Music Monday: The Ash Grove (The King’s Singers)

“I thought you enjoyed music,” Diana said.

“I do.”

“Then, you might wish to stop glaring as if you want to run through the next person to step up to the piano.”

Perhaps he did not wish to gravely injure the next person to perform, but there was Carlyle. Roger would not mind seeing that gentleman properly laid out on the lawn with some sort of wound.

“Mr. Carlyle has a lovely voice.” Diana had followed Roger’s glare and found the object of his discontent. “He is singing ‘The Ash Grove’ since Victoria is so familiar with that piece of music.”

Roger’s scowl deepened. That was the song he sang with Victoria.

[from His Darling Friend, a Touches of Austen novella]

 

Published to YouTube by oiznas on May 17, 2012

For today’s post, I reached into Georgiana’s Music Folder (a playlist I have on YouTube) and pulled out a song that makes an appearance in tomorrow’s chapter of His Darling Friend. As you can tell, Roger is not pleased to know that the song he usually sings with Victoria is going to be sung by Mr. Carlyle. 🙂  Make sure you stop by tomorrow see if Roger’s scowl continues to deepen or not. (I’m going with it continues to deepen. 😉 )

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In writing news:

This week I got one more chapter of Loving Lydia written — one where Netherfield receives another surprise guest. 🙂  And I managed to write two more chapters of His Darling Friend so that I am almost as far ahead as I want to be. If I can write two more this week, I will be exactly where I want to be — four weeks ahead of posting.

Also this week, I finished final edits on Tom: To Secure His Legacy. Yay! That means I will be sending out Patreon and advance reader copies this week. My final files are due to be uploaded by Wednesday and the preorder will be over with in a week! That’s right! Tom’s story will be available to add to your bookshelf next Monday! It seems like it has been so long in coming.  [I’ll also be working on the print version this week.]

For my upcoming Kindle Unlimited bundle project that I wish to have out on or before March 18, I pulled down my two previous book bundles (Despite the Circumstances and New Beginnings) from all vendors to make way for this new arrangement of previously published stories. I also purchased a picture so I can start working on the cover image. I still need to write the book description and then remove the individual books from all vendors save Amazon. As a reminder, the books in this bundle will be Oxford Cottage, For Peace of Mind, Through Every Storm, Listen To Your Heart, and With the Colonel’s Help. 

This month was a bit lower on the writing new stories front. (Only 24,712 words written compared to the 43,088 words I wrote in January) My brain was tired. I tend to push until the well runs dry and needs refilling. 🙂

So, I have been doing some relaxing (sort of). I have been reading and watching movies and discovering new recipes to try. I have discovered that I can find recipes which fit with my many sensitivities in the realm of the paleo diet. 🙂 This has been truly exciting for me. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen several pictures of food.

This has been a very beneficial time. I am starting to feel that urge to push forward building again, and this morning (I am writing this on Friday), I actually found myself awake when I should have been sleeping because of a couple of new story ideas. 🙂 I might actually know what book I am going to be starting next. 🙂

Well, that’s all for my news, so let me leave you with a scene from one of my already published books that has two schemers making plans to see Darcy and Elizabeth come to an understanding.

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AN EXCERPT FROM Discovering Mr. Darcy: 

Lady Catherine motioned for Richard to take a seat next to her at the table.  “You have his key?”

Richard shook his head.  “Not yet, but I will as soon as he has returned and his man has made his bath ready.”

Lady Catherine raised a brow at him as she took a sip of her tea.

“I will have it,” Richard assured her. He knew a thing or two about Darcy, and one of those things was that the key to Darcy’s room never left his sight unless he was taking a bath.  It was likely due to the fact that ladies such as Miss Bingley were actively trying to ensnare his fortune.  To have taken the key this morning or even last evening when he had been in Darcy’s room would have alerted his cousin that something was afoot.  And that would not do.

“Was he still in high dudgeon this morning?” Lady Catherine placed her empty cup on the table.

Richard nodded.   “I could barely draw more than a dozen words from him, and the majority of those words were not at all nice or proper.”

“Did you have to flirt with her so much?” Lady Catherine gave him a mildly disapproving look. It was not the first time she had questioned her decision to involve Richard in her plan.  He was so much like his father.

How many times had she and her sister endured their brother’s merciless teasing until one or the other quit the room in a huff or succumbed to tears.  It was as if he could not or would not read the signs that he had pushed too far.  He was always repentant, however, and after he had married, he had finally learned the acceptable bounds between being mildly annoying and utterly provoking. She credited Lady Matlock with that accomplishment.  Richard did seem able to reign his pestering on most occasions and especially with the fairer sex, but when it came to his brother or Darcy, he occasionally overstepped his bounds.  From the way Darcy had left the room yesterday and been silent and disagreeable the rest of the day, Lady Catherine was certain Richard had indeed pushed Darcy well past any tolerable limit.

“It was what you said to do!” And it had been a pleasant enough task. Miss Elizabeth was delightful and being a burr under Darcy’s saddle was always good for a smile or two.  However, he did have to admit, he had never seen Darcy quite as put out as he currently was — at least not by something Richard had done.  Wickham — well, there was a man who could cause as much consternation as Darcy presently displayed.  Perhaps, Richard had gone a bit too far in his game.  The purpose of the attack was, after all, to provoke not decimate.

Lady Catherine sighed.  “True.  At least, we know I was correct in my assessment of his attachment to the young lady.  He is half in love with her already.”

Richard laughed.  “No, my dear aunt, you are incorrect. He is completely besotted.  He even tried to tell me why I should not pursue her and in a very high and mighty fashion — condemning her connections and her family.  The whole while he was rubbing his hands on his pants and tugging at his collar.”  He leaned back in his chair.  “Darcy has never been good at speaking ill of one he cares about.”

“That is because he is a proper gentleman.”  Lady Catherine’s chin rose as she said it.  “My sister would not have raised him to be anything less.”  Her eyes narrowed slightly as her lips curled in a teasing smile.  “Unlike my brother.”

Richard’s mouth dropped open. “I am capable of being a proper gentleman. I just choose not to be.  It is so dull.”

Lady Catherine chuckled.  “That is precisely what my brother would tell our father.”

Richard shrugged.  There was no denying his father and he were alike both in looks and temperament.  And as far as he was concerned, that was not an imperfection. Quite the contrary!  His father was well-liked and successful and not solely because he was an earl but because he was an earl with an exceptional character and a pleasant personality.

Lady Catherine looked at the clock.  “Miss Bennet will be here in one hour to practice.”

Richard gave a sharp nod of his head.  “Darcy will be back in half an hour if he is holding to schedule, which I assume he is.”

Lady Catherine rose from her seat.  “Collins will be bringing me his sermon at two, and we will take tea together.  Do not be late.”

Richard smiled.  This was a tea he would not miss for any inducement, for it promised to be a memorable affair.

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