Happy Holidays! It’s only 11 days until Christmas (for those who celebrate it like I do) and 12 days from Boxing Day … which this year, is also RELEASE DAY for How to Marry An Accomplished Lady!
Finally!
If I get it uploaded in time. (Yikes!)
Currently as I write this, I need to have the final document uploaded to one of my vendor sites in four days. I’m still doing a last read through with Christopher (my Elevenlabs narrator) so that I can see if there are things that need some rewording to make the audio as good as it can and to help me catch any of those last little things that slip through the editing process.
(Such as I’ve found a few missing words and at least one place where two words were repeated. It’s really helpful to hear the story instead of just reading it for things like this.)
“Jimmy says your brother is looking for you, miss,” Harriet’s maid, (name of maid), said to her the next morning when she came to help Harriet with her hair.
“Has he been to his study so early?” A smile of deep satisfaction settled peacefully on Harriet’s lips and in her heart. Edmund would not be able to say she was incapable of being married to a man involved in a secretive business.
“Apparently, he was there an hour ago with some gent – you know the sort. Though neither of us are to know that.” She winked at Harriet in the mirror. (name of maid) was an incredible asset. Not only could she care for clothes and pin hair, she was also excellent at gathering information to relay to her mistress.
“It does seem rather early for him to be welcoming callers of any sort,” Harriet said. “I wonder what it was about?”
“It’s hard to say, miss. Your brother likes to keep his association with some even more private than the rest of his business.”
Harriet would have commented on this, but a loud knock at the door kept her from it.
“I dare say that is him,” (name of maid) whispered.
“I am not presentable,” Harriet called out.
“Harriet!”
“It is most certainly Edmund,” she whispered to her maid as they both only allowed a short soft burst of laughter to escape their lips.
“I am not presentable,” she called again. “I will see you in the breakfast room in half an hour.”
“That is unacceptable,” he replied through the door. “I must see you as soon as possible. You will be in my study. In ten minutes.”
“Fifteen,” Harriet called. “And not a minute sooner, but possibly a few later.”
“Ten.”
Oh, he was testy this morning.
“Fifteen.”
“Harriet!”
“Fifteen. That is my final offer. I simply cannot be seen until my hair is complete, and I am wearing clothes. Why, what if you had an early caller, and I was thoroughly disheveled looking. The news of such a thing could get around town by next Tuesday.” She doubted anyone calling on her brother at such an early hour of the day would be the sort to gossip about how they had seen her without her hair tamed and in a dressing gown and slippers.
“Harriet.” The name rumbled through the door in a growl.
“Has something happened?” she asked. “You seem rather disgruntled with your state in life this morning.”
“Miss, you are wicked,” (maid’s name) whispered. “Teasing him as you do.”
She was fortunate that her brother was more long-suffering than some, and she knew it.
“I cannot tell you about itl,” he answered.
“Do you mean that you cannot tell me now because you do not wish to shout it through the keyhole? Or is it one of those things that you cannot tell me at any time and would rather leave for me to discover on my own.”
“Harriet, you go too far.”
“Thank you. My hair looks just right.” Harriet stood before the mirror and looked herself over from front to back before tip-toeing across the floor and swiftly opening the door. “You are in luck. I am ready before my fifteen minutes are up. However, I will need a cup of tea if I am to forego eating as I normally would at this time of day.” She stepped around him. “Shall I bring it to your study?”
“You will take yourself to my study without a cup of tea.”
Oh, he looked decidedly put out. Something was most certainly afoot. However, a lady who intended to convince her brother that she could face danger was not the sort to be cowed by a few harshly spoken words and a glower.
“That will not do. Would it be acceptable to have a cup brought to me in your study?” She fluttered her lashes.
“Have you always been this impossible?” her brother muttered.
“No,” she replied with a shake of her head. “I fear it is you who brings out the best in my ability to be…” She tapped her lip as if searching for a word. “Passionately independent.”
“Passionately independent?” he cried incredulously before blowing out a breath in exasperation. “Staunchly recalcitrant is more like it! You do realize that most ladies, who speak to their guardian as you have just now, do not do so without suffering for it.”
She swallowed. It was rare that Edmund threatened punishment. Still, she held his gaze without wavering. “Yes. But how else am I to prove to you that I am not the sort of lady who faints at the first sign of danger or flutters and flies about when touched by the smallest amount of anxiety?”
