes well. My week has three medical sorts of appointments for routine maintenance 🙂 So, it is going to be a busy week here.