“You cannot skip a rock standing like that.”
“I think I can,” Berk retorted.
“I am not taking your money, nor am I giving you any of mine.”
“Then, let’s make a different agreement. If I can skip the rock – not if I can skip it further than you, but just if I can skip it – you truly do not think I can?” he asked in response to Roger’s look of disbelief.
“No, the angle is all wrong.”
“You might be right, but then again, you might be wrong.”
“Very well, if you can perform this feat, what do you require in payment besides my admitting that you were right?”
“You must answer one question.”
“What question?” Roger eyed his brother-in-law skeptically.
“No, I will not tell you. You must agree to an unknown question, which should not be too hard to do unless, of course, you are hiding something?”
[from His Darling Friend, A Touches of Austen Novella, and the current Sweet Tuesdays story]Published to YouTube by Hauser on November 24, 2017.
Will Roger take the bet and possibly have to reveal his secret to Diana’s husband, Berk? That’s just one of the secrets that are contained in tomorrow’s chapter of His Darling Friend. That is why I thought this song’s title seemed like a good choice to share today — and it’s just a beautiful song! I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I do. 🙂
My writing week is not quite over as I am writing this post on Friday night. I used to write these posts on either Saturday or Sunday when my husband was gone for work. However, his weekend schedule shifted some, and it was becoming stressful for me to make sure my blog posts were all scheduled on the weekend because I did not want to miss spending time with him. (Our schedules are crazy, so we have to snatch what time we can to see each other — even if it is only to watch tv together.) So, about a month or so ago, I decided that I would get my blog posts ready on Friday nights. It has really helped with the weekend stress level since other things that I shifted to the weekend are things which do not have definitive must be done time like blog posts do.
While that’s all well and very good, it does mean that I now lose my Friday writing time. I will sometimes get to write on the weekend, but not always. Knowing that, let me tell you what I did manage to get done in my four writing days this week. This week, I wrote:
One chapter of His Darling Friend in which I am starting to stir things up with an eye toward the happy conclusion of the story.
One chapter of A Scandal in Springtime in which or poor hero does not acquit himself very well at all.
One chapter of Loving Lydia where readers will meet a rather snarky Mary Bennet.
One Austen Authors post that I will not need until probably May.
Outside of writing this week:
I started reading a book on the craft of writing called Story Trumps Structure: How to Write Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking the Rules by Steven James, and I am enjoying it so far. I do not lots of time for reading, and I am not a fast reader. (I stop and ponder and make connections.) So, I know it will be some time before I finish reading it. It was something I had read in this book that sparked the idea for the Austen Authors post I wrote this week. 🙂 [It was an article that I had read by this author which lent it’s information to my upcoming April Austen Authors post and which introduced me to his book.]
I read two or three short stories — which, to be honest, had some issues. I had read a couple of other short stories last week which also missed the mark (but were much closer) and which are mentioned in my next Austen Author post, though not by name. I try never to openly critique a book in a negative fashion. These books are written by fellow authors, and to me, an author reviewing another author’s work feels very much like a conflict of interest. And I only want to ever encourage fellow writers and not discourage them. That being said, I do recommend books that I have enjoyed on social media and when talking to friends, and if you follow me on Bookbub, you will see that I have recommended six books there (so far). I will not list a book there that I would not give a 4 star or higher rating. I am attempting to remember to do that when I like a book — especially if it is a short and sweet book. [I love short stories, novelettes, and novellas. :)] However, I am not terribly great at remembering to do this. 🙂
I also finished listening to an abridged version of Northanger Abbey on YouTube since the next Touches of Austen novella is supposed to have touches of Northanger Abbey. This listening gets done while I am washing dishes, folding laundry, or cooking.
And other than doing some marketing sort of thing such as figuring out a spreadsheet on which I can attempt to track the effectiveness of the few ads I run on Amazon, I think that is “all” I did this week. 😀
Now, for an excerpt from chapter two of A Scandal in Springtime, in which Miss Kitty Bennet visits Mrs. Verity’s orphan house and meet Charles Edwards from Charles: To Discover His Purpose. If you’ll remember, I am crossing over some characters from my Darcy Family Holidays series with my Other Pens, Mansfield Park series in this book.
“Mr. Edwards,” Mr. Gardiner greeted. “The new tables have arrived.”
“Excellent!” Mr. Edwards replied. “We shall soon be able to feed everyone in one sitting instead of two.”
“It will be more efficient.”
Kitty looked from her uncle to the handsome gentleman speaking to him and back. What on earth were they talking about? Why was this gentleman, who was dressed as well as Mr. Darcy ever dressed, talking to her uncle about tables?
