“Dance in the CIty” by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. The woman is identified as artist Suzanne Valadon. Original is in Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France.
Ok, so I know that this is not a Regency era painting and that the couple is neither dressed or dancing as as a Regency era couple would be. How anachronistic!
Now that we have that out of the way 😉 let me tell you why I picked this image to share today with an excerpt from Delighting Mrs. Bennet. My reasons are pretty basic. First, the couple seems to be enjoying their dance very much, and second, her dress is blue. I know, not exceptionally deep reasons to match this with the excerpt below, but there you have it. 😀 By this point in the series, Darcy has learned to be rather swoony, so I hope you enjoy this snippet from Chapter 8.
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]
Two Men at a Table, Luděk Marold / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
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]
Unknown 1823 artist / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
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]
