Tag: Cherishing Kitty

I decided to include a longer story excerpt today because I wanted the bit about the assembly (to go with this picture) and I also wanted you to see how this information is perhaps going to be used to push Alfred a little further. And that meant, I needed to get the part where Wes enters this part of the conversation. 🙂

~*~*~

“One does not pursue such a fellow just as one does not flirt with such a fellow unless one wishes to marry him,” Lydia said.

Alfred’s brow furrowed. Miss Lydia was perhaps the most difficult of the Bennets to understand. “Does that mean none of you pursued him because you did not wish to marry a handsome gentleman with a reasonable fortune and who is all that is proper?”

“No,” Mrs. Bingley answered. “I would have married Mr. Webb if he had stirred my heart in such a fashion, for I did consider it. However, my one advance of greeting him upon his entry to an assembly was met with his customary friendliness and exclamation of pleasure at having secured the first dance with me, which I told him I had saved for him, but that was it. He made no effort to encourage my pursuit.” She shrugged. “I supposed it was his way of saying he was not interested in me, and so, I let it be what it was.”

“Oh, yes!” Mrs. Darcy cried. “A fellow must not hold his cards too close to his chest if he wishes to encourage a proper young lady to reveal her desires. I know my friend Charlotte has always said that a lady should not be too circumspect with her feelings when hoping to secure a particular husband, but it is not just us females who should be so open. Would you not agree?”

“I would,” Wes answered readily. “Though I would caution that arguing and provoking the lady who interests you is not the best way to reveal your affections.” He chuckled and several chuckled along with him, including his wife. “How about you Young Alfred? What are your thoughts on the subject? Your answers are always interesting, and since you are the only chap here who has yet to find a wife, I think we should all like to know how you see such a thing from your point of view.”

[from Protecting Miss Darcy, Marrying Elizabeth book 6]

~*~*~

Marrying Elizabeth, books 1-5

 MAILING LIST    PATREON

Well, the gentleman driving this wagon is definitely not as young and handsome as the fellow driving his aunt’s donkey carriage in chapter 12 of Protecting Miss Darcy. 😉

~*~*~

They stepped to the side to allow a donkey carriage to enter Longbourn’s driveway ahead of them, but it did not. Instead, it came to a stop.

“Miss Lydia, Miss Kitty,” the handsome gentleman who drove the carriage said.

“Mr. Webb!” Lydia cried with delight. “We have not seen you in an age!”

“Indeed, it has been since last summer – very nearly a year.”

“And are you once again visiting your aunt?”

[from Protecting Miss Darcy, Marrying Elizabeth book 6]

~*~*~

Marrying Elizabeth, books 1-5

 MAILING LIST    PATREON

I thought today, since Alfred and Wes are going riding, that I would create a collage of possible vistas that they might have seen.

~*~*~

“There is no one else,” Wes said. “I am afraid you are stuck with me.”

“Could you not entertain yourself?”

“I could,” Wes replied as they descended the stairs, “but what fun is there in that?” He stopped and turned to face Alfred who was a step behind him on the stairs. “You have been spending far too much time alone.”

“I enjoy spending time alone on occasion, and I have brought some books with me to study.” Not that he had put very much effort into studying them. He had opened all of them at least once and even read a paragraph or two from one of them.

“I thought we might ride toward Oakham Mount,” Wes said as he continued down the stairs.

“Where is that?”

“Do not fret. I have walked in that direction before.”

[from Protecting Miss Darcy, Marrying Elizabeth book 6]

~*~*~

Marrying Elizabeth, books 1-5

 MAILING LIST    PATREON

This is the sort of house where Richard and Lydia will make their home. I really like that this house has the same shape and seems to have the same number of windows across the front and along the side as one of my favourite historic homes (Uniacke Estate Museum Park) that I like to visit here in Nova Scotia. It makes it easier to imagine how the fictitious house at Beaumont Park might be laid out inside. However, we’re only stopping here for the night in our story before the characters continue on to Netherfield and Longbourn.

~*~*~

“Oh, it is lovely!” Kitty said as the Darcy carriage drove through the gate and toward the house at Beaumont Park the next afternoon. “Lydia must be delighted to know this will be her home.”

“And you will not be so very far from her,” Georgiana placed an arm around her friend and leaned against Kitty so she could also peer out the window. “I have not been here in some time.”

“It has been at least five years,” Fitzwilliam agreed. “However, I do think we will be stopping here more often on our way to and from Pemberley in the future since someone will be living here. I see the work on the chimney Richard told me about has begun.”

[from Protecting Miss Darcy, Marrying Elizabeth book 6]

~*~*~

Marrying Elizabeth, books 1-5

 MAILING LIST    PATREON

Meet my visual inspiration for Miss Lily Langley. Now, who could blame Alfred for not being able to say no to such a sweet young lady?

~*~*~

“You are correct,” Alfred said to Lorcan some thirty minutes later to while Georgiana and Miss Bennet strolled along the edge of the lawn while Lily chased her ball through the crochet field. “Netherfield’s library might be quieter. However, who would hold Lily’s baby while she played if I am not here?”

Lorcan laughed. “She has you completely in her pocket, does she not?”

“Completely,” Alfred agreed. Lily could ask him to do just about anything – such as sit properly on a blanket and hold her doll so that it would not feel lonely while she was playing with her brother – and he would do it.

[from Protecting Miss Darcy, Marrying Elizabeth book 6]

~*~*~

Marrying Elizabeth, books 1-5

 MAILING LIST    PATREON