“Forgive me, Kitty. I see I have confused you.”
Well, he did not need to point out her confusion in front of a stranger – especially a very attractive one who looked rather wealthy!
“You remember my telling you about the charity that has been started at my warehouse?”
Oh! She did remember that. “The one where you feed people?”
“The very one. Mr. Edwards was the gentleman who pressed me into starting it. He has a fondness for doing charitable work.” Her uncle smirked. “Due entirely to a young lady who he will soon call his wife.”
Kitty’s eyes grew wide. “Indeed?” Were all the handsome gentlemen in London who her uncle knew married or nearly so? It was no wonder it took Jane so long to find a husband.
“They became betrothed in my office at the warehouse,” her uncle whispered loudly.
“Oh! That was you?” she asked Mr. Edwards. She had heard the story from her aunt.
Mr. Edwards smiled broadly. “It was.”
He looked as proud and happy as any person could ever look. It was just how Kitty hoped a gentleman might one day look when saying she was his betrothed. She sighed wistfully. “It is a beautiful story.”
“Mr. Edwards,” Mr. Gardiner said, “this is my niece, Miss Catherine Bennet. Kitty, this is Mr. Edwards, although I suppose you have already figured that out.” He chuckled. “I am dreadful at introducing people before entering into a conversation.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Bennet,” Mr. Edwards said with a shallow bow. “If you will pardon my saying so, you look slightly familiar.”
“That is because she is Mrs. Darcy’s sister,” Mrs. Verity said.
“Yes, yes, that is it! You do bear a resemblance to Mrs. Darcy.”
“You know her?”
“I met her right here. In this very spot.”
“Your boys are waiting,” Mrs. Verity said.
“Excellent.” Mr. Edwards clapped his hands together and then rubbed them back and forth. “If you are giving a tour, Mrs. Verity, you will wish to skip that room for today, I am to undress and allow them to help me back into my clothes without any instruction.”
Kitty’s mouth popped open at his shocking words.
“I do apologize, Miss Bennet. I know that was not very proper of me to say in front of a young lady such as yourself. However, I am not very proper.”
Mrs. Verity laughed. “That you are not,” she said to his retreating form. “Until Miss Barrett came along, I understand he was quite a rake.”
“He was a rake?” Kitty had never seen a rake before. She had heard of them, but there were none in Meryton.
“Very much so,” her uncle said with a note of caution in his tone. “Town is much different than the country.”
“Apparently so,” Kitty agreed. “Lydia will be jealous that I have seen a rake and she has not.” She pressed her lips together. That was not the thing to say. “I did not mean that we wished to see one or… or… fall prey to one,” she muttered.
“All is well,” her uncle said. “Just be aware that a rake looks very much like any other gentleman. However, he behaves far less properly.”
“I will keep her safe,” Mrs. Verity put an arm around Kitty’s shoulders and directed her away from the door and down the hallway. “Not that Mr. Edwards has a thought in his head about young ladies these days save for the one to which he is betrothed. However, he is still improper at times – shockingly so.” She chuckled. “He is also very good with two of my older boys and is training them to be butlers and valets.” She removed her arm from Kitty’s shoulder and opened a door. “This is the dining room…
Poor Kitty! Will she ever meet a handsome gentleman who is not taken? 😀 (Next week, I’ll let you know who our hero is going to be.)
~*~*~
Lots of delicious tidbits to savor in this post. Aaahhh! That music video was so relaxing. Man. They were good.
First, poor Roger. Berk is about to put him on the spot and make him declare what is in his heart. Or maybe not. Perhaps Roger will continue to hold his hear’s desire close to his chest. Once it is declared… he will have acknowledged it and then he will have to act. Oh dear. Bless his heart.
Next, our dear Kitty… I hope we have a delightful experience for her. We don’t usually see Kitty stories. They are difficult because Kitty has no personality of her own. She has followed and acted like Lydia most of if not all of her life. Most authors have to establish just who she is before they can create a story for her.
I am so glad you were able to create time with your husband and family. Those are precious moments that you have to fight for as life and jobs get in the way. He is your first priority. Blessings on the new writing schedule and hope you find your rhythm.
Yes, Jane Austen only gave us a glimpse of Kitty in Pride and Prejudice and only told us what we needed to know for that story’s plot to work. So, when writing Kitty, it is very close to working with a fresh canvas. I’m enjoying getting to know her in this story — there are glimpses of how she has been influenced by her mother and sisters, particularly Lydia, but being in town “on her own” is going to force her to discover herself apart from anyone else. And that should be fun!