“Of all the stupid things, Harriet.” He pressed his lips together so firmly that they formed a thin line. She had well and truly pushed him to the limits of his patience. However…
“My tea. How shall it be retrieved?”
“I will have it brought to you, but I will not call for it until you are seated in front of my desk. Do I make myself plain?” His shoulders were lifting and lowering noticeably, which normally would be her sign to desist, but she had a point to carry.
Therefore, she patted his cheek and smiled at him. “A simple, ‘we will have tea in my study’ would have sufficed. I am not slow of understanding, and there is no need to overexert yourself.” She turned toward her open bedchamber door. “(maid’s name) could you please see that a cup of tea finds me in Edmund’s study when you are through with my room?” She turned back to Edmund. “There. It is done. Now, if you would offer me your arm, we could reach your study before (maid’s name) is done with her work.”
“Harriet,” he rumbled in a low and somewhat dangerous tone as he extended his arm, “I ought to…” He shook his head.
“What? Lock me in my room?” she asked as they began a quick march towards his office. “Banish me to the country? Require me to drink only watered down port for three days and not else? You are no longer in the army, my dear brother, and flogging one’s sister is frowned upon.”
“I was not going to say have you flogged. What kind of monster do you think I am?” The words were said with some force and a hint of hurt.
Harriet chuckled, though it was a forced thing. “I know you would never be so cruel to me. However, that being said, I am also aware that I have pushed and prodded you to a place where, if I were not your beloved sister, you might have considered it.”
“Why must you torment me as you do?” he asked in a pleading tone. “I do not remember you ever being so obstinate for Andrew or Father.”
She leaned into his arm so that her shoulder bumped his. “Father died before I had to wage a campaign against his opinions about whom I was allowed to marry, and Andrew? Well, you were on the continent for a time, so you do not know how I tried him on the topic, and, as it turns out, he is not as stubborn as you are.”
“Then, this is all about my reluctance to allow Richard to present an offer to you?” he asked.
“That is the main reason, but it is not the only reason.” She released her hold on his arm so that he could open his study door for her.
“What other reason is there?”
She shook her head. “Some things should not be discussed in the corridor,” she whispered before entering his study and taking a seat.
Thomas Rowlandson (1756–1827) and Augustus Charles Pugin (1762–1832) (after) John Bluck (fl. 1791–1819), Joseph Constantine Stadler (fl. 1780–1812), Thomas Sutherland (1785–1838), J. Hill, and Harraden (aquatint engravers)[1], Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Annabelle (aka Belle) lost her heart to a young man who was training to be a physician. Unfortunately, her father is more than a bit full of himself. He’s a narcissist of the first order, and a physician as a son-in-law will not do. So, he makes sure to separate Belle from Fritz and hopes to see Belle married to someone more suitable. However, six years later, Belle is still unmarried, and her father gives up hope. Therefore, when his sister in Bath asks to have Belle join her as her companion, he’s more than willing to send her away. Little does he (or Belle) know that Aunt Augusta’s physician is Fritz.
This story, His Irreplaceable Belle, is an original sweet Regency romance with a Persuasion flavour and is book four in my Touches of Austen series.
Images for the above video were sourced through Depositphotos. Video background was created using Animoto and Canva.
I decided to share the images for this post in a bit of a different fashion today, and you have some options. You can press play and listen to the rest of this post being read to you, or you can press play and turn off the sound to see the images before you read the post below. It’s totally up to you how you wish to enjoy it.
While Georgiana’s sketchbook in Protecting Miss Darcy contains only sketches, I couldn’t resist sharing these pretty watercolor flowers that I found, so that, just like Lily (Alfred’s niece), you could “page” through them.
In the excerpt below, you’ll hear a bit about an incident involving a flower and bee and, hopefully, you’ll enjoy watching Alfred come to a surprising conclusion.
I hope your November is off to a tolerable start. 🙂 Ours has been good. Today (Friday) as I am writing this, the skies are gray, and the temperatures are not balmy. My phone tells me it is just 11 degrees Celsius outside (which is not quite 52 F). If it weren’t gray and cloudy, that temperature would feel a bit warmer, I’m sure. 🙂 As it is, I’ve been forced to turn on some heat in the house to keep my fingers, toes, and nose from being too chilled. (Maybe if I type faster, my finger will warm up faster?)
In my writing life, I’ve been busy.
How to Marry An Accomplished Lady (without losing one’s mind) has been sent off to my editor, and the sequel to it is on my writing schedule to be started next week.
