Cherishing Kitty – Leenie Brown

The Last Rose of Summer and The Harp-Lute

Below are two videos that highlight an instrument that was just being developed and becoming quite the “hot new” thing during the early 1800s. It is called a harp-lute.

This first video is of a lady singing “The Last Rose of Summer” while playing the harp-lute. I thought the video was such a good one to inspire the imagination of what music in the drawing room might have looked and sounded like.

And the second video is an informational video telling a bit about the history of the instrument and showing how it is played.

The story I have chosen to pair with today’s musical selection is Protecting Miss Darcy. The excerpt below is from a conversation Alfred Langley has with his aunt (Lorcan Langley’s mother, hero of Cherishing Kitty) about the prettiest flower in the garden. 🙂

That’s right, Alfred, you just keep telling yourself that Georgiana is only your friend. No one is believing that besides you and Georgiana. 😉

Find Protecting Miss Darcy, Cherishing Kitty, and the full Marrying Elizabeth series here.

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Oboe Concerto in C major – 3. Rondo: Allegretto (Joseph Haydn)

I thought today, we would take a look at another instrument that might have been in Georgiana’s music room (the oboe) and some music from a composer who not only wrote music for oboes, but also for piano. I’m sure Georgiana might have had some sheets of his music in her music folder.

The first video (above) introduces you to the oboe that was in use in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The second video (below) is a short piece that was composed by Haydn for the oboe. Can you imagine the delight and enjoyment that Georgiana and her brother would have gotten from going to a concert and listening to something like this?

This excerpt is from a book (Cherishing Kitty) that stars Kitty Bennet, but her dearest friend in this series is Georgiana. Therefore, Georgiana plays a role in Kitty’s journey to happily ever after.

Here they are talking about Georgiana’s upcoming season. Georgiana’s story (Protecting Miss Darcy) follows Kitty’s story and leads up to her season.

Georgiana does begin her study of character with Mr. Alfred Langley… and spoiler alert… she also ends it with him. The path from here to there, however, is not a pain-free one. 🙂

Find Cherishing Kitty, Protecting Miss Darcy, and the full Marrying Elizabeth series here.

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Screenshot: PMD Pinterest Board

You will recognize some of the images on this screenshot of my Pinterest board for Protecting Miss Darcy (PMD) because they are pins of the images I have shared here on Wednesdays. However, mixed in with those Wednesday images are other images and/or articles that helped me visualize what I was writing. (Like that pearl necklace or the stockings with flowers on them.) I’ll let you guess which two images on the screenshot above helped me with this week’s (final) chapter of PMD. 🙂 I think I will be pretty obvious. They are front and center.

~*~*~

He was gone and back so quickly that Georgiana suspected that the gift he held had been waiting next to the door.

“It is nothing overly extravagant, but I think it is fitting.” He opened the box he held in his hand, revealing a small flower pendant made of five diamond petals and a diamond center on a gold chain.

“Oh, it is lovely!” She ran a finger over it.

“That is not all.”

Her eyes lifted from their study of the beautifully delicate necklace he had presented to her to his face.

“Take the necklace.”

She did.

“This is for your hair.” He took a small bag from his jacket pocket. Then, he took the box from her hand and replaced it with the bag.

Georgiana peeked into the bag. “Is that…?” She could not believe what she was seeing. “A bee?”

[from Protecting Miss Darcy, Marrying Elizabeth book 6]

~*~*~

Marrying Elizabeth, books 1-5

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Two Men at a Table (Luděk Marold)

I just had to share this picture because the gentleman with the pipe just looked like he could be a Lord Westonbury sort of fellow. 🙂 And it appears, from the expression on the other man’s face, that a bit of scheming might be taking place in whatever room they are in. (And a bit of scheming has taken place in our story. 😉 )

~*~*~

“Why are you here?” Darcy asked Lord Westonbury.

“To see to Alfred,” Richard answered.

“Does he need a guardian?”

“No,” Wes admitted with a grin. “However, you must know that Young Alfred is unaccustomed to being in trouble.”

“He is not in trouble,” Darcy assured Wes. “Mr. Langley will be well even if you are not here.”

“I am not leaving,” Wes replied. “I wish to see what I started to its conclusion.”

“What you started?” Richard laughed. “I think it is what Darcy started.”

[from Protecting Miss Darcy, Marrying Elizabeth book 6]

~*~*~

Marrying Elizabeth, books 1-5

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Young Lady Putting on a Pearl Necklace (Albert Friedrich Schröder)

Albert Friedrich Schröder (1854–1939) / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

~*~*~

“Which necklace will you wear?” Kitty asked.

“I thought to wear the pearl one.”

“This one?” Kitty held up a string of pearls that had a pearl pendant suspended from it and intricate metalwork between each stone.

“Yes, that was the one. Do you think it will go well?”

“I do.” She placed the necklace on the dressing table and ran a finger over the stones. “It is beautiful.”

“Thank you. Fitzwilliam gave it to me.”

[from Protecting Miss Darcy, Marrying Elizabeth book 6]

~*~*~

Marrying Elizabeth, books 1-5

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