The Library at Strawberry Hill

Bibliotheek van Strawberry Hill te Twickenham, Jean Godefroy, 1784. Rijksmuseum, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

I love libraries! How about you? They’ve always been one of my favourite places since I learned what they were. I even worked at the library during my college years and while going to work wasn’t necessarily “fun,” I did enjoy the environment — quiet and book filled. 🙂

Today’s excerpt from With the Colonel’s Help takes place in a library. It’s a shorter excerpt since I didn’t want to run the risk of sharing too many spoilers. While this lets you know that there is some trouble that has happened, it doesn’t tell you how or why, so I hope it’s more of a teaser and not a spoiler. 🙂

Enjoy!

(P.S. This ebook is currently on sale everywhere.)


An Excerpt from Chapter 9

…While Jane and Richard continued their conversation regarding Mr. Bingley, Darcy pulled yet another book from the shelf, flipped through it and with a nod of satisfaction declared this to be a book he suspected Elizabeth would enjoy.

Elizabeth took the book from him and paged through it. “A fine selection,” she said as she closed the book and gave him a smile of delight. “Mr. Coleridge is very good.”

“That he is,” Darcy agreed with a smile. It was so very pleasant to be once again in a library discussing books with Elizabeth. He had not done so since he was at Netherfield, save for those few moments in Rosings’ library when he had given her the book she returned to him today. He sighed. “Has Bingley called?”

Elizabeth nodded. “He has.”

“I sent him a note regarding your sister’s being in town and my apology for having been so grievously wrong. Richard delivered it for me.” He motioned to a pair of chairs in one corner of the room.

“You have not seen him?” Elizabeth asked in surprise as she took a seat and glanced to where Jane was talking with Richard. Jane said something that caused Richard to turn and look in Elizabeth’s direction. Then after giving her a nod of his head, he led Jane to a place where they could sit while continuing their discussion.

“I have only seen you since arriving back in town,” Darcy admitted. “I have not wished to see anyone else.” He blew out a great breath. “It was good of you to come, but I do not see how…” He paused. “I do not see a way…” He shrugged. “You cannot continue to borrow books forever.”

Elizabeth nodded her understanding as her eyes swept the shelves. “Not for lack of items to borrow.” She lifted a brow and gave him a small smile. “If only I could borrow each and every book,” she added sadly. “I would read them rapidly so that I might return regularly to retrieve a new one.” She blushed under his close scrutiny of her face. It was as if he were attempting to read her mind for the desires that lay behind her words.

“And when you had come to the last book, what then?” he asked. The fluttering of hope he had felt earlier was stirring and increasing in his chest.

She arched a brow. “Is your library complete? Would you not add to it with time? I cannot say that I would expect you to be satisfied with what is here and never increase your holdings by even one new volume of work. Why, what will you do when Wordsworth or Coleridge put out a new collection of poems? Shall you leave them for others to read and have no curiosity to read them yourself?”

He chuckled. “You know me well. I will certainly add to my library in time, but what if I did not?”

“Do you doubt my determination, sir?”

“Never, Miss Elizabeth, but I should like to know its extent.”

Her eyes followed her hand as it ran nervously over the cover of the book she held. “I dare say I could read this book a thousand times over.” She lifted her eyes to him. “And each of the others as well.”

His lips parted, and his brows furrowed. Was she saying what he wished or was his mind merely twisting her words to its purpose? Had he indeed won her affections? There was only one way to know. “Do you wish to see me so often or just my books?” He watched her lips tip up, and her eyes spark with impertinence.

“Might I not wish to see both?’

“If you had to choose,” he pressed on. He needed to know if her heart was engaged as his was. If it was, then come what may, he was going to find a way to win Mr. Bennet over and claim Elizabeth as his wife.

Elizabeth swallowed. She had spoken of her heart to her sister, and Jane, much to Elizabeth’s surprise, had urged Elizabeth not to hide her feelings if an opportunity should present itself. Jane had endured much because of being circumspect. She had tried to guard her heart against hurt, but her doing so had been the very cause of her own grief. Elizabeth had promised to not do the same, and so, as she drew a breath, she gathered her courage and replied, “I would choose you.”

A smile spread across Darcy’s face. “You would choose me?”

She nodded.

“And I would choose you,” he replied. “Forever and always you. If you would have me.”

Her lips trembled, and tears gathered. It was so very wonderful to hear such things, but reality was not such that she could choose him, nor could he choose her. Her father would not allow it.

He grasped her hands. “I will find a way if you will say that you will be mine. I love you, and I always shall. Please give me a reason to hope. Would you marry me if you were free to do so?”

A tear crept out of the corner of her eye and raced down her cheek as she nodded. “I would.”

He lifted her hand to his lips and gave it a quick kiss. “Then, I will find a way. I promise you. I will find a way.”


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Beauty in Search of Knowledge (Sayer and Bennett)

Published by: Sayer & Bennett, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Who doesn’t love a trip to a library or bookstore? I know I do. And in the excerpt from For Peace of Mind below, the party from Gracechurch Street is going to indulge in such a pleasure. Unfortunately, this trip to the bookstore is not going to be a pleasure trip, and that meme that often shows up on social media about a lady who always has a book with her will always have a companion and a weapon is going to prove very true.

The excerpt below is from Chapter 5 and ends right before the use of a book as a weapon is put to the test. I cut it off right before that so that you can enjoy the discovery of how the book comes in handy.

Enjoy!

Please note: For Peace of Mind is currently only available at Amazon because it is enrolled in the Kindle Unlimited Program.

Continue reading Beauty in Search of Knowledge (Sayer and Bennett)

The October 2022 Saturday Broadsheet

This month’s Saturday Broadsheet, with all my writing life updates, is now available at the link below.

In this issue of the Broadsheet you will find:

  • a personal update
  • a few books that are on sale
  • and a picture of some mourning jewelry and a story excerpt

Have a great weekend!

I hope you have time to read a book.


Off to the Honeymoon (Frederick Morgan)

“Off to the Honeymoon” Frederick Morgan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

And so we come to the end of our month of wedding pictures. I thought that this one was a good way to close off the month. 🙂 The short excerpt below is from the very beginning of a honeymoon for Darcy and Elizabeth and is from the epilogue of For Peace of Mind.


“And then there is my impression of you.” He kissed her lightly on the forehead. “It has never wavered. Your eyes still enchant me, your laugh and smile are still bewitching, and your figure still tempts me beyond all rational thought.”

He bent his head and kissed her softly.

“You remain now as you were then, the loveliest of all women.”

[from For Peace of Mind]


SALE ENDS TODAY!!! (June 30)
For Peace of Mind can be purchased as a standalone novel or as part of Darcy And… a bundle of five Pride and Prejudice variations.

Man Going Down – Period Dramas (P&P, N&S, S&S)

Although this video is not new to YouTube, it is new to me. I just came across it when doing a search for something to share today, and it made me think of an Austen character that I have written as a romantic hero who was no such thing in the original story. 😉

I’m talking of course of Wickham in my story Through Every Storm. He and Lydia had fun falling in love and flying too high (as the lyrics say) when they were young. However, eight years have passed between when they were forced to marry and when the storm that will either shatter or cement their marriage begins. And what Lydia needs in this story is a “man going down” — someone who can find the strength to not only weather the storm himself but help her through it as well.



Through Every Storm is available as a standalone title for just $0.99 or as part of the Darcy And… five book bundle that is on sale for just a couple more days.