I have made the decision to cancel my refresh of Oxford Cottage, which I told you about in a recent What’s Up Wednesday post.
I have finally gotten around to fixing some errors in Finally Mrs. Darcy that have been waiting for me to get to them for quite some time. (I think I also mentioned that in the most recent What’s Up Wednesday post.) I’ve updated the ebook file on Amazon, and just need to re-size the cover for the print book since new formatting software means a different page count (a lower one due to paper saving options) and make a large print version and all the books on sale will contain the corrections.
While I was editing Finally Mrs. Darcy to correct those errors, I put each chapter into Elevenlabs and created audiobook files. If you subscribe to my YouTube channel (which I hope you do because I really need to get to 1000 subscribers), you might already know that the full audiobook edition of Finally Mrs. Darcy is available now to listen to for FREE. I will be putting the files on Kobo and including it in Kobo Plus later this month, and I hope to have news before next month for where you can buy the audiobook directly from me.
All the Teatime Tales stories are now available in regular and large print, and I am currently working on sampling some teas to choose a few that I can use to create a “Tea with Darcy” gift box to add to the Leenie B Books Shop on Etsy.
I have also been working on the next Annilee Nelson novel (that’s my other pen name), and I have written a new portion of our Harriet and the Colonel story which you can read at the end of this newsletter.
There are, of course, several other business type things that I’m doing, but I won’t bore you with those details. 😀
Last month, I mentioned sharing with you how I’m managing to do more projects. It all comes down to lists on paper. Lots of lists. That I clip together into a packet. Each sheet of paper contains things that need to be done for a particular project and room for me to write myself notes about what I’ve finished and what still needs to be done.
Each day, I start with whatever project is top of the list for that day, and once I’ve spent a block of time on that project, I flip to another page and spend another block of time on something else. It comes down to completing small steps on a regular basis, and over time, the big projects get done. It feels organized. It frees my mind from having to keep track of what needs to be done. And, it gives me a sense of accomplishment as I am seeing multiple things getting done and not just one thing. It seems to fit me well, which is likely due to the fact that it’s very similar to how I used to keep track of classes and projects when I was teaching.
It’s not a perfect system, of course. I still miss things or forget to write something down. But for now, I’m really enjoying how it’s working. I’m just so happy that my brain can (mostly) handle all the things these lists are allowing me to accomplish.
That’s it for me for an update. It’s more than enough, right?
Keep scrolling to see the books deals that I have available this month and to get to that new installment of Harriet and the Colonel. (That was a fun, argument-filled bit of writing to do!)
I actually did an author reading of this book for YouTube a couple years ago. I haven’t had time yet to get Christopher to read the story so I can create an audiobook of it. But if you’d like to hear me read it to you, you can do that at starting here at this link.
Later this month, beginning on November 18, my Leenie B Books Shop will be included in a site wide promotion on Etsy. Everything in my store will be 25% off.
SOMETHING NEW TO READ
Our story about Harriet and the Colonel continues. Remember that you can read previous parts of this story under the menu item Harriet and the Colonel.
Chapter 3, Part 1
“Jimmy says your brother is looking for you, miss,” Harriet’s maid, (name of maid), said to her the next morning when she came to help Harriet with her hair.
“Has he been to his study so early?” A smile of deep satisfaction settled peacefully on Harriet’s lips and in her heart. Edmund would not be able to say she was incapable of being married to a man involved in a secretive business.
“Apparently, he was there an hour ago with some gent – you know the sort. Though neither of us are to know that.” She winked at Harriet in the mirror. (name of maid) was an incredible asset. Not only could she care for clothes and pin hair, she was also excellent at gathering information to relay to her mistress.
“It does seem rather early for him to be welcoming callers of any sort,” Harriet said. “I wonder what it was about?”
“It’s hard to say, miss. Your brother likes to keep his association with some even more private than the rest of his business.”
Harriet would have commented on this, but a loud knock at the door kept her from it.
“I dare say that is him,” (name of maid) whispered.
“I am not presentable,” Harriet called out.
“Harriet!”
“It is most certainly Edmund,” she whispered to her maid as they both only allowed a short soft burst of laughter to escape their lips.
“I am not presentable,” she called again. “I will see you in the breakfast room in half an hour.”
“That is unacceptable,” he replied through the door. “I must see you as soon as possible. You will be in my study. In ten minutes.”
“Fifteen,” Harriet called. “And not a minute sooner, but possibly a few later.”
“Ten.”
Oh, he was testy this morning.
“Fifteen.”
“Harriet!”
“Fifteen. That is my final offer. I simply cannot be seen until my hair is complete, and I am wearing clothes. Why, what if you had an early caller, and I was thoroughly disheveled looking. The news of such a thing could get around town by next Tuesday.” She doubted anyone calling on her brother at such an early hour of the day would be the sort to gossip about how they had seen her without her hair tamed and in a dressing gown and slippers.
“Harriet.” The name rumbled through the door in a growl.
“Has something happened?” she asked. “You seem rather disgruntled with your state in life this morning.”
“Miss, you are wicked,” (maid’s name) whispered. “Teasing him as you do.”
She was fortunate that her brother was more long-suffering than some, and she knew it.
“I cannot tell you about itl,” he answered.
“Do you mean that you cannot tell me now because you do not wish to shout it through the keyhole? Or is it one of those things that you cannot tell me at any time and would rather leave for me to discover on my own.”
“Harriet, you go too far.”
“Thank you. My hair looks just right.” Harriet stood before the mirror and looked herself over from front to back before tip-toeing across the floor and swiftly opening the door. “You are in luck. I am ready before my fifteen minutes are up. However, I will need a cup of tea if I am to forego eating as I normally would at this time of day.” She stepped around him. “Shall I bring it to your study?”
“You will take yourself to my study without a cup of tea.”
Oh, he looked decidedly put out. Something was most certainly afoot. However, a lady who intended to convince her brother that she could face danger was not the sort to be cowed by a few harshly spoken words and a glower.
“That will not do. Would it be acceptable to have a cup brought to me in your study?” She fluttered her lashes.
“Have you always been this impossible?” her brother muttered.
“No,” she replied with a shake of her head. “I fear it is you who brings out the best in my ability to be…” She tapped her lip as if searching for a word. “Passionately independent.”
“Passionately independent?” he cried incredulously before blowing out a breath in exasperation. “Staunchly recalcitrant is more like it! You do realize that most ladies, who speak to their guardian as you have just now, do not do so without suffering for it.”
She swallowed. It was rare that Edmund threatened punishment. Still, she held his gaze without wavering. “Yes. But how else am I to prove to you that I am not the sort of lady who faints at the first sign of danger or flutters and flies about when touched by the smallest amount of anxiety?”
“Of all the stupid things, Harriet.” He pressed his lips together so firmly that they formed a thin line. She had well and truly pushed him to the limits of his patience. However…
“My tea. How shall it be retrieved?”
“I will have it brought to you, but I will not call for it until you are seated in front of my desk. Do I make myself plain?” His shoulders were lifting and lowering noticeably, which normally would be her sign to desist, but she had a point to carry.
Therefore, she patted his cheek and smiled at him. “A simple, ‘we will have tea in my study’ would have sufficed. I am not slow of understanding, and there is no need to overexert yourself.” She turned toward her open bedchamber door. “(maid’s name) could you please see that a cup of tea finds me in Edmund’s study when you are through with my room?” She turned back to Edmund. “There. It is done. Now, if you would offer me your arm, we could reach your study before (maid’s name) is done with her work.”
“Harriet,” he rumbled in a low and somewhat dangerous tone as he extended his arm, “I ought to…” He shook his head.
“What? Lock me in my room?” she asked as they began a quick march towards his office. “Banish me to the country? Require me to drink only watered down port for three days and not else? You are no longer in the army, my dear brother, and flogging one’s sister is frowned upon.”
“I was not going to say have you flogged. What kind of monster do you think I am?” The words were said with some force and a hint of hurt.
Harriet chuckled, though it was a forced thing. “I know you would never be so cruel to me. However, that being said, I am also aware that I have pushed and prodded you to a place where, if I were not your beloved sister, you might have considered it.”
“Why must you torment me as you do?” he asked in a pleading tone. “I do not remember you ever being so obstinate for Andrew or Father.”
She leaned into his arm so that her shoulder bumped his. “Father died before I had to wage a campaign against his opinions about whom I was allowed to marry, and Andrew? Well, you were on the continent for a time, so you do not know how I tried him on the topic, and, as it turns out, he is not as stubborn as you are.”
“Then, this is all about my reluctance to allow Richard to present an offer to you?” he asked.
“That is the main reason, but it is not the only reason.” She released her hold on his arm so that he could open his study door for her.
“What other reason is there?”
She shook her head. “Some things should not be discussed in the corridor,” she whispered before entering his study and taking a seat.
